           VOLUME  xxx1                              MAY 15,  1955  -GRAND  RAPIIIS,  MICHIGAN                                     NUMBER  16
9                                                                               novice . . . Ah, then the question  ii of utmost importance
     II          M E D I T A T I O N                                            both as to its contents and its asking: "How shall a youth
                                                                                cleanse his way  ?"
                                                                                   And let the youth take heed unto his way also according
                 Covenant Youth Wants to Know                                   to. this very word !
                    "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?                For the above question is not only a question for a  yo@h,
                    by taking heed thereto according to  T,hy Word."            but it was also uttered  by  a youth. Yes, it pleased the Holy        ,
                                                               P s .   119:9    Spirit evidently to use a youth, a covenant young man, to
           Unique question !                                                    utter this question in the Scriptures, and to record all the
           How shall a young man cleanse his way  ?                             words of this marvellous psalm, all the twenty-two sections
                                                                                of which are devoted to one theme: the. extolling of the
           In a world in which  &en wickedly seek and find the an-              Word of God. 0, indeed, it is enough that this psalm is the
     swer to  the.question, "How can we make our way as filthy as               Word of God, infallibly inspired, -whether written by a
     possible  ?" here is one  tiho seeks and finds the answer  tti             young man or an old,  - by the Holy Spirit of Christ. That
     the very opposite question : "Hoti shall a young man  cleanse1             should be enough to forbid that any covenant youth should
     his way  ?"                                                                flippantly and lightly ignore this question as one to which he
           And, mark  you  well, it is a question  fTo~ a  you@   man           can pay attention when the "evil days come, in the which
     and for  a  yoztng  wmn  !                                                 thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." But in His
           Nay, the cleansing of the way is not for the young only.             infinite wisdom the God of His covenant saw fit to use a
     It is also for the old. Necessary it remains as long as we                 young man, in order that through one of their own age He
     live; and the oldest gray-haired child of God will have to                 might teach the young to sing: "How shall the young direct
     testify with his dying breath that for all his three score and             their way ? What light shall be their perfect guide ? Thy
     ten or four score years his way was in-need of cleansing from              Word. 0 Lord, will safely lead, if in its wisdom they confide."
     all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit. He will needs             Indeed, covenant youth wants to know, must learn to want
     bear witness to the fact that the moment he failed to view                 to know, and also will know the answer to the question, the
     his way with the question on his lips and in his heart, "How               all-important and only-important question : "How shall a
     shall I cleanse it  ?"  - at that moment his way would become              youth cleanse his way  ?"
     terribly filthy also. And he will also bear witness to the
     truth of the psalmist's answer to this question as a  lnatter of                                           *  *  *
     his own experience: "By  takipg heed thereto according to
     thy word." Nay, for old as well as for young, for the child                   A youth's  rosy . . . . .
     as well as the gray-head, from the cradle to the grave, the                   The text uses figurative language, of course, when it
     question remains ever essential : "How shall I cleanse my                  speaks of a young man's way. We must not overlook this
     way ?`I                                                                    fact, even though the Scriptures so  often use this figure that
           But for youth,  cor1pnan.t youth, the question is peculiarly         it is easily overlooked. And the figure  ii one of a pathway
     important. When the, "youth" is but a little child, he  has;               that stretches itself before a traveler as far as he can see,
     a covenant father and, mother to take him by the hand  and                 while there are many other  i-oads, leading away from the
     lead him in the clean way, When he has grown old in grace,                 main road and tempting the traveler to turn aside into them.
     he has in a sense become a "veteran" in the clean way,  a,nd               The psalmist is the traveler who makes his "way" along that
     has learned daily  both.to  cleanse it and to preserve it clean.           road, and who is earnestly desirous of keeping his way clean,
     But when he is a youth, when he is  "on his own," when in  a:              free from deviation and free from the defilements that lie in
     sense he stands at the beginning of the way, when he is a                  those side  I;oads. The road in which he is is the right road, the


363                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

clean road, the way whose direction is determined by the                  And the other is the way of guilt, corruption, impurity,
Word of God. And in that road he makes his way, and he                the lie, enmity, death, utter desolation !
wants his way to be in harmony with that road completely.                 And the two ways are mutually exclusive !
       For the figure of the "way" is one of man's active life                                    *  *
                                                                                                     e   *
from the point of  view of its spiritual! ethical direction.
    Man is. a traveler !                                                  The way of a  y0rtn.g  mm . . . .
    Always he is active! Never can he pause. Constantly, in               It must be  evideqt  that it is not every young man who
every moment of his existenck in the world, he is "walking."          can and will ask this question. The question and answer of
Even at those times when he perhaps imagines that he is not           the text is not a lesson in morality, but a lesson in grace !
"busy," -when he seeks rest and repose in sleep, or when                  For observe, first of all, that this is a young man who
he seeks relaxation and recreation away from his daily toil,  -       knows his way. and understands it. Note, secondly, that this is
even then he is walking. He is ever on the move. He can               a young man who realizes that his way is in need of cleansing.
never stand still. He walks. And his nature is such that              And mark, in the third place, that this is a young man who
he must walk.                                                         can both ask a question about his way and who can supply
    There is the constant activity of his inner being, first of       the proper answer. Besides. this is a young man who has
all. With his mind and his will, in his thoughts and his              sought the Lord with his whole heart,. who is desirous not
desires, his contemplations and aspirations, his joys and his         to wander from His commandments, who calls the Lord
sorrows, his love and his hate, his longings and his aims, he         blessed, who has declared the Lord's judgments, who has
is active. And never does this activity cease. There is even          rejoiced in the way of God's testimonies, who vows to  me.
a  certsiin activity of man below the surface of his conscious        ditate in His precepts and to have respect unto His ways.
life, the activity of his "sub-conscious," the activity that              It is a  covena,nt  youth  Miho speaks-here, and who is the
continues even in his mind and will when he sleeps. And               only one who can really utter this question !
there is underneath all his activity the motions of his inmost            A youth this is, who not only is acquainted with
heart, which is not even under his control apparently. And            God's Word,  btit who knows that word. A youth who,
all these activities are so many "steps" in man's travels.            touched by the almighty power of divine grace, has had his
    And then there is also the outward activity of his life, the      way principally changed already from the road to death to
activity which comes to  mariifestation  through his body.            the road to life is this young man. And because he has ex-
Active man is personally and individually ; and  actiKe he is         perienced the blessedness of the friendship of Jehovah in
with relation to those that are about him  ; and active he is         Christ, Jesus, he asks, must ask, must ask continually, and
with relation to the entire world in which he`lives and moves.        will ask this question!
In his seeing and hearing, his touching and feeling, his tasting          He realizes that before he reaches his destination there are
and smelling, his speaking and singing, his laughing and              all kinds of side paths and side roads which would fain tempt
weepng, his laboring and toiling,  - always, in every sphere          him away from the way of God's statutes. Fully aware he
and relationship of his life, man is active! He cannot cease          is that he has no business on those roads that lead bark to
his travels !                                                         the way of darkness. And at the same time he is very much
    Moreover, there is spiritual direction in all his walking !       aware that because of his flesh he is nevertheless prone to
    As he came from the hand of his Creator, man was a                walk into those ways. and sometimes, yea, often, does go
creature capable of bearing the image of God. In fact, he             aside.
once bore that image. He was created to know God, to love                And therefore he faces a constant struggle to purify that
Him, and to serve Him. But he  was created also so that               way from the defilement and filth of sin which is in those
he could turn about, away from the living God into the dark-          side roads and which clings to him when he goes aside into
ness and defilement of sin, into the unclean ways of unright-         them. And he faces a daily battle to preserve his way clean.
eousness and corruption. The direction of his life, therefore,            How shall a young man cleanse his way  ?
is either  toward  or  crway  fro,m,  ,in  hrmony  with  or in op-       That is his question!
position to  the living God.                                             That question expresses his awareness that he cannot
    Furthermore, just as there is progress and direction in           possibly deliver himself. It expresses that by himself he is at
man's life, so there is a destination toward which he moves.          a loss to cleanse his way. It expresses dependence upon
The end is either life or death, eternal glory or outer dark-         divine grace !
ness.                                                                    And do not overlook the fact that it is a question  !
    Only two possible  ways there are ! In none other can any           . Nay, there is no doubt in his soul : he immediately utters
man walk. And in one of the two, not both, he must walk  !            the answer !
   The one way is the way of righteousness, holiness, purity,            But that question expresses serious and earnest-minded
truth, love, life, glory!                                             concern with his way. It expresses acquaintance with the

                                                                                                                    i


                                             T H E   STAND.ARD   B E A R E R                                                                                                  3 6 3

dangers of that way. It bespeaks an awareness of utter in-
competence to keep that way clean and undefiled. Xnd it is                                 T H E   STAMDARQ   B E A R E R
the espression of a seeking of help and instruction and                       Semi-monthly, except monthly during July  curd August
guidance.                                                                  Published by Dhe R.EFORMEJI  FREE PIJBLJSHI~G  ASSCKIATION
   Yes, indeed, covenant youth surely wants the answer! It               P. 0. Box 881, Madison Square Station, Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
will insist ! It cannot rest until that answer is supplied !                                  Editor  - REV. HERMAN  HOEKSEMA
   And it will surely ask the question,  the  all-important              Compmnications  relative to contents should be addressed to Rev.
question! And it will ask that question in regard  tq every              H.  Hoehema, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
step of the way!                                                         All matters relative to subscriptions  shduld be addressed to  Mr.
                                                                         G. Pipe, 1463 Ardmore  .St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7, Michigan.
   How shall a youth cleanse  his. way  ?                                Announcements and  olbituaries must be mailed to the above
                                                                        .addre& and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each notice.
                            *  *  *                                      RENEWALS:  Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-
                                                                         ceived, it is assumed  that the subscriber wishes the  &script&n
                                                                         to continue without the formality of a renewal order.
   And there is but one answer to this question!                                               Subscription price : $4.00 per year
   By taking heed thereto according to Thy  Word!
   It is the  answ'er of grace!                                           Elttered  as Second  Ctars  matter at  Grawi  Rag&Is, Michigan
   For  thar Wofd is the Word of God! It is His Word in
every sense too. For it is spoken by Him, and it is spoken
of Him. He is its subject and its predicate.
   Its chief contents is: "Behold your GOD  !"                                                            C O N T E N T S
   It is the gospel of the promise, the gospel of life. -with
its center in the resurrection of Jesus Christ!                       MIDITATION  -
                                                                              "Covenant Youth Wants to Know". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361
   And to that Word also belong His statutes, the precepts                          Rev. H. C.  J5oeksema
of  t%e gospel, His testimonies, the judgments of His mouth!
   Knowing that Word; meditating upon it, appropriating               EDITORIALS -
that Word completely, one will attend to the cleansing of                     Schism in History (III) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
                                                                          Ridiculous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.5
his way according `to the standard of that Word !                                   Rev. H. Hoeksema
    For then, as he travels his way, he will  betake  himself by
faith to the Christ of God Who is set forth in that Word. He          OUR DOCITRINE  -
will flee to Him for forgiveness, for cleansing, for strength                The Triple Knowledge (Part III  - Of Thankfulness) . . .  .366
                                                                                    Rev. H. Hoeksema
to keep the only clean way.
   And he will take the precepts and the statutes of that             THE DAY OF  SHADOWS-
Word for his guide along the way. In them he will delight.                   The prophecy of Malachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
                                                                             The prophecy of  Haggai.................................369
Them he will respect. And every step of the way he will
regard in their light!                                                FROM  HOLY  WRIT-
   And his way will surely be clean !                                         Exposition  od Romans 10 :9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
                                                                                    Rev. G. Lubbers
                                                            H.C.H.                                                                         .
                                                                      IN HIS  FFAR-
                                                                              "Wanted : Fraternal Discussion?". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .374
                                                                                    Rev. J. A. Heys
                    CALL TO SYNOD                                     CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH -
  The Consistory of the  Fotirth Protestant Reformed Church                   The Church  and the Sacraments.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the calling church according to                          Rev. H. Veldman
the decision of the last Synod, hereby notifies our churches          THE VOICE OF  OYR   FATHERS-
that the 1955 Synod will hold its opening session on Wed-                     The Canons of Dordre& (Art. 17, Cont.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3!8
nesday, June 1, D.V., beginning at 9 A.M. in the above                               Rev. H. C. Hoeksema
mentioned church .                                                    DECENCY AND  ORDER-
   The pre-synodical service will be held on Tuesday eve-                    The  Schools.............................................380
ning, May 31, at 8 o'clock in the Fourth Church.                                     Rev. G.  Vanden  Berg

   Delegates to this Synod, needing  assiitance for lodging           A L L  A R O U N D   U s -
arrangements, please inform the Clerk of Fourth Church: J.                   In A New  Garb.........................................382
Veltman, 1112 Prince St., Grand Rapids 7, Michigan.                           Dividing Synod&l  Funds and Properties.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383
                                                                                    Rev. M.  Schipper
                                       Consistory of the
                                       Fourth Prot. Ref. Church


 361                                                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE.R

                                                                                                                    vited . . . as judges. A wonderful hardship indeed., that
                          E+  .D:.Is  J-x..0  R.  1:-A  1  S                                                        criminals indicted for transgressing the laws of their
:I                                   .:                              : :                        II                  country, should not be invited to take their seat on the
            `,.._
             :                                                                                                      judicial bench ! (Ibid.)
                                   %,h&n   i                                n                  @story   `1  _,         "Let not my honored brethren of the clergy deem
                            HISTORY REPEATS  ITSELF                                                                 me their enemy, because I presume to remind them of
                   ,/.       c.            ,'    . . .                                                              the truth . . . Permit the obscurest of your number to
      !            :.
                  . .                                     III.,.                 !"                                 submit, without  offence,  the foregoing particulars  to
                                                                                                                    your, attentive consideration. May none of your vener-
      Folld&ing -is the last of the quotations  &ich   Can&date                                                     able order be justly ranked in time to come, among
Harbach  s&t  to  us.. for  ,th&   Standard  Beam.;  .."  `.                                                        those . . . who fall in with the ceremonies, but fall out
      They  are yery instructive, not so much  ,because from them                                                   with the doctrines of  the Church. Halt not between God
we learn  to; know  hiat the heretics  :taught.. something which,                                                   and Baal. Give no occasion to our adversaries to speak
especially'iti   `i-egard  to the Arminians,  %e  knew  already, but                                                reproachfully of us. Let it not, any longer, be thrown
 because of two `elements in them.                                                                                  in your teeth, that `no set of men differ more widely
            In  .the first. place, they inform  us  ,that "history repeats                                          from each other than the present clergy  ; though they
 itself" with respect to the nature and contents of the heresy                                                      all subscribe to one and the same form of doctrine.'
 taught. It usually concentrates around the doctrine concern-                                                       Subscription is, in virtue and in fact, a solemn bond of
 ing God and man, and the relation between them  ;= or con-                                                         engagement to God, and of security to men, that the
 cerning the doctrine of sovereign grace and the freedom of                                                         subscriber fairly and honestly, without reserve, evasion,
 man's will.                                                                                                        or disguise, absolutely and nakedly believes the things
            In the second place, these quotations  reveal  that "history                                            to which he sets his hand." (Ibid., p. 276)
'  iepeats   itself",also in this respect that heretics always use the
 same tactics.  While they pretend to accept and teach the                                                        Three elements are important in this quotation.        F
 official doctrines of the Church, as expressed in their Con-                                                     First of all the  elelnent. that, according to the quotation,
 fessions, they stealthily attempt to introduce the lie. If it                                              some attempted to show that Arminius differed very little
 were not for  .this,  there hardly ever could be a heresy trial.                                           from the confession of the church.
 Heretics, before they are esposed,  a;e hardly ever outspoken.                                                   Such a claim will, of course, never be made by any truly
 They usual camouflage their heresies and make the common                                                   Reformed man who understands the confessions and knows
 members of the church believe that they are quite in  harmony                                              anything about the teachings of Arminius. It may safely be
 with the accepted doctrine. They  o&y express it a little                                                  said that the Remonstrance, which was adopted by the  Ar-
 different.                                                                                                 minians in Gouda in 1610, one year after the death of  Ar-
            This is also evident from the following quotations :                                            minius,  in the main reflected his teachings.
                         "Attempts have been made to show that Arminius                                           Now, if one claims that this document differs but verv
              did,  in fact, differ very little from the received doctrines                                 little from the confessions of the Reformed Churches, the
              of the  Belgic churches . . . But it appears to me very                                       only thing that can be said of him is that he does not know
              clear that Arminius himself  r&o&d in his own mind,                                           what he is talking. about. For that document maintains the
              and taught to his disciples, that form of religion which                                      error of general atonement on the condition of faith and
              his followers afterwards professed  ; and that the latter,                                    questions  the truth of the preservation and perseverance of
              especially Episcopius, only perfected. what their master                                      the saints.
              taught them, and casting off fear  .explained  it more                                              Reasoning in the same line, one could also claim that
              clearly. I have as a witness, besides others  ol less au-                                     the Three Points of 1924 differ very little from the Reformed
              thority, Arminius himself, who, in his  will! drawn  up                                       Confessions, and that, therefore, our separate existence as
              a little before his death, explicitly declares that his aim                                   Protestant Reformed Churches cannot be justified. In fact,
              was to  bring all sects of Christians, with the exception                                     it is well known that several Christian Reformed theologians
              of the Papists, into one community and brotherhood."                                          defended the Three Points claiming that, principally, they
                  (Ibid.,  pp. 14, 15) "Two and twenty sessions elapsed                                     represent the only truly Reformed stand. Fact is, however,
              ere anything was done by the synod, relative to the                                           that they represent, not the Reformed, but the Arminian
             Arminians : and yet those people complained . . . that                                         standpoint.
             sufficient time had not  beeri allowed them to prepare                                          Again, on the same basis, one can argue that the state-
             their papers of  defence. As if  they had not know seven                                       ments made by De Wolf from the pulpit of the First Prot-
             or eight years before the synod was called, that such                                          estant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, differ "very little"
             an assembly was to be  convezed   !"  (  Wyks of  Toplady,                                     from the stand of the Protestant Reformed Churches, al-
              1841, p.  239740)  And how they resented "their  being                                        though he deliberately and consciously attempted to corrupt
             cited to the synod as delinquents; instead of  being  in-
                                                                                       -_                   our Churches, by introducing his conditional theology and by


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R '                                                        36;
                                                                                                                   .
contradicting the Declaration of Principles which was offici-            ,A11 this is  char&te&stic of  he$etics, which  they knew they
ally adopted by our churches.                                         were.
    The second element is. the complaint that  they were ill              Those  thjt stand for the truth do  not use such`tactics.           .
treated by the Synod of Dordrecht. Also this is a characteris-            The third element to which, finally, we must briefly call
tic complaint of heretics, that is, they often' find fault with       your attention is contained in the' last paragraph of the
the  formal'or church-political aspect of their trial in order to     quotation. It concerns the official declaration that we all
have an excuse to cover  up  their heresies. In itself, it is,, of    agree with and  subscribe'to  the  confes'sioris of the church.  _
course, very well possible that a case is not treated in the              This is, indeed, a very serious business.
correct church-political way, so that, indeed, there is reason            In our own churches, this is even emphasized by the fact
for complaint and even for protest. But even if this is  t_he         that all office-bearers must subscribe-to the Formula of Sub-
case, it should never be used as an excuse to refuse to give          scription. By that formula we solemnly pledge before God
account of our views when called to do so. This is what the           and the Church  tliat we  s'hall never teach anything contrary
Arminians did at the Synod of Dordt.  The,synod  certainly            to the confessions, i.e. The Three Forms of  unity, and that
did not ill treat them. They were given plenty of time. And           we shall at all times submit to an examination if it is required
the synod certainly could not confer with them on an equal            of  LX  by consistory,  classis, or synod, while, if  we refuse, we
basis for they were the accused and delinquents. -But they            shall de facto be  suspend@  from office.
were unwilling to give account of their real views simply be-             It is characteristic of heretics that  .they take this oath
cause they knew that they were heretics.                              lightly, for they want to remain in the  church while propaga-
    Also the De Wolf group complained of  iheir being ill             ting their false doctrines.
treated. They, too, tried again and again to stall and post-              Also this is characteristic of the heretics that left 
pone -the `case until they might have a majority. Just think                                                                        us.
of the consistory meeting of June 1,  i953.  They offered-a               For  them their subscription to the Formula of Subscrip-
motion to adjourn before any business concerning the case             tion meant that  they adhered to the' confessions as they were
had been transacted; when a motion was on the table to                understood by the Protestant `Reformed Churches, not as
adopt the advice of the  classis they made a motion to table;         they were interpreted by the Christian Reformed Church in
when the motion, however, was adopted they asked for time             1924, nor as they were understood by Heyns and the Liber-
to consider their answer, though, as subsequent history               ated.
plainly shows, they never even meant to consider the matter,              All the history of the `last years plainly reveals that they
but simply stalled for time. In the meeting of  June 22, they         did not take their own subscription seriously. They violated
demanded a motion that they  sh?uld apologize,  +hough  this          their oath of  .office.
had already been decided both  by  classis and  by.the meeting            Thus, then, the quotations which candidate  Harb&h  sent
of the consistory of June 1. When the consistory determined           us  are very instructive, indeed.
that they could not vote in the matter because they  wei-e in a           History, indeed, always repeats itself.
                                                                                                                                           H.H.
state of guilt, they complained that they were ill treated. They
made an excuse of the fact that I, finally, left `the meeting, as
they alleged "in anger." When it had become evident that
the whole case was finished, that they would never  apologize,                                      RiNdiculous
                                                                                         . .
so that, according to the advice of  classis and according to the         This is how I would characterize a report of  `<the  six
consistory meeting of June 1, it had been decided they were           churches of our classis)' which was held recently (the date,
worthy of suspension and deposition, and they were not                nor  the name of the churches, is given), but which was signed
called to the consistory meeting of June 23, they again com-          by J. Blankespoor and, therefore, was a meeting of the
plained that they were ill  treat&d  and the action of the  con-      schismatics. The report reads as follows :
sistory at that meeting was not legal, although they certainly
had no legal place in the consistory anymore, and although                "In the second  overturle First Church proposes to Synod
the entire case. from beginning to end, had been treated in           to approach the brethren who left us regarding the dividing
their presence.                                                       of the  Synodical Funds and properties of our churches be-
    Ill treated  ?                                                    fore the `split.' Classis so decided."
    The only weakness of the consistory was that they were                That they call us "brethren who left us" we will pass.
far too longsuff  ering.                                              The first term of this clause is a bit of hypocrisy on their
    And, of course, they  (omplain,  too, that they were ill          part, especially after they swore to their lying cross-bill  ; the
treated by the  classis. Although they did. not submit to the         second part is simply a lie.
legal suspension and deposition, they still sent delegates to             But how about dividing the property?
classis and demanded that they should be seated. When  clas-              There is nothing to divide !
sis refused, and decided to seat the legal delegates, they were,          The schismatics appealed to Supreme Court in regard to
of course, ill treated                                                                           (Co&wed  on  Page  368)


   366                                           T H E S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                         it a place in their  hot%e,  and even bestow upon it their in-
                 O U R   D O C T R I N E                                 heritance.  But it never becomes really their own child.
                                                                             But with God this is different. When He bestows upon
                                                                         us  the grace of adoption, -He also realizes this adoption in
                    THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                 their hearts. He regenerates  us,  `so that we are born of Him
                                                                         and become conformed according to the image of His Son,
             AN  EXPOSITION. OF THE HEIDELBERG  CATECI-IISM              in true knowledge of God, righteousness, and holiness. He
                                                                         quickens  us'unto  a new life, the life that is from above, the
                     PART  III  - OF THANKFULNESS                        immortal, heavenly life wherewith we shall presently dwell
                                                                         in God's tabernacle forever. He calls us out of darkness into
                              Lee's  DAY  46                             His marvellous light, so that we repent of our sins and long
                                Chapter I                                to be restored to His favor. He, sheds abroad in our hearts
                                                                         the love wherewith He loved  us  in Christ  Jesus, and gives us
                      Addressing God as our Father                       the faith whereby we rely on the righteousness of God re-
          The.  sonship  of which he speaks is  a  sonship  of grace,    vealed in the cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
   a very particular  sonship,  that has its deepest source in           He causes the Spirit of Christ to dwell in our hearts and to
   eternal election. In absolutely  sovereign,  elective love God        abide with us forever. He assures us through the gospel that
   adopted us to be  His children. In eternal, sovereign grace           we are the sons  .of God. For thus He assures us Himself in
   He bestowed upon us the fight to be called the  sons of God.          His Word: "For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage
   In that  sense, although in time we appear as children of the         again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
   devil by nature, and children of wrath, we are indeed sons            whereby we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth wit-
   of `God from before the foundation of the world. But God              ness with our spirit that we are the children of God."  Ram.
   also realized that right in time. He laid the foundation of           g:15,  16. And again, "When  the,fulness  of time was come,
   this so&hip in the cross of our Lord  Jesus Christ. For by            God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the
   His perfect obedience, even unto the death.of the cross, our          law, to redeem them that were under  the.law, that we might
   Lord Jesus Christ obtained for us eternal righteousness, the          receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God
  -forgiveness of sins, and the adoption unto children of God.           hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
   And in `the resurrection of our Lord' from the dead  :we have         Abba,. Father." Gal. 4 :4-6.
   God's own signature and seal to the certificate of our  adop-             Hence; when in the address of the Lord's Prayer we call
t i o n .                                                                God our Father, this also  implies that we are conscious of
        Such is the legal aspect of our  sonship.                        our real, spiritual; ethical  sonship.  We are conscious of this
        And, when in the address of the Lord's Prayer `we ap-            by the very fruits of our  sonship,  the love of God and the
   proach God as our Father, we do so only by faith, in the              love  of one another, the true confidence of faith, the delight
   consciousness that we belong to our faithful Savior Jesus             in the keeping of His commandment?. 0, we do not forget
   Christ, Who died for us, Who became sin for us; that we               that all this we possess  oniy  in principle. We have but a
   might become the  rightebusness   -of God in Him, and that            small beginning of the new obedience. Sin still dwells within
   therefore in His righteousness- we received from God the              us. And therefore, this consciousness of our  sonship   will
   rights of  sonship  and have the  confidenece  to call Him our        often reveal itself in a confession of our sins before God
 Father. We look at the cross and at the resurrection of our             and before one another, and a deep need of forgiveness, as
   Lord Jesus Christ from  the- dead, and believe that in those          well.as  a longing for perfection.
   two wonders of grace we may  behold the eternal love of God              Nevertheless, when we address  Gofi as our Father, we
   to us as our Father in heaven.  -And therefore, although              thereby express a childlike confidence that God will give  us
   everything testifies against  US in this life and in this world.      what we ask of Him according to' His will and in the  nam,e
   and although our own conscience condemns us that we have              of Jesus Christ our Lord. And at the same time, it is also
   sinned and do sin against all  the commandments of God,               the expression of a childlike love, that asks only for those
   nevertheless, on the basis of God's own revelation in  th.2
                                                        ~.               things that are pleasing to Him.
   cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have the             And it is all of grace.
   confidence that we are the children of God and may call                  At the very beginning of our prayer the Lord leads  ils
   Him our Father. In the death and resurrection of our Lord             in the marvellous way of His grace and through the entrance
   Jesus Christ we have God's own signature and seal  .to the            of His sovereign election into the presence of His heavenly
   certificate of our adoption.                                          majesty. We may boast to man of our own free  wiil, whereby
       But  ihere is more.                                               we have accepted our  sonship.  But even  before  we utter the
       Human parents may adopt a strange child, but they can             first two words of the Lord's Prayer, this boast has died
  never make it their own flesh and blood. They may love that            on our lips, and we humbly confess: "Our Father Who art
   child and care for it as if it were  their own.  They  Inay   give    in heaven, it is none of self, all of Thee."


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                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D ' B E A R E R                                                367

                                Chapter II                                 God is omnipresent. He is not only in heaven, but also in the       .
                                                                           earth : "He is not far from every one of us, for in him we
                       In the Heavenly Sanctuary                           live and move and have our being." Acts 17  ~27,  28. And even
_        When the Lord teaches  us to address  cod as our Father,          the very heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. II Chron.
     it implies, of course, that we draw very near to God, and             6:lS. He is the transcend&t One, exalted above all that is
     that God draws very near to  us.  He takes  us into His bosom,        called creature. Your prayer need not be a loud clamor to
     and we nestle there. He fills  us with filial love and childlike      make Him hear you. When, if occasion demands, in shop or
     confidence, so  t'hat we do not flee away from Him at the             office, in restaurant or train, you desire to lift up your heart
     sight of His glory and infinite majesty, but have boldness to         to Him in prayer, your whisper is quite sufficient; and He
     remain in His presence and to pour out our hearts before              inclines His ear even  unto your silent prayer.
     Him.                                                                     The Catechism therefore avoids carefully all local implica-
         However, this does not mean that God has now become               tions when, in answer  to the question, "Why is it here added,
     our equal, our next-door neighbor, and that henceforth we             `Which art in heaven' ?" it  .teaches  us as follows : "Lest we
     can address Him with.  that. familiarity that breeds contempt.        should form any earthly conception of God's heavenly ma-
     There are those who appear to think that it is a token of real        jesty, and that we may expect from his  almighty power all
     piety that they address the Most High very familiarly, as if          things necessary for soul and body."
     He actually were their equal. I personally have heard prayers            Indeed, we may never form an earthly conception of  Gbd
     in which God was addressed as "you" and "your" instead of             and of His glorious majesty.
     as "thou"  and "thee" and "thy," expressing, of course, that             But aside from this, there are especially two implications
     the one who thus prayed was very familiar with God. It                in the words, "Who art in heaven."
     must be evident that as long as anyone can express himself               The first of these is that in your prayers you present  your-
     thus, he has never entered consciously into the presence of           Self to God as He is revealed in heaven. You present, your-
     the most high majesty. He to Whom we speak in prayer is               selves before His very face, in Christ Jesus our Lord. You
     the same Whose glory and majesty the prophet Isaiah beheld            do not address an abstract providence  ; nor do  yqu. speak to
     in a vision, "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and          a vague omnipotence, or to an undefined omnipresence, when
     whose train filled the temple. Above it stood  seraphims   ; each     you pray. On the contrary, you seek Himself, His face, His
     one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with           person. Nor can you address Him as  He is revealed on the
     twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one         earth in what is called "nature." For indeed the invisible
     cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the  Lord of         things of Him are manifested in the things that are seen, and
     hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of         reveal His eternal power and godhead. But the things in the
     the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house          world do not reveal His face, shining upon us in everlasting
     was filled with smoke." As the `prophet thus beheld the glory         mercy and love, and  .drawing  us into His covenant fellow-
     of the great God, he cried out : "Woe is me ! for I am un-            ship. On the contrary,  in these things "the wrath of God is
     done !" Isa.  6:1-S. It is indeed a  marvellous  privilege that       revealed from heaven." We lie in the midst of death, and in
     we may dwell in the presence of that great God, and that              His wrath we pine and die,  But  in- heaven, where the holy
     we may confidently draw near to His bosom, and stammer in             angels  se& His face, where is His sanctuary, where He is re-
     spiritual ecstasy, "Our. Father  !" Let us beware that we do          vealed- in the face of Christ' Jesus our Lord, Who prays for
     not  deztroy the wonder of- it by dragging God down to the            us with continual intercession,  - there is the revelation of
     level of our own existence. Our Father is the most high               the God of our salvation, the God of everlasting grace and
     majesty of heaven and earth. He  dwelleth  in an inaccessible         mercy, Who in His love forgiveth all our iniquities, that He
     light.                                                                may be feared. Thither,  .then, to heaven, where the face of
         Lest we should forget this, the Lord teaches us to address        God is, you direct your longing gaze. In your prayers you
     God as our Father, but also to add immediately, "Who art in           turn your eyes away from the present world and all that
     heaven."                                                              belongs. to  it! its wrath and death, in order to direct them
         We understand at once, of course, that this addition may          to the holy place in heaven, to the sanctuary,  whither  Christ
     not be understood as a local, or limiting qualification. And it       has gone before. For  ther'e  you may find Him as your loving
     is not designed to make  us cry very loudly to a very distant         Father, at Whose heart you may find rest.
     Godj that we may reach Him with our voice. That would in-                And the second implication of the qualifying  clause,  "Who
     deed be characteristic of an idol, nof of the  living.God. Such       art in heaven," is that God is very highly exalted above us
     a God would be no God. He is the proper object of the                 and above all creation, infinite in power and wisdom, glori-
     mockery of Elijah against the priests who cried unto  Baa1            ous in the splenddr of His holiness. In distinction from all
     from morning till evening and received no answer, and whom.           idols, the Scriptures teach us : "But our God is in the heav-
     Elijah mocked in the well-known  w,ords : "Cry aloud : for he         ens ; he hath  done whatsoever he hath pleased." Ps. 115  13.
     is a god  ; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a    You therefore shall nbt think earthly of Him, neither drag
     journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."            Him down from His excellency, but be filled with a holy
                                                                                                                        .


36s                                          ,THE  STLiNDARD   .BEARER

reverence, even when you address Him as your Father. And              our time to utter this address alone in spirit and in truth,
in this holy reverence and consciousness of His infinite power        that through it we may really lift up our hearts to the Most
and wisdom,  you  will, on the  otie hand, feel assured that He       High, and contemplate Him with holy reverence, filial love,
knows all your needs and that He is able to help  you.  And           and childlike conficlence. But if we have succeeded in this,,
on the other hand, you will refrain from praying thought-             and feel  ii7 our hearts that thus we have obtained audience
lessly and from presenting before His face your sinful desires        with the living God, we are ready to continue our prayer.
and carnal petitions. For  thuS the Scriptures admonish  us :         For  in that holy reverence of Him that is in heaven we will
"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty         seek His glory above all, and all others things only for His
to utter anything before God : for God is in heaven, and thou         name's sake. In that filial love of our Father we will `be
upon earth : therefore let thy words be few." Ectiles.  5  :2. Or,    desirous to be pleasing to Him, and only ask for those things
as. the Lord teaches us in Matt. 6  :7,  8: "But when ye pray,        that are according to His will. In that childlike confidence we
use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think           also feel assured that He will give  LIS  every good thing:
that they shall be heard for their  much-  speaking. Be not ye        for He is able to save us, being almighty God; and always
therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what                willing to bless us, being our loving Father, "Who spared not
things ye have need of, before ye  ask him."                          His own Son, but delivered him  up  for  us  all." How, then,
    Subjectively, therefore, the addition, "Who art in heaven,"       "shall he not with him also freely give  LIS  all things  ?"  Rom.
presupposes that we approach our Father in  heaven`in  true           8 132.
humility and assured confidence. We approach Him in                                                                                       H.H.
humility because of His glorious majesty and our own in-
significance, but also because of His glory and holiness and
our sin. But on the other hand, we also approach Him in true
and assured confidence. The glorious majesty of God, we are                                                     RIDICULOUS
assured, is bmnipotent: He always doeth whatsoever He
pleaseth. And in that confidence. seeing that we approach                                           (Con timled from jmgc 365).
Him as our Father in heaven, we are assured that we will              the property of the First Church. Suppose their appeal is
receive whatsoever we ask of Him in the dame of our Lord              granted. Then theirs is the name Protestant Reformed. And
Jesus Christ and according to His will. He is willing be-             this will,. in that case, be true of all the churches of their  so-
cause He is our Father, Who loves  -us with an everlasting            called  classis. Suppose the case is  se&led  in their favor also
love. And He is able, because He is all-powerful and all-wise.        in regard to the church properties in the West, then their
How then shall He not with Christ freely give  us  all things  ?      whole group can and will claim the name Protestant Re-
                                                                      formed, also synodically. In that case, they can simply claim
   I must observe once more, as I already did in another              all the  synodical  property  and they certainly cannot come
connection, that this address is introduced by the  pessonal          with a proposition to our Synod: "Let  us  divide, brethren."
pronoun  "our,`f  - in the plural, therefore. The scope of this       They may decide to give  us  something (which we would
plural is  ,both exclusive and inclusive. It is exclusive because     never- accept) but they could not come with such an overture.
it cannot possibly  mean  that I approach our Father in heaven             But suppose the whole case is decided in our favor. In
in the consciousness of my fellowship with all men. By nature         that case. we have the name and all the properties. Who in
men are children of wrath, and certainly not children of our          the world proposes to the owner of a certain  prdpertyl:  "Let
Father Which is in heaven. And it is inclusive because it             us divide your property  ?`!
embraces all believers, no one excepted. The  scqpe  of this
plural is determined by Christ Jesus our Lord. It is only                  The  entii-e overture is ridiculous.
in Him that God is our Father. And in Him, and for His                     And, besides, it appears that the  schismatics  do not have
sake, He adopted us to be His children. Only in the con-              much faith in their own appeal to the Supreme Court.
sciousness  bf that relationship, and therefore, in the con-               Otherwise, I am sure, they would never have come with
sciousness of our fellowship, not with all men, but with be-          s u c h   a n   o v e r t u r e .
lievers in Jesus Christ our Lord, we address God as our                                                    J                              H.H.
Father Who is in heaven. And of course, it implies too that
he who thus addresses God stands in the love of the brethren,
and  is able to approach God in  the consciousness that his
relationship with the brethren is unmarred, and that there is              If Columbus had turned back after sixty-five days of
no enmity or hatred in his heart against any one of them.             sailing on the uncharted seas, no  one.cg>lld  have blamed him,
   Thus we have discovered that the simple address of the             but no one would have remembered him. Even if you have
Lord's Prayer is very profound and very significant. 0, it is         a good excuse for  giving~up,  remember that all the rewards
indeed possible to recite the entire Lord's Prayer in half a          go to those who stick till, they get what they are after.
minute. Yet, it may well require more than a half hour of                                                                     - Church Bulletin


                                               TH.E   STANDA.RD   B E A R E R                                                           369
II                                                                       judgment over Jerusalem 70  k.D. and secondly the day on
          THE DAY OF SHADOWS                                             which at the end of time He shall come in judgment over the
                                                                         world. The prophedy implies  the incarnation of the Son of
                   The Prophecy of Malachi                               God,  .His atonement, resurrection, exaltation at the right
                                                                         hand of  Gocl and His pouring of His Spirit on all flesh when
        VII. Concluding. admonitions, 4-6.                               the day of Pentecost was fully  come. An He shall turn  t&e
      4.  R~~winber the law of  l?foses  my servant, which I             heart of the fathevs ,uvzto the som avtd the heart of the sons
commanded  hint  ivt  Horeb  ul)ovz  all Israel with the statutes        ,unto  the  fathers  - The result of  apostacy is a total disregard
nnd judgments.                                                           of the' responsibilities of the most intimate relationships of
        5. Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the          life. In the language of the prophet Micah, there is no' un-
cos&g of the day of  Jclzomlz, the great  a,nd  terrible (day):          righteousness among such men anymore. They all lie in wait
                                                                         for blood  ; they hunt every man his brother with a net. The
        6. And  he shall  hsun the  hea:rt of the fathers  ,mto the      son dishonours the father, the daughter rises up against her
sows a.vl.d the heart of the sons unto the fathers, lest I comae         mother, the daughter in law against her  mother in law; a
a.nd smite the earth with a curse,                                       man's enemies are the men of his own house (Micah 7).
        Remember the law  of  Adoses -A concluding call to                   But the ministry of John the Baptist  - Elijah  - is going
repentance. The idea is that by the mercy of Jehovah the                 to bear fruit. Many will be converted. Peace and good will
offenders confess and forsake their sins and as returning to             shall be restored. All will `be the Lord's work and not  man's.
Jehovah order their lives according to the precepts of the               The Baptist will only be active as Christ's organ. And for
law of Moses His servant. The call of the prophet (prophets              the sake of His penitent people He will not smite the earth
of olcl) for a return to the law does not make him a legalist            with a curse, that is, He will not cause them to undergo the
certainly. That a man merits with God was no more his                    curse of the law but for #Christ's sake its blessings (Deut.
view than it is ours. He understood as well as we that the               27). And eventually there will be new heavens and a new
law requires a perfect obedience and that therefore the holiest          earth on which shall dwell righteousness.
of men were not living in or by the law- but only by the
mercy of Jehovah. That was precisely his confession  (iii> 6).                                  (End of Malachi)
namely, that it is only due to the fact that Jehovah
does  riot change that the sons of Jacob are not con-                                                 :t  *  *
sumed. Yet the least in Christ's  ISingdom  is greater than
was our prophet (prophets, saints of old).  For Christ's                                The  Proplhecy  of Haggai
Spirit was not yet to lead him into ail truth. This is also
clear from his discourse, clear that he has not the crucified,               A message of rebuke for the neglect of God's House,
risen and glorified Christ and His. kingdom as the direct                Chap. 1 :l-11.
object of his vision. He is directly occupied in his discourse            1.  In the second  yeacr  of  Da.rizts the king, in the sixth
only with sin and repentance, the destruction of the impeni-             month, in the  first day of  the month, came the word of
tent wicked and the salvation of the penitent just, and thus             Jehovah by the  huvtd of Haggai the prophet unto  Zerub-
with the crucified and risen Saviour only indirectly and by              babe1 the son of Shealtiel, govemoy  of Judah, and to Jo&la
implication, but then indirectly by all means. This must be              the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
emphasized. For the body of truth contained in the Scriptures               2. Thus speaketh the Lord -of hosts, saying, This people
forms logically and spiritually one organic whole, the one               say, The  time is not  come, the  time that the  Lord?  ho,use
word of God, so that to be proclaiming directly any one                  should  be built.
element of truth in it is to be proclaiming them all by im-
plication.                                                                  3. Then  came the word of  ,the Lord by the hand of
       The law  of  ildoses  - It comprehended the entire system         Hagga.i the prophet, saying,
of laws contain&d in the Pentateuch and not merely the ten  '               4. I t is  time for  yo'u,  0 ye, to dwell in  yoz~ ceiled
commandments.  14~  semant  - Moses as the mediator of the               houses, a!nd this house 1 i e waste?
covenant  sf Sinai.  It&  Hoi-eb  - The place where Jehovah                  5. Now therefore t/m- saiflt Jehovah of hosts, set yo'~
promulgated the law by Moses His organ.  Statutes and                    heart upon yo'2t.r ways.
judgments-  It is rather difficult for  us  to distinguish be-
tween the two. According to one view judgments were the                     6. Ye have sown vx'uch a.nd bring in little; ye eat, but ye
provisions of civil and criminal law and statutes the positive           are not  sa,tisfied; ye  dyink  b,ctt  y'e  d&k not to the full; ye
institutions or enactments, whether nioral, ceremonial or                zlothe you, but you are ,not wa,rvx; a:nd he that earneth wages
civil. Behold, I will sgnd Elija,h the prophet - See on Chap-            eameth wages t o  p  n t  ,i t in t o a  bag pierced through.
ter  3  :l. Before  the  zoming  of the  great   and  terrible day of       7. Tlam saitla Jehomh  of laosts, Set yo,ltl: heart z6po.n yoz~
the  Lo-ud   -The day on which the exalted Christ came in                ways.


370                                                T H E   STANDA,RD   B E A R E R

       8. Go ,a+ into the mount&  and bring wood,, and b&d                  their crops. And perhaps many of them were discouraged by
the house; and I will take pleaszrre in it, a.nd I will be glori-           the fact that the promise of the pre-exilic prophets of a
ji.ed 1 s&h Jeh0va.h.                                                       glorious restoration was not being fulfilled, as was expected.
       9.      Ye looked for mtcla and, lo, sit c a WJ e to little, nnd     Then, too, it may be assumed that the true believers did not
when ye brought it  home, I  blew it  a.wcIy. Why,  snith Je-               make  up  the bulk of the postesilic community. The non-
hovah of hosts.  Becmse of  ~nzy  home which is  wa,ste, and                believing element could have no real need of the temple. And
Ire rat.?a every itaan to his own house.                                    perhaps even the faithful, with the exception of a few, did not
                                                                            miss it too much, seeing that during the exile they had be-
       10.  Therefore over you is restrained the `heaven  fmm               come accustomed to doing without it. They were back in
dew.7 and the eartlr, is restmined  fro~m her prodme.                       God's `own city. The sacrifices by blood had been restored.
   11. And I called for a  dmuglzt                                          God's altars again burned as of yore, Sin was again  -being
                                              ,upon  the  lmd  and ~p0.n    atoned. They again had fellowship  .with God at His altars.
the moamta~ins  md ,upon the corn a.nd alpon the new wine a+ad
atpon                                                                       But did they in their present state of mind and heart  `i In
             tlae oil and upon tkat which the groatnd Evingeth forth.
and upon men nnd                                                            their neglect of the house of God they were unspiritual.
                            atpon cattle: and upon all tlae lnbo~w of           It is plain  that there was need of another word of God
tlae hands.                                                                 for the rebuke of unbelief and carnality and for the revival
    I.  In  the second  yea:17  of  Da.rius-   The ruler denoted            and strengthening of faith. This word was also given, and
is Darius Hystapes the fourth king of Persia. The dates of                  it came by the  hand,of Haggai and his immediate successor
his reign are 581 and 486 B.C. His second year is, there-                   Zechariah  to be followed some years later by Malachi, the last
fore, 520.                                                                  of the prophets.
    Babylon as a world power  \had been overthrown by Cyrus                    Da:ritrs  the king  - It was not necessary to add  "0,
in 528. In the second year of his reign he made a proclama-                 Persia  ;" for he was the only living monarch that bore this
tion throughout all his kingdom that the Jews return to                     name, and at the time Persia was still in the possession of
Jerusalem and build the temple. A large company of them,                    the world-power. He was, therefore,  the  king.  The sixth
between forty and fifty thousand, responded. Arriving in                    wzontlz   - It was called Elul and answers to the latter part
Jerusalem they immediately set the altar on its basis and                   of August and `the first part of September.  Tlae first day  -
there-upon began laying the foundation of the temple. While                 It was the day on which the feast of the new moon  wa;
thus engaged, the people of  the land came and offered to                   celebrated. It was therefore a day particularly appropriate for
build with them. But it was not allowed and the result was                  the  commutiication  of the word of God. A large number
that they become bitterly hostile. The Jews were  a&used of                 would be present to hear the message.  Ca.wte the word of
them before the king of Persia by hired counselors. They                    Jehovah.   by  the  hand of Haggni  - It was, a word that had its
wrote a letter in which Jerusalem was presented to view as                  origin with God. The prophet was but the medium of com-
a city with a bad history behind it. It was a matter of                     munication,' the word passing though his hands.  Zerrub-
record, the letter stated, that the city is a rebellious city               babe1 . . . governor of Judah- As well as Sheshbazzar his
hurtful to kings and provinces. It urged that the' Jews be                  predecessor (Ezra 1 :S ; 5  :14), he must have been an ap-
prohibited from building it. The king of Persia, Artaxerses,                pointee of the king of Persia to whom Israel was subject. He
had the records examined and he was told that the charge                    belonged to the first band of returning captives, 436 B.C.
was true. He gave a written command that the city be not                    The  son  of  Shmltiel-  According to the  Chronist  (I Chron.
built until further notice. A copy was sent and read to the                 3  :19). Zerubbabel was the son of Pedaiah and nephew of
leaders of the opposition, who in haste went up to Jerusalem                Shealtiel. Reconciliation can be achieved by the assumption
unto the Jews and made them to cease by force of arms. All                  of intermarriage or adoption.  Joshua  . . . .  he  highphest  -
building operations now come to a complete stand still and                  Also in the prophecy of Zechariah he is named as  the.head  of
so remained until the second year of Darius, thus for sixteen               the priesthood (see particularly 3  :lff.).  Tlae  son of  Jose-
years (Ezra 3  :4). But that the work of the temple was not                 dech  -The full form of this name is Jehozadak  ; it means
resumed until that time was not alone due to the hostility of               Jelaovala is  hglateoats.   Cmme the  word of the Lord-It  came
the adversaries. The Jews had little heart for the work as                  to Zerubbabel and Joshua, to the former as the civil and to
appears from the discourse of our prophet. Of course, they                  the latter as the ecclesiastical head  of. the postexilic com-
were not  .admitting this either to themselves or to one an-                munity and through them to all the people.
other. They could always say that the king had commanded                       Verses two to eleven contain the prophet's message.  Thus
them to cease and that  it was neither right nor safe for them              saith  Jrlzovnk  of  hosts-  The prophet is the spokesman of
to resume the work until they should, receive word from him                 Jehovah, speaking a word that has been put in the opening of
to proceed.. And as the king was not letting himself be  heard              his mouth by his Sender.  Tlais people say-The  Lorcl is
from, they went to working their own works, exclusively,                    pointing His finger to the large number of Jews that had
cultivating their fields and building themselves houses to live             collected in Jerusalem for the celebration of the festival of
in, while neglecting God's house. Thdy dould also point to                  the new moon. The time is  ptot yet come, the  time that  the


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                 371
                      -    -.-. _-_

  LordJs  house  slzot/.ld  be  hilt  - To excuse their apathy they     recovery. Zerubbabel's temple, therefore, could not have the
  could name several reasons why the time is not yet come and           typical significance, of the first temple. It could not properly
  doubtless  they did. -Who would dare to disobey the command           symbolize, as  the first temple had done, the indwelling of the
  of the great king of Persia ? It is true that a new king oc-          triune Jehovah in His church through Christ in His Spirit.
  cupies the throne of Persia from whom permission to resume            For  it? its holiest place stood not the Ark  of the covenant  -
 `building operations could perhaps be gained. But is it now            Jehovah's throne  - with the Pillar of Cloud hovering above
  time to build ? Economic conditions. are  deplorab!e,  .worse         its lid. Yet the Lord will own it as His house nevertheless.
  than ever before: the crops have failed, cattle has never been        Here and here only of all the places in the earth, His saints
  sb scarce, and what little there is bring no price, wine-             will stand before His face as of yore and shout with joy. And
  presses are running dry, and the  figtree has lied.  Who would        He will  .lift up His countenance upon them also here, and His
  dare to build a temple in such a time ?                               peace will be in their hearts, and they shall glorify Him. For
      Tlaen  ca,mie  the  zvord  of  the  Lord by the  hand of  the     here the  .blood  of atonement will again be shed, His altars
  firoplzet,  sa.ying (vs. 3)  - It can't be denied that the reason-    burn and His priests bless.
  ings of the people have a show of validity. The prophet does                                                                                        G.M.O.
  the only wise thing. He awaits the Word of the Lord. And
  it comes (vs. 4).  It is time  for  YOIG- The right, proper
  time.  Ceiled  Ilottses   -  Hous&  with ceiling and walls of                PROTECT AND SAVE ME, 0 MY GOD
  cedar and therefore costly. Such houses they built them,
  while urging the  $verty  of their community as an excuse for                      Protect and save me, 0 my God,
  their failure to build the temple.                                                   From foes that seek my life,
      Set your heart upon your way (vs.  j  -They  shoulg  con-                   And set me  lnigh, secure, above
  sider what they have been doing and what they suffer. They                           The rising tide of strife.
  should pause and ponder their experiences that were truly                          The workers of iniqutiy
  startling. They were being cursed in all that they possessed                         Against me lie in wait;
  and undertook. Though they sowed copiously, they reaped                            Though I am innocent, 0 Lord,
  little. They ate and  drank  and were hungry and thirsty  still,@                    They gather. in their hate.'
  for their was want of bread and what little they did have to
  eat did not nourish them. And their clothes did not warm                           Behold their wickedness, 0 Lord,
  them being insufficient.             And the wages of the hireling                   To help me, 0 awake  ;
  dwindled away as though they were put in a bag full of hole.;                      Lord God of hosts, Thou, Israel's God,
   (vs. 6).                                                                            Arise, and vengeance take.                          '     ~
      Once more they are admonished to stop and consider  tIlei!
  ways. If they do  so? the  .prophet means.  tp be telling  thenl.                  My enemies with deadly rage.
  they will not fail to discern that their miseries are the  es-                       R e n e w   t h e i r   f i e r c e   a t t a c k   ;
  pression  of Jehovah's displeasure for their sinful treatment                      They think the Lord- will not regard,
  of Him regarding His house. Tfiere can be no doubt  about                            But Thou wilt turn them back.
this. Now follows a direct command to build the house                                0 God, my strength, on Thee I wait,
   (vs. S). Go  a+  into  tlae  ?lsoztntain -Not necessarily Le-                       To Thee for refuge flee  ;
  banon but -any mountain on which timber grew.  Bring wood                          My God with mercy will defend,
  - All the buildings material necessary for the construction                          Triumphant I shall be.
  of `the temple. Stone could be had from the ruins of the old
  temple. This  part of the task having been accomplished they                       0 God, our shield, let wickedness
  are to proceed with the building of the house.  And I will take                      And pride be put to shame,
  plensurb  in  z't  -Yet the Lord did not honor the temple of                       Till all shall know that Thou dost rule
  the postexilic community with that visible manifestation of                          And all shall fear Thy Name.
  His Presence--the Pillar of Cloud. For it is  nowhkre  stated                      Let wickedness that  raged in power
  that He did as it is in connection with the tabernacle (Ex.                          Now rage  in.impotence  ;
  11.:34-36), and with  Solom&`s temple (I Kings  8:lO).  The                        But I will glory in Thy strength,
  report of, the building of  Zerubbabers  temple ends with this                       My refuge and defense.
  statement, "And kept the feast of'unleaved bread seven days
  with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the                        When all  the night of  w?e is past
  heart of  ihe king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their                         And  mQrning dawns at length
  hands' in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel                          Then I shall praise Thy grace, 0 God,
   (Ezra 6  :22). The ark of the covenant was also permanently                         My refuge and my strength.
  lost to Israel. For we do not read of its preservation and                                                                               Psalm 59  :1-S


  372                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                          Israel of which this great prophet said : "All day long  dici I
              FROM HOLY W R I T                                           spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying
                                                                          people."
                                                                              Hence, there is the same desire and pain in the heart of
                   Exposition of Romans  10:9                             Paul as there had been in the heart of  the Prophet Isaiah. It
         This essay, which I am about to write, will be a  l)ositive      is the lot of prophets to thus suffer  ; these must taste the pain'
  exposition of Romans  10:9 against the background of the                of having a message beside which there is none other -and
  "testimony" that  "Classis  West" purported to give  Classis            not being believed  !,
 East in regards to the Statements of Rev. De Wolf and  Clas-                 Nevertheless it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone
 sis East's condemnation of  .the same.                                   of stumbling and a rock of offense  ; and he that believeth on
         This passage from the Word of God reads as fdllows:              him shall-not be ashamed." Romans 9  :33, Isaiah 8  :14.
  "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth  -:Jesus  as Lord, and           The Promise of the Gospel is that "everyone that  be-
 shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him  from the dead,           lieveth shall be saved. And this must be preached promis-
 thou shalt be saved." Romans  10:9.                                      cuously to all to whom God sends the Gospel in His  goocl-
         Our chief concern in this essay is not what  "Classis  West"     pleasure. The Greek text has : touto estin to  reema tees
 desired, to establish in citing this text, but rather what Paul          pisteoos o  keerussomen.  Translated this is: that is the word
 establishes here with his readers. At bottom we are interested           of  faith which we  predch. It is of importance that we notice
 in sound exegesis and not in refuting an erroneous or con-               that Paul does not write here: that is that Word of faith
 fused usage of the text. Nevertheless, even in our positive              which is  pro?vLised to  al1  if  they believe.  Paul says  :  preached
 and constructive study of the text we shall reject all  heresi'es        to all. "Preaching" is a term of Scripture and the Confessions
 repugnant thereto.                                                       which  cannot  be  equated,  identified with "to promise." Paul
         In this passage in Romans 10  :9, Paul tells us what the         does not say "the word of faith  w&h is  prowLised,  that if
 content  is of the "word of faith" which is  prenclzed   .by the         thou shalt believe, etc." Nay,  pueachg   and  prol<cise  are not
 Apostles and teachers of Jesus Christ. Yes, here we have that            indentical.
 which is  PIreached  in Christ's Name to all nations, beginning              Preaching  and pro&se are not identical here in the text
 at Jerusalem,  Judea,  Samaria and to  the- ends of the  ear&           ( in Roman 10  :S, 9. Such was evidently the implied intention
 Literally we read in verse 8, "but what saith it? The  worcl             of Rev.  I%  Kok on the floor of  Classis East, October 7, 1953,
 is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word            when he said that if he could not say: "God promises  efery-
 of faith,  which we preach." And this Word in a nutshell is,             one of you, that, if you believe, you will be saved" then he
 when viewed in contrast to the law of Moses, that if we                  saw that the very heart of the Gospel had been  den&d. And
 confess  -that  jesus  is Lord and believe in our hearts that            he opened a copy of the Bible and read  Remans  10  :9 to  sup-
 God has raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved. That                port his contention. I remember very distinctly, that, before
 is the content of the "word of faith" briefly expressed-in op-           a church full of people, I challenged Rev.  B. Kok to prove
 position to the righteousness by law. This latter saith: that            exegetically that Romans 10 : 8 and 9 says : God promises
 the man that doeth the law shall live thereby.                           every one of you, that, if you believe etc., when it says : The
     What a blessed and beautiful content is preached when                word of faith which we preach that if thou confess  with thy
 the "word- of faith" is brought to the New Testament church !            mouth  that Jesus is Lord . . . . thou shalt be saved. Did Rev.
     As a preacher of this riches of the grace in Christ, Paul            Kok meet that challenge ? No, he remained seated. Nor has.
 has a great desire of heart that Israel, his kinsmen, according          he, up till this day, taken the pains to show on good exegeti-
 to the flesh, might  believe and be saved.' Ah, these  inen were         cal grounds that "the word of faith, which we  preach"  can
 really very zealously  1,eiigiofbs.  They were trying to bring           be rendered  "the word of faith which is  pYo~~~i.sed!"
 about their own salvation. They  ,tried to put a foundation                  Our point is not to cast aspersions on Rev. B.  Kok. The
 under their own feet, a foundation  of'righteousness. And in             Lord will judge His people and He will judge a righteous
 so doing they clearly showed that they refused to submit to              judgment. We are interested in keeping confusion aiid every
_ the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. They did not heed             evil work out of the church and from the pulpit; also the
 the report of the Gospel,  the  ,glad-tidings of good things'.           evil work of confusion in sound exegesis and the proper dog-
 They thereby gave  evidenck that they had  never understood              matic and Confessional conclusions !
 the Holy Scriptures and the power of God. The great                         It is of importance that  we be preachers who rightly
 Promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had never been              divide the Word of truth and be workmen that need not be
 understood by them. God's covenant dealings, a dispensation              ashamed. And when we are to  ,give "testimony" to brethren,
 of rich and boundles  mercy they had never been able to see.            to a whole  Classis that has struggled to maintain clarity and
 The whole Bible was closed to them even though they read it             orthodoxy in our terminology, then we must do  inore than
 every Sabbath, since they did not see that the Messiah, the             cast a few hasty insinuations in the face of a  Classis,  aticl also
 Christ was the purpose, the Telos of the law for righteous-             do more than quote a few texts without showing with sound
 ness to everyone  that  believetlz.  In Isaiah's day they are the       exegesis the relevancy of the passages quoted to the issue at



                        .


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D .   B E A K E R                                                 373     '

     hand. There is always a great distance yet between the                quotes in context, interpolates. But at least that is their
,    "testimony of Jesus Christ" and flinging a few nasty accusa-          `(testimony," or at least it is a  willing  conces.sion.
     tions over the shbulder after having walked out of the door               Now I ask: Does  "Classis  West" desire that  Classis East
     and after having made decent and brdtherly discussion im-             shall understand from Canons II, 5 that Statement I  Df De
     possible !                                                            Wolf is an  incowtfiletc  sfatement of Doctrine? Who shall help
         When a "Classis" gives `testimony" one expects "testi-            me ? Who shall tell me what pertinent elements of doctrine
     mony" in which one hears: thus saith the Lord, and not                are not stated and which should be incorporated to make it
      simply a little "piece of one's mind." Before the former I           complete ? Maybe Rev. De Wolf will do this himself some-
     tremble- no matter who speaks it. And would that God's                time. He is, as I understand it, going to be a guardian of
     people all were  firoplzefs.   When Rev. A. Petter writes a           the truth  ?
     good and sound article in Concordia, I weep  .that he is not              In their "testimony" the aforementioned "Classis" also
     wholly consistent in the matter of "conditions," but I rejoice        told  Classis East that these Statements were. "not concise."
     greatly that he defends the position that God was not recon-          In other words: What these statements express could be
     ciled to us, but that God reconciled us to Himself.  Thea I           expressed still more briefly. For note well that  "co&ise"
     hear the prophetic word. And I rejoice. But I cannot rejoice          means : expressing much in brief form. Hence, these state-
     in a "testimony" which is so vague and pointless that it lacks        ments could express more in brief form. Here I have ponder-
      testimony!  I have no respect for a "testimony" that begins          ed the question whether the authors did not have in mind
     with a false assumption and, therefore, ends with a false             the term "precise" when they wrote "concise." But who shall
     conclusion, to wit, which identifies "preaching" and "prom-           say? The testimony is not expressed in very clear and
     ise  !" This is neither Scriptural nor is it Confessional.            precis'e  language. And that makes it rather valueless, me
         "`Classis West" also refers to Canons II, as a Confessional       thinks ! But granted that the "Classis" meant that the  state-
      reference for the  Statement(s?)  of Rev. De Wolf. This              mepts  are not complete and "precise" statements of doctrine
      Canon reads as follows : "Moreover the  p7o~nise  of the  ,gospel    then I ask:  wherein are they not  strictly  accrwate?  Wherein
     is, that whosoever believeth in Christ, crucified? shall not          have they  fa.iled (these "statements," you must know) to be
     perish but have everlasting life. This  prol>ise, together with       observatit of rule, of  punctillious, absolute conformity to the
     the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and           Reformed Standards? Or did  "Classis  West" after all mean
     jmblished   to all nations and to all persons promiscuously and       "concise  ?I'. Are they then too verbose?
     without distinction, to, whom God out of  His good pleasure               When I look at the Statement I of De Wolf and compare
     sends the Gospel."                                                    it with Canons II, then I  am certain that according to the
         It is rather difficult to ascertain just what  "Classis  West"    analogy of faith it must be asserted that the "Statement" is
     wished to prove with this article of the Canons.                      not simply not "precise," accurate, but is repugnant to
         Did they wish to demonstrate that the Statement of Rev.           Canons II, 5. That  "Classis  West" will not. say.  Nor can
      De Wolf, called the first Statement was not a "complete and          they say that this "Statement" is clearly taught in Canons II,
     concise statement of doctrine  ?" Speaking of these Statements        5. So they are  content(   7) with the assertion that there are
      of. De Wolf they write  ". . . . . Though we freely admit that       "numerous like statements in Scripture and the confessions."
     they are not a complete and concise statement of doctrine."           This assertion itself is an unproven contention.
         Not so easy to understand is it? And this is meant to be              I  a& anyone to show the following:
     a "testimony" to us, is it not?                                           1.    That in  Remans  10  :9 and Jbhn 3  :14-16  as well as in
         These  .statements  are not a  co~q!dete   statement of doc-      Canons II, 5 we have explicitly taught what is expressed in
     trine. Does this mean, in the  *zind of the  Classis and that         Statement I of Rev. De Wolf. Come, Rev. De Wolf, just
     of their  Cominittee  of preadvice, that not all the dogmas of        begin with this  matteplest this present generation be de-
     the church are contained in these statements? One can                 prived of seeing one mqre dogmatical fiasco-; yea, better still,
     hardly believe that a  "Classis" would seriously write down           that you may see that your Statements are repugnant to the
     such a truism ! A compendium of doctrine they are evidently           standards.
     not. Well, they are "incomplete" statements of doctrine. Of               2.    That it is possible and correct and "precise" to iden-
     what doctrine  ? Of that doctrine which they "meant" to ex-           tify "preaching" and "promise" both according to  Stiripture
     press ? Rev. M. Gritters, if asked : what does  Classis here          and Confessions.
     have in mind, would quite likely say:  "f cannot interpret for            3.    That it is not the calling of a preacher to so preach
     Classis. I have not that power, I have not that right." Since         the word that it is precise and accurate, but that he may
     the same "Classis" will never  again  meet there is no one that       preach so that his statements are "like" the confessions,
     can ever tell me just what "Classis" meant. That throws               rather than what is "clearly taught" in the confessions.
     me back upon simple deduction of the most obvious natural                 In the meantime I do not  find my conscience bound by
     sense. `Rev. De Wolf's Statement in re the  plro,mzise   to  a.11     this "testimony" of  "Classis  West" but I shall adhere to the
     was "not a complete statement of doctrine." More should               testimony of the Scriptures and the Confessions.
     have been said. I don't know whether  "Classis  West" here                                                                          G.L.


    374                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                                            ' Hence the title to this article.
                      I N   H I S   F E A R                                   And the question mark on the end is due to the fact
                                                                          that we have very? very serious doubts that they desire such
                                                                          fraternal discussion at all. In the light of all their past actions
                 Wanted: "Fraternal Discussion?"                          as well as of this very decision, these words have no  meanirig
                                                                          at  all except, perhaps, to try to soothe the hearts of those  in.
           When these lines and this edition of the Standard Bearer       their group that are seriously disturbed by the co&se of events
    appear in the mailboxes of its subscribers, it will be almost         and by the strange sounds they hear in the preaching, as well
    two years since  Classis East of the Protestant Reformed              as the  whblly  unprotestant Reformed maneuvers of reaching
    Churches took steps to rid our churches of and to defend our          out all over for men from other denominations to help them
    churches against the conditional theology of the Liberated. It        in their missionary projects and to teach them in their various
    was in May 1953 that  Classis East condemned the heretical            society meetings.
    statements of Rev. De Wolf as  Liberated.-.which  they surely             Cannot even the blind see that their very unbrotherly
    are - and as heretical and demanded of him that he do like-           treatment of this communication from our Synod is a denial
    wise.                                                                 of the fact that they truly want brotherly, fraternal discussion
        Before  Classis East could deal further with the case  and        with us  ? They are so unbrotherly even in this report that
    pass judgment upon the action of the Consistory of First              they will not even address us as Protestant Reformed Church-
     Church as to whether it `acted properly in its execution of          es and place the name in quotation marks. Instead Rev.
    thi$ advice of  Classis; and before  Classis East could decide        Gritters who squirmed visibly on the witness stand in  Pipe-
    which faction in First Church should be recognized as the             stone, Minnesota and deliberately pleaded ignorance to de-
    legal Consistory  ;  Classis West  which   - even according to the    fend himself when he was pressed exactly about the matters
    testimony under oath before Judge Taylor of Rev. Gritters,            of which we wrote above (a little more of this later) states
    who was the Stated Clerk of  Classis West-had no jurisdic-            in this report that they received a communication from Rev.
    tion at all over anyone or any  church in  Classis East dared         Geo. C. Lubbers. Come, come, Rev. Gritters, would it not
    to meddle in the case of another  Classis and decide (1) that         be more brotherly to concede us at least the name in quota-
    Rev. De Wolf and the "elders" that supported him were the             tion marks  ?, at least until the courts take it away from you
    legal Consistory and  (2)  that the Rev. H. Hoeksema and              and say that you have been using it illegally  ? Would it nqt
    the Rev. C.  Hanko  and the elders that supported them were           be more fraternal to concede us at least equal right to that
    outside the Protestant Reformed Churches. If you please!              hame with yourself seeing that Judge Taylor, after your
    A  Classis that has no jurisdiction over anyone in the other          testimony, already ruled that we and not Rev. De Wolf  -
    Classis dare to make a motion to decide who belongs to that           and therefore not you either-have the right to that name ?
    Classis over which it has no jurisdiction at all. This is rebel-          But then, perhaps that is the personal sentiment of  the
    lion and hierarchy, pure and simple ! It. was one  Classis  lord-     Stated Clerk of their  Classis and not the decision of the
    ing it over another  Classis ! It was a group of Consistories         Classis to call it the communication of the Rev. Geo. C.
    lording it over a Consistory in another  Classis.                     Lubbers. And we could let it go at that except that it is quite
           All  Classis West had the right to do was to protest this      ironical that the man who was given a department in practical
    action of  Class&  East and/or of the Consistory of First             Christianity in  Goncordia and  .was always set forth as one
   Churdh  to the next Synod  ; but to take a stand in the disci-         who was on the "practical" rather than on the doctrinal side
    pline case of another Consistory that is not in its own juris-        should practice such unbrotherly and unchristian actions him-
    diction was an act of schism. And it is encouraging that, in          self.
    private conversion at least, some of the office bearers in that           And we might add, do not let anyone deceive you into
    group that performed this act  bf schism acknowledge that             thinking that those who defend and feel the need of conditional
    what they did in September of 1953 was a violation of the             theology. and of findirig an admonition in every text of the
C h u r c h   O r d e r .                                                 Bible have a more holy and sinless life than is to be found
           But now in one of the last copies of Concordia a report        in our churches where we preach the fundamental principles
    appears of a "Classical meeting" that these same schismatic           of Holy Writ of Unconditional election, Unconditional prom-
    churches held in Hull, Iowa, this past March. One of the              ises, Total depravity and Perseverance of the Saints. Just
   `matters treated there was a letter from our Synod calling the         look  al'ound a bit amongst those who had to adopt conditional
    attention to these perpetrators  of-hieiarchy  and schism to the      theo!o,q,  so they said, because the Protestant Reformed
    error of their deed of September of 1953. In this report they         truth makes a man careless and profane. Look at the walk of
    inform us that they will not reconsider their evil deed. In-          life of the congregations of these "practical men." Yea, you
    stead at the very end of this decision of theirs comes this           might even look where the malcontents have gone who left
    amazing statement: "Finally, we urge you to open the door             because we did not admonish them enough to suit them and
    for fraternal discussion, and until you open such door, we call       because we could not find an admonition in every text.
    you back from your sinful way."                                       And then you might ask them to ask their minister(s) how a

                                                                  ,


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     375

Christmas or New Year's Holiday ought to be spent  !)y                Church Order provides.  Classis West did not want to meet
office bearers in the Church of Jesus Christ. Must services           the members of  Classis East in a brotherly discussion of these
be dispensed with so that one may go to the Rose Bowl                 matters on the floor of the Synod.
game  ? And the proper application, the  practial application,            Instead  Classis West said to  the. Rev. H. Hoeksema, the
the you-must-do-this and you-must-do-that application to              Rev. C. Hanko and their elders : We put you outside the door
the message of the Birth of the Saviour, the admonition to be         of the Protestant Reformed Churches. We close the door
found in that glorious truth, is it that we should go home now        of our denomination upon you.
and be sure to watch the prize fight on television  ?                    And now they ask US to open the door for fraternal dis-
    Surely we can expect, can we not, that in `those circles          cussion ?
that had to get rid of the Protestant Reformed truth, those               It all started farther back than  th&.
who became convinced that the Gospel of salvation by grace                With,unbrotherly  malice in their hearts, three consistories,
is not enough and that the Liberated have taught  us  that            those of Bellflower, California, Oskaloosa and  Pella, `Iowa
we need conditions besides it to  h&e a well orbed gospel,            sent instructions to the  Classis to shut that door upon these
that in such circles there  will be a marked show at least of         brethren instead of to go through the door to the next Synod,
outward piety. Their walk of life ought to show that we need And let no one be  ,deceived! Evil documents such as those
this "practical" preaching, this doctrine that does not make          from these three Consistories are not born out of a desire
a man careless and profane. If we are to find walking In His          for fraternal discussion. They were born out of a desire to
Fear, we surely ought to find it abundantly then amongst              cut off all possibility of discussion of this matter with us.
these who now  saq that they want fraternal discussions with             And Rev. Gritters, this man of  "practicai Christianity"
us and who say that if  ~vb do not open such a door they will         even permitted his Consistory' to advise the  Classis to usurp
call  MS back from our sinful way.                                    the power of the Synod and to appoint new professors in the
    It can in the abstract be possible, tho not probable, that        Theological School in the place of the Rev. H. Hoeksema
their  Classis is not so unbrotherly as the Stated Clerk. Yet         and the Rev. G. M. Ophoff. Rev. Gritters' conditional theo-
this very decision of that  Classis shows that it is not. so. In      logy has done something to you. It has  not  kept you from
a very unbrotherly way it declared outside of the Protestant          being careless and profane. It has hardened, you in your sin.
Reformed Churches men over whom it had no jurisdiction;                   When you appeared before Judge Taylor in Grand
and now it refuses to give an answer to the document that is          Rapids, Michigan, you tried to be careful and to keep from
sent to it to recall its attention to its error. It will not give     profanity.  You  tried hard-and we respected  you  for it  -
an answer to the  nrguwze&s   of our Synod, yet it claims to          to be truthful  ; and in doing so you caused Rev. De Wolf's
desire fraternal discussion.                                          case much harm. But in less than one year conditional
    Discussion of what?                                               theology-which is supposed to help us know what we must
    Are they actually willing to discuss those statements of          do and what we  must not do -left its mark upon you so
Rev. De Wolf with us ? Do they really doubt that they are             that before Judge Flinn in Pipestone, Minnesota- tho  you
as innocent as they at'first maintained. If they are convinced        were very, very uneasy on the witness stand -you sud-
that those statements are such pure Protestant Reformed               denly did no know what Clasis West did to the  Re?. H.
truth, then what profit is there. in discussing the matter fur-       Hoeksema and to the Rev. C. Hanko. Your Consistory ad-
ther with us ? We gave them our answer and stand in differ-           vised very definite steps in regard to these men.  Classis West
ent documents we sent to them.  They repeatedly refused to            adopted your advice. You, as the Stated Clerk sent out the
go into the matter and give us an answer to our arguments.            information to all. the churches in our group and in yours ;
Instead they say that it is the communication of one of our           and yet when attorney Vander  Kooi asked you what  Classis
men, the Rev. Geo. C. Lubbers.                                        West did to these brethren, you said that you did not know
    Is it the Church Political matter that they wish to discuss  ?    what  Classis West did to these men, at least that you
Then before there can be any brotherly discussion of that             did not know what happened to these men according
matter they must confess to us their Bin of having closed the         to the decision of  Classis. When Mr.  Vander  Kooi would
door.                                                                 not let you go  but pressed you hard for  fhe truth, you know
    They closed  the door !                                           that you had to use the subterfuge  df saying that you could
    How shall we open the  door- that they closed ?                   not change the decision of the  Classis. Before God in whose
    Consider once `that- our Church Order exactly makes ar- name you swore, you threw away the "you must, you must,
rangement  for  brotherly  discrmion   of difference of opinion,      you must" of conditional theology and revealed that you still
whether they be of doctrinal matter or matters of a church            despised that door for fraternal discussion which the Church
political nature. And that  arrangemen!,  or door. is the right       Order prescribes.
to appeal to a broader ecclesiastical assembly.                          As long as that is the attitude of the  "Classis  West" of
   `But  Classis West, which in September of 1953 did not             which Rev. Gritters is Stated Clerk, it is folly to talk of
approve of the action of  Classis East and of First Church's          fraternal discussion.
Consistory, did not want to go through that door which the                                 (Codnued   09s  page 384)


376                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B 'E A R E R
.-                                                                                                       -      -           -.*--
 )                                                                      Africa, to the corner of a little region" [Opt. II.  1. 5  ; III.
II  , Contending For The Faith                                          2, 3). But it is also the  holy church, and this not because
                                                                        of the character of  ,the men belonging to it, but because it has
                                                                        the "symbol of the Trinity, the chair of Peter, the faith of
            The  Church and the Sacraments                              believers, the salutary precepts of Christ" (ib. II. 9, 10; VII
                                                                        -3), and, above all, the sacraments : "whose holiness is derived
      VIEWS DURING THE SECOND PERIOD  (300-750 A.D.)                    from the sacraments, not measured by the loftiness of per-
                                                                        sons" (ib.  11. 1). When the Donatists refuse to accord  holi-
                THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH                              ness to the church because some ljishops  at the time of the
                                                                        Diocletian persecution became traditors. they magnify what
      Before continuing with the quotation from Reinhold See-' is irrelevant, if true, and what is, moreover, historically in-
berg, we wish to call attention to a part of the quotation from         correct (gest. 1. 16, 55. Aug. brev. III. 19 ff.). There are,
his writings which appeared in our preceding article. Writing           indeed, unholy persons in the church, but we are forbidden
on the three-day conference which was held at Carthage in               to cast these out before the time by the parables of the tares
June, 411, between the Donatists and the Catholics, he de-              and of the net in which are gathered good and worthless
clares : "Both the historical and the doctrinal questions wertt         fishes (gest. I. 18,  55.- Opt. VII. 2). Those passages of
here discussed. .No reader of the proceedings of this ass,em-           Scripture which speak of a state of unmixed holiness in the
bly can escape the impression that the Donatists here appear            church are to be understood as referring to her condition of
in. the light of embittered fanatics, incompetent but vain,             final blessedness (Aug. brev. III. 9. Opt. II. 20). The church,
adept in the  most trifling legal guibbles, in questions of             therefore, as a whole, is holy in the present day by virtue of
formality and in intrigue, always seeking to impede the                 the divine agency eserted within its bounds in the sacraments,
progress of the proceedings." One cannot help but think of              and it will one day be holy in all its members. The error of
our history during the last few years when reading this ap-             the Donatists consists in seeking to realize this final state
praisal of the meeting held at Carthage in the year, 411. Note          before the time. It is certain that viewed dogmatically, the
what Seeberg  declares concerning these Donatists, that they            Catholic position was the more correct, yet its victory was
were adept in the most trifling legal quibbles; in questions of         not a clear step in advance. The ancient idea, that the people
formality and in intrigue, always seeking to impede the pro-            of God should consist of holy children of God, was forced
gress of the proceedings. Think of our  synodical  meetings             another step backward." -end of quote from  Seeberg.
in the year, 1951, first of June of that year and' later  in.              Also this quotation from the same author may be of in-
September of the same year.  Think of the tactics of the op-            terest : "Augustine's doctrine of the church is a complicated
position, that they, without any proof, declared our Declara-           structure. Ideas evolved in the conflict `with the Donatists,
tion of Principles to be illegal, failed to discuss in their Classis    the popular conception of the  church,  his own doctrine of
West the doctrinal aspect of this document, and therefore               grace, and certain Donatistic tendencies are here brought into
forced the synod to reconyene  in September of the same year.           combination. Augustine was influenced especially by Tyco-
Think of the legal quibbles which  alSo occurred in the                 nius' conception of the church. This Donatist maintained,
sytiodical  sessions in that September meeting of Synod. Think          indeed, that the church is composed of saints only, but he also
of their deliberate evasion of the doctrinal questions involved.        taught that empirically the church fpr the present embraces
And, last but not least, please note what Seeberg  writes con-          evil as well as good persons, and that this. is so by divine
cerning their intrigue. It would be very interesting to know            ordering. True, this mixed condition of the church is, ac-
of all the sessions "behind closed doors," how they plotted             cording to his view, soon to be terminated, and to this end
and discussed, how they worked in secret rather than in the             Donatism is a beginning. As opposed to Donatism, Augustine
open, Indeed, history has a habit of repeating itself.                  thus formulates the point at issue: "The question is, indeed,
      Continuing now with the rest of the quotation from See-           discussed between us, Where is the `church, whether among
berg, we quote the following: "But they (the Donatists  -               us or among them ?" With Optatus, Augustine  hQlds that
H.V.) are not so in.the full sense of the word, since they lack         the great church is the ont7 Ca-tholic church by virtue of the
catholicity and are only qt& ecclcsia.  They build a "ruinous           distribution of the latter thioughout  the whole wdrld and by
wall" (,Ez. 13 :lO). There is no other house beside the house           virtue of its connection with the church of the apostles,
of God. What they build is only a wall, and that not even               whose successors the bishops are. Outside of this one Ca-
resting upon the corner-stone: "your part is a quasi-church,            tholic church, the body of Christ, there is no truth, no salva-
but is not Catholic" (Opt. II. 10). They array  "novelty                tion. Separation from it is a sadegirwz. Only chaff is blown
against antiquity" (ib. II.  Z), and cut themselves off from            off by the fan  ; only pridk and lack of love can-impel a
the root (III. 7). Among the Catholics, on the contrary, is             Christian to split the unity of the church. The declaration of
found the house of God and the one Catholic church, It is the           Augustine is not, however, inspired by hierarchal motive,
latter, `because, according  ;o the promise of Christ, it spreads       but rests ultimately upon the thought that it is only in the
abroad over all nations and is not confined "to a small part of         Catholic church that the Spirit and love are bestowed upon


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              377

 man. But the saints are to be found only in the Catholic           is not confinecl, bound, or limited to a certain place  0; to
church. In this connection. Augustine championed the motto,         certain persons, but is spread and dispersed over the whole
 Extra ecceliam  nulla  salus (outside of the church no salva-      world ; and yet is joined and united with heart and will, by
 tion- H.V.), no less positively than Cyprian; but, at the          the power of faith, in one and the same spirit." What` a
 same time - as a result of the different character of the op-      beautiful expression of faith! Here we confess the Catholic,
 position - displayed less of hierarchical interest -than the       or universal Christian Church, .the Church of the elect, the
 latter." - end of quote.                                           true Christian believers, not limited or bound, but as spread
    *Having completed our quotations from Philip Schaff  and        over the whole world, embracing all lands and pepples.
 Reinhold Seeberg, we may remark that in our discussion on              In Art. 28 the Church confesses that every one is bound
 the doctrine of the Church during this second period of the        to join himself to the true Church as follows: "We believe,
 history of the Church, we have observed that, historically, the    since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are
 Church developed in external power and glory in the world,         saved, and that out of it there is no salvation, that no person
 especially since the time of Constantine the Great. It is his      of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to with-
 accession to the throne of emperor over the Roman Empire           draw himself, to live in a separate state from it; but that all
 which marks the end of the age of persecution for the Church       men are in duty bound to join and unite `himself with it;
 of Christ and which inaugurated an entirely new period for         maintaining the unity of the Church ; submitting themselves
 the Church in which it attained unto equality before the law       to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks
 with all other religions. The Church began to assume more          under the yoke of Jesus Christ ; and as mutual members of             .
 and more the form of a kingdom of this world. This became          the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, ac-
 especially true during the papacy.        -                        cording to the talents God has given them. And-that this
     Besides discussing the Church from the viewpoint of its        may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of ail
 historical manifestation in the midst of the world, we also        believers,  accordirig  to the word of God, to separate  thenl-
 began our discussion on the doctrine of the Church during          selves from all those who do not `belong to the Church,
 this second period. And we called attention to the fact that,      and to join themselves to this congregation, wheresoever  Got!
 as far as the Church visible is concerned as such, this            hath established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of
 historical period was characterized by a controversy about the     princes were against it, yea, though they should suffer death
 purity of the Church and the question of Church discipline         or any other corporal punishment. Therefore all those, who
 between the Donatists and the Church Catholic whose view           separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves
 was represented and championed by Augustine. This learned          to it, act contrary to the ordinances of God." In this articie
 Church Father maintained, over against the Donatists who           the Church confesses that it is .our duty to join ourselves to
 held that the visible church must be pure, that the true           the true Church. This implies, we understand, that the true
 distinguishing marks of the Church are : Catholicity (the true     Church reveals itself in the midst of the world ; otherwise it
 Church is spread `through all the lands) and apostolic con-. would be quite impossible for anyone to join himself to i:.
 nections  (`connections with churches founded by the apostles).    This also implies that the true Church, as it reveals itself in
 We also noted that Augustine also recognized and advocated         the midst of the world, is not a perfect church, and that for
 the necessity of Christian discipline.                             the simple reason that no saint reveals himself as perfect in
    We are now- ready to`call attention to another phase of         the midst of the world. And it. seems to me that this article
the doctrine of the Church during this second period, namely        also emphasizes that, as far as the visible church is concerned,
 the importance of membership in this true church. In con-. there is but one true Church, although it must be maintained
 nection with this it might be well to quote Articles 27-29 of      that all other churches are not equally false and have not de-
 our  Confession of Faith which have bearing on this question.      parted equally far from the truth. And, of course,, neither
 Art. 27 reads as folldws: "Of the Catholic Christian Church.       does Art. 28 affirm that the people of God are limited only
 We believe and profess, one catholic or universal Church,.         to one church and that there are no people of God in other
 which is an holy congregation, of true Christian believers, all    churches.                                                  H.V.
 expecting their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by                                   -      -
 His blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Ghost. This
 Church hath been from the beginning of the world, and will                                  IN MEMORIAM
 be to the end thereof; which is evident from this, that Christ        The English  Men's Society of the First Protestant Reformed
is an eternal King, which, without subj&ts, cannot be. And          Church, Grand Rapids, hereby wishes to express its sympathy to
this holy Church is preserved or supported by God, .against         its  fellow  member, Donald  Rietema and family, in the  loss  of
the rage of the whole world ; though she sometimes (for a           his brother,
while) appears very small,. and in the eyes of men, to be                             MR. BENJAMIN RIETEMA
reduced to nothing: as during the perilous reign of Ahab, the          Psalm  872: "The Lord  loveth the gates of  Zio,n more than
Lord reserved unto Him seven thousand men, who had not              all the  dkellings of Jacob."
                                                                                                          G. M. Ophoff, President
bowed their knees to  Baa]. Furthermore, this holy Church                                                 R. Teitsma, Secretary


 378                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 R                                                              -  rl     de belofte, Hand. 3  :39. Ulieden is de belofte gedaan en uwen
 11 The Voice of Our Fathers                                           11 kinderen. Aan de anderen, die buiten de Gemeente  zijn, is
                                                                          geene belofte gedaan."
                                                                              This opinion of Lubbertus, though it still lacks the desired
                  The Canons of Dordrecht                                 conciseness, nevertheless seems to make a distinction even
                                PART TWO                                  among children who are born of covenant parents. This at
                    E                                                     least seems to be the intent of the quotation from Romans 9.
                         XPOSITION OF THE CANONS                          And in this respect it is an improvement over the opinidn of
                      FIRST  HEAD  OF DOCTRINE                            the three professors.
                    OF  DIVINE PREDESTINATION                                 That eminent supralapsarian, Franciscus  Gomarus,   clis-
                            Article 17 (cont.)                            cusses this subject in connection with both election and re-
                                                                          probation. In his treatment of election he presents the fol-
      `The three Netherlands professors, Polyander, Thysius.              lowing unscriptural proposition : ,,14. Geen jonge kincleren
 2nd Walleus, offer the following opinion over against the                komt de verkiezing  toe,. overmits zij geen voorgezien geloof
 Arminian proposition that there is neither election nor re-              hebben. Grevinch.. tegen Ames. p. 150." And his own pro-
 probation of young children :                                            position is as follows: ,,14. De jonge kinderen  dergenen, die
        ,,Verre verscheiden is  dk conditie van die jonge kinderen,       in het verbond Gods  zijri door Christus, en dergenen, die
 die geboren worden  van ouders, zijnde in het verbond, en                ware geloovigen zijn, dezelve gelooven tiij Godvruchtelijk,
 van andere jonge kinderen, die geboren wo?den van ouders,                dat mede verkoren zijn, indien zij voor het gebruik der rede
 niet zijnde in het verbond  ; dewijl de Schriftuur deze laatsten         komen  the sterven, naar uitwijzen van het  formuljer  des
 verklaart  onrein  te zijn. en vervreemd van  Christus en het            verbonds : 11~ ben uw God en uw zaads God ; Gen. 17, en
 verbond der genade." Then, after quoting from Scripture                  Hand. 2 :39. Doch,  indien ze to het gebruik der rede komen,
 I Cor. 7  :14, Gal. 2  :15, Eph. 2:12, Gen.  17:7, Matt.  19:14,         zoo bekennen wij die alleen uitverkorenen te zijn, die in
 and Acts 2 :39, they conclude as follows : ,,Uit welke plaatsen          Christus gelooven, want deze alleen worden  naar het Evan-
 wij besluiten, dat de kinderen  der geloovigen, stervende in             gelie behouden."
 hunne kindsheid, onder de  uitverkoienen   moeten   gerekend                 He emphasizes, therefore, that he speaks only of children
 worden,  dewijl zij genadiglijk van God uit dit leven verlost            of "true believers." And he makes a distinction between those
`worden, eer zij de voorwaarden zijns verbonds verbroken                  who die before they come to the use of their understanding,
 hebben. Doch aangaande de  kinderen  der ongeloovigen,                   .and those who do not. Evidently he wants it clearly under-
 zijnde buiten de Gemeente Gods gesteld, dezelve achten wij,              stood also that he does not class all children of believers as
 dat men behoore Gods oordeel bevolen te laten. Want die-                 elect.
 genen,.die  buiten zijn, zal God oordeelen, I Cor. 5 :13."                   Under his treatment of reprobation Gomarus  presents the
        Notice again that this opinion makes a sharp distinction          following: ,,Want om de oorspronkelijke zonde alleen wordt
between children of covenant parents and children of  non-                niemand verworpen, niemand  verdoemd.  En derhalve, zoo is
 covenant parents. Notice, further, that while the three pro-             er gansch geene verwerping der jonge kleini kinderen. Gre-
 fessors do indeed say that children of believers who die in              vinch. tegen Ames. 142, 145, 150 ; Epis. Thes. p. 28." Over
 infancy ought to ,+-eckorced  among the elect, they do not flatly        against this unscriptural proposition he gives his own : ,,Want
 claim that such children are actually elect. And notice the              ook alleen om de oorspronkelijke zonde is de verdoemenis,
 ground: God has delivered them out of this life before they              dewelke  de bezoldiging is van allerlei zonde, zelfs ook van
 have broken the conditions of His covenant.  And observe,                die, welke geene dadelijke zonde is; Rom. 5 :12, 14, 21. En
 finally, that they do not even make a flat statement about the           derhalve zijn de  kleine,  jonge  kinderen  der' ongeloovigen, die
 children of unbelievers : the judgment of them must be left to           vreemd zijn  van het verbond Gods, zijnde niet wedergeboren;
 God. The opinion is.cautious, therefore, to the point of being           van nature kirideren des toorns, zonder Christus, zonder hoop,
 non-committal, and is for that reason, perhaps, weak.                    zonder God; Ef. 2  :3, 12;  gelijk ook in den zondvloed de
        Sybrandus Lubbertus expressed agreement with the above            jonge kinderen  van de godloozen der wereld, en oak in den
 opinion, but also produced his own opinion, which in turn                gemeenen brand van Sodom de jonge-kinderen  van de god-
 was subscribed by the three professors. Over against  ihe                looze Sodomieten vergaan zijn, en samen  met de ouderen de
 unscriptural proposition of the Arminians that "there is no              gramschap Gods rechtvaardiglijk onderworpen zijn gewor-
 election. and no  reprobation  of small young children," he              den; II Pet. 2  :5, 6." Cf. Proposition 7 under his treatment
 places the proposition that there is an election and reproba-            of reprobation.
 tion of such children. And as p'pof he offers the following:                 The above, of course? speaks only of a reprobatipn of the
 ,,Dit punt bewijst de Schriftuur, Rom. 9:7. coch omdat zij               children of unbelieving parents.
Abrahams zaad zijn, zijn zij allen kinderen; en vs. 6. Want                   The delegates from the Particular Synod of South Hol-
zij zijn niet  allen Israel, die uit den Vader  Israel zijn.  Daar-       land, in their fourth proposition under reprobation, state their
enboven, tot de jonge kleine kinderen  der Gemeente  behoort opinion as follows : ,,Dat alle de jonge kinderen, overmits de


                                                                      A R D   B E A R E R                                                     379

  erfzonde, de eeuwige verdoemenis  onderworpen zijn, en dat            children of believers. And it is very evident that the delegates
  de verwerping zelfs in de jonge kinderen  der geloovigen, bij         from Utrecht saw that birth and age actually have no effect
  hun leven en opwassen plaats hebbe ; houden zij, dat de H.            on election and reprobation.                 I
  Schriftuur en de bevinding klaarlijk  genoeg  betuigen. Maar              The opinion of the delegates from Overijssel  adds,nothing
  of dezelve oak plaats hebbe in de jonge kinderen  der geloo-          to those we have already quoted. We will close our rather
  vigen, stervencle in hunne jonge sprakelooze kindsheid,  zon-         lengthy quotation of these opinions by citing that of the dele-
  der werkelijke zonden, daarvan meenen  zij; dat men niet              gates from Drente :
  nieuwsgieriglijk  hebbe te onderzoeken ; maar  aangezien er ge-           ,,Het vierde lid van deze beschrijving is, dat het besluit
  tuigenissen der 1-I. Schriftuur zijn, dewelke den geloovigen          van de verwerping niet alleen is gemeen, maar  dat het voor-
  ouderen alle oorzaak afsnijden van te twijfelen van de ver-           namelijk  ook bizonder is van zekere en bizondere personen,
  kiezing, en zaligheid hunner jonge kinderen, zoo meenen zij,          welker  getal  Gode  bekend  is;  Rom. 9. Zoo valt dan onder
  dat men darmede  behoore gerust and tevreden te zijn ; gelijk         den voet de voorgaande tegenleer: De verwerping is, of on-
  daar zijn, Gen.  17:7;  Matth.  19:14.; Hand. 2  :39; I Cor.          bepaald enz.; Thes. 3, van de Verwerp. Alhier staan ons
  7:14;   e n   diergelijke."                                           van de jonge kinderen  (onder dewelke wij ook de volwasse-
      This is one of the most pointed opinions offered at the           nen, die van het begin huns levens buiten hun verstand ge-
  Synod. And it is clear from the fact that the opinion warns           weest zijn, vervatten) eenige dingen te zeggen, namelijk'van
  against curious or inquisitive prying into this question that         die jonge kinderen, die in hunne kindsheid sterven.
  the rest of the opinion does not by any means intend to say           >,l. De jonge kinder-en der ongeloovigen, stervende in hunne
  that there are objective grounds  for believing parents to think      kindsheid, oordeelen wij verworpen te zijn; I Cor. 7; Rom.
  that all their children who die in infancy (note: before the          11. Zoo valt dan daar henen die tegenleer : 1. De Heidenen
  age of speech) are elect. If this were the case, then there           zullen zalig  worden,  als zij gebruiken het goede  licht van
  would be an  irreconcileable  conflict in this opinion of the         hunne rede  ; 2. Niemand wordt verdoemd  bm de erfzonde..
  South Hollanders.                                                         ,,Maar  anders is de zaak gelegen met de jonge kinderen
      From Utrecht came the folowing opinion on the sub-                der geloovigen, stervende in hun kindsheid  ; van dewelke wij
  ject : ,,Aangaande  het onderste punt hunner `leering ; gevoegd       deze dingen zeggen:
  achter hunne onschriftmatige  stellingen (This is the proposi-            ,,I. De jonge  kinderen  der geloovigen alhoewel zij in
  tion that there is neither election nor reprobation of little         hunne kindsheid komen te sterven, kunnen nochtans recht-
  children. H.C.H.)  ; dat datzelve strijdig zij tegen de H.            vaardiglijk van God verworpen worden, en in hunne ellende
_ Schriftuur blijkt daaruit,  overmits  de Apostel  zegt : Als de       gelaten  worden,  indien God zijn  recht  Wilde gebruiken. De
  kinderen  nog niet geboren waren,  eer zij iets goeds of kwaads       bewijzen hiervan staan in Artikel 5. Dewijl  Hij het gansche
  gedaan hadden, `enz. opdat het voornemen  Gods, `t welk naar          mepschelij  k geslacht in den val had kunnen later-r,  indien het
  de verkiezing is, vast bleve. Indien daar geene-verkiezing  is        Hem alzoo beliefd had ; Rom. 9.
  van de jonge kinderen, zoo is voor dezelve oak geen belofte               ,,2. Ondertusschen nochtans zoo kunnen de geloovige
  der zaligheid noch zaligheid. Want de zaligheid, en de belofte        ouderen, van de zaligheid van hunne zoodanige jonge kin-
  er van, is nergens anders uit, dan uit de verkiezing ter zalig-       deren, eene zekere hoop hebben. Want daar wordt in de
  heid. Nu  aan de jonge  kinderen  behoort de  .belofte. Ik ben       `Schriftuur niet gelezen, dat zoodanige ooit verworpen zijn
  LIW  God en uws zaads God. Ulieden en uwen kinderen, is               geweest. Maar daarentegen betuigt dezelfde Schriftuur van
  de belofte gedaan, Uwe kinderen  zijn heilig. En hun behoort          de goede genegenheid Gods jegens zoodanige : Gen. 17 :7 ;
  ook de zaligheid. Laat ze tot Mij komen,  want het Rijk der           Matth. 19 :14 ; Hand. 2 :39. Uit dat alles,  wat van deze zaak
  Hemelen behoort hun toe. Derhalve, enz.                               gesproken  is, blijkt de valschheid van de navolgende tegen-
      ,,Indien de verkiezing behoort tot de jonge kinderen, zoo         leer :
  behoort oak tot de jonge kinderen  de verwerping ; zulks be-              ,,De jonge  kinderen  zijn verworpen,  noch verkoren."
  wijst de verwerping van Ezau, zijnde een jong kind, ja nog            Cf. Propositions 18 and 19.                                    H.C.H.
  niet geboren. Welk voorbeeld de Apostel voorbrengt, om
  daarmede  de algemeene  leer van de verwerping Gods te be-                                          IN MEMORIAM
  wijzen, nemende  zijn gevolg van een bizonder voorbeeld tot               The members of the Ladies' and the Men's Societies of the
  bewijs van de waarheid derzelve in `t algemeen  ; gelijkerwijs        First Protestant  Refokmed  Church of Holland, Michigan, express
  hij ook de leer van `de verkiezing Gods bevestigt met het             their sincere sympathy to their fellow members, Mr. and Mrs.
  voorbeeld van Jakob,  mede zijnde nog een jong kind, en               Joe Van  Kampen,  and their family, in the recent home-going of
  alsnog niet geboren."                                                 Mrs. Van Kampen's  mqthee,
     Here again, no distinction is mentioned between children                                M R S .   P L E U N E   R O O B O L
  who die in infancy and children who live to maturity. The                 May the Word of God be a comfort to them in their present.
  strength of this opinion, however, is in the fact that it points      need. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His                 .I
                                                                        saints." (Psalm 115  :16).
  to a concrete case of election and reprobation of little chil-                                      The Ladies' Aid Society of Holland,  Mich.
  dren, in fact of children not yet born, both of which were                                          The Men's Society of Holland,  Mich.


        3so                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
        .~
II.                                                                          ters and the school teachers were paid by the state. In the
                      DECENCY and ORDER                                           Netherlands the Reformed Churches enjoyed this favor of
                                                                             the `government and, consequently, the day schools were also
                                                                             Reformed and cliristian because much of the operation and
                                 The Schools                                      supervision of the schools was left to the churches by the
                                                                             government.
        "The Consistories shall see to it that there are good                        With these conditions the Reformed Churches acquiesced.
        Christian schools in which the parents have their children in-       They urged the state to establish and maintain good schools
        structed according to the demands of the covenant." - Art.           where the children might receive instruction in the `service
        21.                                                                  and fear of the Lord for they realized deeply the importance
               In connection with this article of the church order  an*1     of sound training for the youth. Although, as we wrote, they
        the subject of Christian schools in general, a number of inl-             did not as yet conceive of the idea of parentally controlled
        portant questions will have to be considered. There are,             schools, they did, through their Synods, advise consistories in
        for example, such matters as the following: What `con-               this matter and urged them to action. Consistories were ad-
        stitutes a good Christian school  ? What is the aim of christian     vised to urge the state to provide good Christian educational
        instruction  ? What necessitates the establishment of Christian      facilities everywhere. In 1574 the Synod ruled that  con-
        schools? Whose is the task and duty to do so? What is the            sistories should see to it that there were competent teachers
       `relation between the church and the school? What is parental         who were not only able to instruct in language and other
        responsibility ? What is meant by the demands of the cov-            things but who could also teach the doctrine of the truth. And
        enant? These and other related matters will occupy our               the ministers in various places were instructed to see to it
        attention as we try to decipher the twenty-first article of our      that in every place school teachers were appointed, to re-
        church order which, at first glance, would seem to favor the         quest the government to provide good salaries and to ask the
        idea of parochial Christian education which, for reasons which       government's cooperation in compelling the teachers to sub-
        will. later become apparent, we cannot approve. If this is so,       scribe to the confession of faith and submit to the govern-
        we. seriously question whether this article can stand in the         ment of the church.
        light of Scripture and the Biblical conception of the covenant.              Later Synods followed this same pattern so that in 161%
                              The Original Article 21                             19 the Synod of Dordtrecht adopted what had already been
                                                                             decided by the Synod `s Gravenhage in 1586 and what was
               The present reading of Article 21 is the product of the       originally the twenty-first article of our church order. Trans-
        revision of 1914 and is not materially the same as the article       lated freely, it reacl as follows :
        that appeared in the original Church Order of 1618-19.  Cir-                 "Everywhere consistories shall see to it, that there are
        cumstances in our country affecting the church  and. the             good schoolmasters who shall not only instruct the children
        schools are quite different from those of the -Netherlands in        in reading, writing, languages, and the liberal arts, but like-
        the seventeenth century. These differences necessitate a             wise in godliness and in the Catechism."
        change as far as the subject matter of this article is concerned.           In the Holland language this is :  ,,De  Kerkeraden   zullen
               Back in the years following the Reformation, the idea of      alomme  toezien, dat er goede schoolmeesters zijn, die niet
        parental Christian school societies and free parentally con-         alleen de kinderen  leeren  lezen, schrijven, spreken, en vrije
        trolled Christian schools was a thing unheard of. This is un-        kunsten, maar  ook dezelve in godzaligheid en in den Cate-
        derstandable if we bear in mind the political-ecclesiasti,cal        chismus onderwijzen."
        situation as well as the fact that in Reformed circles the doc-              Our present article is quite a change from the original
        trine of the Covenant was not yet developed and did not oc-          reading. It is plain that the twenty-first article historically
        c~tpy the important place in the conception of the church which      did not express nor imply that it was the duty of consistories
        it does today. Later we will show that this conception is very       to appoint school teachers but only that they shall exert in-
        fundamental to a correct understanding of Christian educa-           fluence upon the state to appoint teachers who could be
        tion. Naturally then, one's covenant view determines. many           trusted with the instruction of the children. The consistories,
        things and by no means the least of these is the question as         as also today, surely had an interest in the education of the
        to whose responsibility it (is to establish and maintain good        children but they had no jurisdiction over.the schools. They
        Christian schools.                                                   were then state institutions, maintained and governed by the
               Following the Reformation the church and state for some       state even though the latter often used the churches as an
        time were one. The state did not, as today, assume an at-            intermediary agency to promote the affairs of the school.
        titude of so-called neutrality toward religion and the matters       Both church and state at this time were uncler  governmental
       of the church but it was very definitely committed to either          control, however right or wrong that may have been.
        the Roman Catholic Church or to the faith of Protestantism.          -       It is also of interest to note here that the Heidelberg
       Furthermore, the governments also sponsored and supported             Catechism was then taught ,in the schools. .The Heidelberg .
        both religion and education. The salaries of both the minis-         Catechism was, of course, originally designed as a text book


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     381

and also used for that purpose. In the state schools the Ten           A school is not good simply because it gives instruction in
Commandments, the Twelve Articles of Faith, the Institution         the Bible, opens and closes its daily sessions with prayer,
of the  Lord's- Supper and Baptism, Morning and Evening             teaches the children a few religious songs and, in general, is
Prayers Before and After Meals, were also taught. Apart             characterized by a religious atmosphere. Neither is a school
now from the question as to whether all of these things             good simply because its physical plant measures up to certain
properly have a place in the school, we must notice the vast        requirements or because its enrollment puts it in the above
difference between the State Schools then and those of our          average class or because it is able to produce a winning ball
own land in the present day in which all that pertains to God       club in the field of competitive sports. Such seems to be more
is banned by order of our highest court in order that the           and more the prevailing opinion in our day. If a school does
State may assume a strict neutral ( ??) position with respect       not have an attractive building, including a massive gym-
to all matters religious. These differences are too great to        nasium, is not recognized for its physical education achieve-
pass by unnoticed and, furthermore, it is. in part at least,        ments, does not have a class A or B enrollment, etc., it is
these differences that brought about our present system of          frowned upon. But these .things do not make a school, how-
Christian schools.                                                  ever desirable and appealing they may be. Next time, D.V.,
    If it is asked how such differences can be- explained, we       we will continue to narrate that which is essential to a good
must point out as one thing, the fruits of the French Revolu-       Christian school.
tion which in effect brought about the separation of church                                                                      G.V.d.B.
and state. When this occurred in the Netherlands, the church
lost the controlling hand which she once had in the schools
and the schools then soon became the instrument through                           50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
which the principles of the atheistic French Revolution were           On May 17th our beloved  parents,.
inculcated into the youth. To this, especially the parents of
Reformed persuasion, objected and these protests materialized                     MR. and MRS. ISAAC KORHORN
in the formation of separate schools under the parental-society     hope to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
system. This system has also found its way into this country           We thank and praise our heavenly God and Father with them
so that our Christian schools today are established, main-          for having kept them and sustained them through the years. It
                                                                    is our earnest hope and prayer that the Lord may grant them
tained and operated by free societies which, in distinction from    His peace in their remaining years.
the schools of former times, are free from state control and,                              Their grateful children,
in distinction from the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and other                                         Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Veenstra
systems, are free from church control. Our schools are  n.ot                                        Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Korhorn
parochial in character nor should they be. Although the                                             Mr. and Mrs. Bert Korhorn
church most definitely has a deep interest in and is vitally                                        Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kuiper
concerned about the Christian school, the latter is not under                              "        Mr. and Mrs. Henry Velthouse
the jurisdiction of the former. Of the relation between these                                       Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bloem.
two we must write later. Here, in light of the foregoing, it                                        T,wenty-nine  Grandchildren
                                                                                                    Three Great-grandchildren
must be evident why Article 21, under the then prevailing
circumstances was formulated as it was and, further, why
under our present system of free-societies, the change in                                WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
formulation is necessary.                                              On April 26 our dear parents,
                      Good Christian Schools                                     MR. and MRS. HENRY H.  KUIPER
    "Consistories shall see to it that there are good Christian     celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. We are thankful to
                                                                    our covenant Father for having spared them for each other and
schools . . .  ."                                                   for us these many years. Our prayer is that God may bless them
    This is a duty often left unattended by consistories. Freq-     further in the way that lies ahead, and that their remaining time
uently the presence of "a" Christian school in a community is       together be filled with the peace which alone can be found in Him.
regarded as satisfactory- irrespective of the question as to                              Their grateful children,
whether or not that school measures up to the standard of                                           Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kuiper
"good." That matter is not interogated. For many years our                                          Mr. and Mrs. Herman Kuiper
consistories have been weak with regard to this matter and                                          Miss Elsie Kuiper
the consequences of this have `also become apparent. If this                                        Mr. and Mrs. Peter P'etroelje
matter were more seriously investigated some very alarming                                          Mr. and Mrs. Albert Brunink
                                                                                                    Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Ploughman
revelations could be made concerning the Christian schools                                          Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kujper, Jr.
where many of our Protestant Reformed children are still in-                                        Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kuiper
structed  f&e days out of the week.                                                                 and 24 grandchildren.
    What then constitutes a "good" Christian school ?               1534 Godfrey' Ave., S. W., Grand Rapids,  Mich.


  382                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

  ll-                                                                  is evoked by the neglect of what we believed, was an original
                ALL AROUND US                                     II plan of the editorial staff, namely, to publicize in a series of
                                                                       articles what Reformed theologians of the past and present
  In, A New Garb.                                                      have to say on the matter of "common grace." I believe we
                                                                       were told at one time that such a series would be forthcom-
         This is the time of the year when all creation appears in     ing. We have to-date seen only two or three such articles.
  a new garb. In harmony with this people, especially of the           Naturally we are wondering what has happened to the rest.
  feminine sex, choose to make their appearance in new `ap-            Did the staff get cold feet? Did so much criticism stream
  parel some of which may create admiration, some disgust,             in to the editor's desk that a halt was called to these future
  and some even stimulate laughter.                                    articles  ? Or does the article of a series begun by H. Evan
         It is not our intention in this article to reflect on the     Runner on "The Christian and the World" which proposes to
  external finery with which God has clothed His creation with         be a reflection on Icuyper's  Gemeene  Gratie take its place ?
  efflorescent beauty, nor did we desire to comment on the             I'm sure several readers of the Standard Bearer were en-
 pagentry of fashion as it is exemplified in the new clothing          couraged to subscribe to "torch and tumpet" on the grounds
  seen at this season of the year. Rather we speak of the              of this promise. I leave this question with the staff of "torch
 new appearance of two religious magazines which have most             and trumpet" : Whatever happened to the article of the Rev.
  recently made their debut. They are "torch and trumpet" and          H.  Hoeksema  your staff requested to write and which you
  "the Reformed Guardian," the latter being a combination of           received for publication long ago ?
 what used to be called "Concordia" and a small pamphlet                   As was said, old "Concordia" has been combined with the
 which came into existence after the split in the Protestant           Reformed Guardian and in a new garb this paper makes its
 Reformed Churches called "the Reformed Guardian."                     first appearance under the name of the latter. We are in-
         When "torch and trumpet" arrived we were not a little         formed that almost all of our people were sent a copy of this
 set back with its appearance. I used to receive a most im-            newly garbed magazine whether they were subscribers to
 pressive looking magazine wrapped in an exclusive envelope            Concordia or not. Some even received two copies. None
 that smelled fresh with the printer's ink. Now I received a           was sent to my home. But a friend saw. to it that I  COLI~~
 much smaller appearing magazine wrinkled and besmeared                peruse this latest edition:
 with some substance evidently contacted in the mailing pro-               "Concordia" and the little pamphlet called "The Re-
 cess. The cover appearance, in my opinion, has lost its ex-           formed Guardian" have had their day. One wonders  how-
 pensive and exclusive shine. Frankly, because I did not know          long the new .Reformed  Guardian will continue. I predict it
 this change was coming, I at first thought the latest issue           will last no longer than its ,predecessors.
 of "torch and trumpet" was just another piece of advertising              One must admit that in outward appearance the new garb
 which I am generally inclined to throw in the waste-basket            is much more attractive than the two papers of which it is the
 without a perusal. That was my first reaction on seeing the           combination. As to contents, however, it is no improvement
 April, 1955, issue of this periodical.                                over the papers  isued by this schismatic group in the past.
         However, much of my first reaction wore away when' I             Our most serious criticism of this paper is the lying ban-
 opened the magazine and learned what had happened and                 ner under which it sets out. On page 2, in the right-hand
 what is expected of this paper in the future. In an opening           corner, at the bottom of the page appears in a little space the
 article entitled: "Introducing . . . A new torch and trumpet"         following :
 we are informed of the reason for the new appearance as well                             "The Reformed Guardian
 as of some rather drastic changes in its publication. One of                             (Successor to Concordia)
 the most drastic changes pertains to the increased number of
 issues that is planned for this paper. This I-believe is a con-                                 Box M-931            -
siderable improvement. Formerly we received only six issues                               Grand Rapids, Michigan
 per year. Now the plan is to give ten issues per annum. This                                   Published by
 should make the periodical to be more up-to-date as to con-                    The Reformed Guardian Publishing Assn.
 tents and at the same time keep the magazine more consci-                               (Rev. H. De Wolf, Pres.)
 ously before the eye of the reading public.
         As to its contents. there will be no drastic change except              This magazine is dedicated to disseminate,
 perhaps that there will be a little more variety both of sub-                   guard and apply the Reformed Principles
 jects and writers. We will not take the time to comment on                      of Faith as set forth in the Scriptures,
 the contents of the present issue. We only promise, the Lord                    summarized in the Reformed Standards,
 willing, to keep our readers informed as to future articles                    and maintained by the Protestant Re-
 appearing in this magazine that merit comment. There is,                       formed Churches of America."
 however, a personal disappointment we could register which               The lie, of course, is contained in the statement  "main-


                                             .THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   353

  tained by the Protestant Reformed Churches of America."             the mission station wagon,, plus the archives and minute
  The truth is that this group that sponsors this magazine is         books of Synod which the Rev. J. Howerzyl, who once was
  neither "Church," nor "Protestant Reformed." All they are           Stated Clerk, has refused to turn. over to us.
  is a schismatic group which supports the heresy of the Rev.            Most peculiar is the fact that this overture comes from the
  H. De Wolf. The only periodicals in the world that are              De Wolf group which is contesting in the State Supreme
  dedicated "to disseminate, guard and apply the  Reformed            Court the decision rendered by Judge Thaddeus Taylor in
  Principles of Faith as set forth in the Scriptures, summariied      favor of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand
  in the Reformed Standards and maintained  b.y the Protestant        Rapids of which the Revs. H. Hoeksema and C. Hanko are
  Reformed Churches of America" are  the Standard Bearer              the pastors. According to the honorable Judge the name and
  and Beacon Lights. The group that sponsors the magazine             properties rightfully belong to the last named Church, and
  with a new garb "The Reformed Guardian' `is guilty of gross         not to the De Wolf faction. Inspite  of this decision they have
  misrepresentation.                                                  foolishly proceeded to appeal. This surely cannot be because
  Dividing Synodical Funds alzd Pvofkhes.                             they were-convinced that the decision of Judge Taylor was
                                                                      in error. As  f see it, it is another attempt to stall for time,
      On the last page of the newly garbed Reformed Guardian          and in the meantime to live for nothing on the premises that
  appears a report of the so-called Classis  East of the schism-      rightfully belong to the First Protestant Reformed Church of
  atic group of which the Rev. J. Blankespoor is the Stated           which the Revs. Hoeksema and Hanko are the pastors. Not
  Clerk.  *                            .                              satisfied with this mis-conduct, they now propose also to lay
      In this report appears three overtures this group proposes      their hands on Synodical funds and properties that also en-
  to present to what is called  their forthcoming Synod. The          tirely rightfully belong to the churches that remained faith-
  second of which reads as follows: "In the second overture           ful to our Protestant Reformed principles.
  First Church proposes to Synod to approach the brethren                Of course, we shall have to admit that they are outwardly
  who left us regarding the dividing of the Synodical Funds           consistent. For they unlawfully confiscate the name Prot-
  and properties of our churches before the `split'. Classis  so      estant Reformed. And if that were truly their name they
  decided."                                                           should have claim not only to part but all of the funds and
     When I read this paragraph, immediately two questions            properties. But whether they are the Protestant Reformed
  arose in my mind : Which brethren left whom ? And, Why              Churches of America, it seems to me, will have to be deter-
  is the word "split" in quotation marks  ? The word "brethren"       mined also by the courts. It is our conviction that when this
- evidently-refers to- us. --But I am not- aware that we left any-    latter shall be decided the schismatic group  virill have nothing
  body. We are still in tact, and we are still the same churches      but a bad name and a lost cause. In the meantime  we stand
  we were from the beginning. I am aware that during the              amazed at the gall these schismatic leaders display. They not
  years many individuals left our Protestant Reformed                 only take over the church buildings changing their locks so
  Churches either to return as "a sow to her wallowing in the         as to exclude us from their use, but they confiscate also our
  mire," or to disappear entirely from the church scene. I am         mission home and use it for a parsonage for one of their
  also aware that most recently a large segiment-  of the people      schismatic ministers who is serving a group that has no con-
  that once lived with  us  under one ecclesiastical roof departed    nection whatever with our mission work. They lay claim to
  from us by schismatic action. But it is news to me that we          and use our mission station wagon, And now seek to lay their
  left anyone. This expression surely needs some clarification.       hands also on our funds. How bad can they get?
      As to that word "split" that appears in quotation marks,                                                                   M.S.
  do these schismatic members of this group contend thereby                                      -        -
  that actually there has been no split- in the ranks, and the
  term in quotation marks is considered by them a misnomer?                       Western Ladies Aid League
  Or, does the term only refer to a date in the history of the
  Protestant Reformed Churches when something happened                   Once again we had the `God-given privilege of congrega-
  that caused some to go one way and others another? I'm              ting as Christian Mothers of the Protestant  Refornled
  just a little curious to know exactly what is meant.                Churches at the Western Ladies Aid League, held at Edger-
      More important, however, is the meaning of this over-           ton, Minn., April 13th.
  ture. The reader must understand that the "Synodical Funds             We sang some well chosen Psalter Nos. Then ous pres-
  and properties' `to which this overture refers are the funds        ident, Mrs. H. Veldman.  opened with a word of prayer and
  belonging to the Synod of the  Protestatit  Reformed Churches       welcome -after which she read Ephesians 6  :l-9.
  which were frozen shortly after the split. These include the           The minutes of our previous meetings were  iead  an:
  Mission and Theological School Funds, among others, in              accepted as read. The treasurer also gave the financial  rb
  which there were considerable amounts. .Also the properties         port. We then had our annual voting. Mrs. Heys was chosen
  refer to the home of the missionary now occupied by a               .to replace Mrs. H. C. Hoeksema as vice-president and Mrs.
   schismatic minister who once served as our missionary, and         Clarence Klein to replace Mrs. J. Blankespoor as treasurer.


384                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

       Mrs. Veldman then introduced the speaker of the day,                                      IN HIS FEAR
Rev. Heys, who spoke a few very practical words on the                                    (Coihucd  from  page  3?5)
theme, "Christian Discipline in the Christian Home.' He very              Fraternal discussion is possible. Make no mistake about
clearly ( explained what discipline is - What Christian dis-          that.
cipline is in the home in distinction from the church. Dis-
cipline applied by a Christian as only a believer can train a             And fraternal discussion of the doctrinal  and political
child. Of course, therefore we should have  Protestant  Re-           aspects of the matters which brought about this separation
fortned  Schools. Also the  lzorae  must be Christian and  dis;       in our churches'we heartily welcome. If it could be realized.
cipline must be applied in a Christian way. Discipline must           we would rejoice in it.
have. for its purpose - Christian _ training - training our               But then, f&t of all, those who closed the door, "Classis
children to behave as "disciples of Christ."                          West" of which Rev. Gritters is the Stated Clerk must con-
                                                                      fess the evil they committed in closing the door and of deal-
       Necessity of it is great, Our children are conceived and       ing so unbrotherly with  Classis  East of the Protestant Re-
born in sin- total depravity- and have to be taught and
tained the way of Christ because of sin.  This fast living            formed Churches and with the Consistory of First Church.
pace makes the necessitv much treater  in these davs and so               That is dealing with the matter In His Fear.
                          d                             ,
-they must be instucted  to flee from sin and also punished               If they will not do this, they do not sincerely desire frater-
and disciplined. We              discipline because God gives us a    nal discussion. There can be no other way.
                        wmst 

calling. Each time we receive a child from God, He gives us               Let tlaew now open the door by confessing their error.
a calling to provide for its natural needs, but also to train                                                                    J.A.H.
and discipline him as a Christian child.
       How shall we do it? What  cloes  scripture  say about
Christian discipline ? We must not -spare the rod for then we
spoil the child. While disciplining there is room for some                       PRAISE THE LORD, YE LANDS
praise- but just a small amount of it-but consists mostly                               Praise the Lord, ye lands;
of Christian punishment. The child must understand he's
being punished because he must not walk in sin but as a child                           Nations, clap your hands ;
of God in God's holy way-not ours. We must not be                                       Shout aloud to God
afraid to use the rod. God certainly  `,did  yhen His people                            Spread -His fame abroad ;
sinned. He applied the rod in various forms such as plagues,                            Praise Him loud and long
wars, etc. The importance of Christian discipline in the home                           With a triumph song ;
is great, for the home is a basic unity and it should be ap-                            Bow as ye draw nigh,
plied to the child firstly and intimately in the home. The way
Christian discipline is applied is exactly the way God gives                            For the Lord Most High,
us covenant joy as parents in our child as God's seed.                                 Terrible is He
       Our Doon Ladies favored us with a musical trio.                                  In His dignity ;
       We then had our "Question Hour" led by Rev. H. Veld-                             And His kingdom's girth
man. He very capably answered some quesions -which  were                                Circles all the earth.
sent in, and then the audience had an opportunity to ask
questions. The ladies took  adiantage  of the opportunity                               God has gone on high
which made it very interesting.                                                         With a joyful cry;
       Our Hull ladies then rendered us a musical reading per-                          Hosts with trumpet sound
taining to Easter, which was very well received.                                        Make. His praise abound ;
       We took up a collection which was given'to the Standard                          Sing ye praise to God,
Bearer and to Beacon Lights.                                                            Tell His fame abroad,
       Sang a Psalter No. and our president Mrs. H. Veldman                             Take a psalm and shout,
closed with prayer.                                                                     Let His  p?aise  ring out,
       We t!en enjoyed a delicious hot lunch prepared by our                            Lift iour voice and sing
Edgerton  ladies and a social hotir, after which we again re-                           Glory fo our King ;
turned to our individual homes with much thankfulness in                                He is  L&-d of earth,  '
our hearts to our gracious God for another spiritually filled
day of Christian fellowship.                                                            Magnify His worth.
                                    Mrs. Clarence Klein, reporter.                                                       Psalm  47:1, 2


