     VOLUME   XXX1                                JULY  1,  1955.-   GRAND  RAPIDS,  MI,CHIGAN                             NUMBER  18

                                                                         there are those who `receive Him and those who reject Him,
               M E D I T A T I O N                                       and so there is eternal weal and eternal woe!
                                                                                                           * *  *
              Power to Become Children of God                                 Children of God . . ., .,
                                                                              Sometimes the Scriptures employ a term which lays the
                "But as many as received him, to them gave he power      stress on the legal aspect of our sonship  and our adoption.
                to become the sons of God, even to them that believe     But frequently they also use a term, as here, which em-
                on his name." John  I:12                                 phasizes the spiritual, ethical side of our sonship,. which
     But . . . .                                                         points to the fact of our being begotten, or born, of God.
     No matter that when He Who was the true Light came                  In general, the idea of this child-father relationship is that
 unto His own, that is, His own things, - His own inherit-               of likeness : the son is like his father, bears the image of his
 ance, His own temple, His own altars, His own service, His              father. And this is also the idea of Scripture here and in
 own sacrifices,`His own feasts, His own covenant, yea, His              many other places. To be God's children is to be like Him!
 own world, -no matter that His own people, Israel, re-                  Thus we read in John's First Epistle: "Behold, what man-
 ceived Him not. No `matter that they rejected Him, from                 ner of love the Father' hath bestowed upon us, that we
 the beginning were minded to kill Him, and finally nailed               should be called the sons of God . . . Beloved, now are we
 Him to the accursed tree! His own received Him not.                     the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
 But . . .                                                               be: but we know that, when it shall appear,. we shall be like
                                                                         him ; for we shall see him as he is."
     There were those who received Him! There was a rem-                     Children of God!
 nant from among Israel. And there was a remnant from                        What bliss beyond compare!
 among all nations of men. They received Him,  - Him, the
 Light, the Life, the eternal Word! And in them the wonder                   No, the expression does not refer to an essenfiial  likeness.
 of- grace was revealed. For to them He gave power to be-                There is but one God ; and there is none beside Him. To be
 come children of God !                                                  like Him does not mean that we shall ever be sovereign and
                                                                         -independent and eternal and unchangeable as He is. It does
    Wonderful power ! Unspeakably blessed privilege ! Glori-             not even mean that we shall possess the ethical attributes of
 ous position !                                                          righteousness and holiness as He possesses them, in Himself
    Sons of God!                                                         and independently and infinitely. In that sense we shall never
 Nay, His rejection by His own did not mean, could not                   be or become like God. It was in that sense that the Tempter
mean, that the cause of Christ went down to defeat. He is                deceived our firstparents in the garden. But in the sense of         ~,~~7,
 the Word. He is the way, the truth, and the life! God's                 essential likeness there is but. one Son, the only begotten,              `
 Word cannot be made ineffective! Nor is the fact that He                Who is God Himself, in Whom dwells all the fullness of the
 is rejected by some and received by a few to be explained               Godhead bodily. And for us to be called sons of God can
 as though He is dependent upon men, as though He is a                   only mean that we are called after the name of that only
 poor beggar, who humbly and kindly seeks a listening ear,               begotten Son, and that we become conformed to the image of
 and awaits the inclination of men to receive Him. For if it             His Son, the Word that was made flesh, and in Whom is
 were left to mere men, natural men, to receive Him, He                  revealed the glory of the Father. But then the essential dif-
would never be received by any. The darkness cannot com-                 ference will ever remain. He is the Creator; and we shall be
prehend the Light !                                                      forever the creatures of His hand. He is God; we are men.
    But as there is sovereign election and sovereign reproba-            He is the Fountain; and from. that Fountain we can only
tion, so there is a humbling and a hardening process, and thus           drink the blessings of salvation. He is the Life ; and from


* 410                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 Him we ever receive and enjoy life. He is the Light; and it           Wets us, causes us to be born again, born from above, born
                                                                                                         -
 is only in His light that we see light. He is the Giver; we           with new and heavenly and everlasting life ! And thus His
 the receivers. He abides eternally the only adorable God.             `divine purpose, that we should be conformed to the image of
 before Whom we can only bow in worshipful reverence !                 his Son, we, who are by nature and according to our birth
         But all this does not detract in the least from the wonder    children of the devil, is realized ! Children of God !
 that God has children, children who are like Him. Ever do                Yet the text speaks of beco.&ng  sons of God, and of the
 the Scriptures teach us that ours is a most excellent position,       pozver, or right, to become sons of God. Not only  SO,  but
 a glorious calling ! It implies that in a creaturely measure we       it speaks of those becoming the sons of God who are already
 reflect His image, partake of the divine nature, live His             His children: they were born, not of blood, nor of the will
life, show forth the virtues of the Most High. It means that           of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God! And to be
 we reflect His holiness, His righteousness, His goodness,             sure, only those who are the children of God can ever re-
 His purity, that we know Him, that we walk with Him and               ceive Christ and believe on His Name! Nevertheless, there
 talk with Him, that we dwell in His house, that we are the            was a sense in which they still were in need of power to
 objects of His Fatherly love, that we taste all His blessings,        become sons of God and in which they could, even though
 that we enjoy His most intimate communion ! Children we               they were already sons, still receive power to become sons.
 are, who belong in Father's house, and who shall dwell for-           And the same is true of us today.
 ever in His tabernacle!                                                  Historically speaking, these words refer `to those who,
         Yes, and it means too that we are children, not after the     lived at the time of the sojourn of Christ upon earth, first of
 similitude of Adam, but conformed to the image of His Son!            all. It was the time when, sojourning among men, in the
 Children, not on the level of the earthy, but on the level of         years 1 to 33 A.D., He came unto His own things, and when
 the heavenly! Children, not who can be corrupted and fall,            His own people rejected Him, while the remnant received
 but children incorruptible! Children, not who can lose their          Him. Those who received Him were surely already the chil-
 life, but children immortal! Children, not who can fall from          dren of God. But they were children of God in the old dis-
 their excellent position, but children who shall abide in             pensation. And there was a difference. Christ had not come,
 Father's heavenly house and know the blessedness of His               and had not as yet fulfilled the law. The Spirit was not yet
 fellowship and love forevermore !                                     poured out, -the Spirit of Sonship. Their -right to be sons
         0, to be and to become such children of God more and          was not yet established. They had everything by promise.
 more . . . .                                                          Yes, they were sons, but as minor children. And they were
    What incomparable blessedness !                                    treated as servants: they were under the law. But as soon
                                1:  *  *                               as Christ came, and they received Hiuut, the Son of God in
                                                                       the flesh, they became sons in the full sense of the word prin-
    Power . . : .                                                      cipally. They were no more under tutors and governors, no
    Power to become children of God!                                   more treated as servants. But as free sons, who- have reached
    In eternity we become the sons of God, by sovereign and            the age of majority, they received actually all the rights and
 unchangeable election. For He "predestinated us unto the              privileges of children of God. Through the blood of the cross
 adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to         their right to become God's' children was established once-and
 the good pleasure of his will." And, "whom he did foreknow,           for all. And that right they received. For the Spirit of His
 he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his          Son was poured out in their hearts. And that Spirit wit-
 Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."             nessed with their Spirit that they were the children of God,
 And surely, this is the fountain and cause, of ,every  saving         and caused them to know and to express their sonship  in the
 good, of all the blessings of being children of God ! That            cry, Abba, Father!
 eternal adoption the Lord God also realizes in time, legally,            Also of us, however, it is true that while we are sons, we
 through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is on the basis        still can become sons of God!
 of the perfect righteousness of Christ, established in the cross,        That is true, first of all, in the sense that that small be-
 and sealed in the resurrection, that God legally adopts us for        ginning of  sonship  becomes ever more consciously ours : we
 His children and heirs. Our adoption papers, as it were,              grow, and must grow, in sonship  and in the consciousness of
 are made out in the blood of Christ. There, in Golgotha's             sonship.  We become inore the children of God, and less `the
 cross, we are purchased out of the power of sin and death to          children of the devil, according as the small beginning of the
 be God's children. And there we obtain all the rights of              life of Christ, our elder Brother, more and more dominates
 sons. And the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we            our entire life. And secondly, there still awaits us the perfect
 are the children of God, and therefore heirs, - heirs of God,         realization of our  sonship  through the wonder of the resur-
 and joint-heirs with Christ.                                          rection from the dead, when finally, as the apostle John
    But our Father in heaven not only legally adopts us. He            writes, we shall be like Him, shall see Him as He is, face to
 does what no earthly and human father can ever do when                face. We are the children of God . . . . but it doth not yet
 he adopts a child. He makes us like unto Himself. He be-              appear what we shall be. Still we are bound to the earth, to


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                           41-1

  the dust. Still we are like Him only in principle, while
  there is much imperfection. We see Him! but only in a glass,                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
  darkly. We know Him, but only from a letter, the Holy                         Se&-monthly,  em& monthly  during  July and  Augmst
  Scriptures. And we long to be fully His children? to be com-                Published by  &e  REFIXDIED  FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIA~ON
  pletely like Him, to be delivered from all that still causes LIS          P. 0. Box 881, Madison Square Station, Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
  not to be like Him, and from all that still separates us from                                Editor  -  REV. HERMAN  HOEKSEMA
  His Father-heart !                                                        Communications  relative  to contents should' be addressed to Rev.
    But for that blessing we need the power, the right.                     H. Hoeksema, 1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
     We need it not only once, but constantly !                             All matters relative to subscriptions should be addressed to Mr.
                                                                            G. Pipe, 1463 Ardmore St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7, Michigan.
     For God our Father is righteous!                                       Announcements and  O~bituaries   mua be mailed to the above
     He loves and blesses the righteous, and He hates and                   address and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each notice.
  curses the wicked!                                                        RENEWALS:  Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-
      And therefore,, not everyone is, or can be, a child of God!           ceived, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the subscription
                                                                            to continue without the formality of a renewal order. .
  There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked!                                              Subscription price : $4.00 per year
     And we who are elect, but wicked by nature, and still
  wicked according to our old man of sin: need the right to                  Entered as  Smosd   Class matter at  Gram-l   Rapids,   ii&t%gan
  become His children. That right is possible only on.the  basis
  of perfect righteousness, according to the standard of His                                               C O N T E N T S
  own holy law, and according to the judgment of His own              MEDITATION  -
  mouth. He Himself must declare us worthy of becoming                         Power to become Children of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .409
  His children! And we must hear His own Word before we                              Rev. H. C. Hoeksema
  can ever be assured of our sonship  !                               EDITORIALS -
      That right is established in the cross of His Son. And                   Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches, 1955. . . . . . . .412
  subjectively, to be sure, it becomes ours principally once and                     Rev. H. C. Hoeksema
  for all when by His Spirit and Word He calls us out of              As  TO  BOOKS-
  darkness into His light, and witnesses with our Spirit that                  The Psalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
  we are His Sons. Then we receive the title, the deed, to the                 Love the Lord Thv God...............................:.41 4
                                                                                     Rev. G. Vos  -
  eternal inheritance.                                                                                                                                                         :
      But as we hope to become sons perfectly in His day, and         O U R   D O C T R I N E -
                                                                               The Triple Knowledge (Part III  - Of Thankfulness) .                                          . .415
  as we seek grace daily to become conformed to the image of                          Rev. H. Hoeksema
  His Son, we need constantly to receive that right! We sin,          FEATURE ARTICLE --
  and we need the forgiveness of sins. We need to hear from                    Participation in the Lord's Supper.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                       . .417
  God Himself, constantly, day in and day out: "My son, my                            Rev. C.  Hank0
  daughter, thy sins are forgiven thee  !I'                           FROM  HOLY WRIT  -
      The blessed right to become the children of God!                 '       Exposition of Hebrews 115%26..  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                        . .419
                              * *  9                                                Rev. G. Lubbers
      That gift of the right to become sons of God, - and a           IN HIS FEAR-
                                                                               "A Fosm o#f Godliness, but . . .". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     . .421
free gift it is, and always remains, - is only in Christ, God's                      Rev. J. A. Heys
  Son in the flesh !                                                  CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH -
      It is in Him, because He is the Son by eternal divine                    The Church and the Sa,craments..  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-.                        . .423
  right! It is in Him because, having assumed the flesh and                           Rev. H.  Veld,man
  blood of the children, He atoned and fully satisfied for all our    THE VOICE OF OUR  FATHERS-                                                                              . .425
_ sins ! It is in Him too, because He alone. can and does bestow               Te Canons of Dordrecht (Art. 18). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                      Rev. H. C. Hoeksema
  that right, according to the standard of election, upon all         D
  those for whom He died, by His Spirit and Word! He, the                  ECENCY AND  Omm-
                                                                               The Consistories' Part.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             . .427
  Christ of God, is our righteousness!                                                Rev. G.  Vanden  Berg
      To receive Christ, therefore, is to receive the right to        ALL AROUND  Us-
  sonship  !                                                                   Principles od Edulcation.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           . .429
      And to receive Him means that you believe into His                              Rev. M.  Schipper
  Name, that by faith,- the faith which is God's own gift to          CONTRIBUTIONS-
                                                                               "New" Reformed Guardian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     . .431
  you, efficaciously wrought,  -you strike your roots ever                            Rev. E. Emanuel
  more deeply into Him, and live out of Him, and constantly                    Report of the Eastern Ladies Aid.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431
  find in Him the sure right to become perfect sons !                                 Mrs. Dewey Engelsma
                                                                               Spelen  met  Vuur....................,...................432
      Then we have hope, -the hope of our heavenly home                               J. R. Vanderwal
  with Father !                                           H.C.H.


 412                                             - T H E   STAKDARD   B E A R E R

                                                                             On Wednesday morning the Synod met for the first time
                                                                         officially and was constituted. At the roll-call the usual four
                                                                         ministers and four elders responded from Classis East. But.
                                                                         due to the shortage of ministers, Classis West delegated only
   Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches,                            three ministers, but added a fifth elder. Classis West did
                                 1955       *                            this on the ground that the principle of equal representation
                                                                         `of the classes at synod is weightier than the principle that
        Purposely I use the full name in the caption of this re-         there should be an equal number of ministers and elders in
 port, not only because we claim to be the true continuation             each classical delegation. This reasoning was accepted virtu-
 of the Protestant Reformed Churches, nor only because we                ally without debate and by unanimous vote. The Rev. C.
  shall maintain before the law that we are such, nor because            Hanko was chosen president of' this synod, and the Rev. H.
 we venture confidently to prophesy, history shall prove that            Veldman,  vice president. The Rev. M. Schipper and the Rev.
 we are such, but especially because it was clearly evident in           J. A. Heys were elected clerks. ,Our home missionary, the
  every way ai the recently held sessions of our synod in the            Rev. G. Lubbers, was present in his capacity of Stated Clerk.
 edifice of the Fourth Protestant Reformed Church of Grand               And both theological professors, Revs. H.  Hoeksema  and
Rapids, Michigan that we still represent the Protestant Re-              G. M. Ophoff, were present to give their advice on the
  formed cause, and that the sixteen delegates gathered at               various matters before the synod. At this Wednesday sessiod
  Fourth Church indeed constituted the  Sj\nod of  the Prot-             the usual Committee on Committees was appointed, and thus
  estant  Reformed  Chawcl~es,   1955. The Synod functioned in           the work of synod was distributed to three committees of
 traditional Protestant Reformed fashion, in the proper ec-              pre-advice. who spent the rest of the day (and part of the
  clesiastical manner. Protestant Reformed language was                  night) in study sessions and in the preparation of advice for
  spoken, unambiguously. The love toward and zeal for the                the guidance of the synod in its deliberations and decisions.
  Protestant Reformed truth and our Protestant Reformed                  The importance of the work of these committees for pre-
  churches was manifest. The deep-seated spiritual unity,  -             advice is sometimes overlooked, I think. But their work is
  so sorely missed in the recent past because it was broken by           indeed important for the systematic and smooth functioning
  those who have now left us, -that unity, and its accompany-            of any synod. As a rule, however, this does not become
  ing warm zeal, which we knew in the earlier years of our               evident except by contrast, that is, when a committee of pre-
  history, was again clearly operative as the undercurrent of            advice fails to do its work carefully and thoroughly. Fortun-
 all Synod's deliberations and decisions. From this point of             ately, Synod's committees this year in most instances did
 -view, although one probably would not say that its decisions           good work, even though their advice could not always be
  were of a momentous importance, nevertheless it may safely             accepted.
  be said that Synod of 195.5 will not soon be forgotten in the
  annals of the Protestant Reformed Churches.                                The Thursday and Friday sessions were spent m.ostly in
                                                                         the examination of %Student Herman Hanko, who had fin-
        The full and detailed report of the activities of this synod,    ished his course at our Theological School. This examina-
  will presently be published in our combined  Acts nnd Year-            tion was conducted by the professors in the presence of
  book, which, we hope, will this time not be too slow in mak-           Synod, and its outcome was.:indeed  favorable, as is plain
  ing its-appearance. Our people should surely avail themselves          from the Synod's unanimous decision to declare brother
  of the opportunity to get a copy of this booklet also. But the         Hanko a candidate for the ministry. As was also noted at
  undersigned, substituting during our Editor-in-chief's vaca-           the end of the examination? this was a joyous occasion. We
  tion, will furnish an abbreviated report of Synod's doings,            were reminded that the Lord had kept for us our Seminary,
  plus a few comments.                                                   and that He had preserved our two faithful leaders and
        On Tuesday evening, May 31, the pre-synodical service            professors. And especially was it an occasion charged with
  was held in the auditorium of the host congregation, Fourth            feeling for the president of Synod, who is the father of the
  Church. All the sessions of this year's synod were held either         new candidate. Candidate Hanko is not the first represent-
  ih the auditorium or the basement of Fourth Church. And                ative of the second generation in -our churches' ministry ; but
  th& ladies of Fourth Church very graciously supplied the               he is the first graduate of our school whose father also had
  delegates with their noon dinner, as well as with the custom-          his training in the same school and by the same professors.
  ary morning coffee and afternoon tea. At this pre-synodical            On Monday evening, June 6, appropriate graduation exer-
  service the Rev. C. Hanko, vice-president of the previous              cises were held, attended by a goodly number of interested
  synod, officiated in the place of Rev. G. Vos, due undoubtedly         Protestant Reformed people. The Rev. Ophoff delivered
  to the latter's recent bout of heart trouble. The Reverend             the rectoral address, a discourse on the. Covenant of Sinai.
  Hanko used as his text the 10th verse of Ephesians 2. Our              And Candidate Hanko spoke on "The Idea of the Preaching
  esteemed brother Vos, let me add, was present and active at ,of the Word." Rev. Vos, president of the Theological School
all the sessions of synod, though, according to doctor's or-             Committee, was chairman for the evening, and also presented
  ders, he must learn to live with his ailment.                          the well-earned diploma. And so our churches may presently


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    413

look forward to the "minister-shortage" being relieved at least:       operation for the West, but also in greater balance between
one-fourth.                                                            East and West. Classis East will now have nine congrega-
    As to the rest of Synod's work, we may mention. first of           tions, and Classis West will have eight. For the undersigned
all, the matter of the Committee on Litigation appointed by            personally it will be a sort of "homecoming'" after a rather
the Synod of 1954. They explained in their report why no               brief sojourn in  Classis East.
legal proceedings on a synodical lesel were begun in the past              The second proposal that came to Synod of 1954 origin-
year, and also furnished advice as to any future litigation.           ally from Classis West was an overture to realign the two
The Synod of 1955 set in motion the proper machinery to                major standing committees, the Mission Committee and the
recover eventually our synodical archives and funds and                Theological School Committee, in such a way that the mem-
other properties, including the Acts of 1953, which were               bership of these committees would be drawn from our en-
paid for with our money and were never lawfully published.             tire denomination, rather  .than only from the eastern segment.
Apart frqm this, there was very little on the table of Synod           In 1954 Synod by implication went on record as favoring the
to remind us of the trouble caused by the schismatics. In-             idea when it appointed a study committee of `the Revs. C.
directly related to this trouble was a decision of Synod to            Hanko, H. Veldman, and the undersigned, to try to present
table indefinitely the revision of our P<alter,  a work which          the Synod of `55 with a workable plan for carrying out this
was begun several years ago, but which is now impracticable            prop&al.  This committee drew up such a plan, and their
because of our reduced size. And beside this, there was a              report was distributed to the consistories along with the               -
request for advice from some bf our faithful people in the             Synodical  agenda in May. The committee of pre-advice
Pella, Iowa, area, where, it appears, the schismatics,  under          counselled the Syndd this year to declare the proposed plan
the lead of Rev. M. Grit&s, were not quite as successful iri           not workable. After one of the most lengthy debates of the
their evil work as first appeared.                                     whole session, this advice was rejected, and the matter was
                                                                       sent back to the committee for positive advice. However,
    The reader' will bear in mind that I am not furnishing             when the committee returned with its positive advice, the
a chronological report of Synod's action. I merely want tq             Synod, in my opinion mistakenly, became entangled once
cover at least the main matters treated, even though not in            more in a general discussion of the practicability of the plan.
the same order as Synod did.                                           And the outcome was that a motion prevailed to table the
    There were especially two matters which could not be               matter until 1956, in view of the sweeping changes involved.
classed as "routine." Both came originally from Classis West,          This means that the plan, even if approved in 1956, could
and both were originally on the table of Synod already in              never go into effect until 1957. The undersigned was dis-
1954. One of these items was a proposal to change the clas-            appointed by this decision for two reasons. 1 j In the first
sical boundaries in such a way that the congregations of               place, the Synod tabled the matter without ever actually
Randolph, Wisconsin and South Holland and Oak Lawn, Il-                treating the report of the study committee thoroughly and
linois w&ild be transferred from Classis East to Classis West,         in detail. 2 j And in the second place, I am very much afraid
which had only five congregations left after the schism. This          of tabling and postponing a matter simply to avoid making a,
proposal had been referred by the Synod of 1954 to  Classis            decision on a weighty matter. This does not mean that post-
East, and would have gone into effect last year already if             ponement is never in order. But we must beware of falling
Classis East had acted favorably. It was not until its January,        into the bad habit of tossing around a "loose ball" from one
1955 session that Classis East finally came to a decision to           synod to the next, as has become the vogue in some circles.
"maintain the status qou .  ,. . since we are in a period of flux."    An example of this, I think, you have in the "divorce prob-
Hence, the matter was back on Synod`s table, since the two' lem on the Christian Reformed Synods. Hence, since the
classes did ndt agree on the matter. Synod, however, could             matter is tabled, let our consistories not "file it and forget it ;"
not see -the cogency of Classis  East's reasoning ; and, after a       but let us study the report carefully and critically and with-
thorough discussion of the matter,. it rejected the advice of          out prejudice.
the committee of pre-advice "that the matter be tabled until              We will conclude this report in the next issue, D.V.
the synod of 1956," and decided unanimously in favor of the                                                                       H.C.H.
proposed change in classical boundaries. This decision goes
into effect on August 1. As far as immediate results are con-
cerned, this was one of the most far-reaching decisions of the
Synod. The change may cause a little inconvenience for the                CLASSIS EAST MEETS AT HUDSONVILLE
three congregatio.ns  mentioned, since they will have to travel           Class& -East of the Protestant Reformed Churches' will
farther for classical meetings. And it is probably also true           meet Wednesday morning, July 6th, at 9 o'clock in the Hud-
that they are loathe to leave Classis East after residing in it        sonville Protestant Reformed Church. Consistories residing
for so many years. But on the other hand, there can be no              in this Classis will please take note. There will be no Office
doubt that  Classis West was greatly crippled by its small size,       Bearers' Conference.
and that this change will result not only in smoother classical                                        Rev. M. Schipper, Stated Clerk


  414                                                    T&E  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

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                                                                                         $2.50.
         The  Psa,lter,   by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing  Company,           Volume  8  Love  thr  Lord Thy  God, `Lord's Days 32-38,
  Grand Rapids, Michigan. Third printing, $2.50 (To churches                             $3.00.
  $1.75).                                                                    And so, the total price for these eight volumes is $20.00.
         Our readers will remember that this psalter was published              This volume proudly takes its place along side the other
  in a revised edition in 1947. But the supply ran out and the              seven. Its jacket is the most attractive of all, and its paper
  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company issued a second                        and binding are splendid. The size of the volume, even as the
  printing at this time, so our churches and our people can                 others, is very handy. And the printing is clear, very read-
  again buy The Psalter, with our doctrinal standards, our                  able.
  liturgy and the Protestant Reformed Church Order of Dord-                     And as to its contents ? Yes,-what  shall I say ? In the short
  recht.                                                                    confines of this little article you cannot expect me to cover
         From two points of view this psalter is better than its            the rich truths that are developed by our Rev. Hoeksema.
  predecessor. First, the paper is different, of a much better                  This Sth volume begins the discussion of the Third part
  quality. The publisher tells me that the poorer quality of the            of the Heidelberg Catechism: our gratitude to God. for SO
  first printing of our psalter was clue to prevailing conditions           great salvation. The book treats the first four commandments,
  after the world war. This is now corrected. Second, the                   up t? and including the commandment of the Sabbath.
  binding is much better, more reinforced. Linen strips in the                 Every family of our membership ought to have this and the
  joints of the binding protect the book against rough liandling.           other seven volumes in their library, so that we all, as well as
  Hence, the life of these psalters should be and, no doubt will            our growing children, may become better acquainted' with
  be, longer.                                                               this wonderful Standard of our churches which has stood
        And so, if our churches are low on psalters, you can get            the test of time, and which has instructed and comforted un-
  your needs filled by ordering them now.                                   told multitudes of Reformed believers on two. continents.
        And our people also can get them at the same address.                   You buy and read newspapers and magazines, and I find
  It is a good thing to have a psalter in our home for playing              no fault with it. But do .not forget to buy .this set for in-
  and singing the psalms of David. Acquaint your children with              struction, consolation and also in order to become more
  these fruits of God's loving providence towards His people.               founded in the truths of God's Word.
  It is a sad fact that some homes have one or more hymn
  books from which the error is sung into the consciousness of                  Finally, I am able to inform you that volume 9 is set up
  our children from their early youth,  while  they are com-                in print at this time, and shortly will come off the presses,
  parative strangers to the sweet singer of Israel.                         ;price $2.50. And volume 10, which will conclude this set,
                                                                            is ready in manuscript, so that before long you will be able
        And not to forget our Protestant Reformed schools: get              to have the whole set in your possession. Vol. 10 will. be
  your supply while the books are available. Nothing else                   $3.00.
  should be sung in our schools. Here is the fact of history:                   I am thinking of a remark addressed to me not long ago :
  First we sing the psalms of David  ; then we combine the Psal-            The Rev. Hoeksema writes for the ages !
  ter with a number of hymns ; and we end up having nothing                     Leave this set of books as a heritage for your children.
  but hymns. And truth is gone begging.                                         If you can afford it, give it as a graduation present.
        Buy and sing                  the.Psalter  !       _                                                                             G. Vos
                                                                  G. Vos

        Lovg tlze Lovd  Thy God, volume eight of an Exposition of
  the  Heidelberg Cat~chisutz,  by the Rev. Herman Hoeksema.                                  WEDDING  ANNIVEPSARY
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids,                              On June 16, 1955, our beloved parents
  Michigan. $3.00.              I.                                                         MR. and MRS. GEORGE  SPRUYT
        Before I say something about this latest volume, allow              celebrated their 35th wedding  ,anniversary.
  me to enumerate the titles and prices of all eight volumes :                 We are thankful to God for having spared them for each
  Volume 1 In  The Midst Of  Dea,th,  Lord's Days 1-4, $2.50.               other and us. Our earnest prayer is that God may further bless
  Volume 2 God's Way O`ut, Lord's Days S-10, $2.00.                         them in the way that lies ahead.
  Volume 3 The Death of the Sops of God, Lord's Days 1-l-16,                                              Their grateful children :
                 $2.50.                                                                                              Mr. and Mrs. M. Campbell
  Volume 4                                                                                          2,
                 The Lord  of  Glory, Lord's Days  17-20,  $2.50.                                                    Mr. and Mrs. J. Jansma
                                                                                                                     9 grandchildren.
  Volume  5 Ab&dant  Mwcy,  Lord's Days 21-24, $2.50.                                                                &. and Mrs. D. Groeneweg


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              415

                                                                      t&h, are clearly displayed." It cannot be denied that, al-
              O U R   D O C T R I N E                            II though the Catechism suggests that God's name is indeed
                                                                      hallowed'or  glorified in all His works, it nevertheless ignores
                                                                      -the passive form pf the prayer, "Hallowed be thy name."
               THE TRIPLE KNOWLEDGE                                   Yet, we must not overlook this form, but try to answer the
                                                                      question : what does it mean ?
     AN  EXPOSITION  OF  THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM                        Evidently it means, first of all, that we are taught to
                                                                      beseech our Father in heaven that He will so govern all
                PART  III  -  OF  THANKFULNESS                        things, the affairs of the whole world,-social, economical,
                         L                                            political,' national, and international, -the affairs of the
                              ORD'S  DAY  47                          church in the world, and all things that concern us person-
                               Chapter I                              ally, and our whole life in the world, in such a way that,
                       God's Holy Name                                first of all and above all, His name may receive all the glory
                                                                      and praise. For the passive form of the petition, "Hallowed
    And when we are taught to pray, "Hallowed be thy                  be thy name," implies undoubtedly that the Most High, that
name," the Lord Jesus would have us say at the very be-               our -Father in heaven will glorify His own name through us
ginning of our prayers: "Our Father Who art in heaven, so             and through all things.
reveal Thyself and so  .let Thy Self-revelation be recognized            And this is very significant.
and acknowledged !by us, that Thy name alone may &and                    It means that we. approach God with the prayer on our
out in all the world as a name of infinite wisdom and knowl-          lips, "Father, glorify Thy name regardless of what becomes
edge and power, of absolute Lordship and sovereignty, of              df us, even though this should require that we be led in the
unchangeable righteousness and truth, of matchless beauty,            ways of suffering and death. Glorify Thy name, 0 Father,
purest love, boundless grace, abundant mercy, as the only             no matter what becomes of our name." It was thus that our
name that is worthy of all glory and adoration and praise             Lord Himself prayed when the dark shadows of the terrible
forever."                                                             cross were already stealing over His soul, and He said:
                               Chapter II                             "Now is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say? Father,
                                                                      save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this
              The Implications of the First Petition                  hour. Father, glorify thy name." John  12:27, 28. The
    In the first chapter we have briefly explained the mean-          glorification of the Father's name was to Him His chief con-
ing, the objective a?pect,  of the first petition of the Lord's       cern. He  was. willing that the Father's name  should  ba
Prayer.                                                               hallowed even though it would-lead Him into the depth  oi
    The question now arises : but what are the implications of        death and hell. Principally, in the first petition we are taught
these words, viewed as a prayer? For what do we really                to pray for the same thing. That is why this petition stands
ask when we take this petition on our lips? For we may                at the head of the whole series of requests. The glory of
never overlook the fact that we are dealing here not with a           God is first. The petition means that it is also first in our
mere question of cold doctrine, but with prayer. Nor is this          hearts and minds. We seek it above all. In this petition we
the mere expression of a pious wish, "0, that Thy  name               profess that we are not chiefly and first of all concerned about
were hallowed." On the contrary, we are definitely asking             the question of what becomes of us an{ our earthly existence
for something. As we utter this petition, we are giving ex-           and life. If our Father sends war, and thus reveals His.
pression to a heartfelt need. We would like to receive some           name in the world, our first concern is not with ourselves and
blessing from our Father in heaven. We earnestly beseech              our earthly well-bein,,
                                                                                            m but that in and through the war God's
&m to do something in our behalf. And therefore the qties-            name may be hallowed. It means that in those circum-
aion must be answered: what is our request? What is it                stances we do not immediately and rashly cry for peace, re-
that we need and that we express as a heartfelt need ih this          gardless of what may become of the revelation of God's
petition ?                      ~.                                    righteousness and power and holiness. But we say: "Our
    Let us not overlook the fact that the verb in this petition       Father, even if it must be through war, glorify Thy name."
stands in the passive. In it we do not pray that we may hal-          If we are led in ways of depression, hunger, want, suffering,
low or glorify the name of our Father which is in heaven;             sorrow, oppression, persecution for Christ's sake, tie do not
but it is left entirely general, ".Hallowed  be thy name." It         rebel against the ways of the Most High, but we humbly ask
seems to us that the Heidelberg catechism somewhat ignores            Him for grace to say, "Our Father, if I must be led through
this element, although we may say, perhaps, that it is never-         these deep and difficult  ways in order that Thy glorious
theless implied in its answer. It explains as follows: " `Hal-        power and grace may be revealed, hallowed be Thy name."
lowed be thy name'; that is, grant us, first, rightly to know            This, then, is the first implication of this first petition of
thee, and to sanctify, glorify, and praise thee, in all thy works,    the Lord's Prayer.
in which thy power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and                It means that we earnestly implore our Father in heaven

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

 so to reveal Himself in all things in the world, particularly       edae of the heart, which is eternal life; that we may love the
too in all things that concern us and our present life in the        Lord our God  with all our heart  and mind and soul and
 world, that His name may be hallowed, whether it be in              strength. "Hallowed  be, thy name." That meaps : "Our
health,or  in sickness, in life or in death, in joy or in sorrow,    Father Who art in heaven, give us to know Thee more and
in prosperity or in adversity, in peace or in war.                   more, and preserve us ever in the truth of Thy holy Word."
        Secondly, this first petition of the Lord's Prayer also          It is not difficult to understand what this implies as to
implies a request for grace that we may always hallow and;           the spiritual disposition of our hearts that is required to send
glorify the name of our Father in heaven in our confession           this petition to the throne of grace.
and in our entire life and walk in the world. Also this is very          It certainly presupposes that we are filled with an earnest
significant. Nor is it easy for us to learn thus to pray in          desire and longing for the true knowledge of God, and that
spirit'and.  in truth. For, mark you well, this too-implies that     therefore we employ every means which God gives us to ob-
we eirnestly  desire grade from God always and everywhere            tain that true knowledge. It means that we certainly are
to seek the glory of His name first, regardless of our position      not doctrinally indifferent, but that we are zealous for the
in the world..                                                       truth as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. For if this is not
    The Catechism explains in this connection that the first         our attitude, we are hypocrites when we pray, "Hallowed be
petition implies that we ask, first of all,  that our Father in      thy name." And hypocrites are an abomination to the Lord.
heaven give us grace rightly to know Him. And this stands            What would you think of a son who, being far from home,
to reason. How shall we sanctify and glorify Him if we               writes to his father that he longs to see him, but who does
do not know Him with that true spiritual knowledge  that is          not even take the trouble of reading his father's letters? And
the knowledge of love and fellowship, and that is wrought in         what, then, do you judge must be God's attitude to us if,
our hearts by His Spirit and Word ? And to be sure, this             while .we pray with our lips that His name may be hallowed,
true spiritual LTowledge  of God presupposes that we have            and that therefore we long to know Him, in the meantime we
the right, the correct and full knowledge about Him. For             plainly evince in our life that we are not interested in His
how shall we know Him spiritually if we have no knowledge            Word? What must we think of the preacher who from the
about Him, about His name, His being, His virtues, His               pulpit sends this petition to the living God in heaven, but
works, His salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord ? This prayer          who during the week does not make a serious attempt to
therefore implies that we ask our Father in heaven that He           prepare for his sermons by studying the Holy Scriptures, or
may give us the true, unadulterated knowledge, the right             who proclaims to his flock his own philosophy instead of
doctrine of Him. This true knowledge of God is contained             expounding to them the true Word of God and preaching.
only in the Holy Scriptures. And we receive it and increase          the full counsel of God? What is to beg thought of the in-
in this knowledge through the reading and searching of those         dividual Christian who repeats this prayer, but who cares
Scriptures, as well as through the preaching of the Word and,        not for sound doctrine, if only his soul is saved ; whose seat
the instruction of ourselves and our  childien  in that Word,        is usually vacant when God's people are congregated for
in the home, in the school, and in the church. The first             worship on the sabbath day, and who shows no interest in
petition of the Lord's Prayer, therefore, implies that we in-        the preaching of the Word of God ? What is to be thought
voke God's indispensable blessing upon all these means. for          of the family that would pray for the hallowing of God's
the -preservation and dissemination of the true knowledge of         name, but in whose midst the Bible remains a closed book ?
God. In it we pray that the church may be preserved and              And what is to be thought of parents who teach their children
extended, and that she may receive grace to be zealous for           the Lord's Prayer, but who neglect to give them a Christian
the maintenance of the truth and to guard it against all             education, not only in the church but also in the home, as
heresy. In this prayer we pray for its ministry, that it may         well as in the school established by the parents ? If such is
be wholly devoted to the proclamation of the true gospel, both       our spiritual disposition and our actual attitude when we take
within the church and without, and even to the uttermost             this first petition upon our lips, will not God answer us : "0
ends of the earth. We pray that wherever our children re-            you hypocrites and workers of iniquity, depart from me ; for
ceive their instruction, in the home or in the school or in          you honor me with your lips, but .your heart is far from me ?"
the church, they may be nurtured in the fear and admonitiofi         Indeed, this prayer requires that we live in close contact with
of the Lord, so that they may become thoroughly furnished            lthe Word of God, and have a profound delight in the knowl-
unto all good works. And then we pray that God may so.               edge of His glorious name.
sanctify this knowledge about Him unto our hearts by His                But even so we have not exhausted the meaning of this
Spirit and grace that it may become true knowledge  of Hiln          first petition of the Lord's Prayer. For in it we also ask for
in Christ Jesus our Lord. A thorough knowledge of God,               His grace to sanctify our hearts and minds, that we may al-
about Him, as revealed in the Scriptures, is necessary; but          ways glorify the name of our Father in heaven. And ta
a mere head full of doctrinal knowledge is not sufficient. This      glorify Him implies,, first of all, that we extol Him by the
petition, therefore, also implies that we ask for God's Spirit       word of our mouth, and that we confess His glorious name.
and grace to give us that spiritual knowledge, that know]-                                                                     H.H.


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              417

   PARTICIPATION IN THE LORD'S SUPPER                                  "Finally, they shall be asked if they are willing to submit
    In answer to the question, "Should small children be           to Christian discipline. And when they have promised this,
allowed to participate in the Lord's Supper ?", the Reformed       they shall be admonished to live in peace and love and har-
position has always been that this is impossible. But then         mony with all men, and. to make peace in case they live
 we understand by small children those who have not yet            in disharmony with anyone."
reached the years of discretion. The reason is evident. The            In this preface the fathers speak of being "thoroughly
 sacrament of baptism was instituted for infants as well as        acquainted with the fundamentals of doctrine," which im-
for adults, but the Lord's Supper was instituted for conscious     mediately leaves the impression that they have in mind mature
believers. In baptism we are passive, We a.re baptized. We         believers who have been fully indoctrinated. Yet they also
receive the sign and seal of our entrance into God's covenant      speak of  "all those who first commit themselves to the church
in sovereign mercy, even though we have not yet come to a          of God," so that they are not speaking of those who are
conscious faith. But the Lord's Supper is a sign and seal          born and reared within the church, but of those who come
of our life within the covenant and our conscious participation    in from without, and become members of the church through,
in the benefits of the covenant. True celebration of the           confession of faith and adult baptism. In that case, we have
Lord's Supper includes a sincere self-examination, an eating       no problem.
and drinking in remembrance of Christ, and thus appropriat-            But the problem centers about those who are born of
ing Him and all His benefits in gratitude. Since this is pos-      believing parents, are baptized in infancy, and have their
sible only by a conscious faith, the Lord's Supper is appointed    catechetical instruction within the church since the early
only for conscious*believers.  Thus we can readily conclude        years of their childhood. Should also they wait until they
that children should be excluded until they reach the years of     have been thoroughly indoctrinated before they make con-
discretion and .are ready publicly to profess their faith in       fession of faith and are granted permission to partake of the
the midst of God's Church.                                         Lord's Supper ?
    But that still leaves the question: Should children who            Going back still farther in the history of the church, we
have reached the years of discretion, but have not yet finished    find that the Roman Catholics introduced the sacrament of
the prescribed course of catechetical instruction, be  allotied    Confirmation between the sacrament of Baptism and of the
to participate in the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and        Lord's Supper. This dates back to the third century of our
even encouraged to do so? We have in mind particularly             Christian era.
children from the age range of twelve or fourteen to eigh-             Confirmation is defined (see "The Sacraments," by
teen years. And we mention eighteen years, because this is         Pohle-Preuss) as "A sacrament in which those already bap-
the age when ordinarily the required course of catechetical        tized, through the imposition of hands, anointment, and the
instruction is completed and young people most generally           prayer of the bishop, receive the power  of the Holy Ghost,
make confession of faith.                                          by which they are enabled to believe firmly and to profess the
    This raises another interesting question, namely, where        faith boldly."
did the idea of confession of faith at, for example, the age           This "sacrament" is said to have been instituted by Christ,
of eighteen years originate  ?                                     particularly in Luke 24:49, and to have been conferred upon
    In some of the very old dutch  Psalmbooks you will find        the church on Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy
an introductory paragraph preceding the Form for the Cele-         Spirit. Confirmation is not considered to be a repetition  of
bration.of the Lord's Supper. This introduction was a part         baptism, namely of conferring the gift of the Holy Spirit,
of an early edition of our Communion Form, and reads as            but a confirming of baptism, so that the power of the Holy
follows :                                                          Spirit is received, the grace of baptism is increased, whereby
    "Concerning the Holy Supper of the Lord.                       the recipient is enabled to believe more firmly and to confess
    "All those who first commit themselves to the church of        this faith more courageously. Therefore .reference  is made
God and desire to be admitted to the use of the Lord's Sup-        especially. to II Cor. 1 :21, 22. This was always preceded by
per must first be instructed in the fundamentals  of. Christian    instruction in the doctrines of the church, but always took
doctrine from the Word of God, according to the form or            place at an early age.
manner of instruction which is deemed edifying in the church.         Both Luther and Calvin rejected confirmation as a sacra-
And when they are thoroughly acquainted with these fun- ment on the ground that it has no Scriptural basis, but is an
damentals of doctrine, and have made confession, they shall        innovation of the pope. Calvin referred to it as "the abortive
be asked whether they have any doubt whatever concerning           larva of a sacrament," and "a false promise of the devil."
the doctrine, that they may be dealt with in all justice. And      Nevertheless, the Lutherans and also others still speak of
if they say that they do, every attempt shall be made to           confirmation, even though not as a sacrament. They also
satisfy them.                                                      maintain that it must be preceded by a catechetical instruc-
   "But if they are satisfied, they shall be asked whether         tion in the doctrines of the Scriptures, but allow this con-
they will remain in the aforesaid doctrine, forsake the world,     firmation to take place when that instruction is completed,
and live a new Christian life.                                     usually already at an early age.

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

       It is undoubtedly from this Confirmation that our Public    recite mere abstract truths, as would a child not yet matured,
Confession of Faith stems. I have not been able to trace the       and therefore Confession of Faith is less likely to become
history of it in all its details, but have discovered that Cal-    mechanical, or matte; of routine. He is not nearly SO liable
vin followed the practice in Geneva of having youthful             to become the victim of the coercion of a doting parent.
catechumens recite the Catechism publicly before the church            Third, a youth of eighteen has had at least some ex-
on the Sunday before communion, as a public espression of          perience of life with its trials and temptations. He is likely
their own faith. One of the fruits of the Reformation has          to take this matter far more seriously, since he has begun to
certainly been that emphasis is laid upon personal conviction      learn what it means to "forsake the world, crucify his old
and sincere confession of the faith wrought in the heart by        nature, and walk in a new and holy life." On the other hand,
the Holy Spirit. For this we can only be extremely grateful. a younger person, because of the vanity of youth, may err
That is, no doubt, the reason why we follow the custom in          from the way, fall into sin, and even make himself an object
our circles that those who desire publicly to profess their        of church discipline as a confessing member.
faith in the midst of God's church must first appear before            Fourth, he has learned to feel a personal need for the
the consistory to be examined in regard to doctrine and            celebration of the Lord's Supper, and can do so with sincere
walk, and only upon being received by the consistory, are          faith and conviction.
allowed to make confession before the whole congregation               All these arguments do bear weight, and should not be
in the public worship, most generally on the Sunday before         coldly ignored.
the Lord's Supper is celebrated. But it is also, no doubt,             But there are also other considerations that enter in.
for this reason that the church has never made a hard and              First, children are- also members of -God's church and
fast rule when public confession should be made. It has be-        partakers of His covenant. They do not become members by
come customary for our young people to wait until they             confession of faith, but are already members through their
have completed the required course in catechetical instruc-        baptism. I mention this, because this fundamental truth is
tion,. which is about the age of eighteen. It should be under-     often lost sight of, even by those who still profess  to
stood though, that there are exceptions to this rule, some         maintain the Reformed persuasion. Confession of faith is
making confession earlier, and some later, but always leaving      often regarded as a public declaration of having accepted
it to the conviction of the person making confession.              Christ as a personal Savior. Therefore it-is referred to as
   We have no argument here, but are heartily in agreement         "joining church," "joining the ranks of Christ," "becoming a
with the position that young people must make confession           volunteer for Jesus," etc. The Arminian error of the free
.of faith, not out of mere custom, nor because of any kind         will has made inroads into the church also in this respect.
of coercion, but solely out of personal, prayerful conviction.         Second, the command of Christ applies to all conscious
   But the problem remains, how about the children be- believers : "Do this in remembrance of Me." Very often a
tween the age limits of twelve or fourteen and eighteen, that      child of fourteen, or even younger gives evidence of consci-
is children who have come to years of discretion, but have         ous faith. It is possible that he may have a sincere desire
not finished their prescribed catechetical instruction  ? Does     to confess his faith and partake of the Lord's Supper. When
not the command of Christ apply to them, "Do this in re-           he has given this prayerful consideration, and remains firm
membrance of Me ?" Can there be any good reason why a              in his conviction, is there anything that should hinder him
child of, let us say, fourteen or fifteen, who has a sincere       from participating ?
desire to partake of the Lord's Supper would be deprived              Third, the foolishness and vanity of youth is never an
of this privilege ? Is it justified, if he shows evidence of       excuse for disregarding the command of Christ. It is true
sincere conviction and true godliness, to withhold from him        that it is wrong for a confessing member of the church to live
this means of grace which God has instituted.for  His church?      in sin, but this applies just as well to a baptized member. Sin
Or should he be encouraged to confess his faith and thus be        is always sin in the sight of God, and is always condemned
permitted to partake of Communion with us ?                        by Scripture, no matter who commits it.
 Some of the arguments in favor of postponing making                  Fourth, confession of faith need not necessarily mark the
confession of faith and partaking of the Lord's Supper until       end of the prescribed course of catechetical instruction. The
the age of eighteen are evidently these :                          group that makes confession of faith is no graduation class.
   First, this gives the young people an opportunity to be-        In fact, young people of eighteen years are also urged to
come thoroughly acquainted with the doctrines of the church        continue their catechism attendance, and to do so as long as
and the truth of Scripture. A child of fourteen has not yet        possible, even after making confession, because there is still
finished his catechetical instruction. He still has much to        much to learn. Why should this not apply to children of .an
learn, and will therefore be able to give a better account of      earlier age group  ?
what he has.learned  at eighteen than at an earlier age.              In conclusion, it should be understood that I am not
   Second, a -young person of eighteen has had an op-              pleading for the old practice of confirmation, in preference to
portunity to grasp the truth of Scripture, absorb it, and make     our public confession of faith. Nor am I pleading for a
it part and parcel of his own soul. He is not so likely to                                 (Coxtinzted' ON page 428)


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAPER                                                     419
                     -.. _-.-. ""_

II                                                                    confidence that the things God had caused them to hope upon,
           FROM HOLY  W.RlT                                      II according to His. sure promise, would certainly be realized.
                                                                      In this confidence they hoped upon God as they, who are
                                                                      standing upon solid ground. Inwardly the "elders" had a
             Exposition of Hebrews  11:24-26                          certain subjective proof, God witnessing in them, that they
      In this essay we will not write on those texts quoted by        would never be put to shame in their hope and trust upon
"Classis West" in their defense of the Statements of Rev.             the sure promise of God. In this confidence they were in-
H. De Wolf. It seems to the undersigned that in our treat-            deed patient, believing unto the salvation of their souls and
ment of the passages which we have treated sufficient atten-          unto the final glory of God in the Christ and in all the saints.
tion has been paid to this matter; those who are not con-                 Such is the aspect of faith as here portrayed in the lives
vinced by what we have written will refuse to be convinced            of the "cloud of faithful witnesses."
anyway should we write more, and those who read our                       Let us try to see how this became very evident in the
articles with approval need no more proof.                            life of Moses. while he lived in the court of Pharaoh in Egypt.
                                                                         We notice the following in the text:
      So we will simply let this matter rest for the time being.          1. That the text teaches us that "faith" in Moses was
      It is our purpose in this essay to call attention to what       such at the time here spoken of that he "refused to be
the writer to the Hebrews has to say concerning "faith" as            called a son of Pharaoh's daughter." To understand the ele-
this faith came to manifestation in Moses while he was living         ment of the "solid confidence of things hoped for" in. this
in Pharaoh's court during the first forty years of his life.          faith as thus revealed we should notice what was implied in
Says Hebrews  11:24-26,   "By  fa.ith Moses when he became            being called a "son of Pharaoh's daughter." This evidently
of  a.ge  refaued to be called a son of  Pha-raoh's daughter,         m e a n t :
choosing  yat?zev  to be evilly  tveated with the people of God          a. That Moses had all the rights and the privileges of
tka.x to enjoy the  pleas&es  of sin for a season, accounting         being an Egyptian Prince. `He was thus not reckoned
the  repouch  of  Christ  grea.ter riches than the  trcapuuves  of    amongst those who were the common rank and file in Egypt,
Egypt, for  he had respect  `unto  the  recom,pence of  the  re-      who were virtually slaves too of the E,yptian  ~monarch  at
zvard."                                                               this time. For we ought to observe the notice in Gen. 47:21,        '
      The general thrust of this entire passage from the book         "And as for the people, he removed them from their cities
of Hebrews is to warn the Jewish Christians against the sin           from one end of the boarders of Egypt to the other thereof.
of back-sliding from the faith in Christ unto the return to           Only the land of the priests bought he not, for the priests had'
the 0. Testament types and shadows and to act as if Christ            a portion assigned to them of Pharaoh, and did eat their
had not come as the better-and greater High Priest, establish-        portion which Pharaoh gave them  ; wherefore they sold not
ing the New Covenant of grace upon better promises. And               their lands." Thus the entire private ownership was taken
the writer raises a warning finger. He comes with the                 from the people of Egypt and all lands were government
warnings, threatenings of the Gospel in order that the grace          owned- the people working for the king. Being a son of
of God's preservation in the faith may be the portion of the          Pharaoh's daughter, Moses was not a mean subject of the
church.                                                               king of Egypt, but could enjoy all the privileges of a Prince-
      Such a Word of God we have in our text.                         royal. The entire Kingdom of Egypt lay at his feet.
      Our text is profitable for instruction, for reproof, for           b. It was for this reason that Moses was also instructed
correction, for the entire pedagogy in righteousness of faith,        in all the knowledge and wisdom of the Egyptians. He was
that the man of God may be thoroughly prepared unto every             "a goody child," which evidently means that he was a child
good work. The example of Moses' faith is cited in' order             of extraordinary beauty and natural grace as well as a gifted
that the church, which is not of them that fall back unto the         man far above the average. This had "in faith" already been
perdition of the soul, may indeed believe unto the receiving          observed by his mother, who felt that her son would be
of the salvation.                                                     someone special in Israel unto its deliverance. The result is
      To achieve this end in the hearers, the writer to the           that there comes a time in Moses' life that he "became
Hebrews calls attention to a certain aspect of saving and             great.`..  Only as a son of Pharaoh's daughter could he
living faith in Hebrews. `He speaks of faith here as "the             become thus. Does not Stephen say in Acts  7:22, "And
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not             Moses was placed under the pedagogy of all the wisdom of
seen" Heb. 11 :l. And he will demonstrate before the be-              Egypt; now he was mighty in words and works." A. T.
lieving eyes of the Hebrew Christians that this faith clearly         Robertson makes the observation here, "The priestly caste
and  uncontradictably  was such in all the "elders, who ob-           in Egypt was noted for their knowledge of science, astron
tained a good report" in the annals of the mighty in the Churh        only, medicine, and mathematics.         This reputation was
of God in the Old Testament Dispensation. Always faith was            proverbial (I Kings 4  :30). Modern discoveries have thrown
"substance," that is, the sure subjective confidence in the           much light on the ancient civilization of Egypt. Moses, like
soul. It was a hearty "fiducia," that is, solid, immoveable           Paul, was a man of the schools . `. . . Moses did not have the

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

 rhetorical skill and eloquence of Aaron (Ex. 4  :lO), but his       His Son out of Egypt. Hos. 11  :l  ; Matt. 2  :15. For let it
 words like his deeds carried weight and power." This all            not be forgotten that the glory of Israel is that in the twelve
 was a part of the privileges which Moses enjoyed under the          tribes there is bne from whom the Christ, the Seed, shall
 protective status of being a "son of Pharaoh's daughter."           come. In Isaac the Seed would be called. And the fury of
        c. And we cannot. doubt but what Moses. must have            Pharaoh, the evil and cunning dealing of Egypt with Israel
 attracted the notice of his instructors and also of Pharaoh's       was the manifestation of the Prince of this world as he
 court as being an exceptionally gifted man. He rapidly rose         worketh in the sons of  disobaience.  It was the Dragon
 to prominence. Head and shoulders above the rest he was.            ,standing before the Woman, being great with child, ready
 He stood out - being mighty in wgrd and in deed. He must            to kill her child as soon as it is born. Principally it is the
 have stood out as did Daniel and his three' friends later in        same as when wicked Herod would kill all the male children
 the court of the Babylonian King. Yet, Moses refused thus           in Bethlehem from two years old and under. Compare Rev.
 to be a son of Pharaoh's daughter and to accept as his own          12 :l-3.
all that was implied in being an heir to the Throne of Egypt.            They aFe, therefore, bOreat alternatives which Moses here
 The term for "refuse" in Greek means: to refuse something           faces !
 offered. He refused the dictatorial monarchy of Egypt and               Hence, the text Says: that Moses chose the "reproach of
 thus come to stand where the Pharaoh would stand who                Christ." For when Israel suffers in Egyptland, it is nothing
 would be destroyed by the Lord-in the ten great plagues and         less than that the Anointed Son of God is reproached. Moses
 afterwards in the Red Sea.                                          saw the question, the rock-bottomness of the issue at stake.
    It came to a c&is in the life of Moses !                         He saw this with the eye of faith. He saw this issue because
    Either he would be the son of Pharaoh's daughter or he           he believed the word of God concerning  ISraeljs   gloribus
 would be the son of Levi's daughter. He wotild  either be the       iuture as this has been foretold by the Lord  RimSelf  to
 great one in,Israel,  the lawgiver of God's people or he would      Abraham. Gen. 15  :13.  Yes, Moses  ~believed  the dying
 be the tyrant to maintain the evil policies of the King of          prophecy of Jacob `concerning each of his sons, as well as
 Egypt against the Lord and against His anointed Son. It             the implications of the commandment of Joseph concerning
 was an either-or proposition. He would either have to be for        his bones; he knew that Israel would be delivered out of the
 God's people or he would have to be against them. A neutral         land of the Slave-holder!
 position was not possible. If he did not gather he  wouid               Faith was here, indeed, the substance of things hoped
\ scatter. And he that wills to be a friend of the world would       for, the evidence of things not seen.
 be accounted an enemy of God !                                          Moses has a right and proper evaluation -of matters in this
    Indeed, it was a critical issue!                                 faith.
    It was either to be the "goodly child" in Israel, or to use          He weighs the alternatives very carefully. He sees both of
 all of his gifts in the service of a king, who is rightly a type    these in their true worth and value. On the one hand there
 of Satan's tyrannical power and usurpation.                         was the "pleasures of sin for a season," and on the other
    And the alternatives, too, were far-reaching in their con-       hand there was simply "suffering the reproach of Christ,
 sequences. Either he would enjoy the "pleasures of sin for          suffering together with the people of God."
 a season," or he would have to suffer the lot of all God's
 people, that is, to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. For          And his evaluation was such that he did not falter and
 all whb will to live godly in this world must needs suffer for      back-slide into .perdition, but believed unto the saving of the
 the sake of the cause of the Son of God in this world. This         soul. He rejoiced in the greater treasures in heaven. He
 Moses clearly perceived. He must have brooded upon this             belongs to the "just who live by faith."
 question of his place and calling in the midst of the world,            One of the cloud of witnesses he is, and he is great in the
and of the special providence of God that he was born at             annals of the people of God !
 such a time as this, and that he of all the male children had                               (to be continued)
 been very wondrously brought into the very home of him,                                                                       G.L.
 who had ordered his death together with all the male children
 in Egypt. I say: Moses must have brooded upon this ques-
tion! The very providence of God that led him into Phara-
 oh's   house also caused Moses to come to a poipt in the road                             School Teacher
 of his life where he had to make a momentous decision.
    He must either be willing to be called the `son of Phara-        The Free Christian School -Society of Edgerton, Minn.,
                                                                     is still in need of a principal.
 oh's   daughter or he must outright. refuse thus to be called.
 Either he must work for the lihwatio~~  of Israel out of the                                            Ray Brunsting, Secretary
 house of bondage, or lie must seek to perpetuate this state                                             R.R. 5, Box 35
 of bondage- of Israel and seek to prevent God from calling                                              .Pipestone, Minn.


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                     421

                                                                     a helping hand and to spend a hard-  earned dollar to improve
              I N   H I S   F E A 'R                                 the living conditions of another or to help some financially
                                                                     destitute family make ends meet.
                                                                         Ah, we sigh and say : There truly is a Christian ! There is
            "A Form of Godliness, but . .  ."                        a man filled with the fear of the Lotd !
                                                                                        "......
                                                                         And yet it is only a, form of godliness. Only a form. Only
    We live in a time when there is so much that passes for          the outside shell that looks good to the naked eye. But you
the fear of the Lord and yet, because it de&es the power             must  not dig deeper unless you want to be disappointed by
thereof, is actually in-the service of the antichrist.               reality.
    Today it is fashionable to be a "Christian."                         What is worse : it is not simply a fraud .that for a time
 Few in numbers are those who in our land would not                  deceives man. It is an abomination in the sight of the Lord !
be offended if you would tell them that they are not chris-          "The sacrifice (also his gifts and the time he sacrifices, his
tians. Few there are who would not consider that an insult!          charity and civic endeavours, etc.) of the wicked is an abomi-
    Yet let us never forget that the reprobate, which far out-       nation to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is His
number the children of God, are not Christians in anything           delight " Proverbs 15 :8.
more than in name. They have only tl?e form of godliness.                We repeat: to deny that, to try to defend the wicked in
Nothing more.                                                        their form of godliness is itself only a foypa of godliness and
    A Christian according to the very correct answer of the          is not true reverence, piety and fear. before. God!    .-
Heidelberg Catechism in Lord's Day XII is one who is a                   Still more.                                              .
member of Christ and who therefore partakes of His an-                   "Many shall say in :that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
ointing. He is the object of God's grace.                            prophesied in Thy name ? and in Thy name cast out devils ?
    Christians have more than the form of godliness. They            and in Thy name done many wonderful works ? And then I
live by its power.                                                   will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me
    There is also much that passes for Christianity and c&s          ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7 ~22, 23.
itself Christianity but actually is antichristian  and antichris-        What an indictment!
tianity.                                                                 I nez1er knew you! And we envied them! We, perhaps,
    As Paul writes to Timothy, warning him in II Timothy             began to review our Reformed faith and ask what is wrong
3 :5: "Having a form of godliness, but denying- the power            with it that there is so much "In His Fear" in .these  modern-
thereof : from such turn away."                                      istic circles and so little in ours. We fell in love with the
    The word godliness means reverence, piety, worship and           form. And we, by so doing, denied the power thereof!
therefore the fear of the Lord. _                                        0, they cast out devils in Jesus' name.
    A form of being "In His Fear" but denying the power                  The modern devils that drive you as a slave in the sweat
thereof is irreverence, impiety and therefore sin.                   shops of yesterday. They improved our working conditions
    And the very attempt to defend such powerless forms of           in the name of Christ, in the name of Christianity. They did
godliness, reverence and fear is itself only a form of god-          many "wonderful works" for his sake(  ?).
liness but denying the power thereof. Let us be on our                   But they were not so wonderful after all. The form looked
guard in this day when men would like to make us believe             nice. It looked like the real thing. But it denied the power
that Christianity is Sweeping the world and modern "evan-            and without the power it is worse than worthless. It is an
gelists" seem to put Christ and the Apostles to shame by             abomination in God's sight. ,For it is antichristian. What-
their seeming "successes." The more Christ preached the              ever does not sdrve the cause of Christ's kingdom militates
trutlz,  the smaller His audiences became. From thousands            against it; Whatever is not Christian is antichristian. He
who first came to hear him, instead of mass "decisions for           that is not for me is against me, Jesus said. Whether it has
Christ" there were only one hundred twenty who still fol-            the form of being for Him or not makes no difference. If
lowed Him after His death and burial. It is not all "In His          the power that is for Him is not behind that form, it is the
Fear" that is presented to us as such. It is not all godliness       power of the antichristian movement.
and reverence that comes to the natural eye in that form.                Why is it that with the Five Points  of, Calvinism, we
    It happens not infrequently that one envies the zeal of          cannot fill a very large auditorium with listeners ? Why is it
others. Not seldom is it that you have people sigh and say:          that in our circles there are no mass  i`decisions for Christ?"
0, if I could, only be as spiritual, as full of holy zeal for        Others with a gospel that promises and offers salvation to
God's kingdom as brother so and so or as sister so and so !          all who hear ; who present a Jesus, Who loves everybody ;
And then almost overnight that form is torn. off and the             who apparently.are overflowing with the mercy and compas-
reverence and piety that was so highly coveted is no more            sion of God to save your dear soul from the brink of hell ;
to be seen! Without its power, it withered away.                     who in Christ's name have "done many wonderful works";
    What zeal also is often displayed in Modernism!                  these have to turn away the multitudes that come to hear.
    Energetic people ! - People full of ambition, ready to lend          Shall we review our doctrinal stand ?


  422                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B.EARE.8

         Shall we consider a change of tactics that we may be more     us. The reason we sing and us& them is the earthly pleasure
  successful in "winning precious souls for Christ"?                   we derive from them and not the power of godliness.
         A word of warning from God through the  AIjostle Paul:            And so we simply underscore the words of the abostle  in
  Do not deny the power of godliness !                                 the verse that precedes this warning against that which has
         And that power is not in the rich harmonies and captivat-     only a form of godliness. Paul says : ". . . lovers of. pleasure
  ing tune of the hymn that extols the love of God for all men         more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness (which
  head for head.                                                       looks like love of God, then) but denying the power thereof."
         The power is not in a fiery message that extols the cross         "From such turn away."
  of Christ and then asks and pleads with you to turn on the               All these things are antichristian.
  power and accept this Jesus Who, though He has done so                   That is not putting it too strongly. Does God through
  much, still stands outside the door  and is helpless to apply        Paul warn us to turn away from such things for any other
  this salvation to you till you give him the right.                   reason than that they are rooted in hatred towai-ds  Him ?
         The power is not in a doctrine of election that preaches      Deeds that are perpetrated because men are lovers of pleasure
  an election that is decided in time by your "decision for            rather than of God  ? And therk is no neutrality. In the
  Christ."                                                             measure that we love pleasure more than God, in that
         The power of godliness is in God!                             measure we hate God and oppose Him and His Christ.
         The power in Christianity is in Christ!                           And there surely is something wrong when the ungodly,
         The power in godliness that is more than a form is the        the unregenerated are attracted to our godliness. You can
  power of the Spirit of the almighty God.                             realize such things by denying the power of godliness. You
      The power is therefoi-e in the Word of God as God's              can make Christianity look good to him and "sell it t,o him"
  Word.                                                                by taking the power of Christ out of it. Give hi& sbme room
      The power of godliness is in the truth.                          - and the more room you give him, the more attractive
         The lie, false doctrine, any mixture of man's philosophies    that form of godliness will be to him - give him plenty of
  can produce the form of godliness. It can deceive men and            room and push the Living, Almighty God to the background
  please men. It can do things that men will call  "I& Thy             or else emphasize His love and grace for  all  down-and-
  name many  ymonderfztl  works." In man's judgment they are           outers, all underdogs and abused men `while denying His
  wonderful works ; for man is benefited by them and man is            righteousness, His justice and sovereignty. You will make
  glorified at the expense of God's glory.                             that form attractive to man. They will see something good
      But God says : Depart from me ye that work iniquity !            in Christianity. They will advocate it for the ills and troubles
      He sees through the form of godliness. He-sees  the anti-        of our social and economic confusion and injustice.
  Christian power behind these works of iniquity.                         But: "from such turn away."
      That is also why it is so sickening when children of Zion           By all means do not advertise their form of `godliness
  sing the songs that have a form of godliness but deny its            to your children.
  power. Many, many of the hymns of today evince that +lti                This same Apostle Paul, guided by the same Spirit of
  of godliness. Are they not called hynins? Are they not set           Truth had written to the Thessalonians : "Let no man deceive
  forth as gospel songs ? Are they not rendered on the pulpits         you . . . that man of sin be revealed (the antichrist) . . . Who
of the churches as church music and as inspirational and opposeth and exalt&h himself above all that is called God or
  edifying numbers to render before God's people.                      that is worshipped (essentially the same word as godliness
      "Roll, Jordan Roll !" "I want to go to heaven when I die         in II Tim. 3 :5) ; so that he as God sitteth in the temple,
  to see old Jordan roll !" What a wealth of spiritual zeal .in        shewing himself that he is God."
  such a song !  ? Godliness it is not. It only has the form.             The antichrist has a  forw~  of godliness.
  God, Christ, the Cross, Salvation are not in it. Powerless,             But he opposes all that is of God.
  nonsensical, superficial, ANTICHRISTIAN ! It puts Christ                From such turn away !
  outside of heaven ! Jordan is the important thing there !                                                                        J.A.H.
     It has a form of godliness because it speaks the language                                                          .i
  of Scripture. It speaks of Jordan as the Scriptures do. It
  speaks of heaven and of going there when we die.                        Few preachers have equalled  John the Baptist in self-
     The form of godliness is there ; but the power is sadly           depreciation and Christ-exaltation. He sought to turn the
  lacking.                                                             attention of his hearers from himself to Jesus, and if he made
     And SO it goes with countless number of songs that eve6           disciples, it tias only that they might be persuaded to leave
  find their way on our programs. They contain a few phrases           him and follow Christ, the One who was preferred before
  that may be found in Holy Writ, and therefore are labeled:           him (John 1:15), because pre-existent. John was happy and
  "sacred music," "Gospel Songs" etc.                                  content to be esteemed the Bridegroom's friend, and re-
     We might as well be honest about the matter. We sing              joiced as he entered into His joy (John 3 :29).
  them and use them on programs because the music captivates                                                             -H. A.  Ironside


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 423

                                                                     `outside," especially as he himself makes mention of the rock
 I/ Contending For The Faith                                    n on which the Church is built, are not they in the.Church  who
                                                                     are on the rock, and they who are not on the rock, not in the
                                                                     Church either? Now therefore, let us see whether they build
           The Church and the Sacraments                             their house upon a rock who hear the words of Christ and
                                                                     do them not. The Lord Himself declares the contrary, say-
      VIEWS DURING THE SECOND PERIOD  (300-750 A.D.)                 ing, `Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
                                                                     them, I will liken Him unto a wise man, which built his house
                THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH                           upon a rock,' and a little later, `Everyone that heareth
 \                                                                   these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened
      We were busy in our preceding article with the question        unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.'
 relative the importance of membership in the true church, as        If, therefore, the Church is on a rock, those who are on the
 advocated in the second period of the Church, 300-750 A.D.          sand, because they are outside the rock, are necessarily out-
 We noted that it was generally held that membership in this         side the Church. Let us recollect, therefore, how many
 Catholic Church (not to be confused with the Roman Catholic.        Cyprian mentions as placed within who build upon the sand,
 Church) was strictly necessary unto  sal<ation.  And, in con-       that is, who hear the words of Christ and do them not. And
nection with this question, we were busy with presenting a           therefore because they are on the sand, they are proved to be
 few quotations of Augustine which he wrote in his struggle          outside the rock, that is, outside the Church; yet even while
 with the Donatists. We will now continue with a few more            they are so situated, and are either not yet or never changed
 of his quotations.                                                  for the better, not only do they baptize and are baptized, but
      "And let any one, who is led by the past custom of the         the baptism which they have remains valid in them though
 Church, and by the subsequent authority of a plenary Council,       they are destined to damnation." - end of this quote. Hence,
 and by so many powerful proofs from holy Scripture, and             all they who are on the rock are in the Church, and they who
 by much evidence from Cyprian himself, and by the clear             are not on the rock are not in the Church either. And from
 reasoning of the truth, to understand that the baptism of           this Augustine would conclude that all those are on the rock
 Christ, consecrated in the words of the gospel, cannot be           must be in the Church, that all those who are not in the
 perverted by the error of any man on earth,-let such an             Church are not on the rock, and.that  therefore they who are
 one understand, that they who then thought otherwise, but:          outside the Church are also necessarily outside of salvation.
 yet preserved their charity, can be saved by the same bond          Hence, there is no salvation outside the Church. We may
 of unity. And herein he should also understand of those who,        also note, in this quotation, that the Church Father declares
 in the society of the Church dispersed throughout the world,        that the baptism as administered by these schismatics  must
 could not have been defiled by any tares, by any chaff, so          be considered valid. This is plain from the conclusion of the
 long as they themselves desired to be fruitful corn, and who        quotation.
 therefore severed themselves from the same bond of unity               A final quotation from Augustine reads as follows : "But
 without any cause for the divorce, that at any rate, whichever      in this world no one is ri&teous  by his own righteousness,-
 of the two opinions may be true, -that which Cyprian then           that is, as though it were wrought by himself and for him-
 held, or that which was maintained by the universal- voice          self; but as the apostle says, `According as God hath dealt
 of the Catholic Church, which Cyprian did not abandon, -            to every man the measure of faith.' But then he goes pn to
 in either case they, having most openly placed themselves           add the following: `For as we have many members in one
 outside in the plain sacrilege of schism, cannot possibly  b$       body, and all members have not fhe same office ; so we, being .
 saved, and all that they possess of the holy sacraments, and        many, are one body in Christ.' And according to this doc-
 of the free gifts of the one legitimate Bridegroom, is of avail,    trine, no one can be righteous so long as he is separated
 while they continue what they are, for their confusion rather       from the unity of this body. For in the same manner as if a
 than the salvation of their souls1 - end of qtiote. The reader      limb be cut off from the body of a living man, it cannot any
 will notice that the learned Church Father, in this quotation,      longer retain the spirit of life ; so the man who is cut off from
 literally declares that they who openly place themselves out-       the body of Christ, who is righteous, can in no wise retain
 side in the plain sacrilege of schism cannot possibly be saved,     the spirit of righteousness, even if he retain the form of mem-
 and that all that they possess of the holy sacraments and of        bership which .he received when in the body. Let them there-
 the free gifts of the one legitimate Bridegroom is only of avail    fore come into the framework of this body,. and so possess
for their confusion rather than for the salvation of their           their own  labours, not through the lust of lordship, but
 souls. Hence,. Augustine teaches here that there is no salva-       through the godliness of using them aright.  But we, as has
tion outside of the communion of the Catholic Church which,          been said before, cleanse our wills from the pollution of this
we understand, must not be confused with the Roman Catho-            concupiscence, even in the judgment of any enemy you please
lic Church as it bears that name today.                              to name as judge, seeing that we use our utmost' effoits in
      "Further, if we inquire more carefully what is meant by        entreating the very men of whose labors we avail ourselves


 424                                            T,HE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 to enjoy with us,~ within the society of the Catholic Church,           October, at the meeting of Classis East, this matter appeared
 the fruits both of their labors and of our own." - end of               before the classis. And the classis decided that the consistory
 quote. That the renowned Church Father connects salvation               of Hamilton must enforce that decision. Except for one dis-
 with membership in the Catholic Church is also evident from             senting vote by an elder of our Chatham  church at that time
 this quotation. No one can be righteous as long as he is                this decision was unanimous. That means that the Revs;
 separated from the unity of the body. A limb that is cut off            Blankespoor,  Rok, Knott, and others voted in favour of that
 from the body of a living man cannot any longer retain the              decision. Do these men wish to deny the binding character
 spirit of life. This is naturally true. It is also spiritually true.    of that decision ? They realize, do they not, that this decision
 No man' who is cut off from the body of Christ, Who is                  was such that the Protestant Reformed Church of Hamilton,
 righteous, can in any wise retain the spirit of righteousness.          to remain within the fellowship of the Protestant Reformed
 And therefore they must come into the "framework of this                Churches, was compelled to pursue one of two courses : either
 body," and this body is the Church of God. Hence, salva-                protest against this decision to the synod, or enforce it. And
 tion and church membership were inseparable.                            if, upon protesting to the synod, they would fail to carry
                                                                         their point at the `synod, then they would be compelled, if
                     THE EPISCOPACY.                                     they wished to remain within the fellowship of our churches,
    Having called attention to the doctrine of the Church,               to abide by the decision which was taken at the sessions of
 during the Second Period, 300-750 A.D., particularly as                 Classis East in October of 1950. It seems to me that even
 pertaining to the visible or invisible character of the Church,         the mention of this is superfluous. And then there is that
 we noted that this question was inseparably connected with              other case in the history of our churches in which the Rev-
 the Donatist controversy, the greatest controversy during the           erend B.  Kok was involved, and which case, I understand,
 early days of the Church of God in the New Dispensation.                was mentioned at the court trial in Grand Rapids which
 And we also noted that salvation was not considered possible            granted our church in Grand Rapids the right to our name
 outside of the Catholic Church, the Church of God as it                 and the property. Hence, we have never denied the binding
 existed universally during that time. The Donatists were                power of classical and synodical decisions. And we need not
 condemned, not because they taught `heretical doctrines, but            doubt that the type of church government at the time of the '
 because they had withdrawn themselves, schismatically, from             apostles was undoubtedly presbyterian in form. The apostles,
 the Church of God in the midst of the world.                            we read in Acts 14 :23, ordained elders in every church, and
    Another aspect of the doctrine as taught during this                 there is nothing in Scripture to warrant the conclusion that
 second period is the development of the episcopacy. We have             the ruling power over the churches was in the hands of a
 already called attention, in preceding articles, to the fact that       bishop, It is, therefore, a remarkable phenomenon that,
 the form of Church govermnent  from the time of the apostles            whereas the form of church government was presbyterian in
 until the Reformation was episcopal and not presbyterian.               form at the time of the apostles, and the Church, beginning
-This does not mean that the form of church government                   at the Reformation, recognizes the presbyterian form of
 during the time of the apostles was episcopal. We need not              church government to be in harmony with the Word of God,
 doubt that it was presbyterian during the early days of the             the episcopal form  oft church government should characterize
 apostles. The presbyterian form of church government is the             the life of the Church of ,God in the New Dispensation from
 control of the government of the church in the hands of the             the time of the apostles to the period of the Reformation. It
 "presbyters," or elders. This, we understand, does not dis-             is truly remarkable that this episcopal form of church govern-
 pose of classical and synodical authority. For, in the first            ment should characterize the Church of God for about fifteen
 place, also our classical and synodical gatherings are con-             hundred years. This phenomenon is surely worthy of a little
.stituted  of representations from the consistories of the vari-         investigation.
ous churches. Hence, classical and synodical authority is                                                                           H.V.
 never to be identified or confused with the episcopal form of
 church government. And, secondly, the presbyterian form of
 church government, also as maintained in our Protestant Re-
 formed Churches, has never denied the fact that, in the life               These two sins, hatred and pride, deck and trim them-
 of a denomination, a classical or synodical decision does not           selves out, as the devil clothed himself, in the Godhead.
 have binding power. There are examples in the history of                Hatred will be godlike ; pride will be truth. These two are
 our churches which verify this. In June of 1950 the con-                right deadly sins : hatred is killing : pride is lying.
 sistory of what was the Protestant Reformed Church of                                                                 - Martin Luther
 Hamilton; Canada, decided that such members should be
 accepted into the fellowship of the church there who prom-                 We did not become believers by struggling, but by trust-
 ised to submit to further instruction in our Protestant Re-             ing in what Christ had done for us ; so we shall become fruit-
formed truth and who also promised that they would not                   ful by trusting the same Saviour to work in and through us.
agitate. This decision the consistory never enforced. In                                                               - Hudson Taylor


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE-R-                                                    425
     II                                                                     is indeed true that one may well judge the orthodoxy of his
               The Voice of Our Fathers                                /I doctrine of predestination by the criterion of this murmuring.
                                                                            You may be certain that if you preach and teach and maintain
                     The Canons of Dordrecht                                the pure, Scriptural doctrine of sovereign predestination, men
                                                                            will murmur against you and your doctrine. The apostle
                                    PART TWO                                Paul knew such murmuring in his day ; Augustine knew of
                       EXPOSITION OF THE CANONS                             it; Gottschalk had to suffer it; Calvin had to hear it and
                         F                                                  answer it; the fathers of Dordt had to do battle against these
                              IRST HEAD  OF DOCTRINE                        murmtirers.  And those who will be Reformed today, and
                       OF  DIVINE PREDESTINATION                            adhere strictly to this s_ame doctrine, will have to face these
                                   Article 18                               same murmurers. And that such murmuring can be a criter-
                                                                            ion of orthodoxy is due to the fact that to be the object of
                  To those who murmur at the free grace of election,
                _  Land just severity of reprobation, we answer with the    such murmuring is the exclusive prerogative of the true dot-         -
                  apostle:, "Nay, but, 0 man, who art thou that repliest    trine of predestination. Change it a bit, compromise on the
                  against God?" Rom.  920, and quote the language of        subject of its sovereignty, soften it by adopting a "double
                  our Savior : "Is  it not lawful for me to do what I       track theology,"-and you will no longer hear the murmur-
                  will with mine own?" Matt.  201:15.  And therefore        ings,
                  with holy adoration of these mysteries, we exclaim
                  in  the,  words of the apostle: "0 the depth of the           The fathers also indicate the nature of these murmurings.
                  riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!           The objections-are against the grace of free election and the
                  how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways          severity  of just reprobation. Carefully and wisely do they
                  past finding out! For who hath known the mind of          choose their words. They are words that point out clearly
                  the Lord, or who, hath been his  counsellor?  or who      the gross wickedness of those who object against the doc-
                  hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed
                  unto  him again? For of him, and through him, and to      trine. It is exactly against grace, the grace of God, that they
                  him are all things : to whom be glory for ever. Amen."    murmur. And it is especially against the grace of free elec-
                                                                            tion that they object. If only you insist that all the other
           This translation `is in need of correction in its opening        blessings of salvation are gifts of God's grace, that they are
     clause, where the adjectives "free" and "just" are misplaced.          all free, they may probably let your doctrine pass. But .the
     The translation should be, as also the Dutch has it : "To those        moment you insist that election is free, gratuitous, that it is
     who murmur at the grace of free election, and the severity of          unmerited, and that therefore it is grace, not works, they
     just reprobation . . . ."                                              will murmur against your doctrine. For, you see, election is
           In this concluding article of the First Head of Doctrine         the end, the anchor end, of the chain of salvation. Or, to use
     the fathers deal with two subjects. The first is that of our           the figure which the Canons employ, election is the fountain
     answer to those that murmur against this doctrine of sover-            and cause of all saving good. And if, then, that election is
     eign predestination. And the second is that of our own                 free, unmerited, a matter of grace, then there is absolutely
     attitude toward this doctrine, and that too, in contrast with          no room left for man and his "free will." Hence, they mur-                a
     those who murmur against it. At the same time this first and           mur against the  grace  of election. This murmuring may as-
     most important chapter of the Canons is closed with a most             sume more than one form. Usually men object, as we well
     fitting and Scriptural  dosology,  a hymn of praise to the             know, that "this doctrine makes men careless and profane."
     predestinating God of our salvation. At the conclusion of              Or the kindred objection is raised that this doctrine makes
     the Fifth Head of Doctrine we find a doxology once more,               passive Christians. Much more frequently, however, men
     but already now it is as though the fathers could restrain             murmur against the  sevwity  of just reprobation. A doctrine
     themselves no longer, but in contemplation of the very doc-            of election they claim to be able to endure; but they cannot:
     trine which they have been busy formulating and defending
     must needs break forth into the well-known words of the                stand the severity of reprobation. It is, so they say, a horrible
     closing verses of Romans 11. And indeed, it is to be ob-               doctrine. Some of these matters we have already discussed
     served that. it is exactly such a doctrine as they have ex-            in our treatment of previous articles. But it is well that we
     pounded that can and does occasion the adoring worship that            see clearly the nature of these murmurings. Actually, of
     is expressed .in these words.                                          course, when they object against the severity of reprobation,
           The article speaks of those who "murmur" against this            they also oppose, and mean to oppose, the grace pf free elec-
     doctrine. And by the very mention of them it presupposes,              tion also, and even primarily. Make no mistake about that!
     of course, that there are those who so murmur. And we
     know too that this presupposition is very realistic. There             But remember too what the Cartons mean by a "just reproba-
:    have always been, and still are, those who murmur against              tion." That is not a reprobation on the basis of foreseen sin
     the grace of gratuitous election and the severity of a just            and unbelief. It is not a reprobation on account of sin. If
     reprobation. In fact, so common is such murmuring that it              such is your doctrine of reprobation, you `will never hear


426                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
-
these murmurers. That is exactly the doctrine that they               against the infinite and sovereign God. When God speaks,
want, and concerning which they claim that it does `justice to        there is only one attitude for man to assume: let him lay
the doctrine of human  responsibility. But the "just reproba-         his hand upon his mouth, maintain utter silence, and simply
tion" of which the CapLons here speak is that described in            listen ! Aught else is nothing short of blasphemous rebellion  !
Article 15. It is not a reprobation on account of sin, but a             The article might well have quoted the rest of the apostle's
reprobation unto condemnation in the way of man's own                 reply in Romans 9. But they turn instead to the parable of
sin. And while it is unblameably just, its severity neverthe-         the laborers in the vineyard, and quote from it, Matthew
less remains. For that severity is not in the condem_nation,          Z'O  :15. In the context the Savior tells of the laborer who
but in the fact that this decree of reprobation has-its source        objects when all those who are hired by the lord of the vine-
in God's "sovereign, most just, irreprehensible and unchange-         yard  deceive the penny's wages, whether they have labored
able good pleasure." In other words, you may make it ever             only one hour or whether they have born the burden and the
so clear that reprobation is just, and that the decree of rep-        heat of the day. Without going into a detailed explanation of
robation does not violate man's nature as a  .responsible,            the parable, we may notice: 1) That apparently, but only
moral, rational creature, and that therefore this decree of           apparently, there is an element of justice in the objection
reprobation is realized in history in the way of perfect justice.     here. And this fact ,emphasizes  the Lord's point all the more
As long as you insist on that which makes this decree of              strongly. 2) That the lord of the vineyard answers in the
reprobation so inexorably severe, namely, its absolute sover-         parable: "Friend I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree
eignty, wicked men will murmur against your doctrine. If              with me for a penny ?" And he then insists on granting unto
you ask, therefore,. what it is that -occasions- these murmur-        the last servants even as unto the first. 3) `That the reason
ings, the answer is: the goodness and severity of God. But            which in this case overrules all objection, the reason that
it is the goodness and severity, of God, Who is really GOD,           cannot be answered, is: "Is it not lawful for me to do what
that is assailed by these murmurers. And that is the same             I will with mine own ?" Although therefore, you find in this
as saying that the stumbling block for these murmurers is             instance not an objection against predestination, the principle
God's sovereignty!                                                    of the reply is certainly applicable. If the lord of the vineyard
       To. murmur is different than acknowledging that we can-        may do as he pleases with his own money, then it iS certainly
not comprehend God's works and ways. In fact, contemplat-             true that the Lord of ,heaven  and earth is not beholden to
ing God's work of sovereign predestination, the believer will         account for His actions to mere men, but is sovereignly free
exactly confess: "How unsearchable are his judgments, and             to do as He pleases with His own, - His own creatures, His
his ways past finding out !" To murmur is to contradict and           own salvation, His own damnation, His own heaven, and His
to rebel. It is the work of pride. He who murmurs presumes            own hell. Hence, let never the church flinch in the face of
to know better than God, against Whose work he murmurs.               those murmurers. But let them reply in harmony with the
Murmuring is unbelief !                                               Scriptures.
       And now notice how the fathers, with the Scriptures in            And then let their own attitude be that of adorable wor-d
hand, teach the believers to answer these murmurers. They             ship; expressed in the words of Romans 11 :33-36. This is
refer in both passages which they quote to instances of               neither the time nor the place to give an exposition of these
murmuring. In the first instance, from Romans 9, the apostle          words. Suffice it to say: 1) That in the light of the context,
is answering an objector against the doctrine that God has            both in the epistle to the Romans and in the Canons, no more
mercy on whom he will have mercy, and ivhom he will bet               fitting words could have been chosen. For certainly, although
hardeneth : "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet              this doxology speaks of "all things," the narrower context
find fault ? For who hath resisted his will ?' And the article        is that of the truth of eternal predestination with a view to
quotes only the first part of the apostle's answer : "Nay, but,       Israel and the Gentiles. 2) That in these words is truly
0 man, who art thou that repliest against God ?" Notice the           expressed the attitude of holy adoration of these mysteries.
following elements: 1) That by quoting this answer and in-            For notice that this doxology is pre-eminently theological:
structing the believers to answer the murmurers in this lan-          "Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to
guage the Canons point to the real `nature of the murmurers' whom be glory for ever. Amen." 3) That this dqxology is at
objections. The trouble is not that they misunderstand. The           the same time a humble  confesSion  that when we contemplate
trouble is not intellectual at all. It is ethical ; it is a matter    the truths of election and reprobation, as they are mysteries
of the will and of the heart. Their murmurings partakk of
the sin of answering against God ! 2) That the Canons, with           revealed to us by God Himself, we come face to face with the
the Scriptures, tacitly assume that the major premise of              incomprehensible, unsearchable, and unfathomable God of
these objectors is correct, namely, that free election is indeed      our salvation.
grace, sovereign grace, and that  just reprobation is indeed             Ever, therefore, let the church confess the truth in such
severity, sovereign severity. 3) That the fathers, with the           a way that it may end with the language of this doxology,
apostle Paul, in\sist that man, infinitesimally small speck of        in holy adoration !
dust that he is, a prio~i  has no right to contradict and to rebel                                                             H.C.H.


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             427

                                                                    question cloes not state by whom these schools are cared for
           .DECENCY and ORDER                                       but the fact that the question is directed to the consistories
                                                                    certainly implies that they have some obligation in this re-
                                                                    spect. When the Classis sends the Church Visitors to the
                 The Consistories' Part                             various congregations under Article 44, the question is put
    In former installments we wrote that it is not the task         before each consistory, "Does the consistory see to it that
of the consistory to establish, maintain and supervise the          the parents send their children to the Christian schools?' The
Christian school. Even though she' may and, also, should be         import of this question we wish to discuss in another con-
greatly interested in and deeply concerned about the school,        nection but we cite it here to make plain that no consistory
she has no right to exercise any ruling authority in an in-         may, under the church order, assume an indifferent attitude
stitution such as ~the school which stands outside of the.          toward Christian instruction but must be very much con-
domain of her rule. The establishment of the Christian school       cerned therewith for if the phase of it expressed in this ques-
is the sole responsibility of the parents. Theirs is the mandate    tion did not belong to their labors, the whole question would
to maintain it with or through proper supervision. Even             indeed be out of order and this it is not.
though it would happen that the same individuals were                  It is rather difficult to draw an exact line as to the scope
chosen to serve on the school-board who are elders and              or limitations of the labors of a consistory in this respect
deacons of the church, these men  tioulcl  not serve in these       but we can offer a few suggestions circumscribing the labors
two respects in the same capacity. In the one instance they         expected.
serve as office-bearers of Christ who are called to maintain            (1) First of all, consistories shall see to it that there are
the ministry of the Word and to promote the cause of the            good chkstian  sckools. For every Protestant Reformed Con-
Son of God in the world, while in the other instance they           sistory this can mean nothing less than the most serious
function as parents in their calling to bring up their children     labor in the direction of Protestant Reformed Christian
in the fear of the Lord. However intimately these may be            Schools. Laxity in the past does not justify present or future
related, we must also distinguish carefully between them            indolence.    Consistories should" encourage and admonish
lest there be a real conflict of authority.                         parents to fulfill their covenant obligations, giving them good
    We have also noted that the .most important factor in           counsel,in  the face of the many problems that are to be con-
maintaining good Christian schools is  the teacher. However         fronted in the undertaking of this big task. They must pa-
desirable other things may be, they are not indispensable.          tiently instruct the parents who do not as yet understand
But the teacher is ! One can have a school yet (and a good          the principle necessity of positive action toward the realiza-
school too) without buildings, benches, books, paper, etc. but      tion of schools where our children can be and will be in-
one cannot have a school-without a teacher. Without teachers        structed according to the demands of the covenant and, con-
there can be no schools. Likewise, without good teachers the        sequently, also in harmony with the baptismal vow made by
schools cannot be good. The first requisite then, toward the        the parents before God and the church. They must be ready
establishment of good Christian schools is that a staff of good,    to assist wherever possible in this undertaking. For these
qualified, capable, efficient, sound instructors be obtained and    reasons it is impossible for one, who himself is adverse to
if such schools are to be perpetuated, there must be a con-         Christian instruction, to serve as an office bearer in the church
tinuous replenishment of the teacher  ,supply. Here lies the        and do justice to his calling. God calls the office bearers of
root of the `real problem of true Christian instruction.            the church to promote Christian education.
    To help solve this problem, at least in part, is the `task          (2) To maintain good Christian schools, we wrote, good
of the consistory. Do not draw the erroneous conclusion             teachers are indispensable. In this respect consistories can
from what has been written above that the church and school         perform a very important labor. They ought to encourage
are separate from each other in such a way that the former          those young people of the congregation who give evidence
has nothing to do with the latter. Do not think that the con-       of possessing the necessary qualifications to seek preparatiqn
sistory is called to assume an attitude of total indifference       and labor in this field. Parents of such young people should
toward the affairs of the school. This would be all wrong.          be approached, too, and their attention directed to the po-
We only stated that the consistory must never over-step its         tential ability as educators in their child and, likewise, the
~authority.  That is something quite different from the asser-      parents should encourage the development of this as much
tion that consistories have nothing to do with the schools.         as possible. Especially is it important that qualified young
The former have a definite duty to perform in,regarcls  to the      men seek their life work in this important field. That field
latter.                                                             is in dire need of many competent plowmen to harrow and
    This is implied, if not expressed, more than once in our        cultivate it so that the real fruits of Christian culture may be
church order. Article 21 states, "The consistory shall see to       brought forth. Too often young people get through grammar
it that . . . .". which defines a duty. Each time a co&story        or high school and seek a place to labor where they can make
sends a delegation to Classis, the delegation &is asked under       the most money. Money  is the factor that speaks the loudest.
Article 41 whether the Christian schools are cared for? This        And parents are frequently moved by the same carnal greed

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

and encourage their children in this. Today wages are high           the utmost of their. power and then wantonly and willfully
and opportunities plentiful and the result is that many abilities    refuse to give them daily instruction in the Christian school.
of young people are lost to the service of God's Kingdom             Such sin is very serious. It may not go unpunished and the
and sacrificed upon the altar of `greed and covetousness in          power to punish sin in the church is the power to censure
the short-cut to material happiness. We are living in an             in Christian love. Now, it is so that all sin is not censurable
age of materialism and the danger is more than imaginary             sin but sin against one commandment is fully as serious as
that we and our children are easily swept away by the spirit         sin committed against another. Censure is readily applied
of this age. Against this we must constantly fight. Let not          against those who publicly transgress against the seventh or
covetousness reign in our hearts. Let us as p&rents  and con-        eighth commandment. Thd sin against other commandments
sistories be diligent to instruct our generations in true values     is equally severe and I wouia catagorize parental neglect on
and then the spiritual always comes first. Teach them to             this score in a threefold way : (a) As breaking the oath and
seek the Kingdom of God and its righteousness first! First,          thus violating the third commandment for which God will
that is, foremost and above all ! We must learn to be willing        surely punish us. (Heid. Cat. q. 102) (b) As defiance of the
at all times to count all things but loss for Christ's sake and      authority of our Heavenly Father Who commands that His
this ought to be learned in .our youth so that we do not seek        children be trained in a covenant manner and thus violating
a life-work motivated by carnal covetousness but rather seek         the fifth commandment. (c) As spiritual homicide and so
to employ our God-given talents in the highest possible way          violating the sixth commandment !
in the service of His cause. Consistories do well to expend              The matter is a serious one. Consider Him with Whom
some positive labor in this direction for the need is ever in-       we have to do and before Whose eyes all things are naked
creasing !                                                           and open (Heb. 4 :13). Do you not- tremble ? And let con-
       (3) Thirdly, consistories must labor with those who are       sistories in His fear labor and instruct and admonish that we
negligent in sending their children to the good Christian            may be faithful to God and to our children.
schools that are provided and thus impede the furtherance                                                                     G.v.cl.B.
of this cause. They are knowingly or unknowingly obstruc-
tionists. In communities where Protestant Reformed in-
struction is available, none of the `children of our  churche;j              PARTICIPATION. IN THE LORD'S SUPPER
in those communities should be deprived of it, And, in com-
munities where this is not yet available, the best possible                              (Co&td   from  page  418)
means ought to be used although we may never be satisfied            change in the amount of catechetical instruction our children
with any kind of a substitute but must labor untiringly to-          should receive.. Nor am I pleading for a change in practice,
ward obtaining the goal -,instruction  for our children that         so that our childrep make confession of faith at a much earlier
is in harmony with our confession ! Consistories must ad-            age, regardless of whether they themselves%el  inclined in
monish those that are negligent for such negligence is not           their own hearts to do so.
simply refusal to perform an optional task but is omission of            But I am pleading for two things:
a God-given duty. In other words, it is s-i-n! It is no small            First, that our young people should not be encouraged to
thing to live in daily conflict with the sincere vows made           set a definite age limit, as if it is improper for them to con-
before God in baptism. Such sin will surely find us out!             fess their faith earlier or later than at that specified age. That
   The question  is sometimes asked whether a consistory             leads to dead formalism, mere custom, making confession be-
may or should apply the steps of Christian discipline unto           cause it is expected of us, or because others do.
parents who refuse to send their children to the -Christian              Second, that those who have a sincere desire to confess
school. To my knowledge the church in the past has never             their faith in the midst of God's church be encouraged to
taken the position that such parents are to be barred from           do so,  regar?less  of age, custom, practice, or whatever. I
the table of the Lord and ultimately excommunicated from             stress, of course, a sincere desire which is the result of prayer:
the church. I know of no such cases. Strong admonition is            ful consideration, and is incited by the urge to comply with
regarded as the extreme measure,                                     the  cominancl  of Christ, "Do this in remembrance of Me."
   Personally, I doubt the correctness of this position. It is                                                               C. Hanko
sometimes difficult to depart from precedent but if precedent
is to be ma'intainecl  it must be based upon sound principle
and otherwise we fall into traditionalism. I know of no such            Adam received the promise of the woman's seed ere he  -
principle sustaining the above-mentioned position. I am of           had clone any work or sacrifice, to the end God's truth might
the opinion that, although each case of neglect must be              stand fast -namely, that we are justified before God alto-
separately and individually considered so that all factors in-       gether. without works, and obtain forgiveness of sins merely
volved may be taken into account, there is no misuse of key-         by grabe. Whoso is able to believe this well and steadfastly,
power on the part of a consistory that -censures those who           is a doctor above all the doctors in the world.
promise to instruct th`eir children in the fear of the Lord to                                                        - Martin Luther


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 429

  II                                                                  intention of paying Christian School  tuition so long as the
              ALL AROUND US                                           corrupt conditions in these schools persist. All of which
                                                                      seems to imply that they are not too interested morally or
  Principlrs of  Educa`tion.    .                                     financially in Christian education.
                                                                         That there are  coficlitions  in the existing Christian Schools
        In the editorial column of the Banner of June 10th we         which are bad and to which no Reformed Christian ought to
  came upon an item which is appearing on the agenda of the           subscribe there is plenty of evidence. This is especially true
  Synod of the Christian Reformed Church which at the time            in the High Schools, but it is not without evidence also in
  of this writing is still in, session. The item referred to is :     primary grades. This I have found by personal experience.
  Principles of Education.                                               We have severely criticized the philosophy of Christian
        We have only one reason for calling attention to this         Education as it has been adopted quite universally in the
  article. From time to time we meet parents in our own Prot-         Christian Reformed communities and used predominantly in
  estant Reformed Churches who still send their children to           the Christian Schools. We did this for two years while serv-
  the Public School. The objection expressed by these parents         ing on the Board of a local Christian High School and we
  to sending their children to the existing Christian School is       did this on more than one occtision  in the presence of Chris-
. that conditions in the local Christian School (mainly High          tian School teachers in a local Christian grade school. Our
   School )are so bad that they felt it was safer to send their       criticism is not only that their phildsophy is based on another
  children to the Public School. They. boldly say they have           philosophy of common ,grace  with which we whole-hearteclly
  no obligation, either moral or financial, to support the ex-        disagree, but we have found that the principles of Christian
  isting Christian Sdhool- where these evil conditions prevail.       Education they have adopted also tend to modernism. In
  They also declare that if they had a Protestant Reformed            many instances they are both pelagian and arminian. Be-
  Christian School to which they could send their children            sides, there are many other principles and practises  which we
  their objection would be removed. But since there is no             have thoroughly condemned.
  such school nor the possibility for the present of obtaining           Even the Principles of Education ai set forth in the Ban-
  such a school, they would rather send their children to the         ner article above referred to are not above criticism as I will '
  Public School than to the existing Christian School with all        make- plain in a moment.
  of its corruptions.                                                     Nevertheless we have exhorted these Protestant Re-
        We have agreed with these parents that the ideal is, of       formed parents to use the existing Christian Schools with all
  course, our own Protestant Reformed Schools, and this not           their corruptions in preference to sending their children to
  only in the primary grades but also and especially in the           the Public School. Not to do so is to deny our covenantal
  higher grades, both High Schol and ultimately College. It           vow we made when we presented our children in Baptism.
  has been our privilege in the last school year to send our          Not to do so is to deny our whole covenant conception which
  children to our own Protestant Reformed School. We can              insists that not the State but the parent is the proper in-
  attest to it that there is nothing- like it. And so long as our     structor of the child. Not to do so:is to deny that there are
children are of school age, we will always feel reluctant to          still children of God in the existing Christian Schools with
  move into a community where Protestant Reformed instruc-            whom we may and should cooperate in the matter of chris-
   tion is impossible.                                                tian education where it is impossible to have a school of our
        But what are those parents, who have no Prot. Ref.            own. Not to  do so is to lose our right and privilege to
   School and are complaining about conditions in the Christian       protest the corrupt conditions in the existing Christian
   School, doing about it? Are they attempting to arouse the          School. On the other hand, to send our children to the
   interest of our Protestant Reformed people to organize a           Public School, which is never neutral in the, matter of reli-
   Prot. Ref.  Schbol Society  and- eventually procure a Prot.        gion, is to  .send them to the world which hates God, His
   Ref. School of their own ? Are they seeking the advice and         truth, and His Church. It is to send them to a school whose
   help of those Prot. Ref. communities where such school             instruction is darkness and permeated with the lie. And
   societies and -such schools are already in existence ? No ! I      please do not write me to inform me that there are Christians
   fear they say they would like a Prot. Ref. School only to          also in the Public School, both teachers and pupils. This is
   salve their conscience and to pacify their objectors who re-       no,t the question. We are talking about principles. We claim
   monstrate with them for sending their children to the Public       that no Reformed Christian and much less a Prot. Ref. chris-
   School. This may be too severe an indictment but it will
   stand until we see a different action than they are now taking.    tian has the right to send his children to the Public School.
   Some of these parents are not too interested in education in       He is not Reformed and much less Prot. Reformed when he
   any form. They are compelled by State iaw to send their            does so. And no Prot. Ref. Consistory may allow the con-
   children to school until certain age limits are reached. If the    stituency of the church and much less of the consistory itself
   law did not demand it, they could easily take their children       to send their children to the Public School. Those who nev-           _
   out of school entirely. Others openly state that they have no      ertheless persist in doing so should be disciplined after they

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

 refuse to submit to thorough Reformed instruction in this                6. Education is the nurture or bringing up of the whole
 matter.                                                               man and comprises all of life: man's bocly and soul and all
        But to return to the article in the Banner. Here iS set        thg-functions  of the soul- his thinking, feeling, and willing.
 forth seven principles not much different than* those adopted         The human intellect cannot be parcelled out for instruction
 thirty years ago by the National Union of Christian Schools,          independently of the emotional life or the life of the body.
 and nqt much different from those expressed in the book               Human volitions cannot be educated apart from the intellect
 Philosophy of Christian Education published a few years               and the emotions. To bring all activities under the discipline
 ago by the Union. I believe the book is called: The Course            of God's will, education should be of one piece in which a
 of Study. Nevertheless they are to be preferred to the prin-          person's earthly relations and functions, as well as his rela:
 ciples of education in the Public School system.                      tions to heavkn, are centered in and directed by the norm or
        A committee was appointed by the Synod of 1953 "to             standard of  God's  Word.
 analyze and appraise the principles of education formulated              7. Children born of Christian parents are members of
 by the Ecumenical Synod of Amsterdam (1949)  ." This                  the church of Christ. They are children of promise. God
 committee now comes to the Synod of 1955 with its report.             calls them His owri. Their education must be in keeping with
 They propose certain principles of education which are p?ef-          their covenant relationship. Christian education is education
 aced by a Preamble. We have not the space to quote the                in Christ for those who in ,Gocl's providence are placed in
 entire Preamble. But here are a few excerpts that will                relationship to Christ."
 suffice. "While modern education seeks to give light, it has             As was said, these principles are surely not above criti-
-no light within itself to give. Its face is turned from the light,    cism. Briefly, they scrupulously avoid the supra-lapsarian
 which is the Word of God. Teachers who believe in the                 conception of God's  decress.  They are thoroughly infra.
 current educational theory and practise cannot help children          Also the committee has not clearly intimated what it uncler-
 to lay hold on a biblical interpretation of life." "Christian         stands bjr the "church." Besides the committee plainly goes
 education only has the true goal, the true standard, and the          out from  the viewpoint of "presupposed regeneration." And
 true motivation. The true goal is the forming of personality          nowhere does it reckon with the truth of reprobation.
 as the image of God. The true standard is the truth of God's
 Word. The true motivation is the `new obedience' which is               Perhaps many more criticisms could be raisecl.against  these
 the obedience of faith."                                              principles of education, and many more criticisms could be
                                                                       raised against the practises  in the Christian Schools. Where
        Under the Principles set forth by the Committee, we            we have had opportunity we have raised our voice to both
 quote the following :                                                 criticize their principles and practise. And generally speak-
        ."l. Christian education has it foundation in the Creator-     ing our criticism landed on deaf ears and was received very
 creature relationship. Man was created in the image of God            ungraciously. But, what of it? Does that mean that we
 and must use creation for God's praise. He can know the               should therefore send our children to the Public School ? God
 truth and explore the world properly because  #God has spoken         forbid ! Though these Christian Schools are controlled mostly
 to him.                                                               by Christian Reformed parents and leaders, and though I am
                                                                       convinced that the Christian Reformed Churches walk in
        2. Man has lost the true knowledge of God, righteous-          error, there are children of God among them. There is a
 ness and holiness. He holds down the true knowledge of God            remnant in that church whom. I will seek, praying that they
 in unrighteousness. However, by receiving the gospel                  will see the light and condemn the error both in doctrine and
 through faith he receives light.. Christian education is educa-       practise. And with them I will even cooperate in the matter
 tion in Christ.                                                       of education so long as they will allow me to be a member of
        3. God gathers from the human race, groping in clark-          their association, and so long as it is physically impossible for
 ness, a chosen people. As his children they do his will, ac-          me to send my children to a Protestarit  Reformed School.
 cording to the truth of his Word. Christian education is                 Never could I, nor should any other Protestant Reformed
 education of. the man in Christ.                                      parent for that matter, send our children to the world that
        4. Since man is a religious being, his deepest needs are       does not and cannot reckon with God's Word, which does
 spiritual. Education divorced from the truth results in com-          not seek to train its pupils to become citizens of the kingdom
- mitment to man-made, idolatrous substitutes for the truth.           of heaven, which is so fast developing in sin and corruption
 Christian education is education of the religious being in the        that many who before had no scruples about sending their
 truth and for the truth.          '                                   children to these schools are now organizing  Chiistian
                                                                       Schools to separate their children from their atheistic and
        5. True education has its conception in the fear of the        demoniacal influence. It is not true that we must choose be-
 Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. This leaves no room           tween two evils,`the  Public School and the Christian School
 for the dualism between religious education and secular               with its corruptions. The Public School is out!
 education. All true education is religious.                                                                                       M.S.


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 431

                                                                     Because  "`SO often we so little understand" their "thought-pat-
                 CONTRIBUTIONS                             -I terns." We don't  ztndcrstaltd   them  therefore, according to
                                                                     the Rev;  _De Boer, we've been unsuccessful in articulating the
                                                                     "Reformed faith and heritage for our present generation."
   No doubt many, if not all, of our Protestant Reformed                 But is this the truth ? Can the Rev. De Boer t"/ztly  say
people have, by this time, received a copy of the "new"              he  doesri't,  understand, for instance, the "thought-patterns" of
Reformed Guardian, distributed by  fhe schismatic leaders            the  Ch-istian   Refom.ed   Chuckle?  Does he not understand
and their adherents.                                                 the "thought-patterns" of the &n&iarr? Does he not uncler-
 Already, comments and opinions have been voiced re-                 stand the "thought-patterns" of the Modernist? These are
garding the appearance of this "new" periodical. Yes, even:          the people with whom he rubs elbows. Therefore, is it the
favourable opinions. `Hence, I feel the necessity of calling the     truth that Rev. De Boer speaks wheh he says: "So often we
attention of our people to several facts. Remember, there is         so little understand the thought-patterns of those with whom
nothing "new" abbut the Reformed Guardian. Oh, it's true,            we rub elbows ?"
it makes its appearance in a new format -a new shape and                 The only possible way the Rev. De Boer and the schism-
size. However, remember, there is nothing "new" as far as atics can make their "Reformed faith and heritage" articulate
contents is concerned. We do not -buy a magazine because             "for otir present generation, especially for those in the midst
of its cover; we buy it because of its contents. Therefore,          of the American world," is to speak the same theological
we must not be deceived as to the contents of the "new" Re-          language of this "present generation." Then it will be arti-
formed Guardian simply because it has an attractive cover.           culate, according to the meaning of the word as the Rev. De
It is the same old flower and it emits the same old odor.            Boer understands it.
   Regardless of the attempts, on the part of its staff, they            Was he not articulate when he was a minister in the
cannot conceal its true and underlying purpose. All of their         Protestant Reformed Churches ? `Was he not clear and dis-
efforts will prove futile as they encleavour to propagate            tinct? Did- he not set forth the doctrine of the Protestant
(consciously or unconsciously  - intentionally or uninten-           Reformed Churches, as they understood the clear teaching of
tionally - wittingly or unwittingly) their heretical doctrines       the  Word  of God ? What kind of heretical cugnoztflage  is this?
and position. Subtle as heresy is, it never  fa"ils to reveal it-    Why doesn't the Rev. De Boer come forth and declare the
self and show `its true  colours. And very often, its  owb           truth  of his purpose ? How undeniably clear it is that, al-
leaders can be thanked for this service.                             ready. the schismatics are  rrcoztrting"   anyone and everyone
   This has  already  /@pened in Volume 1, Number 1 of               who will lend a listening ear. And because  this  is their
the `Reformed Guardian, April 25,  195.5;  and thanks to the         purpose you, Protestant Reformed reader,  wwt  beware  SOI
Rev. P. DeBoer for setting forth (though in a very subtle            that you read cautiously - with a fine-toothed comb - sifting
manner) the true purpose of the Reformed Guardian and                every word, phrase and sentence -reading it forward, back-
also, of course, the true purpose of the schismatics, which          wards and upside down, lest you., too, be ensnared by such
is reflected in this periodical.                                     heretical tactics.
   Without e@ering upon a lengthy criticism of the contents                                                               E. Emanuel
of this first issue, let me just call attention to .this one ex-
cerpt from the editorial entitled "Mode of Writing."                       Report of the Eastern Ladies League
   "We shall, furthermore, strive to be up-to-date, writing              The spring meeting of the Ladies League of the Prot-
     on those subjects that are the need of the hour. Parti-         estant Reformed Churches was held on the evening of May
     cularly we wish to seek to articulate the Reforniecl faith      11, 1955. The meeting was opened by singing Psalter num-
     and heritage for our present generation, especially for         ber 194 and Psalm 98, verse 1 and 8, after which our pres-
     those in the midst of the American world. There is need         ident, Mrs. F. Harbin read I Corinthians 12 and led us in
     of this. So often we so little understand the thought-          prayer. A word of welcome was extended to all the ladies
    patterns of those with whom we rub elbows in the                 gathered at our Fourth Protestant Reformed Church. The
     American world  that we find it next to impossible to           first number on the program consisted of a quartet from our
     make our faith articulate for them."       .                    First Church. The president them introduced the speaker,
   Now, according to the New Century Dictionary,, the                Seminarian Herman Hanko, who spoke on The Mrdtiformity
word  "articulate" means : `Ito utter in distinct syllables or       of  the Church  :'
speech"-"d,istinct  op clear.`.' Now, there is no question as           I. The Idea of the Church -The Church is the body of
to who Rev. De Boer means when he speaks of "our present             Christ, a living organism with Christ the Hea'& the Church
generation." He certainly doesn't mean the spiritual cov-            composing the other members of that body - receiving its life
enant seed, `as it finds itself throughout the American world.       from its Head. Each member was chosen from before the
He, himself, tells us to whom he refers-namely, "those with          foundations of the world by God eternally- in His counsel
whom we rub elbows in the American world." These, too, are           according to His own Sovereign good pleasure-chosen
the people to whom we have done a great  injustic'e.  .Why ?         and prepared to occupy his own particular place in that


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432                                                T  H E S T A N D A R-D B'E A RE-`R          ^  .---  -  -  -

harmonious unity of the body of Christ. Various denomina-                                    Spelen met Vuur
tions `do not make up the true Church. No, she is spiritual               Dat schoolknapen nog al eens een vuurtje stoken, leest
and h&r members who are gathered in time from al!- the na-             men af en toe we1 in de bladen, soms is de schade  gering, doch
tions of the world, of every tribe and tongue, of every race           in vele gevallen beloopt het soms in de duizenden. Zoo hoor-
and people, are united to Christ by the spiritual bond of faith.       de ik ook eens van zoo'n v&rtje stokerij welke een zeker
       II. Multiformity  of the Church : `There iS a many formed-      soort knapen in een klein hoekje  van een tamelijk gebouw
ness to its members, a inany  sidedness of the saints that  coni-      hadden  aangericht, heel onvoorzichtig zou men zeggen, doch
pose the membership of the body of Christ. There are dif-              zoo zijn & eenmaal jongens, doch de plaats leende er zich
ferences in physical and psychological characteristics ; also,         prachtig toe me&den ze. Eerst  begon men  met een heel
there is a-diversity as td natural gifts, spiritual gifts, and even    klein vlammetje, o wat ging dat  mooi wat had men een
+he measure of these gifts. No individual has any significance         schik,  doch het moest nog wat hooger oplaaien dat leek zoo
in himself; each member is incomplete, so they have need of            prachtig. Doch opeens rezen de vlammen hoog op, en in een
one another-they supplement one another and thus con-                  ogenblik stond het geheele gebouw in lichte laaie, aan  blus-
stitute a real communion of saints. Each member has its own            sen  viel'.niet  meer te  denken,  doordat het  aan bekwame
peculiar virtue, place, and function, and the total membership         leiding ontbrak, en het mooie gebouw door vaders en  moe-
forms one beautiful harmonious organism living in Jesus                ders met vereende kraahten tot stand gebracht, werd een
Christ to show forth eternally the praises of the Divine Au-           jprooi  der vlammen . . . . gelukkig werd voor een gedeelte de
thor, the Triune God.                                                  kostbare  inboedel nog gered alles ging niet verloren, doch
       III. Manifestation in Time: The true Church in the              met verbijsterde gezichten stond men elkander  aan te staren!
world is known by three distinguishing marks  - 1. The pure            en zooals het meestal  gaat men gaf de verkeerden  de schuld
preaching of the gospel  ; 2. The pure administration of the           van het groote onheil en men stond verlegen met de handen
sacraments  ; 3. The exercise. of Christian discipline. Al-            in het haar. Doch wat nu ? Uit den aard der zaak zou men
though she is not pure as to walk, .she is pure in doctrine            denken  dat men met vereende krachten zou besluiten tot de
insofar as the Spirit has guided the Church into the truth as          wederopbouw van het verbrande  perceel,  doch niets daar-
it has been developed up to that time. So the same multiform-          van, de hoofdpersoon van het vuurtje spelen  is hoogstwaar-
ity that will exist in heaven comes to manifestation in time.          schijnlijk wegens de doorgestaande hitte van het tooneel  ver-
Yet, because of sin and the physical nature of its members, it         dwenen, en zoekt verademing op hooger gelegen gronden,
is revealed only in part. In how far must we seek the unity            zijn medeplichtigen achterlatende bij de rookende puinhopen.
of the Church of Christ? We must se_ek unity, not in com-              Commentaar overbodig.
promise- but only upon the basis of the pure preaching of the                                                           J, R. Vanderwal
Word. For Christ speaks where His Word is proclaimed
according to the Scripture, and where Christ speaks, there                Note by editor.
we find the Church.                                                       It is probably not superfluous to add a little note to the
       It is the calling of every child of God to exercise and         above parable by Mr. Vanderwal. The readey  must under-
develop the talents God has given him so that in the home;             stand that Mr. Vanderwal  is one of the faithful members of
school, or social life he may use -them to the advantage and           the Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California.
welfare of his fellow members.                                         The above parable refers to the recent history of that church.
       (Mr. Hanko's interpretation `of the relationship of the         The fire of which he writes is  %he attempt to destroy that
true Church and the various denominations must be quoted in            congregation, an attempt for which Vermeer and his friends
its entirety to do it `justice, and as space do& not permit            are to blame. The end of the parable refers to the fact that
this, we have omitted it altogether.)                                  Vermeer, after he saw the results of his evil work, fled and
       After this instructive and edifying speech, we sang Psalter     left his helpers in the lurch.
number 124 and a collection was taken for the Standard
Bearer. Minutes of previous meetings were read. Next we
were favored with a well worked out panel discussion on the                              0 GOD, BE MERCIFUL                     .
subject of Prayer, after which we enjoyed another number                              Thou knowest all my woes,
from the quartet.- The treasurer gave her report and Mrs.                                0 treasure Thou my tears ;
D. Jonker closed with prayer.                                                         Are they not ip Thy book,
       Surely  aft& an evening in Christian fellowship, we feel                         Where all my life appears ?
that God has blessed us beyond our expectations. So we                                My foes shall backward turn
pray that He will keep us faithful in the Church Militant                             For this I surely know,
until He takes. us to be the Church Triumphant where we                                 When I appeal to Thee,
will enjoy the perfect communion of Saints.                                             That God is still for me.
                                Mrs. Dewey Engelsma, Reporter                                                               Psalm 56:4


