           VOLUME  XXX111                                    OCTOBER  15, ~~~~-GRAND  RAPIDS, MICHIGAN                                       NUMBER 2

                                                                                           his work. Matthew must have heard of Jesus  ; His words
               .  IWE  D  I-T  A  T-l  O'N                                                had done their work : the Holy Spirit applying that Word  ;
                                                                                           and consequently, when the call to discipleship and apostle-
                                                                                           ship comes to him, he is ready. Immediately he quit his             '
                     An Appraisal of Christ's Work                                         miserable work, and followed Jesus.
                      "And  as  Jesus  passed  forth  from.thence,  He  saw  a                                          *    +  *  *
                 man,  named   Matthew,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of
                      custom:.   and  He  saith  unto  him,  Follow  Me.  And  he              How passing strange is the work of Jesus !  -
                     arose,  and  followed   Him.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as
                     Jesus  sat  at  meat  in  the  house,  behold,  many  publicans           Here He calls a man to the highest office and-work dman
                     and  sinners   came  and  sat  down  with  Him  and  His              may ever do on earth: apostleship of Jesus. And he is one
                     disciples.  And  when  the  Pharisees   saw  it,  they  said          of the lowest scum on earth. He is destined to be an apostle
                     unto  His  disciples,  Why  eateth  your  Master  with                 of the Lamb of God. He is to follow the Light of the world.
                     publicans   and  sinners?  But  when  Jesus  heard   that,
                    He  said  unto  them,   They  that  be  whole  need  not  a            He is to be a witness of His death and resurrection. He
                     physician,   but  they  that  are  sick.  But  go  ye  and  learn     is going to be a writer of the Bible. He is going to have
                     what  that,  meaneth,  I  will  have  mercy,  and  not                 his name inscribed in the foundations of the heavenly
                      sacrifice:   for  I  am  not  .come  to  call  the  righteous,       Jerusalem. He is going to be, with the other eleven, the
                     but  simmers  to  repentance."  Matt.  9:9-13                         very foundation of the church of God, of which Christ is
           The scene of the opening-incident of this story is laid on                      the cornerstone.  ~
       the road leading from Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea,                                But he is a publican! How mysterious are the works of
       the commercial highway from the interior of Asia.                                    God.
           That also explains the hut where Matthew sat  at the                                Why does God act this way ?
       receipt of custom. Here the caravans passed with goods on
       which they had to pay .tribute,  taxes or custom.                                      In general I may say : because Matthew was loved of
                                                                                            God. And certainly not because of anything in him: he was
           Matthew .was a publican, and that was very bad. They                            a despised publican. But in order to become  something. In
       were as a rule a bad lot. First, -they were in the emIjloy  of                      a special sense he was destined to be a vessel, a special vessel
       the hated Romans. Second, their occupation was to exact                              unto the praises of God.
       tribute. Third, since they set their own price, they often
       practised  fraud and extortion. The territories and districts                                               *  4  +  *
       where they plied their trade were farmed out to them by the
       authorities. Fourth, because of the above, they were classed                            I wonder how much Matthew understood of this. I do
       with the harlots and sinners generally. They  were  cast out                         not think that he understood much of the greatness of
     of the synagogue: they were deprived the right to take an                              blessings which God would shower down on him.
       oath before-tie Jewish rulers, and were hated by all the or-                            .But he understood enough of these riches to be very
       t h o d o x   J e w s .
:                                                                                          ` h a p p y .
           They were, therefore, a lonely and despised lot.                                    And he showed it: he made Christ a great feast in his
          - Matthew was one of them:                    .                                   own house. Modestly he omits this detail in his otin'Gospe1,
           However, it is clear that something had. happened to this                        but Luke mentioned the fact.
       man. Otherwise we cannot explain how he immediately                                     He was very happy and thankful to. Jesus for the great
       arose- and followed Jesus when He called him Away from                               honor bestowed on him. And  .he showed it too in the fact


                             MEETING OF  CLASSIS  WEST

                               Wednesday, September  19,  19%

                                       -oak Lawn,  I1Eilxok

    Classis  West  of  our  Protestant  Reformed  Churches   met  in  regular  session
in  Ook  Lawn,'  Illinois,   Wednesday,  September.  19;  1956.  This  marked   the  first
time  that  our  Oak  Lawn  church   had  ever  entertained  a  classical   gathering.
I  am  certain  that  the  classical  delegates   `enjoyed  this  visit  to  Oak  Lawn.   We
were  surely   royally  received.
    The  gathering  was  opened  by  the  president   of  the  former  classis,  Rev.  I-I.
H.  Kuiper,   with  a  word  of  prayer  after  we  sang  Ps.  No.  151  and  the  reading   of
II  Tim.  2.  After  the  classis  was  declared   constituted  the  Rev.  Vanden  Berg
functioned  as  chairman   and  the  .Rev.  Kuiper  functioned  as  clerk  of  this  clas-
sical  meeting.
    Three  of  the  churches   of  Classis  West  were  represented  at  the  Classis  by  only
one  delegate.   This,  we  understand,   is  in  violation   of  the  Church   Order,   Art.  41,
unless,  of  course,   it  was  impossible   for  more  than  one  delegate   to  attend.  And
the  classis   also  decided  to  call  the  attention   of  the  churches   to  this  violation  of
the  Church   Order.   In  the  mouth   of  two  or  more  witnesses  shall  every  word
be  established.   The  rule  that  our  classical   gatherings  must  be  attended  by  two'
delegates   from  every  church  is  very  important.  This  wili  become  apparent,   for
example,   whep   censure   cases  must  be  treated. The  churches   should  put  forth
every  effort  to  send  two  delegates   to  these  classical  meetings.
   The  biggest  item  of  business   on  this  classical   meeting  was  the  examination
of  Candidate   Gise  Van  Baren  who  had  accepted   the  call  to  our  Doon   church.
Because  of  this  examination  the  Synodical  deputies  from  C'lassis  East  were
also  present:  Revs.  Hanko,  Schipper,   R.  Veldman.   These  brethren  were
granted  and  advisory   vote.  Brother  Van  Baren  gave  a  good  account  of  himself.
The  Classis  decided  unanimously   to  admit  him  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word  and
of  the  sacraments  and  to  advise  our  Doon  church   to  proceed   with  his  ordination.
We  understand   that  the  ordinatioa  of  Candidate   Van  Baren-will   have  occurred
already   at  the  time  of  the  appearance   of.  this  numb,er   of  the  Standard  Bearer.
   The  Revs.  J.  Heys  and  H.  Veldman   were  elected  church   visitors,  and  the
Rev.  H.  C.  Hoeksema  was  elected  as  alternate.  The  Classis   decided  that  `these
brethren  will  visit  all  the  churches   of  Classis  West.  -.           -           _
   A  schedule  of  classical   appointments   is  drawn  up  as  follows:  Doon:  Sept.  30,
Rev.  J.  Heys  ;  Oct.  7,  Rev.  H.  Veldman.   Pella  :  Oct.  7,  E.  Emanuel;   Nov.  4,  J.  A.
Heys;  Dec.  2,  G.  VanBaren;  Jan.  6,  G.  Vanden   Berg;  Feb.  3,  H.-  Veldman`;
March  3,  R.  C.  Harbach.
   That  we  continue   in  the  church   militant  again  became   apparent   from  the
fact  that  the  classis   was  called  to  treat  a  censure   case:
   The  questions   of  Art.  41  were  answered   satisfactorily.   After  we  sang  No.  8
of  the  Doxologies  the  Rev.  R.  Veldman   led  us  in  the  closing  prayer.

                                                                  Rev.  H.  Veldman,

                                                                                  Stated  Clerk


   26.                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

.that he invited a great company of publicans and of others                 surely bring them to the fold. But they call Him the scum
  to this feast.                                                            of the earth.
          And I would beg you not to blame him for inviting                     Fourth, of God. For God seeks- those that are lost. But
  this great company of the despised publicans. What else could             they? Oh no, we are too holy to touch these unclean  creT
  the poor man do ? These publicans were the only souls that                atures.
  would have anything to do with him. He was a social                          Yes, in that one question : "Why eateth your  -Master  with
  outcast. And instinctively he knew that Jesus would not                   publicans and sinners  ? They condemn God, Christ, God's
  blame .him.                                                               people, and their own calling.
          Yes, and Jesus accepts the invitation!                               But they are blind, and see not.
          What a scene !                                                    And  with scorn they look their condemnation, sweeping
     .On the one hand we see the offscouring of noble, nice,           the whole'feasting multitude with hateful eyes.
  and honorable society ; and on the other the Face of Jehovah
  God, full of glory and truth.                                                                          *  *.* *
          But wait ! Do you see. that austere, dignified company,
  coming with violent-disapproval written on their faces ? They                But Jesus has heard their -question, and He will not let
  are the ministers of that day. They had heard of this shame-         them wait for the right answer.
. ful spectacle. And they would see for themselves.                            The Lord is going to judge and condemn them out of
          No, they were not bidden to the feast. First, because        their own mouths.
  the  publican  Matthew dared not invite them. Second, be-                    "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that
  cause if he would have, they would never dream of accepting          are sick."
  the invitation.                                                              That was a proverb of their own making: a winged word
          Hush ! They have arrived at the house of Matthew-Levi !      of that day.
  They see, and what they see is  eiiough to make them boil                    And that proverb is the opening wedge for more con-
  with indignation. What shameful spectacle! Here is the                    demnation of these sons of the devil.
  R/Ian  who gave Himself such exalted names: The Light of
  the world  ; the Son of God  ; the Son of David ! And here                   Attend to this : they were the self-asserted leaders of
  He hobnobs with the lowest ebb of society.                           chosen Israel. But Israel is sick: look at those miserable
                                                                       publicans and sinners who feast with Jesus.  .Hence,  they
          And pray : why ?                                                  should labor in God's house, and be instruments in God's
          They Will supply the answer.: Like seeks like! Christ is     hand to cure .the sick, the spiritually sick.
  really not any better than this scum.                                        But it is also an implied condemnation of these pharisees
                                                                       and their ilk. You find in the words of Jesus an ironical                _
                                * * *        *                              concession : you call yourselves whole. You are the physi-
                                                                       cians. But these poor, miserable folk are sick. Why then
          What wicked caricature do they paint of Christ and His            don't you do your work ?
  work.                                                                        But this proverb exalts the Christ.
          Through their blindness and hatred they judge Jesus by               He `is the true Physician. And He consequently seeks the
  their own wicked standards. And.here they are-: the scribes,              sick. unto death, and cures His own sheep.
  pharisees and laywers of Israel were the cream of God's
  chosen race. To know and practice external law observance                    You may be sure that this dart found its .mark.
  is righteousness. To mingle with the low and obscure is sin.
  Hence: touch me not, for I am holier than thou. The multi-                                        *      *  *  *'
  tude that knoweth not the law is cursed.                                     But there is more to come. The Lord will quote their
          Yes, it's and appraisal of Jesus and His wondrous work.           Scriptures.
          But what a misevaluation!                                            But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have
          First, of Israel. They were God's own people. But they            mercy, and not sacrifice :. for I am not come to call the right-
  call them scum.                                                           eous, but sinners to repentance !
          Second, of themselves. They were supposed to be the                  That first statement must have -fallen like molten' lead
  shepherds of Israel, but they act the hireling. They will                 on their hearts.
  have nothing to ,do with the sheep.                                 .'       Imagine :, Jesus rudely dismisses them: the cream of :the
          Third, of Jesus. He is really God's Shepherd and will        crop. Go ye! Leave Me to My work. You bother Me!


                                                                                                                               _-
II
                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                                            27

           And further : "And learn what that meaneth !"               r
            To be sent home with the injunction: go and study!                                   ,kHE  S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER
                                                                   YOU
        do not know what you are talking about! You have need of                 Semi-molzthly,  except monthly  da&g June, July  a,& August
        much study !                                                               Published by the RFXORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
                                                                                 P.  0.  Box  SSl,  Madison  Square  Station,  Grand  Rapids   7,  Mich.
            For shame! They were the class that knew all! That's                                     Editor  - REV. HERMAN HOEKSEMA
        all they did: learn. And this strange Man would shame                    Communications   relative  to  contents   should  *be  addressed   to  Rev.
        them before the unlearned  ?                                             H.  Hoeksema,  1139  Franklin  St.,  .S.  E.,  Grand  Rapids   7,  Mich.
                                                                                 All  matters  relative  to  subscriptions~should   be  addressed  to  Mr.
            But Christ  -has His text : "I will  ,have  mercy and not            G.  Pipe,  1463  Ardmore  St.,  S.  Es,  Grand  Rapids   7,  Michigan.
        sacrifice !" Hosea 6 :6.                                                 Announcem.ents  and  Obituaries  must  be  mailed  to  the  above
                                                                                 address  and will be published  at a fee of  $1.00 for each notice.
           Yes, of course, they knew the text. But they did not un-              RENEWALS :  Unless  a  definite  request  for  discontinuance   is  re-
        derstand it.                                                             ceived,  it  is  assumed  that  the  subscriber  wishes  the  subscription
                                                                            II to  continue  without   the  -formality  of  a  renewal  order.
            The text is Jehovah speaking, through His prophet, to                                      Subscription  price  :  $4.00  per  year
        His chosen Israel. And in the few words of Hosea are con-                Entered  as  Second Class matter  a't Grand Rapids, Michigan
        tained the everlasting Gospel of God.
          Religion, salvation, does not consist of the sacrifices which
        man. brings to God, God does not will that. And we cannot                                                 CGNTENTS
        bring the sacrifice. Never did any man bring sacrifice to           M
        God. How could he ? He is a miserable sinner, incapable of            EDITATION -
                                                                                    An  Appraisal of Christ's Work.. . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .  . .25
      doing any good, and inclined to all evil. He comes into                              Rev.  G.  Vos
        this world black with the blackness of sin and guilt, damn-
        worthy, and destined for eternal suffering.                         EDITORIALS  -
                                                                                    Election   and Reprobation.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . .28
            But here is the Gospel : God will have mercy ! Hallelujah !             Unbiblical  Divorce and Remarriage.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . .29
           He  brings the sacrifice. And these wicked pharisees                            -Rev.  H.  Hoeksema
        should go abroad and publish that to the flock of Israel, and                                                   `/'
        not condemn them and despise them.                             O U R   DOCTRINE-
                                                                                    The  Book of Revelation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .; . . . . .31
            God brings the sacrifice for He will have mercy.                               Rev.  H.  Hoeksema

           Mercy is the love of God for the object of that love in          FROM HOLY  WRIT-
        great misery.                                                               Exposition  of  I  Corinthians  l-4 (21)
                                                                                           Rev.  G.  Lubbers
           And the sacrifice He brings is this Stranger of Galilee.         IN HIS  .FEAR-
           .Oh, they will see the Sacrifice of Jehovah. They will                   Giving  in His Fear.. . . .  . . . . . .  . . . . . .  . .                                    ........ .3s
        help along, and with wicked hands they will arrange His                            Rev.  J.  A.  Heys
        poor limbs on the cross, not actually, but through their in-        CON~NDING  FOR THE FAITH -
        stigation.                                                                  The  Church  and  the  Sacraments..  .  .  . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ .40
            God will have mercy!                                                           Rev.  .H.  Veldman

            My heart sings while I write this.                              THE VOICE  OF OUR FATHERS-
                                                                                    The  Exposition   of  the  Canons  of  Dordrecht..  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .42
            If it were not so, I would be lost forever.                                    Rev.  H.  C.  Hoek&ma

           And so Jesus came, was busy that same day  whire                 DECENCY AND ORDER-
        pharisees despised Him, to call sinners to repentance.                      Comptilso,ry  Retirement  of  Elders  and  Deacons..  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .44
                                                                                           Rev.  G.  Vanden  Berg
           Matthew `was one of them. Millions followed.                     ALL AROUND Us-
           No, not the righteous. Not those that thught they were                   A  New  One  for  the  Chaos  of  the  Cults.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .46
                                                                                    Freemasonry             . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
                                                                                                                                                                                          . . . .
        righteous.
                                                                            CONTRIBUTIONS  -
           But  those whose life may be summed up in the doleful                    Missionary  Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4s
        plea: 0 God, be merciful to me, the sinner.!                                       Rev.  G.  Lubbers
                                                                  G.V.
I--                                     -


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                     .-                 I

                                                                           tain that no Arminian could possibly have any objection to
             E  D  I  T  0  R  I  A  L  S.                                 `this distinction between God's `absolute pawer and His
                                                                           free grace, not based on works, in election.
                                                                                Would Berkouwer have any objection to the first, article
                 Election and Reprobation                                  of.the  five composed by the Remonstrants in 1610?' It reads
                                                                           a s   f o l l o w s :
      Dr. Berkouwer devotes several pages of his latest book                    "That God by an eternal, unchangeable purpose in Jesus
   on "election" to a criticism of my denial of the general offer          Christ his Son, before the foundation of the world,  hat11
   of grace. This we will pass for' the time being. `Perhaps, in           determined, out of the fallen, sinful race- of men, to save in
   a later connection I may refer back to this,. For the present,          Christ, for Christ's sake, and through Christ, those who,
   we are more interested in his presentation of the doctrine of           through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on his
   reprobation and related subjects.                                       Son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of
      In connection with his criticism of my denial of the                 faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on the
   general offer of grace, Berkouwer first confronts the ques-             other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin
   tion whether or not election must be given a place in the -and under wrath, and to condemn them as alienate from
   preaching of the gospel. Many, according to him, consider               Christ, according to the word of the gospel in John  3:36;
   it advisable to make of the doctrine of election a latent               `He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he
   dogma, by which is meant that it is relegated to the confes-            ,that believeth not the Son shall not see life  ; but the
   sions, particularly to the Canons, but that, for the rest, it           wrath of God abideth on him,' and according to other pas-
   better be never mentioned, especially not in the preaching of           sages of Scripture also."
   the gospel. Berkouwer, apparently, does not agree with this,                The whole tenor of Berkouwer's book on the "Election
although he is very weak. The latter might be expected                     of God" agrees with this first of the five `articles of the
  in view' of the fact that he maintains the error that, in the            Remonstrants. To be sure, according to this article,. just
  preaching of the gospel God well-meaningly offers His grace              like the whole tenor of Berkouwer's book, it is all of grace,
  to everyone that hears the preaching. Those who maintain                 of free and undeserved grace, not of works. But all this is
   this view may, occasionally, bring the doctrine of election             very deceiving as soon as you deny, as does Berkouwer,
  in the `preaching of the gospel but it never `appears as an              that the  allwise,  good, and absolutely powerful God deter-
   organic part with the preaching or as the heart of the gospel.          mines who shall and who shall not be saved. The question
  Rather it is presented as an indissoluble contradiction. The             arises immediately whether man will accept or reject this
  true preaching of the gospel does not always have to mention             grace which, also according to Berkouwer, is freely offered
   the doctrine of election specifically but always proceeds from          to him.
   it as its heart and underlying background. Berkouwer does                   Would not Berkouwer also subscribe to the fourth of the
  not want this. Writes `he:                                               five articles of the Remonstrants ? It reads as follows :
      "That one has often gone the way of the latent dogma                     "That this grace of God is the. beginning, continuance,
   can only be explained from an erroneous doctrine of election            and, accomplishment of all good, even to this extent, that
  and its danger, especially from a deterministic distortion of            the regenerate man himself, without prevenient or assisting,
 the confession of election. This election could better be re-             awakening, following, and co-operative grace,  can. neither
   legated to the background because it implied permanently                think, will nor do good, nor withstand any temptations to
  the undermining of the gospel-call and responsibility. But               evil ; so `that all good deeds or movements, that can be con-
   this way is impossible for one who sees election not as a               ceived, must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ. But
  threat to the order of salvation, from the viewpoint of a                as respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not
  potentia absoluta (absolute power, H.H.) or divine license,              irresistible,  inasinuch  as it is written concerning many that
  but as that election of God that does not `rest on our works             they have resisted the Holy Ghost. Acts VII, and else-
  but is election out of free grace." p. 291.                              where in many places."
      Notice, that any Arminian can agree with -this. Of the                   Once more we remark that, according to the Remon-
  doctrine that God absolutely determines the salvation and                strants, it is all of grace, without works, as Berkouwer also
  damnation of men, Berkouwer must have nothing. This he                   .has it. But this  .grace  is not an absolute power,' according
  calls determinism. He fails to understand that the moment                to this article as well as according to Berkouwer and, there-
  you say GOD and confess that this all-wise, all-powerful, and            fore, it is not irresistible.
  .absolutely  good God determines everything, you can no longer               Our Reformed fathers conceived quite differently- of elec-
  speak of determinism in. the philosophic sense of the word.              tion and its power. They declared, Canons 1, 7:
  But of God's absolute power in election Berkouwer must                       "Election is the unchangeable purpose of God; whereby,
  have nothing. And in opposition to this absolute power of                before the foundation of the world, he hath out of mere
  God, he now speaks of an election of God that is not based               .grace; according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own
  on works but proceeds from free grace. Once again, I main-               will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    29

       through their own fault, from their primitive state of recti-          power. It speaks of God's sovereign counsel  ; it` speaks of
       tude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons            the saving efficacy of the blood of Christ which is shed only
       to redemption in Christ, whom he from eternity appointed               for the elect; it teaches that, by faith, God brings the elect
     the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the foundation of                infallibly  to salvation.
     salvation.                                                                   To be sure, election is not of works ; it is of free grace ;
           "This elect number, though by nature neither better                but it is also absolute divine-power whereby God decrees
       nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in              (and determines who shall and who shall not be saved.
       one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ to                                                                        H. H.
       be saved by him and effectually to call and draw them to
       his  .&ommunion  by his Word and Spirit, to bestow upon
       them faith, justification and sanctification, and  htiving power-             Unbiblical Divorce and Remarrihge
       fully preserved them in the fellowship of his Son, finally to
       glorify them for the demonstration of his mercy and for                    The first two conclusions on the question of the remar-
       the praise of his glorious grace."                                     riage of divorced persons are, to say the -least, very strange
           Such is the decree of election according to our Reformed           and unworthy of the broadest gathering of any church.
       fathers.                                                                   They are, as we remarked before, wholly negative and,
           It is not merely without works; it is not simply out  .of          therefore, declare exactly nothing.
       free grace  ; but it is divine, absolute power. It is an  un-              Besides, they do not say that no substantial and con-
       changea.ble  pz(;rpose  according to which God hath decreed            clusive evidence can be produced from Scripture that par-
       to give a certain number of persons to Christ, in order                ties remarried after an unbiblical divorce or on the ground
       that he might effecLually  call and draw them into his com-            of their own adultery are living in continual adultery, or
       munion and bestow upon them all the blessings of salvation,            that such persons, in order to show the sincerity of their
       and that he might pplarerfully  preserve them to the end.              repentance, must break off the relationship with their pres-
           Of this "potentia- absoluta" Berkouwer must have noth-             ent spouse; but simply that no such evidence kas beeti pro-
       ing. To him this is determinism. He even speaks of it as               d u c e d .
       divine license,  "Goddelijke  willekeur," as if it were not a              We would say that, on the basis of, this negative decla-
       contradiction in terms to speak of license in an allwise  and          ration, the only proper decision the synod could have reached
       all-powerful God !                                                     is to refer the matter back to the committee or to appoint
           But it stands to reason that one who must have little              a new committee for further study.
       (if any) `of reprobation becomes weak also in regard to the                In a way, however, we can understand that the synod ex-
       truth of election.                                                     pressed itself thus and simply declared that no substantial
          You wish more proof that, according to our Reformed                 and conclusive evidence has been produced. This refers, of
       fathers, election is, indeed, potentia absoluta, absolute power,       course, to the history of the case.         In, the past, for
       which no one possibly can resist? I call your attention to             many years, the matter of remarriage of divorced persons,
       Canons II, 8:                                                          was discussed at the  -synods   of. the' Christian Reformed
           "For this was the sovereign counsel and most gracious              Churches, and no final conclusions were reached. Neverthe-
       purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving              less, in the light of the fact that no contrary evidence was
       efficacy of the most precious death of -his Son should extend          produced, so that synod did not  ,`express that, on the  basis-
       to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of            of Scripture, such. unbiblically divorced persons might
       justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salva-           remarry, all that the synod could possibly have done is to
       tion: that is, it was the will of God that Christ, by the              refer the problem back to a committee for further study, and
                                                                                                                                 -.
       blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant,             report to the next synod.
       should effectually redeem out of every' people, tribe, nation             During. the history of the case, one of the committees
       and language, all those, and those only, who were from                 appointed by synod to study- the case and to report to the
       eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Fa-              synod, took the stand that, through a divorce, a  marriage-
       ther ; that he should confer upon them faith, which together           bond, is always completely dissolved, whether the divorce
       with all' the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he pur-           was biblical or unbiblical, and that, therefore, the  divorce'd
       chased for them by his death ; should purge them from all              parties were allowed to remarry. This was, if I remember
       sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or             well, in 1932. At that time, however, the report of the
       after believing  ; and having faithfully preserved them ,even          committee could not find favor in the eyes  ,of the synod.
       to the end, should at last bring them free -from every spot            Virtually, however, in spite of the fact that its first two
       and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence              conclusions were negative, this is the stand taken by the
       forever."                                                            . synod of 1956. It may be fruitful, therefore, to analyze for
          I call attention also to this article merely to show that           a moment- the report of that committee of 1932 and see in
       election is, indeed, potentia absoluta divina, absolute divine         what way they reached their conclusions.



L

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

      That committee attempted to base its conclusions on            woman that is forsaken  bv her first `husband to marry
Scripture, particularly on Matt.  5  :32 and  19:9.                  again, without committing adultery. Her husband has for-
      In the first passage we read the well-known words : "But       saken her. And, of course; according to the philosophy of
I say unto you, That  .whosoever  shall put away his wife,           the committee, if  ,she heads off her husband and marries
saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit           again before he remarries, she commits adultery. But if the
adultery ; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced ' man is first in marrying another, she has the right, too, to
committeth adultery."                                                remarry, and when she does so the marriage is perfectly
      And the second passage reads as follows : "And I say           legal before the Lord and she does not commit adultery.
unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be                Thus is the reasoning of the committee that reported to
for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery ;      the synod of the Christian Reformed Church in 1932.
and  whoso marrieth her which is put away  do& commit                    A strange reasoning it is, indeed, even on the very face
adultery."                                                           of it.
      Now, it is very strange that the committee mentioned               It leaves the impression of being nothing else than a piece
above thus explained these words of the Saviour that they            of pure sophistry.
came to mean the very opposite of what the Lord said or                  Or is it not strange that one, in the way of reasoning, can
intended to say. By a strange hocus  POCUS  they are so              come to the very opposite conclusion of what the text literally
twisted and distorted that the Lord really teaches here that         teaches  ? The text, no doubt, speaks of three parties that
all three parties which are mentioned in the text, the man           commit adultery when they marry or remarry. But the com-
that forsakes his wife, the woman that is forsaken; and-the          mittee so distorts the text that now their remarriage or `mar-
second man-that marries the forsaken woman, all may marry            riage becomes perfectly proper and legal before the face of
and  .commit  no adutery when they do so. In spite of the            God.
fact that the Lord very definitely declares that ,they commit            But although this reasoning is sophistry on the very face
adultery when they marry or remarry, the committee explains          of it, we will, nevertheless, examine it a little more closely,
that the Lord teaches the very opposite and that all the             especially since we are convinced that the decisions of the
parties are allowed to remarry or to marry.                          last synod must rest upon the same underlying basis.
      In which way did the committee reach this strange con-             This, however, must wait till our next issue, the Lord
clusion  ?                                                           willing.
      They argued as follows,                                                                                                  H.H.
      1. The first man forsakes his wife. But by the mere fact
that he has left her, without anything further, he has, of
course, not yet become  .guilty of fornication. But if, im-                        LORD, MY PETITION HEED
mediately after forsaking his wife, he marries another, he                            Lord, my petition heed,
becomes, at the same time guilty of the sin of fornication.                           Now help me in my need,
-But there is also another possibility. Instead of marrying                                My Savior be.
another as soon as he has forsaken his wife, he can wait,                             I am Thy servant, Lord,
until the woman he has forsaken marries.another  man. And                             My trust is in Thy word,
only after this. the man also marries again. In that case,                            Mercy to me afford,
thus is the argument, the man does not `commit adultery, for                               I  cry to Thee.
he is free to marry' again because his first wife has committed
adultery by marrying another:                                                         Comfort Thy servant now,
      2. The second man marry the woman that is forsaken by                           While at Thy throne I bow,
her husband immediately, without waiting whether the first                                 For Thou art love.
husband will marry again. In that case he is, of course,                              Thy pardoning grace is free ;
guilty of adultery, for the woman is still legally united in                          Sinners who call on Thee
marriage with her. first husband. But, of course, he can also                         Thy tender ,mercy see,
wait until the first man is married again. In that case, the                               0 God above.
woman is free and the second man does not commit adultery                             Lord, hear me -while I pray,
when he marries her. The committee thought that they                                  While now in trouble's day
could base this view on the translation of the text in Matt.                               I seek Thy face.
19:9 that renders : "Whoso  marrieth her  z&en she is for-                            To answer, Lord, is Thine ;
saken" which they then explain as meaning: "immediately                               Thou only art divine,
Iafter  she has been forsaken, and before the first husband has                       Most bright Thy glories shine,
married another."                                                                          0 God of grace.
      3. From all this follows, naturally, the possibility of the                                                      Psalm S6 :l-3


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               31

It                                                                        not repent, but continues in the direction in which she  is,
                OUR                 DOCTRINE iI developing, death, and darkness can be the only resuit.
                                                                             But this same inevitable end is directly expressed' in the
                                                                          threat of judgment : "or else I will come to thee, and re-
                                                                          move the candlestick out `of its place, except thou repent,"
                 THE BOOK OF REVELATION                                   vs. 5. The Lord here addresses the church as her King and
                                                                          Judge. When in this connection He speaks of His coming, it
                                Chapter IV                                is evident that He does not refer to His final coming to judge
                                                                          the quick and the dead, but of His coming for judgment upon
                                Rev. 2:1-7                                the historical church of Ephesus. Out of that place will He
                                                                          remove the candlestick. The meaning of this is evident: Thq
                   THE BEGINNING OF DECLINE                               church of Ephesus will cease to be a manifestation of the
                                                                          Body of Christ on earth. She will become extinct. Outwardly,
                                                                          as a mere human fellowship and gathering, she may probably
         They must repent. Their backsliding must become sin              continue to exist for some time, but she will no longer be
      unto them, which they confess before the Lord and before            a representation .of one of the candlesticks in the midst of
      another. And they must do the fomler works. Things must             which Christ walks. If she continues she will be one of those
      change. In preaching and teaching as well as in the personal        dead churches of which we may notice so many round about
      communion of the saints the spiritual note must be struck           us in th.e world of today. They are bearing the name of
      once more. While remaining sound in doctrine, -faithful in          Christ's Church falsely. They are no more than mere human
      discipline and zealous in good works, she must return also          associations, without the light of the truth, without the life
      to her first love and do the first works. Once again the- life      of Christ. Thus the church of Ephesus will die. In the way
      of the church must spring forth from the root of true love in       of leaving the love of Christ, she will lose every spiritual
      Christ Jesus her Lord!                                              virtue. The- judgment threatened is, therefore, wholly in
         This call to repentance is urgent. The church must heed          harmony with the defect and sin of the church. Let us take
      it. So urgent is the matter, that the Lord threatens the            it to heart. He that hath an ear, let him. hear what the
      church with complete extinction if she does not repent.             Spirit saith unto the churches!
      Significant in this connection is the way in which the Lord            But-the Lord does not close this letter with this threat of
      introduces Himself to this church : "These things saith he          judgment, but rather with an encouraging word of promise
      that holdeth the seven stars in' his right hand, he that walketh    to those that overcome and fight the good  ,fight  even  untd
      in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." He. holds the       the end. He introduces this word of comfort with the well-
      seven stars, the angels of the seven churches: They are His         known  : "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit!
      gifts to the church. Only when He gives them are they truly         saith unto the churches." This admonition, therefore, is
      ministers of the Word. Only by His Spirit can' they be              addressed, not only to the church of Ephesus, but to all the
      equipped with light and understanding and life to minister          churches, to the whole church of all ages. Not all have ears
      the Word of God. Only when the Lord Himself speaks                  to hear, even in the. church visible on earth. ,Only they that
      through them is there preaching of the Word. This is a              were efficaciously called out of darkness into His marvellous
      truth the church in the world must always remember. Train-          light can spiritually hear and discern and heed the Word of
      ing of those that are to serve in the ministry of the gospel        Christ. To these the Lord now addresses Himself. He did
      is certainly indispensible. But there is no seminary that can       address them, too, in the preceding, though the whole church
      furnish the church with ministers of the Word. The Lord             must hear the call to repent. For, only they that have an
      alone holds the seven stars in His right-hand. If the minister      ear will obey His Word and repent and dac the first works.
      of the Word is not one of those stars Christ holds in His           They must assert themselves in the church of Ephesus and
      power and bestows on His church on earth, he may be a               insist upon repentance. They must fight, even within the
      false teacher, a carnal seeker of self and the world, but he        &rch, in order that she may reform and return to her first
      cannot preach the Word. Besides, Christ walks in the midsb          love. This will not be easy. They must expect opposition,
      of the golden candlesticks. The Church has her life in Him          even from the carnal element in the church. A bitter fight it
      only. It can be a light in darkness only through His Spirit         may become for them, in which they will have to bear the
      and grace. Without Him she is nothing and can do nothing.           reproach of Christ and suffer for His name's sake. For worse
      Very essential, therefore, it is for any church -to stand in        .and more bitter enemies than carnal Israel the church has
      living fellowship with Him. She must not leave her love.            none in all the world. They must expect scorn and derision,
      She must understand that there is no life for her in separa-        hatred and contempt and persecution. Perhaps, they will be
      tion from him. A mere human society can never be a church.          expelled, cast' out of the synagogue. Outwardly they may
      This self-designation of the Lord already contains as solemn        suffer defeat. But if they only will be faithful to the end,
      warning .to the church that left her first love. If she does        they will surely. overcome. And to him that overcometh the


 3.2                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                                                              .
 Lord will give to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst                                C H A P T E R   V
 of the paradise of God. vs. 7.
        In the original paradise there stood the tree of life. It                           Revelation 2 :8-l 1
 stood in the midst of the garden. The garden of Eden was                     'THE CHURCH STRONG IN TRIBULATION
 God's House, His dwellingplace with man on earth. It was
 His tabernacle, in which God blessed man with the fellow-               Just as the church in Ephesus represents the church in'the
 ship of, His friendship. And the midst of the garden might          beginning of her decline, though she is still strong in doctrine
 be called the "holy of  holies."  There God dwelled. There          and discipline, the church in Smyrna is in the midst of
 Adam could meet his God as a friend meets his friend. There         tribulation, but rich and strong in every respect, as may be
 he had life in the,true sense of the word. There also stood         gathered from the fact that the Lord evidently has nothing
 the tree of life. It was a sacred symbol to man that he could       to complain about her.
 have life only in  God's,.blesed  fellowship. Surely, the tree          The city of Smyrna was a beautiful city, situated north of
 was more than that. It was a means of life. By eating of            Ephesus on a bay of the Aegean Sea. In respect to business
 that tree man could perpetuate his earthly existence. ,But it       and industry it might well rival with Ephesus for the honor
 was also a sign of God's covenant with Adam. He could eat;          of being considered the first city of that time. Perhaps it must
 of that tree only as long as he stood right with his God. He        be largely attributed to this fact that there were many Jews
 could not reach the tree unless he could meet his God. And          living in Smyrna, who, as usual, belonged to the well-to'do
 he could not meet his God except in righteousness and               and influential class of people .in the city. Also in Smyrna
 holiness and truth. And that same tree of life was also an          `there had been founded a church of Jesus Christ, just as in
 image of better things to come. For the earthy is an image          the city of Ephesus. But as we aiready suggested, a com-
 of the heavenly. Paradise the first is an image of the better       parison of the two letters that are written to these congrega-
 paradise of God that is to come, when all the weary night           tions respectively will show that there was considerable dif-
 of sin and death shall have passed away, and all things shall       ference between them. In the first place, there was a differ-
 have been made new. Then the tabernacle of God shall be             ence outwardly, as to their relation to the outside world. Of
 with  .men forever! The perfected tabernacle of God in              Ephesus we receive the impression that also in an external
 heavenly glory, in the new creation, is the ultimate realization    sense it was rather a strong congregation, large and flourish-
 of the first paradise. It will be far more blessed and glorious     ing and even able to assert itself over against the world from
 than the first paradise could ever be. `For, the first paradise     without to a certain extent. It is true that also in its case
 was of the earth earthy, but the final realization of it shall      the Lord suggested that it was subject to the  -ill will and
 be heavenly. When that better day dawns, we shall walk,             mockery of the world ; for He speaks of their patience and
 bearing the image of the heavenly Lord, in everlasting per-         power to.bear. ,But we do not get the impression that it was
 fection as friends of God. In that new paradise there shall         persecuted at the time by an overwhelming power of the
 also be a tree of life, planted by the river of life that flows     world. In respect to the church of Smyrna, however, this is
 from the throne of God and of the Lamb. We shall have               quite different. Of this church we are told that it is poor and
more to say about this tree in our discussion of  the- last          in tribulation, that the people of God in the city were
 chapter of this book of Revelation. Suffice it now to say, that     slandered and falsely accused, that they were persecuted and
 it is not quite correct to identify the tree of life with           killed all the day long. However, in the second place, there
 Christ. It is, evidently, a means in the new creation through       evidently was also a marked spiritual difference that is worthy
 `which  ,the perfect and eternal life of the redeemed and resur-    of our attention. Of Smyrna we read that it was rich though
 rected saints shall be sustained ; as well as a symbol of their     it was poor; of Ephesus, that it had left its first love. In the
 everlasting covenant with God in Christ. In a sense, indeed,        case of Ephesus we read that the Lord has something against
 we may say that the believer has a foretaste even now of            it; nothing of the kind is found in the epistle to Smyrna
 what it will mean to eat `of that tree of life. But the promise     Ephesus is warned with a threat that the candlestick will be
 refers to the glory of the eternal kingdom that is to come.         removed out of its place if it does not repent. Smyrna re-
 Soon the dark night of suffering and battle is past. Presently      ceives nothing but the most beautiful and comforting promises
 the eternal morning dawns, the morning of a day of ever-            and commendation.  - Hence, we may characterize the church
 lasting victory and joy. Then we shall be perfected, and            in Smyrna as the church that is strong and rich in tribulation.
 behold the beauty of the Lord in His temple. And forever               The external position of the church in Smyrna and her
 we shall be satisfied with the pleasure that are at His right       relation to the world is indicated, first of all, in the words :
 hand, eating of the tree of life that is in the midst of the        "I know (thy works) and tribulation." The phrase "thy
 paradise of God. Hear, then, what the Spirit saith unto the         works" does not occur in the Revised Version  ; hence, we
 churches ! The promise is for him that overcometh, that             place it in parentheses. The word employed in the original
 fights the battle even unto the end, and that is willing to         for "tribulation" denotes a condition of oppression, of being
 suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together ! And       hard pressed, of being in narrow straits. It indicates that the
 He is faithful that- promised !                                     world from without exerted a pressure upon the little con-


                                          ,THE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               3    3

gregation that was well-nigh unbearable, that threatened to        because they were children of Abraham according to the
leave it no standing room in the city. The world hated the         flesh. The Christians, who made the same claim, were,  09
little church, and pressed down upon it from every side with       course, considered to be and branded as imposters. From
a view to its ultimate destruction. It persecuted her, re-         this it may be inferred what was the nature of their slander.
vealed its hatred and contempt in many ways, and caused the        They publicly called themselves Jews, though in the true
members of the congregation to suffer because of the Word          sense of the word they were not. They insisted openly that
of God and the testimony of Jesus. It appears that at the          they were the only people of God, that they still expected the
time when the epistle was written to her, her persecution as-      Messiah, and that therefore the Christians, who claimed that
sumed chiefly a social aspect. It does not seem that at the        the Messiah had already come, and who proclaimed Him as
time the people of God in Smyrna were alreday brought to!          their King, were nothing but a dangerous sect, dangerous to
scaffold and stake. This form of persecution still lay in the      the state because they might  .easily instigate the people of
future. At the present they were the objects of socia; perse-      Smyrna to rebellion against their proper authorities and
cution, so that they had no standing room in the midst of the      persuade them to acknowledge no other king than Jesus of
world.                                                             Nazareth. At the same time, they must have slandered the.
   That this is true is indicated, first of all, by the phrase:    little church in the very name of their professed Ring. The
"and thy poverty." The church of Smyrna was poor, not              Messiah of `the Christians  was nothing but a crucified'
spiritually but materially and socially. Spiritually they were     criminal,  - something that must have been extremely `horri-
rich, as the Lord informs us. But in a social sense they were      fying and repulsive to the rest of Smyrna's population : for
poor. Perhaps they had already experienced a foretaste of          the cross was foolishness to the Greeks. However this may
that form of persecution which will be dominant at the time        have been, it is certain that the slander of those Jews was
of the supreme and ultimate manifestation of Antichrist, when      directed against the believers of Smyrna because of their
the people that refuse to receive the mark of the beast and        testimony of Jesus. Principally they slandered the Christians
the number of his name shall be allowed neither to buy nor to,     in Smyrna because of the bitter hatred of the Jews of the
sell. It is not impossible to imagine that especially under the    Christ that had come. For although they called themselves
influence of the influential Jews they were deprived of many       Jews, they were not. Not the national Jews, not the natural
privileges which others enjoyed. They could not do business        descendants of the fathers of believers, are Jews in this dis-
as others did. They could not make headway in the world            pensation,. but only they that are partakers of the faith of
from a material and social standpoint, as could the Jews.          Abraham and that are justified by faith in Christ Jesus.
Perhaps even, they were directly deprived of. some of their           This faith in Christ and justification in his blood these
property: their goods were confiscated because of their            so-called Jews simply despised with their i?rhole  heart. They
testimony of Jeus. At any rate, the church of Smyrna was           did not believe in Christ. They rejected Him and crucified
poor. They had no social standing. They were not rich in           Him again. They trampled under foot the blood of the new
earthly possessions. Perhaps they gathered for public wor-         covenant. And therefore they were no Jews in reality. On
ship in a miserable little shanty of a church, and could not;      the contrary, they were a synagogue of Satan, as the Lord
even decently provide for the necessity of the angel of the        informs us. No doubt the Jews possessed a synagogue in
church, who, according to some, at this time was Polycarp,         the city of Smyrna. Literally the word  qnagogue signifies
who also suffered martyrdom in Smyrna. It was undoubtedly          an assembly, a gathering. And therefore the Lord character-
with great difficulty that they could maintain themselves as       izes these men that call themselves Jews, and are not, as a
a church in the city.                                              gathering under the leadership of the devil. Satan is their
   This social form of their tribulation is indicated still        chief, and he inspires all they do. He therefore is also the
further in the words : "and the blasphemy of those that say        instigator of their slander. And also from this description
they are Jews, and are not, -but are the synagogue of Satan."      may be inferred what was the nature and the contents of their
The believers in Smyrna were slandered, blasphemed, re-            slander and blashphemy. For the name Satan means  "op-
proached, and reviled. The Jews, who no doubt could exer-          ponent, adversary." He is the opponent of God and of
cise a very subtle and powerful influence in the city, utilized    Christ and His people in the world. And as he had gained
every opportunity to revile the name of the members of the         the leadership in the synagogue of the Jews in Smyrna, and
little congregation. Exactly what was the nature of their          instigated their malignant and pernicious blasphemy,  we. may
slander, we are not directly informed in this epistle of the       easily understand. what sort of reproach was cast into the
Lord to the church of Smyrna. Yet we may easily surmise            teeth of the little church. The slander of these Jews was
the character of their reproach. For the Lord describes these      decidedly `antichristian. They were reviled for Christ's sake
blasphemers, first of all, as those that call themselves Jews,     As Christians, as followers of the despised Jesus of  .Nazareth,
and are not. No doubt they belonged to the nation of the           they had to bear the reproach and hatred of the world about
Jews. In z national sense they- were children of Abraham.          them. They became for the sake of Christ objects of most
And as usual, they were  piand of  this, prerogative. They         bitter hatred and invidious contempt.
made it a special claim that they were `the children of God           However, this could not be the end. More tribulation and

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

persecution was yet to come. The deepest stage of their suf-         secution  from the hand of the righteous and just is unbearable.
fering had not yet been `reached. Now they were poor and             But to be an object of the devil's hatred is principally a cause
slandered; social oi;:casts  in the city of Smyrna for Christ's      for rejoicing. Perhaps these Christians in Smyrna will be
sake. But the malignity of the synagogue of Satan could              treated by the civil powers in the city as criminals and rebels,
not be satisfied by mere slander and words of reproach. Even         and be branded as such before all the world ; but nevertheless,
as this malevolent slander had its root in their bitter hatred       they must be mindful of the-fact that behind these municipal
against Christ and His church, so it could not  sease  before        authorities and behind these malignant Jews is the devil,
it had manifested itself in actual persecution of these Chris--      instigating his agents to do their hellish work. It might be
tians. Of this the Lord forewarns them in the words : "Fear          grievous to them to be publicly exposed and treated as
not the things which thou art about to suffer." And He               dangerous criminals ; but to know that the devil was behind
continues : "Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you          it must be for them a cause of serene satisfaction. For to be
into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribula-       an enemy of the devil is to be a friend of Christ. To be
tion ten days." It is more than probable that the poor Chris-        persecuted by the adversary is the best proof of our belong-
tians of Smyrna themselves already had a presentiment of             ing to God's party in the world.
the fierce persecution that was presently to break loose over           Moreover, the Lord encourages them by informing them
their heads. Hardly could it be different. Persecutions of           concerning the essential character of their future suffering.
the church generally do not break out all of a sudden, with-         They will be cast into prison, in order to be tried. This in-
out any precursory signs and warnings. When we hear the              deed was not the devil's purpose ; for his highest aim was
distant rumbling of thunder and see the dark clouds gather           their apostasy from the  .truth.  But above the devil stands
threateningly, `we know that presently the storm wili break          the almighty God. And the powerful Priest-King walks in
forth in all its fury. Thus it is with the `persecution of the       the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. His purpose will
church. It may come very quickly, but hardly without any             after all be reached. And. therefore, also by this explanation
premonitions on the part of those that are persecuted. Thus          of the character of their future suffering the Lord en-
it must have been in the congregation of Smyrna, and they            courages His church. In the fact that the character of their
must have understood that the evil slander of the Jews must          suffering will be a trial. they have the assurance that they
finally develop into actual persecution. Dark clouds must            are not unconditionally delivered to the power of the devil,
have been gathering at the horizon at this time. The very            but that they are safe in the hands of their Lord. It is He
form. in which the Lord sends His message indicates clearly          that employs even the devil to reach His own divine purpose.
that this persecution is not far off, that the days of, trouble      Besides, this is a source of comfort to them because it as-
and. tribulation are nigh at hand. For the Lord writes that          sures them that they shall be faithful to the end through
they are  about  to suffer some things, the devil is  iboat  to      the- grace of their Lord. It will not be their downfall. In
cast some of them into prison. The very atmosphere must              their own strength they would never be able to stand persecu-
have been pregnant with indications that persecution was             tion ; but by the grace of Christ they will certainly persevere
about to break out. And the hearts of the poor believers in          even unto the end. As they consider themselves, fear no
Smyrna may well have been filled with fear and gloomy                doubt fills their hearts ,-the fear that they shall become
forebodings of the near future. And just because of this the         unfaithful and deny Him Whom.their soul loves. /But now
Lord sends them the message of cheer and encouragement.              they are informed that this will not be the ultimate out-
He surely does not comfort them by assuring them that                come of their persecution. It will assume the nature of a trial.
persecution shall not come, that suffering and trouble shall         God will try His people, in order that the strength of His
not touch' them. But while predicting that suffering will be         grace may become manifest to the world  Andy  to the devil,
their' lot, He encourages them, and writes: "Fear none of            and thus His own name will be glorified. To be worthy to
these things." Do not forget! This is the Word of Him that           be thus tried, to be deemed worthy of being a manifestation
was dead, and behold, he liveth.                                     of. God's grace over against the devil and the wicked world, is
      Fear'not ! `This is the positive message of the Lord to the    a cause of joy and a source of mighty comfort.
church in tribulation. He not only cautions them in advance,             Finally, the Lord encourages His church with a view to
that they may be fully prepared. But He also comforts them           the coming, suffering by informing them as to the time of
and encourages them to face the future without fear. He              its duration. They shall be in tribulation ten days. This
does so, in the first place, by assuring them that it will be        measure of time no doubt has symbolic significance. For
Satan that is the prime author of their tribulation. They will.      even though this period should be understood in the literal
,be cast into prison, and for ten days they will have tribula-       sense of the word, as applied to the congregation of Smyrna,
tion. But they. need not be ashamed of their reproach and            the symbolical significance would by no means be excluded,
suffering, nor -need they fear. On the contrary, they may            no more than the recognition of .the historical existence of the
`deem it an honor to be in oppression, for the simple reason         seven churches prevents us from considering .them in their
that it is the devil who causes it all. Indeed, it is a glorious     `typical character in relation to the church of all times. But .
comfort to know that the devil is persecuting us, to suffer per-     besides, it. may safely be adopted as a general rule that the


                                            `THE   S T A N D A R D   BEA.RER                                                       35

 indications .of time and space in the book of Revelation are to Lord. The devil` possesses no power of himself; .nor can he
 be`taken  in the symbolical sense of the word. Not all the          sovereignly decide upon the .persecution of the church. `His-
 numbers occurring in the book can possibly be taken in' the         power and authority are characterized and symbolized by
 literal-sense. But on the general basis that they are symbolic      the number tlen. It is both limited and meted out to him by
 of some higher spiritual reality, they can all be interpreted.      God. It is always the same as in the case of the history of
 And therefore, also these ten days we take in the symbolical        Job. The devil must approach God for  permission"`to  afflict
 sense. And then we agree with interpreters in understanding         God's servant. And when Satan fails to induce Job to apostasy
 this expression as being indicative, in the first place, of only    by depriving him of all that he has in this world, he must
a short period. But the brevity of the period is not to be           again turn to the Most High for permission to continue and
 found in the number ten, -for in itself this number may             to aggravate his attack  upon,Job. The devil, therefore, can
 indicate a long as well as a short period of time. No, that         never proceed beyond the limits set him by the Almighty.
 the time of their persecution will be comparatively short,          Neither can he reach any other end than the purpose of God
 though severe, is expressed rather by the fact that it  isj         in the affliction of His people in the world.
 measured not by `years, or months, but by days. In com-
 parison with the glory that shall be revealed in us, the apostle       Thus it is with the church in Smyrna. And this is ap-
 Paul has it, the suffering of this present time is not worthy       plicable to  -the persecution and suffering  .of the church of
 of consideration. Rom. 8  :18. When viewed in the light of          all ages. The devil possesses power to oppress the church, na
 the ages, the tribulation of the church in this dispensation        doubt. He will make life hard for the faithful in the world.
 is always insignificantly short.' So also in respect to the         He will rage against them in all his fury. We must  .expect
 tribulation of the church .in Smyrna: it will last but ten days.    this. But the blessed comfort for the church lies in the fact
     The figure ten, however, implies a far greater comfort          that the power of darkness is under the absolute control and
 and is symbolic of a far higher reality than the mere fact          sovereignty of Him that  walketh  in the midst of the seven
 of brevity. Ten is a number that is very frequently employed        golden candlesticks. `The King, of the church has received all
. m Scripture, and often occurs in the book of Revelation. The power in heaven and on earth, power too to control the devil,
 antedeluvian period of comprised of the lifetime of ten             the mighty  adversary of Christ and His cause and His people
 patriarchs. Before the heart of the king of Egypt is inclined       in the world. And when the full measure of his time and
 to let the children of Israel go to serve their God, ten'great      power has been meted out to him according to the will of
 plagues are sent upon the country. Life in its totality is          God, the Lord bids him stop, and he can stir no more against
 measured by ten great spheres, indicated by the division of         the church. What mighty comfort for the church in tribula-
the law into ten commandments. The Lord in His parable               tion! The devil can do her no harm, but must serve the
 speaks of ten virgins, and of servants entrusted with ten           purpose of God in Christ. The gates of hell cannot .prevail
 pounds whom he will place over ten cities. In the book  of- against us. Under the mighty protection and care of her great
 Revelation we read of ten horns of the great red dragon, of         King, the church has nothing to fear: "In the world ye shall
 the ten horns of the beast and his ten royal diadems, of the        have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
 ten kings that shall hate the harlot with whom they first           world."
 commit fornication. Chapters 13 and 17. Now, if we con-                It is evident from all this that tribulation can. never harm
 sider this number in the abstract; there can be no question         the church. It is simply a trial, by which the church is sancti-
 of the fact that it is a round number, that whatever other          fied and purified and strengthened in the faith. This is aljo
number is multiplied by it must also be a round number.              evident from the epistle of the Lord to the church in Smyma.
 As such it beautifully serves as a symbol of completeness and       Does the tribulation of the church in Smyrna, present or
 fulness.                                                            future, cause weakness and fear and trembling in the church ?
     But if we consider the passages in which the number             Does it lead the church away from its Lord, and cause it
 ten is employed, we soon find that there is still a more            to enter into the camp of the enemy? Exactly the opposite
 specific significance attached to the number ten. The general       is true. The condition of the congregation in Smyrna was as
 idea that lies at the basis of its employment in Scripture          good as possible. The church was in as flourishing a con-
 seems to be that of a fulness, completion, totality, of the         dition as might be expected in this dispensation In proof of
 measure of anything, whether it be of time or power or .action,     this there is, in the first place, the negative observation that
 of reward or punishment, determined solely by the fixed             the Lord in this letter mentions no cause for rebuke. And
 plan of God Almighty. And therefore, in our text it denotes         this is surely sufficient to justify the inference that there was
 neither that the time shall either be long or short, nor that       nothing worthy of blame in the congregation of Smyrna. If
 the evil one shall be permitted to develop his full power           there had been, the Lord would have called the attention of
 in persecuting the church of Smyrna, but it indicates that a `the church to it. He was thoroughiy acquainted with the con-
 certain definite period is allotted the devil, during which he-     dition of the church. And if there had been any reason to
 may persecute the church of Christ, a period that -is deter-        reprove, He surely would have known and expressed it.
 mined not by himself, but by the will and counsel of the                                                                       H.H.

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

                                                                         How can our fathers say and we confess with them, "it
   j  iR.0~  HOLY  WRIT                                              I is impossible that they who are ingrafted into Christ by a
                                                                         true faith, that they should not bring forth fruits of thank-
                                                                         fulness," if it is not because the realities of faith and our
                Exposition of I Corinthians 1-4                          being  -ingrafted  into Christ makes it spiritually necessary
                                                                        for the believer to live a life of thankfulness ! One's meta-
                                  21.                                   physics determines his ethics. As God is so must also our
                                                                        walk in relationship to him and our neighbor be.
                        (I Corinthians 4 : 6-8)                             That is also the basic presupposition here in the writings
                                                                        of Paul.
        In the verses 6-8 of the fourth Chapter of I Corinthians            It is for this reason- that Paul called attention to such
  we hear an explicit statement from Paul himself as to the             basic considerations as  :
  reason and purpose of having dwelt rather at length about                 1. The very meaning and essence of the "word of the
  himself and Apollos in the preceding Chapter.                         Cross," the word of wisdom as preached by Paul. This Word
   Before we go into the meaning of this "explicit state-               is in its very nature and manifestation such that it is power
  ment" of Paul, let us quote the text itself, which reads as           and wisdom of God in those who are saved. Such "saved
  follows : "And these things,  brethren, I have. in a  figure          ones" are the Corinthians, the church of God in that city.
  transferred to myself and to Apollos for  your sake; that             Should then not their conduct (ethics) also be such that
  ye might learn in  us not to think of men above that which            their whole attention be to the Word of the Cross and not
  is  whtten,  that no  qn'e of you  be puffed  up for one against      to the wisdom of words of man ?
  the other. For who  ma,keth  thee to  differ  from  anotlaey?             2. The very nature of their "calling" is such that it is
  and  what  kast thou.  tht thou didst  not receive? Now  i1;          efficacious. Should then their glorying not be. alone in the
  thou  d&t  receive  ,it, why dost  thozt glory,  as if  the? hndst    Lord, who called them in Christ, even as He elected them,
  not  received it?"                                                    not many wise according to the flesh, not many strong and
        Thus much the text.                                             mighty, not many noble, but the poor, the weak and the
        Lest there be any  ,misunderstanding  it should be care-        foolish. Surely metaphysics here  .determines  ethics, and
  fully noticed that Paul did far more in the former Chap-              thus in Scripture what we are in Christ is the basis for the
  ters than simply speak of himself and Apollos. For the                admonition what we; ought to be in our life of thankfulness.
  sake of clarity on this point we would briefly recall the                 3. The very fact, the Spiritual reality, that God has
  following salient points from this letter of Paul. And, let           revealed by His Holy Spirit the wisdom of God in mystery
  it be noted, these salient points were doctrinal points. We           to the church (metaphysics) that calls for a conduct of
  have repeatedly stated that Paul is here not writing a                spiritual men putting spiritual things with spiritual. (ethics)
  systematic  dogmatics. That is correct. However, such does,             Such had been the pointed thrust of Paul in these beauti-
not warrant the erroneous conclusion that Paul does not                 ful Chapters we have considered during the past year.
  bring up doctrinal points.                                               When Paul called attention to himself and Apollos as
        Let us be clearly understood in regard to this matter.          an example `that in them the Corinthians might learn not
        A matter can be and often is very doctrinal, a matter           be puffed for one and against the other, he still teaches them
  of correct and basic teaching in the Church, even though              the. fundamental ordinances in God's church `which deter-
 it is not  as such a matter of systematic theology. When               mine the ethics and conduct of the believers in the church.
  Paul wrote, there was not any systematic dogmatics writ-                 Let this truth sink deep into our hearts !        `.
 ten yet. But every word of God was inspired and profitable                Unless we -see this we miss the point in Paul's argumen-
 for  doctrine,  for reproof,. for correction in righteousness !        tation, and we will not have studied unto salvation.
        It was a matter of doctrine  and, therefore, a matter of           What Paul stated about himself and about Apollos was
 correction and reproof!                                                doctrine. It was sound teaching, and, therefore, implicit and
        Wherefore it can be said: as a man's dogmatics, doctrine,       explicit reproof and correction in righteousness.
 is, so must needs his life be. Philosophers in their jargon               It is sound teaching that Paul and Apollos are simply
 say: metaphysics is the  .basis  of ethics. When one wishes            ministers of the grace of life. It is equally sound doctrine
 to know the ethics of the Stoics and the Epicureans one                that both are fellow-laborers, and that they are thus in God's
 must first inquire into their world-view, their metaphysics,           service.  .On this footing they are -equals. Again it is sound
 what lies beyond the realm of the physical world, the very             doctrine when Paul is the one who must plant, lay the founda-
 meaning of things.                                                     tion, and Apollos must water and build upon the apostolic
        Although the Christian, the believer in Christ, gives a         labors of Paul.
 different- content to this, from a  formal  viewpoint that is             And all of this sound doctrine has implicit in it "reproof
 correct. `-Just think of the biblical conception of faith for          and correction" for everyone, who with Apollos wills to
 a moment as this is expounded in the Heidelberg Catechism.             build upon that foundation layed by Paul.


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   - B E - A R E K                                                              3       7

    Such -is the basic pedagogy of Paul. We have called at-              If this "golden-chain" is not broken by anything. like
 tention to i-his "pedagogical approach" of Paul repeatedly.         "faith is a condition," but is left stand in its metaphysical
    And when Paul singled out himself thus, and Apollos, he          Structure, then the question of Paul : what have you that
 was simply doing this for clarity sake. The Corinthians and         you have not received, comes to stand in truly bold relief!
 the whole church with them must "learn" something. They                 Yes, then it is not so  that you say: what  ii it that I did
 must learn not be puffed up. They must not blow their               not receives as free-gifts by faith, but then we Will surely
 bellows in stinking pride. Such is not the ethics in the            confess that even the faith to receive and appropriate is of
 church. It does not fit with, flow forth from the realities         God. All is "`gift of God" including faith.
 of the riches in Christ and the spiritual man. And this we              Yes, for then we see that "the good-pleasure, purpose and
 must learn. This really means that we "learn" to crucify our        counsel of the divine will to be one, according to which he
`old nature and walk in a new and holy life. Paul had to:            hath chosen  US from eternity, both to grace and glory,  to
 "learn" to be content in whatsoever state he was. And there         salva.t*ion  and the wuy of salvation, &hich  he hath ordained
 are many things which we must "learn." We learn from                that we should walk therein  !" Canons I, Art. 8. (et ad
 precept and example. Well here in Paul we have both; in             SaluteA  et ad  via/m  saiutis).
 Paul and Apollos  conduct is the "architype"  of the conduct            Here we see the deep implication bf the categorical and
that fits ministers of the gospel in the church, and genders         arresting question: what have you that you have not re-
 unity and humility among the members of the  CoFgregations.         ceived  ? Here nothing is left excluded. Here the Reformed
    Where. these realities are seen we will not feel that the        man bows in the dust and worships. Here in the dust be-
 cause of God depends on certain men. We will not boast              fore God he confesse  sthe sin of schism in God's church. Here
in men but in the Lord, and acknowledge the gifts and                the flesh is crucified. Here one can say before` judges and
talents in gifted men,' without overlooking the fact that at         kings of the earth : all these gifts are of the Lord !
the same time they are poor sinners, saved by grace.
    For thus do we truly confess "all that we have we have               Here we truly say: and all things are of you and ye are
received  !"                                                         of Christ, and Christ is God's.
    It is well to take notice also here of the "point of                 Why should we then boast as if we had not received it.
departure" of Paul in this question "for  what hast thou             Why should it be less Augustinian and boast  mor& God
that thou didst not receive ?"                                       forbid !                                                               .r-:
    That is a profound  questioti  and not simply a flippant!            As a man's metaphysics is .& is his ethics.
pun may be seen from an interesting note in A. T. Robert-                An Arminian-Pelagian doctrine has an ethics which does
son's W. P. on this verse. There we read, "Ten years before          not profoundly boast in the Lord-even when it gives lip
the challenge of Pelagius, the study of St. Paul's writings,         service to "all that I am I am by grace," for- it will be
and especially of this verse and of Rom. 9:16, had crystalized       "resistable" grace.
in his mind the distinctively.Augustinian  doctrines of man's            But the `truly Reformed man will say and sing:
total depravity, of irresistible grace, and of absolute predesti-
nation."                                                                          "All  tht I  am I owe to Thee
    Thus wrote Robertson and Plummer of Augustine.                                  Thy  W'isdo~~   Lo-vd  bath  fa.shioned me
    We do well to take notice of this, and take the shoes from                     My life in all its perfect plan
off our  feet, and say: Lord,  .a11 is of thee. May our walk                        Was ordered ere my days began.                                  :
also be this; may it  wholly testify that salvation is  of,,tb-ee                                                                                        G.L.
the Lord alone.                                                 $
                                                       _. .,
    As a man's metaphysics is so shall also his coilduct  be.                            WEDDING                      ANNIVERSARY'
    And as man's metaphysics is so  sha.11  also the admoni-
tions and exhorations be.                                               On  Monday,   October  29,  1956,  our  dear  parents,
    For this reason  notie can admonish unto a walk of                                  MR.  AND.  MRS.  I?.  BYRERK
humility as do  then Augustinians. They have caught the              hope  to  celebrate  their  30th.  Wedding  Anniversary.
vision. Think  bf a Calvin, and a Jensen in the  Ro?nish                We  join  them  in  this  celebration  in  giving   thanks  to  our
Church, not to forget a Gottschalk. in his day. And  a Re-           covenant  God.  May  God  bless  them  in  the  tiay  that  lies  ahead.
formed man -who. clings to the "golden-chain" of Rom. S 29,             "Blessed  is  everyone  that  fearth  the  Lord;  that  walketh  in  his
"For whom he did foreknow them he also' did predestinate             ways."  Psalm  128  :l.                 2.
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be                                                          Mr.  and  Mrs..  C.  Hill.
the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom ha                                                              Mr.  and  Mrs.  Author  Bykerk
did predestinate, them he also called : iid whom he called                                                         Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arie  Bykerk
them he also justified: and whom he justified them he also                                                         Lubertha              Bykerk
glorified," will surely have a unique "ethics" unknown to
                                   *                                                                               Cornelius   Bykerk
the Arminian preacher.                                                                                r     7'       Grandchildren.          j


                                                                                                .i

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

  II                                                                 keeps a record and you do not want the shame of being
                           IN  HWFEAR                                considered to be a slacker. Do you give ?
                                                                        Only as we contribute to the financial support of
                            Giving In His Fear                       God's  kingdolti  in His fear is it giving. The only kind of
                                                                     giving there is is giving in His fear. That. is a word that
        Budget-making time is here again.                            we can well  .learn anew in this day. Man hardly knows
        That is, Church-budget-making time is here again:            what it is to give.
   Those who are given rule over the congregation, those                To give in order to  get. is not giving but  iransacting
  invested with the right and power to determine the material        a business deal with others. That surely should never be
   aspects and needs of the congregation are busy with pencil        the case with our offering in the collection plate when we
   and paper figuring out how much  the financial cost will be       have gathered for divine worship.
,`for that particular congregation in the year to come.                 Give  & His fear and you will give for the  sake of
        The needs are not always the same.                           giving.
        Certain items remain approximately the same. It will            Our Heidelberg Catechism has a wo.rd  to say about giv-
   require so much electricity, coal, gas or fuel oil. The phone     ing in His fear when it, among other things, says in question
   bill will be  no different than  last year. Insurance on the      and answer one hundred three, "What doth God require in
   buildings, interest on the loan can be figured out `very often    the fourth commandment ? First, that the ministry of the gos-
   f0 the last penny.                                                pel  and schools be maintained . . . and that I . . . contiibute
        Other items vary, from time to time. The buildings.          to the relief of the poor as becomes a Christian . . ." There
  received a coat. of paint last year and that item will not         you not only have giving but giving in His fear. Qne who
  -appear on the budget this year. A new  furnBce installed          places his contribution in the collection plate for the reasons
   two years ago will not need to be replaced this year.  But        mentioned in this answer and does so for these reasons in
   trouble has developed in the pipe' organ and we will have         sincerity gives in His fear. We do well, therefore, to con-
   to add a tidy sum for its overhaul and repair.                    sider this ma.tter  of giving in His fear that our contributions
        So it goes.  -How much will it cost us to maintain our       may be pleasing in God's sight.
   services and continue to function as a congregation ? What           It is so easy, when the new budget  is  anndunced  and
   will the total cost be? How much, then, will each family          approved, to grumble because it is higher than last year
   be  &quired to bring up so that this amount is brought in         and then to give grudgingly or refuse to give any more
   during the  `co&ing year? A  ptoposed  budget must be             than the budget was last year (or perhaps five years ago j .
  presented to the congregation that each one may know how           It is quite imfiossible,  thin, that we have hallowed the Sab-
  much each family must ,contribute if all the needs are to be       bath and kept the fourth commandment. What is more it
  met properly.  -                                                   means that we have not received God's gifts in His fear and
        We are not interested, at the moment, with making thzit      we are intent on misusing them.
  budget in His fear. That, of course, must always be done.             The Heidelberg Catechism and Scripture indicate that
  Items must not appear on that budget that militate against         such is the case when the Catechism insists that the ministry
  the fear of the Lord. There must not appear on that budget         of the gospel and the schools must be maintained and Scrip-
  one cent that is designated for activities and policies that       ture exhorts us to seek  first  the kingdom of God and its
  are conducted outside of His fear. A budget must not be            fighteousness.
  drawn up that is concerned with beautiful and costly build-           In that connection, it is interesting to look up the
  ings' but allocates only a few paltry pennies for niissionary      texts that are listed as Scriptural proof for the stand of the
  activity, covenant education of the youth, the maintenance         Heidelberg Catechism. As proof of, the fact that the ministry
 of the Theological School of the denomination, the needy            ,of the gospel and the schools be maintained we find a refer-
  in the church, needy churches and the like. We may have            ence to Deuteronomy 12  :19, "Take heed to thyself that
  more to say about that later.                                      thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the
        At the moment we are concerned with giving in His fear.      earth." I Timothy  15 is mentioned: "Now  the end of the.
        We do have in mind those who give in order that the          commandment is charity (love) out of a pure heart, and
  financial needs of the Church of `Christ  are met by the           Iof a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." I Timothy
  abundance that God has given.                                      3  :14, 15 is cited as proof : "These things write I unto thee,
                                                                     hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long,
        When that budget is presented and adopted, do you give       that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself
  in His  fear?                                                      in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living
        Do you give ?                                                God,, the pillar and ground of the truth." The passage in I
        The question is not whether you part with your money         Corinthians 9  :11 is  refer-Fed  to : "If we  have `sown unto
  and drop it in the collection plate because the  Con&tory          you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap


                                             T H E   STAN.DARD   B E A R E R                                                     39

of your carnal things ?' Finally we also have II Timothy 2 :2           Yet we must give for the maintainance of the gospel and
which deals with the maintainance of the schools for the             the schools; and we must give in His fear.
maintainance of the gospel: "And the things that thou ha&               By the schools the Catechism plainly has in mind the
heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou               Theological Schools wherein young men are trained to
to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."            preach the gospel  ; and maintaining these schools is essential
   That .-verse  in Deuteronomy and the one in I Corinthians         for the maintenance of the gospel.
9  :ll plainly refer to the support of the one who proclaims            This is evident from the reference to II Timothy 2  :2:
the gospel, Yet it cannot be  gainsaid  that even the pas-           "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many
sage in Deuteronomy cannot mean merely the Levite who                witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall
functioned in the temple for God's people. Indeed, we must           be  .able to teach others also." This is a reference to the
take heed not to forsake the Levite in our midst; but Israel,        need of training others for the ministry of the gospel; but,
to whom these words were addressed, had a broader calling            of course, this entails quite an expenditure of money today
than that. To take heed not to forsake the Levite, Israel            for instructors and the maintenance of buildings. This, in
had also the tabernacle and temple with all its expenses to          our churches; is included in the budget under the synodical
support  6nancially.  And today, though the "salary" of the          assessments out of which the missionary activity of our
"Levite" in our midst is one of the largest items on the bud-        churches is paid, the theological school is supported and
get, it is by no means the only item. However, in the Old            financed, the needy churches are cared for and all other
Testament dispensation there was only one "church" building          items which belong to the denominational life of our churches;
to maintain and that one building together with all the                 That does not mean that the consistory makes no
Levites was maintained by the gifts of all the Israelites. When,     provision for the. local Christian grade schools and . high
as of necesity  today, the Church is divided into many congre-       schools. No one truly. interested in -the maintenance of the
gations, some larger and some smaller, the finanical load be-        gospel will. consider the Christian school movement for our
comes very great for the smaller ones. Even then, in the             covenant youth either unnecessary or an expensive luxury.
Old Testament dispensation the financial load was by modern          He will consider it a must. ."Missionary zeal" that is eager
standards very high. ALL were required to give one tenth             and willing to spend thousands of dollars to train young men
of their income to the support of God's cause. Thus, for ex-         to. send them to the Hottentot and foreigner whom he has
ample, in Deuteronomy  1422  we read, "Thou shalt truly              never seen and does not'have interest to provide a covenant
tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth    training five days a week for the youth of the Church and
year by year." And to tithe means to give a tenth part.              his own flesh and blood does  -not have a missionary zeal
    Walking in God's fear in the Old Testament dispensa-             that is in His fear.  One must be deeply concerned with
tion meant giving unto Him one tenth of all that He had              shielding one's own children and the children of one's
given. The budget was easily made in those days. The                 own church from the antichristian, evolutionistic, atheistic
Israelite knew plainly what giving in His fear was. And              and modernistic influences that seek to destroy their faith
today we are freed from that law of tithing, giving one              if one is to have true zeal that those unseen and unknown
tenth, not so that now we can give one fifth and still walk          and thousands of miles away be brought to the faith. You
in His fear but because in the freedom of Christ we will in          cannot be unconcerned about the faith of the children given
His fear give far more than that tenth!                              to you by our Covenant God and have concern that means -
    And many of God's `people do !                                   anything before God concerning the faith of those on `the
    Consider not only the amount placed in the collection            four corners of the earth. The schools that must be main-
plate on Sunday but also the sums spent to give our youth            tained are also Christian grade and high school, if we are
a covenant training in schools' that do not militate. againit        to walk and give in His fear.
and try to undermine the truth of the gospel but teach all                                                                   J . A . H .
things in its light and you have very often a sizable sum
that  is.far above that one tenth. Add to this what is given
liberally to charitable institutions of mercy and in special
collections for special causes and, if the church budget has                       LORD, MY PETITION HEED
been paid in full, it will be well over the one tenth of in-
come.                                                                                 By all whom Thou hast made
    But even then it is not said that it was-  all given in His                       Be praise and worship paid
fear.                                                                                    Through earth abroad  ;
    If it was given grudgingly it was not given in His fear.                          Thy name be glorified,
    If it was given out of a feeling of "I have to but would                          There is none great beside,
rather not," it is not given in His fear.                                             Matchless Thy works abide,
    If it is given to acquire a name among men for liberality                        For Thou art God.                             -.
 and for honor among men, it is not given in His fear.                                                                  Psalm  86:4


       40                                              THE.  S T A N D A R D   B-EARER

                                                                                    .~ 3. The sacrifice is the anti-type of the Mosaic sacrifice,
       [I  Contending'  For  The  Faith  11 and is related to it as substance to typical shadows. It is
                                                                                   also especially foreshadowed by Melchizedek's unbloody
       t!-                                                                   II
                                                                                   offering of bread and wine. The sacrifice- of Melchizedek
                   The Church and the Sacraments                                   is therefore made of great account by Hilary, Jerome,
                                                                                   Augustine, Chrysostom, and other church fathers, on the
              VIEWS DURING THE SECOND PERIOD  (300-750 A.D.)                       strength of the well-known parallel in the seventh chapter
                                                                                   of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
                              THE LORD'S SUPPER-                                       4. The subject of the sacrifice is the body of Jesus Christ,
                                                                                   which is as truly present on the altar of the church, as it
                        The Sacrifice by  Philip  Sckaf.                           once was on the altar of the cross, and which now offers
              The doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass is much further            itself to God through his priest. Hence the frequent lan-
       developed in the Nicene and post-Nicene fathers, though                     guage of the liturgies: "Thou art he who offerest, and who
       amidst many obscurities and theoretical extravagances, and                  art offered, 0 Christ, our  ,God."  Augustine, however, con-
       with much wavering between symbolical and grossly real-                     nects with this, as we have already said, the true and im-
       istic conceptions, until in all essential points  .it is brought            portant moral idea of the self-sacrifice of the whole re-
       to its settlement by Gregory the Great at the close of the                  deemed church to God. The prayers of the liturgies do the
                                                                                   same.
       sixth century. These points are the following:                                       Freeman regards this as the main thing in the old
                                                                                   liturgies. "In all liturgies," says he, "the Church has mani-
              1. The  eucharistic sacrifice is the most solemn mystery             festly two distinct though closely connected objects in view.
       of the church, and fills the faithful with a holy awe. Hence                The-first is, to  offer  hers@ in  Ch&  to  God; or rather, in
       the predicates  thusia  plzoberu,  plwiktee, a.n&maktos,  sa.cvifi-         strictness and as the highest conception of her aim, to pro-
       CI:U/IIZ   ire+~~enda~ztv~~,  which are frequently applied to it. espe-     ewe that she  may be offered by  Clwist Himself,  up&d as in
       cially in the Oriental liturgies and homilies.. (Homilies are               Chist, to the  Fathe;.  And the second object, as the crown-
       religious discourses -H.  V.) Thus it is said in the liturgy                ing and completing feature of the rite, and woven up with
       of St. James : "We offer to Thee, 0 Lord, this awful and                    the other in one unbroken chain of service, is to obtain cpw+
       unbloody sacrifice." The more surprising is it that the peo-                IIYtunion   thmugh Christ  witI< God; or, more precisely again;
       ple- should have been indifferent to so solemn an act, and                  that Christ  `p>zay  Hiwmlf give her, through  Hiwzself,  sztch
       that Chrysostom should lament : "In vain is the- daily sacri-               com74waion.J'
     fice, in vain stand we at the altar; there is no one to take`                     5. The offering of the sacrifice is the exclusive preroga-
       part."                                                                      tive of the Christian priest. Later Roman divines take the
              2. It is not a new sacrifice added. to that of. the cross,           words : "This do (poieite) in remembrance of me," as equiv-
       but a daily, unbloody repetition and perpetual application                  alent to : ."This offer," and limit this command, to the apos-
       of that one only sacrifice. Augustine represents it, on the                 tles and their successors in office, whereas it is evidently
       one hand, as a  san~amentuwz  wzemoviae,   a symbolical com-                an exhortation to all believers to the commemoration of the
       memoration of the sacrificial death of Christ; to which of                  atoning death, the  co,pm7at&o   mcramenti,  and not to the
       course there is no objection. But, on the other hand, he                    iwm~ola.tio   sacrijicii.
       calls the celebration of the communion  z&*issi,~z~zt~~   sacpifi-
       ciitvtz of the body of Christ. The church, he says, offers to                   6. The sacrifice is efficacious for the whole body of the
.      God the sacrifice of thanks in the body of Christ, from the                 church, including its departed members, in procuring the
       days of the apostles through the sure succession of the bishops             gifts which are implored in the prayers of the service.
                                                                                                                         ._
      down to our time.. But the church at  the same time offers,                      All the old liturgies proceed under a conviction of the
       with Christ, herself, as the body of Christ, to God. As all                 unbroken communion- .of saints, and contain commemora-
       are one body, so also all are together' the same sacrifice.                 tions and intercessions for.the departed fathers and brethren,
       According to Chrysostom the same Christ, and the whole                      who are conceived to be, not in purgatory, but in com-
       Christ, is everywhere offered. It is not a different sacri-                 munion with God and in a `condition of progressive holiness
       fice from that which the High Priest formerly offered, but                  and blessedness, looking forward in pious longing to the
       we offer always the same sacrifice, or rather, we perform                   great day of consummation.
       a memorial of this sacrifice. This last clause. would decid-
       edly favor a symbolical conception, if Chrysostom in other                      These prayers for an increase of bliss, which appeared
       places had not used such strong expressions as this: "When                  afterwards very inappropriate, form the transition from the
       thou seest the Lord slain, and lying there, and the priest                  original simple commemoration of the departed saints, in-
       standing at the sacrifice," or: "Christ lies slain upon the                 cluding the patriarchs, prophets and apostles, to interces-
       altar."                                                                     sions for the suffering souls in purgatory, as used in the

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

 Roman church ever since the sixth century.  Neale'has   col-         cation in the intermediate state between death and resurrec-
 lected in an appendix to his English edition of the old litur-       tion, which likewise Augustine derives from Matt.  12:32
 gies the finest liturgical prayers. of the ancient church for         ("And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,
 the departed saints, and deduces from them the positions,            it shall be forgiven him : but whosoever speaketh against the
 "( 1) that prayers for the dead, and more especially the             Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this
 oblation of the blessed Eucharist for them, have been from           world, neither in the world to come." - H.V.), and I Cor.
 the beginning the practice of the Universal Church. (2)              3  :15 ("If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer
 .And this without any idea of a purgatory of pain, or of any         loss : but he himself shall be saved ; yet so as by fire." -
 state from which' the departed soul has to be delivered as           H.V.) , yet mainly as a mere opinion. From these and similar
 from one of misery." In the liturgy of Chrysostom, still             passages, and under the influence of previous Jewish and
 in use in the Greek and Russian church, the commemora-               heathen ideas and customs, arose, after Gregory the Great,
 tion of the departed reads: "And further we offer to thee            the Roman doctrine of the purgatorial fire for imperfect be-
 this reasonable service on behalf of those who have de-              lievers who still need to bepurified from the dross of @e&8
 parted in the faith, our ancestors, Fathers, Patriarchs,             masses  for the dead, in which the perversion %,of the thank-
 Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, Martyrs, Con-            ful remembrance of the one eternally availing sacrifice of
 fessors, Virgins, and every just spirit made perfect in the          Christ reaches its height, and the idea- of the communion
 faith . . . Especially the most holy, undefiled, excellently         utterly disappears (There are silent masses, missae solitariae,
 laudabie, glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virg;a           at which usually no one is present but the priest,  with the
          the holy John the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist, the     attendant boys, who offers to God at a certain tariff the
 h  i'
  o  y. glorious and all-celebrated Apostles, and all thy Saints,     magically produced body of Christ for the deliverance of a
 through whose prayers look upon us, 0 God. And remem-                soul from purgatory. This institution has also a heathen
 ber all those who are departed in the hope of the resur-             precedent in the old Roman custom of offering  sacrifies  to
 rection to eternal life, and give them rest where the light          the Manes of beloved dead. On Gregory's doctrine of the
 of Thy countenance shines upon them."                                mass, which belongs in the next period, compare the mono-
                                                           I          graph of Lau,` p .484 f. The horrible abuse of these masses
     Cyril of Jerusalem, in his fifth and last mystagogic Cate-       for the  detid, and their close connection with  superstit:ious
 thesis,  which is devoted to the consideration of the eucharistic    impostures of purgatory and of indulgence, explain the
 sacrifice and the liturgical service of God, gives the following     moral anger of the Reformers at the mass, and the  strong-
 description of the eucharistic intercessions for the departed:       declarations against it in several symbolical books, especially
 "When the spiritual sacriiice, the unbloody service. of God,         in the  Smalcald  Articles by Luther (II 2, where the mass
is performed, we pray to God over this atoning sacrifice for          is called draconis  cauda), and in the Heidelberg Catechism
 the universal peace of the church, for the welfare of the            (the  SOth question, which, by the way, is wanting entirely
 world, for the emperor, for soldiers and prisoners, for the          in the first edition of  -1563, and was first inserted in the
 sick and afflicted, for all the poor and needy. Then we com-         second edition by express command of the Elector Friedrich
 memorate also those who sleep, the patriarchs, prophets,             III, and in the third edition was enriched with the epithet
 apostles, martyrs, that God through their prayers and their          "damnable idolary") .
 intercessions may receive our prayer; and in general we
 pray for all who have gone from us, since we believe                     In general, in the celebration of the `Lord's Supper the
that it is of the greatest help to those souls for whom the           sacrament continually retired behind the. sacrifice. In the
prayer is offered, while the holy sacrifice, exciting a holy          Roman churches in all countries one may see and hear
awe, lies before us."                                                 splendid masses at the high altar, where the congregation `of
                                                                      the faithful, instead of taking part in the communion, are
     This is clearly an approach to the later idea of purgatory       mere spectators of the sacrificial act of the priest. The com-
in the Latin church. Even St. Augustine, with Tertullian,             munion is frequently  despatched  at a side altar at an early
teaches plainly, as an old tradition, that the eucharistic            hour in the morning.
sacrifice, the intercessions or  mffmgia  and alms, of the living
are of benefit to the departed believers, so that the Lord deals '        Thus far, in this article, our quotation from Philip Schaff
more mercifully with them than their sins deserve. His noble          as he writes on this sacrament of the Lord's Supper in this
mother, Monica, when dying, told him he might bury her                second period, 300-750 A.D. We have quoted him at length
body where he pleased, and should give himself no concern             on the  sacrapzent  of the eucharist and also on the  sacr;f;cd
for it, only she begged of him that he would remember her             .of the, eucharist. The Lord willing, we will conclude this
soul at the altar of the Lord. And Tertullian considers it the        series of quotations. from Philip in subsequent articles by
duty of a devout widow to pray for the soul of her husband,           quoting him on the celebmtion  of the eucharist, the celebra-
and to offer a sacrifice on the anniversary of his death.             tion of the eucharistic sacrifice and of the communion. This,
                                                                      too, is very .interesting.
    With this is connected the idea of a repentance and purifi-


42                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
II                                                                       merely as an individual. And while this individualism does
        The  Voice  of  Our  Fathers                                               .-
                                                                         not as such appear in the third article of the Remonstrants,
                                                                         lthe `article is, so vague and general that this individualism is
                                                                         not as such ruled out either. It is this individualism which
                   The Canons of Dordrecht                               is so characteristic of all Pelagianism and Arminianism. And
                               PART T&W0                                 it is against this fundamental -diversion that all who are Re-
                                                                         formed must do battle from the outset. This is the speech
                     EXPOSITION OF THE CANONS                            of our  Ca.nons  not only in the present article, but `also in
              THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE                         those that follow. And it was already the speech of both
                                                                         our  Heidelberg Catechism  and our  Belgic  Confession,-a
      OF THE CORRUPTION OF MAN,  HIS  CONVERSION TO  GOD,                speech which the fathers of Dordt found it necessary to em-
                     AND THE MANNER. THEREOF                             phasize over against the.Arminians,  who claimed to believe
                                A r t i c l e   1                        the same confessions.
                               (continued)                                  In the second place, we may note that this article makes
                                                                         none of the rather commonly made distinctions in the image
         (Note : A rather serious mistake crept into our .previous       of God. Thus, for example, it is rather customary to speak,
     article, in the second paragraph of the "Introduction."             even in connection with this article, of the image of God
     About mid-way in that. paragraph you. find the statement:           in a broader and in a narrower sense. Originally this distinc-
     "They wanted people to think exactly as many did in the             tion was not made with  .any wrong intent. It was used to
     Arminian controversy, that anyone who so strongly spoke of          distinguish between the image-bearer and the image, between
     the corruption of man could be guilty of any heresy as far          man as he was originally, and remains even after the fall, a
     & the salvation of man is concerned." This should have the          rational-moral creature, and the spiritual, ethical character
     very opposite sense: "could not be guilty . . . ,")                 of that rational-moral creature by virtue of the image of God
        In this article we have a careful description of three           in him. But it was very simple by means of this distinction
     truths concerning man. In the first place, the article speaks       to  fall into the error of maintaining that also after the fall
     of man's original state. In the second place, it treats the         man kept something of the image of God. He remained a
     manner of his fall. And in the third place, it speaks of the        rational-moral creature, and thus he retained the so-called
     results of his fall as far as his nature is concerned.              "imag'e of God in, the broader sense." And so he retained
        Before we give our attention to these details, however,          the image of God, even though it was in the broader sense.
     it is well to note some general characteristics of this article.    Thus, if one` is. not. careful, he can arrive at the very op-
,       First of all,- I would have you note that the article speaks     posite of the truth that man lost and perverted the image
     of "man." It is, of course, true that the  iu&uidual   g+zan  of    of God completely. And this, in fact, is often the consequence.
     whom this entire article speaks was Adam.  But Adam is              Man, so it  ;":s said., still. has something of the divine glory
     not mentioned by name. The focus of the article is not.upon         in him. God left some of that glory in man when he fell.
     Adam as an individual, nor upon any single individual at all,       It is perhaps even well not to speak of the image of God
     but upon il%a.n. This already gives an indication of the line       in the "formal" and "material" sense, though this distinction
     which our Can,ons are to follow, namely, the organic (and,          is much safer. For after all, the "image of God in the
     by implication the federal, or, covenant) line. Neither right-      formal sense" is, strictly speaking, not the &age of God in
     eousness nor guilt, holiness nor corruption, are merely a           man, but his capacity to be an image-bearer. And as such,
     matter of the individual human being. There is, to be sure,         he may bear either  the'image  of God or the image of the
     a personal guilt and a personal corruption. But from the            devil. It is well, therefore, I believe, to limit ourselves to
     very beginning the guilt and corruption of  the- individual         the language of our Canons, and to include in the  ,image
     may not be viewed all by itself and cannot be understood            of God only what this article includes, namely, the excellent
     when it is viewed in separation from the guilt and corruption       spiritual, ethical gifts which man forfeited through his rebel-
     of the race. Surely, an individual `was created after the           lion and fall.
     image of God in the beginning; but it was not  *l%srely an             We are now ready to take note of the original condition
     individual: ltzan was created according to the image of God.        of man's nature. Notice that, according to the article, the
     An individual sinned in the beginning ; but it was not  1serely     image of God was not something added to man after his
     an individual: ?ita.n revolted from God by the instigatiop of       creation, but that he was from the very beginning formed
     the devil and his own free will. An individual, Adam, be-           according to, after, the image of God  (a.d  &agine~   Dei) .
     come totally corrupt through his rebellion' against God ; but       And this implied the following : 1) His mind was character-
     it was not  lqze&ly  that individual:  Igun became totally cor-     ized by, seasoned with (mnditus) a true and blessed knowl-
     rupt. And neither the true character of the fall and sin nor        edge of his Creator and of spiritual things. Notice the expres-
     the possibility of salvation can be understood apart from.          sion here, which teaches us that as with seasoning in food, so
     this truth. Man does not stand or fall, nor is he saved,            this true and blessed knowledge of God permeated man's


                                                                                                            --     :
                                              T H E   S T A - N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  43

  mind. And this knowledge was not simply a formally correct            into its very opposite. For notice that the human mind and
  intellectual understanding of things spiritual  ; it was truk         will and inclinations are not pictured as being, spiritually,
  knowledge, according to which man rightly knew God his                etl$cally neutral after the fall. But: 1) As  far as man's
  Creator. It was a living, experiental, personal knowledge. He         mind is concerned, he entailed on himself blindness, horrible
  did not know merely all about God and spirittial  things; he          darkness, and vanity and perverseness of judgment. Again;
  knew God. He had the knbwiedge  that is life, the knowledge           this concerns not merely the thoughts, the product  oi  the
  according to which he knew God as the only blessed God, the           mind, but the very mind itself. Man is no longer' able
  fountain and source of all goodness, all light, all life, Notice,     inteilectually  t'o see the good from the spiritual, ethical point
  further, that man is described not `only as having the ability        ol view. Hence, as the Scriptures have it,, apart from the
  to know God, but as having an actual knowledge of God.                re-birth he cannot see the kingdom-of God. While he retains
  2) His very will and heart were  adorned with righteousness.          his intellec&al  capacity, he. is no more filled with the light,
  Hence, man in the very'center of his spiritual, ethical being,        but with the very opposite of the light,- spiritual darkness.
  his heart,  and in his will, from which all his determinations        Not truth and knowledge and wisdom fill his mind, but the
  and decisions arid desires proceed, stood in perfect accord           lie, ignorance, and foolishness. And from the spiritual,
  with the will of the only good God. With his mind he knew             ethical point of view man is, as far as his v,ery mind is con-
  the good, and with his will he chose the good that was                cerned, unable to make a right judgment. He is unable
  presented to that will by  the mind. 3)  And hence,  all his          spiritually to call ,the good good, and the evil, evil. Instead
  nff  ections,  his inclinations were characterized by purity.         he is by virtue of the spiritual bent of his very mind only
  Thus, with his entire nature  man went out toward God                 able to render a perverse judgment. 2) His will is rebellious
  and His fellowship. To know God and taste His goodness,               and wicked, evil, and his heart hard. Again, notice that he
to love God and desire His will, to follow after God with all           not only gives rise to a rebellious decision and a rebellious
  his strivings and aspirations, - that was life for man. And           deed. But his very heart and  will are contrary to the will
  with that life, the life of the perfect image of God,' man was        of the living God, and follow after all that is contrary to that
  from the beginning alive.,                                            will. He has an evil will, a will that perversely and  ma!i-
     . Notice, by the way, that the article speaks of basic things.     ciously  takes delight in everything that is the .very opposite
  It does not simply speak of man's active life, of his deeds.          of God's will. God says : "Love Me." Man says, with his
  It does not even limit itself to the inner activity of  man's         evil will : "I hate Thee." God says : "Consecrate thyself
  nature. But it speaks of that very nature itself: of the mind,        unto and serve Me." Man says by virtue of the very malice
  the will, the heart, the affections or emotions. Also this            of his will : "I. will devote myself and all my service to the
  fact is very important. Just as surely as inan's original right-      devil." He delights in the evil, corruption in his sphere. 3)
  .eousness was a matter of his very nature, so surely is sin           And thus, finally, all man's affections are become impure.
  fundamentally a matter of man's nature, and so surely is sal-         His "love" is turned to adultery: his "tender mercies" are
  vation again something that involves man's very nature.               becon?e  cruel ; he is in his very nature- incapable of anything
      But what became of tliat image of God in man by virtue            that is pure and good.
- of the fall ? Very easily we fall into the error of saying that           Such is man, according to our Cunons, without a single
  the fall implied simply .the loss of the image of God. Now            limitation or qualification. Such a man, who is in  his:very
  it is true, of course, that man lost the image of God. This           nature the diametrical, `opposite of holy, corrupt to the
  article also teaches that very truth: "he forfeited. these ex-        very ultimate degree, is the object of the- converting grace
  cellent gifts." And notice that you have a blanket statement          of God.
  here. Man did not lose them in  part, even though it was                                     (to be continued)
  in large  pai-t. He did not, according to the article, retain                                                                   H.C.H.
  some of these excellent gifts of the image of God `by virtue
  of a so-called "common grace." No: he forfeited these ex-
  cellent gifts. That lneans that,,while  he retained his intellect,
  that intellect was no more characterized by a true and
  blessed knowledge qf God and spiritual things; while he re-                            Eastern Ladles' League
  tained his will, his will and heart were no more characterized
  by uprightness ; while he retained his emotions an.d affec-               Note change of date.  `-
  tions, he was no more pure in his affections. And thus, the               The Eastern Ladies' League.  &ill hold its fall meeting
  man who was once in his entire being holy, that is, perfectly
  consecrated to and devoted to the living God in his very              ,October  25 at S P. M. in our First Prot. Ref. Church.
  nature, was now no more sd dedicated.                                 Student Mulder will be the speaker.
      But according to the fathers of Dordt, this is only. half
   of the story. Man not only lost the image of God; he gained              Let's keep this date for an evening of Christian fellowship.
   the image of the devil. That image was changed in man                                                    Mrs. Gerrit Pipe, Vice Sec.
                                                                                               (


  44                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
  -
  I\                                                                    ments that vary in. different localities to make it! advisable
                 DECENCY  and  ORDER                                    to attempt to set any fixed time: -
                                                                           4) Under the system  proposed in this article, "a propor-
                                                                        tionate (evenredig deel) number shall retire each year."
              Compulsory Retirement of Elders and                       The purpose of this stipulation is to avoid having the eritire
                               Deacons                                  consistory or a large majority of it replaced at the same time
        (De Vaste Aftreding van Ouderlingen en Diakenen)                and thus creating an entirely new consistory that is inex-
                                                                        perienced and unacquainted with the affairs of the church.
        "The elders and deacons shall serve two or more years           That. would be detrimental to the congregation. This rule
  according to local regulations, and a proportionate number- avoids this possibility. As it is, if there are nine elders
 --shall retire each year. The retiring officers shall be succeeded     in a church who each serve for three years, three of them
  by others, unless the circumstances and the profit of any             shall retire each year and be replaced by others. The same,
  church, in the execution of Articles 22 and 24, render a re-          of course, applies to the deacons. If there are six of them
  election advisable."  - Art.. 27, D.K.O.                              serving three  yegr terms, two will retire each year. Thus
        To the above article, our churches have added the  follbw-      in a consistory of fifteen members, no more than one third
  ing decision: (Acts of Synod 1944):                                   of its constiuency  is ever replaced at-the same time and two
        "In case of difficulties in the congregation, the office-       thirds of it always  remains composed of men who have had
  bearers then serving shall continue to function. until their          experience in consistorial matters. This arrangement has
  chosen successors can be installed."                                  many things in its favor.
        This is substantially the same as the decision recorded            5) Finally, we should notice that although the Article
  in the Christian Reformed Church Order by J. L.  Schaver              favors the practice of "Compulsory Retirement of  Office-
  which reads thus:  '                                                  bearers" (Vaste Aftreding), it does not altogether exclude
        "In case the installation of newly-elected officers is post-    the possibility of an  elder or deacon continuing in the
  poned, the term of office of the retiring elders and deacons          office after a given term through re-election by the congrega-
  is extended- until the installation takes place." (Acts of            tion. This, however, should occur only when and where
  Synpd  1912)                                                          circumstances are such that the welfare of the church would
        To this appendix we shall come back presently but we            be endangered by the termination of the services of those
  must first consider the article proper.                               office bearers whose time in office has expired. This provision
        Concerning this article of our church order we may              is exceptional and the exception should  n&t be made the rule.
  briefly note several elements before discussing  .the matter          Although the article allows this provision, it does not en-
  itself :                                                              courage its use. It is intended only for unusual circumstances.
        1) The article expresses the rule for what is commonly          If  then such office-bearers are to be presented to the congrega-
  known in Presbyterian  circles`as "Term Eldership" in dis-            tion for re-election, the consistory should have very pre-
  tinction from "`Permanent Eldership." (These terms apply              ponderant reasons for doing so. A re-election is possible but
  to the deacons as well). Concerning this distinction and the          not probable. It is permissible but not likely. The rule re-
  meaning of these terms, the Rev. G. Lanting wrote a feature           mains that after serving a given specified period which is
  article in Vol. 32, No. 13 of the Standard Becwcr and, con-           stipulated at the time of the election, the elders and deacons
  sequently, we will not repeat  .that now.                             are to be retired at least for one year. Such is the intention
        2) The article does not literally limit the term of office-     of the church order and such is also the practice in our
  bearers to a specified period of time. It merely states, "Two         churches.
  or more years" which, as a relative expression, can only                 It may be interesting to know that this practice of
  mean that the minimum term of service by an elder  i;r                compulsory retirement of elders and deacons (Vaste  Af-
  dkacon  is two years while the  maxi&mm term is left un-              treding), to which w,e have no doubt become so accustomed
  defined. There is no binding rule in the church order that            that we no longer quest& its propriety, has been considered
 stipulates the exact length of time-that the office bearers are        in times past by  many  Synods of Reformed Churches. Its
  to serve in the churches.                                             reappearance time and again at these Synods would seem
        3) The tenure of office is determined by "local regula-         to indicate, its importance in the mind of the church. Al-
 tion." This means that each church decides this for them-              though today. there are no doubt still some  whq would
  selves. It is not, therefore, necessarily the same in all  the        like to see the present practice changed and who favor
 churches even of the same denomination. In one church                  "permanent eldership,"
                                                                                                  the matter is not contested among
 an elder may be elected for five years, in another for three,          us since "Vaste  Aftreditig"  has become a fixed part of our
 and in still another for onlytwo. The size of the congrega-            ecclesiastical custom. In this custom  we' do not stand alone
 tion and other local circumstances determine this and, there-          for Reformed Churches have followed it since the time of the
.fore, each consistory must decide this as is in the best in-           Reformation of the sixteenth century;
  terests of their particular case. There are too many  ele-               Dr. H. Bouwman tells us that elders &deacons in the


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   `B E A R E R                                                4 5
                             .,
  Apostolic times  w&-e   choBen  for life and, for this reason,      Danaeus from Leyden who submitted the following four
  most of the churches later.*judged  that this was proper and,       points of counsel:
 consequently, ordained office bearers. for life terms. Up to             "1. Scripture does not teach that office bearers are  to,
 the time of the Reformation this practice remained in vogue.         remain always in that calling. Retirement is permitted and
  It was John Calvin, the G@evan  Reformer, who introduced            to avoid ecclesiastical tyranny, it is better than life-time
 a change. Historically, we must trace the origin of the twen-        service.
 ty-seventh article of our church order to him.. He, primarily           2. It is desirable that more persons be given experience
 to safeguard the churches from the dreaded hierarchical              in the affairs of the church.
 .practices of Rome in which ecclesiastical po-wer  is flagrantly         3. Through retirement .the consistory each time looses
 misused by a few too long in seats of authority, thought it          a part of half of its constituency and so the danger of
 better to appoint  .elders  and deacons for a limited period.        tyranny is reduced.
  Since Scripture itself is altogether silent on the matter of the       4. In the event some continue in the of&e, which is
 length of office-bearer's term, Calvin and other Reformers,          permissible, they must nonetheless be approbated by the
 concluded that the churches are free to regulate this matter         congregation."
 according to their own best interests and. welfare. In Geneva           Unfortunately the Synod did' not act upon this advice be-
 the office-bearers were appointed for one-year `terms with           cause they could not finish their agenda but that they were
 half of them retiring  then:`evei-y six months. Such was the         in agreement with it .appears  evident from the fact that the
 ruling of Calvin's Church'! Order of 1541 and the principle          former ruling was again retained without change.
 of this ruling has been followed by Reformed Synods ever                 1n1  1556  the Synod of  `s' Gravenhage maintained the
 since.                                                i              same article as did also the Synod of Utrecht i.n 1618-19 with
     In  1565  the Wezelian  iconvention  ruled :  ,,De helft van     but two additions. They added:             ,
 de ouderlingen en diakenen zou naar omstandigheden elk                   1. "`For two years" was changed to "for two or  `vp~ore
 jaar of' elke zes maanden  Pftreden  en anderen in hun plaats        years."
 verkoren  worden,  met vrijheid om de  -bekwaamsten, zo ze           ' 2. At the conclusion of the article was added : "unless the
 bereidwillig  waren,  voor  &en jaar of een half jaar te  con-       circumstances and the profit of any church, in the execution
 tinueren,  d.i. zonder herkiezing te herbenoemen." Freely            of Articles 22 and 24 render a re-election advisable."
 translated : "Half of the eiders and deacons shall, according           And so we have the article in its present form today.
 to circumstances, retire e+ery year or every six months and          Next time, D.V., we will present the arguments pro and con
 `others chosen in their place, with the liberty, if desired, to      for the practice of "Compulsory Retirement of Office
 extend the term of the  most capable a year or a half year           Bear&s," give our evaluation of these arguments, and at-
 without reappointment by re-election."  _                            tempt to answer a few practical. questions submitted in
                                                                      respect to this practice.
     The Synod of  Emdec: in 1571 extended this period to
 two years with half retiring each year with the church re-                                                                    G.V.D.B.
 taining the liberty to lengthen or shbi-ten  -this according to
circumstances. The following Synods, held in Dordrecht in
 1574 and again in 1578, followed this same rule.                     0 PRAISE THE LORD, HIS DEEDS MAKE KNOWN
     Once mdre the matter..was  brought before  and considered                    .O praise the Lord, His deeds make known,
by the Synod of Middelburg in 1581. We' note that for                                And call upon His Name;
 twenty years the question was almost  constantly before the                      -.Sing ye to Him, His praises sing,          -
 churches.  This Synod maintained substantially the same                             His wondrous works proclaim.
 ruling as the previous synods so that the practice  of. one                      Let hearts rejoice that seek the Lord,
half of the office bearers i-&tiring each year dontinued.  Each                      His holy Name adore  ;
 consistory, however, was left free to extend the term of her                     .Seek ye Jehovah and His strength,'
 office-bearers. This,  however,  would not automatically be                         Seek Him for evermore.
 the case .by a decision of the consistory. The name of the in-
 cumbent would have to lbe submitted on nomination with                           Ye children of God's covenant,
 others to the congregation and if he was re-elected (ap-                            Who of His grace have heard,
 probated) by the-congregation,  `he might serve another term.                    Forget not all His wondrous deeds
 This would be done only where circumstances necessitated.                           And judgments of His word.
 Ordinarily office bearers .ietired  when their term expired.                     The Lord our God is God alone,
     Another phase of this question arose before this same                           All lands His judgments know;
 Synod out of the persecuted church of London. This con-                          His promise He remembers still,
 cerned the question of life-time service of elders and deacons.                     While generations go.
 The- Synod requested the advice of a certain Professor                                                                  Psalm 105  :l, 2


        46'                .'                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

        II -.                                                                       mented with colored pictures of some of the rites, and digni-
                            ALL  AROUND  US                                         taries in this semi-religious fraternal organization. Those
                                                                                    interested in a brief commentary on this thriving secret
        P                                                                           society may peruse the 15 pages of Life with profit.
        A New One for the Chaos of the Cults.                                          The writer of the article contends that this "ancient
                     I have in my library a book entitled : The Chaos of Cults,     fraternity is thriving in America." Writes he :
        very ably written by the Rev. J. I<. Van  Baalen, minister                      "In a country full of fraternal orders the oldest and by
        in the Christian Reformed Church. I was reminded of this                    far the biggest is Freemasonry. One out of, every 12 adult
        treatise on modern strange religions when I read the short                  American males - some four million of them -are Masons,
        article appearing in the September 2Sth issue of The BanweIr                subscribing to the Masonic ideals of morality and brother-
        and written by the Rev. Peter Van Tuinen. The subject was :                 hood of the ancient order. Their numbers have, in the past
        Alice's Heresy Growing in Africa.                                           10 years, increased by a.lmost  a.million  and the membership
                     The reverend writes : " `Alice,' the self-styled prophetess    of  .U.S. Masons today is twice that of all the rest of the
        who has been stealing converts from missionaries in Africa,                 world. They have enlarged their circle by bringing wives,
        has almost paralyzed the Christian Church in the Lubwa                      sons and daughters into allied organizations.
         district of Rhodesia. This report was made during the An-                      "The Masons describe their order, whose full title is
        nual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, meeting                    Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, as `a system of morality
        in Edinburgh last' month.                                                   based on allegory and illustrated by symbols.' A worldwide
                     "The assembly was told by the Foreign Mission Com-             organization which grew out of guilds of stoneworkers who
        mittee that missionaries in Northern Rhodesia are `losing                   built Europe's medieval cathedrals, Freemasonry is open to
        the battle to the strange new religion of Alice.' They added                any man who believes in `a Supreme Being.' There are
        that thousands of persons are trekking to hear and see                      Mohammedan and Buddhist Masons but few Catholics, since
        the false prophetess, and that she has even inspired her                    the Church forbids this. Freemasonry. came to the U.S.
        converts to build their own churches.                                       about 1730 and has numbered among its members 13 U.S.
                     "Alice- her real name is Lenshina Mulenga- is 32               Presidents, from George Washington to Harry Truman.
        years old.. She claims to have a direct connection with God                 The somewhat austere and intellectual cast of European
        and insists that she died but God kept her from entering                    Freemasonry has been embroidered in America with' rich
       heaven, telling her instead to return to her own people. She                 ritual and color, which Life shows in photographs on these
        warns them to give up withcraft and repent of their sins.                   pages. It has also produced a complex organizational struc-
        Alice also says that God told her there were two books, one                 ture explained on pages 106, 107.
        for whites and one for the blacks. And the black book was                       "The basis of Freemasonry is the local lodge, called the
        the right one. God speaks to her during a strange whistling.                Blue Lodge, to which all Masons belong. In the U.S., Blue
        Missionaries watching her activities say she just steps behind              Lodges are organized into state groups, each ruled by a
        a tree and  blowsa small instrument. The natives, ordered                   Grand Master. Advanced degrees of masonry are offered by
        to bow their heads, are greatly impressed.                                  the Scottish Rite,, which has northern and southern jurisdic-
                     "In 12 months 60,000 have listened to and been baptized        tions, and the York Rite. Masons can, and frequently do,
        by  .Alice. And once changed to her loyalty, most natives                   take advanced degrees in both these rites. But though rituals
        refuse to change back to Christianity."                                     of Freemasonry become elaborate, the trappings ornate,
                     To be gullible for all kinds of hocus-pocus I thought was      the antics of some allied organizations pretty outlandish,
        especially an American trait. But -when you read this, it                   the Masons are earnest, pious and dedicated men believing
        appears to be quite universal. Perhaps one might offer as                   in helping each other as brothers and learning `the  funda-
        a reason for the thousands of blacks falling for the persua-                mental truths, the observance of which tends to promote
        sions of Alice their ignorance and illiteracy. But how then                 stability of character, conservatism and good citizenship.' "
        would you account. for the thousands in civilized and edu-
        cated America falling for the  "Alices" over here? Is not                      The most interesting feature in this article is the colorful
        the answer respecting both the African and American Alice-                  diagram showing the structure of Freemasonry and its allied
        ites to be found in the Scriptural prophecy: "And many                      organizations.
        false prophets shall arise  and, shall deceive many." Matt.                    The chart of Masonic structure resembles two sets. of
        24:11?                                                                      stairs that begin and end together. In between the. two sets
                                                                                    of stairs is a huge arch in which are represented by colorful
                                                                                    figures the various allied organizations of  the-  Masonic order.
        Freeviiusonry.                                                              Among the latter are the following: Tall Cedars of Lebanon,
                                                                                    and Grotto, for which Master Masons are eligible. There is
                     Speaking of religious cults, Life Magazine of October 3,       also Job's, Daughters and Rainbow Girls, to which girls
        1956, presents a rather clear picture of Freemasonry supple-                with a Mason in the family can join, There is also the
 .'

        `%
h             `,\


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                        47
  -                  _^._. ---
 Order of the Eastern Star to which women may be joined ;          would not . . . have  ,such a hatred of the light.' Lodges in
 and the Order of De Molay to which boys may join. At              Catholic nations were closed, often by mobs. Today, though
 the top of all these is the Shrine to which only 32 degree        a few Catholics are Masons; the Church has never reversed
 Masons or Knights  Tempiar  can join  ; and Daughters of          its historical position. Any Catholic who takes part in
 the Nile, where a Shriner's wife may join.                        Masonic religious rituals or swears Masonic oaths of secrecy
     The two stairways represent on the one side the Scottish      that could run counter to the Catholic concept of the con-
 rite and on the other, the York rite. The former stairs has       fessional has automatically excommunicated himself."
 some `33 steps in it, the last representing the highest order         The article closes with a brief report of the existence and
 of Masons, namely, a 33 degree  ,Masdn,  who is called            progress of Freemasonry in America. George Washington and
 Sovereign Grand Inspector General. The York rite repre-           Benjamin Franklin, two of the fathers of our country, were
 sents 10 degrees known by name and not degree number.             famous Worshipful Masters in the secret order.
 After he passes' the `third step where most Masons stay, he           We also have in our library a book on the subject of
 may pass' on to the fourth where he is called Mark Master.        Freemasonry which probably does not treat the subject as
 The next in succession are called Past Master, Most Ex-           objectively as Life tried to do, but which nevertheless treats
 cellent Master, Royal Arch `Mason! Order of the Red Cross,        the subject and in such a way that your hair stands on end
 Order of the Knights of Malta, and last and highest is the        when you read of the sin and corruption perpetrated, within
 Order of Knights Templar. Each rite and each of the various       this organization. It tells of the persecution to which its mem-
 degrees has its own symbol as well as each Allied Organiza-       bers are sworn, the awful profanity of its .oaths, the profane
 tion. It would be quite a study by itself to be able to memor-    use it makes of the Holy Bible, the sham of its boasted
 ize all the various symbols this secret order uses.               benevolence, the fact that Freemasonry is a false religion,
     The article goes on to say that "though many groups           and its relation to the church of Christ, etc., etc.
 are organized primarily to promote social pleasure, they all          If these things are true, and there is no reason to dis-
 retain the seriousness of purpose that Masons can never           believe them, it -is no wonder that our Reformed Churches
 completely forget. The Grotto supports cerebral palsy             (and I mean, of course, not Reformed in name only) have
 clinics. The Tall Cedars of Lebanon fights muscular dys-          decreed the incompatibility of membership in these secret
 trophy `and the Shriner maintains 17 crippled children's          orders and in the church.
 hospitals. Nowhere is -this seriousness of purpose more em-          The Romish Church, in my opinion, is thoroughly in-
 phasized than in youth organizations that are sponsored           consistent when it disallows members to join Freemasonry;
 directly by Lodges. The Rainbow Girls teach `right living         but does nevertheless allow its members to join secret orders
 and thinking.' The  De.Molay strives to `create leaders and       that are composed mainly of Catholic members.
 develop character.' This interest in young people is fruitful                                                                  M.S.
 for the Masons. Every year many De Molay boys become
 Masons and Rainbow Girls and Job's Daughters move into
 Eastern Star."  ". . . . The Tall Cedars of Lebanon, or-          THE SEASONS ARE FIXED  IBY WISDOM DIVINE
 ganized primarily to have fun, draws its name from the
 Trees used in bulding Ring Solomon's Temple."                          The seasons are fixed by wisdom divine,
     The article goes on to say, "Throughout its 239 year his-       , The slow changing moon shows forth God's design
 tory. Freemasonry found that its secrecy and rituals have             -The sun in his circuit his Maker obeys,
 both attracted members and aroused enemies . . . After de-             And running his journey hastes not nor delays.
 cades of religious bitterness many. Englishmen now found
 comfort in a moral system based on unchanging building                 The Lord makes the night, when, leaving their lair,
 tools-the compass, square and level  - and  ,embraced an               The lions creep forth, God's bounty to share;
 order that saw God as `The Grand Architect.' Wherever               The Lord makes the morning, when beasts steal away
 Englishmen went they founded Masonic Lodges. Enlighten-                And men are beginning the work of the day.              :
ed Europeans certain of human perfectibility and distrustful
 of -ancient institutions like the Catholic Church, joined.             How many and wise `Thy works are, 0  -Lord !
 Among them were Frederick the Great, Voltaire and                      The earth with the wealth of wisdom- is stored ; ,
 Mozart.                                                                The sea bears in safety the ships to and fro,
       "But the strange costumes, the aristocratic flavor of            And creatures unnumbered it shelters below.        )
 Freemasonry made the lower classes suspicious. In London
 Masonic parades were stoned. The antagonism to the Roman               Thy creatures all look to Thee for their food ;
 Catholic Church that grew with the Enlightenment was re-               Thy hand opens wide, they gather the good ;
 flected in anticlerical attitudes of leading Masons. This              Thy face Thou concealest, in anguish they yearn ;
 aroused the hostility of Pope Clement XII who- in  1738                Their breath Thou withholdest, to dust they return.
 denounced the order, `for if they were not' acting ill, they                                                        Psalm 104 :l-4


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                                                                     i
    I                                                                                                                       I:


-4s.-                     `
                           .`
                               .         ,.'
                                               T           '    H              E                STANDARD   BEA-RE'R
                                                      :                                                  -.          -"            ;
                                                                             California.  There  `scarcely was  a:  d&l moment from that
                     CONTRIBUTBONS                                        II viewpoint.
                                                                              As to the future we  khow  this is in good hands.
                     _                                                                                                                          -0Otir
                                                                             trust is in-the Lord. He will do .all- things  `well. And so our
                          Missio~&ry         Note&                           prayers ascend' to Him from whom all blessings flow.
                                    -                                                                                                            We
                                                                             believe and trust that the gathering of the church is in His
         Today  is October, the fourth  -day.  Since the first week          hand, and we labor ndt to priselyfize  a few individuals
  of  August'1  might again be here in Loveland  a!ter an ab-                                                                                    but
                                                                             that the children. may -be. fed, the lost sheep be gathered,
  sence of two nionths. During most of that time Candidate                   and the grace of God be magnified.
  Bernard Woudenberg held the fort here in Loveland. The                            Remember also this labor- in your prayers, dear brethren
  undersigned was occupied with Synod proper, with the work                  and sisters. For God gives his grace and -Spirit, as a con-
  of the Stated Clerk in general and the Court.Trial of Second               scious reality, to those who ask Him for it, and are thankful
  Church. Then too I  might  enjoy a few weeks of vacation                   to Him.
  and be with t'he,family  in Grand Rapids;                                                                                                     G.L.
         But now I  Brn. back in Loveland and have no trouble
  keeping busy and occupied from  mol'ning till night.
         After one month of vacation the ,Catechism  again `meets.                     PRAISE THE LORD, FOR HE IS  GOOD
  Sunday School is still. being conducted each Sunday fore-
  noon prior to the service, and two services are held.                                         Praise the Lord, for. He is good,
         At  the. present t&e Catechism is also being. conducted                                " For His mercies ever  sire
  for members of the Loveland church in the Denver area. In                                     From eternity have' stood,
  the North West corner of Denver is a little suburb called                                       To eternity endure ;
  Arvada. It is not far from Golden, Colorado. Here we were                                     Let His ransomed people, raise
  able to obtain  % Jaycee Hall each Thursday evening, and                                      Songs to their Redeemer's praise.
  here we conduct-catechism for young and old. Always some
  of the brethren from Loveland accompany me to Arvada, a                                       From captivity released,
  distance of some 45 miles.. These catechism classes in Arvada                                   From the south and from the north,
  are really semi-illustrated lectures at the present time. And                                 From the west and from the east,
  they are being advertized  as such illustrated &ctures  to the                                  In His love He brought them forth,
  public in the Arvada Enterprise and the Jefferson Sentinel,                                   Ransomed out of every land
  covering the entire N. W. Denver..                                                            From the adversarq;`s  hand.
         Later we may be able to tell you more about- our labors                                                                           .
  here in Denver, particularly in the S. E. section of the city,,
 where many  people  of Refdrmed persuasion live. However,                                      Wandering in the wilderness,
  since we can obtain. a -building in N. W. Denver, and also                                      Far they roamed the desert way,
  advertise here to a large church-world of the Reformed truth,                                 Found no settled dwelling place
  we are doing here what our hand finds to do.                                                    Where in peace secure to stay,
         Then too a young brother in the iongregation  (one who                                 Till with thirst and hunger pressed
  attends the services) has requested to be further  iristrxted  in                             Courage  sank within  their breast
  the truth, so that he may be baptized and permitted to the
  table of the Lord and`also have their children baptized. This                                 To Jehsvah then they cried
  also takes up one evening per week at his home.                                                 In their trouble, and He saved ;
         At present I at& living here in Loveland where my giod                                 He Himself became their Guide,
  wife stayed with me for the past few weeks. Now she is again                                    -Led them to the rest th'ey  craved
  in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with `the children on Maude                                        By a pathway straight and sure,
  Ave., N. E. However,' I also have a room with one of the                                      `To a city strong, secure.
  Denver families. It is perfectly made to drder, and,  ,of ceurse,
  free from charge: This brother has been considerable aid in                                   Sons of men, awake to @-a.ise
  the work,about  Denver. Paul had his companions in travel ;                                     God the Lord who- reigns ibove,
  a lone Home Missionary needs aid of the brethrep along the                                    Gracious in His works and ways,
  way.                                                                                            Wondrous in redeeming love  ;
         Loveland has had the pleasure and the privilege of enter-                              Longing souls He satisfies,
  taining many of  our people this summer from Michigan,                                        Hungry hearts with good supplies.
  Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota, not to forget                                                                              Psalm 107


