   V O L U M E   X X X 1 1 1                  AUGUST   1, 1957  -  GRAND  RAPIDS,, MICHIGAN                            NLJMBER  19

                                                                      pinnacle of their time. Even the Greek scholars borrowed
          M E D I T A T I O N                                         from them in their principles of politics, geometry, astron-
                                                                      omy and medicine. Moses received a very thorough formal
                                                                      education at the court of the great Pharaoh.

                  THE GREAT REFUSAL  "'                                   And at the end of forty years of this education when he
           "By faith  Moses, when he was come to years, refused       was ready to take up his rightful place in E,oyptian  culture
            to be called-the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing      and religion, government and politics (as Pharaoh and
            rather  `to suffer affliction with the people of God,
            than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;          Egypt thought) he refused all this.
            esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than
            the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the           We read in the .Word of God that he went to look upon
            recompense'of  reward." Hebrews  1124-26.   I             &the  burdens of his people. He had come  to.a certain decision.    ,
- "Man proposes but God disposes !"                                   And that decision was to take preliminary steps to become
   That is a-proverb of man. But it is a truth which is thor-         the deliverer of Israel. Stephen, in his last speech to. the
oughly Scriptural. Proverbs 16 :l could be the basis for this         Pharisees and Scribes, before being stoned to death, said
truth. YFhe preparations of the heart in man and the answer           of Moses: `:`For he supposed his brethren would have under-
of the tongue is of the Lord."                                        stood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but
   The plainest historical example is the Cross of Calvary.           they understood not." Acts 7 25.
There not only man, but also the devil proposed to do some-               That statement by Stephen is illuminating. It shows very
thing. And it was God who wonderfully disposed of those               much about the subjective growth of *the heart and soul of
things, and then in such a way that the very opposite resulted        Moses. It shows that he knew the tradition of the fathers.
from what man and Satan proposed to do. They "thought                 He knew God and the people of God. He knew salvation
evil against the Holy Child Jesus, but God meant it unto              and the promises which were given to the fathers Abraham,
good, to save much people alive" !                                    Isaac and Jacob. And he believed. But there is much more.
   So it is also with the patriarch Moses.                           I He knew that God would use' him as, the deliver of Israel
   Pharaoh and his daughter did not, mean to raise up a               out of their cruel bondage. So the Lord must have revealed
deliverer of the slave-people Israel,, although they had a hand       Himself unto Moses. As yet there was no Bible. Indeed,
in it. While Pharaoh proceeded to root out Israel by drow-            later, much later,, Moses would write the first five books of
ing all the male children, this very decree moved the mother          the Bible under Divine inspiration. And so, God must have
of Moses to place him in a little basket and floated him down. revealed Himself to Moses, even though we do not know
the river where he was found by the daughter of Pharaoh               how and when. But the sure knowledge that God would use
who owned him as her son. And he was placed in school in              him as the deliverer of Israel prompted Moses to go and look
Egypt where it* was said of him after absorbing all the wis-          upon the burdens of Israel, and take the part of the Israelit-
dom of Egypt that he was "mighty in words and deeds."                 ish man when he was oppressed by an Egyptian taskmaster.
   Again, the proposin,u of Pharaoh's daughter and the dis-           And he killed him, hiding his body in the sand. So  gases
posing of God.                                                        struck the first blow' in this deliverance of Israel. But the
   Of this Moses I would like to talk a little.        b     I        following day God put a stop to his hasty work. When he
                                                                      reproved the Israelite for hurting his brother he receives a
                           +    *  *  8                               sneer instead of thanks and.  obedience. And Moses forsook
   Yes, he was learned in all~the  wisdom of the Egyptians.           Egypt and went to Midian  where he became a shepherd of
    And that was .a great wisdom.. They were at the very              Jethro's flock.

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

     He had struck too early. God was not through with                   He also knew that wherever Christ appeared in His
 Moses as far as his education was concerned. He had to              threefold office of righteousness, holiness and knowledge of
 have a forty years' course in theology.                             God, there He was reproached by the.heathen.  Man by na-
     But this much is certain: Moses had cast his lot with           ture hates and despises all goodness. Moses knew that by
Israel and refused to remain in Egypt. He forsook Egypt.             experience.  '
 And it was to his eternal credit. Because theinspired writer            And this scripture also teaches that somehow Egypt re-
 of the Hebrews' epistle #tells us that this action was an action    proached Israel for Christ's sake. As is often said in history :
 prompted by faith.                                                  all wars are essentially religious wars. So also here, and
     Moses revealed what lived in his heart when he chose            especially here, for Israel bore Christ in their midst. And
 between the pleasures of sin and the affliction of God's people.    Moses knew this. He esteemed the reproach of Christ to be
     It was the choice of faith.                                     the riches of God Himself as He had revealed Himself
     See how he identifies the treasures of Egypt with sin,          throughout the ages before Moses to the fathers. Oh, Moses
 and the suffering of God's people with the reproach of Christ.      knew much of dogmengeschichte.
     If this was not the result of faith it would have been                                   *  Q  *  *
 utter foolishness. He had the world at his feet, and he re-             The inspired writer to the Hebrews tells us the secret of
 jected it all. Instead of basking himself at the rich and           Moses' evaluation of things. He says that he chose and
 powerful court of Pharaoh he cast his lot with a slave people.      esteemed  by faith.          .
    What are the things between which he chose?                         And, my dear reader, that makes all the difference.
     First there are the riches and the treasures of Egypt.              Faith is a spiritual power.
 They were first position, then riches, then wisdom and then
 the resultant power. And to have these four entities consti-            Faith is an assured knowledge and a hearty confidence.
 tutes pleasure to the nth degree.                                   Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence
    But-they are the pleasures of the flesh and divorced             of things not seen.
 from God ! And they are gained in the vanity, of life. And              There is a land that is fairer than day.
 the holy record qualifies them to be "but only for a season !"          It is heaven, where God dwells in all His glory:
    How true!                                                            But it is more than that. When, Hebrews 1  :l speaks of
    First, they are short as such. Suppose he lived eighty           things hoped for and things not seen, it is not speaking of
 more years, as he actually did. What is that? It is a mist          the present heaven, angels and heavenly glory at all. It  is
 and we fly away !                                                   speaking of the things of the second world that is coming,
    Then, pleasure even abridges our life.                           that is promised, that is longed for by all the people of God.
    And,, finally, what is SO years, or a thousand, compared            The present heaven, though wonderful and glorious, is
 with eternity ?                                                     not the end. It is only anticipatory. It is not the real thing.
    And so Moses chooses suffering.                                  God has something better in store for all of us.
    Not as such. No -one does except he be sick in his mind             When Abraham beheld a heavenly country and therefore
 and heart.                                                          was satisfied to be a stranger on the earth, he did not have
    But he chooses to suffer with the people of God. There           the present heaven in view, but the last heaven and earth
 lies all the difference. Because he esteems the suffering of where righteousness shall dwell.
 Israel to be the reproach of Christ.                                   And if you have faith you have part and parcel of that
    The reproach of Christ ! That is a strange qualification !       .second, last world in your'heart, mind and soul. Attend to
 We are in the Old Testament. What did Moses know of                 Paul: our life is hid with Christ in God. That is true in the
 Christ? Our answer is that he knew Christ even though in            present heaven too. Our faith is not satisfied with the pres-
 the Old Testament degree: But he knew Him;                          ent earth, but neither is it satisfied with the present heaven.
    There are many scriptures that plainly teach that Christ         We all wait for the glorious appearance of Christ in His
 was already in the Old Testament. Read for instance I Cor.          day. And then God will say: Behold, I make all things new.
 10. There time and time again we read of Christ. The rock           The old earth and the old heaven shall be rolled away like a
 that followed Israel in the desert was Christ. And Israel           scroll and out of the conflagration of the old world a new
 tempted Christ repeatedly.                                          heaven and a new earth shall appear which shall be heavenly,
                                                                     spiritualy, eternal and glorious.
    Christ is the  bffice  Bearer. He is God's King, Prophet
 and Priest. He was in the World, in the sacrifices, in the             That's what Moses knew and trusted in.
 shadows, and in the types. And Moses knew much about                   And therefore he refused Egypt, its treasures, its riches,
 that. More than any of the other prophets.                          its power and its sin. And he clung to the promises of a land


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                           `.                                     435

that is fairer  than day,  and by faith he saw it  front  afar.
    That was the power of the great refusal.  '         ,*                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
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    For he had respect unto the  reconipense  of the  reward.                                       E d i t o r - R E V .   H ERMAN   HOEKSEMA
    That  is founded on the  cbncept  of God's righteousness.                   Communications relative to contents should be addressed to Rev.
                                                                                H.  Hoeksema-1139 Franklin St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
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    And even when He cries  &ously  to God: 0 My  God,                          ElItered  as  Srco+td  Class  r&latter   at  Grand Rapids, Michigan
why  for&test  Thou Me? even  .then  God continues to strike                                                                                                                     -
Him. For God is honest, upright, just.
    He always punishes  the evil and rewards the just.                                                           C O N T E N T S '
    And when Jesus accomplishes all that the Father gave                   khlITATION -
Him to do in coming, dying,, paying the infinite debt and                          The Great Refusal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .433
establishing an eternal righteousness, He receives a just                                Rev. G. Vos
reward.                                                                                                                                I
                                                                           EDITORIALS  -
    Lo, I  comk and My reward is with Me to give unto                              The  better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436
everyone according as his work shall be !                                                 Reir. H. Hoeksema
    Moses revealed that he worked the work of God through                  A             S                 ~Bo~Ks-.
the grace of  ,God. You may also say the same thing this                           Augstinus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         . . . . . . .438
                                                                                   Filosofie van de Onbekende  God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .                             . . . . . . .438
way: Christ wrought in him.                                                        Waar  ,het  Om  Ging...........................                                         . . . . . . .438
                                                                                   Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible.. . . . . . .                                   . . . . . . .43p
    And therefore Moses also received his reward: the re-                          Biblical Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                          . . . . . . .439
ward of grace.                                                                     Christ and the Church in the Old Testament.. .                                          . . . . . . .439
                                                                                   Israel, Key to, Prophesy.. . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . .                    . . . . . . .440     .
    The voice of Moses in his singing, as this very moment; is                            Rev. H. Hoeksema
sweet in the symphony of heaven!                                           THE CALLING 0~ THE MINISTER OF THE- GO,SPEL.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .441
                                                                   G.V.                   Rev. G. M. Ophoff

                                                                           &OM  HOLY  WRIT-
                                                                                   Exposition of I Corinthians 12-14.. .  :.  :. . . .                                   . . . . . . . . 444
                                                                                         Rev. G. Lubbers
           New Treasurer and Stated Clerk
                                                                           I N  H I S   FEAR-
Synodical Treasurer : Mr. C. Pastoor                                               Living As the Lord Wills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446
                         929 Watkins Street, S. E.                                        Rev. J. A. Heys
                         Grand Rapids, Michigan                            CONTENDING  FOR  THE  FAITH  -
Synodical Stated Clerk:  Reir. G.  Vanden Berg                                     The Church  and the Sacraments.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .448
                            9402 S. 53rd Court                _                           Rev. H. Veldman
                            Oak Lawn, Illinois                             FEATURE  ARTICLE   -
                                                                                   The Significance of the Candlestick.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .450
                                                                                          Rev. H. Hanko

                            NOTICE!                                        DECENCY AND  ORDER--I.
                                                                                   Majobr and Minor Assemblies.. . . . . .I.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .453
    Those who vadation in the Holland area are requested                                  Rev. G.  Vanden  Berg
to' note that the First Protestant  Reformtic  Church of Hol-              ALI.  AROUND  Us-
land, Michigan has moved its temporary meeting place to its                        The Refaormed  Fai$h  and Arminianism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .455
present location, 208 West 14 Street, where divine worship                                Rev. M.  Schipper
services are held. The Rev. James M.c Collam is the pastor.


  436                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                            -        -
                                                                          unity d.oes not demand. that all agree and think alike
                  E D I T O R I A L %                                     on all matters of doctrine and life. For us the basis of
                                                                          unity is the Scripture and the Three Forms of Unity,
                                                                          which we cherish. Within the boundaries of Scripture
                             THE LETTER                                   and the Three Forms of Unity, however, there must
                                                                          be room for freedom and for healthy differences of
     Here follows ,the letter which those that caused a schism            opinion. Therefore nuances, current opinions, person-
  in our churches sent to the synod bf the Christian Reformed             alities and traditions may not be reasons before God
  Church. I  an1 not sure that it is, in all respects, the  same          for living and laboring separately, especially not- in these
 as the letter that was actually sent for in a caption above the          end-times.
  letter I now have it is stated that it is the letter "as drafted
  by the committee."                                                          We have led a separate existence since 1924 and
                                                                          are willing and ready to continue to do so if witnessing
     I understand that the synod acted favorably upon this                to the Reformed faith so requires. You and we both
letter. This we can readily understand, for the letter abun-              believe, do we not, that the welfare and unity of the
  dantly suggests that the schismatics probably misunderstood             chui-ch  is promoted only by being true to the witness of
 and misinterpreted "The  Three  P.oints" and that they are               the Holy Scriptures ? The issue is whether our  wit-
  willing to listen when the right interpretation is offered them.        dess, that is, yours and ours, is similar.
  I'also understand that the same synod acted unfavorably on                  Our separation took place in 1924 when your
  the letter *that our churches sent them and refused to enter            Church established the Three Points and maintained
 into a discussion with us. This we can also well understand              them in subsequent ecclesiastical- assemblies. Ever since
 however unreasonable it is even to refuse a discussion, for              that time we have maintained positions that differed
 there is no doubt in our mind that,  liot only "The Three                and have found ourselves drifting farther and farther
  Points" are unreformed,  but also the action of the classes             apart. We are grateful for that which the Lord has
 East and West of Grand Rapids in 1924-25 whereby they                    given  us as Protestant Reformed Churches and this is
 cast out  -faithful  and Reformed ministers was thoroughly               at the same time a challenge to seek the unity of the
 corrupt.                                                                 Church of Jesus Christ, to span separations and seek
     Here, then, follows the letter:                                      contacts.
          "To the Synod of the  '                                             This separation was a process following from the
           Christian Refornied Church, etc.                               fact that we were  ipterpreting  and applying the Three
                                                                          Points. We admit this interpretation may have been
          Dear Brethren  1  :                                             one-sided since you have little or no interpretation or
                 Realizing anew, as churches, that Christ is one          application. You, brethren; can understand that we
          and that the calling of believers is always to seek the         would interpret these, Points, we could scarcely do
          unity of the Spirit in the Gospel of Peace, we address          otherwise. To our mind they have been elevated to
          this missive to you.                                            Church Dogma. They became, as it were, the  boun-
                                                                          ,dary line between Church and Sect inasmuch as office-
                We realize that God's Church finds. herself in the
           .                                                              bearers were tested and are still being  tested for their
          nndst  of the ages; under oath of God's covenant to             orthodoxy by the things drawn from them. The
          preach the true gospel at home and abroad ; and that            action against  officebearers  who refused to sign the
          she is committed to the great task of teaching, preach-         Three Points as well as subsequent utterances of your
          ing and warning all men until the Lord return. More-            Synods regarding the necessity of subscriptioti  to 1924
          over, the Church finds herself vehemently attacked by           by those entering the ministry from outside your
          the powers of Antichrist. By means of seduction, per-           churches, certainly bears this out. And so the process
          secution, apostacy  and false doctrine he seeks the over-       went on. In this prbcess  of interpreting, criticising  and
          throw of the Church. Against his murderous ambitions            in general evaluating these points the possibility exists
          ,we have one `supreme weapon and <that is the sword of          that we have mis-interpreted your position. If this is
          the Spirit, the Witness of Faith, the Word of God.              pointed out to us we assure you that we will correct it.
                 In view of this calling to unity and witness, the        Moreover, the recent schism in our churches has alerted
          question must arise- whether the cause of the Lord is           us to the danger of interpreting statements without con-
          best promoted and defended by you and us going ou?              sideration of their context, or of' giving them interpre-
          separate ways or whether it is possible better to pro-          tation they do not necessarily and contextually need.
         mote anti defend this cause by a mutual drawing closer               You are.undoubtedly aware of the fears and objec-
          together in submission to God's Word. We delieve  that          tions that we, and possibly some of you also, have


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                437

  concerning the Three Points of Common Grace. These                  statement, which will allay these fears and show that
  fears and -objections have  be&me  public, spread  out              ;hese Three Points are and are intended to be a clear
  over many writings. But lest we should seem to deal               setting forth of Reformed faith.
  in vague generalities, may we cite briefly those aspects                3. For this purhose  or for broader contact Fill you
  of the truth we fear lost or endangered by the Three                kindly consider the appointment of a broad committee
  Points ? . They are :                                                whose duty it shall be to meet with a like committee
      1. In Point I, concerning the favorable attitude  of            from our churches, both committees empowered to
  God toward elect and non-elect, we, according to our                discuss freely the differences and the similarities which
  understanding of Point  I> see the. doctrine of God's               are found to exist and to report back to their respective
-. elective decrees and the doctrine of irresistible grace            churches r
  jeopardized.                                                            4. If your Synod should consider some other way
     2. In Points II and III, according to our under-                 of seeking the contact proposed in this letter, will  you      *
  standing of these Points, we see the doctrine of the                please inform us of it?
  antithesis endangered. We realize that the last word                    Hoping you will grant our requests and praying the
  has not been said about the antithesis nor about the              ' Lord's blessing upon His Church,
  relation between the believer and the unbeliever in this
  world, but by endangering the antithesis. we damage its                                                 Yours in His service,
  presentation and its manifestation in this world.                                                              (etc) ."
     We are aware, brethren, that even among yourselves             After the remarks I made on this letter in the last STAND-
  there are different interpretations of Common Grace            ARD BEARER  I have very little to add. Just a few remarks.
 and different conclusions also. We cannot help but feel,
  however, that when statements are raised to the level             First of al!, you may notice that the letter seems to main-
  of Church Dogma they should be so cledr in purpose             tain that only the Protestant Reformed leaders interpreted               -
  and content that they cannot be misunderstood. To              the "Three Points." This is a mistake. And it is simply
                                                           US
  the Three Points are not a clear and definite setting          amazing that the composers of the letter can write sucli un-
  forth of the Reformed Faith.                                   truths. They certainly cannot be ignorant of the elaborate
     If our fears and misgivings concerning that which           interpretation of those points given by the late Prof. ;Berkhof,
                                                                 nor the interpretation by Rev. H. J. Kuiper. No doubt, if
  you  posited in 1924  are. unfounded, how shall these
  fears be removed except by your kind assistance in in-         they ever gain their objective, which, evidently is to unite
  terpreting that which you have declared ? And if our           with the Christian'Reformed  Church, it means that they have
  fears are found to  .be correct do we not do                   adopted the "Three Points" as interpreted by these men.
                                                       you a
  service by calling this to your attention ?                    But even then we would not be surprised. In the light of
     We feel that it is essential that  we thoroughly un-        recent history, I would expect almost anything from those
  derstand each other. Let us not say that it is futile to       that departed from us and from the truth. They grant the
  approach one another for that is to deny the calling of        possibility that they may have misinterpreted the "Three
  our Lord to strive toward the unity of the Church.             Points" and if this is made clear to them they certainly will
  Rather let us trust that where the Spirit is and where         correct their error! This they express repeatedly. Their
  brotherly  lbve in submission to  tlqe Scripture- is pres-     "fears and misgivings" concerning the "Three  Points"  and
  ent, there is also .the possibility of a united witness in     their interpretations may be unfounded, but "how shall these
  the same Spirit. To approach such understanding of             fears be removed except by your kind assistance ?"
  each other, we, on our part, assure you that if any mis-       And, secondly, I like to call attention that their repre-
  understanding or error becomes evident that we will            sentation of the "Three Points" and, especially, of the First
  confess and forsake the same, while we trust that you          Point, is very weak and practically meaningless. According
 `on your part will do likewise.                                 to their understanding of the First Point, they "see the doc-
     So, brethren, may we propose to  you  to consider           trine of God's elective decrees and the doctrine of God's ir-
  prayerfully the following propositions :                       resistible grace jeopardized." How vague and meaningless !
                                                                 I feel confident that the committ&e  appointed by the synod
      1. -Will you kindly favor us with an answer to this        of the Christian Reformed Church to contact them will soon
  missive so that we may feel a corresponding desire to          remove their fears  ,in this respect. They will assure them,
  seek the welfare and the Lmity  of the Church of Christ?       no doubt, that they certainly believe in the doctrine of elec-
     2. Will you, kindly consider  the fears we have             tion and reprobation. But they will point ouf to them that
  expressed concerning the Three Points of 1924 and              the doctrine of election does not alter the fact that the gospel
  consider the possibility of delivering an interpretive         is a gracious and well-meaning offer "CO all that hear, although


43s                                            T 1-I E S `-I' A ti D A I< i, L: .E A IC I!: I<

this may b: a mystery which we can never fathom. And this                 chapter XVI : his "confessiones"  and his work "De Civitate
is exactly what  the First Point teaches, a doctrine which is             Dei" in chapter XVII; his last years and his deafh in chapter
supported by Scripture and the Confessions. This will, no                 XVIII; and, finally, a chapter on his personality.
doubt, remove their fears, and they will readily accept the                  A yery beautifully written and instructive book.
First Point of common grace. The same method will  b;t                                                                               H.H.
followed with  regard  to the Second and Third  Points of
Doctrine adopted by the synod of 1924.                                       F,~~oso~~E   VUC?L   de Onbekende  God. (Philosophy of the Un-
       The trouble is, of course, that, after departing from the          known God) by the  l$ev. J. M. Spier. Published by J. H.
somid basis of the Protestant Reformed truth, they are lost               Kok,  N.V., Iiampen, the Netherlands.
and have no ground to stand on.                                              This is not a popular book that I can recommend to
       But we will watch.                                                 every reader. The Rev. Spier is deeply interested in philos-
                                                                 H.H.     ophy as we have noticed before. In this book he describes
                                                                          the philosophy of extentialism as represented by Karl
                                                                          Jaspers.  His purpose is, according to an introduction to show
II                                                                        that one cannot find refuge in thi: unknown god of existential-
                     AS l-0  ll3ooeQs                                     ism and of Karl Jaspers in particular but only in the God of
                                                                          *the Scriptures Who has revealed Himself in Him Who said:
                                                                          "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and
       A~g~st.i~~s, by  Prof. Dr. A. Sizoo. Published by  J. H.           I will give you rest."
Kok, N.V.,  Iilampen, the Netherlands. Price  (,in American                  In a closing chapter, the Rev. Spiers offers a criticism of
moneji) $4.00, in Dutch money f 13.75.                                    the philosophy of Jaspers in which he, first of all, offers
       This book by  Prof. Sizoo,  Au~u.&c,   iris life                   the opinion of othtrs and then his own judgments. Again, in
                                                            and works,
I heartily recommend to all that are able to read the Holland             the latter he, first of all, mentions what we can appreciate
language, not only to  ,theologians  but also to the average              in this philosophy in order then to offer his own and final
reader, Prof. Sizoo writes in a style `that makes his book                critical conclusion. The god of this  ,philosophy, he finally
accessible to every one that can read Dutch. Moreover, he                 declares, is a  Moloch which consumes his children.
writes in such a way that the book is more than a mere                       With this we certainly agree.
review of Augustine'? life and works. He makes this greatest                 We, therefore, recommend this book to all theologians
of all church-fathers live before our eyes. In an intrqduction            who are more or less acquainted with recent philosophy and
prof. Sizoo writes that, in this book, it has been his purpose            like to become acquainted more fully with the philosophy of
to picture Augustine' to us as he lived in his own time as a              existentialism as presented especially by Karl Jaspers.
hisforical figure and not simply to enter into his theological                                                                       H.H.
and philosophical conceptions. In this. the writer succeeded
admirably, although, of course, by reading this book, the                    L+`LUY  het  O~PL  G&g, (What did it Concern) by Dr. C.
reader also becomes acquainted with the  t'heology  and philos-           N.  Impeta.  Published by J. H.  Kok,  N.V., Iiampen, the
ophy of Augustine.                                                        Netherlands.
       As to thi: contents, the book describes Augustine's youth             In this booklet of 113 pages the well-known Dr. Impeta
in  chapt.er  I ; his time as a student in chapter' II.,. the time        reviews and criticizes the recent history of the schism and
when he embraced the heresy of  Manicheism:  his appearance               separation which recently occurred in the Reformed Churches
as professor of rhetoric in Carthage and Rome in chapter III ;            (Gereformeerde  Kerken) in the Netherlands, Dr.  Impeta,
his  <time as teacher in Milan where he met  Ambrosius and                in this booklet, chiefly refers to the official  synodical  deci-
became estranged from his Manicheistic heresies in chapter                sions to prove that the Reformed (Gereformeerde) Churches
IV;.his conversion, for which his mother Monica had always                in the Netherlands -were  i-ight  and did not depart from the
longed and constantly prayed in chapter V; his -last years                truth that had always been maintained in those churches
in Italy in chapter VI; his mother Monica in chapter VII  ;               and that, for the same reason the churches under art. 31 were
his stay in Thagaste and his calling *to presbyter and bishop             and are  wrbng.
in chapter VIII ; his daily`life as bishop in chapter IX; in-                With practically all of the, material offered we are, of
cidents from Augustine  s practice as bishop in chapter  X;               course, quite thoroughlji acquainted. Nevertheless, for those
his correspondence in chapter XI ; his appearance and work                that are interested in the recent history of the Reformed
as preacher in chapter XII; his opposition against Maniche-               Churches in the Netherlands we gladly recommend this book-
ism which he had formerly embraced in chapter XIII ; his                  let which gives what I consider a rather objective and correct
oppdsition  against the  skhism of  Donatism  in chapter XIV  :           view and judgment of what happened at the `time of this
-his: controversy with Pelagius in chapter XV ; his works in              recent schism.                                             H.H.


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   439

    Zondey  .I;oga  (Without Toga). by the Rev.  M. E.  Voila.            E&Y&l   C?"1:ticisw, by Wick Broomall. Published by Zon-
 Published by J. H.  Kok, N.V.,  Kampen,  the Netherlands.             dervan  Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Price $4.95.
 Price f 4.25 (About $1.20).                                              This is another book which I can heartily recommend.
    This book I gladly recommend to  anyone  that can still            It its scholarly and conservative. And although I  would
 read Holland. It is very interestingly and beautifully written.       recommend it, first of all, to our ministers, yet I see no reason
 It ought to be interesting especially for our &nisters,  not be-      why  ihe average intelligent reader should not be able to read
 cause it deals with all kinds of theological problems, but            it with profit for himself. It is somewhat similar in contents
 because it is  conceriied  with life in the pirsonage  and with       to the book we reviewed above by R. Laird Harris, yet it is
 the life of the pastor in relation to his flock. The book is          sufficiently.different  for me to recommend .both books. It is
 cast in  tGe form of correspondence,. letters and answers.            quite a thorough critique of so-called higher criticism but at
    Heartily recommended.                                  H.H.        the same time it is not merely negative but positive: it is a
                                                                       defense throughout of the conservative position.
    Inspjmtion  nnd  da.z.owicity  of  the Bible,  by R. Laird            As to its contents, the author, first of all treats of the
 Harris, Ph.D. Published by Zondervan Publishing House, inspiration of the Bible in two chapters. Next he discusses
 Grand Rapids, Mich.  Price $4.50.                                     the- subject of revelation. Here he distinguishes between
    This book is an isagogical treatise, an introduction to the        general and special  .rev&lation.  Further, he sets forth the
 books of the Bible. It is thoroughly orthodox and is opposed          principles of criticism, refutes the stand of higher criticism,
 to higher criticism of Scripture. As such it could very well          views the canon of the Old Testament in the light of criticism,
 be used as a textbook in our own theological school. Aft& a           discusses criticism in the light of recent  archaelogical   clis-
 preface, the book is divided into three parts. Part I treats          coveries.  A special chapter he devotes to the book of
 of the inspiration, of the Bible and in this part *the author         Daniel in the light of criticism and he closes with a chapter
 does not hesitate to present and `defend the verbal inspira-          on criticism and interpretation.
 tion of Scripture in the proper  sense  of the term. This we,             One or two remarks. First of all, it seems to me that, as
 also believe. Part II discusses the canonicity of the Old             far as the test of the canonicity of the Bible and its books is
 Testament, first of all from the viewpoint of its determining         concerned, the author seems to differ somewhat from Harris.
 principle, and, secondly, from the aspect of the extent of the        He emphasizes the necessity of the testimony of the Holy
 Old Testament Canon. And Part III treats of the Canon of              Spirit: "Since the Holy Spirit is the real Author behind all
 the New Testament. All this is followed by a conclusion in            BibliCal  books (II Tim. 3  :16), it is logical for us to believe
 which the `author expresses his view as to the determining            that He will leav'e of every book He inspires the impress of
 principle of the canonicity of Scripture. Of this we quote a          its divine nature. That men do not readily or always  ret-
 few sentences :                                                       pgnize this divine quality of- every God-breathed  book.is  due       I
     "The view as to the determining `principle of the canon           more to the blindness of man's spiritual perception than to
 expressed previously may be summarized by saying  *that the           any defect & the book itself . . . But when a man is regener-
 canonicity of the Bible depends upon its authorship. If the           ate, the Holy Spirit bears witness with the human spirit of
 `book was in the Old Testament, the people of the day  ac-            the regenerate that the books of the Bible were authored by
 cepted  it. because it was written by a  prophe?. If it was a         the Spirit." With this we  Bgree.  pp. 221, 22.
 part of the New Testament, it was recognized as inspired                 We also wholeheartedly agree with the author's  dondemna-
if it had been written by an  apost'le- either by himself or           tion of the dispensationalists' interpretation of the Old  Testa-
 with the help of an understudy or amanuensis." p, 272.                ment. Cf. p. 312 ff.
     "The books did not become authoritative by Church                     Heaitily recommend.                                     H.H:
 decision or as a result of the veneration attaching to things             Christ  a,nd the  Chuwclt  I:; the Old  ?`esta;mnt,  by Howard
 of antiquity. They were authoritative when written because            A. Hanke. Published by Zondervan Publishing  House, Grand
 given by inspiration of God. The)  .were recognized as                Rapids, Mich.  Price $2.50.
 authoritative, inspired, and canonical by the generations to              This book maintains and defends the unity of the Olcl
 which they were addressed because of the position of the              and New Testaments of Scripture and, at the. sanie time, the
authors as acknowledged spokesmen of God." p. 282.                     truth` that the Church did not come into existence on the
  With this we can in the main agree although I would                  day of Pentecost but was in the worlcl   from the beginning.
 still assign a more important place than does the author to           As the Heidelberg Catechism has it in Lord's Day 21 : "What
 the testimony of the Holy Spirit.                                     believest thou concerning the holy catholic church of Christ?
     But I certainly most heartily recommend this thorough             That the Son of God, from the beginning to the end of the
 study `on +e inspiration and canonicity of the Bible. It can          world, gathers, clefend,  and preserves to himself, out of the
 be read, not only by theologians, but also by laymen who are          whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life _ . ."
 interested in a study about the Bible.                        H.H.    This truth the author abundantly substantiates from Scrip-


440                                               T H E   ,S,TANDARD   B E A R E R

ture as he makes plain that God, salvation and the church are               CALL  TO ASPIRANTS TO THE MINISTRY
eternally the same, that the `divine names, the divine revela-               All young men desiring to study for the ministry of the
tion, the redemptive economy, the true bhurch as well as the             Word in the Protestant Reformed Churches kindly appear
false church are eternally  the'same.                                    .at the next meeting of the Theological School Committee
    This also is a good book which we may recommend to our               which will be held D.V., on Thursday, August' 29th, at 7 :30
readers.                                                                 p. m. in the consistory room of First Church, Grand Rapids,
    I  camlot agree with what the author writes on p. 101:               Michigan.
"But this new birth has man's conversion as a presupposi-
tion." Regeneration is before conversion and the latter is                   The qualifications requisite to enrollment in our Sem-
not presupposed.                                                         inary are the following:
    Nor do I agree with what he writes on pp. 117, 118 that                  1. You must present a letter from your local consistory
both Jew and Gentile always have been eligible for the king-             certifying that you are upright in walk and pure in doctrine.
dom of God. Especially when we consider the Scriptural                       2. You n&t have certificate of health signed by a rep-
basis,  Rom. 1  :18 ff., for this contentation, I do not only            utable physician.
fail to agree with the author, but I consider this a dangerous               3. You must be a graduate from High School and
view.                                                                    show evidence that you have completed a one year course
    For the rest I heartily recommend this book.                         in High School in History General and Church History ; and
                                                              H . H .    have also completed the following College courses : Latin -
                                                                         two years, Greek  - two years, German  - two years, Philos-
    Isarel, Key to  P,uophecy,  by William L. Hull. Published            ophy  - one year, Psychology  - one year, Logic  - one
by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Price                 semester.
$1.50.                                                                       All correspondence relative to the above announcement
    This book I cannot approve. The reason is that it rep-               should be sent to the undersigned.
resents the premillennial view in its boldest form. In other                                   Secretary of the Theol. School  Comm.
words, it is not Scriptural. Just let me quote as only one
illustration what the author writes about "the rapture" :                                      Rev. M.  Schipper
    "A hush seemed to rest upon the earth, a breathless air                                    1636 Martindale Ave., S. W.,
of expectancy pervaded the atmosphere. Then they were                                          Grand Rapids 9, Michigan.
gone! There could be no doubt of it, countless empty places
testified to that fact. Not many in the higher positions of
authority were missing, not many of the wealthy homes had                                                                         _' _,
been disrupted, but among the ordinary homes there were                                       Announcemerit
many empty homes. There were homes too that were now
divided, husbands grieving for missing wives - wives for                     The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches con-
husbands. There. were many who remained. but who were                    vened in Grand Rapids,  Michigan?,  on June 5, 1957, has
not ignorant of what had transpired, for they had been                   examined brother Alvin Mulder.
warned but had not heeded."                                                 The  afore mentioned Synod has declared this brother
    For proof the author refers in a note to Matt. 25 :6-10; I           Candidate for, the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments in
Thess. 4 :lG, 17; Lu. 17 :34-36. But he does not explain these           the Protestant Reformed Churches.
passages.                                                                   This candidacy becomes effective on July 7, 1957,  D.V.
    But let this be sufficient. I cannot recommend this book.                                    G.  Vanden Berg, Stated  Clerk
                                                               H.H.                              of the Protestant Reformed Churches

                         I N   M E M O R I A M

   The Consistory, Men's Society, and Ladies' Aid Society of the
Manhattan Protestant Reformed Church herewith expresses its                             Notice for  Classis West
sympathy to Mrs. Peter Flikkema and children and the Menko
Flikkema family in the loss of their beloved husband, father,                Classis  West of the Protestant Reformed Churches will
brother, and uncle,                                                      meet, the Lord willing, in South Holland, Illinois, Wednes-
                       PETER FLIKKEMA                                    day, September  18, 1957. The consistories are reminded of
whom the Lord suddenly took to Himself on the evening of                 the rule that all .matters  for the classical agendum must be
May 28. May they be comforted with the assurance that "Blessed           in  sthe hands of the stated clerk thirty days before the meeting
,are  the dead which die in  .the Lord." Rev.  4:13b.
                                         Rev. P. Vis, President.         of Classis.
                                         P. Hoekema, Clerk                                             Rev. H. Veldman, Stated Clerk


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              441

     THE CALLING OF THE MINISTER OF                                  "The word of the Lord came unto  me,`!  and, "The burden
                       THE GOSPEL*                                   of the word of the' Lord."
                                                                         We must hold fast the truth and fact the ministers of the
    The minister of the Gospel is called. He is called of God.       Gospel, worthy of the title, are called of God. If He. called
He is called of God to be a minister of the Gospel.                  His prophets of old, why should He not in this new dispensa-
    A long time ago, when I was still a student in the sem-          tion of the world still be calling His servants. Certainly when
inary, I happened on a day to be in conversation with a min-         the last apostle died, God did not lose His voice.
ister of the Gospel. Mre were talking about this very thing -            In the light of these observations we see what it means
the calling of the minister. In the course of our conversation       that the ministers of the Gospel are called of God,, perceive
he made the statement that he did not believe that a man is          what are the elements that enter into the constituency of this
actually called of God to be a minister of the Gospel. He said       calling, namely the following: First, that the minister of the
that He for one had never heard the voice of God, calling,           Gospel is chosen of God for the work of the ministry ; second,
mandating,, charging him. His being a minister of the Gospel         that God forms him for this work, by reason'of which he is
he ascribed to the fact that he had chosen this particular           God's organ through whom God speaks His Gospel; third,
profession, seeing that it had appealed to him, had therefore        that God makes him to hear His voice, mandating, sending
prepared for it, and had subsequently been called and or-            and thereby authorizing him to proclaim His Gospel and
dained by the church. If. a minister is really speaking the          that God qualifies him for this ministry by His Spirit.
truth about himself in talking that way, he has no moral right           It is  obviotis that the word "calling' `in this context has
being in  offiFe. He is a usurper. Surely not to be guilty of        much the same meaning as the word "anointing." Truly, the
having intruded himself, a minister of -the Gospel must have         minister of the Gospel worthy of the name is the anointed
heard God's voice calling him to the ministry of the Gospel.         of the Lord, and as such God's own gift unto His people. It
    I wish to speak on this idea for a few moments. I have           is  so- true what Paul says, namely, "And He (the exalted
arranged my material under two points, namely 1) the real-           Christ j gave -mark you, gave - some, apostles ; and some.
ity of the calling and 2) its significance.                          prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some pastors and teach-
   That the minister of the Gospel, worthy of the title, is          ers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the min-
called bf God is the very teaching of the article XXX1 of our        istry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 6 :ll-12).
Belgic Confession. Here the statement occurs and I quote,                Not that the ministers of the Gospel of this day are to
"Therefore everyolie  must take heed, not to intrude himself         be placed on a level with the prophets and the apostles of the
by indecent means, but is bound to wait till it shall please         Holy Scriptures.  :By the  latter God gave us His word, so
God to call him; that he may have testimony of his calling,          that when the last .apostle died the canon of the Scriptures
and be certain and assured that it is of God." Since the Belgic      was closed. It is only upon this word, Gospel, as upon a
Confession is one of our official creeds,, we here express it as     foundation, that Christ builds His church. Hence it is that
our firm belief that, according to the Scriptures the minister       word and that word alone that the ministers of the Gospel,
of the Gospel is called of God. Such is our confession. But          the pastors and teachers in the church, who came after,, pro-
what does it mean that the minister of the Gospel is called          claim  a? identifying themselves with it. It is as mindful of
of God? Surely it can mean nothing less than that God                this difference that we say that the minister of the Gospel is
speaks to him, makes him to' hear His voice, mandating,              called of God as truly as the prophets of old were called of
charging and sending him, laying `upon him the necessity of          God. As viewed from this angle there is no difSerence.
proclaiming Christ's Gospel. We should understand that God              Truly then, God calls the men of His choice to be min-
speaks to the minister of the Gospel, whom He calls, as truly        isters - ministers of His word. Why should this not be true, I
as He spake to Moses out of the midst of the burning bush.           considering who God is. He is God to  who,se power there
He hears God's voice as truly as Moses heard God's voice,            is no limit. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made ;
mandating him and arming him with the word that he was               and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth. He
to speak to the children of Israel ; and as truly as the rest of     spake, and it was done. He -commanded, and it stood fast
the prophets heard God's voice and the apostles. Truly God's         (Ps.  335, 9). He quickens  the dead, and calls those things
ministers are called of, God now, today, as well as in days 0%       which be not as though they were (Rom. 6:17).  His people
old. And they know themselves as called of God, are aware            He calls out of darkness into His  marvellous  light-His
that He sends them, puts His word in their mouth, and that           people, which in time past were not a people (I Pet. 2 :9ff).
therefore it is His Gospel that they proclaim. That the              The  Spirit  itself bears witness with our spirit,  that we  are
prophets of old had this awareness, that they knew them-             the children of God (Rom. 8:16).  If there be -these workings
selves as called of God is plain from the superscriptions  that      of God, why can there not also be even today that working
appear above their discourses. "Thus saith the Lord," and,           of God whereby He calls the men of His choice TV be min-  -
                                                                     isters of His Gospel ? It can't be because it is easier  to call
*Commencement address delivered on the evening of  June   12,  in
 the First Protestant Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan,       a simper out of darkness into the light than to call a man to


            44.2                                             T H E   ,S.TANDARD   B E 'A R E R

            the ministry of the Gospel, so that, though God is capable of       thee. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, thou shalt
            the former, He lacks what it takes to do'the latter. To deny        receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (Form for the
            that God calls to the ministry of the Gospel is a matter of         ordination of ministers of God's Word). Let us observe that
            utmost seriousness. It comes close to saying that there is no       the content of this admonition is almost literally taken from
            God.
jl                                                                              the Scriptures. What it means is that it is the very command-
                We must now face the question how God in this day calls         ments and Gospel of God that the church here speaks to the
            His servants to be ministers of His Word. He calls His              called one. However, if the called one, in addition to being
            servants in this day not apart from His church, not as circum-      called of the church, is also called, being called of God, the
            venting the church, as He did in days of old in calling His         voice of the church by which he is being made to hear these
            servants, but through the church as His organ, by her voice.        mandates and this Gospel must become to him the very voice
            Moses was not called  ,through  the church, but the Lord            of God. And this it does, if he is being called also of God,
            spoke to-him from out of the burning bush apart from the            by a working of God that consists in His speaking these
            church. Samuel was not called through the church, but the           mandates and this Gospel in the mind and heart of the called
      --    Lord spoke to him from out of the holiest place of the earthy       one, laying, impressing, binding them on his heart in such a
            tabernacle. So it was with all the prophets of the Old dis-         way that the admonition directed to him by the church be-
            pensation. The Lord spake to them directly usually in vi-           comes to him the very voice of God mandating, sending and
            sions or in dreams, but always as circumventing the church.         authorizing him to proclaim God's Gospel. Then he feels in
            This had much to do with the fact that it was the dispensation      his heart, is convinced in his soul, that he is called of God to
            of shadows. The church had not yet attained to spiritual            Ithe sacred ministry. For He has heard the voice of God and
            majority. For the Spirit was not yet. But when the fulness          not alone the voice of the church. The trouble with that
            of time was come, God sent "forth His Son, made of a wo-            minister of whom I spake is that, if he was speaking the
            man? made under the law, to redeem them that were under             truth about himself, he had heard the voice of the church
            the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, and be-        only and not also the voice of God.
            cause ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
            your hearts, crying Abba, Father.`.' The church therefore is           Our fathers had understanding of these things, as ap-
            no longer a child, differing nothing from a servant, but a son,     pears from the first of the three questions that is put to the
            and as such heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4 :lff). This          called one on the occasion of his ordination. The question
            being true, the church has received new rights, including the       reads, and I `quote, "First I ask thee, whether thou  feelest
            right to engage in the calling of her officebearers, definitely     in thy heart that thou art lawfully called of God's church,
            the ministers of the gospel,, which is but saying that, as was      and therefore of God Himself to this holy ministry." This
            just said, God now calls his servants through His church as         can mean but one thing, namely, dost thou feel in thy heart
            His organ, through the agency of her voice.                         that God called thee through the church, that is, has the
               The voice of the church is heard first of all in the election    voice of sthe church become unto thee the very voice of God,
            by the consistory in cooperation with the congregation. Sec-        so that thou  feelest  in thy heart that in being called of the
            ond, the voice of the church is heard in the message, "Come         church thou art called of God. That this is the meaning is
            over and help us," that the church directs in the call-letter       plain from the following statement found in the Call-letter,
            to  ,the one that was chosen. Third, the voice of the church        "Now, dear reverend brother, may the king of His church SO
            is heard in the charge that the church directs to the one           &tpress   t%s  ea.11  rtpon  yoitr  hewt  and give you light, that
            chosen on the occasion of His ordination - the charge, "Take        you may arrive at a decision that is pleasing to Him and if
            heed, therefore, beloved brother, and fellow servant in Christ.     possible for us mutually  gratify5ng."  Let us mark the
            unto thyself and all the flock! over which the holy Ghost hath      clause, "impress this call upon your heart." If God does SO
                                                                                - such is the implied idea-thou wilt feel in thy heart that
            made thee overseer, to feed the church of God, which He hath        thou art called also of him, and in this case thou wilt come
            purchased with His own blood: love Christ and feed His
            sheep, taking the oversight of them not by constraint, but          over and help us.
            willingly: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as       Certainly, if the voice of the church has not become to a
            being lord over God's heritage, but as an example to the            man the voice of God, and if the church nevertheless or-
            flock. Be an example of believers, in word, in conversation,        dained him, because she does not know the heart, he is nev-
            in charity, in spirit, in faith,, in purity. Give attendance to     ertheless in office, yet not truly so, seeing that he was called
            reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift          of the church only and not also of God. To the question,
            that is in thee, meditate upon those things, give thyself wholly    "Dost thou feel in thy heart that thou art`called of the church
            to them, that thy profiting may appear to all ; take heed to thy    and therefore also of God, he replied with an "I do," while
            doctrine, continue steadfast therein. Bear patiently  ahsuffer-     he. should have replied with an "I do not." And  SO  the
            ing, and oppressions, as a good soldier of J,esus Christ, for in    church ordained him, for God `only knows the heart. This
            so doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear       is a matter of utmost seriousness, because, if. a man is not



                                                      . .


                                             T H E   S T A . N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              443

 also called  of' God, he is not going to be qualified for the        consists in explaining God's Gospel to the flock and in ap-
  duties of the office by the Lord God either. Nevertheless           plying it according to the needs of the flock. In preaching,
 the man is going to be held fully responsible for His conduct        therefore, the minister comes to the flock not with the literal
 in office.                                                           word of God but with his own word. To do the former the
                                                                      minister should have to read the Scriptures and refrain from             .
      That God calls His servants implies that by His Spirit          adding to the portion read one syllable of explanation. But
  and His word He also qualifies them for the work of the             this  .would not do. This would not be preaching. The task
 ministry by continually putting in their hearts appropriate          of  the.minister is to explain and apply the Word of God.
  mandates and the Gospel. That there is a special qualifica-         But this explanation is his own word. Surely preaching the
 tion for the work of the ministry is clear from the admonition       Gospel is a glorious engagement. `But it is just as precarious
 that `is directed to the called one on the occasion of his ordi-     as it is glorious. For there is always the question whether
  nation. For example, the mandate, "Give attendance to               God's Gospel is truly being preached, whether the word of
  reading, to exhortation and to doctrine," are words directed        the minister is substantially the word of God., There will be
  not to the flock but to the one called to be the shepherd of        no danger that it is-not, if the minister only be called of God.
  the flock. God continues to speak these and similar man-            For the calling implies qualification, and qualification here
  dates in the heart of His servants, and thereby qualifies           includes all that is needed. in the way of spiritual gifts to
  them, continues to call them spiritually. Of this working of        preach the Gospel. It includes being led of Christ's spirit
  God the laying on of hands is expressive. This laying on of         into the truth of the Scriptures in order that they may be
  hands is not a meaningless ceremony, but an action of the           rightly understood. It thus includes insight into the Scrip-
  church indicative of how God spiritually qualifies His ser-         tures. It includes the will prayerfully to study the Scriptures
 vants for the work of the ministry, for the duties of the            continually, persistently, day and night. It includes the desire
  office.                                                             and courage to preach and to vindicate sound doctrine against
                                                                      heresies and error. It includes also prayer to be thus quali-       .
      It ought to be clear that the significance of the calling of    fied. For the minister cannot pray either. Qualification
 the minister is immeasurably great. It is that important as to       therefore includes everything in the way of spiritual gifts.
  be indispensable. First, that the minister is called means          For in himself the minister is nothing except an empty ves-
  that He is sent, authorized. And authority here is right -.-        se1 and a sinful man. Surely, the calling is indispensable.
 the right to proclaim God's Gospel. Everyone has not this            For only if a man be called will he be qualified.
  right, but only he who is sent. The sent one alone is ambas-
sador of God. He only has the- right to. implore, officially,
 implore, Be ye reconciled to God. How then, in the words                There is still the question how a minister knows in his
  of the apostle, shall they preach, except they be sent ? (Rom.      heart that He is truly called not of the church alone but also
  10:15a.).  The rest of this verse is a quotation from Isaiah.       of God. As was explained, God makes the minister to hear
  Let us take notice of it. It reads, "How beautiful are the          His voice,, and the result of this working of God is that
 feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad         there forms in the heart of the minister the firm belief that
 tidings of good things." Surely, the feet of such are beauti-        he is called of the church and therefore also of God. And
 ful indeed. But let us consider that they are preachers, that        then he also will bear the fruit of being called of God. Then
  is, sent ones, ones'sent of God through the  cluwck  as His         he will surely take heed unto himself and to all the flock to
  organ. One who preaches though he be not sent intrudes              feed the church of God. .Then he z&X love Christ and feed
 himself upon the office. The feet of such an one are not             His sheep. Then he  till be an example of believers. Then
 beautiful in the sight of God. I said, the minister is sent of       he  will  take heed to his doctrine and continue steadfast
  God through the church as His organ, yes, and through               therein. Then he will bear patiently all sufferings and op-
 the church and the church only, the church as institute, and         pressions as a  ,good soldier of Jesus Christ. For, being
  not through some individual or organization that owes its           called of God, God speaks these mandates in his heart; God,
  existence to the will of man. This is a correct teaching. It        in a word, qualifies His servant. And in the way of his
  is surely the teaching of the Scriptures. It was to the church      bearing these fruits, the minister more and more makes sure
  that the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul            his calling to the sacred ministry.
 for the work whereunto I have called them." It was the
 church that laid hands on them and sent them away (Acts                 Once more then, how shall they preach except they be
  13:2,  3 ) .                                                        called . . . sent ? Except they be called, they may not preach ;
                                                                      for they have not the right. Except they be called, they can-
      As was stated, the calling implies spiritual qualification.     not preach ; for they are not qualified.
  This is the other reason why the calling is indispensable. Let
  us consider that the minister must preach. Now preaching                                                                    G.M.O.

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

                                                                                         in  pavt shall be done  azmy:  Whem I  wa.s a child, I spake as
            F R O M . H O L Y   W R I T   -                                              a child,, I  feit as a child, I thought as a  Aid: now that I
j/.                                                                                II am become a man, I  have put  away  clzild,ish  things.  For now
                                                                                         we see  in  a  mir-volp darkly  (in a riddle)  ;  but then face  to  fa.ce  :
             Exposition ,bf I Corinthians 12-14                                          now I know  irt  pa.rt:  by then  shall  I know fully  ,as also I  was
                                                                                         $11~ known. But now  a.bideth faith, hope, love, these  thee:
                         (I Corinthians 13 :%13)                                         and  the  greater of these is love."
                                                                                                  It should be observed that Paul gives  us  one complete
       We should ever keep in mind, for the proper under-                                section. He begins and ends. by saying the same thing about
standing of this beautiful song of love in I Corinthians, that                           love,, only he begins with a ncga:tive  statement, whereas he
Paul is discussing the concept love from the viewpoint of                                ends with a positive statement concerning love. Writes he in
its superior nature to all other spiritual gifts in the church.                          verse 8 "Love never faileth . . ." and ends with the positive
And, when he does so, he does not merely speak of the con-                               `<and  now  reattains  faith, hope, love, these three . .  .`.`. We
cept love in the abstract, but as love concretely reveals itself                         b,elieve that these two words, to wit "never faileth" and
in the Church on earth by the  op.eration  of the  Spirits of                            "remains" constitute the key-words in this passage.                     '
Christ.                                                                                           Concerning the term "never faileth," it should be noticed,
       Shall the gifts in the church really serve for the ?>tutiblaZ                     that the term really looks forwards, anticipating the idea of
benefit of all, for the entire body of Christ and for each                               ,"always  remains" and backward toward the manifestation of
member in particular, then these gifts must all stand in the                             this "love" in that it is "long-suffering" and that it "endures"
`service of love, the love of God, `which is out of the Father,                          all things. It never fails in its wonderful manifestation, since
through the Son and in the Holy Spirit.                                                  it is so enduring in nature, greater than even faith and hope.
       For these "Spiritual Gifts," we repeat for the tenth time,                        It never fails in its inner manifestation, since it never ceases
are only  &ea,ns  to  a.n  end, and they are in no sense of the                          in its Divine operation.
word an end in themselves. All must be so used in the                                        And positively, it should be noted, that love is "greater"
church, that by virtue of the "love," they are the "more ex-                             than faith and hope. Such is the comparitive degree of the
cellent way !"                                                                           adjective in the test.  Writes.A. T. Robertson in his "W.P.
       That love is "more excellent" is evident from its mani-                           Of The New Testament." The form of  yvGeizoon is  com-
festation. It is "longsuffering" and `it "endures" all things.                           paritive, but it is used as superlative, for the superlative form
       But why is love thus ? ,                                                          megistos  had become rare in the  Koine. (Robertson's  Gratn-
                                                                                         mar, pp. 667  f.f.)" This is entirely possible. However, I
       The deepest reason must be the fact that "God is love !"                          really believe that the comparitive form indicates that Paul
       And this love of God must be manifested in the entire                             is comparing "love" not with two other gifts, but rather with
economy of salvation in, the church, both in this age and in                             faith and hope as in one class. And the reason why "love"
the age to come. The exceeding greatness of the love, mercy                              is greater than either faith or hope is, undoubtedly, the  2
and infinite goodness of God' must be manifested in the                                  fact that the former is basic for the latter. Faith is etiergized
church. Wherefore "love" is not a temporary arrangement                                  by love, and rooted in love. See Gal. 5  :6. And the hope,
`till the time appointed," but it belongs to the quintessense of                         which is in our hearts, is there only because the love of God
salvation itself. Take "love" out of salvation and you deny                              is shed abroad in our hearts. Were the love taken from our
the very meaning of salvation !                                                          hearts, we would not trust and hope in God. Compare Ram.
       Wherefore it is the wonderful reality, that, when all the                         5 :3.
gifts in the church have served their purpose, they shall be                                      Concerning this never failing and abiding love,  super-
removed, or belong to the past stages of the church's life on                            ceding all gifts, faith and hope included, Paul has a few very
earth. But "love" shall never belong to' the past!                                       important matters to tell us, when he compares' this "love"
       This is the point Paul illucidates and teaches in a master-                       with other spiritual gifts (charismata) in the church, parti-
ful way, showing us the architectural lines of the work of                               cularly : speaking with tongues, prophecies, and knowledge.
God's good-pleasure over all things.                                                     (See verses 8 and 9). We should notice the following:
       The passage we refer to is'found in I Corinthians 13 23-13.                                1. That on the very surface there is a distinction-between
Since the passage is of such great moment, we will quote it                              the gift of "tongues" on the one hand and the gifts of
in full. We read:  "Love never  failetlz: but  whetlzm there be                          "prophecy" and "knowledge"  on the other hand. It would
pl*oplaecies,  t&ey  s h a l l   b e   d o n e   a w a y ;   w h e t h e r   thee  be    seem that the difference between these gifts was under-
tongues, they shall cease;  whet& there  be knowledge, it  shall                         estimated by the Corinthians. Lacking a sense of the proper'
be done  a.way.  FOT we know in part  a,nd we  prophesy  in                              relationship of all the gifts to the church, as rooted in' love,
pal*t;*  b,ut when that which is  perfect is  co"yjze,  t?mt which is                    they also lacked this sense of proportion of the relationship


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               445
 -            __ -.. .-
of the several gifts mutually. Hence, they gave a greater im-       knowledge.  (stiickweise)  . Such piecemeal knowledge is valid
portande to "tongues" than they did to "prophecy." The ob-          knowledge. It does not mean knowing, ",relatively,"  a lnowl-
vious reason for this was that tongues afforded the flesh free      edge of approximation. It rather refers to a knowledge which
play for displaying itself; the superficial nlind always loses      is genuine an8 real, a revelation of the full counsel of God
sight of the essential. And, now, Paul suggests very strongly       in Christ, which the entire church will grasp together, putting
the superiority of "prophecy" over "tongues."                       it together in piece-meal. It is analytical knowledge.
    2. For this reason it is stated of "tongues" that they             This is clear from the history of dogma and of the con-
"shall  cease." Notice they simply cease. They just stop.           fessions in the church.
Suddenly they are no more in the church of God. They are               How gradually the church began to grasp the importance
of a very short duration. They were designed by God only            of all the great dogma's'of Scripture, of the mysteries of God
to serve as a "sign" ; they were merely a mode of making the        in Christ, is evident from the fact; that each age in the church
content of prophecy and- knowledge known. But this mode             performed a definite task in the making the'truth in Christ
of impartation of knowledge and prophecy can and does fall          their content of prophecy and of knowledge. Surely the
away, without in the least affecting the church's possession of     church saw this all by faith in essence. But to lay it all down
the necessary knowledge of the mysteries of God. Hence,             in  confessional  statement was a slow and a laborious process,
they shall "cease."                                                 dccasioned  by much error and misconception. And always
    3. On the other hand "prophecy" and "knowledge"                 this was because we know  in pa:& and prophesy i,n part.
must be "done away," that is, by  ai act of God whereby                This is indeed sobering.
he drastically changes the order of things, He annuls, abol-
ishes, puts an end to prophecy and knowledge, changing its             Such an understanding of the limitation shows that all
very nature. This will be affected by God in the Parousia,          prophecy and knowledge is limited, partial and also temporal._I
when all things shall be perfected in heavenly perfection. This     It shall be annulled and abolished.
shows that the gifts of knowledge and prophecy are a per-              We are  no& as church  ;eally  to be compared with the
manent gift in the Church, while that of speaking with ton-         little child in relationship to the adult. It is the same child,
gues is not permanent. And all attempts on the, part of certain     the same person, in both cases. The one, the child, is the
sects to revive the speaking with tongues is erroneous. Fur-        immature person. The adult has put away the things of the
thermore, this also shows that .the knowledge referred to in        child, in speaking, in psychological feelings and affection, and
the text is that which is the possession of the entire church       in thought-processes. There is a tremendous change. Such
throughout the N.-Testament dispensation, taken as a whole.         will be the change, only in a far greater degree, in the knowl-
This refers to all her theology and confession. And this also       edge of the Church now and in the future age.
refers to all her prophesying, and preaching in which she
says : Know the Lord ! `This latter cannot simply cease, but          Now we see, as it were, through a glass darkened. We
must be superceded by a greater and better form of knowl-           see as it were in a "dark-saying." We need to ponder the
edge and prophecy, and thus the old inust be abolished for-         meaning, think upon it, meditate. Nothing is intuitive in the
ever, by the bringing in of the better and eternal.                 "knowlkdge" in the church. All is labor. Now the light falls
                                                                    over our .shoulder,  as it were, upon the mirrow of revelation ;
   In the Pgrousia  of Christ, when the world shall past away       we stand, as it were, with our backs to God.
in fire, all analytical knowledge will also pass away. When
all the theological works of all  the theologians will be burned       Presently we shall see face to face.
nothing will be lost. All these'books  will be absolutely use-         We shall see the glory of God, all the mystery, unfolded
less in that "form" of' seeing "face to face." They will no         before our wondering gaze: We shall see face to face. We
longer fit the situation. They will all be abolished by the         shall know with a knowledge which is complete and full. Our
Lord. That will be the time when no one will say .to his            knowledge shall fully agree with the knowledge of God 10 us.
neighbor : know the Lord !                                             Here we do not argue who is the greatest; we do not vie
    The disannulling of the present kriowledge  and prophesy        for superiority and honor. We are like little children. We
does not mean that this knowledge is for the present not a          look in faith and hope wrought by love to hear from the.more
valid knowledge. It is. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit. We       sure prophetic word, "0 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest,
must be busy in theological effort. Such is our calling. It is      and not comforted, behold I will set thy stones in fair colors,
the very essense  of a "knowing in  fart  and of a prophesying      and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy
.in part." We should observe that this "in part" is not the same    pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy
as "from part." See Romans 11 :25 where we read "becau'se           border of precious stones. And all thy children shall be
hardening has come upon ,a. pa.rt of Israel . . ." Here we do       taught of Jehovah, and great shall be the peace of thy people."
not read "apo merous" but we read "ek meorus," that is "out
of part." Luther translates this as meaning "piece-meal"                                                                   G . L .


 446                                         T H E   STANDA.RD   B~EARER

                                                                       plane crash was in His providence as well as the events that
                   I N   HI3  F E A R                                  caused .sol~ie  of those who intended to board that plane to be
                                                                       left behind. We live as the Lord wills, but  we also die as
                                                                       the Lord wills. It is well that we go to Him and thank Him
                     Living As the Lord Wills                          for His providence when He wills to save us from what
                                                                       seemed to be  certain' death for us. But we do not do
        W e   c e r t a i n l y   d o .                                Him justice when we rule out His providence, His almighty
        We have a calling to learn what the wili of the Lord is        hand and sovereign will in those things which do not please
 in every phase of our life and in every circumstance of our           our flesh.
  life. Our calling is to ,do nothing that `;s contrary to the will        We must not and cannot be hypocritical before Him. We
  of God. Never may our prayers breaihe any other spirit than          cannot come to Him with thanksgiving for things that make
  the one in Jesus' prayer,, "Not my will but Thy will be done."       our hearts bleed and cause our bodies to be tormented with
        Yet it may also be stated that we  always.do  live as He       excruciating pains. We cannot sincerely come to Him, then,
  w.ills.                                                              and tell Him how happy we are at these works of His hands
        We may speak of the will of the Lord in a twofold sense.       and at these things which He was willed for us. No, but
  We may speak of it in `the sense df His, ethical will, or we         we can and should- acknowledge before Him that HE has
  may speak of it in the sense of His determinative will, His          done these things, that He has a sovereign right to do these
  will of decree. By His ethical will we mean that wherein             things unto us. And we can thank Him for the knowledge
  He delights, the behaviour He demands of us, that which is           and faith that all these things "come not by chance but by
  expressed by God Himself in the Ten Commandments. His                His fatherly hand." The world does not know this, cannot
ethical will is that we ldve Him and our neighbours as our-            confess this, attributes things to fate and luck and an im-
  selves. His ethical will ,is that we walk in the way of those        personal providence. But he who has the fear of the Lord in
  commandments, conforming all our life to them, living for            his heart knows that these things come from God, knows
  His praise and glory, dedicated unto Him with all our being          that God works all these things  - the things pleasant for the
  and  posSessions.  By His will of decree, His determinative          flesh- but also the things that hurt the flesh- together for
  will we mean that which He has determined in His sovereign           good to those that love Him. This believing child of God
  and eternal counsel shall take place in this midst of this great     will, therefore, thank Him for sending these things for that
  and wide creation which He has made. In that counsel or              reason. He will thank God for seeking his good. Though he
  will `of decree is determined every step of our lives : when we      cannot rejoice in the grief-promoting thing itself-for this
  are to be born, to whom we are born, where we will be born,          is  psycholqgically  impossible-and though his flesh cries
  what we will do every moment of our earthly lives, the               for things that are easier to bear, he can and will give
  moment of our death, the way in which we will be overtaken           thanks to God for seeking his good through these terrifying
  by death, whether we a& elect children of His and will im-           and pain-inflicting things. He does not speak of God's good-
  mediately ente; in the glory of His kingdom or whether one           ness only when the flesh can be happy. He speaks of God's
  is chosen to everlaSting.destruction  and at death will be c&t       goodness in ALL that which He wills to bring upon His
  into the lake of torment.  All these things in  ihe' life of the     people. He confesses that we live as the Lord wills and that
  individual, all things in the lives of all men, all that hap-        the only good thing for us, is that which the Lord wills to
  pens in creation whether in heaven, on earth, or in hell occurs      b r i n g   up&  u s .
  according to His determinative will. Therefore we said, We               We do live as the Lord wills. And we do die as the Lord
  certainly do live as the Lord wills.                                 wills. Whether we live or whether we die, what the Lord
        Whether our life shall be one wherein things go in such pwills  for us takes place. You and I cannot change that at
  a manner that the flesh has little whereof to complain, or           all. No matter how much a man might want to change that
  whether it is a way that is constantly lined with hardships,         - and all men by nature do want to change that-this is
  sorrows and disappointments for the flesh, we live as the            an unalterable principle: We live as the Lord wills.
  Lord wills.                                                              Who can possibly change that?          -
        Not infrequently you will hear one extolling the prov-             Can a man change God ? Can the clay change the potter ?
  idence of God when that individual by a few minutes missed               Let us beware lest we allow our minds to revel in the lie
  getting on the plane that crashed with no survivors an hour          of Paradise. Instead let us walk in His fear with these things
  after departure. Of dourse that was the providence of God.           that are His works and are so grievous to our flesh. In His
 .Such an individual, who was detained and kept from board-            fegr we will reject the lie of Paradise and confess Him to be
  ing that plane that took all iti passengers to death, certainly      Lord  6f ALL. The, fear of the Lord is the principle of all
  lives because the Lord so willed it. We always live as the           wisdom. Deny that He is God and you manifest hopeless
  Lord wills. But it is  jtist as true that all those passengers       folly. Then you will do all the foolishness of our first
 .and crew that perished did  so'in the providence of Gpd. That        parents  Bnd eat of the forbidden fruits of this world. After


                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 447
-.
all, that is the folly that Satan brought into the heart and        nullified its power? Only God had it in His power to turn it
mind of man through his lie. He induced man to believe that         where He willed, to lift it up over this building and make it
he could be like God. He persuaded man to think that he             Swoop  down and snatch this building and these frightened
could arrive at a point where he did not need to and would          men, women and children. Men can predict the thunder-
no longer fear God. He would.be  God's equal. He embraced           storm and add "the possibility exists of hail and locally severe
the folly that God could be changed and that he could live          storms." But upon whose will does it depend as to whether
as he willed rather than as the Lord willed. Let us beware          those locally sever. storms come or not, whether the "rough
lest we allow our minds to revel in the folly of the lie that       weaher" hits your community or not? Surely not on man's.
God can be changed, that His will is not sovereign and that         As the Lord wills these things come. As the Lord wills  -
our lives are not completely under His everlasting, unchange-       that is, to  the. degree that He wills-they will strike and
able and eternal will.                                              work their havoc and destruction.
   What a year in which to remember that we live as the                And what shall we say to all these things ?
LORD wills !                                                           Well, let us say exactly that: These things came as the
   There are, no doubt, many "old timers" -we mean no               L o r d   w i l l e d !
disrespect by the term - who will be able to recall events             we distinguish  - as we already did  - between His
in the realm of creation which overshadow what .has hap-            ethical will and His determinative will. But remember that
pened this year of our lives.  IBut it must be conceded that        His ethical `will is that you recognize His determinative will
the Lord has willed some pretty startling things for us this        as being sovereign. Though we may distinguish between
year.                                                               these two wills we may never, never separate them. What
   Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, heat waves           He sends us according to His determinative will, He de-
all came by His will.                                               mands that we receive as His will. And He demands that'
   Over eight hundred tornadoes recorded thus far this              we receive it in the spirit of His ethical will. He demands
year! Not a few of them were of a very great magnitude.             of us that we have no god besides Him when He conies with
Lands were drenched with rain, day after day, week after            thes'e calamities according to His determinative will. He
lyeek. The land could not be worked. Seed could not be              demands that we do not covet our neighbour's possessions
committed to the soil till so late that it is-a question whether    which  were not taken from him in that determinative will
it will bring forth a ripe crop before the freezing temperature     of God. Jealousy, envy of that which the neighbour has ac-
put  ? stop to growth and destroys the crop. Farmers were           cording to God's determinative will His ethical will forbid.
hard hit by the drought. The rains came only to continue to
come until the time for planting was almost past. The plants           Living as the Lord wills means living in His fear.
began to stand in their rows to give hope of a harvest. The            It means that we continue to say that He is God and
floods came and overflowed the fertile growing fields. A            that there is no god besides Him. It means that we do not
ruined field. Replant it. Again the crops appear row upon           want another god besides Him, that we bow before His will
row; and in the warm and agreeable weather begin to grow            and confess before Him that because He is-God  His will alone
with cheering rapidity. The western skji darkens; the rains         must be done. It means that we will His will.
again come. But this time behold the, white sheet bearing              It is pride that causes a man to rebel'against God's will.
down and hear the continuous rumble of what sounds like             Let us be careful that tie do n&t murmur .and complain, do
thunder that does not cease. Hailstones, great big hailstones,      not find fault and criticize the will of God. He still remains
big enough to break the back of a hog left out in the field,        God. And He will make plain to all in the clay of days that
large enough to shred a tree of all its leaves in a very short      we live and die as  H,e wills. Walk, then, in His fear.
                                                                                                                         J . A . H .
time, heavy enough to make ugly dents in the steel top,
hood and trunk of an automobile. And the whole crop is
gone once again. And because of the drought for the last                        THE CONFIDENCE OF FAITH
two years, the blow becomes .that  m&h the harder for the
flesh to bear.                                                                  The Lord Almighty is my light,
                                                                                  He is my Saviour ever near,
    But we live as the Lord wills. And we receive crops and                    And, since my strength is in His might,
crop failures as He wills. We receive little rain  ; and we                   Who can distress me or  afright?
receive torrents of devastating rain that causes flood damage                     What evil shall I fear?
to homes and factories, to stores and hospitals as well as to
crops in the field. And we receive both as the Lord wills.                      0 Lord, regard me when I cry,
    We ask again, Who can change that?                                             In mercy hear me when I speak ;
    Who has ever rendered the tornado harmless and made                         Thou bidst me seek, Thy face., and I,
it disappear? Men have charted its course and warned those                      0 Lord, with willing heart reply,
who lived in its path. But who has  turned  it aside and                        Thy face, Lord, will I seek.             Ps.  27:1, 2


&is  _  __.  _..                          THE'STANDARD   BE-ARER

                                                                  despised obedience by associating with the excommunicate,
]I!. Contending For The Faith                                II by many deeds of iniquity, and by spurning the warnings
                                                                  which I have given him for his good, I bind him in the bands
                                                                  of anathema  ; that all nations of the earth may know that
          The Church and the Sacraments                           thou art Peter, and that upon the rock the Son of the living
                                                                  God  hath  built His Church, and the gates of hell shall not
                                                                                                                   .
                                                                  prevail against it."
   VIEWS DURING THE  THIRD PERIOD  (750-1517 A.D.)                   The empress-widow was present when the anathema was
               THE SUPREMACY OF THE POPE                          pronounced on her son. At the same time the pope excom-
                                                                  municated all the German and Italian bishops who had de-
        GREGORY  VII  AND THE PAPACY  (continued).                posed him at Worms and Piacenza.
                                                                     This was a most critical moment, and the signal for a
    At the same time Henry wrote to the cardinals and the         deadly struggle between the two greatest potentates in Chris-
Roman people to aid him ,in the election of a new pope. RO-       tendom. Never before had such a tremendous sentence been
land,' a priest of  Parma,  brought the letter to Rome at the     pronounced upon a crowned head. The deposition of Chil-
end of February, .as Gregory was just holding a synod of a        deric  by Pope Zacharias was only the sanction of the actual
hundred and ten bishops, and concluded his message with           rule of Pepin.  Gregory threatened also King Philip of France
the words, "I tell you; brethren, that you must appear at         with deposition, but did not execute it. Now the heir of the
 Pentecost before the king to receive from his hands ? pope       crown of Charlemagne was declared an outlaw by the suc-
.and father  ; for this man here is not pope, but a ravening      cessor of the Galilean fisherman, and Europe accepted the
wolf ." This produced a storm of indignation. The prelates        decision. There were not wanting, indeed, voices of discon-
 drew swords and were ready to kill him on the spot; but          tent and misgivings about the validity of a sentence which
 Gregory remained calm, and protected him against violence.       justified the breaking of a solemn oath. All conceded the
    On  the next day  (Febrtiary 22) the pope excommuni-          papal right of excommunication, but not the right of depo-.
cated and deposed Henry in the name of St. Peter, and             sition.  If Henry had commanded the respect and love of his
absolved his subjects from their path of obedience. He            subjects, he might have defied Gregory. But the religious
published *the ban in a letter to all Christians. The sentence    sentiment of the age sustained the pope, and was far less
of deposition is  `as follows : "Blessed Peter, prince of the     shocked by the papal excommunication and deposition of the
Apostles, incline thine ear unto me, and hear me, thy ser-        king than by the royal depositiov  of the pope. It was never
vant, whom  <ram childhood thou didst nurse and protect           forgotten that the pope had crowned Charlemagne, and it
against the wicked to this day. Thou and. my lady, the            seemed natural that his power to bestow implied his power
mother of .God, and thy brother, St. Paul, are my witnesses       to withhold or to take away.
that the holy Roman Church has drawn me to the helm                  Gregory had not a moment's doubt as  tb the justice of
against my will, and that I have not risen up like a robber       his act. He invited the faithful to pray, and did not neglect
to thy seat [we may recall from our preceding article that        the dictates of worldly prudence. He strengthened his mili-
Henry  IV? in his insulting letter to the pope of January 24,     tary force in, Rome, gnd reopened negotiations with Robert
 1076. had declared that Gregory  had won his power through       Guiseard and Roger. In Northern Italy he had a powerful
craft, flattery, bribery, and force, and had despised the pre-    ally in Countess Matilda, who, by the recent death of her
cept of the true pope, St. Peter. .- H.  V.I. Rather would I      husband and her mother, had come into full possession of
have been a pilgrim my whole life long than have snatched         vast dominions, and furnished a bulwark against the dis-
to myself thy chair on account of temporal glory and in a         contented clergy and nobility of Lombardy and an invading
worldly spirit . . .    By thy intercession `God has intrusted    army from Germany. The excommunication of Henry in
me with the power to bind and to loose on earth and in            1076 and again in 1080 called forth a controversial literature
heaven. Therefore, relying on this trust, for the honor and       of some propertions, as did Gregory's attitude towards  si-
security of the Church, in the name of the Almighty Father,       many  and clerical celibacy. The anti-Gregorians took the
Son, and Holy Spirit, I do prohibit Henry, king, son of           ground that the  exctimmunication  was unjust and even
Henry the emperor, from ruling the kingdom of the Teutons         called in question the pope's right to excommunicate a king.
and of Italy, because with unheard-of pride he has lifted         Gregory's letters make reference to these objections. Writ-
himself up against thy Church ; and I release all Christians      ing to a certain  Hermann  of Metz, Gregory said that there
from the oath of allegiance to him which they have taken,         were some who openly declared that a king should not be
or shall take, and I forbid that any shall serve him as king.     excommunicated. Gregory justified his act on the ground of
For it is fitting that he who will touch the dignity of the       the king's companionship with excommunicated persons, his
Church should lose his own. And inasmuch as he has                refusal to offer repentance for crimes, and the rupture of


                                           T H E   S 'T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            449

the unity of the Church which resulted from the king's            means the subjection of the State to the Church and the
course. The Council of Tribur, Oct.  16, 1076, discussed the      `triumph of the Hildebrandian policy.
question whether a pope might excommunicate a king and                A few days before Christmas, Henry IV left Spires on a
whether Gregory had acted justly in excommunicating               journey across the Alps as a penitent, seeking absolution
Henry. It answered both questions in the affirmative. A           from the pope. He was accompanied by his wife with her
hundred years after the event, Otto of Freising speaks of the     infant son Conrad (born August, 1071  j  and one faithful
sentence as unheard of before.                                    servant. Bertha, daughter of the margrave  Odo of Turin and
    When Henry received the tidings of .the sentence of ex-       Adelheid of Susa, was betrothed to Henry in 1055 at Zurich,
communication and deposition, he burst into a furious rage,       and married to him, July 13, 1066. She was young, beauti-
abused Gregory as a hypocrite, heretic, murderer, perjurer,       ful, virtuous, and amiable  ; but he preferred to live with
adulterer, and threatened to fling back the anathema upon         mistresses; and three years after the marriage he sought a
his head. Wiliiam, bishop of Utrecht, had no scruples in          divorce, with the aid of the unprincipled archbishop Siegfried
complying with the king's wishes, `and from the pulpit of         of Mainz. The pope very properly refused his consent. The
his cathedral anathematized Gregory as "a perjured monk           king gave up his wicked intention, and became attached to
who had dared to lift up his head against  ,the Lord's            B,ertha. She was born. to love and to suffer, and accompa-
anointed." Henry summoned a national council to Worms             nied him as a comforting angel through the bitter calamities
on Whitsunday (May 15) to protest against the attempt of          of his life.
Gregory to unite in one hand the two swords which God had             The royal couple passed through  lB!urgundy  and Susa
separated.                                                        under the protection of Count William and the mother of
    This was the famous figure for the spiritual and temporal     Bertha, and crossed Mont Cenis. The queen and her child
power afterwards often employed by the popes, who claimed         were carried up and lowered down the icy slopes in rough
that God had given .both swords to the Church, -the spirit-       sledges of oxhide  ; some horses were killed, but no human
ual  sword;to be borne by her; the temporal, to be wielded        lives lost. When Henry reached the plains of Lombardy, he
by the State for the Church, that is, in subjection and obe-      was received with joy by the anti-Hildebrandian party ; but
dience to the Church.                                             he hurried on to meet the successor of Peter, who alone
                                                                                        .
   The council at Worms was attended by few bishops and           could give him absolution.
proved a failure. A council in Mainz, June 29, turned out no          He left his wife and child at Reggio, and, accompanied
better, and Henry found it necessary to negotiate. Saxony         by his mother-in-law and a few friends, he climbed up the
was lost; prelates and nobles deserted him. A diet at Tribur,     steep hill to Canossa, where Gregory was then stopping on
an imperial castle near Mainz, held Oct. 16, 1076, demanded       his journey to the' Diet of Augsburn, waiting for a  safe-
that he should submit to the pope, seek absolution from him       conduct across the Alps.
within twelve months from the date of excommunication, at             Canossa, now in ruins, was an impregnable fortress of
the risk of forfeiting his crown. He should then appear at        the Countess Matilda, `south of Reggio, on the northern slope
a diet to `be held at Augsburn on Feb. 2, 1077, under the         of the Apennines, surounded by three walls, and including a
presidency of the pope. Meanwhile he was to abide at Spires       castle, a chapel, and a convent. This castle was, destroyed by
in strict privacy, in the sole company of his wife, the bishop    the inhabitants of Reggio in 1.255. The site affords a magni-
of Verdun, and a few servants chosen by the nobles. The           ficent view of the Apennines towards the south, and of the
legates of Gregory were treated with marked respect, and          plain of the PO towards the north, and the cities of `Parma,
gave absolution to the excommunicated bishops, including          Reggio, and Modena. An excursion from Reggio to Canossa
Siegfried-of Mainz, who submitted to the pope.                    and back can be made in eight hours.
   Henry spent two dreary months in seclusion at Spires,             The pope had already received a number of  excom-  *
shut out from the services of the Church and the affairs of       municated bishops and noblemen, and given or promised
the State. At last he made up his mind to seek absolution, as     them absolution after the case of the chief sinner against
the only means of saving his crown. There was no time to          the majesty of St. Peter should be decided.
be lost; only a few weeks remained till the Diet of Augsburn,        Henry arrived at the foot of the castle-steep, Jan. 21,
which would decide his fate.                                      1077, when the cold was severe and the ground covered with
                                                                  snow. He had an interview with Matilda and Hugo, abbot of
Carnossa. 1077.                                                   Cluny, his godfather, and declared his willingness to submit
   The winter of 1076-1077 was one of the coldest and             to the pope if he was released from the interdict. But
longest within the memory of men-the Rhine being frozen           Gregory would only absolve him on condition that he would
to a solid mass from November till April - and one of the         surrender to him his crown and forever resign the royal
most memorable in history - being marked by an event of           dignity. The king made the last step to secure the mercy of
typical significance. The humiliation of the head of the Ger-     the pope : he assumed the severest penances which the Church
man Empire at the feet of the bishop of Rome at Canossa                              (Coatimud  O I L   page  454)


- 450                                         T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A 'R E R

     THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CANDLESTICI~                               would be fully realized  iri the day of Jesus Christ. This
                                                                        candlestick was similar in all respects to the one which had
         The golden candlestick was an article of furniture in the      been in the temple, except for the fact that it  had a bowl
   tabernacle and temple of Israel. Both the tabernacle and the         above it; and the bowl was connected to the bowls of the
   temple were built after the same pattern - they were divided         arms  of the candlestick by fourty-nine pipes  - seven pipes to
   into three main sections, the Outer Court, the Holy Place            each branch of the candlestick. Furthkrmore.  this bowl was
   and the Holy of Holies. Each section of this building had its        connected to two olive trees by two golden pipes, so that
   articles of furniture, and the candlestick was  founds  in the       ihe oil of the olive trees flowed directly .into the bowl and
   Holy Place.                                                          then into the candlestick where it was  *burned.
         We learn the description of the candlestick from Exodus
   25  :31-40. From this passage we may describe the candlestick            The candlestick in the tabernacle and temple was lit at the
   as being a tube or pipe with arms or branches coming out of          time of the  eve&ng  oblation and burned all through the
   it near the top. These arms were set in a row and their tops         night until the morning when the oil presumably was gone.
   were even. They were graduated in such a way however, that           Then it was not again lit until the oil was replenished in the
   each arm came from the central tube and formed a quarter-            evening by the Kigh Priest. Thus we read in I Samuel 3 :3,
   circle. There were six such arms-seven places in all for             4: "And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the
   the lamps to be placed. The tops were so formed that lamps            Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down
   could be  &ted  in  then; in which oil-could be burned. The          to sleep  ; That the Lord called Samuel  ; and he answered,
   candlestick was made of one talent of pure gold and decorated        Here am I."
   with "knops and flowers.`? Because the tops of the candle-               The question is now, What is the significance of this
   stick were almond shaped, it is sometimes said that the whole        golden candlestick?
   article of furniture resembled an almond tree with the major             The temple itself was also a type of a spiritual reality and
   pipe representing the trunk, the branches decorated with              had significance for Israel's ecclesiastical life. For it was in
   knops or fruit and flowers or buds. And there are some who            the Most Holy Place that the Lord dwelt between the wings
   maintain that this almond tree was typical of spiritual wake-         of the cherubim of the ark of the covenant. The Lord dwelt
   fulness and alertness-the ardor of Jehovah and  the haste             in the niidst  of His people. And when He came into the midst
   with which He accomplishes His purpose. This explanation              of His people, then He gathered His people into His  cov-
   is based  upon  Jeremiah 1  :11, 13. It is perhaps difficult to       enant fellowship under one roof to commune with them and
   determine whether this explanation is correct or not.                tell them the secrets of His eternal purpose. But the people
         Even as the temple, so also the candlestick had a history.     could not enter into the temple. They had to remain in the
   In the original tabernacle which Moses built there was one.           outer court; so that if they .desired to meet with Jehovah their
   It was on the south side of the Holy Place overagainst the            God, they had to come  -with `sacrifices so that blood co$d
   table of shewbread. If one would enter the Holy Place from           be shed to cover their sins and make it possible for them to
   the East. the altar of incense would be directly before him          commune in God's tabernacle with Jehovah. The temple was
   against the veil which divided the Holy Place from the inner         the place where these sacrifices were made. .And the priests
   sanctuary. To the right would be the table of shewbread, and         always had to stand between the people and God in order to
   to  the left, the golden candlestick. When Solomon built his         make intercession for them. Besides, the priests themselves
   glorious temple on the heights of Zion, then he put ten               were not holy, but very wicked. And so once a year the High
   candlesticks in the Holy Place instead of one. And they               Priest had to enter into the Most Holy Place with blood to
   were moved closer to the veil with five on each side of the,         pour upon the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant for an
 , altar of incense.  This temple with the candlestick was, de-          offering for the sins of the people and of the priests.
  stroyed at  t`he time of the Babylonian captivity. When the               But this all was a picture of a profound  tiuth. Christ is
   temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel, one  ca"ndlestick  was again        the temple of the Lord. And He is the temple because He is
   placed  i,n  .the Holy `Place  ; but this candlestick was taken       God and man united in the person of God's eternal Son. It
   away by Antiochus Epiphanes who sacked the temple and                 is in Him therefore, that the covenant of grace,  the'closest
   polluted it. It was later replaced by Judas Macabeus, the one         possible union between God and man is established. And He
   shining light in Israel's dark history between Malachi and            realized that covenant by making the perfect sacrifice for sin
   Christ. Later Herod built a new temple and put one candle-            and carrying His own blood into the holy presence of God.
   stick in the Holy Place ; but this was taken away by Titus            And therefore in Him the covenant of God is realized with
    when Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D.                            . the elect who are chosen in Him from before the foundation
         There is one other candlestick mentioned in Scripture.          of the world. And when the elect church of Christ is  en-
    And that is the candlestick which the prophet Zechariah saw          grafted into His body by faith, then the temple of God-the
   in his vision recorded in Zechariah 4. This is the candlestick        perfect and glorious realization of God's everlasitng covenant
    bf the new temple which God would build when His promise             of grace is realized. There the temple signified the body of


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 451

Christ with  the church of all ages as His  bddy. And apart           and ascension and the glory which He now Fossesses and will
from this temple, the candlestick could never be understood.          possess when His kingdom is fully reaiized.
    For each article of furniture in that ,temple  signified the         Therefore darkness is always spiritual depravity. Dark-
church from a particular point of view. And the question is,          ness is the inability to know the things of God or of His
What is the point of view of the candlestick?                         Christ. Darkness  .is spiritual corruption of the heart and
    The oil which burned in the  candlkstick  was typical of the      of the mind so that the natural man cannot possibly
Holy Spirit, as oil always  symboli?ed  the Holy Spirit in Scrip-     see the kingdom of heaven., When man feil, he became dark.
ture. Those who were anointed with oil in the Old Dis-                He lost the abiii'ty to know the revelation of God. He lost
pensation  - the prophets and priests and kings  - were               the light which was within Him and He could not perceive
anointed as a sign of the Holy Spirit .Which  qualified them          any longer spiritual things. Darkness is therefore also moral
to perform the duties of their office, and ordained them so           and spiritual corruption and degradation. It is the state of
that they had the right to function. To quote but one text to         ,the sinner in the depths of depravity and the condition of evil.
substantiate this is perhaps sufficient. In Isaiah 61  :l,  ?he       In short, it is the loss of the image of God - true knowledge,
prophet refers to the work of Christ to which He was ordain-          righteousness and holiness.
ed and qualified. And Christ later quotes this same passage              But nevertheless, God continues to reveal Himself. And
in the synagogue of Nazareth as fulfilled in Himself. It              He reveals Himself to His church throughout all the ages of
reads : "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the           time. He causes His `light  tto shine in the world of sin ancl
Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;           darkness which cannot perceive the light of God's holiness.
he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim             But very little good that would still do if man remained in
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them        his depraved state. So God also causes that same light of
that are bound."                                                      His holiness and infi&e perfection to shine' in the hearts of
    Besides this, light has also symbolic significance in Scrip-      the elect enlightening their minds and their hearts. He does
ture. It is probably impossible to discuss this in -detail, but a     so by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, for all revelation of God is
few general remarks may be sufficient. The light of the sun           aiways in the Son and through the Spirit. But this  Spiri,t
which sends its rays upon our planet serves its purpose in this       He "powerfully illuminates their minds . . . that they may
creation. It is first of all the means of heat and *therefore         rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of
also of life. Without the warming rays of the sun, life               God." Canons  II! and IV, 11. He renews their hearts so
could not exist. Besides, it is the light of the sun that makes       that they are given the righteousness and holiness of Jesus
it possible for man to stand in contact with the creation about       Christ their Lord. In short, He causes His light to shine in
him. If there were absolute darkness,  he could not know any-         them and renews in them the image of the only Son of God.
thing at all. For it is by means of the light of the sun which        And then He brings to them the light of His gospel so thai
is reflected from the various parts of the creation and which         they receive the full revelation o`f God in Jesus Christ. They
enters his eye that he.can know the things of this world in           receive the light of revelation so that God is revealed in Jesus
which he lives. When light strikes a tree and is reflected            Christ, but also in His elect ,church  which becomes the body
from it, entering into man's eye, he knows the tree because he        of Jesus Christ by faith. And thus they live spiritually and
sees ?t.                                                              walk in the world of sin and darkness revealing the perfec-
                                                                      tions of their God which He has wrought within their hearts.
    There is however, a spiritual reality which corresponds to` And when finally that church is brought to heaven and all
this natural phenomenon. God is light, and in Him is no               darkness is banished into hell, then the redeemed and glori-
darkness at all. And the light that it God the radiation, pro-        fied church in Jesus Christ shall be the perfect and full
found and glorious, of all the infinite perfections of His divine     revelation of God'to His glory forever and ever. It is all the
being. He is light because He is infinitely holy and good, be-.       ievelation  of God in Jesus Christ that God may be glorified
cause in Him there is  no imperfection or  iricompletion,  be-        when His perfections are realized in the culmination of His
cause He is all His infinite attributes from eternity to eternity.    everlasting covenant. For knowing God, the elect live unto
But He has chosen to reveal Himself. He has chosen to re-             all eternity. Light is knowled,.
                                                                                                       ~0 and life and holiness and
veal His own infinite perfection and shining light. And the           righteousness.
highest revelation of God  is in Jesus Christ, for He is the
light of God which was sent into a world of darkness and sin.            Let me quote a few Scripture passages. In John 1  :l-5
He is the "brightness of his glory, and the express image             we read, "In the beginning was the  `Woyd,  and the Word
of his person." He is the full revelation of the infinite grace       was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in
and goodness and perfection of His Father. Revelation is in           the beginninF3with  God. All things were made by him; and
Jesus Christ. Revelation is in Jesus Christ through the               wtihout him was liot anythin,= made that was made. In him
work of Christ performed on this earth - through Hi: suffer-          was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light
ing and death and burial; but also through His resurrection           shineth  in darkness.; and the darkness comprehended it not."


452                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                                     ._

And again in verse nine of the same chapter : "That was the                power, but by my Spirit saith Jehovah of Hosts." All that
true Light, which lighteth every man that  cometh  into the                the candlestick pictured in this age and in the age to come is
world." Or, as proof of the revelation of the Light through                &complished  not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of
the gospel, we may well refer to II Corinthians  4:4-b:  "In               Jesus Christ. The church is gathered, redeemed and per-
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them                  fected,  the covenant of God is realized, the full glory of God
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of                is revealed and all is accomplished not by might, nor by
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For               power, but by the Spirit of Jesus Christ !
we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord  ; and                                                                    H .   H a n k o
ourselves your servants fdr Jesus' sake. For Gpd, who com-
manded the light to shille  out of darkness, hath shined in our
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of, God                      GOD OUR RESORT  IN TROUBLE
in the face of Jesus Christ." This is a most beautiful passage
of Scripture to prove what I have just said. Besides, we may                            In Thee, 0 Lord, I put my trust,
turn to Ephesians 5 :S where we read, "For we were some-                                  I `call upon Thy Name;
times darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as                               0 save me in Thy righteousness,
children of the light."                                                                   Nor let me suffer shame.

       But to return now to the golden candlestick, we find that                        Bow down Thy ear to my request,
the candlestick signifies the church from the point of view of                            And swift deliverances send  ;
the light of God. In the midst of a world of darkness they                              Be Thou to me a rock of strength,
are the body of Christ and therefore the revelation of G&d in                             A fortress to defend.
Christ of all the glorious virtues of their Father. And this
is realized in the eternal  covenant  which God has established                         Since Thou my rock and fortress art,
in Christ  with His elect. For they know God, for. God has                                My leader be,`and  guide ;
revealed Himself unto them by the Spirit of Christ and the                              From all temptation rescue me,
gospel of the light. And knowing God, they live. "For this                                Thou  dost my strength abide.
is eternal life: that they may know thee the only true God,                            To Thee my spirit I commend ;
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." John 17 :3. And liv-                               Redemption is with Thee,
ing, they enjoy the blessings.of  God's eternal fellowship and                          0 Thou Jehovah, God of truth,
communion. And thus they shine as a light which cannot be                                 Who has delivered me.
hid in the midst of darkness. They are shining light of the
glory of their God in the image of Jesus Christ. And in the                             I hate all those that love the false,
age to come, they shall shine forever in the kingdom of their                             My trust is in the Lord ;
Father when the Sun of Righteousness shall1 come to take                                I will be glad, and joyfully
them home into the blessings of God's eternal tabernacle.                                 Thy mercy will record.
Then shall they know God and live in perfect righteousness
and holiness. And the revelation of God to His eternal glory                  1         For my affliction Thou hast seen,
shall be perfectly realized.                                                           . Andy known my many woes ;
                                                                                       Thou hast not let me be efislaved,
       This is the glorious vision also that Zechariah saw as re-                         But freed me from my foes.
corded in the fourth chapter o fhis prophecy. The candlestick                           Show mercy, Lord, to me distressed,
which he saw in his vision was fed directly by two olive trees.                           And send my 
There was a day when the priests had to fill the lamps. But                                               sod relief ;
                                                                                        My life is spent with bitterness,
.in the perfect temple of God this is no more necessary. The                              My strength consumed with grief.
oil flows. directly into the candlestick through the pipes.
Therefore the two olive trees represented according-to thk                           \ I mourn and fail because of sin,
angel, Zerubbabel who was'the  governor and who stood in                                  Friends turn in dread.away  ;
the royal line of David, and Joshua the high priest of the                             Reproached am I and terrified,
line of Aaron. But this vision was fulfilled when the two                                 While foes conspire to slay.
offices of Zerubbabel and Joshua were united in the
BRANCH, Jesus Christ. For as the  oil is a symbol of His                               But, Lord, in Thee is all my trust,
Spirit, so also does the Spirit of God flow  $n-ough  Jesus                               Thou art my God, I cried ;
Christ and into the church in order that they may shine                                 My life, my times are in Thy hand,
to the everlasting glory of God the j Father ! And therefore                              I in Thy strength confide.
the interpretation of this' vision is, "Not by might nor by                                                                      Psalm 31 :l-9


                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               453
   -                                                                                                              -
                                                                          meant by this last phrase ? The church order does not define
                DECENCY and bRDE!t                                        "ecclesiastical manner" but we may, nevertheless, say a few
                                                                          things about it.
                                                                              It certainly implies, first of all, that to treat things in, an
                 Major and Minor Assemblies                               "ecclesiastical manner" is the very opposite from doing the
        Last time we concluded our article with a quotation from          same in a "worldly manner." Our Synods and Classes are
   "The Church OrderY~Commentary"  which touched upon the                 not the same as the assemblies of civil government such as
   matter of the distinction between major and minor ecclesias-           Congress or the Senate or, for that matter, any worldly
  tical assemblies.- As  we. stated then, we intend, D.V., to             assembly. That should always be evident in the very at-
   discuss this matter more fully in connection with another              mosphere in which the assemblies meet. Wordly assemblies
   article of our Church Order but we desire to make just a               are ruled by worldly and selfish aims and principles. Fre-
   few remarks in the present connection.                                 quently legislators will resort to unjust practices simply to
        First, the quotation expresses the proper relation of major       gain sufficient support to pass a certain bill in which they
  and minor ecclesiastical assemblies and, inasfar as it goes, it         have personal interests or which has special importance for
  is correct. Such statements, for example, as : "But Reformed            the section of the country they represent. Such practices
   Church Polity does not hold- that Consistories have a lower            must not be `found in the assemblies of the church.  Self-
  and more limited degree of authority, and  Classis  and Synod           interests is forbidden. The will of Christ " Jesus must be the '
  a higher or' more extensive. degree . . . In fact Reformed              sole criterion of all things and, consequently, since that will
  Church polity knows of only one type and degree of author-              ies to be determined from the Word of God, it must be the.
  ity ; that vested in the local congregation or its ruling body,         aim of every member of the assembly and with respect to
  the Consistory . . . The real unit is, therefore, the individual        everything that is to be decided to show and to convince the
  church. And the local churches, do not exist for the sake of            assembly from `the Word of God what is right and good.
  the denomination, but the denomination exists for the sake              Only then can it be said, "For it seemed good unto us and
  of the local and individual churches," express the Reformed             the Holy Spirit" (Acts 15 25 j .
  view: the view always maintained by our Protestant Re-                     Hence, ecclesiastical assemblies also are not governed by
  formed Churches.                                                        involved and complicated Rules of Order. This is not because
        Secondly, although, as the `Introductory Preface to the           the church does not have and need rules to maintain decency
  commentary indicates, this ,book "is not an official, that is,          and good order in her'assemblies. These she certainly should
  synodically approved, commentary on the Church Order,"                  have but these should not be so involved that they become a
  we wonder whether the authors of this work at least would               hindrance rather than a help. The result of such rules is that
  be ready to concede that the principles they establish in               freedom of expression is often curtailed for fear that one
their writings were flagrantly violated by their church in                will violate some technical rule and be called out of order by
  connection with the sad history of  ,1924. That it is so has           the president. This should not be. Rules should be simple
  been shown many times in the past in our  Standard Beam                and easily understood so, that there may be unhampered but
  and we are convinced that many leaders in the Christian orderly discussion of all issues for the objective of any ec-
  Reformed Church also know it is true but until the injustices          clesiastical assembly must not be simply to arrive at a de-
  are rectified in the way of confession and repentance, the             cision but rather to arrive at the truth. When the members
  guilt remains with them and God judges also the history of             of the assembly labor in that attitude the activities of the as-
  His church.                                                            sembly will be performed in an ecclesiastical manner. It is
      Finally, the statement, ". . . at major assemblies, a larger       when there is no more concern for the truth and there is
  measure of authority is present than at minor assemblies,              striving toward other objectives that things begin to be done
  even as ten men are stronger than one alone," touches a very           `hnecclesiastically  !"
  vital matter. It is this matter that Article 36 treats when it             In this connection a word may also be written about the
  speaks of "jurisdicion"  of the synod over the classis and the         "majority rule." In worldly assemblies as well as in the
  classis  over he consistory. What is this "jurisdiction?" What         assemblies of the church it is generally recognized that a
  is this "larger measure of authority" spoken of in this quota-         majority vote decides a given matter. And this is undoubtedly
  tion? The matter here is left undefined but we shall give              correct. However, it should be borne in mind that in ec-
  attention to it ; only this must wait until later, for first there     clesiastical assemblies there should be a diligent and sincere
  are some other matters we wish to take up yet in connection            effort put forth to reach agreement, as much as possible, on
  with Article 30.                                                       the various matters that are presented for consideration and
                                                                         decision. Matters should not be rushed through as soon as
         il4a.ttey.y  Tren.ted `I n   A n   Eccle.simtica.1  MaqLner'    .there  is reasonable assurance that one more than half is in
     Article 30 states that "ecclesiastical matters only shall be        favor of the motion before the body. Matters must be thor-
  transacted and that in an ecclesiastical manner." What is              oughly discussed and the members of the assembly must labor

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

           patiently with one another to convince each other from the             "4. Reports by special committee: and boards appointed
           Word of God in order that the outcome,. if at all possible,         by previous Synods.
           may be a united opiniori. This. of course, does not mean that          "5. Overtures by Classes.
           a minority of the assembly may endlessly prolong discussion            "6. Overtures which though unsuccessfully submitted to
           as is sometimes done.. The filibuster does not belong in ec-        a Classis  for adoption are considered by their authors to be
           clesiastical assemblies. It is not an ecclesiastical way of         of such importance as to require synodical  action.      _
           conducting business. When nothing new is brought forth in              "7. All other matters which Synod  by. a majority vote
     ,     the discussion, it is time to call for a vote and then the rule     declares acceptable. As much as possible the rule shall be
           of the majority prevails.                                           adhered to fhat no proposals of importance shall be presented
                                                                               to Synod that have not appeared on the Agenda, so that
                        Madters  Lega,lly  BPfore  the  Assembly               Consistories and Classes may have opportunity for previous
                 When a certain matter is not legaliy  before an assembly,     deliberation."
           it is evident that it` cannot be treated "in an ecclesiastical          We cite these rules not because we are in agreement with
           manner." All things must be done legally, i.e., according to        all of them but to illustrate what determines the legality of
           law. Now it often happens in the eccelsiastical meetings that       matters presented to ecclesiastical assemblies. Sometimes a
           the question arises as to whether or not a certain matter has       layman will present a matter illegally to a major assembly
           "legal status." In our churches, to the best of my knowledge,       and it has to be declared out of order  but the assembly is
          there are no set rules governing the matter although these           hesitant to do so because it is consciously aware of the fact
           will undoubtedly be introduced in  the near future since a          that the party involved didn't understand the technical proce-
           committee has been appointed by the Synod this year to look         dure. Of course, ignorance is no excuse. Advice can always
           into this matter. Generally in the past all matters that ap-        be sought. Nevertheless, it is difficult tb turn one away on
           pear on the agenda and that conform to a few general rules          those grounds and so it is well to observe and remember some
           of the church order wei-e  regarded as legal. In Classis  East,     of these points for, although we have as yet no written yules,
           unless this has been changed of late, a prepared agenda is not      many of the ideas expressed in the above rules are observed
           provided in advance of the meeting. Matters are simply              and practiced in the assemblies of our churches.
           brought directly to the  Classis   ,up to the time that  Classis                             6     * *      *
           convenes. In  Classis  West and in the  Synodical assemblies
           matters must be submitted to the Stated Clerk within a                  P.S. i Undersigned is aware of a seriei of Articles cur-
           certain deadline in order to appear on the agenda and any-          rently appearing in "The Contender" and written by Rev.
           thing that does not appear  there can be treated only by            M;  MacKay  reflecting upon a former series written in the
           special  action  of the body. This is the preferred way. It is      Standard  Bearer  by the undersigned on "The Church and
           not only more  ordei-ly  but it gives the members of the as-        State." We will, however, give Rev. MacKay  time to finish
           sembly time in advance to deliberate upon matters to be             his writings before making, comment.
           decided which is without question advantageous.                                                                            G.V.D.B.
                 The Christian Reformed Church has seven rules with
           respect to matters legally before the Synod. These are :                         J CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH
i                "1. Only- certain kinds of ecclesiastical matters. D.K.O.                        (Co&wed  from   pap 449)
           Art. 30.                                                            requires from a sinner, as a sure way to absolution. For
                 "2. Not matters already considered unless necessary.          three days, from the 25th to the 28th of January, he stood in
           D.K.O. Art. 46.                                                     the court between the inner walls as a penitent suppliant,
                 "3. Appeals or protests- by Consistories or individual        with bare head and feet, in a coarse woollen  shirt, shivering
           members who cannot yield to classical decisions and who have        in the cold, and knocked in vain for entrance at the gateway,
           given notice of such appeals or protests to the Classes con-        which still perpetuates in its name,  "Porta di penitenza," the
           cerned. If a member of the Church  presents a communica-            memory sf this event. During the night the king was under
           tion to Synod when he has been unable first to, present it to       shelter.                                                      H.V.
           his Consistory and  Classis, such a communication shall be
           received as information, provided that the stated clerk of                                 IN MEMORIAM
           Synod receive evidence that it was impossible for the com-             The Ladies' Society of the Oak Lawn Protestant Reformed
                                                                               Church herewith expresses its sympathy to three of its members?
           municant to present his matter to Consistory and  Classis;          Mrs. E. Rutgers, in the loss of her mother and Mrs. J. Regnerus
           Synod shall decide whether it shall act upon such matters -and Mrs. W. Buiter in the loss of their grandmother,
                                                                                                      MRS.  T; VEGTER
           received for information. Protestants and appellants shall          who passed away  on July 6, 1957.
           as a rule not be permitted to plead their cases before Synod           "Here we have no continuing city but we seek one to come:'
     '     but before the Advisory Committee on Protests and Appeals                                                                  Heb.  13:14
           unless their matter is taken up by Sy,nod  directly.                                          Mrs. G.  Vanden  Berg, Vice-President
                                                                                                         Mrs. N. Haak, Secretary


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                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                      455

                                                                                                 Here we come to the heart of the matter. For it is at this
            A L L   A R O U N D   U S                                                            point that the difference b.etween  the Reformed view of man's
                                                                                                 will and the Arminian notion of free will comes into the
                                                                                                 picture. According to Calvinism and the Bible men as sin-
 The' Reformed Faith  a,nd  Aw&ianism.                                                           ners  .WILL not believe on Christ. They are dead in tres-
    Such is the title of a paper written by the Rev. Joseph A.                                   passes and sin and are unable to believe or accept salvation.
 Hill, for the reception of which I  a& indebted to Pastor                                       Jesus himself made this point clear when he said to the Jews,
 Arthur F. Brown of Pottstown, Pa. Because it clearly sets' `Ye WILL not come to me that ye might have life' (John
 forth the Arminianism of Billy Graham and`other evangeli-                                       5  :40). That Jesus believed in the TOTAL INABILITY of
 cals, and therefore coincides with our judgment of' Graham                                      men to take the initiative in the matter of their salvation is
 and others like him, a judgment we have expressed on more                                       also evident from his .own words in John 6 :44 - `No man
 than one occasion in this department, I thought our readers                                     can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me
 would appreciate what he has to say.                                                            draw him.' Jesus says that God must  decide all the issues
    Because of lack of space, I will have to condense his paper                                  with respect to men's salvation. Billy Graham says that MEN
 considerably. Rev. Hill, in the first part of his paper, gives                                  can decide to repent, believe on Christ and be born again.
 a brief historical background of the life and  doctrine  of James                               Jesus believed that the whole nature of the sinner -in-
 Arminius. He tells us that the teachings of Arminius "were                                      tellect, emotions and will-is in bondage to sin. Billy Gra-
 a revival of the old heresies of Pelagius, in a modified form."                                 ham believes that part of man's nature-the will-has not
 He explains how the heresy of Arminius became the occasion                                      been disabled by sin. He says, `It is actually the WILL that
 for  ,the great synod of Dordt in 1618 and the Canons of                                        makes the final and lasting decision' (PEACE WITH GOD,
 Dordt, otherwise known as the Five Points of Calvinism,                                         p. 131).
 namely, Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited                                            "Thus we see that Arminianism has too high a view of
 Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints.                                      the unregenerate self-consciousness. The. Arminian view of
 Concerning these five points, Rev. Hill writes : "The five                                      the nature of man is essentially the same as the Roman
points together form the Calvinistic doctrine of salvation as                                    Catholic view as worked out by the Romanist theologian
 over against the Arminian doctrine of  sglvation.  The basic                                    Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century. Thomas taught
 point at issue here is whether salvation is a work of God                                       that man was created as an autonomous being ; that is, man
 alone or whether man can at some  pdint take the initiative in                                  was free to plan for himself, independently of the plan of God.
 the matter of his salvation. Otherwise .expres.sed,  Calvinism                                  This autonomy is part of man's makeup as a creature of God
 DOES while Arminianism DOES NOT hold that God by                                                and is essential to his manhood. Billy Graham writes from
 his counsel controls whatsoever comes to pass.                                                  this Roman Catholic viewpoint when he says: `We do not
    "In considering this basic question we are not dealing with                                  know Christ through the five senses, but we know him
 a. dead issue taken .from a musty old theological volume ; we                                   through the sixth sense that God has .given  to every.man -
 are not concerned only with certain heretics who have been                                      which is the ability to believe' (PEACE WITH GOD, N.Y.,
 dead for more than three centuries. For the errors they                                         Doubleday  & Co., Inc., 1953, p. 146. This book is a fairly
 propagated did not die with them. Indeed, these errors are                                      `typical sample of the Evangelical type of theology). Here
 held more widCly today than ever before and. together with                                      we see that Billy Graham differentiates between the physical
 modern liberalism &lost completely dominate the religious                                       sense and believing as a `spiritual sense, but it is clear that
 thought of the present day. Common `evangelical' Chris-                                         for him believing is a NATURAL ability in the same sense
 tianity is predominately Arminian in character; for this                                        that hearing and seeing are natural abilities of man as a crea-
 reason non-Calvinistic Protestants are frequently called                                        ture of God. Hearing, seeing and. believing are all essential
 Evangelicals.  .                                                                                aspects of man's makeup. In this, Billy Graham confuses
    "The evangelistic movkment  which is sweeping the coun-                                      things metaphysical and ethical. True, there is a  kind. of
 try is effectively.- spreading the false teachings of Arminius.                                 faith which does belong to the nature of man as man, -that
 BILLY GRAHAM, the chief spokesman for Evangelical                                               is, for example, the certainty that the sounds we hear and
-Protestantism, is an Arminian evangelist. In all his preach-                                    the objects we see are not  mere  illusions, but  are. REAL
 ing and writing Billy Graham insists that in the last analysis                                  sounds  and REAL objects. This  psychological  certainty is
 it is man's decision that determines whether he will be saved.                                  a meta-physical aspect of faith and is correlative to the
 God has propided salvation for all  *men, but each person                                       metaphysical `senses.' But RELIGIOUS faith is an ETHI-
 must decide whether or not he will accept it.                                                   CAL bias and when we speak of this aspect of faith we must         '
     "At this point someone will say : "But isn't that what ALL                                  not consider man as a creature of God merely, but a
 Christians believe and isn't that what the Bible teaches? I                                     FALLEN creature."
 always just supposed that God has made salvation through                                            Rev. Hill goes on to-show how that before the fall man
 Christ available for everybody who will believe on him.' had faith supernaturally imparted to him.  After the fall,


4           5           6                  T H E   S T A N D A R D ' B E A R E R
-

"man was still a man and he could still think and `believe,' sense ,that it acts freely according to the ethical- bias of his
but his thinking and believing were now pointed AWAY                personality. This  nyeans that the natural man chooses  -sin
from God. It was the ETHICAL aspect of man's faith that             freely and willingly.bec&e:he  delights in it, but is not free
was  destioyed  by sin . . . It is this `ability' that  must be     to choose- to love God or believe on Christ because his will is
restored through regeneration before man can find his way,          also in BONDAGE to his  .sinful  nature. This is what Billy
back to God . . . If he has the natural ability to believe then     Graham and all  Arminians   deliy, however  loudly,they  may
he can believe on Christ WITHOUT regeneration . . . . Billy ,talk about sin as `the'thing God hates.' Man is not free to do
Graham, in agreement with Romanism, mixes temporal and              the IMPOSSIBLE. According to the Bible it is impossible
eternal categories."                                                for the natural man to love God since God is `the,things  man
     "According to Billy Graham and all krminians man as            hates' as a sinner. The carnal mind is enmity against God.
a fallen creature has not lost the ability to exercise his faith    How then can it be at `peace with God' unless it FIRST be
in God. He does not need to be born again in order to               reviewed  unto the knowledge (Col. 3  :lO) ? Billy Graham
believe. He is born again WHEN he believes.  `YOU  must             says,  `You  must open your heart and let Christ come in.'
open your heart and let  ,Him (Christ) come in. At that             The Bible way of salvation is  exictly  the reverse of this.
precise moment the Holy Spirit performs the miracle of the          Lydia, for example, is spoken of as one "Whose heart THE
new birth' (.p. 108). Here `we touch  the, pivotal point of         LORD OPENED to give heed unto the things which were
the Arminian scheme of `salvation. According to Arminian-           spbken by Paul' `(Acts  16:14).  Billy Graham's persistent
ism regeneration DEPENDS  uPON and FOLLOWS the                      appeal to people to make a `decision' for Christ is based on
action of man in permitting God to perform his work. Man            his own belief, that man as a sinner is able .to do of his own
first acts by his `free will'; then God gets his chance to act.     ability what the `IBible  says man cannot do except he first be
`The whole matter of  `receivin,m new life (regeneration) is        born anew by the Spirit who works INDEPENDENTLY
like a coin. A coin has heads and tails. The receiving of           of man (John 3:6-S).
new life has a divine side and a human side. We have seen               "Can we as Reformed Christians, agree with  Billj; Gra-
the human side in our chapter on conversion, we have seen           ham when he says, `You can decide right now that you want
what man must- do (that is, repent and believe, JAH). Now           to be born again. You can decide right now to wipe out your
let's see what God does,' (p. 136). In line with this order of      sinful past and make a.new start, a fresh start, a right start'
God's work following man's decision, the chapters in Gra-           (p. 133-4) ? We can agree with Billy Graham on this point
ham's book entitled  `Repent. and `Faith' PRECEDE the               only if.we also agree with him that man has not fallen as far
chapter on `The New Birth' because in the Arminian scheme           in sin as the Bible says he has and that man has a measure
of salvation one can repent and believe, without the new            of sovereignty over against the `mighty' God.
birth. One MUST  repent and believe B,EFORE  he can be                 "The point has just been stressed that we cannot hold a
r e b o r n . "                                                     Reformed or Biblical view of divine sovereignty and an
     Rev. Hill goes on to .show how that the Arminian view          Arminian or non-biblical view of free will. Many Christians
of Graham and others is a plain denial of God's absolute            have not clearly understood this. During my days in college
sovereignty in his decrees as well as the denial of God's           I heard the wife of a  Fundamehtalist  pastor explain their
incommunicable attributes of independence, immutability and         church's position thus : `We take the best -out of Calvinism
eternity. He tells us that although Graham speaks about the         and the best out of Arminianisni' and combine them.' More
"mighty"  Go& Graham's God is not the  Ahwi~hty  God of             recently a minister of a Reformed Church stated that al-
C h r i s t i a n i t y .                                           though we must always emphasize God's sovereignty, we
     "The point we stress is that if you have a non-biblical        can at. least learn something about man's responsibility and
view of man you cannot have a biblical view of God. If you          free will from the Arminians.  These statements are virtually
hold that man has absolute freedom in any area of life, you         the same and both are based on the assumption that the
cannot at the, same time believe in the God of Christianity         difference between Calvinism and Arminanism is only a
who by his counsel controls whatsoever comes to pass . . .          matter of emphasis  - that Calvinism emphasizes divine
     "If we are to be consistent Christians we must  have a         sovereignty while Arminianism emphasizes human responsi-
view of free will that is taken from the Bible. As Reformed         bility. If this were true, then of course the truth would lie
(Calvinistic) Christians we believe that God by $is counsel         somewhere between Calvinism and Arminianism, and to have
controls whatsoever comes-to pass. We stress this point when        the whole truth we would have to hold both Calvinism and
we speak of the Bible doctrine of divine sovereignty. Only          Arminianism. Actually, Arminianism implicitly denies
if we also take our doctrine of man from the Bible can we           divine sovereignty and thereby also falsifies its own  doc-
have a view of human free will that is consistent with our          trink of human responsibility and free will."
vikw of divine sovereignty. It is better not to speak of FREE          Rev. Hill wrote more. But our space is filled. To what
will unless you understand that man's will is free only in the      he did write above, we say Amen.                         M.S.


