I            VOLTJME  xxxv                                        MAY 1, 1959 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN                                         NUMBER 15


                                                                                                And for whom did He die ? 3
       I ~&I i D I T- A T I ~0 N                                                                For all!
                                             \
                                                                                                Let us first see what this cannot mean.

                                 ,CONSTRJUNING-ihE .. `.                                        This cannot mean that all and every man that ever lived,
                   ".
             . . :                                                                           now lives, or shall live, is embraced'in  this text. All does not
                         "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus            mean all men, head for head and soul for soul.
                              judge; that if one died for all, then were all dead: And

                              that He died for all, that they which live should not             Now, there are many texts in Holy Scripture which

                              hen,ceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him,  `whish        teach the particular character of Christ's atonement, but, it
                              died for them, and rose again."       I I   COIL 5:14,  1 5    seems to me, that John 10 :ll and 26 are' the clearest of all.

             Paul was under constraint!                    -                                    In verse 11 the Lord says : "I am the good Shepherd :

                                                                                             the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
             There is .some.  kind of figure in this text : as a flowing

I stream, is urged onward by a narrowing bridgehead, so Paul But in verse 26 the Lord Jesus says to the Jews : "But                                               .
      isurged  on by the love of Jesus Christ.                                               ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said

                                                                                             unto you."
             And this love of Christ in Paul causes him to judge some-
      thing relative-to the Corinthians.                                                        This is so plain that not one word can be said against

                                                                                             it. Christ simply did not die for all men, as it is so often
       -" 4nd  iYhat  is this judgment which is as an irresistible
                                                                                             stated by pseudo-expositors of God's Word.
      stream? `It is this : he judges that if One died for all, then
      were all dead !                                                                           He died for the elect. . And election..is  the viewpoint
                                                                                             here. And then you can say : He died for all !
        -' What does this mean ?'
              ,.._.                                                                             It means that Jesus is our Head, our Surety, our King.
       .-.It is `a very loveable  judgment. For it believes of- the
       church of Corinth that they are children of God. And there-                              And He is that from all eternity. There He was given unto
      fore Paul judges of them that they should live according to                            God's people whom He foreknew  in the foreknowledge of
      that   s t a t e . .                                                                   His everlasting love, to be our Head, King and Surety. And
       _'                                                                                    He was that both in the juridical and in the organic sense.
       :-- Let us. look ,into this.
                                                                                             Hence; coming into the world, He was responsible for all

                                            * * * *
                         .                                                                   those whom the Father gave unto Him. In fact, Jesus

                                                                                             received commandment from the Father that He lose none
             Everything here is wonderful! One died for all!
              ;                                                                              of them.

             Especially so when we remember. that He that died is                               And so Jesus at once came into the state of the guilty.
      the very Son of God ! It is as it is written by Paul in I Tim.                         He was made sin for us.
      3 :16,  "And without controversy great is the mystery -of god-
                                                                                                And so He died for us all. If you add sin and guilt on
      liness-: God was manifest- in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,
      seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in                             the one hand, and loving obedience to the Father on the
                                                                                             other hand, .the  sum of them is eternal death for Jesus.
      the world, received up into glory,"

             God came down in the form of a man, and took on                                    Dying the death out of love and obedience to His Father,
                                                                                    our
      entire human nature.                                                                   and for the love of His sheep.
                                                  1

             And standing as the Great Innocent before the Throne                               And what a death !

       of God, He began to die, and He died the eternal death.                                  No one in all eternity will be able to approximate the


338                                           TH.E  S T A N D A R D   BEA'RER



understanding of that death. There is a little rhyme in the            Juridically God so judges from everlasting to everlasting,

Holland saying that if you would understand a poet, you            and - absolutely !

must have been in his native country.                                  Organically, spiritually, God judges thus in principle,

    Well, apply this to Christ. If you are to understand fully     and in the sweet bye and bye, perfectly.

His poems in the Old Testament Psalms, crying and groan-               Legally, juridically, God*never  saw any sin in His elect,
ing in His death agony, you will have to go to hell first. At-     because they were always safe in Christ Jesus in God's eternal
tend to the Psalms 25, 42, `44, 43, 69, 77, 88, etc.               counsel.

    But He died for all of us. Hallelujah!                             And organically, in time, He regenerates them, so that

                           * * 8 *                                 the life of Christ is the predominant factor in their lives. They
                                                                   are renewed according to the image of Christ.

    Now let us look at the fruit of that death of Christ.              And it is dependent on that Cross. And therefore that

    Paul argues : if Christ died for all, then all are dead !      Cross must be constantly preached.

    And that was his loveable  judgment of the church of               And hearing that Cross of Jesus, I am constantly justi-

Corinth.                                                           fied by faith; and that means that all my sins are gone, that

                                                                   I am adopted unto a child of God, have a right to eternal life
    And just how, loveable  it was we will now see.
                                                                   and have peace with God.
    "Then were all dead"!
                                                                       And hearing that Cross I am constantly sanctified and
    What does that mean ?                                          crucify myself unto sin and all corruption.

    It means this : when Jesus .died  on Golgotha then all the
                                                                   That was Paul's judgment.`over Corinth's church.
elect died with Him. And they died there unto sin, unto

the cursing law, and unto corruption. Attend to the follow-                                    * * * *
ing Scriptures : 1) Eph. 2 :15,  "Having abolished in His flesh

the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in                  And here is his purpose.
ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man,
                                                                       If it is true that Jesus died for you ; and if it is true that
so making peace." 2) Cal. 2:14, "Blotting out the hand-
                                                                   therefore you are regenerated and dead unto sin, so that
writing of ordinances that was against us, which was con-
                                                                   you are no longer a willing slave unto sin-then it follows
trary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His
                                                                   that you no longer live unto yourselves !
cross." 3) Rom. 8 :3, "For what the law could not do, in

that it was weak through flesh, God sending His own Son in             Only the wicked, hard, unregenerated world lives unto

the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the    itself. They act as though they are gods. They act this way

flesh."                                                            because Satan injected that poison in their hearts at the

                                                                   beginning of history.
    Now these Scriptures teach plainly that the dying of the

Lord Jesus Christ is imputed unto the elect. And according             When you live unto yourselves `you  do all things for

to its power it is granted unto them in regeneration.              your own sakes. YOU must be pampered, loved, cherished,

                                                                   petted, and what have you ! That is the root sin of the human
    Henceforth sin has no longer any right to rule over me.
                                                                   race.
That is the legal side.

                                                                       But Paul is loveable  in his\ judgment. He says to the
    But there is more : since Jesus died on the ' cross, sin
                                                                   Corinthians: Christ died-for you, and according to its right
has no power, principally, to rule in the elect. And that
                                                                   and power, it found 
is what Paul has in mind. The Corinthians,were  regenerated,                                you. Its power regenerated you, so that
                                                                   in the depth of your souls and hearts you love God.
which means that the .death  of Christ as a spiritual power had

the ascendancy in them. They were dead, for Christ died for           And according to that judgment he treated the Corin-

them, and in their stead.. They were dead unto sin and cor-        thians, in other words, he rebuked them, and admonished

ruption. The power of the death of Christ had changed them         them, and scourged them with the Word of God. That is

from willing slaves of sin unto willing workers in the King-       l o v e !

dom of Christ. They were dead unto sin and all corruption.             And hence, he told the Corinthians that they should not

    There you have the loveable  judgment of Paul, con-            live unto themselves.

strained by the love. of Christ.                                       The preaching of the Cross of Christ is the deathblow to

                           * * * *                                 all selfishness.

                                                                                               * * * *
 That is the way God judges over us.

   `And that is the way Jesus judges over His church.                  What then ?


                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                                              339



   That we should live unto Christ who died for us and

rose'again !                                                                                                 TIiE STA'NDARD  B E A R E R

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cording to the Godhead, Jesus is always turned to the Father :                                                   Editor - REG. HERMAN HOEKSEMA

He is witlz  the Father! Is His express Image.                -                           Communications relative to contents should be addressed to
                                                                                                        Rev. H. Hoeksema, 1139 Franklin St., S. E.,
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   And thus we should live.

   Not unto ourselves. That is very death.

                                                                                                                               C O N T E N T S
   But that we should live unto God in Christ.
                                                                                      MEDITATION -
   Such a life gives real joy and peace ! Amen.                                                Constraining Love                   . . . . . . .337

                                                                           G.V.                        Rev. G. Vos


                                                                                      EDITORIALS -

                                                                                               Evolution, Long Periods or Days.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
                 CALL TO SYNOD -OF 1959                                                        About The Three P o i n t s   ____.__._____....___..............................   1 3 4 1

                                                                                                       Rev. H. Hoeksema
   In harmony with the decision of the Synod of 1958, the

Consistory of the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church                              OUR DOCTRINE -
                                                                                               The Book of Revelation ________............... _ . . . . 342
hereby notifies the churches that the 1959 Synod of the Prot-
                                                                                                       Rev. H. Hoeksema
estant Reformed Churches will convene on Wednesday, June

3, D.V., at 9 :00 A, M., in the above mentioned church.                               A CLOUD OF WITNESSES -
                                                                                               The Blessing of Jacob and Esau __._..___.__.______...........................  346

   `The pre-synodical service will be held on Tuesday eve-                                             Rev. B. Woudenberg

ning, June 2, at 8 :00 P. M. in the Hudsonville Church. Rev.
                                                                                      FROM HOLY WRIT -
G. Vos, president of last year's Synod, is leading this service.                               Exposition of Matthew 24 and 25 (XVI) . . . . . . . ..__..________.  ___.._  348

                                                                                                       Rev. G. Lubbers
   Synodical  delegates will kindly meet with the consistory

before this service.                                                                  IN HIS FEAR-

                                                                                               Waiting or Weighted _. __ ___.  . ._......  __._  ._____..  ._...... ._..._ 350
   If any of the delegates need lodging, please, contact our                                           Rev. J. A. Heys

clerk, Mr. Harry Zwak, R.F.D. No. 2, Hudsonville, Mich.
                                                                                      CONTENDING POR  THE FAITH  -
                                 Consistory of the                                             The Church and the Sacraments _.._,,...._.__._..,.........~  _____....._....  352

                                 Hudson&e  Prot. Ref. Church :                                         Rev. H. Vehhnan


                                       R E V .   G .   V o s ,   P r e s i d e n t    THE VOICE OF OUR FATHERS -

                                                                                               The Canons
                                       H .                                                                            of D o r d r e c h t .   ..__ ..____  .__  .   ..____  .._ _._ ._.___._..._  ..354
                                                ZWAK,  C l e r k
                                                                                                       Rev. H. C. .Hoeksema



                                                                                      DECENCY AND ORDER -

          Through pain and trouble Thou hast led,                                              The Question of Jurisdiction in 1953 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
                And ~humbled  all our pride ;                                                          R e v .   G .   Vanden  B e r g

          But, -in the end,`to liberty                                                ALL AROUND US -
                And wealth Thy hand did guide.                                                 War and  Peace .._.....................................................................  358

          Here in Thy house I give to Thee                                                             Rev. M. Schipper

                The life that Thou dost bless,
                                                                                      NEWS FROM OUR CHURCHES  . . . . . . .._.________...........................................  360
          And pay the solemn vows I made                                                               Mr. J. M. Faber
                When I was in distress.

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


                                                                          Westra that the people of God were persecuted for their
                  E D I T O R I A L S                                     teaching that the earth is round. I do not deny this. Never-
                                                                          theless, it is up to him to furnish proof for this tendentious

                                                                          statement, which not only makes the church look foolish, but
                 Evolution, Long Periods, or `Days                        which also must serve as an introduction to his suggestion

        Before I proceed with my discussion of the creation days          that the days of the creation narrative were long periods, at
     in Genesis, I cannot refrain from calling attention to an article    least, perhaps.
     in the Beacon                                                           Another tendentious introduction to the position that,
                       LigJ~ts  under the caption "Proof Positive-
     The Earth is Flat," by C. H. Westra.                                 perhaps, the days of creation were long periods, is the para-
                                                                          graph that informs us that, for a long time "the theologians-
        The reader understands, of course, that the heading of
                                                                          would-be-scientists" believed that the earth was the center of
     the article is a piece of sarcasm since no one believes that the
                                                                          the universe and that the sun and the planets revolve
     earth is flat. But Westra, as I understand his article, could
                                                                          around the earth.       Again, I ask for historical proof
     just as well have made the caption of the essay: "Proof
                                                                          of this statement. Mr. Westra merely makes this statement
     Positive-the World was Created in Six Days of Twenty-
                                                                          without any proof. What must be proved is: 1. That those
     four Hours" and that, too, with equal sarcasm.
                                                                          theologians actually taught this; and 2. That this was only
        And since this is a reflection on my articles on the sub-         the teaching of what Westra calls deprecatingly "the theolo-
     ject of creation days in The Standard Beayer,  although he           gians-would-be-scientists,"    and that it was not the general
     does not refer to them, I cannot refrain from writing a few          belief in those days. Surely, at that time these "theologians-
     words about the article.                                             would-be-scientists" were already cured of their error that

            First of all Mr. Westra makes a remark that there was a       the earth was flat, for how otherwise could they possibly teach

     time .when  it was considered a heresy worthy of censure to          that the sun and the planets revolved locally around the

     teach that the earth was not flat but round. Seeing that this        earth ? At any rate, I want proof. Again, I say that I will

     is a tendentious statement, I would like to have proof. When         not deny this, but neither will I take Westra's word for it.

_    were the people of .God ever cast out of the church because          I want historical proof.

     they believed that the earth was round ? Certainly, the Bible           At any rate the Bible, though it certainly teaches that

     does not teach that the earth is flat, even though it speaks in      man-in-Christ is the center of the universe, knows nothing

     figurative language of "the four corners of the earth." It           of the earth's being the local center of creation.

     tells us very plainly that the earth is round, that, in fact, it        But now I quote the paragraph to which the whole article
     is a globe. In Isa. 40 :22  we read : "He that sitteth upon the      of Westra, evidently, means to refer: "A similar situation
     circle of the earth."     The original Hebrew for "circle" is        faces the church today. Various laboratory techniques which
     CHUG, which means circle or sphere, so that the text may be          can measure with astounding accuracy the amount of radio-

     translated : "He that sitteth upon the sphere or globe of the        activity of various- substances (including the well known

     earth, the orbis  terrarum."  See Genesis ,in loco. And not          carbon-14 j have indicated that the earth is thousands of years

     only is the earth round but everything in creation is round,         older `than Scripture seems to indicate. Not only that the

     even in the heavens. In Job 22 :14  we read : "He walketh in         earth itself is that old, but that for a half a million years be-

     the circuit of heaven" where the same word is used (CHUG)            fore the birth of Christ, animals and some sort of human life

     as .in Isa. 40 :22.    We might very well translate, therefore:      existed. This technique of measuring the radioactivity that

     "He walketh among the spheres of the heavens." The same              remains in `the samples submitted by archeologists is as sound

     idea is found in Prov. 8 127 : "When he prepared the heavens,        a technique as can be found in any measuring laboratory. In

     I was there: when he set a compass-upon the face of the              fact, this method is so extremely reliable it has been compared

     depth," where again the same word (CHUG) is used for com-            to a yardstick !"

     pass. Certainly, according to Scripture, nothing is square or           Now, in the rest of the article, Mr. Westra does not
     flat, not even in the original chaos, the "depth," but, every-       definitely either teach or deny the long period theory, as
     thing is round from the beginning. Again, the same idea, in          from the above quoted paragraph we would certainly expect.

     respect to the waters on the earth, is expressed in Job              For there he presents with evident approval the theory of

     26 :lO : "He hath compassed (the same word is used here as           science so-called that the earth is thousands of years older

     in the other passages we quoted, only now in the verbal form         than "Scripture seems to indicate." However, I nevertheless

     CHAG) the waters with bounds." We may translate, there-              have the impression that Westra believes that when what he

     fore : "He described a circle or marked with a compass the           calls "general revelation" (let us call it scienc'e) will ever be
     face of the waters (thus according to the original Hebrew).          harmonized with what he calls "specific revelation," "general

     Everything therefore, according to Scripture, is round: the          revelation" the (science) will prove to be correct. And that

     earth is a sphere, the waters on the earth are round, and the        means that creation account of Gen. 1, 2 is a mere myth.

     heavenly bodies are also spheres.                                       Mr. Westra writes nothing new. Even the attempt to

            But I like to have historical proof for the statement of      harmonize the creation narrative with the theory of evolution


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  341


is nothing new. But all these attempts have not only failed,          "Three Points" in principle and apologize. It was either right

but they have resulted in denying the Word of God.                    or wrong to expel the Revs. H. Danhof, G. M. Ophoff and

                                                                      undersigned from the Christian Reformed Church. In my
       But I would like to ask Mr. Westra a few questions.
                                                                      opinion it was an ecclesiastical crime. If it is still the opinion
       He must remember that I am not a scientist, nor even           of the Christian Reformed Church that it was right, I will
a     "theologian-would-be-scientist." Hence, my questions ;          never have any official discussion with them about the "Three
which I ask also for the readers of Beacon Lights.                    Points."

       1. Will you explain to a simple theologian that is not a            But you object, perhaps, that this is not fair. Must not
scientist, as well as to the readers of Beacon Lights, just what      the answer to the question whether it was right or wrong to
is Carbon-14 ? Yes, I have read about it, but I am not a              depose the three -above mentioned ministers necessarily be
scientist. Neither are most of our readers of Beacon Lights.          preceded by a discussion of the "Three Points??
Hence, the question.
                                                                           This I emphatically deny.,`,
       2. Will you explain how, especially Carbon-14, proves
                                                                           First of all, the Synod of 1924, although they adopted the
that the earth is thousands of years older than Scripture in-
                                                                      "Three Points" said nothing about discipline, although it had
dicates ? You, evidently, believe this. Hence, the question.
                                                                      overtures to that effect on the synodical  table, and although
       3. Will you explain how it is even possible, and now I         the committee appointed for our case had in its report the
mean -in the light of Scripture, that animal and now I mean           statement that if the three ministers (two at the time) did
in the light of Scripture, that animal and some form of human         not agree to the "Three Points" they should be disciplined.
lief existed a half million years before the birth of Christ.         The Synod did not adopt this part of the report of the
And will you prove this also from Carbon-14 as well as from           committee. In other words, they decided nothing about dis-
"the technique of measuring the radioactivity that remains in         cipline.
the samples submitted by archeologists ?"
                                                                           But what is more important still is `that  the Synod of
     4. Was man created in the image of God a half a million          1924 gave a very favorable testimony of the two accused

years ago or did he gradually develop into that image ?               ministers, especially as to their being Reformed. Here it is:
                                                                                                  . .
      Well, this -is enough for the time being. I hope you an-        -    "On the other hand, .Synod  declares that these ministers
swer my questions, preferably in the Bea.con  Lights.                 in their writings, according to their own repeated declara-
                                                           H . H .    tions, do not intend or purpose anything else than to teach

                                                                      and maintain our Reformed doctrine, the doctrine of Scrip-

                                                                      ture and the Confessions; and it cannot be denied that they

                  About  The Three Points                             are Reformed in respect to the fundamental truths as they are

                                                                      formulated in the Confessions even though it be with a
       The report of the conferences and discussions of the           tendency to one-sidedness."
committee of the schismatics with a committee of the Chris-
                                                                           I claim that, apart from that tendency "to one-sidedness,"
tian Reformed Synod about the notorious "Three Points"' has
                                                                      which I deny, this is a beautiful testimony to two ministers
now been published. And seeing that I am writing on the
                                                                      that were accused of being unreformed from several sides. It
"Three `Points"  anyway, it seems quite proper that, for a
                                                                      certainly speaks the truth when it declares that they never
while, I interrupt my discussion and discuss, first of all, this
                                                                      intended else than to propagate and develop in their writings
report.
                                                                      the Reformed truth. And, mind you, this testimony was given
       It stands to reason that I will subject this report to a       after the undersigned wrote on and criticized, years before
fair but also to a thorough criticism.                                1924, the doctrine of grace and the theory of "common grace"

       And then I wish to point out, first of all, that the com-      in the rubric "Our Doctrine" in The-  Banner. But what is

mittees started from a wrong angle and from a mistaken point          more, Synod not only testifies that the two ministers intend

of view. At least, before I would ever start a discussion of-         to propagate and develop the Reformed truth, but also that

ficially with a committee of the Christian Reformed Church            it cannot be denied that they "are Reformed in the funda-

on the question of the "Three Points" I would have to dis-            mental truths as they are formulated in the Confessions." I

                                                                      say that the two ministers, of whom I am the only one still
CLISS  the question and want a definite answer to' it: was it

right or wrong to cast faithful ministers out of the Chris-           living, may well be grateful for this testimony in regard to

tian Reformed Synagogue in 1924?                                      their confessionally Reformed soundness especially in view of

                                                                      the fact that at the same Synod they were tried for heresy.
       By discussing the "Three Points': without first having

an answer to -this definite question, the schismatics, in their            But, in the light of all this, is it not correct when I main-

anxiety to be received back in the Christian Reformed Church          tain that, even before I will officially discuss the "Three

(Cf. De Boer and the schismatic Classis  West), already gave          Points" with any committee of the Christian Reformed

up the ship and evince an evident willingness to adopt the            Church, the question must be asked whether the Christian


 3    4    2                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R



 Reformed Church still takes the position that I was legally
and .properly  deposed from my office as minister ?                                  O U R   D O C T R I N E
                                                                                                                                       II
 This question must certainly be answered first of all.

      Consider once more : 1. The Synod did not want discipline                      THE BOOK OF REVELATION
 as is very evident. 2. The Synod declared us fundamentally

 Reformed in the light of the Confessions. Yet, Classis  East                                   P A R T   T W O

 and West Grand Rapids declared us heretics because we re-
 fused to sign the "Three Points" and, in a very high-handed                                    CHAPTER -VIII

 way deposed us from office.                                                                  The Two Witnesses

      Do you think that I would sit in any official capacity in
                                                                                              Revelation 11 :3, 4
 a committee meeting discussing the "Three Points" while

 branded as a heretic and legally deposed minister 7 Never !              For I cannot imagine that Enoch and Elijah, who

                                                                        have not only been taken to heaven, but who have
      But this is exactly what the schismatics did and by this
                                                                        also been translated and who are now in glory, shall
 very action they already repudiated the Protestant Reformed
                                                                        once more return in corruptible bodies to this earth of cor-
 Position. They met the committee of the Christian Reformed.
                                                                        ruption, testify and suffer and be killed, and then rise again
 Church *as heretics and as those that were legally cast out of
                                                                        and go to heaven. But in the second place, this limitation
 the Church.                                                   H.H.
                                                                        makes it to be in conflict with Scripture. True, the Lord

                                                                        says that Elijah cometh,  but we must not forget that in this

                                                                        same portion He also says : "But I say unto you, that Elijah

                                                                        has come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him
                        Teacher Needed                                  whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man suffer

      Hope Protestant Reformed Christian School, 1545 Wilson            of them."    And the clear remark is added: "Then under-
                                                                        stood the disciples that he spake unto them of John the Bap-
Ave., S. W., Grand Rapids, Michigan, needs a teacher for
                                                                        tist." And in the eleventh `chapter of the same gospel Jesus
the third grade. If interested, please apply by contacting
                                                                        says with reference to John the Baptist : "This is he of whom
David Meulenberg, 1743 Moelker Ave., S.W., Grand Rapids,                it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, who

 Michigan, Phone AR 6-4589.                                             shall prepare thy way before thee." And again, "And if ye

                                                                        are willing to receive it, this is Elijah which is to come." If

                                                                        we take into account these Scriptural references, clear in

                                                                        themselves, we have no difficulty. Then we shall no longer

                                                                        maintain the strange notion that in the literal sense of the
                      PROTECTING GRACE
                                                                        word Enoch and Elijah shall return, but we shall understand

                   All who with heart confiding                         that these men, and especially Elijah, were types. They were

                                                                        powerful witnesses themselves, in the first place. In John
                     Depend on God alone,
                                                                        the Baptist Elijah returns again as a powerful witness to
                   Like Zion's mount abiding,
                                                                        the people. And so also it must be expected that again such
                     Shall ne'er be overthrown.                         witnesses shall come, according to our chapter, that shall
                Like Zion's city bounded                                sound their testimony before a perverted generation. Also in

                     By guarding mountains broad,                       this interpretation, therefore, there is an element of truth.

                   His people are surrounded                            Not indeed as if these two prophets of the old dispensation

                                                                        shall return literally, but in the sense that Enoch and
                     Forever by their God.
                                                                        Elijah, and, in fact, Noah and Moses and many others, must

                                                                        be taken as types of the witnesses that are mentioned in the
                   The men who falsehood cherish,                       words of our text.

                     Forsaking truth and right,                            There are still other interpretations. But these are the

                   With wicked men shall perish,                        most important. And we rather turn to the text, to see *

                                                                        whether it can be ascertained with a reasonable amount of
                     God will their sin requite.
                                                                        certainty who are meant by these two witnesses. And then
                   From sin Thy saints defending,
                                                                        we remind you of our explanation of the first two verses, in
                     Their joy, 0 Lord, increase.                       the first place. Jerusalem stands for Christendom in the

                   With mercy never ending                              broadest sense of the word. Outside of the court and the

                     And everlasting peace.                             temple it symbolizes the false church, that part of Christianity

                                                     Psalm 125 :l, 3    that still claims to belong to it but in the meantime tramples


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               343



 under foot the blood of Christ and denies the great truths of       .with oil from the bowl in order to give light. He beholds,

 atonement and redemption in the blood of the Savior. The            further, on each side of the bowl an olive tree. These olive

 outer court stands for the show-church, or the hypocrites,          trees are again connected with the bowl above the candlestick,

 that indeed enter the temple in the outward sense but never         so that from them the oil continually pours into the bowl,

 worship in Spirit and in truth. These two essentially belong        and from the bowl into the lamps. That is the vision: a

 together. And the temple proper stands for the true church          candlestick receiving its oil from a bowl above it, which in

 of Jesus Christ. It is in that condition and during the period.     turn receives its oil from the two olive trees.

 that the church is in that condition that the two witnesses             What is the meaning of this vision ? Also that is given

 give their testimony, that is, during this entire dispensation,     in the chapter. The general meaning is a message to

 as we have seen. It is therefore a testimony that arises from       Zerubbabel : "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,

 the true church, from the midst of the true, spiritual children     saith the Lord." After the captivity'zerubbabel  must be in-

 of God. It is a testimony that must serve two purposes, no          strumental .in the rebuilding.of  the temple. But in this work

 doubt. It, must testify against the wickedness of the false         he meets with opposition from the imperial or world power.

 church and the show-church, a testimony that preaches hell          He can make no headway. And now this vision tends to

 and damnation to all that do not believe in Jesus Christ as         instruct Zerubbabel that  by the Spirit of the Lord the oppo-

 the King and Redeemer. And at the same time it is a testi-          sition of the world power shall be .brought  to nought and the

 mony that must serve to strengthen the true believers. And          temple rebuilt, the .kingdom  of God restored. Still more in

 that the time of their testimony, although being of the same        general, the meaning of the vision is that although the Lord

 length as the forty-two months and the three and a half             employs human instruments, nevertheless the completion of

 years; is nevertheless expressed in terms of days, twelve           His kingdom is not the work of human hands, but of His own

 hundred sixty days; shows that it is a continual testimony          Spirit. If the candlesticks are to give light, the bowl and

 which they give. And therefore from the context we gather           the olive trees and the pipes are necessary indeed, but what

 the following. First of all, the testimony for which we must        would they be without oil ? And so it is with the church

 look is a continual testimony all through this dispensation,        and the kingdom of God. The church as such and the ser-

 from the exaltation of Christ to His second coming. It is           vants of the Lord and the means of grace are all necessary.

 during this period that the false and the show-church, as           But what would they be without the Holy Spirit? They could

 well as the true church, exist. It is during this same period       not shed light of their testimony in the church and the world.

 that the testimony of these witnesses is heard. It is a testi-      But now we must still further ask the question: what is.

 mony that is naturally heard from the true church of Christ,        the meaning of the details of the vision ?. What is meant by

 not from the city at large, not from the outer court, but from      the candlestick, and what by the olive trees ? We need not

 the temple building proper. It is a testimony of repentance         be left in the dark as to the answer to this question. The

 and sin against the false church and the show-church. And           candlestick in the temple and tabernacle was a symbol of the

 these witnesses are preachers of repentance, as is at the same      people of God as shining with their knowledge of God and

 time indicated by their being girded with, sackcloth. It is a       their testimony in the midst of a world of darkness. That

 testimony for the truth of Christ and the strengthening of the      was Israel of the old dispensation. And so in the new

 true believers.                                                     dispensation it is symbolic of the church of Christ letting its

     But we must now turn to the fourth verse of the chapter,        light shine in the midst of the world of darkness and un-

 for there evidently we have the key to the entire explanation.      belief. The church is a light, a testimony of the truth of

 There we read: "These are the two olive trees, and the two          God. That this is true is clearly proved by the first chapter

 candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." The plain       of this book of Revelation, where the seven golden candle-

 reference here is to Zechariah 4. For there we read in the          sticks are the seven churches. But who are the two olive

 fourteenth verse, in answer to the question, of the prophet         trees ? In Zechariah 4 :14 we read that they were the two

 concerning the identity of the two olive trees: "These are          anointed ones, standing before the Lord of the whole earth.

 the two anointed ones, that stand before the Lord of the            From this we learn, in the first place, that they are servants

 whole earth." Here therefore is the key. The two witnesses          of God. They stand before the Lord of the whole earth.

 are the two olive trees and also the  candlesticks there men-       They are therefore ready to serve. And that they stand be-

 tioned, so the text tells us. Hence, the answer to the question     fore the Lord of the whole earth also implies that they are

 as to who are the two olive trees and the candlesticks in           especially the ones that are ready to serve the Lord before

 Zechariah 4 is at the same time the correct answer to the           the whole world with their testimony in word and deed. But,

 question who are meant by the two witnesses.                        in the second place, we learn that they are moisted  servants

    Zechariah, the prophet, receives a vision. He beholds in         of the Lord. `They are therefore officially called and ordained

the vision a candlestick with seven lamps. Above the candle-         for service.    They are divine media through which the

 stick he sees a golden bowl, or reservoir, filled with oil. This    people of God receive the blessings of God's grace, especially

 bowl of oil above the candlestick is connected with the lamps       of the knowledge of God, so that they may let their light

 by means of seven .pipes,  through which they are supplied          shine. In the Old Testament there were but two that were

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


 thus officially anointed to be servants in the theocracy, namely,    the church shall let its light shine in the midst of the world

 the king `and the priest. And there is for that reason no            and in the midst of the apostate church. The Lord shall keep

 question among interpreters generally but that by the two            His church even to the end of the world as a shining light.

 olive trees, in the first place, Zerubbabel the prince and           Still more. Not only the candlestick but also the two olive

 Joshua the high priest are meant. But in the second place,           trees shall remain. The Lord shall not leave His church

 a general reference is made to the royal and priestly office in      without its faithful servants. These faithful servants, in

 Israel. And in the words of our text, therefore, the olive           the first place, shall instruct the congregation in the full

 trees are evidently none other but the divinely ordained and         truth of the Word and thus shall serve as media to supply

 called true ministers of the Word, who must serve as media           the congregation with the oil of knowledge necessary to let

 to supply the church with light.                                     their light shine. But in the second place, it shall be especi-

        If in this light we turn once more to the words of our        ally through them that the church shall testify. The church

 text, the whole is convincingly clear. The two witnesses, as         and the servants of God belong together. The servants are

 our text has it, are not only the two olive trees of Zechariah       the mouthpiece of the church. They shall above all testify

 4 ; nor are they only the two candlesticks ; but they are both.      and witness in the midst of the world and in the midst of the

 John identifies them.    The olive trees and the candlesticks        apostate church. They shall testify against the wickedness

 cannot be separated. They belong together, and together they         of. that apostate Christendom and testify for the name of

 are the two witnesses of Christ in the world. That John              Christ, testify also against the hypocrisy of the hypocrites

 speaks of the ~XUO witnesses is also plain. It is not because        and the false church.

 two individuals are meant, but it is simply because the                 This condition is to develop in extreme features toward

 entire reference of the text is `to the two witnesses of             the end of the world. Apostasy shall increase. Jerusalem

 Zechariah 4. And the Lord means to say : "Just as in the             shall turn once more wicked. False Christianity shall be-

 Old Testament I had two witnesses, just as then I had my             come more openly false. Days of persecution shall arise! The

 people as a shining light and testimony in the world in my           show church shall unite itself with the false church in the

 people Israel and the servants I appointed over them, so also        days of persecution. But still the candlestick shall shine.

 in the new dispensation, during the forty-two months that            Many shall fall away, according to the words of our Lord.

 the false church and the show church shall exist and defile          Many also of the servants of God shall become unfaithful.

 the sanctuary, I shall have my two witnesses who shall bear          But always Christ shall have the two witnesses, His church

 testimony before all the world." The .candlesticlrs  and the         and His servants, -yea3 to the end of the world. And the

 olive trees in Zechariah 4 are none other than the people of         more the lines are sharply drawn and the greater the apostasy

 God as lights shining in the ,world together with the divinely       becomes and the more clearly Antichrist develops, the louder

 anointed and appointed servants of God. So also in our por-          and the more clearly and the more definitely the testimony of

 tion we conclude, on the basis of Scripture, that the candle-        the faithful church, with its faithful ministers, shall resound

 sticks and the olive trees together are the church of Christ         throughout the world.

 throughout this dispensation, together with the divinely                If we bear this in mind, we shall also understand that there

 ordained servants of the Word, the true ministers of the             have been many types in history of these two witnesses.

 gospel, who must serve the Lord as media to supply the               Types of these were men like Enoch  and Noah and Moses

 congregation with light. If we understand this, the whole is         and Elijah. Types of these also were Zerubbabel and Joshua.

 rather clear. We have in the words of our text, in the first         And types of these were the martyrs of the early church, as

 place, again a word of comfort and warning. A word of                well as of the church of the Reformation together with the

 warning: for not all is Israel that is called Israel, and not        faithful servants of their time. Huss and Wyclif and Luther

 all is Christendom that calls itself by that name. On the            and Calvin represent these faithful witnesses.       Types of

 contrary, by far the widest area is left out when God's              these witnesses, at the final stage of history are the churches

 people are measured. There is a large mass of so-called              and the servants that sound the trumpet today and that will

 Christians that laugh at the truths of Christianity and of           know of nothing but Christ and Him crucified. And through

 Scripture, that renounce the Christ and that crucify Him             them all we have the realization of the comfort expressed in

 anew. In the second place, there are in the visible church           our portion: "I will give my two witnesses, throughout this

 proper the hypocrites, scattered and hidden among the true           dispensation, that they may prophesy. The candlestick shall

 people of God, - dangerous people, that really belong to the         shine, the olive trees shall supply with oil, all the days of

. enemy, that shall ultimately *openly unite with the power of        this dispensation, even until the end of the world."

 the Antichrist, but that cannot be detected. And the question           But at the same time we have in our text a word of

 might well be asked by God's people: but is not the whole            admonition and calling, a word to the church as such. She

 cause of God a lost cause ? If that is the condition of the          must be a witness of `Christ. She must let her light shine

 church, shall there be a true church in the future ? Who             boldly, fearlessly, testifying against the apostasy. of the age

 shall stand ? And our text gives us the assurance that               with all her might and main. Not according to the imagina-

 throughout this dispensation the two witnesses shall stand,          tion of man, but according to the light of the Word of God


                                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEARE.R                                                          345


 must she live and speak. Regardless of what the world may                                11.    And after three days and an half the spirit of life

 say, we must witness. Regardless how beautiful the world                                from God entered into them, and they stood upon their

 may look and however sweet the world may speak of Christ                                feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

 and Christianity, the great question that must always again
                                                                                         12. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying
 be asked: do you believe in Christ, the Son of the living
                                                                                         unto them, Gome  up hither. And they ascended up to
God, in the blood of atonement and the redemptive value of
                                                                                         heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
 the blood of Christ Jesus ? If not, the world stands con-

 demned by our testimony. For it, and it alone, is the truth.                            13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake,

 In the second place, a word of admonition with regard to                                and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earth-

 the relation of the church to its ministers. They are the olive                         quake were slain of men seven thousand: and the rem-

 trees. They must enlighten the minds of the congregation                                nant were affrighted,  and gave glory to the God of

 with the light of God. The congregation must receive this                               heaven.

 light. Do not be satisfied with a little siren-song of gospel
                                                                                 It seems to me that in the words of our text quoted above
 that cannot establish you in the faith, but be eager to receive
                                                                              we have a very strong corroboration of the conclusion we
 the whole Word of God. For you will need its full, abundant
                                                                              reached thus far in regard to the two witnesses. In our
 light. And, in the third place, a word of warning and ad-
                                                                              first discourse on the present chapter of the Book of Revela-
 monition to the servants of God in the church: they are the
                                                                              tion we reached the conclusion that Jerusalem and temple
 olive trees.          They must bring the light of the Word and
                                                                              and worshippers must not be taken in the literal, but in the
 nothing else. .Theyt first of all and above all, must stand
                                                                              symbolical sense of the word. Jerusalem in its all-compre-
 and be faithful. They shall have a hard time in the day of
                                                                              hensive sense stands for the new dispensation, that is, for
 judgment if it should be `proved that they have given the
                                                                              Christianity in its broadest and most inclusive sense. The
 congregation stones for bread and serpents for eggs. Many
                                                                              city outside of the temple and the court is used as being
 have been the false prophets of all times. Many are the false
                                                                              typical, of the false church, representing the masses of Chris-
 prophets today. Fearful wrath and condemnation, no doubt,
                                                                              tianity that still have the seal of the covenant on their fore-
 there will be in store for those that have pretended to preach
                                                                              head and that perhaps would deem it a shame if they were
 the truth of God and have filled the pipes of the bowl with
                                                                              not baptized. But they have renounced the real essence of
 the darkness of hell.
                                                                              Christendom, the blood of atonement. The outer court, we

                                                                              found, must be understood to symbolize the show church, the
                               Revelation 11 5-13
                                                                              church outside of the real sanctuary, but outwardly belonging

                 5.     And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out    to the real people of God, that is, therefore, the hypocrites,

                 of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and. if         And finally, the temple building proper is symbolic of the

                 any man will hurt them, he must in this manner -be           real, spiritual body of Christ, the elect of God, -that certainly

                 killed.                                                      shall be saved. We found, further, that the ultimate outcome

                                                                              of this three-fold form of Christendom will be that the show
                 6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not
                                                                              church identifies itself with the false church, and together
                 in the `days of their prophecy: and- have power over
                                                                              they shall trample under foot the holy city all through this
                 waters to turn them to, blood, and to smite the earth
                                                                              dispensation, but especially toward the end.
                 with all plagues, as often as they will.
                                                                                 Now I-said that in the words which we are about to dis-

                 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony,        cuss I find a very strong corroboration of what I have ex-

                 the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall     plained in regard to the two witnesses. What is here said

                 make war against them, and shall overcome them, and          cannot be taken as referring to two single persons for the

                 kill them.                                                   simple reason that they are pictured in universal features,

                                                                              as having a universal influence, noted by all the world, and
                 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the
                                                                              being the object also of universal hatred and contempt. And
                 great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,
                                                                              their death appears also as an object of universal joy. Neither.
                 where also our Lord was crucified.
                                                                              Enoch nor Elijah created such a stir as these two witnesses.

                 9. And they of the people and kindreds  and tongues          Nor is it conceivable that two single human beings in a

                 and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and       single city would cause so much commotion. No, only when

                 an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be        we conceive of these two witnesses as the candlesticks and

                 put in graves.                                               the olive trees, according to Scripture, shall we be able to

                                                                              understand and appreciate to the full all that is told us in
                 10. And they'that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice
                                                                              the text we ,are now discussing. And we note immediately,
                 over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to
                                                                              of course, that this passage still speaks of the two witnesses.
                 another; because these two prophets tormented them

                 that dwelt on the earth.                                                                                                H . H .

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


                                                                           again such a meal, hoping thereby to regain his courage.

l/A CLOUD OF WITNESSES 11 While waiting for the return of his son, he tried to get hold
                                                                           of himself and be patient; but the turmoil in his soul would
I'                                                                   `I
                                                                           not let him rest. Conflicting thoughts-kept on forcing them-

             The Blessing of Jacob and Esau                                selves into his consciousness. In our day we would maybe
                                                                           say that he had become nervous and jumpy ; in reality, he

                And Isaac  answered and said unto Esau,  Behold, I         was spiritually troubled and uncertain. Isaac's mind told him
              have made  him tJzy ZoTd,  and all his brethren have I       one thing ; his heart told him another. He wanted to give
              given to him for servartts;  and with corn and wine have
                                                                           the blessing to Esau ; he knew he should give it to Jacob.
              I sustained him: a.nd- what shall I, do now unto thee,
              my son? - G                                                  His soul had become a spiritual battlefield.
                             EN. 27~37

                By faith Isaac blessed  Jacob and Esau concerning             When these troubled thoughts were interrupted by the
              things to come, - HEB. 11:20                                 voice of Jacob, Isaac was in-no state of mind to make clear

                                                                           and sound decisions'. He heard. the voice and it seemed to
That Rebekah and Jacob succeeded in deceiving Isaac                        be the voice` of Jacob ; but' when he inquired, the voice in-
raises questions in our minds. Considering the circumstances               sisted that it was Esau's. Isaac with his troubled heart and
we can hardly imagine how it could have been so. We realize,               mind did not trust himself sufficiently to challenge it. Still the
of course, that Isaac was blind and therefore limited to the               doubt persisted ; and when the person approached, he reached
use of four senses instead of five. But nonetheless, it would              forth to feel if his arms were hairy. He felt the hair but with--
seem that the four senses, all of which he made use, should                out enough presence of mind to note that it was the fur of
have been sufficient to see through the imposture of his son.              an animal and not the hair of a man. He took of the meat
,In the first place, there was the matter of the voice. We all             that had been prepared and ate; but, in his troubled state, it
know how easy it is to distinguish between the voices of                   seemed unpalatable and tasteless. His sense of taste, other-
various people, especially of those with whom we are very                  wise so discerning, could not even distinguish between the
intimately acquainted. We know that there was a very marked                flesh of a goat and the venison of a wild animal. One thought
differenoe between the physical characteristics of Esau and                only persisted,. he wanted this to be Esau because he wanted
Jacob, and it would be expected that that difference carried               this troublesome affair to be over. So too he took no
through also-in the peculiarities of their voices. We are told             special note of the reason which was given for having
that Isaac noted Jacob's peculiar voice, but we wonder why                 procured game so quickly, namely,. "the Lord thy God
it was not sufficient to convince Isaac that there was fraud.              brought it to me." Such an appeal to God was-unlikely from
In the second place, there was the hair on Jacob's arms-and                the lips of the spiritually' insensitive Esau. Ordinarily Isaac
neck. It was the hair of a kid used for the purpose of decep-              would have noted ; but this time his mind was pre-occupied.
tion. However, it is well known that a person who is blind                 He wanted only to be through with the matter. When there
has a very keen sense of touch. Why, then, was not Isaac.                  came through to his senses the smell of Esau's garments, he'
able to distinguish between the crudely attached goatskins                 wishfully wanted to believe what he said, "the smell of my
and the real hair of a man? Finally there was the venison.                 son in the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed."
Isaac had always been particularly fond of the venison which               So having begun, he hastened on to add what was on his
Esau was able to tirepare  from the wild meat which he                     mind.    "Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and
caught in the field. Jacob came with the meat of their                     the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let
domesticated flocks. It was the very ordinary meat which                   people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord
formed the mainstay of their diet in preference to which Isaac             over thy brethren,. and let thy mother's sons bow down to
had always favored the venison prepared by Esau.  Why at                   thee: cursed be every one that curseth  thee, and blessed be
this time did not Isaac notice the difference ?                            he that blesseth thee."

       In attempting to come to an understanding of this matter,              So the blessing was given ; and yet, not really. There

we should remember that*Isaac  was a man who was troubled                  were elements of the blessing in what Isaac had said ; but

in heart. He had a guilty conscience. For many years he                    there were other elements noticeably lacking. The reference

had tried very hard to convince himself that Esau should                   to God was short and in passing ; missing was all mention

receive the blessing and not Jacob. + With his mind he was                 of the covenant which God had established with the family of

ready to believe it; but always in .his heart he knew that he              Abraham ; there was no assurance of fellowship and friend-

was wrong. Finally determined to bring -the matter to an                   ship with .the Most High God. These were the spiritual ele-

end, he convinced himself that he was about to die, and he                 ments of the blessing. They had afforded Isaac his greatest

called for Esau so as to bless him. But even as Esau entered               joy ; but. he knew that they would not be appreciated by

his tent, Isaac's conscience began to clamor more loudly than              Esau. Isaac's sanctified heart would. not let him promise

ever, and his courage slipped away. Remembering then that                  those things where it knew that they would not be appreci-

always in the past he had been best disposed toward Esau                   ated. What came forth from Isaac's faltering lips was not

when eating of his venison, he sent Esau to prepare once                   the true promise but only a mutilated caricature.
                                          "


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               347


     As Jacob left his father's tent, two troubled souls were       Jacob had received the blessing, in spite of his own contrary

  parted. Jacob went in fear of what would happen when his          intentions, to be a confirmation of the prophecy which had

  deception would be discovered. Isaac remained in painful          been given many years before to Rebekah. It was the will of

  awareness that as a covenant father he had withstood the          God that Jacob should have the blessing and therefore it

  will of God.                                                      had to stand. Isaac was a true child of God and once he

                                                                    had perceived this truth he- held to it tenaciously. It implied
     As Jacob left his father's tent, two truobled souls were
                                                                    a repudiation of his former position and a confession that he
  patred.  Jacob went in fear of what would happen when his
                                                                    had sinned, but nonetheless he said in no uncertain terms
  deception would be discovered. Isaac remained in painful
                                                                    to Esau, "Where is he that hath taken venison, and brought
  awareness that as a covenant father he had withstood the
                                                                    it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have
  will of God,
                                                                    blessed him ? yea, and he shall be blessed . . . Behold, I
     It is a painful thing when a believer refuses to do the        have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given
  will of his God, whether it be Isaac who thought himself to       to him for servants ; and with corn and wine have I sustained
  have given the covenant blessing to unbelieving Esau, or          him.: and what shall I do now' unto thee, my son?" Isaac saw
  Jonah who took to the sea rather than to preach repentance        it to be the will of the Lord, and, being a child of God, he
  in Nineveh, or Peter who for his own safety cursed the Name       acceded to it.
of God rather than defending his Lord. Peter went out and
  wept; Jonah asked to be cast into the sea,; can we imagine            This is the only possible explanation of the action of
  the pangs that gripped the heart of Isaac sitting alone in        Isaac. We can not conceive of it that Isaac might have
  his tent?                                                         thought that his mistaken blessing of Jacob was irrevocable.
                                                                    If Isaac had still thought th.at Esau should have the-blessing,
     But Isaac was not left long to his painful meditations.
                                                                    he could have very easily nullified the previous bestowal on
  Jacob had hardly left when Esau made his jubilant entry.
                                                                    the grounds of Jacob's deception. But now Isaac understood
  He was filled with eager anticipation. In former years he
                                                                    that it was God's will for Jacob to receive the blessing ; there-
  had not thought much of his father's blessing ; it had seemed
                                                                    fore, he said with such finality, "I have blessed him; yea, and
  so far away. But now he could look forward soon to being
                                                                    he shall be blessed."    The blessing was given to Jacob by
  heir to all his father's wealth, and it felt good. He antici-
                                                                    God.
  pated being appointed head over his scheming brother, and

  it was sweet. With high spirits he entered his father's tent          It was for this reason also that Isaac could say nothing

  and said, "Let my father `arise, and eat of his son's venison,    to alleviate the bitter pleading of Esau. Esau wanted the

  that thi soul may bless me."                                      blessing, or at least part of the blessing, very badly. Tear-

     Those words pierced like a sword into Isaac's troubled         fully and with touching words'he sought it, "Hast thou but
  heart. There was no doubt about whose voice this was that         one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, 0 my
  spoke. As strongly as he had wanted it to be the voice of         father."    But Isaac had come to faith ; and, although before
  Esau the previous time, this time he wanted it not to be.         he had been so susceptible to the desires of Esau, now he
  Almost as though trying to withhold the truth from his            stood firm even-against such tender pleadings. Esau had no
  own mind he answered back, "Who art thou?" But the                room for repentance even through his tears; and there could
  question really didn't need an answer. Isaac knew who it          be no place in the covenant blessing for one who did not
  was that stood before him this time, and "Isaac trembled          confess his own sin. With firm words Isaac assured Esau of
  very exceedingly." At that moment he knew for sure that           his future, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be away from the
  he had been deceived ; and yet it was not so much that knowl-     fatness of the earth, and away from the dew of heaven from
  edge that made him tremble. At that moment Isaac knew             above; (this translation with aaway  f~~wt is to be preferred to
  that he had given the blessing to Jacob instead of Esau ; but     the rendition of the A.V.) And by the sword shall thou live,
 .it was not even that which made him tremble. At that moment       and shall serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when
  Isaac perceived that the hand of the Lord had intervened in       thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke
  his life. God had caused that his intention to bless Esau had     from off thy neck." Thus by the power of faith Isaac came

  somehow been brought to the ears of Jacob. God had through        to see before hand the reality of which Malachi wrote many
  the use of some means instilled into the mind of Jacob the        years later, "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord :

  plan to impersonate his brother. God had .caused  that in,        yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains

  spite of his own intentions his youngest son received the         and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

  blessing instead of his eldest, and Isaac trembled very ex-       Whereas Edom  saith, we are impoverished, but we will

 ceedingly. He trembled because he, the guardian of the             return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of

  covenant, had been found fighting against his God.                hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall

                                                                    call them, the border of wickedness, and, The people against
     As soon as Isaac perceived this, a remarkable transforma-
                                                                    whom the Lord hath indignation for ever." Mal. 1 2-5.
  tion took place in his attitude. It is this change that marked

  him as a true child of God. He understood the fact that                                                                      B.W.


 3        4      8                               T H E .   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R


                                                                     in ? Or naked and clothed thee ? Or when saw we thee sick
 II            F R O M   H O L Y   W R I T                        II or in prison and came unto thee ?"
                                                                         So much they quote. No more.


                                                                         In so doing they, by partial quotation, misquote and at-
               Exposition of Matthew 24 and 25
                                                                     tempt to change or avoid the thrust of this instruction of

                                 X V I .                             Jesus. And they argue that here it is clearly taught that the
                                                                     "righteous" will, even in the day of judgment, not have any

                          (Matthew 25 :31-46)                        consciousness of having performed any good works. And

                                                                     .such they boldly allege and defend even though the Heidkl-

                                   C.                                berg Catechism. clearly teaches that: "the most holy, while

                                                                     in this life, has only a small beginning of the new obedience,
       We ended our former essay in this ,series  with the ob-       yet so, that with a' sincere. resolution they begin to live not
 servation that there is a vast difference between the gro,unzd      only according to some, but all the commandments of God."
 of the ve+&ct  in judgment and the grozd.nd  of oztl' salvation!    Question 114.

       Let us attempt to listen to the text here in Matthew
                                                                        What these antinomians  fail to understand is that Jesus
 25 :31-46 on this point.     We quote the following from this
                                                                     does not present the righteous as having done no good works
 passage : "Then shall the King say unto them on his right
                                                                     at all, which God rewards in this life and in the life to come
 hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
                                                                     (Questions 63, 64))  but the text presents these righteous as
 prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I
                                                                     having been unaware of the grea,tness  of their labor of love,
 was an hungered and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye
                                                                     in that these labors of mercy were performed not merely to
 gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: naked
                                                                     their fellowmen, some humanistic philanthropy, but that it
 and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in
                                                                     was Christian *fie*cy,  which Christ accounts as having been
 prison and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous an-
                                                                     performed to Himself, since it was performed to the little
 swer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered
                                                                     .ones which were given Him by the Father!
 and .fed  thee? or thirsty and gave thee drink ? When saw we

 thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee ? And the King             The questions: when saw we thee an hungered and fed

 shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inas-        thee, etc., have therefore not the thrust of denying the works

 much as ye have done it unto of the least of these my               of faith, works of thankfulness. Such is the contention .of the

 brethren, ye have done it unto me . . . ."                          antinomians! In the name of grace they deny a great part

                                                                     of the work of God's grace. 0, the pity of it!
       There are those who read this text and miss the point of

 Christ's teaching entirely. They are the a&no&ans.  They               And when one points out to them that the righteous have

 err grievously when they read this text. And one gets the           these works, while, according to the clear teaching of Jesus,

 impression that they err willfully. For they read but half          the wicked do not have them, one is told that he does not

 of the text.                                                        want Christ but is guilty of teaching self-righteousness !

                                                                     Blind to the meaning of the Scriptures they neglect `the
       Let me explain.
                                                                     beautiful Question and Answer 86 of the-  Heidelberg Cate-
       Attempting to maintain the thoroughly Scriptural teach-       chism : "Since then we are delivered from our misery, merely
 ing that Christ has fulfilled the law for us his people on the      of grace, through Christ, without any merit of ours, w/zy
 Cross once and for all they allege that any attempt to have         must we Xl1 do good works?"
 the law have meaning for our Christian life as a rule of con-
 duct must by its very nature ,be a denial of grace. Hence              In this eighty-sixth Question there is indicated the vast
 they deny that the law of God has any meaning for the Chris-        difference between the gro,tcnd of salvation and the "good
 tian, except that it is fulfilled in Christ. And all that must      works" which form the ground of the judgment of Christ in
 be preached is: Christ has fulfilled the law for us, and he is      that day! For these "good works" are the evidence of being
 our intercessor with the Father. That is the extent of salva-       a good tree. From the fruits they shall be known. And these
 tion. One must not preach the law in the church. For that           "good works" are works of grace, out of faith, according to
 would be a denial of grace.                                         God's law and unto the glory of God's grace. They are the
                                                                     proof of our possessing a ll&g faith.
       When sarch  antinomians are confronted with this Scrip-

ture passage in Matthew 25 :31-46 they read only what                   It is remarkable that on the very surface of the text Jesus

 sustains (in appearance) their position and fail to read the        teaches that mercy boasts against judgment. Thus we also

 rest. They wrest the Scripture to their own destruction. They       read in James 2 :13 : "For he shall have judgment without

 read only the part, "Then shall the righteous say, Lord, when       mercy, that bath shewed  not mercy: and mercy iejoiceth

 saw we thee an hungered and fed thee? or thirsty and gave           against judgment."     And always the wicked persecute the

 thee to drink ? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee           Church, those little ones, given to Christ by the Father.


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               349


     In that day the Church will be saved completely.                  claim the promise of God as taught in this parable of the

                                                                       judgment by the Son of Man in that day.
     She shall receive her reward. It will be purely a reward

  of grace. Nonetheless it shall be a frewalfd.  It will be the           Here the account of the hope which is in the composer of

  crown of life. The idze&ance  shall be theirs. It shall be           the Belgic Confession, Guido De Bres, in Article 27 of the

  openly stated in the hearing of those on the "left side" that        Church Order: ". . . . And therefore the consideration of

  the reason for the inheritance of the kingdom is that they           this judgment, is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked

  shezved  ytzeycy.  For blessed are the meek for they shall in-       and ungodly, but most desirable and comfortable to the

  herit the earth, and blessed are the merciful for they shall         righteous and the elect: because these their fztlt de&eyance
 obtain mercy !                                                        shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of

                                                                       their labors and trouble which they have borne. Their in-
     It is not true that in that day the righteous will deny that
                                                                       nocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible
  they visited the sick, the poor, the indigent and the dying.
                                                                       vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most
  They will be told the greatness of their labors-of love. Thus
                                                                       cruelly persecuted, oppressed and tormented them in this
  we read in Hebrews 6:lO: "For God is not unrighteous to
                                                                       world ; and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their
 forget your work and labor of love, which ye shewed  toward
                                                                       own consciences, and being immortal, shall be tormented in
 his name, in that ye ministered to the saints and do minister."
                                                                       that everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his
  For notice that the rule of. the saints is that "through faith
                                                                       angles. But on the contrary, the faithful and the elect shall
 they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
                                                                       be crowned with glory and honor: and the Son of God shall
 promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence
                                                                       confess their names before God his Father, and his elect
  of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were
                                                                       angels: all tears shall be wiped from their eyes . . . And
 made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the ar-
                                                                       for the graciozbs  reward, the Lord will cause them to possess
 mies of the aliens, Women received their dead raised to life
                                                                       such a glory, which never entered into the heart of man to
 again: and others were tortured not receiving deliverance:
                                                                       conceive. Therefore we expect that great day with a most
 that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had
                                                                       ardent desire to the end that we may fully enjoy the prom-
 trials of cruel mockings,  and scourgings,  yea, moreover of
                                                                       ises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen. Even so, Come,
bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawed
                                                                       Lord Jesus. Rev. 22 :20."
 asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they

 wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being desti-               Thus is the hope of the faithful.

 tute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not                    And this is the hope of the faithful in the same measure
 worthy) ; they wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in           that the road grows more dark and dreary, strewn with the
  dens and in caves of the earth . . . ." Shall these saints in        thorns of the sufferings of -Christ.
 that day deny that they suffered for righteousness' sake ? Did
                                                                          And thus Christ will in judgment say to the wicked: "In
 they deny that they were to walk before the Lord in holiness
                                                                       as much as ye have not done it to the least of these of mine
 and newness of life? Will they say: We are dead, but Christ
                                                                       ye have not done it unto me !"
 is a.Zive?  Or will they say : we live because he lives in us, the

 hope of glory? -                                                         Here is implied admonition, encouragements, and correc-

                                                                       tion in righteousness. Is it not true that every one who has
     0, yes, these saints are by nature dead. They once were
                                                                       this hope upon God purifies himself as he is pure ?
  darkness but now are they light in the Lord!

                                                                          The end is not yet by and by. But the victory is sure. Let
     Listen to the Confession of the saints in the days of the
                                                                       us gird up the loins of our minds and be sober, and hope
 Reformation when the true picture of the life of the church
                                                                       perfectly for this revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in that
 was as portrayed in Hebrews 11:33-38  ! Ask the suffering
                                                                       day.
 saint, who suffers for righteousness what his hope is ! Hear
 the beautiful note of the earnest expectation in Question 52             Herewith we have ended our exposition of these two
 of the Heidelberg Catechism: "That in all my sorrows and              chapters.

 persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same                If they contributed just a little toward a better under-

 person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribu-         standing of the Parousia of Christ and the final'hope which

 nal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as             is ours, the writer of these lines will account himself richly

 judge from heaven .. who shall cast all his and mine enemies          rewarded.                                                G.L.

 into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with

  all his' chosen ones into heavenly joys and glory."


     How conscious were the Reformers of their suffering for                        The righteous in His glorious day

  Christ's sake. How they. breathed in the atmosphere of the                          Shall flourish and increase ;

  living hope that the Lord will avenge his people, yea, that                       The earth, until the moon shall fade,

  the death of God's saints is precious to Him! The believers                         Shall have abundant peace.

    -

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



                                                                 fore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a
             I N   H I S   FEAR'  -.                             cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
                                                                 which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience

                                                                 the race that is set before us." Are we waiting on the Lord,

                    Waiting or Weighted                          or are we so weighted down with the pleasures and treasures
                                                                 of sin, with worldly ambitions and distractions that we are

   A little reflection will reveal how much of our time we       running away from Him instead of waiting on and for Him ?

spend waiting for this thing or for that.                           We wait on the Lord in more than one way.

   We live fast.                                                    In Psalm 104 :25-28 we ,read,  "So is this great and wide

   In the short span of our lives we do so much more than        sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and

our grandparents could possibly ,do.  We hurry from one          great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan,

end of the country to another, or even from Europe to            whom thou hast made to play therein. These all wait upon

America or America to Europe. We are constantly on the           Thee; that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

go. The business executive is always on the go, speeding         That Thou givest them they gather: Thou openest Thine

from one thing to another and pausing only briefly to catch      hand, they are filled with good? And though we are not

his breath with a brief vacation. Even the modern housewife      always conscious of it, we wait. each morning for Him to

because of modern means of transportation leaves her home        bring up the sun in the East. We wait for Him to send the

and even the county in which she lives to return again to        cheering rain. Indeed, how long sometimes He makes us wait

her home and do more in one day than her grandmother did         for it. When the rains come in their usual amounts and

in weeks and in months.                                          at their set times, we easily forget that we wait upon the
                                                                 Lord for it. Yea, we may even complain that it comes too
   And yet, we spend so much, time waiting.
                                                                 soon. We wanted God td wait! But when, as at present in
   We-go to church and wait for the service to begin.. The       this section of our country, the rain is scarce and the ground

song is announced and the organist plays the melody over;        contains -according to latest figures for the general area -

and .we wait for the key for us to begin to sing. We wait for    only fifty percent of its normal moisture content, we are very

the car to be brought in front of church so we can speed         consciously waiting for Him to send that cheering rain. And

homeward. We wait for dinner to be ready. We wait for            we wait for Him to ripen our crops in the field ; and as we

the rest to `finish their meal so we can read and close with     said, we wait for Him to heal our broken bones and our

prayer. We wait for the store or bank to open on Monday          diseased bodies. We wait for Him to bring recovery through

morning or we wait for the neighbour whose turn it is to         the medicines He has created in this earth. We depend upon

take the car to work.                                            Him. We depend upon His power to sustain us and to

   We wait our turn in the doctor's or dentist's office. We      heal us. But we depend also upon His will. As James
                                                                 writes, ". . . . if the Lord will, we,  shall live, and do this,
wait for a letter from a distant point. We wait for the phone
                                                                 or that," James 4:lS. Because His will is sovereign and
to ring to inform us that the awaited grandchild has arrived
                                                                 independent while ours is relative and dependent upon His,
and is a boy or a girl. We put in a phone call, and here
                                                                 we can only wait to learn His will with us. And we must
surely even the business executive who loses no time, if he
                                                                 wait to learn His will. It is our solemn obligation before
can help it, must also wait till the party on the other
                                                                 Him to submit to His will. As the waiter seeks to learn your
end picks up his receiver and answers. We wait for the
                                                                 wishes and orders from the kitchen the food you desire, so
train, for the conductor to let down the steps and open the
                                                                 we are called to wait on the Lord, to learn His will with LIS
door, for the people to detrain and for a glimpse of the
                                                                 and walk accordingly.
loved one or friend whom we came to meet and transport to

our home. We wait for the traffic light to change from red          But no different is it in the spiritual realm. We are i-e-

to green. We wait for that broken arm to heal so that the        minded of the versification  of the Psalms which frequently

heavy cast may be removed and we may learn to use that           is sung in our churches :

arm again. We wait for our children at school. We wait for                     "My sod in silence waits for God,
the vegetables in our garden to ripen so we can eat them.                       My Savioztr  He has proved;
And so we could go on. In every phase of our life we find                       He only is my vock and tow'r;
that we wait for things, persons, a moment of time or a                         I never  &all  be moved.
condition to be reached.                                                        My I'zonov  is sec%brc  with God,

   None of all this do we have in mind, however, by our                         My Saviour  He ,is known;
theme, Waiting Or Weighted. We have in mind the words                           My ,mfatge a.nd my rock of s&ngth
                                                                                Are foruzd  ,in  God alone.
of David in Psalm 27 :14,  "Wait on the Lord: be of good

courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on       We wait upon the Lord for our salvation. And because

the Lord." And we have in mind Hebrews 12:1,  "Where-            He saves us through His Son, we wait upon Christ when


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                 351


 we wait upon the Lord. How the Old Testament Church                less, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of

 waited for His birth! For four thousand years the saints in        the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have

 the Old Dispensation waited, for the coming of that Seed           suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung,

of the woman that would crush the head of the Serpent, the          that I may win Christ. I press toward the mark for the prize

 devil, and bring salvation to God's Church. Generations came       of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," Philippians

 and generations went the way of all flesh. The wait was long.      3 : 8, 14. Nor can they say with this same Paul, "I have

 But He came, according to that will of God upon which we           fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept

 must wait, at the right moment and justified us by His blood       the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of

 and atoned for all our sins. And then He left this earth to        righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall

 be crowned with glory and honor at God's right hand. Before        give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them

 He left Jesus told His disciples that they should "wait for        that love His appearing," II Timothy 4 :7, 8.

 the promise of the Father" which they had heard of Him,               That is it ! They that wait on the Lord love His appearing.
 Acts 1 14. .And they did wait until He came back in the            They that are weighted love the world and the things in the
 Spirit on Pentecost. Then the fulness of the truth was re-         world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride
 vealed to them and they saw His first coming and His death         of life, I John 2 :15,  16. And John says that he who loves
 as the fulfillment of God's promises to them. Then, too,           the world does not have the love of the Father in him.
 they began to look for Him to return at the end of time            Filled with the love of God we wait for the fulfillment of all
 and to wait for Him to come in judgment upon the world             His promises. Filled with the love of this world and its
 and usher in His spiritual kingdom. And in this New Dis-           deceiving treasures and pleasures our souls are weighted_
 pensation the Church indeed waits for that return of the           down so that they cannot soar to the higher heights of
 Lord. We wait for Him as well as upon Him. We wait for             heavenly glory. Jesus says, "For where your treasure is,
all God's promises to be fulfilled by Him ; for the resurrection    there will your heart be also," Matthew 6`:Zl. How true !
 of our bodies froni the dust; for the new heavens and the          And when our treasure is in gold and silver, houses and land,
new earth ; for the New Jerusalem to descend out of `heaven;        earthly things our hearts are weighted down so that they
 for the tabernacle of God to be with men ; for the wiping          cannot look to the heavenly and wait for its attainment.
 away of all tears from our eyes; for the glorious realm of
                                                                       And such will find that they do not renew their strength ;
perfection in which in a perfect environment and as perfect
                                                                    they do not mount up with wings `as eagles. They run after
 creatures we shall be able to serve God perfectly:
                                                                    these things and become weary, 0 so weary that they cannot

    How true the word of God in Isaiah `40 :31,  "But they          even enjoy the things after their flight after them. About

 that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they           the time they have amassed their hoard they can no longer

 shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and           enjoy the things it can buy. And. soon the breath of life is

 not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Waiting         gone from them and they lose it all. Yet He for Whom they

upon the Lord and believing that when He comes all this             did not wait came in judgment. Then they know they were

blessedness will be ours, we faint not but by the grace of          weighted down..instead  of waiting for that which really

 God continue to look and wait for this glory. We shall run         counts. Do not walk in their way.

 and not be weary. We shall walk and not faint. And as the                                                                    J.A.H.

 tireless eagle soars in the trackless sky, so shall those

 who wait on the Lord renew their strength. These are not

 weighted down with the folly .and evil of this world. They
 wait rather than are weighted down.                                                    L I F E   W I T H   G O D

    And you?                                                                 In sweet communion, Lord, with Thee

                                                                                I constantly abide ;
    Are you weighted down with the things of this world ?
                                                                             My hand Thou holdest in Thy own
 Is this earth and its vain treasures and pleasures your am-
                                                                                To keep me near Thy side.
 bition and goal? Is your life characterized by waiting for

 them as an end in themselves ? Then as far as the things of                 Thy counsel through my earthly way
 God's kingdom are concerned ; then as far as Christ in His                     Shall guide me and control,
 glorious return is concerned ; you are weighted down and                   0 And then to glory afterward
 not waiting. You may be waiting when. you wait for the                         Thou wilt receive my soul.
`things of this life. All the world waits for the antichrist,

 and the things of this present day indicate how impatiently                 Whom have I, Lord, in heaven but Thee,

 the world waits for him. But such waiting is sin and indi-                     To Whom my thoughts aspire ?

 cates `a heart that is weighted down with sin. Such cannot                  And, having Thee, on earth is nought

 run the race. Such will not run `it, for they care not for the                 That I can yet desire.

 heavenly "prize."    Such cannot say with Paul, "Yea doubt-                                                         Psalm 73:1, 2, 3

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


                                                                      the unscriptural cannot be true, just so certain is it, that the
            Contending For The Faith                             1    mass is not a propitiatory sacrifice.        .
                                                                         3. The Romish doctrine is that the Apostles were priests;

                                                                      and were invested with authority and power to continue and
             The Church and the Sacraments
                                                                      perpetuate in the Church the priestly office by ordination and

   V                                                                  the imposition of hands by which the supernatural gifts of
        IEWS DURING THE THIRD PERIOD (750-1517 A.D.)

                                                                      the Holy Spirit are conveyed. All this is unscriptural and
                 THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS.                                false. First, because a priest is a man appointed to be a

                                                                      mediator between God and other men, drawing near to Him
          THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DOCTRINE OF
                                                                      in behalf of those who have not liberty of access for them-
                  T R A N S U B S T A N T I A T I O N .               selves, and whose function it is to offer gifts and sacrifices

                             (Continued)                              for sin. But there is no such office under the Christian dis-

                                                                      pensation, save in the person of Jesus Christ. He is our only,
   We concluded our preceding article with a quotation                and all sufficient priest; everywhere present and everywhere
 from Hodge in which he criticizes the Roman Catholic view            accessible, who has opened for us a new and living way of
 of the Popish Mass. And that writer had begun his criticism          access to God, available to all sinners of the human race
 with the remark that no doctrine than the Popish Mass is             without the intervention of any of their fellow sinners. Every
 more destitute of even a semblance of Scriptural support.            believer is as much a priest under the Gospel, as any other
 The words of Christ, "This do in remembrance of me," are             believer, for through Christ they all have equal freedom of
n made to mean, "Offer the sacrifice which I myself have just         access unto God. It subverts the whole nature of the gospel,
 offered." And the Roman&s  also appeal to the fact that              to make the intervention of any human priest necessary to
 Christ is said to be the priest forever after the order of           our reconciliation with God. Secondly, Christian ministers
 Melchizedek. And now we continue with this quotation from            are never called priests in the New Testament. Every title
 Hodge on page 688 of Vol. III of his Systematic Theology.            of -dignity, every term expressive of the nature of their office,

     "They even argue from such passages as Malachi 1 :ll,            is bestowed on them, but the title priest, so familiar to Jewish

 in which the universal spread of the true religion is predicted      and Gentile ears, is never given to them. Nor is any priestly

 by saying that from the rising of the sun to the going down          function ascribed to them. They are not mediators. They

 of the same, "in every place incense shall be offered unto my        are not appointed to offer sacrifices for sin.    Every priest is

 name, and a pure offering." In this passage the English ver-         a mediator, but it is expressly declared that Christians have

 sion of the original Hebrew renders "incense shall be offered."      but one mediator, the man Christ Jesus. There is but one

 This expression is translated in the Vulgate, the Latin trans-       sacrifice for sin, the all sufficient sacrifice of Christ upon the

 lation of the Bible, which is the Roman Catholic translation,        cross, who died once for all to bring us near to God. Thirdly,

 by the word "sacrificed."      Even if the Vulgate version were      Christ Himself and the Apostles after Him in all their ad-

 correct, and the prophet had said that "in every place sacrifice     dresses to the people, instead of directing them to go to

 should be made," that would prove nothing to the point. The          ministers as priests ,to obtain the benefit of redemption, uni-

 Old Testament prophets predicted the spread of the true              formly assume that the way is open for the return of every

 religion under the Gospel dispensation in the use of terms           simmer  to God without human intervention. "Come unto me"

 borrowed from the Old Testament ritual.                              is the invitation of Christ to every heavily laden sinner.

                                                                      "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,"
    Protestants reject the doctrine that the eucharist is a
                                                                      is the gospel p.reached  by the Apostles both to `Jews and
 true propitiatory sacrifice, -
                                                                      Gentiles. The emancipation of the Christian world effected
        1. Because it is not only destitute of all support from       by the Reformation, consisted in large measure in freeing
 the Scriptures, but is directly contrary to the whole nature         man from the belief that Christian ministers are `priests
 of the ordinance, as exhibited in its original institution and       through .whom  alone sinners can draw' near to God. It was
 in the practice of the apostolic church. There it is set forth       preaching deliverance to captives, and the opening of the
 as a sacred feast commemorative of the death of Christ.              prison to those who were  bound, to announce that believers

    2. Because it is founded on the monstrous doctrine of             through Christ are all made kings and priests unto God ; sub-
 transubstantiation. If the whole substance of the bread be           ject to no authority but the authority of God (and of course
 not changed into the substance of Christ's body, and if the          to such as He has ordained), and all having access by one
 whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood,,        Spirit unto the Father. If then ministers are not priests, the
 and if the whole Christ, body, soul, and divinity be not really      eucharist is not a sacrifice.

 and truly present under the form (or species) or appearance             4. The Romish doctrine is derogatory to the sacrifice I

 of the bread and wine, then the priest in the mass has nothing       of the cross. It supposes that the work of Christ in making

 to offer. He in fact offers nothing, and the whole service           satisfaction for the sins of men, needs to be constantly re-

 is a deceit. Just so certainly, therefore, as the impossible and.    peated. This is directly contrary to Scripture, which teaches


                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               353


that by the one offering of Himself, He has forever perfected        points the organs through which all this is done by his cease-

them that believe. His one sacrifice has done all that need          less activity.    "The Church" says Moehler, "is vicariously

be done, and all that a sacrifice can do. Romanists say that         Christ manifested and working through all time. The Re-

the same sacrifice which was made on the cross, is made in           deemer did not merely live eighteen hundred years ago, and

the mass. The only difference between the two is modal.              then disappear, to be remembered only as a historical person

It concerns only the manner of oblation. Then why is the             as any other of the departed ; on the contrary He is ever

latter needed ? Why does not the one offering of Christ              living in the Church." Romanists, therefore, practically take

suffice ? Certain it is the Bible refers us to nothing else : and    away Christ, and give us the Church in his stead. It is to be

the believer craves nothing else.                                    remembered that by the Church they do not mean the body

                                                                     consisting of true believers, but the external, organized body
   5. The doctrine of the sacrificial character of the eucharist     of which the pope is the head. It is this body represented
is an integral part of the great system of error, which must         in history by the Hildebrands, the Borgias, and the Leos,
stand or fall as a .whole.  Romanism is another gospel. It           which .Romanism  puts in the place of Christ, clothing it
proposes a different method of salvation from that presented         with his prerogatives, and claiming for it the obedience, the
in the Word of God. It` teaches that no one can be saved who         reverence, and the confidence due to God alone. It is against
is out of the pale of that visible society of which the pope of      this theory, which practically puts man in the place of God,
Rome is the head ; and that all are saved who die within             that the most fearful denunciations of the Scriptures are
that pale. It teaches that no one can be regenerated who is          pronounced.
not baptized; and that there `is no forgiveness for post-

baptismal sins, except by the sacrament of penance and ab-
                                                                                               CONFIRMATION
solution at the hands of a priest. It teages  that no one can

have the benefit of the Lord's Supper, who does not receive             In Protestant circles the emphasis is laid upon the Word

it at the hands of properly ordained officers of the Church of       and the preaching thereof, and the sacraments are considered

Rome. It teaches that there is no valid ministry, and that           to be means of grace only through the Word, the sacraments

there are no valid ordinances except in the line of the apostolic    receive all the emphasis .in Roman Catholic thinking and

succession as recognized by the pope. It follows men beyond          theology. Absolutely necessary unto salvation, according to

the grave. It teaches that the souls in purgatory are still          Rome, are the sacraments of baptism and penance, and the

under the power of the keys; that their stay in that place.or        sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy orders impart

state of torment, can be prolonged or shortened at the will          an indelible character. The grace of God, according to Rome,

of the Church. The pope assumes, and has often pretended             is inseparably connected with the sacrament itself, whereas

to exercise, the power of granting indulgences for even a            the Protestant conception regards them as mere signs and

thousand years. This whole theory hangs together. If one             seals of the invisible grace of God. And, lest we forget, ac-

assumption be false, the whole is false. And if the theory in        cording to Rome the priest occupies a most vital position.

its primary principle of a perpetual apostleship, infallible in      He is indispensable in the celebration of the sacraments. They

teaching and of the plenary power in government and dis-             alone can distribute and dispense the sacraments; confirma-

cipline, be false, then every particular doctrine involving that     tion and the consecration of priests can occour  only through

principle must be false.                                             the bishop; however, baptism, because it is regarded as in-

                                                                     dispensable unto salv_ation, can be administered, if need be,
   ,Moehler, whose philosophical and mitigated Romanism,             by ordinary laymen. Rome has built its entire system of the
has called down upon him no little censure from his stricter         truth upon a foundation of the strict and absolute necessity
brethren, represents the doctrine of the eucharist as the point      of the hierarchy, of the priesthood. There is no salvation
in which all the differences between Romanists and Prot-             possible outside of the Church, and Rome conceives of the
estants converge. On the view taken of this doctrine depends         Church as the hierarchy. Until now we have called attention
the question whether the Christian Church has a true living          to two of Rome's seven sacraments: baptism and the
"Cultus"    or not. With him the Church, of course, is the           eucharist or Lord's Supper. We will now call attention to a
body, which, professing the true religion, is united in the          third sacrament of Rome, that of confirmation. Our dis-
reception of the same sacraments, in subjection to bishops           cussion of this sacrament -will be relatively brief.
canonically consecrated, and especially to the pope of Rome.
                                                                                                                               H.V.
For him, and all Romanists, this Church is Christ. He dwells

in it; animates it; operates through it exclusively in the

salvation of men. The teaching of the Church is his teaching ;

its commands are his commands; He regenerates only                                  Let all His creatures join
through the sacrament of baptism ; He remits sin only
                                                                                       To praise His holy Name ;
through the sacrament of penance ; He strengthens in con-
firmation; He nourishes his people with his body and blood                          Let all that breathe, their Maker bless

in the eucharist; and in the ordination of priests. He ap-                             And celebrate His fame.


  354                                             T H E   STA.NDARD   B E A R E R



                                                                        eternal. And this is the object, or content, of a faith that is
   I The Voice of Our Fathers                                           itself assurance. For we are taught in our Heidelberg Cate-
                                                                        cl&~  that faith is a certain knowledge of all that God has

                                                                        revealed to us in His Word, and an assuved  confidence that

                 The Canons of Dordrecht                                remission of sin,'  everlasting righteousness and salvation are
                                                                        freely given me by God, merely of grace, only for the sake

                                PART Two                                of Christ's merits.

                    E                                                       In the second place, it is in this `connection that we must
                     XPOSITION OF THE CANONS
                                                                        understand the qualifying phrase in this article, "according
                  FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE                                to the measure of faith."    This undoubtedly refers to faith

                                                                        from the viewpoint of its activity and its well-being, and it
             OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
                                                                        takes into consideration the fact that one who has the gift

                         Article 9 (continued)                          of faith in his heart has times when he fails to enjoy the

                                                                        healthy and conscious assurance of faith. Just exactly be-
     We must still say a few words about the nature of the
                                                                        cause faith itself is assurance, and just because the measure
assurance of preservation and perseverance. This article has
                                                                        of faith from the viewpoint of its .activity and well-being may
  as its main purpose merely to state the fact that this assur-
                                                                        vary, therefore the measure of assurance varies also. This
  ance is possible and real for the saints, and therefore it'
                                                                        variation in the measure'of  faith and the proportionate varia-
  does not go into detail as to the nature of assurance. Never-
                                                                        tion in the measure of assurance is closely connected with
  theless, in stating the simple fact of assurance the fathers
                                                                        the way of assurance, treated in Article 10. And therefore
  could not very well avoid saying something as to the
                                                                        we may call further attention to this in connection with that
  nature of assurance. Besides, while the next article treats
                                                                        p a r a g r a p h .
  the subject of the way of assurance, a subject closely allied
  to that of the nature of assurance, it does not elaborate con-            In the third place, we may notice that this article connects
 -cerning  assurance itself. Hence, we may very well treat this         the assurance of perseverance with assurance of membership
  subject in connection with Article 9. This is the more                in the Church. This is not merely an incidental reference
  necessary because the accepted English translation could              to the language of the Heidelberg Catechism, Qu. 54, and
  very well lead one astray at this point, as we shall point out.       therefore does not merely emphasize that the Arminians
                                                                        could not possibly subscribe to Qu. 54. But it emphasizes
     And then we want to emphasize, in the first ~place, as we
                                                                        a very fundamental aspect of the assurance of perseverance.
  also did in connection with the assurance of election, that
                                                                        It is only as a member of the holy catholic church, the body
  faith itself is assurance.     Assurance is not something over
                                                                        of Christ, standing in living connection with Christ, the
  and above faith itself, as though it wLere possible -to have
                                                                        Head of that body, that I have all the blessings of salvation.
  faith but to lack assurance. The accepted English version of
                                                                        It is only there that I have the forgiveness of sins and life
  Article 9 would almost leave this impression when it states
                                                                        eternal. And it is only in the assurance that I am a member
- that believers may and do obtain assurance according to
                                                                        of Christ's church that I can enjoy the assurance of for-
  the measure of their faith, "`zvhereby  they am&e  a.t the certain
                          r-                                            giveness and life eternal. Outside of the communion of that
  pewua.sion  that they ever will continue true and living mem-
                                                                        body there is no remission of sins, and therefore no life
bers of the church . . ."       This leaves the impression that one
                                                                        eternal.,
  first has faith, and that then one ultimately arrives also at

  a' certain persuasion of perseverance. This, however, is con-             But then, in the fourth piace,  we must emphasize that the

  trary to the language `of the original, which renders the itali-      assurance of perseverance is primarily and principally always

  cized clause above by, "whereby they certainly believe . . . ."       the assurance that we are living members of the church. This

  Nor must we refer this assurance of faith to an assurance             too is overlooked in our accepted English translation of

  that we have faith. This too is often done. The all-important         Article 9. It speaks only of the "certain persuasion that they

  question is whether we are certain that we have faith or that         ever  will continue &ue  and living  members of the chwch."

  we are believers. But this is really nonsense. To ask a saint         This is indeed a serious mistake. The assurance of continued

  whether he is certain that he has faith is like asking a living       and abiding membership in the church is inherent in the

  man whether he is certain that he is alive. One needs no              assurance of present. membership. And therefore the as-

  assurance of such facts. And this article surely does not             surance of my present membership in the church of Christ

  speak of the assurance of faith in that sense at all. We are          is primary. Without it I can have no assurance `as to the

  concerned here with the assurance which we have through               future. This is beautifully expressed in our Catechism, Q.

  faith, not an assurance that we have faith. What, then-, do           and A. 54: "and that I am and for ever shall remain, a liv-

  the believers certainly believe? Not that they have faith,            ing member thereof." And a correct translation of Article

  but that they are and ever shall remain living members of             9 would also express this, as we indicated earlier in our

  the Church, that they have the remission of sins and fife             exposition of this article. The reason for this is not difficult


                                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    355


to see. The assurance of present membership by faith in the                    from a serious and holy desire to preserve a good conscience,

body of Christ is the assurance of all the blessings of salva-                 and to perform good works" is in the original : "from an

tion, a salvation that is completely of God, in Christ, and                    earnest and holy exercise of a good conscience and of good

through the Spirit, and a salvation that has its fountain and                  works."    7) "pledge or earnest" is in the original simply

cause in sovereign election. This last fact is also emphasized                 "earnest." 8) "And if the elect of God . . ." should be, "And

in our Catechism, Qu. 54. The Son of God gathers, defends,                     if the elect .of God in this world . . ."

and preserves a church chosen unto everlasting l,ife. And my                      We may well begin with the last statement of this article,
assurance of present membership is an assurance of member-                     a very warm and spiritually practical expression of the
ship in that elect church ! And it is exactly that unchange-
                                                                               preciousness of the assurance, of perseverance: "And if the
able decree of election that is the deepest ground and cause                   elect of God in this world were deprived of this solid com-
of my preservation and perseverance. Hence, the relation is
                                                                               fort; that they shall finally obtain the victory, and of this
as follows.      Assurance of present membership is the as-
                                                                               infallible earnest of eternal glory, they would be of all men
surance of my calling. Assurance of calling is the assurance
                                                                               the most miserable."
of election. Election is the ground and cause of preservation

and perseverance. Hence, the assurance of election is the                         This clearly shows that the entire dispute with the Ar-

assurance of preservation and perseverance, or the assurance                   minians  was not a mere cold, academic argument about

that I shall forever remain a living member of the Church                      doctrine, but that it concerned (and still concerns) the very

of Christ, and in that Church enjoy the blessings of the                       faith and comfort of God's people. We ought always to

remission of sins and life eternal. Thus, in conclusion, we                    keep this in mind. After all, when we are fighting the Ar-

may see once more why it is all-important that in speaking                     minian  heresy, we are not merely concerned with the ques-

of the assurance of the perseverance of the true believers                     tion as to who is right and who is wrong. False doctrine

we begin, with Article 9, by speaking of the assurance of                      and its propagation is the attempt to deprive the people of

"this keeping of the elect unto salvation."                                    God of their comfort, of their peace of soul, of their hope.

                                                                               That is why it is so extremely crucial to maintain the truth

                               * + * *                                         of the Word of God. And it is to this fact that the fathers
                                                                               call the attention of the Reformed believer in this statement.

                                                                               IMany were being led astray. They did not see the practical
               Article. 10. This assurance, however, is not produced
                                                                               seriousness of this error. And this statement is calculated
               by any peculiar revelation contrary to, or independent of
                                                                               to stir up the longing of the child of God for solid and ?n-
               the Word of God; but springs from faith in God's
                                                                               fallible comfort and to open his eyes to the dreadful spiritual
               promises, which he has most abundantly revealed in his
                                                                               consequences of giving up the doctrine of perseverance and
               Word for our comfort; from the testimony of the Holy
                                                                               its assurance. The assurance that I shall forever remain a
               Spirit, witnessing with our spirit, that we are children
                                                                               living member of Christ's Church is absolutely necessary for
               and heirs of God, Rom. 8:16; and lastly, from-a serious
                                                                               a happy Christian life. Without it I must always live in .
               and holy desire to preserve a good conscience, and to
                                                                               doubt and terror. As a child of God I have my hope and
               perform good works. And if the elect of God were
                                                                               expectation entirely in, another world, not at all in this world.
               deprived of this solid comfort, that they shall &rally
                                                                               In this world all I can expect is suffering and tribulation.
               obtain the victory, and of this infallible pledge or earnest
                                                                               My longing and expectation are entirely fixed on the world
               of eternal glory, they would be of all men the most
                                                                               that is to come, the new and heavenly and glorious kingdom
               miserable.

                                                                               of Christ. And if now I am deprived of the certainty of

   We may make the following corrections in the transla-                       perseverance,    of the certainty that I shall surely at last

t,ion : :l) .The  article is not introduced by "however," but by               obtain the victory -and inherit eternal glory, I have nothing

"hence" or -"accordingly,"         so that the truth expressed in              left but that suffering and tribulation. I have no expectation

Article 10 is in harmony with that expressed in Article 9.                     of the future' glory; but neither do I have, the false joy and

2) The translation "peculiar revelation" is all right, pro-                    pleasure of this present world. I have nothing. I am of

vided we understand it in the sense of "special" or "private."                 `all men most miserable. I would be far better off in. such a

The Dutch translates by "bijzondere openbaring." 3) The                        case to adopt the slogan of the wicked, "Let us eat and

original does not have "contrary to, or independent of," but                   drink, for tomorrow we die."

"beside or outside of."  4) The original does not have "pro-
                                                                                  Hence, let us beware that we do not allow ourselves to
duced'by,"  but simply, "This assurance is not out of any
                                                                               be deprived of this solid comfort of at last obtaining the
peculiar revelation . . . ." The Dutch has : "En dienvolgens
                                                                               victory and of this infallible pledge of eternal glory. Let us
spruit deze verzekerdheid . . . ." 5) The modifier "most
                                                                               hold fast that which we have. And let us rejoice in the
abundantly" belongs not with "revealed" but with "for our
                                                                               blessed heritage of God's sure and unfailing promises.
comfort." Literally the original reads: "which in his word

most abundantly unto our comfort he has revealed." 6) ". . .                                                                            H.C.H.

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


                                                                       Let us briefly review- the history. We will avoid the
           DECENCY and ORDER                                       details by- refraining from republishing countless documents
                                                                   which have a bearing on the issues involved because we are

                                                                   at present concerned exclusively with the matter of the

       The Question            Jurisdiction in 1953                jurisdiction of the Classis  in the case.
                           of 
                                                                       It is well known that protests against the preaching and
    It has -been frequently alleged that in 1953 the Classis       `doctrine of Rev. De Wolf were brought to the Classis  iti
East of our Protestant Reformed Churches was guilty of the         April, 1953. Prior to this time these matters had been
same violation of classical jurisdiction as the Christian Re-      treated in the consistory for some two years. Of significance
formed Classis  when in 1924, she deposed the Consistory           is it that these protests requested that the Consistory (and
of the Eastern Avenue Church. Charges of "Classica~l               later then the Classis)    "sevioz~sly  mad prayerfully  consider
H~ie~ahy"  and `PopeTy?'  have been voiced so vigorously by        the matter and act a.ccordihgly."  This can only mean, of
the leaders of the schism that many of the people have be-         course, that if the accused is found guilty, he must either con-
lieved it. Even today there are some who claim that they           fess his wrong and retract it or be suspended and deposed
are  doctrinally agreed with the Protestant Reformed               from his office. This was the question before the Classis since
Churches but follow the schismatic group because they can-         the Consistory, in treating the matter, had become deadlocked.
not countenance the chumlz-political  evils that have been         They could arrive at no further decision in the matter. The
perpetrated by the Classis  in the case of Rev. De Wolf.           Classis  then, after much deliberation in which the accused

    If these charges are true, they are not only serious blem-     was given every possible opportunity to defend himself, found

ishes upon our history as churches but they constitute gross       Rev. De Wolf guilty of prkaching  heresy and advised the

sins for which our churches must repent before God and             Consistory :

`seek His forgiveness as well as the forgiveness of those              "`a. to devtmnd  that the Rev. De Wolf make a public. apol-
against whom these evils were committed. If, however,              ogy fm having made the two statements in question.
these claims are spurious and the facts bear out that the
charges of evil cannot be proved, these misguided souls sin            "b. that Se Co&story  also pu.blicly  a4pologize  for having
grievously in continuing with their generations in the way         supported the Rev. De Wolf z&h  respect to the two state-
of departure from the truth. For this they are themselves          ments ip6 qtiestion."

then responsible and they must. seek forgiveness and in the           And further :

way of repentance return to the `way of the truth which they          `(6. that in case th.e Rev. De Wolf should ref2tse  to a,polo-
have forsaken..                                                    gize,  wlaic%  OZI.Y  God gmciously  forbid, the Con&tory  proceed

   It is the conviction of the undersigned that the latter -of     to suipend  him.  from the office of the ministry  of the WoPd

these alternatives is the case and we purpose in this article      and the Sacmments,  nccording  to the pertine&  articles of the

to briefly verify this with a few facts of the &story.             D.K.O.

   To begin with, it must be remembered that thge is one              "b. that ,in case my elder OY elders shoatld  refuse to sub-
very fundamental difference between $he case of 1924 and           ,mit to the proposed uction  as stipulated in (b) above, which
that of 1953: In 1924 the Classis  deposed the entire -Con-        God graciozuly  forbid, srtclz  elder- or `elders be disciplined
sistory, elders and deacons. That was certainly a hierarchical     accordirLg  to the articles of the D.K.O. pertaining thereto.J'

act. It was exercising church government from the top down            The Classis  then appointed a delegation of three ministers

and such illegal practice was in effect no deposition at all       and `two elders to acquaint the Consistory with these deci-

and, therefore, the Consistory, as the ruling body of the          sions and advice. This, according to the Churclz  Order COWL-
church, had the right to maintain itself and continue to           menfury  (Monsma  and Van Dellen)  was and is proper as we
function in spite of the action taken by the Classis.  In 1953,    have shown before.
however, it was not a question of deposing the Consistory but
                                                                      When this committee, of which undersigned was a mem-
a matter in which one of the ministers of the congregation,
                                                                   ber, met with the Consistory, the Consistory adopted the
together with some of the elders, was accused of malfeasance
                                                                   advice of the Ciassis  given above. To this decision there was
in-office. Furthermore, it was not a matter in which Classis
                                                                   recorded only one negative vote.
suspended or deposed but the Consistory did it with the help

of the Classis  in the legal way. There was no hierarchy at           Now it ought to be and undoubtedly is plain to all when

all and those that make this spurious charge do so without         the Consistory adopted this advice of the Classis, the matter

basis. In 1924 it was a case of the Classis  exercising dis-       was settled. The Consistory might have conceivably refused

cipline and going beyond the bounds of the decisions of the        this advice and appealed the decision of the Classis  to the

Synod while in 1953 it was a case of the Consistory exercis-       Synod. This, however, was not done and, in fact, there

ing discipline in accord with the advice of the Classis.  That     was not even an attempt made by any member of the Con-

there is no parallel here is rather Self-evident.                  sistory to show that the advice of the Classis  was not proper.


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  357



 The adoption of the advice of the Classis  left nothing more          to withdraw themselves. This they did and although our

 to be decided by the Consistory. All that remained was                churches, through this schism, have been numerically deci-

 the execution ,of this advice. It was at this point only a            mated, we continue to this day in the fellowship of the truth

 question whether those found guilty would confess  and                which we have learned to love dearly and for which we have

 acknowledge their wrong or whether they would have to be              been cast out of the Christian Reformed Church in 1924.

 suspended and deposed from their offices. Time was given              And we know that God is for us and have peace in and

 to determine this and when it became evident that no re-              through all our struggles.

 traction was forthcoming, the  Consistory proceeded to exe-              Meanwhile, it makes no difference what the courts of the
 cute its own'decision  and on June 23, 1953, Rev. De Wolf             land have decided and will yet decide as to the name Prot-
 was-suspended and the supporting elders deposed from their            estant Reformed! The whole church world knows that we
 offices. No one can rightly claim that this procedure was             (not they) reprekent  the true principles and practices that
 hierarchical or a departure from the orderly way of church            are Protestant Reformed. For this there is abundant proof.
 polity.                                                               Further, by this time, whether they will admit it or not, it

     At this point the Rev. De Wolf and his supporters made            is certainly evident that the schismatic group that left our

themselves guilty of another evil, the evil of sc%.stx. There          churches in 1953 knows it! They know that they are not

 was still one way . . . orderly and proper way . . . opened           Protestant Reformed and have no intentions to be in the

 to them which they refused to follow. They might have (an8            future. The leaders know it and a number of them are no

 should have) submitted to this disciplinary action, This,             longer hiding it. The people know it as is evident from the

 from their point of view, would have to be done under                 fact, admitted in public print, that many of them are hasten-

 protest but then the way would have been opened for them              ing to seek greener pastures in the Christian Reformed and

 to appeal their case to the Synod. However, as we said, they          other churches.                             _-
 refused this orderly wa) and attempted to continue to func-              Hence, I want to close this discussion of the question of
 tion in their offices. Very clearly, therefore, they sevefed          Classical jurisdiction with two remarks directed especially to
 their relation with the Protestant Reformed Churches for              those who have followed the schismatic way and perchance
 they could not function in the of&es  in those churches again         may still read The Standard Beagrer.  Firstly, you are re-
 until their case had been heard by the Synod and only then            minded of the fact that your allegations of church political
 if the Synod acquitted them and condemned the prior action            error against us are not true. You have been misinformed,
 of the Consistory and Classis.                                        misled and you continue to be misguided away from the

     The schism spread. In September of the same year, Clas-           truth. We would urge you to investigate atid  you will find

 sis West entered into the picture. We will refrain from               out for yourselves. Secondly, if you for your own sake and

 entering into the question of whether or not Classis  West had        for the sake of your future generations and, above all, for

 any right to treat the matters they did. Where Classis                God's sake, still have the desire to abide in the truth, we

 West erred grievously is in the fact that they refused to rec-        urge you to return to the fellowship of the Protesta,nt  Re-

 ognize the action of the sister Classis  and the action of the        footed Chwches.

 Consistory in which they followed up the advice of the                                                                       G.V.D.B.

 Classis.  We do not say that Classis  West was- bound to

 agree zuitlz that a.ct,ion  but they were bound to recognize it

 as legal a.ction  which has  settled and binding `a,nd which could

 be zmdone  only by way of protest OY  appeal. This they did                       OUR NEIED  OF DIVINE HELP
 not do. The Classis  West should have seen the schismatic

 rebellion of Rev. De Wolf and his group and, if they were                          Lord, hear the right, regard my cry,

 to meddle in the affair at all, told him to submit and appeal                        My prayer from lips sincere ;

 to the Synod, At the Synod Classis  West also had representa-                      Send Thy approval from on high,

 tion and there is the proper place where they would then be                              My righteousness make clear.

 called upon to judge ,his case. But they did not do this.                         Thou in the night my heart hast tried,

 They became impatient and jumpy in their evil determina-                          Nor found it turned from Thee aside.

 tions and ways. Instead they joined his schism and made

 it impossible for the case to ever be brought before the highest                   When I in righteousness at last

 ecclesiastical gathering. Had the schismatics walked in the                              Thy glorious face shall see,

 orderly way, the history would undoubtedly have had a dif-                         When all the weary night is past, '

 ferent sequence.                                                                     And I awake with Thee

                                                                                   To view the glories that abide, '
     Because the Classis  West joined  the schism, the element
                                                                                   Then, then I shall be satisfied.
 of that Classis  that wanted to remain in fellowship with the

 Protestant Reformed Churches had no alternative other than                                                               Psalm 17:1,  4


358                                           T H E   S T A N D A R D   BEAR.ER



                                                                    indulgent people too often, bent on immediate ends. The
            A L L   A R O U N D   U S                               blood of the Cross is a reminder that peace, iti Christian
                                                                    dimensions, carries its distinctive price. War is no Christian

                                                                    weapon for world conversion, nor is foreign aid. The world's
H7a.v And Peace.                                                    predicament is moral and spiritual ; this calls for moral and

    There is considerable discussion these days in the news-        spiritual redemption."

papers and magazines both of a secular and religious nature             Lt. General William K. Harrison (U.S.`Army  - retired)

about the question whether we will have war or peace. While         writes-the following under the title : The Search for Peace

on the one hand there is an almost universal opinion that we        on Earth.

are head&g  for another world conflict that will have annihil-          "Christians should be definitely concerned with the peril
ating consequences, there is on the other hand a strong but         the world faces in this day of war risks. Nuclear weapons, if
apparently hopeless desire for peace. It is with a view to this     used to their' full extent, would have a devastating effect upon
situation that the April 13th issue of Clwistianity  Today de-      all mankind and civilization. With such a. possibility, is it
-votes almost all of its contents to this subject.                  any wonder that Christians ask themselves what they can do

    Perusing the pages of this periodical one finds the follow-     to help prevent such a catastrophe and establish a basis -for

ing topics discussed : The Peace Drive in the Churches ; The        real peace among ,nations ? Surely Christianity has the

Layman andihis  Faith - Peace ; Can We Meet the Red Chal-           answer to this problem. But what is it, and how can it be

lenge ? Meeting Communism in the Far East ; The Search              put into effect?

for Peace on Earth ; The Biblical Vision of Peace ; Reflections         "Specifically, our immediate threat is Soviet Russia. The
on Communist Atheism.                                               United States and Russia are the chief military powers to-
    It is apparent from these titles that Communism is con-         day, and in their mutual antagonism and arms race lies the
ceived of as the greatest threat to peace. And because Com-         potential of a world war, despite the fact that both peoples
munism in its very nature is atheistic anh anti-Christian,  the     fear and would avoid such war, Regardless of the numerous
question is` posited : What can Christianity with' its Christian    econdmic  and political elements that lead to conflict, war it-
nations, churches, and peoples do not only to combat this           self results from a decision on the part of the ruler of a state
evil menace and negate its power, but also to effect and            to launch his military forces against a nation which he con-
,maintain  the peace ?                                              siders his enemy. The latter has only two choices : to fight

    The main  editorial under the title: The Peace Drive in         or to surrender.     Unless the ruler on the aggressive side

the Churches, takes the National Council of Churches to task        makes the decision for war, there is no war, except  in cases

for its latest Cleveland pronouncement according to which it        where a subordinate military commander has precipitated ac-

was decided to recommend that the United States recognize           tion through panic or mistake. In the United States such a

and the United Nations admit Red China. The editor points           risk is slight because of the precautions that have been taken

up. that even the majority of the N.C.C.`s  consiituency  is not    against the danger. Far more likely is the event that extreme

in agreement with the latest pronouncement of that Church           difficulty of keeping a defensive force or nation on the alert

organization.                                                       may some day lead to a relaxation of watchfulness, thereby

   Dealing more specifically with the problem of war and            offering to Russia .her opportunity for successful surprise
peace, the editor gives his views in the following statements:      attack.

    "In, coping with problems of world-.  order and peace,             "The danger of nuclear war results from the possibility
modern formulas, of `reconciliation' show the outlines of           that Soviet leaders will some` day launch their armed forces
speculative theories of man and society, and b&ray  their           either directly against the United States or against some
neglect of the biblical view of the Church and its sacred task      object which the United States wishes to defend. To these
in the world. Recent issues of Ch&ianity  ,Today  have pin-         Soviet*rulers,  war, when favorable to them, is a legitimate
pointed the peril to the church of neglecting its basic com-        and necessary means of action.

mission to call out a new race of twice-born men, of relying           "The means by which they have gained and maintained

on world systems (softened by religious idealism) for rec-          their own political positions and control over their own

onciliation and redemption, of pragmatic pursuit of social          people reveal the nature of these men. They have proven to

change. Corporate Protestantism  stumbles into these un-            be ruthless criminals - murderers, thieves, traitors - in

happy lines of thought and action through its indifference to       spite of the fact that .they  hold positions of prestige and great

the great principles and precepts of revealed religion . . . The    power.     Krushchev  survived Stalin's bloody purges only to

Christian religion, above all others, is on the side of peace.      participate himself in and profit by them. The social amenities

Its faith is fixed upon `the Prince of Peace' who in turn has       and diplomatic phrases of these leaders have been merely a

pronounced a special benediction upon the peacemakers.              cloak over their real character.      They have demonstrated

Repugnant to Christianity, however, and contradictory of it,        their true disposition in past dealings with other nations, a

is the `peace at any price' philosophy that infects a self-         fact that is known to all who read newspapers. The pages


                                             T H E   STANDA,RD   B E A R E R                                                      359


of history are full of tyrants and conquerors. Soviet leaders           Harrison closes his article under the sub-title,: Christ The

are no different. Communism is the ideology or propaganda            Hope of Peace.

that motivates these men, and by it they justify their actions.          "The fact of the matter ,is'there  never <has  been a human

Their actions, acceptable by Communist standards, have been          way of gaining and maintaining peace., If men who call them-

violent, deceitful, and ruthless. Any American policy that           selves Christians would believe the plain language of the

views Khrushchev and his kind as other than the most                 Bible, which is the sole basis of Christian faith, they would

treacherous of criminals is endangering not only the United          understand the reason for men's futility. It is sin, the sin.

States but the whole noncommunist world."                            of rebellion against God, the determination to live independ-

    In answer to the question, What can be done to preserve          ently of him, and in enmity with their neighbor. Therefore,

peace ? Gen. Harrison presents some of the ideas that have           God has given them up to those moral evils which cause war
been advanced by men of authority ; and having presented             among men (cf. Rom. 1:18-31).  Men cannot undo what God
each in turn, he shows up the fallacy of them.                       has done. The Bible tells us clearly that our civilization will

                                                                     come to a disastrous end, involving, among other judgments,
   We mention only the ideas that have been advanced for
                                                                     terrible wars, famines, disease, death, and destruction (cf.
the preservation of peace in order then-to give Harrison's
                                                                     Matt. 24; Rev. 6-18). Our Christ-rejecting civilization is
own answer to the question.
                                                                     doomed (cf. II Thess. 1:7-g).  The only hope for a peaceful
    1.    "That nuclear weapons have outmoded war."
                                                                     world is in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Any at-
2. "We should unilaterally reduce our armaments in                   tempts to find other solutions by efforts of human will and
order to demonstrate good will and both lessen Soviet sus-           action will be futile.
picions toward us and reduce our own burdens."                           "What can Christians do in view of this analysis ? First,
   3. "We should transfer our cold war to an economic and            we can surely use whatever influence we have to see that
social, competition which would include aid to backward              our country deals honestly and, as far as possible, peacefully
nations."                                                            with other nations. Second, we ought to warn people of

   4.     "We by acquainting the masses of Russian people with       the coming judgment of God which will fall inevitably on

our peaceful and friendly intentions would make them dis-            wicked humanity, including our United States. Third, we

satisfied with their status and they in turn would compel their      must spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of

rulers to change their objectives and tactics."                      individuals- from that final and eternal judgment of God,

   5. We should "rely more on the United Nations for our             of which earthly sufferings and tribulations are only a vivid

security."                                                           warning.    Fourth, by God's grace we should live in a way

   Harrison claims, and we believe correctly so, that all            that proves that we have conviction in our preaching. Finally,

these "approaches to world peace are essentially pacifist."          we may pray for peace in the hope that God will delay his

He concludes his remarks on these ideas by saying:                   judgment on it . . ,"

   "It is to be noted that many'of the pacifist ideas mentioned         Though we might say the things' differently than Gen.
above appear in some form in the reports and recommenda-             Harrison has written them, there is nevertheless in his anal-
tions of the Fifth World Order Study Conference held by              ysis, and that, too, coming from a retired general of the army,
the National Council of-Churches in Cleveland in November,           something remarkable and quite antithetical to the modern
1958, as reported in Clwistia.nity  Toda.y. That such ideas          conception of the subject. What is so noteworthy is the fact
should be seriously advocated by leaders of this organization        that he has observed in the `light of Scripture that war is
is incomprehensible. The best that can be said for these men         always inevitable because of the sin and corruption of man-
is that they are incredibly naive. It is to be fervently hoped       kind and because of the judgment of God upon that sin and
that pastors and laymen of the NCC who are able and                  corruption.

willing to think independently will see the facts realistically,        How foolish then to think of world peace or to pray for

and will repudiate such disastrous proposals.                        it so long as this condition continues. According to Scripture,

   "Contrary to the foregoing pacifist proposals is the              war has been with us almost from the dawn of history, and

thought that we can gain peace only by a powerful military           -the  history of the world will end in a final war. And in

force constantly ready to retaliate with deadly effect. Any          between these parentheses there is continual war and rumor

force of less strength than this is ineffective. But is not mili-    of war. ,It is true what Harrison writes : "The only hope

tary power only a deterrent against Soviet attack? It possibly       for a peaceful world is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ."

has the advantage of putting .off war until the time domestic        But then, it will not be this present evil world that lies under

conditions in Russia cause a change in the kind of rulers            the power of sin, but the world of God's eternal love wherein

there. This is faint and not very dependable hope. An arma-          righteousness shall dwell. In the meantime the Christian by

ment race causes psychological and financial tensions which          the grace of God possesses in his heart the peace that sur-

cannot endure indefinitely. Eventually explosion occurs.             passes all understanding. That's why we headed this article

Were the strength of nuclear armaments to give hope for vic-         with the title: War And Peace, not, War Or Peace.

tory, such a victory-would be of doubtful value."                                                                               M S .

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


                                                                        Hull's young people invited the congregation to a sing-
       NEWS FROM OUR CHURCHES                                       spiration, March 29. An offering was taken to assist the
                                                                    -young people with their conference expenses. Besides the
               "All thi saints salztte  thee . . ." PHIL. 4:21
                                                                    group singing, a duet from Doon, a reading by -Mrs. Broek-

                                                                    house, and a male quartette assisted in making the program

                                               April 20, 1959       enjoyable.

   Rev. Harbach of Lynden has received and is considering               Rev. Harbach has finished his series of sermons on the

the call to Redlancls. .During  their vacancy he is serving as      life of the prophet Elijah and is currently preaching a series

their moderator.                                                    on that of his successor, Elisha.
                                                                                  `. ..
   The Young People's Societies held their Spring Mass                  We note, in several bulletins, that the Western churches
Meeting April 10th at Creston Church, with our Missionary,          advertise the date of the coming of the church visitors, Revs.
Rev. Lubbers, giving a talk on "Calvinism."                         J. Heys and H. Veldman. This truly is an example that

   Rev. H. Hanko considered the question "Is It The Duty            might be profitably followed by the Eastern- churches.

Of The' Deacons To Look For The Poor ?" at the Deacons'                 Rev. H. Hoeksema again drew a capacity audience at a
semi-annual Conference April 17.                                    lecture given at South Holland, April 9. The topic of his

   The Hope Choral Society gave their Easter program.               speech was, "The Infallibility Of. The Scriptures" : a timely
April 5th. Under the capable direction of Mrs. John Lanning         topic, indeed, when the church world is again raising ques-:
and accompanied by Miss. Sybil Engelsma the choral group            tions regarding that truth.

rendered a beautiful concert, an excellent vehicle to praise the        Redlands  is' looking forward to the next three weeks
name of our risen Lord. A talk by David Engelsma and                when a classical appointment will be filled by the coming of
singing by the Hope octette rounded off the program to the          Rev. Emanuel from Randolph. A vacant church, so far from
enjoyment of the audience, and all to the praise of God.            the seminary, must often be satisfied with reading services ;

   The Ladies' Aid Society of First Church was host to              it's no wonder that they are eagerly awaiting Rev. Harbach's

the- Eastern Ladies' League Meeting held at First Church,           decision regarding their call.

April 16.  All of the eastern churches were represented, and            Creston's Men's and Ladies' societies invited the Young
the ladies were easily identified by name cards on their lapels.    People's society to be their guests at an evening meeting in
Rev. G. Vanden  Berg, of Oak Lawn, spoke on the topic,              April,. It is the first time that we%e'  ever noticed an ar:
"Teaching Our Children To Pray." The speaker declared               rangemenf such as this where the parents are hosts to the
that prayer was a spiritual art which all children of God           children of the congregation, but we predict that it won't
have, but the capability must be cultivated ; that we must          be the last.
teach our children that prayer is. the experience of. conscious

communion with God, and that we. should pray for all                    In the April 19th bulletin of First Church we find the

things necessary. The Reverend further noted that we should         paragraph, Concel&ng  0~r Sick and  Sht-ins  reporting the
also teach them that the proper attitude in prayer is marked        illnesses of, twelve members of the congregation. At the end

by reverence, humility, sincerity and confidence ; and, that        of the paragraph Rev. Ha&o  inserted the prayer, "May they

praying mothers are an example to their children. -The              realize ever more fully, `It is good that a man-should both

speaker concluded with the observation that prayer is neces-        hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.' Lam.

sary for the Christian because God gives His grace and              3 :26."

Spirit to those who continually ask .for it; .and, that those           This issue marks the close of the society season, so no
who ask have experienced the need by virtue of God's gift,
                                                                    more society news until next fall.
and that the fruit of such prayer is always peace.

                                                                        Do yobt  ,aggree  with Solomon, ". . . . that God hath made
  In a recent Men's Society meeting at Holland an essay
                                                                    man upright: but they have sought out many inventions."
was given by Martin Casemier  on, "My Attitude Towards

Holding An Office In The Consistory."                                   The.  Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Society of First Church held their

   The April Bencon  Ligltts  Hymnsing.was  held at Creston         April 16th meeting at the Children's Retreat. They conducted
Church Sunday evening, April 19. Featured, were a girls'            their regular Bible discussion in one of the rooms ; after
sextette from Adams St. School and Edward Ophoff,.  soloist.        recess they were conducted on a tour of the entire building
Mr. Charles Westra led the singing.                                 by one of the dedicated teachers of the Retreat. The offering
                                                                    received at this meeting was for the worthy cause of Chris-
   Hudsonville's Rev. Vos was down with'the  "flu" Sunday,          tian Mercy represented by the Retreat.
April 12 ; Rev. C. Hanko occupied his pulpit in the morning,

and Rev. Lanting was called in for the evening.                                . . . . see you in church.                   J.M.F.


