                XXXVII                                    15, 
 VOLTJMFO                                       M                 1961                                                            N
                                                 ARCH                      - GRAND-RAPIDS,  MICHIGAN                                   U M B E R   1 2


                                                                                     But has he ?

                                                                                     There is a masterpiece in existence, depicting thesawful

                                                                                 scene of the crucifixion. And with marvellous skill the artist

                                                                                 has depicted on the face of Satan, hovering above the cross

                     THE DYING CHRIST                                            in a dark and lurid background of clouds, a sardonic leer or
                                                                                 grin, but in it there is also an unspoken question of awful
           "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice,                    dread : Did I have the victory ?
         yielded up the gkost.  And, behold, the veil of the
         te#e was rent in. tiain  from the top to the bottom;                        I wonder what exegesis Satan put on the pe?-fectum  of
         and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the                    Jesus : It is finished !
         graves were opened; and Yvlany  bodies of the snirzts
         which slept  aT*ose,  and came  out of the graves after His                 And then that loud cry of Jesus as He bowed the head
         re>Nrrection,  and went &to  the holy  city, aped appeared              and gave up the ghost. Satan must have heard it. He cer-
         unto many. Now wken'  the centurion, and they tkat                     tainly was there at the time.
         were with hive, watching Jesus, saw. the eartlaquake,
         a&d those tl&gs that were done, they feared greatly,                        And the import of the last crossword ! Father, into Thy
         sayi+tg, Truly this  was the Son of God."                               hands I commend My spirit !

                                                - Matt. 27 :50-54                    Also the terrifying signs `at the death of Jesus : the earth

           "`And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He                      quaked, the rocks rent, the graves were opened; the veil

         said? Fathe)*,  into Thy hands I commend my spirit: and                 was rent, and even from the' top to the bottom, signifying
         jtavsng said tlms He gave a@ the ghost." - Luke 23 ~46                  that it was God's hand !

   Everything surrounding this awful cross is wonderful.                             Of course, Satan now knows that with all his hatred of

   We feel a great humility when we set ourselves to say                         God in the persecution of Jesus, he did nothing but help to

something about one of its episodes. This is true of every                       lay the foundation of the holy city where the perfected king-

attempt at exegesis of the Holy Word ; but how much more                         dom shall be to God's praises forever!

when we attempt to say something of the dying Christ of                              Sorrows of Satan !

God !
                                                                                                             * * * *
   It was early when we arrived at the place of a skull. The

rulers of the people had done everything with expediency

and dispatch. They must have congratulated one another,                              Yes, Jesus died on the cross.

and themselves. There ! That is work that is well done. We                          .And  what marvellous things happened at His death.
are rid of Him, who really was a thorn in our sides! At
                                                                                     First, He cried with a loud voice just before He died,
nine oJclock  in the morning it was finished, as far as their
                                                                                 and said: Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit!
nefarious labor was concerned. The Christ (in, their eyes,

the pseudo-Christ) hung on. the cross. Let now every one                             This is a quotation from Psalm 31. And yet, it is. no

look to Him.                                                                     quotation, for they are the words of His own speech as He

                                                                                 spoke them through the mouth of the prophet many ages
   Oh yes, the devil had his hour, we read ; and he certainly
                                                                                 before. He simply enters His own words and deepens them
used his hour. Every spirit or man at `his post, each doing
                                                                                 to the utmost and fullest significance.
the thing that fitted the hellish plot; and here we have the

result: Christ is on the tree of shame and dishonor. Satan                          Father,' into Thy hands I commend My spirit ! I hear

has won his war!                                                                 in. these words an exuberant gladness ; `it sounds to me like

                                                                                 a shout of victory. That is especially so when we connect
                             * * * *

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



this last crossword with the one He uttered just before: It            copy, a shadow, a type of One who was to come. But God

is finished !                                                          was not at home for just anyone. That had to wait for more

       We realize full well that His physical death is part and        gladsome  days.

parcel of His humiliation ; and that His body must rest in                The holy of holies  was shut to all men because of their

the grave so that He might show to the church of all ages              evil, filth, corruption and guilt.

that He has overcome death in all its agonizing phases, to
                                                                          And this is the Gospel: a Man was found who would
show that He opens the grave for all those that follow Him.
                                                                       open the door that led to the holy of holies,  the Home of
But let us also see that this last cry of Jesus signifies that
                                                                       God. And that n/Ian is Jesus. He will rend the veil, and
He is going HOME! He is going Home! Home to God,
                                                                       that veil is His own flesh.
His Father in heaven.
                                                                          Do you notice how God's timing is absolute and perfect?
       From the moment that Jesus bowed His head and died,
He arrived in the arms of God and at once He was in the                   At the moment Jesus died, the veil is rent, the body and
midst of great rejoicings and jubilant singing.                        the soul of Jesus are parted in death, and so the opening is
                                                                       made that leads to the inner sanctuary.
    The Blood of the New Testament arrived.
                                                                          I think that Sanhedrin appointed an able committee to
       I ?realize  full well that the victory began with His resur-
                                                                       see to this strange phenomenon ; and that this committee did
rection, but I would like to contrast this last crossword with
                                                                       good work ; the veil was repaired or a new one bought and
the fourth, and then we will realize that Jesus came to rest
                                                                       installed. I shudder at the implications of such an act. It
in Father's arms. In His arms the spirit of Jesus rejoiced.
                                                                       says: I refuse to enter the sanctuary. And if we note that
Moreover, in His second crossword He had already proph-
                                                                       the sanctuary, or rather, the opening into the sanctuary, is
esied: today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise!
                                                                       the symbolic representation of the open arms of God, the

    And in Paradise it is well with Jesus ! What inexpressible         matter becomes so horrible that we tremble. Sanhedrin,

contrast to the cry from out of the depths and from out of             through its able committee, gave notice to God that they

the impenetrable darkness of a few moments before! There               refused His Son!

He felt forsakepz  of God; here He is in the hand of Father..
                                                                          But to the church of Jesus Christ, this act of God is
`There He experienced an agonizing agony; here He ex-
                                                                       Gospel joy.
periences the delight of heaven.

                                                                          The door is open !
       There is glory already in His dying, a glory that shall

progress to dizzying heights of the New Jerusalem in His                  Heaven itself lies open to our wondering gaze.

final day.                                                                Through the death of Jesus a new and living way is

                                                                       opened to the heart of God.

                                                                          Oh no, we will not repair that breach which God made.

                                                                       But we will come, we do come to Thee, for Thou art our
       Yes, the Christ of God died.
                                                                       God in this dying Christ!
       And both the church and the world shall know it. God
                                                                          The blessing of a dying Christ!
will take care that this date does not pass unnoticed. Awful

things shall happen.


       The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top
                                                                          The earth did quake and the rocks rent!
to the bottom.

                                                                          If you live in places where earthquakes happen you see
       Why is that added to the holy record ?
                                                                       more of the import of this testimony than if you have never
       Undoubtedly it points to the fact that all this cross and       before felt the earth shake beneath your feet.
dying, all this redemption and glory, is a work of the Triune
                                                                          We speak of tema fivvuta,  the firm and stable earth !
God. He will not give His praises to another. For Himself

He created all things; well, it shall become evident that also            Well, if the creature is to be at rest and comfortable,

re-creation is His own work alone.                                     the earth should be firm. It belongs to our nature to live

                                                                       upon terra.  ~~~VVXX.  It is unnatural if the earth quakes. It
       The veil is rent. 0 yes, but God reached down into the
                                                                       should not be, according to the ordinances of creation.
temple, and His own hands ripped the veil in twain!

                                                                          But let us not accuse God when He takes the earth in
       There is Gospel joy in that act.
                                                                       His hands in order to shake it and cause all manner of
       For ages it was told the church that God dwelled in the         hardship and fatality.
holy of holies,  and that no one might enter there that he
                                                                          It is not God who is to blame ! Perish the thought !
die not. The high priest might enter there once each year,

but he did so because of the fact that he was an official, a              We, it is man himself, who is to blame. We have turned


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                                                                                                  267


the foundations of the earth upside down through our sin

and iniquity. You can find that in the Bible too. Sin is                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

perverseness.    And that word is akin to the earthquake. Oh,                 Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July and August
                                                                               Published by the  REFOPZ~  
I am certain that when the judgment day comes all the                                                                                                   FREE PUBLISHING  ASSOCUT~ON
                                                                              P. 0. Box 881, Madison Square Station, Grand Rapids 7, Micb.
calamities that shall befall the wicked shall be beautifully
                                                                                                         Editor - RYIW.  HERMAN HOEK~EMA
right, entirely just, wholly righteous. Our condemnation
                                                                              Communications relative to contents shotid be addressed to
shall equal our corruption.                                                                   Rev. H. HoekSema,  1139 Franklin St., S. E.;
                                                                                                                       Grand Rapids 7, Micb.
    The earth must be moved. God's justice demands it. He
                                                                              All matters relative to subscriptions should be addressed to Mr.
has done so many times. It really was not the first. time the                                 James Dykstra,  1326 W. Butler Ave., S. E.
earth quaked when Jesus died. ln  the Old Testament they                                                          Grand Rapids 7, Michigan
                                                                              Announcements and Obituaries must be mailed to the  above
, reckoned their years sometimes from "the great earthquake."                 address and will be published at a fee of $2.00 for each notice.
God has rocked the world in His anger many times.
                                                                              RENEWAL: Unless a definite request for discontinuance is re-
                                                                              ceived it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the subscription
    But I must tremble when I remember a word from Paul :
                                                                                 to continue without the formality of a renewal order.
Once more I shall move the earth, and all things!                                                         Subscription price: $5.00 per year

    And that is anticipated every time there has been an                          Second Class postage paid at Grand Rapids, Michigan

earthquake, and especially when Jesus died. It was a proph-

ecy of the final earthquake of the last day. The rending of             ._                                                  C O N T E N T S
the veil is a blessing, but the rending of the earth and of             M~IT.~TION  -
                                                                                 The Dying Christ.. . .._ _. _......  ._ ,...__... . ..285
the rocks is a curse, or, rather, the promise of the final
                                                                                             Rev. G. Vos
curse of God when He shall take the earth and shake it in
the full revelation of His righteous anger. I think that there          EDITOIUALS-
                                                                                  Calvin and Common Grace _.........._.__._,._................................  268
shall be an eternal earthquake in hell.                                           Oh, Oh, Dr. Dane! . . . . . . . . . . . ..__................................................... 270

    But there is a blessing in it for you, my brother, a blessing                            Rev. H. Hoeksema
                                                                        As To 
in disguise.                                                                        BOOKS-
                                                                                 Midden in het Levela  (In the Midst of Life) . . .._................... 270

    The splitting earth and the rending rocks tell you that on                    T h e       Way           of      Saluation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
                                                                                  T h e
the basis of the dying Christ there shall come a palace that                                 Apocalypse Today. ..__..__..........  ___......  . ..__.._  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
                                                                                             Rev. H. Hoeksema
is built on the immovable rock, and the rock is Christ. And
                                                                        OUR DOCTFWE-
Christ the Rock is the revelation of God the Rock. Deut. 32 4.                    The Book of Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

    The rocks that split and the earth that quaked when the                                  Rev. H. Hoeksema

 Christ died tell the church that they shall stand secure for-          .A CLOUD OF %%.TNESSES-
                                                                                  The Beginning Of Judgment In Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
ever on the rock of God's everlasting love.
                                                                                             Rev. B. Woudenberg

    Oh, the blessings of a dying Christ!                                FROM HOLY WRIT -
                                                                G.V.              Exposition of I Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..____............  275

                                                                                             Rev. G. Lubbers

                                                                        INH~SFEAR-

                                                                                  God's           Royal Priesthood                                (2) . .._....._........................ . . .._...........  277

                                                                                             Rev. J. A. Heys
                     WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
                                                                        CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH-
    On February 11, our beloved parents,                                          The Church and the Sacraments ____....._._....................,........... 279

                                                                                             Rev. H. Veldman
                 MR. and MRS. JOHN KARSEMEYER
                                                                        THE VOICE OF OUR FATHERS-
 celebrated their  50th  wedding anniversary.                                     The Belgic Confession _____...__._._...___........................................ 281

    We are grateful to our Covenant God for all the  blessings He                             Rev. H. C. Hoeksema

 has bestowed upon them  and us these  many years together.             DECENCY ANIJ ORDER-
                                                                                  The Subjects of Baptism __._...._.__.._.._._......................................  283.
    Our prayer is that He may bless them  in their  way and that                             Rev. G. Vanden  Berg
 they may experience that there  is no peace apart from Him.            ALLAROUNDUS-
                          Their grateful children,                                Comments from the Netherlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  285,
                                                                                  A Plea for Christian Day Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  286,
                                 Mr. and Mrs. William Karsemeyer                             Rev. H. Hanko

                                 Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Karsemeyer       CONTRIBUTIONS -
                                 Mr. James Karsemeyer                             A n Answer to Rev. L. Doezema . . . . . . . . ..__.......................  287
                                                                                             Mr. J. King
                                 Mr. and Mrs. Albert Karsemeyer

                                 6 grandchildren                        NEWS FROM OUR CH~RCHES..............................................................  288,
                                                                                              Mr. J. M. Faber
                                 1 great-grandchild

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



                                                                       better translation, therefore, is to present. The gospel and
              E D I T O R I A L S                                      Christ are "offered" that is, presented in the preaching to
                                                                       all that hear the gospel preached, both to the godly and to

                                                                       the ungodly, to the elect and reprobate alike.

                Calvin and Common Grace                                    Now let us consider the context in which this quotation

                                                                       occurs. Calvin writes :
   Dr. Herman Kuiper attempts to prove that Calvin teaches

the well-meant offer of Christ and salvation to the reprobate.             "What purpose, then, is served by exhortations? It is

Writes he (T/he  Banner, Jan. 27, 1961) :                              this: As the wicked with obstinate heart, despise them, they

                                                                       will be a testimony against them when they stand at the
       "Meanwhile, there is another element in Calvin's writ-
                                                                       judgment-seat of God ; nay, they even now strike and lash
ings which is no less astounding than his teaching concern-
                                                                       their consciences. For, however they petulantly deride, they
ing God's beneficence toward the whole human race. Calvin,
                                                                       cannot disapprove them." Book II, 5.
who was reputed to be a very keen logician, made many
                                                                           And again, the same paragraph:
declarations which appear to be wholly inconsistent with his

doctrine of divine reprobation. Calvin asserted time and                   "God works in his elect in two ways: inwardly, by his

again that God offers Christ and his great salvation to men,           Spirit; outwardly by his Word. By his Spirit, illuminating

concerning whom He decreed that they are to suffer everlast-           their minds, and training their hearts to the practice of right-

ing punishment, and that He earnestly invites them to be-              eousness, he makes them new creatures, while, by His Word,

come partakers of life eternal."                                       he stimulates them to long and seek for renovation. In both,

                                                                       he exerts the might of his hand in proportion to the measure
       Now, I would say, in the first place, that, if Calvin really
                                                                       in which he dispenses them, The Word, when addressed
writes as Kuiper represents him, then we simply do not
                                                                       to the reprobate,. though not effectual for their amendment,
agree -with him, for we do not believe in the so-called well-
                                                                       has another use. It urges their consciences now, and will
meant offer of salvation, well-meant offer of salvation to
                                                                       render them more inexcusable in the day of judgment . . . .
all men, elect and reprobate, well-meant that is on the part of
                                                                       The reprobate, again, are admonished by Paul, that the doc-
God. For, in the first place, such is not the teaching of
                                                                       trine. is not in vain ; because, while it is in them a savour of
Scripture. And, in. the second place, that, indeed, would
                                                                       death unto death, it is still a sweet savour unto God (II
contradict the truthfulness of God and make Him a hypocrite.
                                                                       Cor. 2 : 16) ."
How could He earnestly seek the salvation of men whom
                                                                           Kuiper does not quote from this paragraph. He merely
He does not want to save, whom He has decreed unto eternal
                                                                       refers to it. But, surely, there is no common grace, nor a
damnation ?
                                                                       well-meant offer of salvation. The very opposite is true.
   Nor do I believe that Calvin, "the keen logician," would            The preaching      of the Word, according to Calvin, only
ever teach anything of the kind.                                       aggravates the condemnation of the reprobate, is a testimony

   Yet, Kuiper, apparently, offers quotations from Calvin              against them, and when it is a savour of death unto them, it

in which he seems to teach this very thing.                            is still a sweet savour unto God.

   I say "apparently" for we all know how deceiving quota-                 But, as I said, Kuiper does not quote from this paragraph

tions can be when they are taken out of their context. Hence,          although. he refers to it.

what we have to do is that we carefully check these quota-                The quotation by Kuiper is from II, 10. There, Calvin

tions and read them in their context. `And this is what we             is still combating the enemies of the truth of sovereign

propose to do, at least with some of the quotatrons.                   grace. Let us look at the context. It is as follows :

   The first quotation is from the Institutes, II, 5, 10. It               "The second class of objections is akin to the former.
:reads as follows: "I deny that God cruelly mocks us when              They allege the promises in which the Lord makes a paction
:He  invites us to merit blessings, which He knows we are              (agreement, bargain, H.H.) with our will. Such are the
:altogether  unworthy to merit. The promises being offered             following: `Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live' (Amos
ialike  to believers and to the ungodly, have their use in             V :14). `If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of
regard to both, . . . In His promises to the ungodly He                the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured
attests in a manner how unworthy they are of his kindness."            with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it'
                                                                       (Isaiah I :19,  20). `If thou wilt put away thine abominations
   Thus far Kuiper's quotation.
                                                                       out of my sight, then thou shalt not remove' (Jer. IV :l).

   First, I want to make a remark about that "offer." It is            `It shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto

a translation of the Latin offere.  It does not have the               the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and do all the com-

:same  connotation as our English word offer. With us the              mandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord

word offer has the connotation of willingness to give some-            thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth

-thing to another which the latter may  and can either accept          (Deut. XXVIII :l) . There are other similar passages (Lev.

or reject. That cannot be said of Christ or of salvation. A            XXVI 3, etc.). They think that the blessings contained in


                                          T H E   S T A N D A R D   B.EARER                                                       269



these promises are offered to our will absurdly and in                 "Book III, 22, 10 - By external preaching all are

mockery, if it is not in our power to secure or reject them.        called to faith and repentance . . . . though the gospel is ad-

It is, indeed, an easy matter to indulge in declamatory com-        dressed generally to all, yet the gift of faith is rare."

plaint on this subject-to say that we are cruelly mocked               Even though Kuiper again quotes Calvin outside of the
by the Lord when he declares that his kindness depends on           proper context, I ask: what is wrong with this quotation
our will, if we are not masters of our will-that it would be        even as it stands. Are there, according to Kuiper, also those
a strange liberality on the part of God if he sets his blessings    that deny that the external calling to faith and repentance
before us, while we have no power of enjoying them- a               comes to all, at least, to all to whom God in His good pleasure
strange certainty of promises, which to prevent their ever          sends the gospel ? There may be, but if so, they certainly
being fulfilled, are made to depend on an impossibility. Of         are not to be foundlin  the Protestant Reformed Churches.
promises of this description, which have a condition annexed
                                                                       `Or does he probably mean that there are those who be-
to them, we shall elsewhere speak, and make it plain that
                                                                    lieve that all to whom the external calling comes, also receive
there is nothing absurd in the impossible fulfilment of them.
                                                                    the gift of faith ? Again, I would say : there may be. But,
In regard to the matter in hand, I deny that God cruelly
                                                                    please, do not try to find them among Protestant Reformed
mocks us when he invites us to merit blessings which he
                                                                    people.
knows we are altogether unable to merit. The promises being

offered alike to believers and to the ungodly, have their use          Or does he, perhaps, mean: to say that the mere external

in regard to both. As God by His precepts stings the con-           call to repentance and faith is a well-meant offer of salvation

sciences of the ungodly, so as to prevent them from enjoying        and, therefore, is grace to all that hear the gospel as is the

their sins while they have no remembrance of his judgments,         doctrine of the Christian Reformed Church as taught in the

so, in his promises, he in a manner takes them to witness           First Point of 1924. In that case you may surely find those

how unworthy they are of his kindness. Who can deny that            that deny this doctrine in the Protestant Reformed Churches.

it is most just and becoming in God to do good to those that           But, in that case, you certainly twist Calvin's meaning
#worship  h i m ,    and to punish with due severity those          in the above quotation.
who despise his `majesty. God, therefore, proceeds  in
                                                                       Let me quote just a few lines from the paragraph from
due order, when, though the wicked are bound by the
                                                                    which Kuiper quotes :
fetters of sin, he lays down the law in his promises, that

he will do them good only if they depart from their wicked-             "But it is from Isaiah he more clearly demonstrates how

ness. This would be right, though his only object were to           he destines the promises of salvation specially to the elect

let them understand that they are deservedly excluded from          (Isa. 8 :16) ; for he declares that his disciples would consist

the favor due to his true worshippers," etc.                        of them only, and not indiscriminately of the whole human

                                                                    race. Whence it is evident that the doctrine of salvation,

    What, now, does Calvin teach here? Does he support              which it is said to be apart for the sons of the Church only,

any form of common grace in the `above  lines ? Does he mean        is abused when it is represented as effectually available to

to teach here any manner of a well-meant `offer of grace and        all. For the present let it suffice to observe, that though the

salvation, well-meant on the part of God ? Not at all. TO           word of the gospel is addressed generally to all, yet the

be sure, the preaching of the gospel, and the offer (presenta-      gift of faith is rare. Isaiah assigns the cause when he says,

tion) of the promises, comes to all alike, the elect and the        that the arm of the Lord is not revealed to all (Isa. 53 :l).

reprobate, the believers and the ungodly. But this does not         Had he said, that the gospel is malignantly and perversely

come to both for the same purpose, according to Calvin. TO          contemned,  because many obstinately `refuse to hear, there

the believers it is that they may be saved, to the ungodly sit      might perhaps be some colour for this universal call. It is

is that they may be punished with due severity. And, mark           not the purpose of the Prophet, however, to extenuate the

you well, it is not only a matter `of fact that the ungodly         guilt of men, when he states the source of their blindness

despise the promises of God when they are proclaimed unto           to be, that God deigns not to reveal his arm to them ; he only

them, but it is the very purpose of God, according to Calvin,       reminds us that since faith is a special gift, it is vain that

that through ithe proclamation of the promises they shall           the external call sounds in the ear. But I would fain know

aggravate the severity of their punishment. Dr. H. Kuiper           from those doctors whether it is mere preaching or faith that

may not like this. That is an altogether different question.        makes men sons of God," etc.

But this is the teaching of Calvin.
                                                                        From this it is abundantly evident that the quotation

    And, surely, by quoting Calvin at random by quoting             from Calvin by Kuiper does not teach any manner of com-

him apart from the context in which these quotations occur,         mon grace, nor any well-meant offer of grace and salvation

he distorts Calvin's teaching.                                      to all that hear the external calling.

                                                                       It is grace only for the elect.
    The next quotation from Calvin by Kuiper I confess that

I do not understand why he makes it. It is this:                                                                                 H.H.

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



                            Oh, Oh, Dr. Dane!                                                  a rather broad introduction the author presents an outline of

                                                                                               the whole book. After this he speaks of election, of the
     In "Voices in the Chur&" in l%e Banner of Feb. 24,                                        external calling, the so-called mystical union, regeneration,
 1961, Dr. Dane writes that God does not and cannot love                                       internal calling, conversion, faith, justification, sanctifica-
sinners, according to Protestant Reformed doctrine. He even                                    tion, and glorification.

writes : "Therefore they cannot tolerate any idea of common
                                                                                                  The book, as may be gathered from this brief outline, is
grace because however defined, it contains the idea that God
                                                                                               thoroughly Reformed.
has love and favor for sinners [he underscores, H.H.]. This

idea they reject. `God's attitude towards sinners is expressed                                     On page 112 I find a slip of the pen. We read there :

in their oft-repeated ,assertion  : `God hates sinners'."                                      "Peter would not have become aware of his lack of convic-

                                                                                               tion, had he not come to the courtyard of Pilate . . ." This,
     I challenge Dane-  to quote any such statement from any
                                                                                               of course, must be `(the courtyard of Annas and Caiaphas."
of my writings. He cannot do this.
                                                                                                                                                             H.H.
     To be sure, God hates the wicked or the reprobate wicked

and, although this is thoroughly Scriptural, Dane does not                                         The Apocsclyfise  Today, by Thomas F. Torrance. Pub-
want this truth.                                                                               lished by Wm. B. Eerdmans Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.

     What is this ?                                                                            Price $3.00.

     Is' this an intentional corruption ?                                                         This book is a brief interpretation of the Book of Revela-

                                                                                               tion. I may recommend it to all our readers for it is a
     Or is it ignorance, which is bliss?
                                                                                               thoroughly orthodox interpretation of the Apocalypse. I
                                                                                   H.H.
                                                                                               could quote several passages to prove this, but let me quote

                                                                                               just the following: "It is to our shame that there are multi-

                                                                                               tudes who stain the baptism with the image of the beast.
             A S T 6 83'0 0 K S                                                          II They flirt with Christianity and flirt with evil at the same
                                                                                               time. The fusion of religion with the image or fashion of

                                                                                               this world marks them out as belonging to Babylon and not
     Midden  im bet Levers (In the Midst of Life) by Dr. W.                                    to Christ. And because these adulterers of the faith feel in-
Sikken.   P u b l i s h e d   b y   J .   H .   K o k ,   N . V . ,   K a m p e n ,   t h e    secure in their religion, they try toestablish  themselves with
Netherlands. Price f 7.95.                                                                     worldly power and worldly alliances ; and .soon  become

     The complete title of this book should be, as the author                                  banded into false societies and false communities.  Thus it

suggests on the very first page of the introduction or preface :                               is that an apostate church grows ,up with a counterfeit faith.

"Life in the Midst of Death.`" :Hence,  the idea of death                                      . . . . Outwardly it is quite impossible to separate the true from

receives a good deal of emphasis. The author reviews what                                      the false, but God knows who are His. :::I . . ." pp:-.128-129.

mere men, philosophers as well. as religious men, outside of                                      It stands to reason that much difference'iof  opinion may

the Scriptures, have written about death. He, moreover,                                        be and is expressed with-  regard to the interpretation' of a

writes a good deal about Luther's conception of death. Also                                    book like the Apocalypse. Thus, for instance, I do not agree

.he writes about the immortality of the soul by which he,                                      with the author's interpretation of the first of the four horses

evidently, means, not that the soul has everlasting life, as                                   mentioned in Rev. 6. According to the author we have here

is the biblical meaning of immortality, but that, after'physical                               a vision of the antichrist. My interpretation is that the'white

death, the soul continues to exist.                                                            horse represents the viktorious  progress of the gospel of
                                                                                                                                                             I
     By far the nicest part of the book is the section in which                                Christ for the salvation of the elect.                      .;

.the author writes about the resurrection of Christ and of our                                    But let the reader judge for himself. I recommend-this

own glorious resurrection.                                                                     book to our readers.

                                                                                   H.H.                                                                    H . H .


     The Way of Salvatioqa,  by Gordon H. Girod. Published

by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Price $2.95.
                                                                                                                       A n n o u n c e m e n t
     This is a very good book and I may recommend it to all
                                                                                                  Classis  East of the Protestant Reformed Churches will
our readers for it is very readable and written in very clear
                                                                                               meet, D.V., on Wednesday, April 5, at 9 A.M. in the
language and style.

                                                                                               Hope Protestant Reformed Church.
     The book deals with what is known as the ordo salt&
                                                                                                  Consistories will please take note of this in the -appoint-
or the order in which the salvation which God has prepared
for His elect in His eternal counsel is applied to them in                                     ment of their delegates.                               ,

time by the Holy Spirit and through the Word of God. In                                                                      REV. M. SCHIPPER,  Stated Clerh


                                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                                 271



                                                                                                  They say,. "Alleluia, fdr  the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

11  O U R   D O C T R I N E   11 God's sovereignty and omnipotent reign and power are, of
                                                                                                  course, always evident in the history of the world. But here

                                                                                                  the  reference is undoubtedly to the fact that this sovereignty

                                                                                                  and power of God `have become revealed in the judgment of

                                                                                                  the great whore. His kingdbm has now come. He alone is
            THE ROOK OF REVELATION                                                                King. And therefore we read that the multitude expresses

                                                                                                  joy and gladness : "Let us be glad and rejoice." The destruc-

                                                                                                  tion of the antichristian world-power is the occasion for the
                         P A R T   T W O
                                                                                                  marriage of the Lamb. And this marriage of the Lamb is

                                                                                                  nqw qelebrated  in this vision with great joy. "And give

                                C                                                                 honour to him . . ."      That is, ,give  honor to God. Give honor
                                     H A P T E R  XVIII

                                                                                                  to God Who is the only omnipotent one and Who is the

                                                                                                  author of this great sa$vation  that is realized in the marriage
                    The Marriage of the Lamb                                                      of the Lamb.        "For the marriage of the Lamb is come . . ."

                                                                                                  This marriage of the Lamb is the final and heavenly union
                              Revelation 19 :6-10
                                                                                                  of Christ and His church in eternal and perfect glory. It is

                                                                                                  not, as some would have it, a new period of prosperity for

                                                                                                  the church on earth. Nor is it anything else. It is the final
            6.     And I heard as it were the voice of a great  multi-
            tude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice                               salvation. Marriage is the symbol of the intimate fellowship

            of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord                                 of nature, of life, and of love between Christ and His church.

            God omnipotent reigneth.                                                              Thus, for instance, we tread  in Ephesians 5 :25,  ff. : "Hus-

                                                                                                  bands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
            7.     Let us be glad and rejoice, and  give honour to him:                           and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse
            for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath
                                                                                                  it with the washing of water by the word, That he might
            made herself ready.
                                                                                                  present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or

           .8.     And. to her was granted that she should be arrayed                             wrinkle, or any such thing ; but  that it should be holy and

            in fine linen, clean and white: for the fme  linen is the                             without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their

            righteousness of the saints.                                                          own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no

                                                                                                  man  ever yet hated his own flesh ; but nourisheth and
            91  A n d   h e   s a i t h   u n t o   m e ,   Write,  Bles.:ed   a r e   t h e y    cherisheth  it, even as .the Lord the church: For we are
            which are called unto the ma&age  supp&  of the Lamb.
                                                                                                  members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For
            And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of
            G      o     d      .                                                                 this cause shall a man leave his `father and mother, and shall

             :.                                                                                   be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This

            10:     And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said                            is a great mystery: but  I speak concerning Christ and the

            unto me, See thou do it not: I `am thy fellowsenrant,  and                            church."    We read further,,, in, vs. 7 : ,"And  his wife hath
          :i of thy brethren. that have the testimony of Jesus: wor-                              made herself ready."        Th"  church is always expecting the
            ship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
                                                                                                  Bridegroom, Christ, and therefore she always keeps her
           p r o p h e c y .
                                                                                                  garments pure by grace,  through faith. And now His wife,

    In these verses we have a new vision,` the vision of the                                      that  is, the glorified churchi,  has  made herself completely

marriage of t+. .Lamb.  .This'  vision .is" introduced by the                                     ready. "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed

voice of a great multitude. In verse 6 we read: "And I                                            -in fine linen."    That linen, according to the text, is the right-

heard as it were the voice of. a great multitude, and as the                                      eousness of the saints. This righteousness is not only the

voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,                                     legal righteousness, the righteousness of our state, according

saying, Alleluia.: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."                                         `to which the righteousness of God in Christ is imputed to

It is evident that.-all that are in heaven - for this vision does                                 the saints ; but it is also a spiritual,. ethical righteousness.

not take place on the earth, as some would h&e it, but in                                         And therefore, the wife that is here mentioned, tbat is, the

heaven ; `ad it is not a vision that takes place in time, but                                     church, is clothed in garments of justification and sanctifica-

in the beginning of eternity- that the multitude that here                                        tion, which are wrought in her by the grace of God in Jesus.

is presented as uniting in praise and joy because of the mar-                                     Christ our Lord. So much about the marriage of the Lamb.

riage of the Lamb is in everlasting glory. They now `unite in                                         The same angel that talks with John in the very beginning

praise, that is, the former multitude and eiders,  the four living                                of this entire vision now again instructs John: "And he

creatures, perhaps joined by the angels. And their sound is                                       saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called

as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty                                            .unto  the marriage supper of the Lamb." Those that are called

thunderings, roaring and rebounding through the heavens.                                          unto the marriage supper of the Lamb are,  the same as the

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



wife that is mentioned in the context, but now considered                                          C H A P T E R  X I X

from the aspect of individual believers. The marriage supper
                                                                                                Revelation 19 :ll-21
is the marriage that is presented as a joyous occasion. It is

the celebration of the marriage of the Lamb. And all that                  The F&al  V,ictory of the Lamb Over Antichrist

are called, all the elect and all the glorified saints, take part
                                                                                    11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white
in that occasion of great joy. And we must understand, of
                                                                                    horse; and he that ,sat upon him was called Faithful
course, that this joy is not only for the moment. On the con-                       and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make
trary, it is everlasting. Eternally the saints will rejoice in                      war.

the fact that now they have been perfectly united in life, in
                                                                                    12.     His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head
nature, and in love to the Bridegroom, which is Christ.                             were many crowns; and he had a name written, that
       And the angel continues to say, "These are the true say-                     no man knew, but he himself.

ings of God."      These sayings to which the angel refers do                .      13. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped jn

not only include the marriage and the marriage supper and                           blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

the joy of the saints that they are now united with Christ,                         14. And the armies which were in heaven followed
but rather refer to the whole vision that begins in chapter                         him upon white horses, clothed in he linen, white and

seventeen and which extends to chapter nineteen, verse 10.                          clean.

All these are the real words of God. And the words of God                           15. And out of his mouth goeth  a `sharp sword, that
can never lie: we can surely rely on the words of God in                            with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule
life and in death. Moreover, they are not only true, but                            them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth  the winepress

they also shall surely come to pass. All that God has prom-                         of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

ised shall be realized, and shall be realized forevermore.                          16. And he hath on his vesture  and on his thigh a
Finally, in this passage we read that John fell at the angel's                      name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF

feet and wanted to worship him. From the last statement of                          LORDS.

the angel the apostle probably concluded that it was Christ
                                                                                    17. Ad  I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he
Himself speaking to him. And therefore he falls down before                         cried with a loud voice, saying to all de fowls that fly

the angel to worship ; he prostrates himself at the feet-of the                     in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves

angel. But immediately the angel corrects him. He assures                           together unto the supper of the great God;

John that he is not divine and that he is not the Christ, but                       18.     That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of

that he is only a fellowservant of John and a fellowservant                         captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh

of all the saints, and that God alone must be worshipped. No                        of horses, and of them that sit on. them, and the flesh
                                                                                    of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
creature, no matter how glorious and no matter how im-

portant  his message is, may be worshipped ; but only God                           19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth,
is the object of our .adoration  and worship. And then the                          and their armies, gathered together to make war against
                                                                                    him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
angel concludes : "For the testimony of Jesus," that is, the

testimony which speaks of the coming of Jesus in glory and                          20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false
                                                                                    prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which
of the salvation of the believers, "is the spirit of prophecy."
                                                                                    he deceived them that had received the mark of the
`The meaning is, of course, that prophecy is the Word of God,                       beast, and them that worshipped his image. These
to which the angel had already referred. The true sayings                           both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with

of God are the prophecy. They are prophecy, not only in                             brimstone.

the sense of predicting the future, but in the sense that all                       21.     And the remnant were slain with  the sword of him
the salvation of the saints is declared in this prophecy. All                       that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of

that God has ever promised for His people, not only for                             his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

the eternal future, but also for the present time, is implied

in the words of the angel. And when we read here that "the               Once more we must caution you against the view that

testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," it means, of           the events that are described in the words of the present

course, that the entire testimony of Christ, the entire testi-        passage historically follow those of the preceding verses. AS

mony concerning the salvation of the people of God, is                I have said before, there are many interpreters that entertain

-wrought by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that is given          this view.     First there is the destruction of Babylon, the

lo His people and that declares all the words of God. Hence,          great city ; then the supper and the marriage of the Lamb

;the angel can deliver the true sayings of God and all the            follow immediately upon the destruction of the great harlot

revelation of the salvation of the people of God. And there-          in time ; and then follows the battle of Armageddon. Accord-

2ore,  it is exactly in this respect that the angel is not divine,    ing to this view, then, the marriage and supper of the Lamb

but is a fellowservant of John and of all the saints, all the         is a special event that will be terminated by the battle of

saints that receive them and that also, therefore, have this          Armageddon. This is, however, not our view; and I do not
                                                        I
same testimony.                                                       believe that this interpretation is tenable.                        H.H.


                                              T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             273



                                                                    Egypt. But Jannes and Jambres, the magicians of Pharaoh,

11 A CLOUD OF: WI.TNESSES 11                                        were with their incantations able to imitate this, and
                                                                    Pharaoh remained unimpressed. The fact that Moses' serpent

                                                                    swallowed those of the magicians and then was restored to

       The Beginning Of Judgment In Egypt                           a rod foreboded no good for Pharaoh. But Pharaoh was in
                                                                    no mood to tremble before a mere sign. His heart was only

        And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made              hardened in its sinful resolve.

     thee a god to Phara.ok:  a:ltd Aaron thy brother shall be          It was early one morning as Pharaoh was engaged in his
      thy prophet.                                                  daily worship of the Nile that Moses and Aaron were sent

        Thou shalt spea.k  all that I commaad  thee: and Aaron      to begin a series of works that would manifest the unwaver-

      thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh,  that he send the       ing determination of Jehovah's love and judgment beyond

      children of IsuaeJ  out of his land.                          dispute. The rod of Moses would become like a rod of iron,

                                                                    breaking into slivers the pretense of Pharaoh like a potter's
        And I z&l1  harden Pharaotis  heart, and multiply my
                                                                    vessel.
     signs a~nd  my wonders in the land of Egypt.
                                                                        The Nile was very really the lifeline of Egypt. Without
                                                   Exodus 7 :l-3
                                                                    the Nile Egypt as a nation could not have existed. The Nile

   God had said to Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron,                 was Egypt's only real source of water. From it the fields

"Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:           were irrigated, and its waters filtered through the soil to fill

and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me:           their wells. Its surface provided channels for shipping and

and if thou refuse to let him go, behold I will slay thy son,       communication ; its depths furnished fish and such food to

even thy firstborn." It was an affirmation of Jehovah's eternal     eat. It was the very source of the land, for the sediment

love, a love for His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, an             deposited by its floods formed the rich fields from which

affirmation of love for all those who were chosen eternally         Egypt lived. Quite naturally the Egyptians worshipped the

in His Son, even Israel. Because it was Jehovah that spoke,         river. Not only did this satisfy the religious inclinations of

this affirmation would not and could not change. This love          their nature, but it furnished them with an impersonal god

would be realized, and if Pharaoh or anyone else sought to          which would not -interfere with their sins. Willingly the

change this, they would do so only unto his own ruin.               Egyptians served the creature rather than the Creator.

                                                                        Moses and Aaron were standing on the bank of the river
   Pharaoh had answered to this, "Who is Jehovah, that I
                                                                    that morning when Pharaoh came to offer his daily sacrifice
should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know not Jehovah,
                                                                    to the Nile. He knew them well by this time and the cause
neither will I let Israel go." Pharaoh was the king of
                                                                    which they represented. He despised them from the depths
Egypt and the world's most powerful potentate. Moreover,
                                                                    of his heart. That they should think to interfere with his
he was a man of great pride and ambition, determined to
                                                                    morning worship he uncloubtedly  found distasteful. But they
maintain his place of greatest power and influence in the
                                                                    did not allow him time either to speak to them or to order
earth. Words brought by this mere pair of shepherds, Moses
                                                                    that they should be removed. They bore a message from
and Aaron, were not going to sway Km.  He was not going
                                                                    Jehovah, and immediately they spoke. "The Lord God of
to cower before the God of a nation that served as his slaves.
                                                                    the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people
The mere suggestion &hat he should do so made him in-
                                                                    go, that they may serve me in the wilderness : and, behold,
dignant. He would prove himself to be the potentate that he
                                                                    hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith Jehovah, In this
was. He would take on the challenge of this Jehovah, even
                                                                    thou shalt know that I am Jehovah : behold, I will smite with
if He was a God.
                                                                    the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in

   Thus there was drawn up in Egypt the great battleline            the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that

of all times. On the one side there was Pharaoh, determined         is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink ; and the

to prove himself self-sufficient and able to withstand even         Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river."

the power of God. On the other side was- Jehovah, eternally         Thereupon Aaron lifted the rod of Moses, and just as they

resolved to realize His love. The ensuing conflict was or-          had said, it was done.

dained to reveal the power and glory of God as a witness
                                                                       As Pharaoh watched, the waters of the Nile took on a
unto all times. All that was to follow would serve to witness
                                                                    deep red hue as of blood. It was not as though this color in
to the faithfulness of Jehovah's love even to the ruin of its
                                                                    itself was too astounding, for the Nile customarily at certain
enemies. It would be a witness so clear that only the blind
                                                                    seasons was red in appearance ; but still this was different.
would be so foolish as to deny.
                                                                    This coloring of the waters did not come gradually, but all.

   First there was a sign from God. Moses' rod, a symbol            of a sudden at the wave of Moses' rod. Moreover, there was

of his office appointed by God, was cast to the ground and          a stench that arose from the river's surface.- Soon dead fish

transformed into a serpent, a symbol of Satan and the sin of        were to be seen floating upon the water, and the water was


274                                        T H E   ST.ANDARD   B E A R E R


unpalatable to the taste. It filled the river and its tributaries,        Moses was pleased to think that at last Pharaoh was

the ponds and pools and wells, even the water setting in open         going to yield to the power of Jehovah. He said to Pharaoh,

vessels of wood and of stone. Every exposed surface was               "Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy

corrupted. Still, it was not all this that troubled Pharaoh.          servants, and for the people, to destroy the frogs from thee

The only question to which he gave thought was whether                and thy house, that they may remain in the river only ?"

this great demonstration of power could be matched by his             So that Pharaoh might appreciate the power of Jehovah the

magicians.     Quickly Jannes and Jambres were again sum-             more, he would be allowed the glory or privilege of deter-

moned, and soon with their enchantments they had erected a            mining when the plague should cease.

small imitation of the wonder wrought by Moses' rod. True,
                                                                         Pharaoh answered, "To-morrow."
they did not and could not relieve the plague that was upon

them. At best they only made it worse. But Pharaoh was                   And Moses replied, "Be it according to thy word: that

relieved and satisfied. Heady with pride and hard of heart            thou mayest know that there is none like unto Jehovah our

he turned and went up into his house.                                 God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy

                                                                      houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people ; they
    It remained for the Egyptian people to taste the torment
                                                                      shall remain in the river only."
of what had happened. In all the land there was no water

for them to drink. Quickly new wells had to be dug down                  On the morrow Moses prayed to God and the frogs died

to water that had not been corrupted. But even then the               throughout the land. All that remained were the heaps of

stench remained, a constant reminder that the river which             stinking carcasses which the people gathered together, a re-

they worshipped had been turned into a curse. Seven days              minder of the curse that had visited their land. Pharaoh was

passed by while the people suffered, until at last the plague         relieved. As soon as he saw that the plague of frogs had

was lifted.                                                           ceased, he informed Moses that his promise would not be

                                                                      kept.
    The respite for the Egyptians was not long. Soon Moses
                                                                          But the relief of Pharaoh was short lived. God com-
and Aaron appeared again before Pharaoh to announce a
                                                                      manded, and Aaron smote the dust of the ground with the
new manifestation of the power and judgment of Jehovah.
Again their words were bold, "Thus saith Jehovah, Let my              rod. The dust was changed into lice which lighted on man
                                                                      and beast. It crawled into the eyes and ears and nose, and
people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let
                                                                      penetrated under the skin.
them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

:and the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall            This plague had come unannounced, but Pharaoh knew

go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber,             well enough from whence it was. As before, he immediately

.and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and            summoned his magicians, if only to satisfy himself that this

upon thy people, and into thy ovens, and into thy kneading-           work also could be matched. But this time it was to no

troughs : and the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon          avail. Their incantation could not go so far as to even appear

thy people, and upon all thy servants." Immediately there-            to bring forth such lice. Rather, as though to add to Phar-

upon the rod was stretched forth again, and even as it had            aoh's consternation, they turned and solemnly confessed,

,been  said, frogs came up from the waters and filled the land.       "This is the finger of God."

       Once again the first thought of Pharaoh was ,whether               Now Pharaoh knew mere subterfuge would not work.

this work could be matched. And Jannes and Jambres did                It might relieve one plague, but it Pwould  be followed im-

not fail him. They succeeded again in creating a reasonable           mediately by another just as bad and maybe even worse. In

imitation of Moses' act. Yet, this time the work of the               his heart he was determined. He would withstand Israel's

magicians did not give Pharaoh the satisfaction that he had           God. It was just that he knew not how. In moody silence

felt before. The fact was that the plague of frogs was there,         he sat and pondered.

and it persisted. Jannes and Jambres could bring forth more               Meanwhile in Goshen,  the children of Israel also had
frogs, at least in appearance, but they could do nothing to           been feeling the hand of their God. They had rejected His
<drive the frogs from the land. The situation was much more           promises out of fear of Pharaoh, and now they too were
grave than he had anticipated. The frogs were becoming a              made to suffer. But the very same demonstrations of power
burden. Everywhere he went they were present, a constant              and judgment that were making the heart of Pharaoh pro-
reminder of the power of Moses' God. Something had to be              gressively. harder, were having on them an entirely different
done to relieve the land, and the only thing he could think           effect. They were being reminded of the folly of their doubts
of was to use subterfuge with Moses. He called Moses and              and sins. They were being turned in repentance. They were
Aaron and said, "Entreat Jehovah, that he may take away               being brought to acknowledge as never before the greatness
the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the             of their God.
people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord." He

had no intention of doing this, but at least it was a way to                                                                  B.W.

relieve them of the frogs.


                                              T H E S T A N D A R D B E A R E R                                                  27.5



                                                                   or matter (Entweder-oder) . And therefore the "law" must

11  F R O M   H O L Y   W R I T   11 have its proper place in the economy of God's salvation. But
                                                                   that means that the "law" cannot possibly displace grace, the
1J                                                            \
                                                                   promise of God fulfilled in Christ Jesus. The law "serves"
                    Exposition of I[ Timothy                       in this economy but it does not redeem or save any man ; it

                        (I Timothy 1:3-11)                         serves a useful end if it serves grace in the believer.

                                b.                                    There seems to be a certain "concession" made by Paul

   Timothy must teach certain men in Ephesus not to teach          here when he says, "Now we know that the law is good."

a "different" doctrine. Other foundation can no man lay            He does not agree with the proponents of the law who would

than that which was put down by Paul in the Church. It is          place the Christian "under law"; but he does concede the

the foundation of the apostles and prophets of which Jesus         goodness of the law. This is the argument, this concession,

Christ is the chief corner-stone. Eph. 2 :20.  That is the         against all antinomism, which reasons that the law a.s sztch

position of all Paul's apology for the faith once delivered to     is a destruction of the sound doctrine of grace. It is good to

the saints. And any and all teaching which does not measure        see this, lest evil things be ascribed to the law which is spirit-

up to this plumb-line of the truth in Jesus is branded for         ual, holy, just and good. Rom. 7:12, 14. So very easily
what it really is : a different doctrine !                         when we strongly wish to assert the free grace of God, the
    We had better state here and now that the position of          teaching that Christ has fulfilled the law once and for all, we

the Gospel is not a happy medium, a middle-of-the-road             forget to properly emphasize the good use of the law, stat-

position,    somewhere between legalistic Pharisaism and           ing: "Don't tell God's people what they must do"! And-if

wanton antinomism ; it is wholly different from either one.        we do not retrieve ourselves we would fall headlong into the

The position which Paul holds to is such that it clings to         maelstrom of Antinomism - "let us sin that grace may

Christ and His redemptive labors as the Son of God ; it            abound,"

glories in the Cross of Calvary. The error of the teachers of         It is a good and careful "concession" when Paul says:

law, the legalists, is enmity toward the Cross of Christ. Such     "We know that the law is good" !

have never seen the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God!           Now Paul is in a position to wield his devastating blow

   Hence, they confidently affirm that which they do not at        against these teachers of law, this "different doctrine."

all understand !                                                      It should also be ascertained just what Paul means with

    And such must be admonished to be silent. They must            the term "law" here in this passage, as well as what this term

cease with this vain-jangling, this juggler's act of attempting    means with Paul elsewhere in his writings in Holy Scripture.

to preach legalism under the mask of preaching the truth!          We believe that the term "law" refers not simply to the

    Overagainst such Paul asserts most confidently that he         moral law of the Decalogue, nor to some isolated precepts

knows, as do all the congregation who believe the Gospel,          of Moses, written in the Bible, but rather to the entire Old

what the ,meaning  is of the "law" of Moses in relationship        Testament Scriptures from their prescriptive point of view.

to the Gospel in the plan and purpose of God. Writes he:           "The man that doeth the same shall live thereby" is the pre-

"Now we know that the law is good if any one use it law-           scription in this case. It is, therefore, possibly most aptly

fully, knowing this, that law is not appointed unto' a just        stated by Joh. Huther  (Meyer Series) as follows : "The

[man] but unto the lawless and the insubordinate," etc.            entire Mosaic law in its existing form as a revelation of the

    It should be borne in mind that Paul is here not explicitly    divine will in a system of written commandments." Of this

militating against Antinomists ; it is not against those who       Paul speaks in Gal. 3 :17 : "And this I say, that the covenant

teach that the law has no purpose and valid&y  in the life of      that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which

the redeemed, the justified saint. Certainly the Antinomists       was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul,

can take no comfort from this passage, even though Agricola,       that it should make the promise of none effect." Here we

the antinomistic antagonist of the Reformers, quotes it to         see "the law" which came later, much later, as given by

attempt to sustain his erroneous position, namely, that the        Moses, as something from which Christ must redeem us. It

law has no more mean&g  for the Christian, a pedagogical           is something "added" which, although of a different nature

purpose to teach us our "misery." Howbeit, Paul is not             than the promise of grace, is good, if only used lawfully. It

combating that error here. He is combating other enemies           is all the commandments of God apart from their being ful-

of the Cross of Christ-the legalists, who say that a man           filled, for US and through us, in Christ. Whoever has not

must keep the law of God in order to be justified. He is           seen this good use of the law either falls headlong into the

opposing those who have never learned "that by the works           error of the antinomist or into the lie of legalism! Both these

of the law shall no flesh be justified before God." Psalm          errors are antagonistic of the "sound doctrine" of grace ;

143 :2 ; Romans 3 :20  and 28.                                     although antipoles of each other they are both against the

   This entire matter of "works" and "grace" is really             truth in Jesus.

touching the very heart of the Mystery of godliness.                  When we speak of "law" we, therefore, have in mind that

Works and grace cannot possibly be mixed. It is an either-         system of written commandments given by God through

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



Moses apart from the Cross of Christ. It is man on his own             And, as such, we are righteous. And this is the freedom

before the law when it is not related to Christ. Then he either     in which we stand. And no one is to place us  once more in

becomes a Libertine or a self-righteous Pharisee.                   bondage of sin. We are out of the land of Egypt! And we

   Whoever raises himself up as teacher in the church must          are never to return thither again. The free-born children of

know whereof he speaks. And Paul challenges, anyone                 Sarah must remain free at all cost. It was the precious blood

who does not see the proper relationship of the use of the          of Jesus, as of a Lamb without spot or blemish, that has

law to grace. The law is good. The-law is useful. The law           cleansed us. Nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness

serves a good purpose - a good "end" - only when it serves          is our boasting. We glory in the Cross of Calvary. It is

the fulfilment of the promise by God in Jesus Christ.               finished, once and for all, and that, too, forever ! Hallelujah !

   And what must we then know when we would teach that                 The law was not set for a righteous man!

the law is good ?                                                      It was set for the unrighteous, for the ungodly. They are
   We must know, we must consider very carefully and we             under law and therefore under sin. That is Paul's polemic
must weigh the exact function that the law has in God's             against this legalistic teaching of these men who do not un-
work in Christ.                                                     derstand what they so confidently affirm to understand.
   And then it is an axiom in the writings of Paul that the
                                                                       It is true that the law is "set" for the unrighteous means
*`law is not made [appointed] for a righteous man." We must
                                                                    that it has a "lawful use" also for the Christian as long as
never seek to place the free man in Christ under the bondage
                                                                    he is in this sinful flesh, in this `<body  of sin !" The Heidel-
of law; the Cross of Christ must not so be taught that it is
                                                                    berg Catechism asks the very carefully put question: "Why
made of none effect. What is a "righteous man" here in the
                                                                    will God then have the ten commandments so strictly
text? There are two possible alternatives here : The first is -
                                                                    preached since no man can in this life keep them?' It should
and this we do not believe to be the correct interpretation-
                                                                    be borne in mind .that such "strict preaching" does not put
that Paul has in mind a man who does the law by nature, who
                                                                    the church under law, but addresses us as we are under
simply does rightly. Thus when a man keeps the traffic laws
                                                                    grace. The "ten commandments" address the church as she
because he loves good order in society because of its human-
                                                                    stands in "thankfulness,"    having been delivered from the
istically conceived usefulness, he does rightly. The traffic law
                                                                    bondage of E,gypt. Read the address of Jehovah God in
is not made for him ; it had in mind the offender. Those who
                                                                    Exodus 2O:l.  And although the law has a pedagogical
advocate this view point out that Paul here does not employ
                                                                    purpose for us and is a rule for our life of thankfulness,
the article "tl~e"  along with law but simply speaks of "law,"
                                                                    showing us how to "work out" our salvation with fear and
all law, any law; that, therefore, this is simply a common
                                                                    trembling, the "ten commandments" are not so preached as
maxim, a universal fact and rule observable anywhere and
                                                                    to once more put us in the company of those for whom the
,everywhere.  Since Paul is here speaking of the "law" in
                                                                    "law is set."
.distinction  from the Gospel, and since it is a good rule in
                                                                       Preaching the law "sharply" to the thankful-although
,exegesis  that if a term has a given meaning in a context, it
                                                                    imperfect -church is a far cry from placing the church
has the same meaning everywhere within that context, unless
                                                                    under law, that is, under sin!
there be solid reasons for .departing  from this meaning, we

prefer the interpretation of Huther,  Van Oosterzee and                Let that truth sink down deeply into your hearts, dear

others, who hold that "law" here refers to the entire "system       readers, for your very life's sake!

of written commandments."        This interpretation holds that        For the law is set for those who hate God and their neigh-

the "righteous man" is the man who is justified in Christ           bor and not for those who confess : "I am, by n&w@,  inclined
Jesus, who although he has kept none of God's command-              to hate God and my neighbor." In the latter case it is the
ments, and is still inclined to all evil, is dealt with by God      man who- says "but what I hate I do" (Rom. 7:15) while
as if he had never sinned; yea, as if he had fully kept it all,     in the former case Scripture has in mind men who love
since he receives the benefits of Christ's merits with a be-        iniquity. And these two men are by no means the same.

lieving heart.                                                      The latter is alive and the former is dead ; the latter is

    Such a righteous man is not under law. He is under              under grace and the former under sin!

grace.                                                                 And, therefore, it becomes exceedingly evident to us why

    Such a righteous man is one for whom the law is not ap-         Paul says that the law is set for men who hate God! They

pointed, as law.     That may sound like an impossibility. But      are : the lawless, the insubordinate to Him, God ; they have

(God has here done what the law could not do; God has               no reverence for God and continually miss the mark of their

fulfilled the righteous demand of the law in Christ for us.         creation in relationship to God. Always they are unholy and

We are, as righteous ones, not under the law. We are not            profane, having a deep and deadly aversion to the things of

under sin!                                                          God.

    God has written His law in our hearts, having renewed               And such is the correct view of the relationship of the

us after His image, in true knowledge, righteousness and            "law," to both the righteous and the wicked, according to

holiness.                                                           the gospel of the glory of God.                             G.L.


                                          T H E S T A N-,D  A R-D          B'.E A R E R                                          277



                                                                   God came pouring forth out of his mouth in words which

                                                                   he spoke to the people in God's name. That his mind was

                                                                   boiling over with the truth, that he was filled to an over-

                                                                   flowing measure of that truth became evident by the words

                                                                   that poured off his lips from his open mouth. Now surely
                   God's Royal Priesthood
                                                                   when we walk the street of gold, we are not going to be

                                (2)                                without that faculty of a mind. Nay, then above all will we

                                                                   have a good and strong mind, one that is pure and that
    There seems to be something lacking.
                                                                   functions well. And our .mouths shall not be silent. We
    The theme above does not seem complete. And that               shall sing and speak and praise God from Whom all blessings
various texts we quoted last time also seem to give but part       flow. In fact without that wonderful faculty of a sanctified
of the picture.                                                    mind we could never be priests. and kings of God. There

    We speak of the threefold office of every believer even        simply would be no royal priesthood of God without there

as we find  in the Old Testament Scripture the three offices       being also prophets of God, as we also hope to make plain

of prophet, priest and king.                                       somewhat later. But let it be established now that the pro-

                                                                   phetic office is not discarded and is not of minor import.
    But here you have no mention at all of the office of

prophet. King and priest are clearly indicated. And even               If you trace the history of the IOld  Testament Church you
though I Peter 2 :9 makes mention of the work of the prophet,      will find that these three phases of the one office are not
it does not speak literally of such a prophetic office the way     always on .the foreground to the same extent. From Adam
it does of the priestly and kingly offices. Exodus 19 :6 does      to Moses there really was no king in the sense that the
not even indicate this office of prophet. It simply states         king stood before the Israelites from the days of King Saul
that we shall be unto God "a kingdom of priests and a holy         to the Babylonian captivity. True, there was the period of
nation."                                                           the .judges,  and Joshua also assumed the leadership over

   We do well to guard ourselves against-taking the position       Israel. But all this is after Moses; and from Adam unto

that the prophetic office, either in the Old Testament or now      Moses there was no man who assumed authority over other

in this dispensation, is one of minor importance. We dare          families and tribes. Each was king in his own family; and

not say that it soon will be discarded and that in the new         each was also prophet and priest in that family. And it was

creation we shall simply be a royal priesthood that is done        at Mt. Sinai that God established the priestly office as it was

with prophecy. Through the mouth of Isaiah God Himself             known from Aaron till The High Priest offered Himself as

declares, "This people have I formed for myself; they shall        The Passover Lamb that we might be redeemed from the

show forth my praise," Isaiah 43 :21.  As we indicated last        curse of our sin. For a period of four hundred years there

time when referring to I Peter 2:9, this showing forth of          was no prophet in Israel, from Malachi to John the Baptist.

God's praise is an essential element of the prophetic office.      But then this oflice was not discarded. God raised up the

And this cannot mean that God forms this people simply for         greatest of all the Old Testament prophets; and he only

a time in this life to show forth His praise. Instead, when all    prepared the way for our Chief Prophet Who still teaches us

God's work of salvation is perfect and His Church stands           and reveals to us the whole counsel and will of God con-

before Him without spot or wrinkle, that Church shall. be to       cerning our redemption. See Heidelberg Catechism question

the praise of the glory of His grace. Thus Paul writes to          and answer 31. When God raised up this greatest of all

the Church at Ephesus declaring that we are predestinated          Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, the kingly office

unto this very thing. See Ephesians 1:5,  6. And do we not         had disappeared from among Israel and the priestly office

confess that Christ today is our chief prophet? He is not          was so corrupted that the high priestly office became a

simply our priest and our king. We depend upon Him as              political matter; and men served as they were appointed

our chief prophet for all the knowledge of our salvation ; and     instead of for life, as God had ordained. Yet the prophetic

we will depend upon Him as our chief prophet also when             office still stood.

we walk upon the street of gold in the New Jerusalem.                 You do even find various combinations of these' offices

   Last time we pointed out that we have this threefold            in the saints in the Old Testament dispensation. We are at

office because we have the three faculties of mind, will and       once reminded of Melchizedek who was both King of Salem

strength. Plainly it is the mind that is on the foreground in      and priest of the most high God. Of Moses, no doubt, it

the prophetic office. The prophet teaches and speaks. And          may be said*  that he functioned before Israel as both prophet

we consider the Hebrew word for prophet to be very rich in         and king. Exodus 7 :l reveals that Aaron was Moses' prophet.

meaning. It comes from the verb which means to boil over           This means that whatsoever Moses revealed to Aaron, Aaron

or pour forth. The prophet was a man to whom God re-               would speak in the ears of Pharaoh. He was, as is also in-

vealed Himself in vision, dream or direct speech. He filled        dicated in Exodus 4 :14-16, Moses' mouthpiece or spokesman.

the mind of that man with the truth. And that truth of             But Moses was the one to whom God spoke. Moses was the

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


prophet whose mind God filled with the truth and who then           triangle-thought also in the Triune life of God. When we

transmitted it unto the people of God through his open              speak of God the Father and our creation, we do not deny

mouth. All the knowledge that Israel received of God flowed.        or ignore the Son and the Spirit. We, because of our limita-

first through his mind and forth from his tongue. He was            tions and not because there are any limitations in God, stand

the fountain from which Israel drank the truth of the word          at one point of the triangle. Behind the Father in our

of God. And yet he was also the administrator, the ruler, the       Creation is the Son Who also is active with the Spirit in

king in Israel to whom all came with their cases for judg-          that creation. When we look at the Son in our redemption

ment. His word was law:  and he gave word for the punish-           we stand at a different point in that triangle, but we do not

ment of the evil doers.                                             then deny that the Father Who creates is there to send the

       Priest and king we see then in Melchizedek. Prophet          Son by the Power of the Spirit. And on Pentecost we speak

and king we see in Moses. But prophet and priest, yea and           of the Spirit and experience the point of the triangle of the

even king may all be found in Samuel. He was of the tribe           Spirit's work ; but Father and Son are there as well, even

of Levi-see I Chronicles 6 :27,  28 in connection with I            though because of our limitations we can see only the Spirit

Chronicles 6:16-and  therefore we find him sacrificing and          on the foreground.

insisting that King Saul wait for him to sacrifice to God.              You have the same idea expressed in regard to that

Repeatedly God appeared to him with the truth that He               trilogy of faith, hope and love. Paul tells the Church at

would have His people know. And so he served as a prophet.          Corinth that the greatest of these is love. And yet that same

Yea, repeatedly he is called such in Scripture. And by the          Paul does not say to the Philippian jailer, "Love the Lord

way that other word used formerly for prophet as found in           thy God, hope in His promises in Jesus Christ." Instead he

I Samuel 9 :9 is. alSo  revealing and interesting. He was           counsels him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Does he

formerly called the Seer. God caused him to see certain             then deny love, the greatest of these three ? Did he at one

things not known to others. God showed them His secret.             time think that faith was more important? Not at all. If

counsel and will concerning our redemption. And what they           there is no love in that faith, the Philippian jailer is as sound-

saw they in turn revealed to the people. This Samuel did as         ing brass and a tinkling cymbal. There are times when we

prophet. And on that he served as judge in Israel as well           focus on one particular matter and view all the rest in its

as king and priest-though he did not function as the high           light.

priest-we see in him more clearly than any other Old                    That, we believe, is also the case here.

Testament character the threefold office.                               God's Royal Priesthood is not a denial of the other of-

       And now today each believer stands in that threefold         fices, or rather other phases of the one office in the believer,
office as Samuel did and with mind and will and strength he         but presents the one office from that particular point of view.
is in the service of God. But our apparent problem is that          The very good reason for this we will consider later. We
                                                                    are all three: prophet, priest and king. Let us in His fear
all these passages in their literal form seem to deny the
prophetic office and speak only of a royal priesthood or a          walk as prophets, priests and kings of God..

kingdom of priests. As far as this latter statement is con-                                                                        J.A.H.

cerned, it does not even- state that we are kings. Our theme

likewise, although the word royal would indicate that we

belong to the King's family, it does not specifically state that                                 IN MEMORIAM

we are a group of priests and kings of God. It will be noted           The South-Lawn Choral Society of the South Holland and Oak

then that what is singled out is the office of priest; or let       Lawn Protestant Reformed Churches takes this opportunity to ex-
                                                                    press its sympathy to one of its members, Mrs. John C. Haak, in
us put it this way: the threefold office is presented to us
                                                                    the loss of her mother,
from the-point of view of the priestly office. Picture in your
                                                                                               M R S .   P E T E R   B O E R
minds a triangle, an equilateral triangle then, the three
                                                                       "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
sides being equal and therefore also the angles being equal.
                                                                    dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
Now you can stand so that you have one of these angles
                                                                    hands, eternal in the heavens." II Cor. 5:l.
pointing directly at you and the other twb are then behind

and off to the side. But they are there. Let us then consider
this threefoId  office  as the area bounded by the three sides                                   IN MEMORIAM
                                                                       The Consistory of the Edgerton  Protestant Reformed Church
of this triangle. And though you and I may look more
                                                                    herewith expresses its sympathy to our brother and retiring elder,
directly at any one of these three points of the triangle, the
                                                                    Mr. Jelles Van Niewenhuyzen  in the loss of his wife,
other two points are always there. With such. an idea we
                                                                                      LUCY VAN NIEWENHUYZEN
have to do here in the statement of God's Royal Priesthood.

And in all these passages that speak this way, we do not               May the Lord grant to him comfort with His Word and Spirit.

have a denial or even an ignoring of the other two offices.            Ps. 73:26  - "My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the
                                                                    strength of my heart and my portion forever."
We simply have one placed upon the foreground.
                                                                                                          Rev. B. Woudenberg, President
       This is- done more often in Scripture. We have such a                                              Mr. H. Huisken, Clerk


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   B ' E A R E R                                           279


                                                                    Then we would never be able to read the Scriptures, and that

                                                                    for the simple reason that we could never know whether our

                                                                    defective reasoning is causing us to read and understand

                                                                    something which is not expressed in a particular Word of

         The Church and the Sacraments                              God. What we may be reading may have an entirely different
                                                                    connotation and `meaning than what the words appear to con-

         THE TIME OF THE REFORMATION                                vey. However, this is not at present the issue when we ask

                                                                    whether our faith is rational or irrational.

               VIEWS ON THE CHURCH                                     That the Reformers did not deny the Christian and the

                                                                    Church of God the use of the mind and of the power to
                  F O R M A L   P R I N C I P L E                   reason is surely not to be denied. Calvin and Luther, too,

                             (continued)                            but especially Calvin made full use of the powers of the mind

                                                                    which the Lord had so abundantly bestowed upon him. While

   We concluded our preceding, article with the question            still a young man he completed his first edition of his In-

whether our rejection of the error of Rationalism also im-          stitutes of the Christian Religion. He was thoroughly fa-

plies that our faith must therefore be regarded as irrational       miliar with the writings of the Fathers who had preceded him.

and unreasonable. And then we wish to remark in the first           He set up a theological school for men to enter into the

place that it is not a question now at this time of "defective      ministry of the gospel and gave the Church of God a com-

logic or reason." Many of our readers undoubtedly know that         mentary on most of the books of the Bible. He had mastered

our Protestant Reformed Churches have been accused of               Greek and Hebrew and used these original languages in his

rationalism in our approach to and interpretation of the            commentaries. And this is also the language of our Confes-

Scriptures. We maintain that the Lord cannot hate and love          sions. When the Heidelberg Catechism asks what true faith

the same sinner at the same time, that He cannot bless and          is then we are informed in Lord's Day 7 that it is not only

curse him at the same time, that  the doctrine of sovereign         a hearty confidence in Christ that all our sins are forgiven,

election and reprobation and of particular atonement simply         etc., but also a certain knowledge. And we are told in this

render impossible a general offer of salvation and that the         same Lord's Day that it is necessary for us to believe all

Lord desires to save all men and would bring salvation to all       that is contained in the gospel, the Word of the living God.

the hearers of the gospel. We maintain that when the Scrip-         Paul admonishes Timothy that he give attendance to. read-

tures teach that the curse of the Lord is in the house of the       ing, to exhortation, and to doctrine. And in II Tim. 2 :15

wicked this must mean that His curse is upon him and upon           the apostle admonishes his spiritual son, Timothy, and we

al.1 that he has and does, and that this must rule out and          quote: "Study to shew thyself approved unto ,God, a work-

.exclude  the thought that the Lord would also bless the un-        man, that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the

godly, and this for the simple reason that this reasoning in-       word of truth."    And this "rightly dividing the word of

volves us in a hopeless contradiction. And, explaining the          truth" surely implies that we apply our minds to the study

Word of God in this light, we have been accused of rational-        of the Word of God. And, the minister of the gospel must

ism, that we have attempted to have our mind or reason lord         certainly apply the rules of language and of logic in his in-

it over the Bible instead of permitting the Scriptures to speak     terpretation of the Word of God. Why is. this necessary?

to us and bowing before the Word of God. And, so these                 We understand, of course, that God did not adapt His

adherents of the theory of Common Grace would have us               revelation to our mind and faculty of reason, but that He

believe, if then there appear to be contradictions in the Word      adapted our mind and ability to think to His revelation. We

of God, as, for example, that God chose only His own and            must distinguish between knowledge and understanding. We

nevertheless would have all men be saved, this is because of        know so much more than what we understand. In fact, we

our defective logic.    Sin has simply rendered our reason and      really understand, comprehend nothing. We must know and

thinking defective. There are really no contradictions in the       do know the Divine plan of salvation; but no man is able

Word of God. They only appear as contradictions to us.              to comprehend its mysteries. We know that plants grow and

This we deny. We deny that we try to lord it over the Word          that our will controls and directs our activities ; but no man

of God. But we also deny that sin has made our reasoning            is able to understand these activities of the mind and of the

defective. Sin, of course, has affected our mind spiritually.       will. We know that we are personal beings with a body and

We have become darkened in our understanding, so we no              soul and that our body and soul are wondrously adapted to

longer see, spiritually, the beauties of the Word of God. But       each other, but no man can possibly comprehend these parts

sin has not affected our mind naturally. The sinner did not         of our human nature and understand the relation in which

become insane or idiotic. Bla-`-
                                bh is and alpears to us as black    they stand to one another.     We know the living God and

and white is and appears as white. If our reasoning were            that He has sent His Son into the world and that this Son

defective all knowledge would be impossible. Then there             suffered and died in our flesh and blood for our sins and

could not possibly be a `revelation of the living God to us.        that He is risen from the dead; yet, no man is able to com-


280                                              T H E   STANDAR'D   B E A R E R


prehend these unfathomable truths. We believe these things,          sidered to be two : the formal and the material principle. The

and our faith is also a certain knowledge, not because we            formal principle was that the Reformers acknowledged only

can understand them, but because the Lord has adapted us             one source of authority: the Holy Scriptures. And they
to know them. Faith is rational, reasonable, not irrational          stood opposed with this principle to Roman Catholicism,

and unreasonable. It would be irrational and unreasonable            False Mysticism, and Rationalism. Roman Catholicism

for me to believe that a creature is able to create, that a          acknowledged, besides the Word of God, also Tradition as

man is able to raise others or himself from the dead, that           a source of authority. The Protestants rejected everything

Divine attributes and qualities would be ascribed to human           as having authority except the Word of God. Roman Ca-

mortals. But it is not illogical for me to believe that whereas      tholicism claimed that the right to interpret the Bible be-

nothing is possible with man, ail things are possible with God.      longed to the Church only, that is, the clergy, and this refers
It does not conflict with my rational thinking that an al-           particularly to the pope ; the Protestants claimed that every

mighty God can create, raise the dead, call into existence           Christian has the right to interpret the Word of God. False

the things that are not as if they were, to call into being by       Mysticism rejected the objective authority of the Word of

the word of His almighty power new heavens and a new                 God and relied upon the "inner light"; Protestants claimed

earth. The Lord has adapted me unto Himself and unto -the            that the objective revelation in the Scriptures must be the

revelation of Himself, so that I know that He is, that I am          sole and only reliable canon or rule of faith and life. And

but a creature, and that I am under the Divine and moral             Rationalism would subject all things, including the Scriptures,

obligation to serve Him in spirit and truth.                         to Reason; the Reformers subjected Reason to the revelation

                                                                     of the Word of God. This is what is usually called the formal
       Moreover, it also belongs to the activity of faith that we
                                                                     principle of the Reformation. The other main principle of the
do not ascribe to the irrational and unreasonable, that which
                                                                     Reformation is the material principle. And this material
is contrary or contradictory. There are no contradictions
                                                                     principle is expressed in the words: Justification by faith
in the Word of God because there are no contradictions
                                                                     only. That this was the guiding and driving force in the
in God.        There cannot be any contradictions in the
                                                                     soul of Luther we all know. To this material principle we
living God because God is one and He is never, cannot
                                                                     now wish to call attention.
be, in conflict with Himself. And His Word is one. Hodge,

in his Systematic Theology, writes that the impossible can-             The Roman Catholic Church had become Semi-Pelagian

not be believed, and that that is impossible which involves          and held that justification is also by works. Writing on the

a contradiction. And then he goes on to illustrate such a            Romish doctrine of justification Hodge writes as follows in

contradiction, as that a thing is and is not, that right is          his Systematic Theology, Vol. III, page 166: "According to

wrong and wrong is right.           And yet, although people will    the Romish scheme (1) God is the efficient cause of justifica-

concede that the Bible is not characterized by contradictions,       tion, as it is by his power or supernatural grace that the soul

they will nevertheless try to maintain that God loves only           is made just. (2) Christ is the meritorious cause, as it is

His people and also all men, that Christ died only for His           for his sake God grants this saving grace, or influence of

own but that salvation is also freely offered to all who hear        the Spirit to the children of men. (3) Inherent righteousness

the gospel, that whatever is not of faith is sin but that that       is the formal cause, since thereby the soul is made really just

sinner can also please the Lord without regeneration of the          or holy. (4) Faith is the occasional and predisposing cause,

heart. These are apparent contradictions, which appear as            as it leads the sinner to seek justification (regeneration), and

such to us, and this is due to the fact that our mind has be-        disposes God to grant the blessing. In this respect it has the

come defective through sin. But, there are no contradictions         merit of congruity only, not that of condignity. (5) Baptism

in the Scriptures, and the rule must always be applied that          is the essential instrumental cause, as it is only through or

Scripture interprets itself and that we must explain Scrip-          by baptism that inherent righteousness is infused or justifica-

ture with Scripture. Only, Rationalism would elevate human           tion is effected. So much for the first justification. After

reason above the Word of God and believe only that which             this justification, which makes the sinner holy, then, (6)

we can understand. Faith, however, takes hold of Scripture,          Good works, all the fruits and exercises of the new life, have

believes the Word of God, knows the things contained there-          real merit and constitute the ground of the Christian's title

in to be true, because God has spoken them, and we have              to eternal life."                                         H.V.

learned by grace and the Holy Spirit to bow before His

Word and testimony. If, then, it be true that we must study

the Scriptures, this is true only to look more and more into                He will not suffer that thy foot be moved,

these unfathomable depths, and be able to say: 0, God, how                     Safe shalt thou be ;

great Thou art !                                                            No careless slumber shall His eyelids close

                T H E   M A T E R I A L   P R I N C I P L E                    Who keepeth thee ;

       We will recall that the main principles of the movement of           Behold He sleepeth not, He slumbereth ne'er

the Reformation in the sixteenth century are usually con-                   Who keepeth Israel in His holy care.


                                             T H E   S T A N D A R D   ` B E A R E R                                              281


                                                                   we would say that the misgivings to which the afore-men-
          The Voice of Our Fathers                                 tioned`author has given expression constitute a more nearly
                                                                   accurate characterization of the true condition of Reformed

                                                                   churches generally in our day and of the true position of our

                                                                   BeZgic  Confession in the life and witness of the Reformed
                  The Belgic Confession                            churches.

                                                                       In the first place, it may perhaps be true that our Re-
                INTRODUCTION (concluded)                           formed churches and Reformed people have been afflicted by

                                                                   a certain amount of cultural isolation. We would not deny
    We must still say a few words concerning the present           it. We would not even deny that this so-called cultural
status and position of our Belgic Confession, particularly         isolation has to some degree been a hindrance, at least in

here in our own country.                                           the past, in the carrying on of a Reformed witness. However,

                                                                   first of all, it must not be forgotten that there is something
    There are those who find  reason for optimism in this
                                                                   quite natural about such a cultural isolation. It lies in the
regard, although at the same time this optimism seems to be
                                                                   very nature of the fact that our forbears came from the
tempered with a certain misgiving. One of these, apparently,
                                                                   Netherlands. The process of Americanization is one that
is Dr. P. Y. De Jong, who touches on this subject in the
                                                                   naturally takes time. It took time in the years when our
first volume of his commentary on the Belgic Confession en-
                                                                   parents and grandparents came from the "old country." And
titled, "The Church's Witness To The World." After re-
                                                                   even today, when life in general is faster and when there is
marking that at present the Reformed churches with their
                                                                   more communication and more intimate social contact, so'
"dynamic and well defined Confessiort  find themselves in an
                                                                   that it is virtually impossible to live in this country and to
age of spiritual and theological ferment," he goes on to
                                                                   remain culturally isolated, that process still takes a certain
state that "our situation differs radically from that which
                                                                   amount of time to reach completion. America is the melting-
obtained a few decades ago, when the dominant mood in
                                                                   pot of nations; but it takes time for this melting-down proc-
the churches of Canada and the United States was radically
                                                                   ess to be completed. Secondly, it is indeed open to question
anti-intellectual." And he makes the claim that the tide has
                                                                   whether this so-called cultural isolation was deliberate on
shifted, evidently intending to emphasize that there is a
                                                                   our part, that is, so to speak, whether we shut ourselves up
greater receptivity and more of a point of contact for an
                                                                   in our shell, or whether after all that isolation was some-
orthodox, and particularly for a Reformed witness in Amer-
                                                                   thing which was to some extent forced upon us by others
ican ecclesiastical circles today, and intending to stress that
                                                                   and woven about us because of our doctrinal distinctiveness
Reformed churches have a more serious responsibility and
                                                                   and because of a healthy spiritual isolation. When one ana-
calling to make their voice heard. Then, having bemoaned
                                                                   lyzes the history since the establishment of the Dutch and
the fact that Reformed churches have too long "lived on the
                                                                   Reformed colonies in the mid-nineteenth century in Michigan
fringes of American ecclesiastical life, content to be by our-
                                                                   and Iowa, and attempts to evaluate the process of American-
selves and concerned almost exclusively with the task of
                                                                   ization which took place especially more rapidly after the
delivering to the next generation our legacy untainted and
                                                                   first World War, it is not `always easy to determine what is
unsullied,"    he points with some degree of optimism -ev-
                                                                   cause and what is effect in this respect. And the slow growth
idently referring to his own Christian Reformed denomina-
                                                                   of the Reformed movement and the small degree of accept-
tion- to the fact that "we are finally disentangling ourselves
                                                                   ance of our Reformed people and our Reformed witness and
from the comfortable cocoon of our cultural and spiritual
                                                                   heritage need not necessarily be ascribed to the fact that we
isolation to challenge with the Reformed faith all who will
                                                                   isolated ourselves culturally, but may well be due to the fact
hear."    And he goes on to note certain evidences of this
                                                                   that in former years we maintained more consistently our
emergence from isolation. It is plain, however, that Dr. De
                                                                   doctrinal distinctiveness and our true spiritual isolation.
Jong's optimism is not without misgiving. For, in the first
                                                                      In the second place, it is a rather striking fact in the
place, he complains, again with special reference to his own
                                                                   history of the Reformed movement in this country that the
denomination, that "we have come with so little and we seem
                                                                   process of doctrinal decline and of spiritual decay and of
to have come so late."      But, in the second place, he' finds
                                                                   increasing world-conformity has gone hand in hand with
even more disturbing the fact that not all who profess the
                                                                   this so-called emergence from cultural isolation. This was
Reformed faith seem committed to a thorough program of
                                                                   so striking, in fact, that even in respect to the one aspect
action. And especially ominous to him is the discovery that
                                                                   of this cultural emergence, namely, the transition from the
many seem to know so little about the principles which
                                                                   Holland to the English language, there were those in former
undergird and alone can give vibrancy and strength to our
                                                                   years who resisted that transition simply because they feared
Christian testimony. And he speaks of habitualism and doc-
                                                                   the loss of doctrinal and spiritual distinctiveness that seemed
trinal indifferentism in this connection.
                                                                   to go hand in hand with the change from a Dutch to an

   We share these misgivings, but not the optimism. In fact,       American culture. Our ancestors may have been wrong in


282                                          THESTANDARDBEARER

resisting the process of Americanization in its totality. .But         bodied most comprehensively in our Belgic Confession, but

again, they evidently sensed a danger for their Reformed               it is also true that if we .would  remain Reformed and would

heritage and their Reformed way of life, and they sensed that          bear a distinctively Reformed witness to the world in the

somehow there was a connection between the loss of these               midst of which we live, we must not expect a large degree

and the process of Americanization. Was their resistance to            of acceptance. This has never -been  the case in the history
change merely due to their love of the old fatherland and its          of the true church, and it never will be. The Reformed faith,

culture and language? Were they really so foolish as to think          purely and distinctively maintained and proclaimed, is not

there was something inherently sinful and, evil in the Amer-           popular. We may expect that it will be shunned and that we

ican language ? Did they imagine that you could not properly           will be shunned if we maintain it. We may expect too that

worship God and ,maintain and preach the Reformed faith ex-            we will be charged with cultural isolationism if we maintain

cept in the Holland language ? Perhaps it would be more cor-           faithfully our spiritual isolation. And if we bear witness to

rect instead of speaking of our emergence from the cocoon of           the truth and to the faith of our fathers;- we need not expect

cultural isolation to speak rather of the breaking down of             big results from a worldly and human standpoint.

that isolation from without through; the. impact of the Amer-             1s the second place, I would emphasize that it is exactly
ican culture upon ours. And there is undoubtedly reason to             our calling to give a Reformed witness. But for that reason
believe that along with, that. so-called cultural impact there         it is also exactly our calling to maintain our doctrinal dis-
was also a doctrinal and spiritual impact that brought with            tinctiveness and our spiritual isolation. If we do not, our
it secularization and the beginnings of, a modernizing trend           witness will not be Reformed. We are lights in a dark place.
of doctrinal and spiritual decline. Culture is not merely a            And it .is our calling indeed to let our light shine. But it is
.natural  and formal something, but alsorhas  its spiritual and        not our calling to allow the light to be swallowed up by the
ethical aspect. And. while from that; natural and formal               darkness, nor to let the line of demarcation between the
aspect one culture is no better or worse than another,,.and            light and the darkness become blurred and indistinct. If we
one language is no better than another, nevertheless `we  -ex-         are to give a Reformed witness, we must maintain our doc-
perience the spiritual impact of a certain culture along with          trinal and spiritual isolstion,  unmarred. and unsullied by the
the natural impact of it.                                              numerous doctrinal corruptions and evil spiritual influences

       In the third place, and in close connection .with the above,    which abound in the American ecclesiastical world. And
I am afraid that while Reformed churches have emerged and              from the strong position of our doctrinal and spiritual isola-
have found themselves- somewhat of a place in the scene of             tion we must send forth our witness, .at every opportunity
American ecclesiastical life and have expanded and broadened           and with all our means and- in every -sphere and relationship
their witness and have met with a greater degree of receptiv-          of 1if.e.  In isolation is strength!     Y

ity and acceptance, they have done it too much at the expense              Hence, in the third place, we must indeed be concerned,
of a distinctively Reformed doctrinal position. In that respect        seriously concerned, with the task of delivering to the next
I believe it is true - sadly true -that they have come with            generation our legacy of' the faith untainted and unsullied.
"so little."    Our calling as Reformed people was indeed to           We must combat with all our might the tendency to doctrinal
take our pIace in American civilization and culture, but to do         indifferentism  which plagues us. "AWe  must educate ourselves
so as Reformed people. Our calling was to take our place in            .and  our children in the knowledgeof the Reformed truth as
American ecclesiastical life, but to do so specifically as             purely set forth and maintained in the Confession.. We must
Rc$orvsed  churches. And the trouble has been that as we               not become a prey to doctrinal ignorance. We must be ex-
were swallowed up in the stream of American civilization               perts in the truth and in the discernment of the lie. Only in
and culture, we were too much swallowed up spiritually as              this way will a Reformed witness among ourselves and to
well and forfeited our doctrinal and spiritual isolation.      The     the generations to come and to the American ecclesiastical
result has been that according as we have lost our doctrinal           world at large be possible1 We ourselves must know our
distinctiveness and our spiritual isolation, so we have lost           confessions-and we think now especially of our Belgic
the ability to bear a distinctively Reformed witness. The clear        Confessiqn  - much more thoroughly than `we do on the
notes of the gospel of sovereign grace and the clarion call to         average.    Our children must be instructed in the knowledge
an antithetical way of life are heard so very little in the wit-       of the confessions - again, especially of our Belgic Confessio%
ness of Reformed churches. If not altogether silenced, they            -much more thoroughly than they are, so that when they
have been compromised and mingled with the foreign ele-                make profession of their faith, they indeed profess distinct-
ments. of Arminianism and the synthesizing tendencies of               ively and articulately and with rejection of all errors repug-
common grace.                                                          nant thereto the doctrine that has from years past been main-

                                                                       tained as the Reformed faith.
       And therefore I would emphasize that there is little                                              :
 reason for optimism in this respect. Not only is it true that             May our study of the most`comprehensive of our creeds,

to a large degree the Reformed churches have lost and denied           the Belgic Confession, under God's grace serve as a means.

their distinctively Reformed heritage and character, as em-            to this end!                                           H.C.H.


                                           T H E '   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               253


                                                                    whether or not. they would recognize baptisms performed by

                                                                    the Roman Catholic Church. Here too, as you know, the
i/j-                                                                sacrament is administered not only by the priests but in

                                                                    some instances by monks, midwives and doctors. The Chwch

                                                                    Order Commentary informs us that, "The Synod of Emden,
                 The Subjects of Bapitism                           1571, held that those who had been regularly baptized in the

                                                                    Roman Church did not. have to be baptized once again, fear-
                           (Continued)
                                                                    ing that the Roman Baptism was of no value. But our fathers

    Two questions remain for us to answer in regard to              doubtlessly felt that although the Roman Church was filled
Article 56 of our Church Order. You will recall that this           with error, that yet it was a Church of Christ in essence, and
article deals with the sealing of the covenant of God unto the      that therefore its Baptisms were valid. If therefore Baptism
children of Christians by means of the sacrament of baptism.        was administered by an authorized priest, with water and in
We have pointed out that the administration of this sacra-          the name of the Triune God, then re-Baptism did not take
ment should take place as soon as feasible after the children       place. Even the Baptism of `vagabond priests,' constantly
are born. There should be no unreasonable delay due to cer-         traveling from place to place, was held to be valid (Synod of
tain matters of superstition. We have also discussed at some        Middelburg 15Sl)  inasmuch as these were officially called.
length various matters concerning the proper subjects of            But the Baptism of monks was considered to be invalid for
baptism and have considered some of the problems that arise         they have no charge to Baptize. Even `emergency Baptisms'
in this connection due to irregularities in our sinful life. We     administered by midwives, doctors, etc., were usually held to
now have to discuss the questions, "By whom and where               be valid because the Roman Church charges individuals to
must this sacrament be administered ?"                              Baptize a child which is about to die. Whether the Reforma-
                                                                    tion Churches were justified in acknowledging even these lat-
    The Reformed position in regard to the first of these
                                                                    ter classes of Baptisms is indeed a question."
questions is that, in the final analysis, it is Christ Himself
Who administers the sacrament and, therefore, it is proper              Although each case must be determined on the `basis of
that baptism be administered only by those who are com-             its own merits and circumstances, it may be said in general
missioned or authorized by Him to do so. In John 4:2 we             that Reformed Churches recognize baptisms that conform to
find that Jesus delegated this task to His disciples and then       the following standard or meet with these requirements :

after the resurrection He commissioned them to "Go', there-             (1) If the baptism was administered according to the in-
fore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the      stitution of Christ (the rightful element, water, not wanting).
Father, and `of the Son, and of -the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:
                                                                        (2) If the baptism was administered in the Name of the
19). Since then the preaching of the Word and the ad-
                                                                    Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
ministration of the sacraments go together, it is a most logical
and correct conclusion that these two things should be done             (3) : If the baptism was administered in the assembly of
by the same persons. The church, through the office of the          beli&ers'which  assembly is in principle a church of Christ.

ministry of the Word, administers the sacraments. No one                (4) If the baptism was administered by one who was

else is authorized to do so. This position is the position of       properly authorized by this assembly or Church to admin-

our Church Order as is implied in the article we are discuss-       ister the sacrament.

ing and is' definitely stated in Article 3, "No one, though he         Baptism by groups or individuals that are disassociated
be a Professor of Theology, Elder or Deacon, shall be per-          with the essence of Christianity, deny the Trinity, etc., are
mitted to enter upon the Ministry of the Word and the Sacra-        not to be recognized. If such persons would seek affiliation
ments without having been lawfully called thereunto."               with a Reformed Church, they would have to be baptized. We
   This position has not always been consistently maintained        do not say re-baptized but simply baptized for what was ad-
in the Reformed Churches. In 1578 the Synod of Dort held            ministered to them previously is in actuality no baptism at all.
that if an elder, upon the authority of a consistory or church,
                                                                       The second question we raised earlier had to do with the
had administered baptism, such baptism was to be considered
                                                                    proper place of the administration of baptism. This question
valid since such an elder in a way had a call for this ad-
                                                                    arises from the practice of the Roman Catholic Church which
ministration.    Though this practice has, therefore, been al-      allows baptisms in the home and hospitals, etc. This practice
lowed, it was not encouraged and the same Synod decided
                                                                    is sometimes desired by people of Reformed persuasion. They
that other churches and consistories should not follow it.          ask why it is not proper to have baptism (and even more so
   This question is important because it involves the deeper        the Lord's Supper) administered outside of the church in
mattes  of what constitutes a valid baptism. The Reformed           cases of necessity? This question is understandable. Believ-
position does not recognize baptisms that are performed by          ing parents, for example, who seriously and earnestly-desire
private individuals. This, of course, brought the Reformed          to have baptism for their children, receive a child that is very
Churches almost immediately before the question as to               ill and,find  it impossible to take such a child to church. What

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


can be done ? Why can't the minister and elders of the church       They obsignate and seal the promise of God in the gospel.
come to the home and baptize such a child ?                         But it is chiefly through the Word that we increase in the
                                                                    knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Upon the
   In the past this has been allowed but even those ecclesias-
                                                                    Word, therefore, the sacraments are dependent. Without it
tical bodies that decided in favor of it were not too sure it
                                                                    they are +neaningless  and have no content (Italics, G.v.).
was the proper thing. The Wezelian Convention in 1565  ad-
                                                                    This would not be true, of course, if the Roman Catholic
vised to grant such requests for the time being but held that
                                                                    view of the sacraments were correct: for according to the
such infants should be baptized in the presence of some be-
                                                                    Romish Church the sacraments have power to work in them-
lievers who could be present. Then in 1574 the Synod of
                                                                    selves, even without the preaching of the Word: grace is not
Dort decided that henceforth children should be baptized only
                                                                    really worked in the heart of the believers by the Holy Spirit
in a regular church service.
                                                                    tkrozLgk  the sacraments, but the latter are grace. Just as the
       The question arose again at the great Synod of 1615-19.      theory of common grace proceeds, really, from the idea that
Here it was decided that baptism might be administered at           things in themselves are grace, so the Roman Catholic Church
home to children and adults who were sick and still unbap-          teaches that grace is in the sacraments; Baptism, according
tized if circumstances were very urgent, and then only with         to them works regeneration ; and in the Lord's Supper we
the knowledge and in the presence of the consistory ; this          really eat and drink Christ with our physical mouth. In that
synod also permitted the baptizing of condemned criminals           case we really do not need the preaching of the Word, but
awaiting execution in jails, but only upon advice of the dele-      what we need is the Church and the priest, as the dispenser
gates of Classis. The same Synod, however, may have feared          of grace. In distinction from them the reformers and the
the ill effects of these decisions for they decided not to pub-     Protestants in general have always emphasized that the
lish them if the Acts of Synod were published. It is, of course,    preaching of the Word is the main means of grace, that it
obvious that such decisions are not in accord with the              alone is really indispensable, and that the sacraments are
Church Order.                                                       dependent on it. And, therefore, not the sacraments, but the

       Article 56 specifies very clearly that baptism is to be      preaching of the Word should have the chief emphasis in our

administered "in the public assembly." To this is added,            churches" (pgs. 21, 22).
"where the Word of God is preached." To this may be                                                                       G.V.d.B.

added that Article 35 of our Confession of Faith which speaks

of the Lord's Supper contains in it the statement that, "we

receive this holy sacrament in the assembly of the people of                                                        r
God."      Both the Church Order and the Confessions, there-                     Off&x-Bearers Conference

fore, maintain the position that the sacraments are to be ad-       will be held Tuesday, April 4, at 8 o'clock in the Hope
ministered only by the church and in the meetings for               Protestant Reformed Church. Prof. H. C. Hoeksema will
public worship.     Undoubtedly the motivating factor in this       be the speaker. Topic: "Should, the Form for the Lord's
position must be found in the fact that the preaching of the
                                                                    Supper be revised ?"    All present and former office-bearers
Word and the administration of the Sacraments belong to-
gether. Since the sacraments derive their meaning and sig-          are urged to attend.
                                                                                                            John De Vries, Sec'y
nificance from the Word, it is imperative that they be admin-

istered only where the Word is preached. This is made plain

in the following quotation from Baptized Into Christ by Rev.
H. Hoeksema.                                                                      My failing spirit see,
                                                                                     0 Lord, to me make haste ;
       "Of these the preaching of the Word is the more im-                        Hide not Thy face from me,
portant. `This is evident, first of all, because the preaching                       Lest bitter death I taste.
of the Word is indispensable. Without the sacraments the                          0 let the morn return,
Christian, if need be, can live ; but never without the preach-                      Let mercy light my day ;
ing of the'word.  Without the Word of God he cannot come                          For Thee in faith I yearn,
to a conscious faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has no                             0 guide me in the way.
knowledge of Him, and, therefore, cannot appropriate Him
by a true and living faith.     It is through the preaching of                    Lord, save me from my foe;
the Word that the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts.                             To Thee for help I flee ;
Besides, the preaching of the Word is not only the means                          Teach me Thy way to know,
whereby the Holy Spirit works faith within us, but it is also                        I have no God but Thee.
the main means for the strengthening and upbuilding and                           By Thy good Spirit led
 sustaining of our faith. The sacraments are also used to                            From trouble and distress,
 strengthen our faith, but in a different way from the Word                       My erring feet shall tread
of God : they are really added to the Word (Italics, G.v.) .                         The path of uprightness.


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                          285


                                                                       He does not like the idea of a general and favorable attitude
(I A,LL AiWUND  U                                            S              11
                                                                       of God towards all mankind without distinction ; nor does he

                                                                       want a general offer of salvation as the first point of 1924

                                                                       taught; nevertheless, under the influence of the Liberated

COMMENTS FROM THE NETHERLANDS                                          position of a general promise within the covenant, Meester

                                                                       prefers to speak of "a general calling" within the covenant
   Some of our readers may have wondered occasionally
                                                                       to all the seed born in the line of the covenant. Evidently,
what was the reaction of the people in the Netherlands to
                                                                       he would have preferred that  some sort of a compromise
the history of our churches in the past eight years, and,
                                                                       following these lines would have been. accepted by both De
more particularly, what was the reaction of- these churches
                                                                       Wolf and the Christian Reformed Church.
to the efforts of those who left us to return to the Christian
Reformed Church.                                                            However, he points out that except for this matter of
                                                                       the "general calling," Schilder himself changed, his position
   Recently, several copies of a Dutch paper Opbouzv  were
                                                                       since 1939, and came'to adopt the position of Rev. H. Hoek-
given to me. This paper evidently represents the views of
                                                                       sema. He writes,
the Reformed Churches - Article 31 (the so-called "Liber-

ated Churches"), and contains, in recent copies, a series of                        In (Schilder'sj  "Heidelberg Catechism" of 1950-1951, Schil-
articles written by J. Meester  cornmeriting on the recent                        der's option concerning the three points has radically changed.
                                                                                  He wrote in 1939 concerning the three points: "No establish-
efforts towards reunion by the "other side." Under the                            ment of a dogma of common grace (has been made by the
title "Hereniging in Amerika ?" ("Reunion In America ?"),                         Christian Reformed Church)"; in 1950`he said, "Indeed, a com-
                                                                                  mon grace dogma (has been) adopted." He wrote m 1939:
Meester  has given his own views of this matter. Evidently                        `The Synod of Kalamazoo has not adopted a favorable attitude
the series was eight articles long, and only the last three                       of God towards mankind in general (`if  I can analyze the sense,'
                                                                                  KS.)"; in 1950 and after he proceeded from the viewpoint
articles were given to me.    But, it seems as if the first five                  that the Synod of Kalamazoo had indeed done that, and he
articles were mostly doncerned'with  a review of the history,                     turned with the iharp weapons of his penetrating intellect
                                                                                  against the position that there is a favorable attitude of God
while the last two are particularly concerned with his own                        towards mankind in general. With respect to this point of the
comments on the subject. Although his commentsaare  rather                        appraisal of Kalamazoo, Schilder has goqe over to the
                                                                                  position of Rev. H. Hoeksema ia the passing of the years
detailed, there are particularly two comments which he                            after 1939.

makes which are of special importance.
                                                                             From these comments of Meester  it is clear that the
   In the first place, Meester  bemoans the fact that in all           Liberated churches are as afraid of anything binding as they
the efforts towards contact and reunion, the basic question            always were. During our own contacts with the Liberated
of 1924 was not settled. After reviewing the history of.               and with immigrants from the Liberated Churches, one
contact between the Christian Reformed Churches and the                thing became increasingly clear: they were very afraid that
De Wolf Group, and after quoting some of the correspond-               they were going to be bound by the covenant views of
ence, he comes to the conclusion that there  was no resolution         our churches. This they did not want. In keeping with this,
of the issues that separated the Christian Reformed and                the churches of Dutch background in Canada have also
Protestant Reformed Churches - particularly the issue of               recently expressed their fear of anything being binding with-
common grace. His concern is therefore primarily about the             in the Christian Reformed Churches apart from the Three
fact that, although the De Wolf Group officially asked that            Forms of Unity. They did not want a synodical  expression
the three points of common grace be declared not binding,              on the question of the infallibility of Scripture within the
the Christian Reformed Church would not budge on this                  Christian Reformed Churches for fear it would be binding ;
issue, and insisted instead that they remain binding doctrine          there were overtures at recent Synods to take away the
in their denomination. But since this evidently does not               binding force of the three points of common grace. Of course,
deter many churches of the De Wolf Group from returning,               the Christian Reformed Church has always maintained that
Meester  is sad. Writes he (the translations are mine, H.H.) :         the three points were confessional-i.e., clearly taught and

       They have not come to agreement on the matter of the qnes-      maintained in the confessions. And while we do not agree
     tiop which brought about the separation of 1924. This is to       with this, it is for this reason that the Christian Reformed
     be regretted. A compromise solves nothing.        The question    Church has insisted on their binding power.
     remains in the lmot  as it was in 1924.
                                                                            And yet I can never fully understand this almost un-
   And so, although Meester  speaks of a compromise, the
                                                                       natural fear of anything binding on the part of the Liberated.
compromising was entirely on the side of De Wolf and his
                                                                       I too feel strongly for the fact that there must be some
followers. This to him is rather astounding. He writes,
                                                                       freedom within the- Confessions. But the trouble is that the
       This is remarkable1 What was elrpressed  in 1924 is main-       Liberated do not merely want freedom within the Confes-
     tained! Yes, yes! Remarkable! Men want brotherhood all.
                                                                       sions ; they want to be able to maintain covenant views
     right  (broederschap in het algemeen), but the brothers must
     step into "our" boat.                                             which are evidently contrary to the Confessions.

   Concerning the issue itself, i.e., the issue of common                    But all of this does not mean that a denomination of

grace, Meester  leans partly towards the position of De Wolf.          churches~  may not officially express what the Confessions


286                                              T-FE   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

teach with regard to such matters as the inspiration of                       or it must take the position that no religion may be taught at

Scripture, the denial of a general offer of the gospel or a                   all. The first is contrary to the position of the separation

general promise within the covenant. Especially this is true                  between church and state ; the second is manifestly impos-

when, in reality, the confessions are attacked on these points.               sible. If the first position is taken, then all those who do,

Such an unnatural fear of anything binding seems to be                        not agree with the religion which the government has

only a cover to introduce contra-confessional views into                      officially adopted, are forced against their conscience to have

the church. Certainly, if a certain point of doctrine is the                  their children instructed in a religion which they do not

expression of the Confessions, and as such, is the expression                 believe is the truth. This violates the fundamental principle

of the truth of Scripture, anyone who loves the truth will                    that a man is free to decide what he wants to believe ; that

be willing to submit himself to the binding power of this                     no coercion or force of any kind may be brought to bear

truth. For in the bondage of the truth alone is true liberty.                 upon him to believe what he does not want to believe.

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you                        But should the latter course be adopted, and the position

free" (John 8 :32).                                                           taken that no religion may be taught in the schools, the result

       For the rest, we, with Meester,  deplore the fact that the             is that the schools do not become non-religious but rather
compromising has been entirely on the part of the De Wolf                     anti-Christian. For there is no such thing as no religion. In
Group. They have indeed and entirely stepped into the boat                    explanation of this point the author quotes Dr. A. A. Hodge,.
of the Christian Reformed Churches.                 Of course, if the         one time a theologian in Princeton:

Christian Reformed Church had taken any different position                                I am as sure as I am of the fact of Christ's reign that a
than the one which they did take-if they had taken away                            comprehensive and centralized system of national education,
                                                                                   Separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will
the binding character of the three points or retracted them                        prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anii-
altogether, then they would also have to come to our Synod                         Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social., nihilistic
                                                                                   ethics, individual, social, and political, which thus sin-rent
with an apology for what they did in 1924. And this they                           world has ever seen. . . . It is capable of exact demonstration
have no intention of doing.                                                        that if every party in the state has the right of excluding
                                                                                   from the public schools whatever he does not believe to be
                                                                                   true,,then  he Lhat  believes most must give way to him that
                                                                                   belieires  least, and then he that believes least must give way
A PLEA FOR CHRlSTlAi'l  DAY SCHOOLS                                                to him that believes absolutely nothing, no matter in how
                                                                                   small a minority the atheists or the agnostics may  be. It is
       The last issue of Chvktstianity  Today was almost entirely                  self-evident that on this scheme, if it. is consistently and
devoted to the subject of Christian education. For this reason,                    persistently carried out in all parts of the country, the United
                                                                                   States' system  of national popular education will be the most
the issue was both pertinent and instructive. However, in a                        efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism
lead article entitled, "Education and Faith : A Plea for Chris-                    which the world has ever seen.

tian Day Schools," by T. Robert Ingram, Rector of St.                            The author concludes that subsequent history has exactly
Thomas Episcopal Church `in Houston, Texas, the whole                         followed this pattern.
matter of Christian Schools was discussed in a most interest-                    What then is the solution to the problem?
ing way.                                                                         The author finds the solution in the establishment of

       The author is particularly concerned with the dilemma                  church schools ;       although he does not mean by church

in which the school system of America finds itself today. This                schools, parochial schools, but schools established by the

dilemma has come about through ignoring the fundamental                       parents of churches. Every congregation ought to establish.

principle of the separation between church and state. This                    its own school, or every group of congregations who are

doctrine of separation, he maintains, means that the death                    agreed in their faith ought to establish together a school

and resurrection of Jesus Christ has "freed religion from the                 where their children can be instructed. And if there are

grip of temporal government." He says,                                        those who are entirely atheistic, let them establish their

                                                                              schools where atheism is taught. But this means that the
           Christ seized (religion) for himself, and entrusts it only
         to those ministers of his who will act independently of the          schools would be freed entirely from any government con-
         sword. Thus, what we in the United States call the doctrine          trol - that, in fact, the government should no longer be in
         of separation of Church and State, is demonstrably a religious
         doctrine about politics, not a political doctrine about religion.    a position even where it can compel children to go to school

       This  strict separation between church and state, accord-              at all or to go to a certain age. If parents want to send their
ing to the author is not maintained in America any more. The                  children to school or keep them home, if they want to send
state has taken over education. The first evidence of this is                 them all the way through college and university or only
to be found in the fact that it has become mandatory to                       through grade school, this ought to be left entirely LIP  to the
attend school in our country. Everybody must attend school                    parents.

on pain of punishment.           And because the government has                  That this is from a practical point of view entirely pos-

insisted on compulsory attendance in the schools, it has                      sible is pointed out by the author. He points to the fact that

caught itself in a trap from which there is no real escape.                   the private schools have grown much faster than the public

The government must itself adopt officially one religion                      schools in the last two decades. Between 1940 and 1956 the

which it supports and which it insists be taught in the school,               increase,in enrollment in public schools has been 22%,  while


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                      287


in private schools, mostly church-operated, the increase has

been 86%. Besides, there are many things in favor of private,               I/C 0 N T R-I B~U TIO N S/i
schools. For one thing, the schools would probably be smal-

ler, and this is to the advantage of both the teachers and the
students. The "little red schoolhouse" of years ago was after                                                   Grand Rapids, Michigan
all preferable to the large educational plants of today. In                                                     February 25, 1961
fact, a school of as few as twenty students can very well be                Editor of The Standay*d  Bearer,
superior to a school which numbers five hundred. For an-                    Rev. H. Hoeksema

other thing, the private schools of America have often been
                                                                            Dear Rev. Hoeksema:
pioneers in the areas of instruction and education. They have
contributed more to educational theory and produced better                      Will you please place the following contribution in the
men than the public schools which are not necessarily con-                  next Standard Bearer?

ducive to scholarship and experimentation.                                               An Answer to Rev. E. Doezema
   If the objection is raised that this would involve a tremen-                An article appeared in the Rcfowxed  Guardian of Janu-
,dous  shortage of classroom space, the author suggests that                ary 1961, written by the Rev. L. Doezema, in which he by
the church buildings which now stand unused most of the                     way of implication accuses the Consistory of the Creston
week be used also for class rooms. If some cry that there                   Protestant Reformed Church, and directly accuses Classis
would be a shortage of teachers, the author suggests that this              East of the Protestant Reformed Church of approving the
is pure myth.                                                               excommunication of one of our former members without the

   He concludes his article by saying,                                      Consistory's having visited the member involved.

                                                                                Let me state in the first place, that the party involved, had
       The key to the whole matter is a conviction that teaching
     cannot be separated from religion; that to teach at all one must       never received a personal visit from the Consistory, or a
     teach something about God and about Jesus Christ, the Son of           committee thereof. The statement of Rev. Doezema as such
     God; and that, therefore, it is the inherent responsibility of free
     religious institutions to operate schools. It would be unthink-        is true. Although the Rev. Doezema knows the history of the
     able to compel attendance in any way, and every church must            case, and also knows the circumstances of the time, yet he
     be free to teach children what their parents want to have them
     taught. If schools are to be truly free they must be free to           seeins to desire to blacken us by making statements that are
     be bad and to fail to conform to the pattern of the majority.          but half truths.
     And parents must be free to send their children or not as they
     decide. For it is also a Christian tenet that parents have sole           Article 76 of the Church Order reads : "Such as obstinate-
     responsibility for the training of their young children-not            ly reject the admonition of the Consistory, and likewise
     the state.
                                                                            those who have committed. a public or otherwise gross sin,
   Most of what the author has written is certainly correct.                shall be suspended from the Lord's Supper, and if he, having
We cannot agree with all the author says about freedom of                   been suspended, after repeated admonitions, shows no signs
religion. It is after all not true that before God a man can                of repentance, the Consistory shall at last proceed to the ex-
believe what he pleases. God demands of every man that he                   treme remedy, namely, excommunication, agreeable to the
believe the truth. God allows no freedom of religion. And                   form adopted for that purpose according to the Word of God.
even from the point of view of the government, which after all              No one shall be excommunicated except with advice of the
represents God and Christ in the sphere of the state, it is                 Classis."
highly questionable whether the magistrate can take or may                     According to this article a personal visit is not specifically
take a neutral attitude toward religion-an attitude of free-                called for; it does call for admonitions. Due to circumstances
dom of religion as interpreted in our country.                              a personal visit was impossible, and therefore the admonitions
   But certainly, the author is correct when he points out                  had to be sent through the mail, and this was done. Rev.
that the state cannot educate children; that, in fact, when                 Doezema knows this too. One thing Rev. Doezema does not
they do they become in effect anti-Christian. And it is also                know is this : He does not know if Classis  East was informed
correct that the solution to the problem is a complete return               by the Consistory of Creston,  that the party involved never
to parental schools where parents have full control over the                had a personal visit. That question is not even asked by
education of their offspring.                                               Classis.  Classis  does want to know if the party involved has

   The remarks the author makes about the benefits of                       been admonished as per Article 76 D. K. 0. To that we

small schools ought to teach us not to be apologetic about our              answered in the affirmative. Now if the Consistory of Creston

own Protestant Reformed Christian Schools; it ought in-                     Protestant Reformed Church erred in this, and it can be
stead to give impetus to our schools now in operation and                   proved from the Church `Order and the Scriptures that we

to our contemplated schools in South Holland-Oak Lawn,                      did err, we will be more than glad to rectify this error, even

Loveland, Redlands, Hull-Doon. They may be small schools,                   as we have rectified another error in this same history of

but this is often to be desired rather than shunned. This the               schism.
article clearly demonstrates.                                                            The Co~nsistcry  of the Creston  Prot. Ref. Chwch,

                                                           H. Hanko                                          J. King,. Clerk


                                          -.~ _-T_-,-- ~_______.~  .-__-  ~_ _--- ----
                 -. .                 _ . _ _                                                                                             _-
258 -'                                   THE-  P;TA'ND~ARD BEARER                                           .' '-
                        .,....


                                                                       ating. Rev. H. Hanko, their counsellor,  preached the pre-
11 NEWS FROM OUR Cl-iURCHES                                         11 paratory sermon the previous Sunday.

[L           `All the saints salute thee . . ? PHIL.  4:21
I___i__                                                                     Southwest i3hurch  was the designated'clace  for the Prot-
                                  . `.                                 &tar&  Reformed High School Board meeting scheduled. for
                                           M&h  5, 1961,               Feb. 23;                                         :

    The congregation of Randolph, Wise., extende6  a call to                The `responsibility of the ushering se&ice  in the Hudson:
Rev. I-I. Hanko, of Hope Church in Grand Rapids.              `-       Gille Church was  relegated to the Mr. and Mrs. Soci&y  by

    From a trio which consisted of the Revs. H. H. Kuiper,             t h e i r   c o n s i s t o r y .

G. Van Baren  and R. Veldman, Crestop called the Rev.
Veldman.                                                                    Contribution: "The Program Committee of the Reformed
                                                                       Witness Hour reports that their hope of having a `radio

    During Rev. Lubbers' absence from the Mission Field                room' of their ow'n in the chub-ch building has finally been

the month of March, the Revs:Woudenberg  of Edgerton, G.               realized. During the past few years the recording machines,

Van Baren  of Doon, and J. Kortering  of Hull, are scheduled           mailing facilities, storage space, etc.,  have been in the con-

to preach for him in Tripp, S.D. The visiting ministers will           sistory room of First Church and in the homes of Radio

conduct mid-week services in the Legion Hall or in the City            Committee members. But at the last congregational meeting,

Hall. It is reported that the Missionary's audiences num-              held Feb. 27, the congregation voted unanimously to ap-

bered over sixty at the mid-week services and over half that           propriate the necessary funds to provide space in the church

amount in the first Sunday evening service held in that city.          building for radio broadcast purposes. This space will consist

                                                                       of two small rooms - one for mailing of the weekly sermons
    The Men's Society of Southwest-Church was host.to that             and for storage purposes. The second room will be situated in
of First Church Monday,-Feb. 20. The after recess program              Bn area which will allow the engineer operating the recorder
was  .furnished  by the guest s&i&y,- H. Heemstra giiring  an          to be in visual contact with the program director and the an-
essay on "Conformity (with the world) Or `Consecration                 nouncer, who, with the musical talent -Radio Choir, solo-
`(to the -service of God) ."                                           ists, accompanist, etc., are situated in the auditorium. The

                                                                        speaker will record in the `consistory rpom  and. will be in
    The Ladies' Aid Society `of mFirst Church has begun a new          contact with the committee members by remote control
systeni of after recess progr%mniing.every  other meeting. The         through means of an intercom system and light signals. The
Program Committee' has secured the services of their pastor,            Committee is indeed grateful for the decision of the cofigrega-
Rev. C. Hanko, to lead-in  the study of the Belgic.  Confession        tion to provide suitable. space in which they can continue to
at that time.                                                          -prepare, each week, a Distinctively Reformed Radid Broad-

                                                                       cast."
    Mr. Tom Elzinga, of our' Holland corigregation,  has

prepared a very thorough index of The Standard Bearer
                                                                            Far-off Lynden will be without their minister for two
volumes. This index provides a quick reference to all of the
                                                                        Sundays while their pastor fills a classical appointment in
Scripture passages. that have been explained in that Ipublica-
                                                                       .Isabel  and in Forbes, March 5 and 12. Rev. Harbach's plans
tion in its lifetime. Mr. Elzinga has prepared severil  -type-
                                                                       also include attending Classis  West, March 15, and the re-
written copies and is desirous of h&ring :from  owners  of
                                                                       %urn `to Lynden on the 18th.
bound ?olumes  who would  like one of- them. They are yours

for the asking as long as the supply lasts. Address your let-
                                                                            South Holland's Y.P. Society featured an after recess
ter to Mr. Tom Elzinga,  567 W. 19th St., Holland, Mich.
                                                                        debate, Feb. 5, on the subject, "Resolved, that attending the
When you get your copy you  will realize that countless hours
                                                                       theatre does influence our Christian lives." Ruth Poortenga
went into that project, and that you will reap the benefits of
                                                                        and Adrian Lenting. took the affirmative side and Alice Van
the author's labors.
                                                                        Baren  and Henry Letiting  were assigned ihe negative ap-

    A special congregation& meeting of First Church, Feb.               proach to this subject.

27, resulted in decisions to purchase the vacant lots, across
                                                                            Bulletin qztots  (South Holland's) : "Divine consolations
from the church, alterations in the building, and ratification
                                                                        are nearest to us when human assistance is farthest from us."
of Consistory action in allocating some Mission funds to the
                                                                        Cave, We won&f if the &thor 
Mission Committee of our denomination.                                                                               had &t read Psalm'  25 anh
                                                                        was thinking of Gethsemane.

    Grand  Haven's congtiegation  celebrated the L?,rd's  Sup-

per March 5, with the Rev. A. Mulder of Kalamazoo offici-                   . . . . see you in church.                                   J.M.F.


