                                    he

                            tandard

                                          .earer

A  REFORMED  SEMI-MONTHLY  MAGAZINE




IN  TH/S ISSUE  -.


      Meditation:
         `Hopeful         Sleep

      Editorial:
        The  Marks  Of  The.,True  Church                                    . .

      Feature:
         The  Love  of  God,  Wholly  Particular

      All             AroUnd.Us:
         Membership  in  the  W.C.C.  (and  others)



                                           Volume XL VI / Number 14 / April 15, 1970


3 1 4                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



                            CONTENTS                                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                   Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July and August.

Meditation  -                                                                       Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
                                                                                          Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids, Mich.
  Hopeful Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 14 Editor-in-Chief: Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
                                                                              Department Editors:  Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof.
Editorials -                                                                  Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A.  Hey% Rev. Jay
  Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 17    Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus  Schipper,  Rev.  Gise J.
                                                                              Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
  TheMarksoftheTrueChurch(1) . . . . . . . ..:.317                            Editorial Office:  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
                                                                                                 1842 Plymouth Terrace,  SE.
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  The Love of God, Wholly Particular . . . . . . . . . .320                   Church News Editor:       Mr.  *Donald  Doezema
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Meditation.

                                                  Hopeful Sleep
                                                                 H. C. Hoeksema

             But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
             ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose
             again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.I Thessalonians  4:13, 14

   .Jesus died and rose again!                                                fellowship with Jesus into the glory of the everlasting
   We believe that!                                                           kingdom.
   Why, then, should we mourn over our dead?                                     We are not as the others, therefore, who have no
   They are not dead, but asleep. And if they sleep, hope. Ours is the sure and glad hope of the  resur-
they shall be awakened.; and God will bring them in  rection!


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                             315


   0 death, where is thy sting?                             that the sting of death is removed and the victory of
   0 grave, where is thy victory?                           the grave is gone. But here the apostle emphasizes that -
  `We believe that Jesus died and rose again! Thanks be     we believe in and confess a Head Who once died also,
unto God!               *  *`* * *                          Who once was in the very same grave in which the
   Sure ground of hope! We believe that Jesus died and saints are laid when they fall asleep.
rose again! In this our hope rests. It rests not only in       But Jesus rose again!
the fact that He died and rose again. Yes, that objec-         Notice that the text here does not say that He "was
tively. But subjectively it rests also in the fact that we raised" - though that also is true - but that He "rose
believe that He died and rose again.                        again. " In other words, here the emphasis does not fall
   The Thessalonian believers had a problem, one upon what God did, but upon the mighty power of the
which arose apparently out of a rather serious mis- Head of the body, upon the fact that He is the Living
apprehension of the truth concerning the return of our One, yea, the Life Himself! He arose! He broke. the
crucified and risen Lord Jesus. It seems as though bands of death. When He died and went to the place of
many of them expected the Lord to return in their the dead, death could not hold its prey! He tore the
own time, and that then they expected to be glorified bars away! He, Jesus, our Head, to Whom we belong in               -
immediately with the Lord. Meanwhile, however, be- life and in death, entered into death, but was not held                    -
fore this mistakenly expected return of the Lord Jesus,     of death. Not  the'captive,  but the Captor is He! He
some of their fellow-saints in the congregation died.       entered into death, but He emerged! He entered, but
And about this they were sorely troubled. They be- He made His exit  -. on the other side! He passed
moaned those who died, because, they thought, those thrqugh! He, our victorious, living Lord!
dead saints would now surely miss the glory and the           We believe that!
bliss of meeting the Lord when He came, Hence, the             "If we believe . . . , " the apostle says. And when he
point of the apostle is not that we may not mourn and says this, he is not proposing that perhaps it is doubt-
grieve when our dear ones are taken away.' It is not        ful whether we believe. Surely, he is not,proposing  the
that we may not at all bemoan our loss, that we may damnable heresy that  OUY believing is the condition of
not weep on account of the pain of separation. Thus God's salvation. On the contrary, he is addressing the
the apostle's words are sometimes misquoted: "We saints, the believers..He is making an argument on the                  _
mourn, but not as those who have no hope." No, in basis of that which. they believe. He intends to say: if
the sense in which the apostle here speaks of it, in we believe that Jesus died and rose again - and we do!
connection with the concern of the Thessalonian be- - then this follows from that faith, namely, that God
lievers, the point is that we must not mourn at all.        will through Jesus bring those who have fallen asleep
That is, we must not mourn over our dead brethren,          with Him.
over our fellow-saints who have preceded us and who           We believe it! Indeed, this means that we accept and
have preceded the coming of the Lord in death. We hold for true the fact that Jesus died and rose again;
need not feel sorry for our fellow-saints who die. and in a sense `this is even on the foreground here. It
About this the apostle instructs the church here: "I belongs to the apostle's chain of argumentation. But
would not have you to be ignorant concerning them that believing is a matter of living faith, too. It is not a
which are asleep.?'                                         cold and intellectual knowledge. It is not an assent
  In this instruction the apostle goes to the heart of which leaves' us unaffected, a matter of no import to
the matter: our faith in Jesus, Who died and rose again. us. We believe; we do not merely acknowledge. That
  Jesus!                                                    Jesus died and rose again is the object of our knowl-
  Intentionally the Word of God uses this name here. edge and acknowledgement in such a way that it is also
Jesus is Jehova-Salvation! He is Jehovah, the unchange- the object of our confidence. It is a matter of sacred
able I AM, the faithful covenant God, revealed as the conviction, but also the ground of sure confidence. It
God of our salvation. He is the sure and only Savibr:- is a- living faith. For we belong to that Jesus. By faith
for He.shall  save His people from their sins!              we cling to Him, even as we are one `with Him. Our
  He has died!                                              faith is in Him as -the Jesus Who saves His people, in
  Emphasis falls here on the fact that Jesus also en- Him as the legal and organic Head of His church. And
tered into temporal, physical death and the grave. He because He is our Head, therefore what is true of Him
did not merely suffer, in order to by-pass death and is true of us, His members. Hence, for the faith of the
suddenly to be`glorified. But He died. He entered into saints it is established: when our Head died and rose
the same death and the same grave into which those. again, we died and rose again! Jesus died  ,and rose
who fall asleep in Jesus now enter. 0, indeed, this also again. We are one with Him by faith. We shall also live
implies that Jesus tasted death for the entire church. with Him!
He died, for our sins. And also when He entered into          Blessed cross-and-resurrection faith!
                                                               -_
the. grave, the realm of the dead, the place of corrup-                           * * *  * *
tion, He did so in our behalf. And it is for that reason      Sorrow not concerning your brethren which are


316                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



asleep!                                                       not adapted to that. We must be changed! But neither
  Why should ye sorrow?                                       can we yet receive the heavenly and glorious body of
  Consider them rather in the light of the fact that we       the resurrection: for the whole church is not gathered
believe that Jesus died and rose again. Let the light of as yet, neither are the new heavens and the new earth
revelation, the light of Jesus' cross and resurrection, ready as yet; We must wait! Every man in his own
the light of life, shine upon their death! Let that same      order: Christ the firstfruits, and afterward they that
light enlighten the eyes of your understanding, and let       are Christ's at His coming. Hence, we fall asleep in
it sparkle even through the tears of the grief of painful Jesus.
separation,   as you contemplate your dead who die in           But that sleep is a hopeful sleep!
the Lord. And then, by all means, mourn not over                Sorrow not concerning them.!
your dead!                                                      When you contemplate your fellow saints in death,
  For in the light of the fact that we believe in Jesus do not leave the impression as though their death is a
Who died and rose again, what becomes plain concem- terrible thing. Do not think or say: awful, implacable
ing the saints who have preceded us in death, con-            death!
cerning those who died having like precious faith?              Rather, be glad and glory for those who fall asleep
  This, that they are only "asleep!"                          in Jesus!
  No, that they are asleep is not a mere euphemism, a           Say, rather: hopeful sleep!
pleasant expression to cover up the ugly reality of                                  * * *  * *
death. But it is a figurative expression conveying a very       For we are different, don't you see?
real and beautiful truth concerning the saints who              We are they who believe that. Jesus died and rose
die. And this figurative expression is not intended to again!
convey the false notion of a "soul-sleep." For this is          We are not as the others, as the wicked; who have no
indeed a false notion. Our spirit is not in a state of h o p e !
unconsciousness until the day of the final resurrection.        The ungodly have no hope, though indeed they may
On the contrary, our spiritual soul is in heaven, in          claim it. Their claimed hope is a counterfeit  hope?
paradise, with Christ, delivered from sin and sorrow counterfeit just because it is this-worldly. All their
and pain, - in glory, waiting for the final and full glory    hope is limited to this present time and this present
of the day of Christ! Besides, the text is after all con- world. It is the hope of a dead-end street. Death is the
cerned not about .the spirit, but about the body which inevitable end of all on which they ever fix their hope
lies asleep in the dust of death. How shall those saints      and of all to which they ever aspire. It is the end for
who are in the grave ever know the joy of the coming themselves and for those of their number who die.
of the Lord?                                                  After that, there is not "nothing" but only a fearful
This was the concern of the Thessalonian saints.              looking for of judgment and condemnation and ever-
  They are not dead, but sleeping!                            lasting desolation of body and soul. When they die, it
  Their death is but a being asleep with a view to the is to open their eyes in hell!
awakening of the resurrection!                                  How could it be otherwise? For they do not believe,
  Asleep they are: for through the death of the body          do they, in Him Who is the resurrection and the life?
all contact with our present world and with this pres-          And how could it be otherwise, then, than that they
ent earthly existence is lost - just as it is when in the must needs mourn over their dead? They have no hope!
literal sense we fall asleep. But just as one who in the        But we have hope!
latter sense sleeps will presently wake up, so it is with       Ours is a hope which springs from faith, faith that
the Christian. Sleep is hopeful! Sleep looks forward!         Jesus died and rose again! Ours is a hope characterized
There is a future for him who sleeps, not for him who by certain and longing expectation! Ours is a hope
dies! Those who are in Jesus, and who then enter into         which is living, which stretches beyond death and the
temporal death, do not die as the wicked, in order grave. Ours is a hope with respect to ourselves and with
never to return to life. They are laid away fo_r a time in    respect to all those who are fallen asleep through Jesus.
the grave; They rest from the battle. They are out of For even as we belong to Jesus, even as we live -and
contact with this present world. But they shall be walk through Him  - by the power of His grace and
awakened in the resurrection of the body!                     through faith - so we. also die through Him, die as an
  Hopeful sleep!                                              act of faith and in hope, die as those who are more
  Asleep in the hope of the full salvation - the salva; than conquerors, as those to whom death is become a
tion according to body and soul, the salvation of the servant.
entire church, yea, of the entire creation  - which             We hope, that is, with longing and certainty we ex-
awaits us at the end, when God shall bring Jesus again!       pect that God will bring Jesus again!`For is not Jesus
No, we cannot all wait here, on earth, for the coming the One Who died, but Who rose again? How can it
of the Lord and for that full salvation. This present         ever fail that He shall come again 1 personally, visibly,
body - psychical, weak, mortal, earthy, inglorious - is bodily, publicly, gloriously? Or rather, how could it


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  317



ever fail, for God's own name's sake, that God would shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
bring Him again?                                              trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
   And since our dead are fallen asleep through Jesus, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
since they belong to Him. in Whom they believed, how together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
can it ever fail that God shall bring them with Jesus, in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
fellowship with Him? And if that be true, how can it            Mourn not!
ever fail that God shall first raise them from the dust in      Shout, rather, with a voice of triumph and thanks-
which they sleep, in order that He may bring them giving!
with Jesus? Not only we who may be alive at His                 0 death, where is thy sting?
coming shall be brought with Him; but also they, who            0 grave, where is thy victory?
iikewise believed that Jesus died and rose again, though        Thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory!
now they be asleep, shall be brought with Him. "For             Through Jesus, crucified and risen!
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a


Editorials

                                        Editor's Notes
  The Staff extends its Christian sympathy to our to recovery and eventual resumption of his labors.
former News Editor (and still occasional contributor),                                ****
Mr. John M. Faber, in the recent death of his sister,           The editorials in this and the next issue on the im-
Mrs. Grace Ondersma.                                          p.ortant  subject of "The Marks Of The True Church"
                        * *  * *                              will also be published in .pamphlet  form by the Sunday
 A bit belatedly, we call your attention to a rather School Mission Publishing Society of the First Protes-
serious typographical error which crept into Rev. tant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids. This will be
Harbach's article in the issue of March 15, page 28 1, their  fourth new pamphlet in recent months. Others
second column, lines l-3, which should read: " . . . free are: "Biblical Ecumenicity" (Prof. H. Hanko); "Crea-
to preach. the gospel within (not: "without") the tion? or Evolution?" (Rev. G.  VanBaren); "Labor
branches of the armed forces . . . "                          Union Membership in the Light of Scripture" (Rev.
                         ****                                 J.A. Heys). These, and many older pamphlets, are
  Featured in this issue is the first installment of the available for the  askihg. If interested in obtaining
Reverend H. Veldman's recent lecture on "The Love of copies for yourself or others, write to: Sunday School
God, Wholly Particular." By this means our readers Mission Publishing Society, P.O. Box 1230, Grand
outside the Michigan area can benefit from his lecture Rapids, Michigan 4950 1.
also. Plans are to carry the second part of this lecture                              *  *  *  *.
in the May 1 issue.                                             Incidentally, considerable work has already been
                         * * * *                              done on preparation of a catalogue of all Protestant
  Our regular writer for the Meditation department, Reformed literature presently available. Efforts are
the Reverend M. Schipper,  has been sidelined, due to also being put forth to arrange for one central distribu-
surgery. We are thankful to report that after a hospital tion address, rather than the somewhat confusing vari-
stay of almost two weeks, our brother has returned ety of addresses to which interested persons must now
home; though weak, he appears to be well on the road write to obtain our literature.                           H.C.H.



                       The Marks ,of the True Church (1)
                                                Prof: H. C. Hoeksenza

  To gain the proper perspective with respect to our          Daniel persuaded the king to issue a decree that no
subject, we must go back in our thoughts to Old Testa-        one, for a period of thirty days, should ask anything of
ment days. You will recall that in the land of the cap-       any god or man, except of the king. In that connection
tivity in the days of Darius the Mede the enemies of we read that when Daniel knew of the king's decree, he


318                                             THE STANDARD  BEARER


deliberately went to his house and prayed three times in the new dispensations. The church became manifest
daily with his windows open toward Jerusalem, even as in Israel of the old dispensation; and the church be-
he did aforetime (Daniel 6:4-10X                             came `manifest in the various congregations which were
  What motivated Daniel?                                     established in apostolic times and which are addressed
   The answer is undoubtedly expressed in the song of in the epistles as "the church." This truth is confessed
the captives, Psalm 137:5, 6 : "If I forget thee, 0 Jeru- by Reformed churches in our Confession of Faith, Ar-
salem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not     ticles 27 and 28.
remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my          2) Christ Himself instituted His church on earth and.
mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." gave her the ministry of the Word, gave her, in fact, all
That was Daniel's faith. He lived by this faith, so that the offices and their functions. Thus, for example,
he was ready even to die for it, as became evident Ephesians 4: 11 teaches us that Christ "gave some,
when he allowed himself to be cast into the den of apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
lions.                                                       and some, pastors and teachers." The same is true of
  The situation of the child of God in the twentieth         the offices of elder and deacon in the church. This
century is indeed different than was Daniel's. It is work of Christ has as its purpose the perfecting of the
much more complicated. Then there was only one saints, the edifying, upbuilding, of His body. Christ,
place in all the world where God's people could prop- therefore, has thus instituted His church in order that
erly serve Him. Zion in that day was limited to the          His church, from the beginning to the end of the
land of Canaan and the city of Jerusalem and Mount world, might continue to be gathered out of the whole
Zion. Today that is different. The church of Jesus human race by His Spirit and Word.
Christ has broken through its national boundaries and          Let us bear in mind that `when we speak of the
,is  establishe! throughout the world. Besides, there is marks of the church, we refer to the church from this
the complication that there are many who claim to            point of view, that is; to the church as it is instituted
represent that church and who go by the name of that by Christ and becomes manifest as an institution
church and who claim as the church to proclaim the through its offices and through the functions of those
gospel and to administer the sacraments in the name of offices in an organized local. congregation, a certain
the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not require much insight, local manifestation of the body of Christ on earth. If
therefore, to discern that the situation is far more com- we keep this in mind, it Will avoid the confusion and
plex today.                                                  misunderstanding  whid& frequently arises in connec-
  But while the situation is different, the principle tion with the subject of the true and the false church.
remains the same.                                            The subject under discussion is not the marks of the
  If things are spiritually right with God's people, if true believer, the marks of the Christian. Neither is the
they live from faith and according to the standard of claim of the true church in the world the claim that it
the Word of God, then the driving impulse of their life is perfect, or the claim that it consists only of regener-
is the same as that of Daniel. It is faith's urge to seek    ated people of God, only of true believers, or that
Zion, the true ch&ch. Moreover, as it was with Daniel,       outside of a given congregation or denomination there
so it will be with God's people today: if that is the are no elect people of God. This is not the question.
driving urge of their life, then no sacrifice will be so     But we confront this question: where is the church of
great as to keep them from following that impulse.           Jesus Christ in this world from the point of view of its
                                                             institution? Where is it that the Lord Jesus Christ, the
               The True And The False Church                 Head of His church, has ivzstituted  that church? Where
  In order to understand the meaning and importance          are the God-ordained offices and officebears? Where
of the  marks  of the church it is necessary to under- does it please Christ as the officebeaver  in the house of
stand what is meant by the  church  which is distin-         God to function and to bless and to gather His church?
guished and distinguishable by ,those marks. And while The church' is manifest here  ifi the world; it can be
it is impossible to make a complete and detailed study recognized and found and joined. And not all churches
of this important Scriptural idea within the limits of who claim to be the manifestation of that church are
this pamphlet, it is important to note the following that church, or are so in purity.
points in this connection:                                     3) Thirdly, there is at the basis of our subject the
   1) It must be emphasized that it is the will of Christ    truth that it is the sacred duty of everyone to join
that His body, the one, holy, catholic church, shall himself to the true church. This is stated very suc-
become manifest in the midst of the world as the cinctly in our Confession of Faith, Article 28, which
gathering of believers and their seed. The holy catholic we quote:
church is not some vague, spiritual abstraction which          "We believe, since this holy congregation is an as-
has no manifestation here on earth; but it becomes sembly of those who are saved, and that out of it there
manifest,  and it does so as the gathering of believers is no salvation, that no person of whatsoever state or
and their seed. This has been true both in the old and       condition he may be, ought to withdraw himself, to


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  319



live in a separate state from it; but that'all men are in as it exists in the midst of the world. One element in
duty bound to join and unite themselves with it; main- that imperfection is the fact that the carnal seed con-
taining the unity of the Church; submitting themselves tinues in the course of history to arise from within the
to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their church, to arise (just as the spiritual seed arises) out of
necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual the generations of believers. The line of election and
members of the same body, serving to the edification reprobation cuts across the generations of the people
of the brethren, according to the talents God has given of God. A second element is the fact that believers
them. And that this may be the more effectually ob- themselves are not perfect, but have only a small begin-
served, it is the duty of all believers, according to the ning of the new obedience. They all still have in them
word of God, to separate themselves from all those the old man of sin. And in connection with this imper-
who do not belong to the Church, and to join them- fection, the church is open to all kinds of evil influ-
selves to this congregation, wheresoever God hath ences from the world round about it. From that point
established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of view, you can say in a sense that the position of the
of princes were against it, yea, though they should church in this present world is precarious. God wants
suffer death or any other corporal punishment. There- His church to exist in the world, but not ofthe world.
fore all those who separate themselves from the same, And because the church is itself imperfect, and because
or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the it exists squarely in the midst of the world, the church
ordinance of God."                                          as it becomes manifest here in the world in any given
  Here tile calling of the child of God is very clearly congregation is open to influences from that world. It
stated. It is the will of Christ that the believer willingly is open to the influence of the philosophy of this
submit himself to the instruction and oversight and world, of the thinking of this world, of the striving of
government of that church of Jesus Christ as instituted this world, open, too, to all kinds of influences which
in the midst of the world, wheresoever it may be. That we may classify under the heading of "allurements" -
is for his spiritual welfare and well-being and salvation. allurements to leave its position of spiritual isolation,
The child of God, therefore, certainly will not take his to abandon its position as the  holy  church, and to
church membership lightly. He certainly will not be make common cause with the wicked world.
numbered among those who can change their church              As a result, there is throughout history a continuai
membership almost as easily as they can change their development. The true church manifests itself in the
clothes. If he is a serious-minded child of God, he will midst of the world. But always - because of the imper-
not separate himself from that church for any earthly fection just mentioned  - there is at the same time a
or carnal considerations, no matter what they may be. development away from the truth, away from the call-
This lies in the very nature of his spiritual life. He is a ing of the church, a development in the direction of
member of the spiritual body of Christ. He is not saved the wicked world, in the direction of vain and human-
as a mere individual, but as a member of Christ's body. istic philosophy. Thus arises the false church, the
He lives his new life not as an individual in isolation pseudo-church. Besides, there is movement in history
from all other regenerated children of God, but only as toward the goal of the end, the end of all things! And
a member of the body. He possesses and enjoys and as far as the false church is concerned, this means that
lives his life only in the body and thus in connection there .is development toward the goal of the final, ulti-
with the Head, Christ. Even as the church of Christ is mate manifestation of that false church which is pic-
not a mere mass of members, but a body, so that tured to us in the Book of Revelation under the
church lives, and all the members live, only as a body symbolism of the great whore, who is allied with the
and members, and, as members in the body in connec- antichristian kingdom. There is  develoIjment toward
tion with the Head. With all believers, therefore, the the ultimate realization of the antithesis, toward the
child of God confesses one Lord; with all believers he realization of that situation when all of history must
partakes of one Spirit; with all believers he shares a needs come to an end, when the false church has
common faith in that one Lord. And for that reason it completely served the purpose of the manifestation of
is the urge of his regenerated heart, the impulse of his the sinfulness of sin, and when the situation of the
new life, to seek and to join himself to the true church faithful church in the midst of the world has become
and to realize concretely, in as far as that is possible in impossible, so that it is not able any longer to exist in
this present world, the fellowship of believers. He be- the world: development toward the day of the coming
longs there. He cannot live alone. His life is a com- of the Lord!
munal life.                                                   Thus, there is, in principle, an absolute cleavage be-
  4) There is a factor which complicates the situation tween the true and the false church. We may notice,
very seriously, however; and that factor is the presence` too, that our Confession of Faith speaks of this cleav-
and development in this present world of the false age in such "either-or" terms: the true church and the
church. Fr6m an historical point of view, this develop- false church!
ment is due to the imperfection of the church as long         Further, there is between those two, the true church


320                                          THE STANDARD  BEARER



and the false church, a continual movement from the also hundreds and even thousands of churcheswhich dif-
true toward the false. Churches, as everyone will real- fer as to the essentials: they differ as to doctrine, as to
ize, do not become completely false all at once. On the confession, as to government, as to worship and lit-.
contrary, the completely false church, the church of urgy, as to the sacraments, as to discipline. And in that
which it carmot be said at all that Christ is present in mass of different churches you find a vast difference of
it, is the product of a process. There is a gradual wean- degree. There are those, of course, who openly repu-
ing away from the truth, a gradual increase of the diate the Scriptures and who have long ago abandoned
power and influence of the lie and false doctrine, until the Word of God completely, who deny the very fun-
finally a certain church becomes completely false. The damentals of the faith, such as the Trinity, the incarna-
practical result of this process of development is the tion, the atonement, the resurrection of Christ, etc.
situation in which the child of God finds in the midst Practically speaking, such churches present no problem
of the world not merely two churches, a completely for the believer and his church membership. The life of
true church and a completely false church. Rather, regeneration `simply cannot exist there, cannot find fel-
speaking practically, there are between those two lowship and sustenance there. Why not? Because Christ
many gradations, so that it is possible and proper to is not there!
speak of the purest, of varying degrees of less pure          The problem, however, becomes more complicated
churches, and of the completely false.                      when we confront the many different kinds of
   Yet we must be cautioned that in this situation the churches who claim to hold - and to a degree do hold
child of God must conduct himself in accord with the - to what are called the fundamentals, but who are
principle of the  absolute  cleavage which we noted nevertheless divided as to many important doctrines.
earlier. In the light of this principle, there is always They are divided, for example, as to the truth of pre-
either a movement toward the true church or a moving destination, divided with respect to the atonement, di-
in the direction of the false church. The question, vided with respect to the doctrine of the Lord's return;
therefore, from a practical, spiritual point of view is, to or they may differ sharply with respect to the sacra-
put it bluntly, not this: can and may I "get away with" ments or the exercise of Christian discipline. Or, to
belonging to a church which is less pure, rather than to make the problem, more specific, there are the several
the purest manifestation of the body of Christ in the churches which belong, broadly speaking, to the Re-,
world? Such a question bespeaks a deeply unspiritual formed community, but who differ greatly and who
attitude toward the holy, catholic church. But the are sharply divided.
question is: how and where must and can the believer          It is at this point that the question comes into
seek and join himself to the true church?                   focus: where is the church? Where is the true church,
  As was suggested earlier, this question has become to which I, as a believer, am called before God to join
especially complicated since the time of the Reforma- myself? And if it is anywhere  - and it is  - how can
tion of the sixteenth century. Not only are there all that true church be recognized? How can it be known?
kinds of churches in the world which differ from one The question, therefore, for any serious-minded child
another in various natural respects: churches which dif- of God, is not just an abstract, doctrinal question, but
fer as far as their national origin is concerned, which a very really practical, spiritual one. Where is the
differ as to race and color, as to language, as to geo- church? Where must I be joined as a member of
graphical location. Things of this kind, after all, do not Christ's church on earth?
affect the spiritual nature of the church. But there are                     (to be continued)




                    The love of God, Wholly Particular
                                                Rev. H. Veldman

          (The text of an address delivered on.February 6, 1970, under the auspices of the Lecture
          Committee of the Michigan Protestant Reformed Churches. The second installment will
          appear in the May I issue.)

  Tonight I call your attention to the love of God. I living God, Who is in Himself the All-Sufficient One,
consider it a privilege to speak to you on this subject.    Who needs no man to establish or add to His glory,
How wonderful is the love of God! To be loved by the        Who created the heavens and the earth and all that


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  321



moves, lives and has being by the word of His power iectively so strictly Divine.
and the breath of His mouth, not, of course, to enrich         Let us now look at the meaning of "love" as set
Himself but to reveal Himself as the God worthy of all forth in the infallible Scriptures. And then we turn,
adoration, should fill your hearts and mine with all first of all, and briefly, to the Old Testament. On thr
wonder and amazement.                                       one hand, in the Hebrew is a word that means funda-
  Does God love you, and how do you know that He mentally "to adhere, stick together," and so the word
loves you? If, in answer to this question, you should came to mean: to be attached to in a spiritual sense, to
reply that He loves you because He loves all men, then cleave to anyone, and in that sense to love; and this
His love of you would be altogether meaningless. Then word also became an expression of this bond of fellow-
He also loves those who perish. Then His love of you ship: to take delight in and long for the object. This is
will not necessarily save you. What guarantee or assur- the meaning of love in Deut. 7  :7 and in Ps. 9 1: 14
ance do you have that this love of God will save you? where we read that the Lord has set His love upon us.
It did not save those who perish. How do you know it On the other hand, also in the Hebrew, is the  well-
will save you? Then something else must be added to known word: to breathe after; hence, to long after,
that love of God to assure your salvation; then some- desire, and in that sense to love. This is the word as
thing must proceed from you to render the love of used in Is. 63 :9, and from this word is also derived the
God effective. And, if you must do something before word for "friend," as in Is. 4 1:8, where Abraham is
the love of God can save you, you will never be saved, called God's friend. From these uses of the word in the
and this for the simple reason that nothing can proceed Old Testament we may conclude the following. First,
from you, inasmuch as we are all conceived and born love is a spiritual bond, a union, causing two or more
in sin. Is this your conception of the love of God? If, persons to adhere, cleave together. And, in the second
however, on the other hand, you believe that the love place, for this reason the consciousness and operation
of God is eternal, sovereign and unconditional, that, of this bond reveals itself as a constant yearning of the
therefore, it is always first and never preceded by an subject for the object.
act of man, then the answer to this question becomes           Turning to the New Testament, we find that the
tremendously vital, the all-controlling and dominating New Testament is much more abundant in its use of
factor in your life and in mine as far as our salvation is the word for love and its qualifications of the concept.
concerned. Provided that we understand that there is First, the Word of God ascribes to love a moral, ethi-
always something higher than your-or my salvation, cal, spiritual content, as when we read of "loving right-
and that is the principle that concerns the glory of the eousness," or, "loving God or the praise of men."
alone living God. Indeed, the question of the love of          Secondly, the Word of God uses the word, "love,"
God does concern the glory of the living God, that as expressing a certain distinction, preferment, choice.
God is God alone! For, this is life eternal, this is-our We read in Romans 9: 13: Jacob have I loved, but Esau
salvation, that we know Him, the one only true God; have I hated." And in Matt. 6:24 we read that no man
through Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. Any concep- can serve two masters; he will hate the one and love
tion of the love of God which violates the truth that the other, or he will love the one and hate the other.
God is God and He alone, cannot be in harmony with So, the word is used where there is the element of
the infallible Scriptures. I now call your attention to:    preferment, of choice by the will, and it is also used as
   THE LOVE OF GOD, WHOLLY PARTICULAR                       the opposite of hatred. And again the content or ob-
                  this love of God is:                      ject is ethical, spiritual.
                   I. Strictly Divine                          Thirdly, this word for "love" (the stronger of the
                 II. Wholly Particular                      two words for "love" in the New Testament) is con-
              III. Gloriously Efficacious                   stantly used to express the relation in the Divine
                                                            Trinity between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as in
                I. STRICTLY DIVINE                          John 3 :35: "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given
  When we speak to you, as in the theme, on the love all things in His hand," or John 10: 17: "Therefore
of God, we understand this "love of God" subjec- doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life,
tively: the love which proceeds from God, as God that I might take it again," or John  14:3 1: "But that
loves; hence, not our love of God, but God's love of us. the world may know that I love the Father; and as the
And when we call your attention in our first point to Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let
the strictly Divine character of this love of God, then us go hence." These passages, we understand, can be
we mean that this love of God is strictly Divine subjec- multiplied. This word is also used to express the rela-
tively and objectively.; it is strictly Divine subjectively tion between God and man, as in John  8:42: "Jesus
because it proceeds exclusively from  God,' and it is saith unto them, If God were your Father, ye would
strictly Divine objectively because it has God exclu- love Me: for I proceeded forth and come from God;
sively for its object. And it is also for this reason that neither came I-of Myself, but He sent Me." And so this
this love proceeds wholly from God, because it is .ob- word is also used to express the relation between the


3 2 2                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



brethren, as in John  13:34: "A new commandment I Divine, subjectively. How true this is of God's manifes-
give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have             tation of His love in Jesus Christ, in fact really the only
loved you, that ye also love one another."                     manifestation of His love in the midst of the world!
  Finally, we have the following striking and pertinent Whether you view this manifestation of this love of
passages. We read in Col. 3: 14: "And above all these          God in Christ from the aspect of God's promises in the
things put on charity (love), which is the bond of per- Old Dispensation or from the aspect of Christ's actual
fectness." Love here is called the "bond of perfect- appearance among us and in all His suffering and
ness." Love is, therefore, the bond that is characterized      death, does anything ever proceed from us; do we ever
by ethical, spiritual perfection. Herice, positively, love     contribute anything but sin and guilt? The whole plan
can be a bond only between the perfect. In Gal. 5:22,          of redemption, as prophesied in the Old Dispensation
23 we read: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,         and as fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, is surely ex-
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek- clusively of the Lord.
ness, temperance: against such there is no law." Here            However, this love of God is also strictly Divine ob-
the word stands at the head of the spiritual virtues and jectively. God is love. God is the God of infinite good-
perfections that are the fruit of the  Holy Spirit. It         ness and perfection. At His  ,right hand there are
stands at the head and is, therefore, the root of them.        pleasures forevermore. Indeed, the Scriptures surely re-
In 1 John  4:8 we read the very familiar expression:           veal God to us. Today, also in reformed circles, .they
"For God is love." Here is surely expressed the deepest        tell you that the Scriptures do not reveal very much, if
principle of love. Here the essence-of  God"s being is anything, of the living God Himself. All that the Scrip-
described as love. God is love, His Divine being, es- tures  s8y to us is the kerugma, the proclamation that
sence, life is a bond of perfect fellowship. With God must go forth to sinners. And this is understandable.
this love is absolute. He is both Subject and Object. He       There is hardly any room for any conception that
lives the life of perfect love as God Triune. And, lauds the natural man and the good that sinners do,
closely related with this last passage, we would quote         etc. when .viewed in the light of the Lord's revelation,
to you three other very striking passages. In 1 John 4:7       of Himself. And the Scriptures surely reveal God to us.
we read: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is        God, we read, is light, and in Him there is no darkness
of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and whatever - this surely reveals God to us. God, we also
knoweth God." It is evident from this passage that to read, is love, and also this Scripture reveals the living
"know" God is more than a merely intellectual under- God unto us. And, God is Triune: Father, Son and
standing. Here we read that love is of God; all love has       Holy Ghost. These three Divine Persons live and have.
its source in the living God. In 1 John 4: 10 we read:         fellowship with each other in the bond of infinite per-
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He fection. And that the Lord is Triune is also surely
loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for          Scriptural. So, also as far as this Scriptural doctrine of
our sins." And in 2 Cor. 13: 14 we read: "The grace of the Trinity is concerned, the Word reveals the living
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the God Himself to us. God, therefore, is love. All His
communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.                  being and life are described as love, the bond of perfec-
Amen."                                                         tion which unites the Three Persons, revealing God to
  From all these passages, in both the Old and New us as eternally delighting in Himself, the perfect fellow-
Testaments, we may surely  coficlude  the following.           ship of the three Divine Persons in the bond of infinite
Love is essentially a bond of fellowship. Love requires goodness and perfection.
a moral-rational subject and object, that is, a person.          This, of course, also determines the meaning of love
As a bond it can exist only in the sphere of the perfect; for us. Of course! God determines and must determine
that is, it unites only a perfect subject and a perfect        our life. Our love is and can never be anything else
object. As an act it becomes manifest as the delight of than a reflection of His love. Love is, therefore, ethical
the perfect subject in a perfect object. As a one-sided        and  spiritual.  The love which God bestows upon us
act - and we must remember that love is always. one-           centers in Him; it does not mean that we are= merely
sided when it refers to God's love to sinners or the love      naturally drawn to one another, that we delight in each
of the people of God to`their enemies - it must reveal         other merely for natural reasons, but that we delight in
itself as a desire to see or make the object of love perfection, therefore in God, that we would see or
perfect, as God% love to a sinful people or our love to make the object of our love perfect, even as God is
our enemies.                                                   perfect, that we as saints are drawn to one another,
  This love of God, now, is strictly Divine. It is strictly    delight in one another, in that sphere of ethical, spirit-
Divine subjectively. We again quote I John  4:lO: ual perfection. Indeed, the love of God within God
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He Himself and that which He bestows upon His people is
loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for surely one, even as God is one. He, the living God,
our sins. " This means that love never proceeds from us,       draws us irresistibly into His own covenant fellowship,
always from God; hence, the love of God is strictly so that we, according to the measure of the creature,


                                                     THE  STANDARD  BEARER                                                       323


now love God even as He loves Himself.                              own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude,
                                                                    into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons
              II. WHOLL Y PARTICULAR                                to redemption in Christ, Whom He from eternity ap-
                                                                    pointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the
  Today the love of God is presented, ever in-                      foundation of Salvation.
creasingly, as universal or common. God loves all men;                 This elect number; though by nature neither bet-
Christ died for all men; God wduld save all men. The                ter nor more deserving than others, but with them
Arminian, with his emphasis upon the free will of the               involved in one common misery, God hath decreed
sinner, tells you that his gospel is far richer than the            to give to Christ, to be saved by Him, and effectually
gospel of the Christ-for-all preachers. Whereas we pro-             to call and draw them to His communion by His
claim a love of God and a redemption of Christ that                 Word~and  Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith,
are restricted, limited only to some, he preaches a love            justification and sanctification; and having power-
of God and of the Christ that is common, has all men,               fully preserved them in the fellowship of His Son,
head for head, as its objects, and therefore his gospel is          finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of His
so much richer than ours. Is it not logical to assume               mercy, and for the praise of His glorious grace; as it is
                                                                    written: "`According as He hath chosen us in Him,
that a gospel that embraces all men is much richer than             before  the foundation of the world, that we should
a gbspel that pertains to and embraces only a few. To               be holy, and without blame before Him in love;
this we reply, not that our gospel is richer and that of            having predestinated us unto the adoption of chil-
the Arminian poorer, but that our gospel is the only                dren by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
gospel and Arminianism is no gospel at all. And, of                 good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
course, this conception of a universal or common love               His grace,  .wherein  He hath made us accepted in the
of God centers in man. That God is love, all love,                  beloved." Eph.  1:4, 5, 6. And elsewhere: "Whom He
meaning that only love emanates from Him to all men,                did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He
and no wrath or indignation, is fundamentally in error              called, them He- also justified, and whom He justi-
because it seeks the object of this love, not in God but            fied them He also glorified." Rom. 8:30.
in man. This presentation of the love of God ignores the               Art. 15: What peculiarly tends to illustrate and
                                                                    recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace of
truth that God Himself is love. cove never centers in               election is the express testimony of sacred Scripture,
man, but always in the living God.                                  that not all, but some only are elected, while others
  We believe and submit to you that the love of God is,             are passed by in the eternal decree; whom God, out
wholly particular. This is surely the truth as set forth            of His sovereign; most just, irieprehensible and un-
in our Reformed Confessions. First, we turn to the                  changeable good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in
Canons of Dordrecht. Of course, time forbids me to                  the  common  misery into which they have wilfully
quote these articles and to comment on them at                      plunged themselves, and not to bestow upon them
length. In the first head of doctrine the fathers set               saving faith and the grace of conversion; but permit-
                                                                    ting them in His just judgment to follow their own
forth the doctrine of sovereign election and repro-                 ways, at last for the declaration of His  justide, to
bation. Please note what we read in Articles 6, 7 and               condemn and perish them forever, not only on ac-
15 which we now quote:                                              count of their unbelief, but also for all their other
       Art. 6: That some receive the gift of faith from             sins. And this is the decree of reprobation, which by
    God, and others do not receive it, proceeds from                no means makes God the author of sin (the very
    God's eternal decree, "For known unto are all His               thought of which is blasphemy), but declares Him to
    works from the beginning of the world," Acts 15 : 18.           be an awful, irreprehensible, and righteous judge and
    "Who  worketh  all things after the counsel of His              avenger thereqf.
    will," Eph. 1: 11.  ,According  to which decree, He gra-                            (to be continued)
    ciously softens the hearts of the elect, however dbsti-
    nate, and inclines them to believe, while He leaves
    the non-elect in His just judgment to their own wick-
    edness and obduracy. And herein is especially dis-
    played the profound, the merciful, and  at the same
    time the righteous discrimination between men,
    equally involved in ruin; or  that decree of election
    and reprobation, revealed in the Word of God, which
    though men of perverse, impure and,unstable minds
    wrest to their own destruction, yet to holy and pious
    souls affords unspeakable consolation.
       Art. 7: Election is the unchangeable purpose of
    God, whereby, before the foundation of the world,
    He hath out of .mere grace, according to the sovereign
    good pleasure of His own will, chosen, from the
    whole human race, which had fallen through their


324                                            THE  STANDARD.BEARER


All Around Us

                                       Developkents  At COCU
                            A New Church For Madalyn  O'Hair
                                    A Church For Homosexuals
                                    Membership In The W.C.C.

                                                    PVOJ: H. Hanko

DEVELOPMENTS AT COCU                                           "Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior." Concerning the
  The Ninth Plenary Session of the Consultation on truth of Scripture the only statement which would
Church Union has completed its meetings. This Consul- have to be accepted is that the church acknowledges
tation on Church Union was kicked off by Eugene the unique authority of Scripture. Only the Apostolic
Carson Blake ,a decade ago when he proposed a union            and Nicene Creeds would be used as a creedal basis;
of all Protestants into one church which would be and these would be accepted only as "witnessing to the
truly evangelical and truly catholic. Since that time          mighty acts of God recorded in Scripture." Both infant
plans have moved steadily forward to realize such a and adult baptism would be practiced according to the
union. At present nine denominations numbering good pleasure of the local parish. All now eligible to
about one-third (25,000,OOOJ of American Protestants receive communion in their present churches would
have joined the talks. Now the organization is about .also be eligible in the new church. At the ordination of
ready to make its preliminary moves towards actual             presbyters the only question that would be asked is
merger.                                                        "Are you persuaded that the Scriptures of the Old and
  The proposals recently adopted at the Ninth Session New Testaments convey the Word of God needed for
have laid down the general pattern of the church and           teaching our faith and nurturing the life in Christ?"
the general rules for merger. The new church would               The general plan for accomplishing union goes some-
have an episcopal form of church government, with              thing like this. The plan will now be submitted to the
bishops the chief executive officers. The session has          member denominations for study and suggested im-
also ruled that the first presiding bishop must be black.      provements. Such improvements will be considered by
Other offices would include ministers. presbyters and          future plenary sessions extending into 1972 and 1973.
deacons. The whole idea of bishops is to preserve the          When the final plan is drawn up the plan will be re-
episcopal conception of apostolic succession which is          submitted to the members for acceptance or rejection.
one point the Episcopal Church insisted on retaining.          The goal of final union is set for 1980. Merger can be
The plan also allows for women officebearers of every          accomplished if two denominations vote approval. Per-
kind including bishops.                                        haps at that time a final Constitution will be drawn up.
  The basic unit of the new church would be the                There will be, if merger should be agreed upon, services
parish, not the congregation. A parish unit would con-         of ordination for all officebearers and a national ser-
sist of several congregations and an individual would be       vice of inauguration. This later will be the actual
a member of the parish unit, not the congregation              merger. At any time within a year after this service any
where he usually worships. Besides these parishes there        local congregation can withdraw by a majority vote
would also be "task groups" made up of persons com-            and keep its own property. The hope is that the nine
mitted to various social and ecclesiastical projects.          denominations will vote approval not only, but that
Seventy-five parishes would be made into a "district";         other denominations will eventually join. In fact, the
six or eight districts would constitute a "region"; there      stated goal is the ultimate union of the whole church.
would be abdut 200 "regions" throughout the country.             It is difficult to predict the outcome of this whole
The rule of the church would be invested in the bishops,       plan. It seems sometimes as if the ecumenical  move-
not in the local congregations or parishes. In this respect    ment`has lost a lot of its impetus in the last couple of
the church government would resemble Roman Catholi-            years. It is possible however, that this is merely a
cism except that there would be no "pope."                     hiatus while the church, catches its collective breath to
  The doctrinal basis of the new church would be               plunge on in a new endeavor.
loose and broad - so loose and broad that any church
could  find a haven under its roof. The church would           A NEW CHURCH FOR MADAiYN  O%lAIR
maintain the doctrine of the trinity and the doctrine of         Madalyn Murray 0'Hai.r is off on a new blasphemous


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                          325


kick. She has organized a church called "Poor                     church-goers to attend a rally that afternoon to pro-
Richard's Universal.Life Church." It is intended to be a         test the state law banning private homosexual acts
church which can serve as a haven for atheists. She is           between consenting adults." Perry reiterated, "The
the first bishop; her husband is the official prophet.            church does not stand for adults having sexual affairs
She has informed the public that this church will also            with minors in public or forcing themselves on
have saints the first of which is to be Mark Twain, "the          others." The church has a variety of activities and
                                                                  services beside the worship services. They include:
saint of human laughter."                                        marriage ceremonies, though they are not legally
  She is serious in her newest endeavor in this respect          binding, ("couples have to be together 6 months be-
that she has obtained a charter for this church and               fore 1'11 marry them."), a Ladies Auxiliary, designed
intends to have it legally recognized. She claims that            partly to counsel wives, mothers or sisters of homo-
there will be administration of sacraments, opportu-              sexuals; a telephone hot line and counseling service
nities for hearing confessions from the members and              for homosexuals. The biggest practical need we serve
legal provisions for conducting marriage ceremonies.             is that of understanding and giving the homosexuals a
  But she is not serious in that the real aim of this new        sense of belonging.
church is to challenge the tax exempt status of present        We are aware  of' the fact that there is a growing
church bodies. She has sent out thousands of letters to trend to consider homosexuality less than a sin. Al-
various individuals suggesting that they can profit im- ready in Britain and in some states in our own country
mensely by joining this church. All they need do is sell there are laws which have struck from the books old
their present property to her and her husband, lease it legislation making homosexuality a crime that must be
back again and operate it themselves as an ecclesias- punished. In many places in this country homo-
tically owned business. In this way they.will be able to     sexuality between consenting adults is considered per-
escape income taxes. Citing the businesses in which fectly legitimate. There are some who consider
other denominations engage, she suggests that her plan homosexuality a kind of disease similar in some re-
will apply especially to those who own and operate spects to alchoholism; a disease of a psychological kind
motels, stores, mines, newspapers, farms, every kind of which can be traced back to some early childhood
industry, public utilities, race tracks, distilleries and traumatic experience; a disease which must therefore
restaurants.                                                 be treated by psychiatric  counselling.  But there are
  It is a shame for the church that the church itself others who consider homosexuality to be in no way er-
has given occasion for Madalyn  O'Hair to engage in ratic behavior, but a normal outlet for sexual drives in
such ungodly capers. It is true that the charge she some .kinds of people. The point is, in either case, that
makes against the church is a travesty upon the homosexuals must be accepted by society, given a
church's calling. No church has the right to be busy place in society's activities, understood by their fellow
with all kinds of money-making projects. And it is not men and stricken from the list of "oddities." Even
right that these businesses should be tax free.              among some Reformed, as e.g. in the Netherlands,
  But there is a blasphemy in all that this wretched there is a tendency in this direction.
woman does ,which  makes' the cold chills, run down            Scripture however speaks of this sin as being one of
one's spine. She defies the  -God of heaven with her the most detestable sins of which mankind is capable
horrible statements and makes a mockery of the and a sure indication of God's terrible judgment upon
church. One wonders sometimes how it is possible that the ungodly. Not only does Scripture insist that all
a just and righteous God does not strike from heaven homosexuality must be branded as sin without any
against such awful profanation of His own most high reservation; but it also points out that this kind of sin
majesty.                                                     results when God gives men over to sin because of their
                                                             unbelief and idolatry. It is the judgment of God upon a
A CHURCH FOR HOMoSEXUALS                                     godless world. It is a mire into which men are pushed.
  We quote the following from  -the  Accent,  a paper by God's righteous anger. It is as low as a man can sink
published by the American Council of Christian into the cesspools of depravity. When a society con-
Churches:                                                    dones this, it has fallen far indeed.
       The Los Angeles Times for December 8, included
    a feature report on the Metropolitan Community           MEMBERSHIP IN THE W. C. C.
    Church of Hollywood. The pastor, Troy Perry, was           Quoting from the same paper:
    excommunicated from a pastorate in Santa Ana, af-               Pope Paul has "referred favorably" to a proposed
    filiated with the Church of God (Cleveland, Tenn.)           study of the different aspects of the meaning of
    when his homosexuality was revealed: He later                Romari Catholic membership in "the fellowship of
    founded this church which openly caters to Sod-              the World Council of Church," a high WCC official
    omites. It has grown to more than 225 members in a           said.
    little over a year and meets in a donated movie                 M. M. Thomas, chairman of the World Council's
    theatre. The Times reported Perry as, "Urging his            policy making Central Committee., made this state-


326                                                  THE STANDARD BEAR-ER



       ment to the 120 committee members representing                 at all. For unity belongs to the nature of the Church,
       235 Protestant Orthodox Churches.                              and even more, according  to. Paul, constitutes the
          The question of Catholic membership in the WCC              Church's very existence. The question about doc-
       has been widely discussed in the past year, especially         trinal unity is a question of how much  and  on what
       since Father Roberto Tucci, S.J., told  the'Council's          doctrinal matters. Unless this is answered the simple
       1968 4th Assembly that he saw no reason to prohibit            assertion that Church unity rests on doctrinal unity
       such affiliation.                                              has unending tenure. This assertion can be urged
   This.  was quoted from a release of the Religious                  against even the most minor doctrinal disagreement
News Service.                                                         until the end of the world.
  In the March issue of the  Reformed  Journal  James               Apart from the fact that Daane seems to dismiss this
Daane continues his arguments favoring membership in              matter of doctrine and its relation to the unity of the
the W.C.C. for the Christian Reformed Church. It is Church rather lightly (this is all in the whole article
Daane's contention that Paul in his writings, especially          said about it), the questions Daane raises are exactly
those writings to the churches of Colosse and  Ephe-              the questions we have been pleading for. Before Daane
sians, develops a view of the Church which makes                  quickly takes the position that membership in the
membership for the Christian Reformed Church all but W.C.C. is legitimate for a Reformed body, he ought, on
obligatory. We do not have the space or inclination to            his own admission to answer these questions. How
go i.nto Daane's arguments here. There is only one mat- much doctrinal unity ought there to be? and on what
ter which attracts our attention particularly.                    doctrinal matters? Having answered this, he can pro-
  In a closing paragraph Daane writes:                            ceed to examine the W.C.C. to discover whether or not
          The argument used most effectively against mem-         this organization fits the necessary doctrinal require-
       bership in the World Council of Churches and some          ments. But he knows as well as we do that should he
       other ecumenical associations is that there can be no      answer these questions honestly the problem will be re-
       unity of the Church until there is unity of doctrine.      solved: membership in the W.C.C. is an impossibility
  About this argument, the following comments:                    for a Reformed Church which seeks the true unity of
       Where there is no unity of doctrine there can be no        the Church of Christ.
       unity of the Church; indeed, there can be no Church



Examining Ecumenical ism

                                 "Towards New Styles of living"
                                                        Rev. G. Van Baren

  The sixth and final report adopted in 1968 by the port  ,was not labeled: "Towards new Styles of Chris-
World Council of Churches is titled:. "Towards New tian Living?" The chairman responded by pointing
Styles of Living." One might well wonder, upon read- out:
ing that title, what W.C.C. would come up with in this                   . . . that although the report tried to define  the.
report. One woman explained the title at the meeting                  character of Christian life today, it is "attentive to all
in Uppsala:                                                           human values whoever it is who defends them." If
          By the word "style" we do not mean merely out-              there is a Christian style of living in the world today,
       ward appearance, fashion, or even conduct. In art, in          it is an open style, lived by people who are ready to
       literature, in architecture, style means something             work on the various issues with various people of
       richer than that. It is a complex unity of shape and           various faiths and convictions. To try to work out a.
       substance, of doing and being, of life and belief, of          principal, separating guiding line between a Christian
       medium and message. It is about the outward man-               style of living and a human style would therefore be
       ifestations of the inward convictions. It is about             a great error.
       living on one's faith.                                       The most serious lack in the entire report is that the
  A child of God, reading the adopted report, must be cross is missing. Christ's name is used, but it is evident
somewhat shocked. He would probably expect little that the "new styles of living" represent not the life of
from the W.C.C., but this report is one which could the regenerated who have been cleansed through the
hardly be expected from those who call themselves blood of Christ. It presents rather man's idea of ways
churches of Jesus Christ. First, it is not at all specific- in which that which calls itself church can adapt to the
ally Christian. Some complained about this at the modern world.
Uppsala meeting. These wanted to know why the re-                   The report suggests need for change, change involv-


                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        327


ing relationships between classes and races of peoples,               them should not forget the bloodshed that was in-
change in morality, change in family relationships.                  herent in those regimes, and the constant destruction
Among other things, the report suggests:                              of lives carelessly caused by some structures of con-
        The contemporary world is dominated by middle                 temporary society such as inhumane working
     class people, the majority of whom are white Euro-               conditions.
     peans and North  Americans.  This also holds true of          I wonder what the apostle Paul would say to all the
     the churches, and particularly of an international as-      above. I am. rather certain that I know. Repeatedly he
     sembly such as ours in Uppsala. . . . .                     ignored the "moral injustices" which existed in his
        Modern methods of preventing conception raise a          day. There was slavery. There was dictatorship of the
     question in the minds of many about. Christian teach-       worst sort. There was poverty as well as riches. But
     ing on chastity. Was it just based on a fear of possible    Paul, in the epistles, was not concerned with that..He
     consequences? Too often chastity is thought of sim-         told the slave to be an obedient slave - he surely did
     ply in  terms of abstinence or of keeping intercourse       not tell him: "Where other means have failed; some
     within marriage. But chastity is surely also concerned
     with the way love is expressed, with the qualities of       have chosen to protest against social injustice . . . by
     tenderness and responsibility which not only restrain       selective destruction of property." He told the citizen
     people in their personal relations but also sustain hus-    to be obedient to those whom God had placed in au-
     band and wife in a life-long commitment to each             thority - even to Nero. He wrote that he learned that
     other. . . .                                                in whatever state he was, therewith to be content. He
        Family patterns change in different social settings,     recognized that injustices existed, but these were of
     and Christian marriage can find its expression in a         such minor importance. The Christian is a pilgrim and
     variety of ways. We would like materials elaborating        stranger on the earth. At most, these injustices can be
     the problems of polygamy, marriage and celibacy,            heaped upon the Christian only for a time of 70 or 80
     birth control, divorce; abortion, and also of homo-         years. Then the saints go home to be with their Lord in
     sexuality, to be made available for responsible study       heaven.
     and action.                                                   Paul, and all faithful ministers of Christ, were always
   Suggestions are offered to make necessary changes concerned with preaching Christ crucified. He is the
in the present order of society. The report does not             answer, the only answer, for the child of God. All the
condemn violence under certain extreme conditions,               efforts of man `to improve this world will fail. These
but regards it as a legitimate option. It would rebuke           fail because the, "solutions" which man offers, exclude
churches which "tolerate racism," though it will not the idea of atonement.
rebuke churches or individuals who deny the  atone-                This is the central evil of the report adopted by the
men t of the cross. Here is a sample of their sug-               W.C.C. It was not even meant to be distinctively Chris-
gestions :                                                       tian. It presents a certain philosophy which any re-
        a) participate in organizations of collective bar-       ligion could adopt. But its philosophy is not Christian.
     gaining (trade unions, political parties, international     The report excludes Christ. It is true that His -Name is
     organizations, law courts);                                 mentioned a few times, but His croSs is not. The work
        b) stimulate those in authority, and the dis-
     inherited, to act (letters to members of parliament,        of atonement is not mentioned. Reconciliation, which
     demonstrations, strikes, peasant leagues, training and      is mentioned, is defined or explained thus: "Our aim is
     organizing of slum dwellers, teaching and preaching,        reconciliation which means directing conflicts towards
     protest songs);                                             constructive ends. . . ." The report goes on to explain
        c) support international development and partici-        how that there is not one style of life which can be
     pate in nation building. Set the example as indi-           termed "Christian." It emphasizes that we meet Christ
     viduals and as churches (renouncement of possible           in all kinds of people generally:
     careers in order to serve the needy; transfer of wealth            No style of life is Christian if it is indifferent to
     and knowledge by an international development tax;              suffering of other people. In the victims of war and
     moratorium on ostentatious church building  pro-                exploitation (for example in Nigeria and South East
     grammes);                                                       Asia), in hungry children, in the prostitute seeking to
        d) because racism is irreconcilable with Christian           be respected as a person, in the young man thirsting
     faith the churches should continue to rebuke those              for knowledge,  - in all  fhese we meet Jesus  Christ.
     churches which tolerate racism, and make it clear               Where there is a living protest against selfish accumu-
     that racist churches cannot be recognized as members            lation of wealth, where a foreigner is respected as a
     in good standing within the ecumenical fellowship.              colleague and welcomed as a neighbor, in those who
        Where other means have failed, some have chosen              stand up for the rights of minorities,  - there we  find
     to protest against social injustice by economic boy-            ambassadors of reconciliation in our time. Whether
     cott or by selective destruction of property. In ex-            we are rich or poor, it is in solidarity with thd under-
     treme situations, some groups' of Christians have               privileged that our existence acquires  dire&ion and
     borne the risk and guilt of shedding blood (examples:           purpose. We discover the marvellous truth of the
     the resistance against Hitler, the Cuban revolution             prdmise that he who loses his life for Christ's sake
     against the  Bat&a  regime). Those who condemn                  will fmd it.


328                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER



          .  . . There is no single style of Christian life. Our    tion, which claims to be faithful yet to God's Word,
       style of living springs from more than what we con-           can belong to such an organization advocating the
       sciously are or do: . . .                                    above, is beyond me. How any individuals could urge
  The above might give some idea of the direction and their denominations to join this organization, I can not
purpose of the World Council of Churches. It is  en- understand. There is simply no place"in that organiza-
gaged in a struggle for "social justice," a struggle which t*ion for those who wish to maintain the Word of God
has no room for the cross of Christ. This. sixth report is. purely. The faithful church must be separate.
very clear on this score. How any church or denomina-


Studies in  Depth,

              The Unpardonable Sin And Campus Crusade
                                                         Rev. Robt. C. Havbach


  One is not and never ought to be surprised at being human point of view, it is possible that any one may
severely criticized for standing on the sure .foundation commit the sin against the Holy Spirit. That is why
of Reformed truth. But it is something else when, out such gospel'warnings are protested against all without
of a clear blue sky, one who uncompromisingly takes exception who hear its denunciations. Why would God
such a stand is charged with committing no less than have such warnings made but as a means of deterring
the unpardonable sin. By the March 15, 1970 issue bf His elect from the sin which never has forgiveness!
The Standard Beaver intelligence of this pitiful attack Hence, all do. well seriously to take these warnings to
comes, revealing its source to be the March issue of heart.
Missionary   lMonthZy,  which rarely, and not in this in-              Now Dr. Jerome De Jong says, as reported in the
stance either, comes to our hands. Yet surprise is March 15 issue of The Standard Beaver, "I plead with
hardly the term to express reaction to such severe ac- all critics. Before you criticize a work of God (as, e.g.,
cusation. However, it is, indeed, something to take as a Campus Crusade, presumptuously and without confes-
warning, if that were all that were involved, giving it sional and scriptural proof so claimed to be  - RCH)
very grave consideration, though called upon to do so because of jealousy on your part or guilt please con-
by an opponent.                                                      sider Matthew 12:3 l-32." Here it is contended that the
  Only, we have received not merely a warning against critic of the wildest Arminianism by such criticism sins
this sin, but have been accused of actually committing against the Holy Spirit, and that  he  sins against the
it. Then that leaves us without hope of repentance, Spirit who is jealous of the grace his brother receives.
where warning is useless and condemnation the only In answer to this, especially to the latter statement,
thing left for such a criminal. Since it is most presump- Calvin,  in  his  Institutes,  III, III, 22, readily comes to
tuous to make such a charge outright without first our defence.
warning a man against this evil, it will be well for our                          "Others say, that a man sins against the Holy
readers to consider that the. warning of Scripture                       Ghost, who envies the grace bestowed on his brother.
against this sin is directed to all without exception. It                I know no foundation for this notion."
is addressed to you, to me and to all under the sound No, nor do we know of any support for such a fancy.
of the gospel. Therefore no one may reason that since This is the way, in the same place, Calvin understands
the unpardonable sin cannot actually be committed by the unpardonable sin:
the elect, and since we are elect, regenerated people of                          "I say, then, that the sin against the Holy Ghost is
God, that therefore the biblical warnings concerning                     committed by those who, though they are so over-
                                                                         powered with the splendour of divine truth that they
the sin against the Holy Spirit have no bearing upon                     cannot pretend ignorance, nevertheless resist it with
our lives, and so do not apply to us. That would not be                  determined malice, merely for the sake of resisting
humble faith, but wicked presumption. For "let him                       .  3,
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. Now%herein has this present writer resisted any divine
10: 12). Both the words of Jesus in regard.to this sin in truth? Let Dr. De Jong show such resistance. And
Matthew 12 and those of the Hebrews writer in his where have we said that any of Campus Crusade have
sixth chapter are directed to the church of God as made unpardonable resistance to God's truth? That by
warnings to believers. As elect, it is not possible that their unscriptural philosophizings, Campus Crusade of-
they, the elect, commit this sin. Yet from a purely fends the truth of God, we maintain. Also we maintain


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        329



that this is done widely, on their part, and with a great       It certainly is to be granted, in the light of Calvin's
deal of deep-seated ignorance of the teaching of Scrip- sagacious remarks, that as to this, it may be, hateful,
ture. For it is difficult to find one more ignorant of opposition to the truth of God, which the true church
true righteousness and/or the message of Holy Writ through the ages has always stood, lived and died for,
than a Campus Crusader. What is needed is massive             one may, as the Apostle Paul did, legitimately and ex-
doses of spiritual enlightenment and sound instruction cusably plead ignorance. Paul said, I "was before a
in the tenets of the  .true Christian and Reformed re- blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I ob-
ligion. If they had the benefit of this enlightenment in tained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief'
Reformed truth, many of them would, I have no (I Tim. 1: 13). Hear Calvin comment on Paul's words.
doubt, receive it in the love of it, and certainly would             "Paul appears to insinuate that there is no room
not hold it down in unrighteousness, as many are doing            for pardon, unless when ignorance can be pleaded in
these days who claim to be Reformed. Hear Calvin                  excuse. What then? Will God never pardon anyone
further on this.                                                  who has sinned knowingly? I reply, we must observe
       "Those who unadvisedly offend against the truth            the word `unbelief,' for this term limits Paul's state-
    of God, which they know not, and who ignorantly               ment to the first table of the Law. Transgressions of
    revile Christ, but at the same time have such a dis-          the second table, although they are voluntary, are
    position that they would not extinguish the divine            forgiven; but he who knowingly and wilfully breaks
    truth if revealed to them or utter one injurious word         the first table sins against the Holy Spirit, because he
    against him whom they knew to be the Lord's Christ,           is in direct opposition to God. He does not err
    - they sin against the Father and the Son. Thus there         through weakness, but by rushing wickedly against
    are many, in the `present day, who most inveterately          God, gives a sure proof of his reprobation."
    execrate the doctrine of the gospel, which if they        Sin against the Holy Spirit is then open defiance of
    knew to be the evangelical doctrine, they would be        God and `His truth, especially as that truth has been
    ready to venerate with their whole heart."                deposited in the church and held in its pure and scrip-
But these, you see, according to Calvin, though they tural expressions as to what Scripture teaches. It is
sin, and that against the Father and the Son, do not flagrant transgression of the first table of the law.
commit the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. Worse yet, it is malicious rejection of the truth. For
Nor have we said or implied anything of the kind.             when one has not gone that far in opposition to the
Calvin goes on to state clearly exactly what that sin is.     truth, the Holy Spirit has not been resisted. The op-
       "But those who are convinced in their conscience,      posing of the truth with malicious intent is here con-
    that it is the Word of God which they reject and          trasted with a sinful ignorance, which clearly exposes
    oppose, and yet continue in their opposition,  - they     the point of difference.
    are said to blaspheme against the Spirit, because they      The former Standard Bearer articles written in un-
    strive against the illumination which is the work of      refuted criticism of Campus Crusade had considerable
    the Holy Spirit."                                         to say of the true doctrine and work of the Holy
This is that horrible unpardonable sin, which has no          Spirit. Will any defender of this movement prove that
forgiveness, neither in this world nor in the world to these articles as presented or developed are in any way
come. But I know of no critic of Campus Crusade who wrong, or in conflict with the Scriptures and the Re-
has come any where near this sin. If anything, it is the formed Confessions? Will they also, please, show that
false position of Campus Crusade, and the thinking of Campus Crusade and its philosophical (really  un-
its apologists, which come dangerously close to that philosbphical) cliches, its tenets, if you prefer, do har-
dreadful sin. For in their very obvious opposition to         monize with Reformed truth? Until this is done, the
the Reformed truth, which we, in brief, call Calvinism,       accusation of having committed the unpardonable sin
they do "strive against the illumination which is the is at the least ridiculous, and at the most, flagitious, to
work of the Holy Spirit," especially as that work and use a favorite word of Calvin's.
illumination for centuries have been operative and evi-         Let all guard against fighting against the truth of
dent in the church in what we call the Three Forms of God, though it be in ignorance. For to do so is to come
Unity - the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confes- perilously close to sin against the Holy Spirit. Campus
sion and the Canons of Dort with its Rejection of Er- Crusade claims to work in  harm&y with and for the
rors,  - and also as given in our Reformed liturgies, church, not against the church. If this be so, then the
such as the Forms for the Administration of Baptism movement will bear marks similar to the marks of the
and the Lord's Supper, the Forms for Ordination and           true church, as namely to hold the perfect doctrine of
.Solemnization of Marriage, etc. We refer to these salvation outlined in the great Reformed Confessions.
standards, too, in their originals, not as having under- Yet we are inclined to believe that the majority of the
gone modern deletions, omissions and changes. For modern religious movements are established in the first
this body of truth meets a great deal of resistance,          place as a result of departure from the Reformed
attack and corrupting influence daily as it comes from standards and the faith of the Reformers. For their
both the Liberal and Arminian camp.                           whole position and ministry is terribly unreformed.


330                                                 THE STANDARD  BEAR.ER



The onus and responsibility of speaking according to             to repent. We shudder to think how we were once in
this Word and the teachiug of the Spirit in the Church Arminian ignorance and darkness, hence so close to
of the ages is upon them. Many of them, if they have             Modernism. For this reason we are ineffibly  grateful to
not already sinned against the light and illumination of Almighty God for the light of His truth which He has
the Spirit, are but a hair's breadth from doing so. Calvin       beamed into our hearts, filling us with the knowledge
(Institutes, III, III, 24) warns that they who do so              and the love of the truth. But they who stand not
       "are stricken with eternal blindness by the righteous      squarely in line with the reformed religion freed most
       judgment of God, on account of their ingratitude."         the warning herein given against the unpardonable sin.
If that happens, it will be impossible for these people


In His Fear

                                              Heir Pollution
                                                        Rev. John A. Heys

  Both air and water pollution today are matters of beautiful creation the way we have done and continue
g r e a t   c o n c e r n .                                      to do. He would, before every deed and new venture,
  Not only is our water being polluted by poisons and have asked whether this or that was to the glory of
filth which are being poured into them at a steady rate, God; and he would have acted in a way that would
our air also is becoming less and less fit for breathing render to God the greatest glory. He would not have
and more and more dangerous for our very life.                    asked whether this would give himself momentary
   It is a matter of life and breath. But it is also and for pleasure of the flesh at the expense of service to God
that very reason a matter of life and death. Lung dis- and the shining forth of His wisdom and power. He
eases, including the fatal lung cancer, are on the in- would not in process of time have sent forth into the
crease, and not always because of smoking, but surely air tremendous columns of smoke from altar% with sac-
because of smoke and fumes that are released into the rificial lambs. That all comes after he has sinned. Adam
air which we breathe. The delicate tissue of the lungs would have presented his body, and with it the whole
cannot remain healthy and strong with all these foreign earthly creation, as a living, and thus smokeless, sacri-
elements taken into the lungs along with the very life- fice to God. We  may certainly believe that a  God-
sustaining oxygen which we must have.                            centered man in paradise would do only that which
  A strange people we are  - yea a foolish people, would preserve God's beauty in the creation which dis--
fallen into sin and  sclf:destruction   - that spends bil- played so richly His glory, and that he would not bring
lions of dollars and erects laboratories and clinics to destruction willfully to God's living creatures for the
seek in every way by medicine and surgical procedures satisfaction of his own flesh.
to lengthen life; and then turns right ai-ound  and short-.         But we are not writing about that kind of air pol-
ens life by destroying the value of the water and air that lution. We speak of a more serious pollution, that of
we require so desperately. We act as though we want to the polluting of the minds and of corrupting the walk
live longer; and yet we go on a course which says that of our heirs, the covenant children which God has
we will instead enjoy the moment regardless of the given us. For not only are these our heirs, but they
consequences for the future.                                     with us aye heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, as
  All this is due to our self-centered, atheistic ambi- Paul declares in his epistle to the Romans. We are not
tions. We use neither water nor air to serve God but to          writing about our children simply as our earthly heirs,
serve our flesh. We ask not, "Lord what wilt Thou have and as those that shall inherit the mess which we have
me to do with Thy creation?" Instead we say, "This is created. We write concerning them as children of God's
my world. How can I serve the lust of my flesh, the              covenant and as heirs of everlasting life.
lust of my eyes and the pride of my life with these?"               Their minds: we so easily and quickly pollute, and
What Adam would have done with all the minerals and their ways we corrupt, directly and indirectly. 0, in-
resources of this earth had he not turned from God is deed, they come into this world with minds that are
problematic; Whether he would in time have sought to darkened and are under the power of sin. Of all with-
set foot on the moon as part of his calling to "subd?e out any exception must it be said that they were
the earth" remains a question no man is in a position shapen in iniquity, and that in sin did their mothers
to answer. But as God's royal .priesthood he cel"tainly          conceive them. Of them all it must be said that they
would not have defiled, comipted and polluted God's were from birth dead in tresspasses and sins (Ephesians


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   331



2:1), and born with a mind that was enmity against            hurl back at their parents .for the example that had
God, was not subject to His law, nor indeed could be been set for them.
(Romans 8:7). But because we view them as covenant              Then there is also the pollution of the minds and
children whom God is pleased to give a rebirth, and           corruption of the ways of their heirs of salvation by
who have then received the truth by a true and living allowing others to corrupt them by their teachings and
faith, we also can speak of polluting their minds and of practices. There is that dangerous and wholly unscrip-
corrupting their walk. You cannot pollute the decaying tural position that our children ought to be taught the
garbage. But you can pollute that which is fresh and evils of the day so that they can be trained to reject
clean and good. You cannot pollute the carnal mind of them. It is often a practice then to invite those who
the unbelieving children of the world, for the simple         hold to philosophies of men that deny the truth of,
reason that there is nothing pure and clean in that           God's Word to "speak their piece" before our children
mind. But the children of the covenant, who have re-          so that they may see how evil the heretic and unbeliever
ceived a new life, as God is pleased to establish and         actually is. And it is maintained that one must taste
realize His covenant in our children after us, can be-        the evil of the world in order intelligently and antithet-
come polluted heirs. They camlot fall away from grace,        ically with meaning to reject them.
for He Who hath begun a good work in them will                  Now that our children should be warned against
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Philippians         evils that are current is one thing. Scripture urges us to
1:6. But they can backslide and in generations be in          do that and gives direct command to us to do so. God
the covenant line no more. What is more,. they can lose       Himself in the seven letters to the seven churches in
the joy of their salvation and fail in their reasonable       Asia points out the evils which are to be exterminated
service before God in the measure that their minds are        from the church. And the plain implication is that the
polluted. Wholly polluted they can never become. But. children m.ust be taught to recognize these as evils. We
polluted they surely can be.                                  certainly must point out with clear language the evils
  As believing covenant parents we will never do that         that confront our children and explain to them why
deliberately, to be sure. That does not mean however,         they are evils. But to, invite the false prophet to come
that we do not do so in many ways and do it very              and speak his piece before our children so that they
surely. Children watch their parents, and at an early         may get his view firsthand is quite another thing. We
age like to imitate them. The words which we speak            do not need to murder in order to understand, how evil
may well be those that strive to keep their minds pure        murder is. We do not need to practice any sin in order
and to prevent them from the doctrines of unbelievers         to learn to know what sin is; That is the old lie of the
and polluted thoughts of the ungodly. And yet by our          devil. He deceived man into thinking that by sinning he
actions we can pollute their minds with that which'we         would know what is good and what is evil. And where
do not want others to teach them.                             did it get us? Exactly in ,the mess in which, we find
  We do that by not showing the interest we ought in          ourselves today with minds that are darkened by sin
the covenant promises. So easily and quickly we teach         and cannot see sin when we are in the very heart and
them to seek the things here below by making this our         center of it.
own personal goal. These heirs soon begin to form the           God's psychology is higher than the psychology of
opinion that the earthly is to be their goal. And our         the unbeliever, as. all His works are because they are
spasmodic and anemic seeking of the things above, sets        wise and perfect, and the sinner's are folly. God told
a pattern for them which they gladly follow. We may           the Israelites to break down the idols, and altars of the
speak of the glories of heaven and of the wonder of idols, in the land of Canaan lest the heirs of salvation
that better land. But our own vigorous striving for the       see them and adopt them for their gods. He did not tell
earth and its goods, and our tenacious hanging on to          the Israelites to invite the Baal prophets over for a
every earthly possession tells our children a different lecture on  Baa1 worship. He did not command His
story. And it is a story that they like to hear and for       people to take their children to a sacrifice to Baal to
which they are waiting. Our own lawless deeds corrupt         show them what a corruption it really is. And if one
their way- of life and encourage them in disobedience         really loves the truth and delights in a walk ,of right-
and illegal procedures. As the expression has it, "The        eousness and faith, he will so abhor these heresies and
apple does not fall far from the tree." And therefore it      sinful practices that he will do all in his power to keep
is also true that beholding the fallen apple, we need         these from the heirs of the promise.
not look far for the tree, and see the tree when we see         We have that One Whose love is perfect and Who
the apple. What is more, the heirs become bold in their walked among us as our worthy example. Once again
evil because they see similar evils at home. They need in these seven letters to the seven churches in Asia He
not, as the lost son in Jesus' parable, go to a far coun-     condemns this nonsense in the covenant sphere. In His
try to spend their lives in riotous living. They can do so    letter to the church in Thyatira He says, "But unto
at home with the assurance that all that they will re- you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as
ceive is a frown and a few words, which they can then have not known this doctrine, and which have not


332                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put         leges, but practice this great evil of giving the
upon you none other burden." Here in this church it          anti-Christian  forces their day under the auspices of
was maintained that one had to know the depths of            these "Christian" colleges, to say what they have to
Satan in order to enjoy the heights of Christ. Unless we     say to our covenant youth. And we had better be sure
taste the depths of sin, so the argument went, we could      that  .a11 down the line from kindergarten upward we
not appreciate the blessedness of the forgiveness of sin.    bring our heirs where the air is not polluted with the
It was the old story of continuing in sin that grace         philosophies of men. If Christian instruction, truly
might the more abound. But Jesus condemns it and             Christian instruction, was ever necessary, the time is
calls those who have done so to repent. Let these then       now! How amazing even are the ways of God, Whose
today who would deliberately expose the heirs of the         heirs our children are, when these children detect the
promise to the heretic, and let him "put out all his         unchristian instruction given them and clamor for that
steps" to seek to get his  view across, take warning         which glorifies God, and abhor the philosophies of
AND REPENT OF THIS EVIL!                                     men. Let parents then rejoice, but also be concerned
  And let the parents get as concerned, yea g&t more         and wage a vigorous program to keep their heirs from
concerned, about this heir pollution which has such          the pollutions of Satan. Let parents give their children
serious and everlasting consequences.                        the best and cleanest religious air to breathe that the
  It is with fear and trembling that we send our chil-       heirs of the promise be kept unspotted from the world.
dren to colleges that are advertised as Christian col-


                                    BOOKREVIEWS

THE PATTERN OF NEW TESTAMENT. TRUTH, by                      context of Scripture's teachings concerning  eschatol-
George  Eldon Ladd; Wm. B. Eevdmans Publishing               WY-
Company, 1969; 1 I1 pp., $3.7.5.                                                                                                H.H.

  It is common for various scho.ols about the country
to invite learned men to deliver Memorial lectures. It is    THE REFORM OF THE CHURCH, by Donald
reasonable to expect that one so invited will consider Bloesch; Wm. B. Eevdmans Publishing Company, 1970;
this a  great honor and accept with alacrity. It is not 199 pp., $4.95.
unusual that these lectures are then published in book
form for the general instruction and edification of the        That the Church is today in trouble seems to be
wider reading public. It is questionable whether there almost universally admitted. Donald Bloesch, from an
is always wisdom in such publication. Sometimes the          evangelical perspective, writes a book which is a pre-
lectures do not deal with such important matters that scription of the cure:
                                                                      What we seek is a' new kind of evangelicalism,  one
they warrant publication. It is quite possible that this       that is ecumenical as well as biblical, social as well as
book belongs in this latter category.                               personal. While avoiding the false otherworldliness
  The book contains the lectures of George Eldon                    that disregards life in this world, characteristic of an
Ladd, professor of New Testament Exegesis and Theol-                introverted "pietism" and much of Catholic mysti-
ogy in Fuller Theological Seminary. They were de-                   cism, we endorse a true otherworldliness that gives
livered as the Nils W. Lund Memorial Lectures at North              significance to life in this world.
Park Seminary in Chicago in 1966.                              The book discusses the whole range of ecclesiastical
  The book takes issue with the fact that many stu-          problems from the place of the preaching and the
dents of Scripture find great importance in Gnosticism       sacraments through the questions of special gifts in the
as background to an understanding of the New Testa- Church to the Church's calling to seek the unity of
ment. The author goes on to discuss what he considers Christ's body. The author fills the book with many
to be more important: ,Greek dualism as taught especi-       suggestions of a practical nature to restore ,vit&ity to
ally by Plato, Plutarch and  Philo. He emphasizes that the Church. Many of his chapters are very ggod. He has
New Testament "dualism" (as well as Hebrew thought           an excellent chapter on the importance of preaching, a
in the Old Testament) is fundamentally different from        provocative chapter on confession of sin, a good discus-
that found in Greek thinking. This fundamental differ-       sion of the sacraments, a strong plea for a return to the
ence is in the unifying concept of the New Testament         exercise of Christian discipline. There is also much with
- "the invasion of God into human history for man's which  one cannot agree. The author is too broadly
salvation." This unifying concept is asserted  over-         evangelical in his. approach to the doctrines of salvation
against modern literary criticism and discussed in the       by grace alone (which leads him again and again into


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   333



Arminianism); he places too much emphasis on the                As one might conclude from the fact of its size, this
social calling of the Church - or, at least, divorces this is not a superficial work, but a very thorough one. He
calling from the context of the salvation of the elect who makes use of this commentary must expect not a
Church in Jesus Christ; he gives altogether too prom- "thumb-nail" explanation, but a very careful  and_  de-
inent a role to the gifts of tongues, healing, prophesy, taile.d and complete explanation of the text. The late
etc. in the Church.                                           Dr. Young, who was professor in Old Testament
   In spite of the many things with which we cannot studies' at Westminster Seminary, was a scholar in the
agree, this book is strongly recommended to all our true sense of that term. He had a thorough command
readers. It is thorough, thought-provoking, interesting of the Hebrew language, as well as of related languages;
and will give much material for meditation to those he had a wide acquaintance with literature on the. Old
who are interested in the problems which afflict the Testament; and he knew what was involved in believing
Church today and iho are concerned for her evils.             exegesis. All of these merits shine brightly in his com-
                                                   H . H .    mentary. Moreover, in this commentary there is mani-
                                                              fest a basically Reformed position and a striving after
                                                              faithfulness to the text which is somewhat of a rarity
A SYMPOSIUM ON CREATION (II), Edited by                       in contemporary commentaries.
Donald W. Patten; Bakef Book House, 1970; 151 pp.,              Yet the style and forniat of this commentary is
$1.95 (paper).                                                popular in the sense that one need not be acquainted
                                                              with the mysteries of the Hebrew language in order to
  The two books which have thus far been published read it. Technical material and references to the origi-
in this series are extremely worth-while books. They nal are placed in footnotes as much as possible. Hence,
are worthwhile for especially two reasons. In the first tiyone who is willing to put on his thinking-cap can
place, they are, in most instances, scholarly refutations make very profitable use of this commentary.
of the theory of evolutionism. In the second place,             These volumes on Isaiah by Dr. Young are the first
they are serious attempts, by competent scientists, to        of a projected series called "The New International.
develop a true science which is in harmony with the           Commentary on the Old Testament." If the other
Word of God.                                                  volumes of this series measure up to the quality of Dr.
  This present book does both. As far as a refutation         Young's work, this will indeed be an excellent series.
of evolutionism is concerned, this book has important         Highly recommended.
chapters on the errors of Carbon-14 (and other radio-                                                           H.C.H.
active elements) dating and a very instructive chapter
on "The Mythological Character of Evolution." In
their efforts to develop a Scripturally true Science, the     DE OUDE BARTH (ZOALS WE HEM HOORDENIN
authors have presented material on "The Pre-flood             COLLEGES EN  GESPREKKEN); Dr. A.  DekkerlDrs.
Greenhouse Effect" and "A Scriptural Groundwork               G. Puchinger; Uitgeversmij  J. H. Kok N. V., Kampen,
for Historical Geology." Other chapter titles  .are T%e Netherlands; 162 pp. (paper), $9.75.
"Dating the Earth  atid Fossils," "Genesis Time: A
Spiritual Consideration," "Creation: The Only Reason-           This little book is of a biographical nature. It`is not
able Explanation of Na'tural Phenomena."                      a complete or even a partial biography; but, as the title
  While there may be differences of opinion on the indicates, it is about "The Aged Barth" as seen through
author's conclusions in both areas, the authors and the       the eyes and heard through the ears of two Dutch
publishers are to be commended for producing these theologians who studied under Barth and who inter-
books. We heartily recommend them to our schools viewed him during his latter years. In a Foreword
and homes. We sincerely hope that Baker will continue         written by Dr. A. Dekker the purpose of this book is
to publish them.                                              adequately expressed: "Possibly some will see and hear
                                                      H.H.    Barth anew with us in this  little book. Very old,
                                                              bowed, pale. Nevertheless moving, great in his simplic-
                                                              ity, become mild in his judgment, enthusiastic in his
THE BOOK OF ISAIAH; VOL. II, CHAPTERS XIX-                    encouragement. He remained startlingly original. There
XXIX; Edward  J. Young; Wm. B. Eerdmans  P&l.                 was always something to learn."
Co.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; 604 pp., $9.95.                       There is no unity or theme in the book. It merely
                                                              furnishes glimpses  bf Karl Barth in his latter days.
  This is the secorid of a piojecfed three volumeson          Some of these -glimpses are of Barth in the lecture-hall
the Prophecy of Isaiah by' the late Dr. Edward J.             situation, lecturing to his students on Calvin, on
Young. Dr. Young had completed the manuscript for Schleiermacher, on Rome and Vatican II. Others are
the third volume before his death, and the third vol- interesting accounts of conversations or interviews
ume is scheduled for publication during 1970 also.            with Barth. The book is enhanced by  a few striking


334                                              THESTANDARD BEARER


photographs.                                                      some very interesting glimpses into Barth's rather
  While this book is not intended to be a study or                enigmatic character and manner; and this book can be
evaluation of Barth as a theologian, one nevertheless read (by anyone able to read Dutch, and some  Ger-
gets the impression that the authors were not a little man) with enjoyment.
taken in by Barth. And in this sympathy toward the                                                                   H.C.H.
Base1 theologian I cannot share. Nevertheless, there are



                      ANNOUNCEMENT                                of Hudsonville, Michigan, hope to celebrate their 40th
  Ladies, you are invited to attend the Eastern Ladies wedding anniversary.
League Meeting which. will be held, D.V. April 23,                  Together we confess that our ever faithful, Covenant
1970, at our Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church God and Father has indeed been with us, and we have
at 8:00 PM. Rev. H. Veldman will speak on a very                  experienced His sure promise that - "The Lord shall
timely subject. May we see you all there!                         bless thee out of Zion: - yea, thou shalt see thy chil-
                                      T. Sietstra, Vice Sec'y.    dren's children, and peace upon Israel," Psalm 128.
                                                                                           Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Lubbers
                           NOTICE!                                                                Mr. and Mrs. Jay Lubbers
                                                                                                Mr. and Mrs. Paul Schipper
  Any students planning to enter the Seminary this                                                       Mr. Glenn Lubbers
fall, D.V., and in need of financial aid should contact
the  Synodical Student Aid Committee,  Wriie to the                                        Mr. and Mrs. Ted Miedema, Jr.
                                                                                                Mr. and Mrs. Dave Doezema
secretary, Mr. G. Pipe, 1463 Ardmore St., SE., Grand                                                      19 Grandchildren.
Rapids, Michigan 49507.
                   PTTENTION TEACHERS                                        RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
  Hope Protestant Reformed Christian School is in                   The Men's Society of the First Protestant Reformed
need of teachers for the First Grade for the 70-71                Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan extends heartfelt
school year. Send inquiries to the school, 1445 Wilson sympathy to the family of John  Dykstra in the recent
Ave., S.W., Grand Rapids, Mich. 49504.                            death of their husband, father and grandfather,
                                                                                    JOHN DYKSTRA.
         ANNIVERSAR Y ANN0 UNCEMENT                                 May the family be comforted in the hope of the
  On April 26, the Lord willing, our dear parents,                blessed Resurrection.
                   Mr. & Mrs. Henry H. Kuiper                                                         Henry Veltman, Pres.
will commemorate their 60th wedding anniversary.                                                     Charles Pastoor, Sec'y.
  We thank and: praise' our Covenant God for them
and for using them to instruct us to walk in the fear of                     RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
His Name. Our prayer is that they may continue to                   The Ladies Aid Society of the First Protestant Re-
experiknce the Lord's blessing on their earthly pilgrim- formed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan mourns the
age.                                                              loss of a faithful member,
  Their grateful children:,        Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Kulper                     MRS. GRACE ONDERSMA,
                                Mr. & Mrs. Herman Kuiper          whom the Lord took home on the 24th of March,
                                           Miss Elsie Kuiper      1970, and hereby expresses their sympathy to the be-
                                 Mr & Mrs.. Albert Brunink reaved family.
                               Mr. & Mrs. Peter J. Petroelje        "For we know that if our earthly house of this
                               Mr. & Mrs. Henry Kuiper, Jr. tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God,.
                            Mr. & Mrs. L. William Plowman an house not made with hands, eternal. in the heavens,"
                                Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Kuiper II Corinthians 5 : 1.
                                           45 Grandchildren                                       Mrs. T. Newhof, Sr., Pres.
                                 and 26 &-eat-grandchildren                                       Mrs. Chas. Pastoor, Sec'y.

         ANNIVERSdRY ANNOUNCEMENT                                            RESOLUTION OF SY&PATHY
   On April  '  10, 1970,.  the Lord willing, our, dear             The men's Society of The Southeast Protestant Re-
p a r e n t s ,                                                   formed Church extends  its- sincere sympathy to its
           MR. &MRS, GERRIT LUBBERS                               secretary Mr. Paul Van Dyken and family in the passing
                                                        -


                                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     335


                                                                                     =
     of his father,                                                                          W@NG AN&IVERSAR Y
                                                                                ;
                        MR. SAMUEL VAN DYKEN                                  ,Gn ,the &vent&fifth of April, the Lord willing, our
     of Bozeman, Montana.                                                   beloved parents,  :  I  ,(
        ". . . Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord . . ."                          MR. AND MRSJACOB  KUIPER, SR.
     (Rev. 14: 13).                                                         will celebrate their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.
                                                Rev. M. Schipper, Pres. We give thanks to our Covenant God for sparing them
                                     Hollis Heemstra, Vice Sec'y.           for each other and for us these many years. We pray
                                                                            that God may continue to bless them.
                     RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                                                                               Henry Kuiper
       The Mary Martha Society pf the Southeast Protes-                                                        Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Kuiper
     tant Reformed Church expresses its sincere sympathy                                                   Mr. & Mrs.- Jacob Kuiper, Jr: _
     to one of its members, Mrs. Paul Van Dyken and                                                           Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Kuiper
     family, in the loss of her father-in-law,                                                             Mr. & Mrs. Robert VanDyke
                                                                                                            Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Kuiper
                         MR. SAM VAN DYKEN.
I                                                                                                            Mr. & Mrs. Allen Brummel
        "For we know that if our earthly house of this                                                    Mr. & Mrs. John Hoekstra, Jr.
     tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a                                                               Mary Kuiper
     house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens"                                                                    Betty Kuiper
     (II Cor. 5: 1).                                                                                                     Robert Kuiper
                                              Mrs. Charles Westra. Pres.                                                  ,Linda  Kuiper
                                     Miss Audrey Reitsma, Sec'y.                                                  and 16 grandchildren
                                       . .


                                      N e w s   F r o m   O u r   C h u r c h e s

       Report of Classis West convened on March 4, I970                     Hull:  March 15  & 22  - Lanting; April 19  & 26  -
                         at South Holland, Illinois                         Engelsma; May 17 - Kulper;, May 24 & 3 1 - Hanko;
                                                                            June 7 - Moore. Doon: March 15 - Kuiper; April 5 &
        Classis West `of the Protestant Reformed Churches                   12 - Decker; May 3 & 10 - Vanden Berg; May 24 &
     met from March 4 through 6 in South Holland, Illinois.                 31  -  Woudenberg; June 14  - Moore.  Forbes:  March
     Twenty-one ministers and elders represented the                        22  - Moore; April 5  - Moore; April 19  & 26  -
     twelve churches in Classis West. At this Classis, for the              Kuiper; May 10 & 17 - Lanting; May 3 1 & June 7 -
     first time, the opening devotions included the exposi- Engelsma. Randolph: April 12 - Vanden Berg; May 17
     tion `of a passage of Scripture.. Rev. Dale H. Kuiper,                 - Decker. We asked Classis East to help by supplying
     president of the previous Classis, expounded Matthew Randolph. The vacant churches are counting on supply
     10: 16: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst this summer from our Seminary. Pella expressed her
     of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harm-                 gratitude for the pulpit supply given her in the past
     less as doves." This proved to be an excellent beginning years by the sister congregations. She now rejoices in a
     for the Classis. After the devotions and the acceptance minister of her'own, after many years of vacancy:
     of the credentials, Rev. George Laming presided over                     The Church Visitors, Rev. C. Hanko and Rev. G.
     the Classis.                                                           Lanting, gave a good report of faithfulness and peace
       The Reading Sermon Committee reported that some in the congregations of Classis West.
     churches, both in Classis East and in Classis West, are                  Classis adopted a report of a committee appointed
     holding reading sermons from as long ago as `1962. The last fall, in connection with a request of a consistory
     Churches should check to see whether they have read- for advice on discipline. The mandate of the commit-
     ing sermons and, if they do, they should return them                   tee was to investigate past decisions of our churches
     to the library of Classis West. In charge of this library regarding membership in labor unions as well as the
     is Mr. Gerhart Broekhuis, B.ox 393, ,341 Maple St. W,                  instruction of Scripture on this matter: The committee
     Edgerton, Minn. 56128. The committee also requested pointed Classis to the condemnation of union member-
     that con&tories return reading sermons as soon as ship made by the Synod of 1946 in a letter to the
     they have used them. The Taped Sermon Committee President of the United States (Acts of Synod, 1946,
     of Classis West (supervised by the South Holland con- Article 20). The committee analyzed this letter as as-
     sistory) reported that it is now working on a series of serting "that membership in the godless unions and
     sermons on the Heidelberg Catechism.                                   church membership are incompatible on the following
        A Classical Appointment schedule was adopted. grounds:  1)because  we believe that the principles of


                                                                                     _..-                              : `.-- -- -.`
                                                                                                                                  -
                                                                                                                         .     .-.





 THE STANDARD BEARER
         P.O. Box 6064                                                                           SECOND CLASS
 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506 '                                                                  POSTAGE PAID AT
                                                                                              GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.





 336                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



 the class-struggle, dividing society into the two opposing    R. Moore (secundus). Church Visitors - Rev. C. Hanko
 camps of capital and labor, are contrary to Holy Writ         and Rev. G. Lanting. Delegates to the 1970 Synod:
 and to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; 2)because         Ministers  i D. Engelsma, C. Hanko, D. Kuiper, G.
 we cannot agree with the materialistic motives and pur-       Lanting (Alternates - R,. Decker, R. Moore, G. Vanden
 poses that so manifestly actuate the unions, but believe      Berg, B. Woudenberg); Elders - J. Haak Jr., G. Huber,
 that we should first seek the Kingdom of God and His          H. Huisken, L. Nelson (Alternates  - T. Feenstra, E.
 righteousness; 3)because we believe that unionism in          Hauck, B. Menninga, C. VanDerMolen).
 often defying authority and taking the law in its own           The cost of this Classis was $2119.6 1.
 hands, is in conflict with the Word of God which en-            Classis West will meet next in Hull, Iowa on Septem-
joins us to honor those that are in authority  qver us;        ber 2, 1970, the Lord willing.
 4)because the union `seeks its own end through the                                  Rev. David Engelsma, Stated Clerk
 employment of force and coercion, which militates                                                           Classis West
 against the principles and spirit of the gospel of our                               i *  *`  * *
Lord Jesus Christ; 5)because we refuse to affiliate our-         With a Classis report as long as that one, we're going
 selves with any organization whose principles and prac;       to have to be rather selective in our choice of news
 tices are so plainly in conflict with the teaching of items for this issue, and save the rest for next time.
 Holy Writ."                                                     Rev. Heys writes that he plans his Farewell Sermon
   The committee cited many texts that condemn                 for April 19, and that he's "booked up with meetings"
 union membership, e.g., I John  2:`15-17; Ephesians           to the very end of his stay. He also mentioned that the
 6:5-g; Titus  2:9; I Peter.  2:18,19. The conclusion of       days were getting warmer  - meaning temperatures
 the committee, adopted by  Classis, was "that it is the       higher than 80 degrees. That was on March 25, the day
 stand of our churches and the position of Scripture           prior to one in which the schools in Grand Rapids had
 that impenitence for the sin of real membership affilia-      to be called off as the result of a Spring blizzard.
 tion in a godless union is a valid ground for the (disci-       According to bulletin announcements, there were a
 pline of a member of the' church)." A "caution" was           number of programs during the Easter season. Hope
 given "that, in each particular case dealt with, a  firm      School, for example, presented their all-school pro-
 determination must be made by the consistory that             gram on March 20 at First Church, having as their
 one is a `real' member of a union that in principle,          theme, "Heirs With Christ." Another program was
 practice or both is godless. "                                sponsored by the Southeast Young People's Society
   The  Classis treated an appeal by a consistory of a         and held at First Church at 2:00 on Resurrection Sun-
 decision of another consistory. It also treated a protest     day. The program consisted of. a speech by Rev.
 by a consistory against a former decision of  Classis         Veldman on a "topic related to .Easter," special num-
West. It gave advice to a consistory to proceed with           bers, and refreshments. And that evening there was an
 discipline.                                                   Easter Singspiration, sponsored by the Beacon Lights
   The  Redlands Hope Protestant Reformed Church               Staff, in Southeast Church.
 overtured  Classis to request Synod "to change their            In other church news of general interest, Rev.
 date of meeting from the 1st Wednesday in June to the         Lubbers has been granted an extension of time to con-
 3rd Wednesday in June. Ground: Present date conflicts : sider his call to be missionary to Jamaica until after
 with school activities." Classis adopted this overture.       Synod makes decisions regarding the labors in that
   Classis approved subsidy requests  from- eight              field. Rev. Van Baren.has declined the calls from Doon
 churches. The amount of subsidy asked for 1971 is             and Hull. And, at the time of this writing, Rev.
 $31,070. This is a decrease from the $40,421.50 asked         Schipper, although experiencing some "post-operative
 for' 1970. The Doon congregation makes no request for         complications" (after surgery for the removal of his
 subsidy in 197 1.                                             gall bladder), is being led on the road to recovery,
   Results of voting for various functionaries were as         though "not as rapidly as anticipated."
 follows. Classical Committee of Classis West - Rev. G.          With that we had better quit, with the hope that we
 Laming, Elder W. Buys and Elder E. Van Egdom. Dele-           have not already exceeded the limit.
 gates ad examina - Rev. R. Decker (primus) and Rev.                                                              D.R.D.


