                                          e .-. `- ,, ? :

                               tandard

                                             earer

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  A.  R E F O R M E D   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E




     I N   ThVS  ISSUE


         Meditation:
           Formed For God's Praise

         Editorials:
           Splinter or Reformation?
           Sunday School - A Definite Improvement

         The Father Groppi Lecture
           (Correspondence and Reply)

         Some Interesting Questions


                                                 Volume XL VI/Number 211 September 1.5, 1970


482                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER


                            COMTENTS                                                                      THE STANDARD  BEARER'
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Meditation  -                                                                        Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
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   Formed For God's Praise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .482 Editor-in-chief: Prof.  Ii. C. Hoeksema
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                                                                              Herman   Hanko,  Rev.  Robert  C.  Harbach,   Rev.  John  A.  Heys,  Rev.  Jay
   Splinter or Reformation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484 Kortering,   Rev.  George  C.  Lubbers,  Rev.  Marinus  Schipper,   Rev.  Gise J.
   Sunday School - A Definite Inprovement . . . . -486 Van  Baren,  Rev.  Herman  Veldman.  Rev.  Bernard  Woudenberg
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Meditation

                               Formed For God's Praise
                                                                Rev. M. Schippev

                  "This people have I formed for myselfi they shall skew forth my praise. " Isaiah 43: 2 1.

       Not easy is it to find another text in Scripture as people. He did not happen to find them, as they were
this one where every word is laden with such rich scattered among many other peoples, and thus claimed
content!                                                                      them for Himself. No, He created them that before
       You can lay emphasis on each word, and it speaks were no people. He did it alone, and there was no one
forth a world of divine wonders which lead us to the with Him when He did it. And since they were formed,
unfathomable thoughts of God!                                                 their formation is a completed act. It need not yet be
       This people! That is, this people in distinction from accomplished.
all others. This people alone and no one else.                                     Formed for Myself! Not for themselves did He form
       Have I formed! God alone is the Creator of that them! Apart from Him they have no significance or


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                            483



purpose. But He formed them for His own purpose and Though it cannot be denied that God may have His
glow*                                                        people in many ecclesiastical denominations, yet the
   They shall shew forth My praise! This people was above understanding of pluriformity comes close to
formed only for that purpose, namely, to narrate, to the possible formation of the antichristian rather than
recount Jehovah's praises. They alone shall do it. They the Christian church and people of God. Such a con-
SHALL do it. There is nothing that shall hinder them, ception does not conform to the teachings of the Word
or cause them to fail.                                       of God.
   Seen in this light, the text reveals to us the whole        The pluriformity of this people is their unity dis-
scheme and counsel of God concerning redemption. played in rich distinction! As in a body, the whole is
Here is a people chosen of God in His counsel of not a hand or a foot or an eye, but each distinct part
election. Here is a people that is formed according to with its own function contributes to the life and well-
that counsel, and by the Word and Spirit of God's Son being of the whole body. So it is with respect to this
Who is their appointed Redeemer and Saviour. And one people. They are richly distinguished. They-are not
unto all eternity they shall utter the praise and adora- all of one nation and tongue, but of all nations, tribes,
tion of God. As the mouthpiece of the whole creation, and tongues. Likewise, they are not all of one color
this people shall utter His praise and glorify Him as the and language, but of all colors and languages. As in a
only true God.                                               great chorus, there are altos, sopranos, tenors, and
   A particular people!                                      basses, yet all sing the same song, and constitute an
   Characterized, first of all, by their unity!              harmonious unity revealed in great variation, so is the
   0, indeed, in all God's work there is unity, because people which is formed by God for His praise.
God Himself is One! Creation is not a vast multitude of        To be sure, we do not always see this unity in rich
distinct creatures without connection, but it is a com- distinction perfectly revealed in this world. There is
plete unity. Not, as we shall see more perfectly in a much that appears to disrupt this unity; such as, lack
moment, a monotonous unity of sameness, and like- of understanding of doctrine, language barriers, sin,
ness. But a unity that reveals itself in rich distinctions, etc. Yet, in spite of what we see, there is such a people
speaking to us of the maifold wisdom of God.                 that is spiritually one, created by one God, united to
   No different is it in recreation! The Lord forms one one Christ, with one life principle - the Holy Spirit of
people, characterized by unity. One they are in their Christ, and designated in the expression of our faith as
origin. One they are in their Head. One life pulsates the church, which is both holy and catholic. And when
through their spiritual veins; they are one in love, faith, the realization of this people shall have been com-
and hope. They are one in walk, confession, and pur- pleted, their unity in rich distinction will be revealed in
pose. They all seek the same city, the one which has all its heavenly perfection in glory.
foundations.                                                   A divine formation!
   As the body, which is composed of many members,             A formation which lies in the wonder of grace!            -
yet all united in the head, and from which you cannot          Eternally God forms this people in His counsel. He
subtract or to which you cannot add any members ordained them and formed them in His omniscient
without marring the whole. Or, as a building, which is mind, and sovereign will which is unchangeable: In that
well-designed, where there are doors and windows, counsel He has chosen them in Christ and gave them to
rooms, closets, and compartments, all so wisely con- Christ. In that counsel He engraved them in the palms
structed that each part is different from the others, yet of His hands. In that counsel He determined the way
all fitted together and reflecting the wisdom of the and the means to form them in time.
designer.                                                      Historically, what He formed in His mind and will in
   Such also is the language of Scripture when it de- His counsel eternally becomes objective reality. Not as
scribes the unity of the people that is formed for God's though this people was not such a reality in His coun-
praise. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members~ sel, for that they were. That people was eternally
in particular." I Cor. 12: 27. "The church, which is his before His face, and engi-aven in His hands. But what
body, the  fulness  of him that filleth all in all:" Eph. was eternally real in the counsel became also real in
1: 22b,23. "And he is the head of the body, the time. From the day of the fall unto the day of Christ,
church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the the last day, this people is in the process of formation.
dead; that in all things he might havetthe  pre-emi-           Typically as it were out of the deadness of Sarah's
nence." Col. 1: 18. "Know ye not that ye are the womb there sprang forth a people as many as the sands
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in of the seashore, and as the stars of the heavens for
you?" I Cor. 3: 16. "Ye also, as living stones are built multitude. In this process Jacob becomes Israel,  Lo-
up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up Ammi becomes Ammi, that is, what was not His peo-
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." ple is now become the people of the living God.
I Pet. 2:5.                                                    Spiritually He forms them through His incarnated
  Indeed, a beautiful unity!                                 Son,. Who delivers them from sin and death by His own
  Yet, not a stark uniformity, but pluriformity!             death, and justifies them through His perfect sacrifice,
  Not pluriformity in the sense that the final gathering which justification is attested to in His glorious resur-
of this people will be from all denominations of relig- rection and ascension at God's right hand. And by the
ious beliefs, as some would have. Accordingly, it is not Spirit of Pentecost, through the Word of the Gospel,
important what you believe, so long as-you do believe.       this people. is recreated and formed, yea, transformed


484                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


into the image and likeness of God.                         forms into children of light. They, who were enemies
  A divine work from beginning to end!                      of God, He humbles into the dust and makes His
  The Former of Israel - is Jehovah alone!                  covenant servants. Children who were of their father,
  Never is this formation a work of man, or of man in the devil, He forms into saints of the Most High. 0,
cooperation with God! How God-dishonoring is that indeed, each elect child in particular He forms, but
conception and that presentation which would insist always so that each has his own specific place in the
that the formation and salvation is dependent on the midst of that people. And all display, each according
will and the cooperation of man!                            to his own capacity, the glorious grace of our God.
  Listen to the Lord Himself declare through the              And they shall show forth My praise!
prophet throughout the entire preceding context how           God's glory is the radiation of His virtues. In all His
He alone works in the formation and redemption of work God displays His virtues. And the people of God,
His people :                                                whom He has formed for Himself, recount, narrate,
  "But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, 0 number, speak out these virtues. This is His praise!
Jacob, and he that formed thee, 0 Israel, Fear not: for       They shall praise!
I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name;         Not simply tell the story of their conversion, not
thou art mine." (43: 1). "Since thou wast precious in merely rejoice because they are saved; but the praises
my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved of their God they shall speak.
thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for      And not simply in that better land, where there is
thy life." (43:4). "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will no  nitit, and where every tear shall be wiped away
bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the      from their eyes. 0, yes, they shall praise Him then, too,
west; I will say to the north, Give up; and the south,      in heavenly perfection forever.
Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my                But also right now, as they still abide in the valley of
daughters from the ends of the earth. Even everyone these tears, and while they are in the midst of the
that is called by my name: for I have created him for battle of faith: yea, in every department of life, ac-
my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him." cording to the time and place, and according to the
(43:5-7). "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my capacity which He creates in them - they shall extol
servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and His virtues. Beholding His wisdom manifested in all His
believe me, and understand that I am he: before me work, but  expecially in their formation, they declare
there was no God formed, neither shall there be after it. Tasting His love and mercy and grace, they count
me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no       and recount their blessings. Understanding and embrac-
saviour." (43: 10,ll). "I am the Lord, your Holy One, ing His Word, they rejoice in it. Laying hold on His
the Creator of Israel, your King." (43: 15).                unchangeable promises, they cease not to extol His
  Jehovah says so, and that is enough for faith!            Name. When the devil, the world, and their own sinful
  He alone is the Former of His people!                     flesh tempt them to deny, they confess: Thou,
  For the display of His grace!                             Jehovah, Who art our King, our Lord and Saviour, Thy
  In that display of His grace He justifies the ungodly, Name we will praise.
and call the things that are not as though they were.         Wonderful formation!
From darkness -unto light, from death unto life, He           Blessed purpose!
calls them. Sinners, dead in trespasses and sins, He          Unique, and praise-worthy God!


Eclitorials

                                   Splinter or Reformation?

                                                 BoJ: H. C. Hoelcsema

       Recently a new church formation came into being in Licatessi gave an explanation of the reasons for this
The Grand Rapids area. It is called the Christian Re- new church formation and at which there was oppor-
formation Church. It was initiated by the Rev. Vincent tunity to indicate in writing one's desire to join the
Licatessi, who resigned as pastor of the  Godwin            movement. The address of Rev. Licatessi given at this
Heights Christian Reformed Church, along with an meeting I have heard by tape recording. I do know,
"interim committee" of likeminded men. I have no too, that according to published announcements, the
statistics as to the actual size of this new movement at new group is continuing to hold its morning service at
present; nor will I pass along any of the many rumors the same DAV Hall, while the evening service was so
about its size. I do know that on July 16 there was a       well attended that it became necessary to seek larger
rather well-attended meeting held in the DAV Hall in quarters. Perhaps  - although I hardly think it neces-
south Grand Rapids, at which meeting the Rev.               sary for myself, and although the other party can


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   485


speak for himself - I should also scotch the rumor that was involved at the synodical level was one involving
the Rev. Licatessi, the Rev. Gordon Girod (of Seventh the use of the Godwin Heights church building by the
Reformed Church), and I had a meeting prior to the Assoication of Christian Reformed Laymen. Neverthe-
formation of this group. It always amazes me how such less, I do not find the criticism pertinent. Here are my
gossip gets its start!                                        reasons:
   However,  The Standard Beaver  customarily com- 1) I believe there is rather clear evidence of the futility
ments on events in the Reformed community;  and,                 of protest and appeal in significant cases of doc-
besides, several readers have asked for comment and              trinal deviation, and, in connection therewith a
evaluation on this subject.                                      breakdown of doctrinal discipline and unity in the
  As far as the Rev. Licatessi's speech on July 16 is            Christian Reformed denomination. Witness the ap-
conceqed,  I would summarize and characterize it as              peal of N. Bierema against Prof. Sweetman, which
follows, without going into detail:                              was utterly futile. Witness the protracted Dekker
1) It impressed me not as bitter and rancorous, but as           Case, in which it was impossible over and over again
   a rather raucous and almost frenzied recounting of            to get any doctrinal judgment by the Synod. Wit-
   various ills in the Christian Reformed denomination           ness the infallibility case of several years earlier,
   and of the futility of fighting these ills from within.       which ended also, at bottom, in a whitewash. As I
   There was a great deal of emphasis on this, and the           observe the Christian Reformed scene  - and I am
   speech was in this sense largely negative in char-            writing about matters of public record, and not
   acter.                                                        about personalities  - I can only come to the con-
2) It was the avowed purpose of the speaker that this            clusion that the way of protest and appeal is a futile
   new movement shall live by the infallible Scriptures          one. Those who wish to stem the tide of doctrinal
   and the Three Forms of Unity.                                 deviation have repeatedly found this course of
3) Although this was not stated by the speaker, my               doing it closed. Mark you well, I do not believe that
   total impression was that the Rev. Licatessi wants            anyone may remain within a denomination, find
   to turn the clock back approximately twenty years             himself in disagreement with it and its policies,
   to what were the better days of the Christian Re-             refuse to walk the way of protest and appeal, and
   formed Church, before what some have called "the              meanwhile complain of all the ills and the futility.
   winds of change" began to blow through the de-                This is not right. It is not right toward the church.
   nomination. And although 1924 and the Three                   It is not right and good for the individual member
   Points were not as such mentioned by the Rev.                 and his children. Then it is far better to declare
   Licatessi, for one thing the very failure to mention          one's self and to separate.
   them was significant; and for another, the speaker 2) I believe that the ftmdamental cleavage - and refor-
   made it plain near the beginning of his speech that           mation - came in 1924, that since that time it has
   he wants to hold on to the error of the well-meant            been principally futile, doctrinally, church politi-
   offer in order that he may be "evangelistic."                 cally, and ethically, to bring about reformation
  Now what shall we say of this new ecclesiastical               within  the Christian Reformed Church UNLESS
movement?                                                        such reformation  would.deal with  1924's doctrinal
  Obviously, judging from its name, it claims to be a            and church political sins. With regard to the latter,
reformation and claims to be faithful to the principles          the Christian Reformed denomination has to this
of the Reformation, i.e., to the Word of God and the             date shown absolute intransigence, though ap-
Reformed confessions.                                            proached on the subject more than once by the
  And this raises the first question, namely, is this            Protestant Reformed Churches. For this reason,
indeed a reformation? Or is it a splinter?                       too, I would never insist that a Christian Reformed
  In answer to this question, I would emphasize, first           brother or sister who sees  this issue  must try to
of all, that reformation by way of separation is always          fight the battle of 1924 all over again before sepa-
a very serious matter. It is a step which may `be taken         rating. That reformation has been accomplished; the
only when it has been made impossible for those                  cleavage at that time was fundamental. He who has
concerned to strive any longer for reformation from             learned to see  this  need only declare himself and
within (as was the case with us when we were cast out            separate.
in  1924),  or when it has become abundantly evident            But this brings us, in the third place, squarely before
that conditions are such in a given church-communion the issue. Reformation always involves  return.  It is
that reformation from within is utterly impossible and fundamentally repentance. It is a forsaking of the
that there is no other course open than to separate in wrong path and a choosing and walking in the right
obedience to the Word of God and the confessions.             path. It is a forsaking and a repudiation of the way of
  In connection with this, in the second place, I the lie and unrighteousness, and a choosing and walk-
cannot find myself in basic agreement with, nor do I ing in the way of the truth and righteousness. Refor-
find the fundamental question touched on in one of mation is in its deepest root God-centered. Even as
the criticisms made by the Rev. W. Haverkamp in LBe repentance, it is fundamentally a return to God! It is a
Wachtev, namely, that Rev. Licatessi failed to walk the return to and a seeking of God's name, God's honor
way of protest and appeal to the end. The fact as such and glory, God's Word, God's truth, God's precepts,
may be true; going by my memory, the only appeal in God's Zion.
recent years which I can recall in which Rev. Licatessi         As such, reformation in the true sense of the word

                                                                              .


     486                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


     can never be a matter of degree, a half-way measure.         so-called Dekker Case.
     Principally, it is an all-or-nothing proposition! It is a      But as mentioned earlier, the Rev. Licatessi left the
     fundamental turning about! Even as it is principally impression that he only wants to turn the clock back
     impossible to repent of some sin, but not of  all  sin; about twenty years; and he not only did not repudiate
     even as it is true of the sinner who repents of one sin, the errors of 1924, but he explicitly stated that he
     but attempts to cling to another sin that he has not wanted to keep the idea of the offer of the gospel. But
     really repented at all; so it is also with ecclesiastical to accomplish genuine reformation and hold to the
     reformation: those who repudiate some ills but who do errors of 1924 are mutually exclusive. It may be pbs-
     not repudiate all and do not return wholly to the way        sible in a sense to turn the clock back twenty years,
     of the truth do not accomplish.genuine reformation.          but this will only result in starting over the very cycle
       Thus, for example, to reform on the score of theistic through which the Christian Reformed denomination
     evolution and the denial of the authority and infallibil- has already passed during those twenty years. What is
     ity of Scripture, but to cling to the error of general really necessary is not to turn the clock back - no, not
     atonement is not genuine reformation. To reform on even fifty years to pre-1924 days - for that is after all
     the score of general atonement, but to cling to the impossible. But what is necessary is genuine reforma-
     error of a general, well-meant offer of the gospel is not tion, that is, wholehearted and complete return to the
     genuine reformation. To repudiate the error of the truth.
     well-meant offer, but to cling to the error of denying         In this same connection, in the fourth place, I call
     the antithesis by maintaining that there is a common, attention to the fact that for any who are interested in
     non-saving grace of God to the reprobate is not gen- reformation it is not necessary to constitute the church
     uine reformation.                                            anew, to form a new church communion. I repeat:
       The deepest reason for this is very simple. Even as reformation was accomplished in  1924! At that time
     God is One, so also the truth is one. Reformation is the Protestant Reformed Churches were constituted;
     committed to  the  truth, not merely to some truths.         and, by the grace of God, we have remained faithful to
     And while it may be possible for a time to repudiate the Reformed heritage ever since, and we still stand as
     some errors and to return to some truths, this does not a beacon, beckoning those who wholeheartedly desire
     constitute genuine reformation. The latter, because it to hold to the Reformed faith! It is not good, it is not
     is committed to  the  truth, must needs repudiate all right, it is not confessionally proper for any who are of
     errors and embrace all the manifold truths of God's the same household of faith to form all kinds of
     Word.                                                        independentistic movements. For those who are inter-
       And it is precisely on this score that the movement ested in genuine reformation and who live in the area
     known as the Christian Reformation Church is to be of the Protestant Reformed Churches, those churches
     faulted.                                                     stand open. And for those Reformed brethren and
       In 1924 the Christian Reformed Church departed sisters who do not live in such an area and who are
     from the truth of God's Word and our Reformed interested in genuine reformation, the Protestant Re-
     Confessions through its adoption of the Three Points formed Churches stand ready, through their home mis-
_    of Common Grace, and with it, the adoption of the sions labor, to assist them in constituting anew the
     error of the general, well-meant offer of salvation to all congregation of Jesus Christ in accord with our Re-
     who hear the preaching of the gospel. Moreover, this formed faith, and, I may add, to supply them with
     serious departure from the truth has led to a multipli- ministers of the gospel who have had a thorough
     cation of ills in the denomination which was our spi- training at a genuinely Reformed seminary!
     ritual mother. On the side of common grace, it has led         Regrettably, with application to the Christian Re-
     to many errors which may be classed in general under a formation Church, the question which stands at the
     synthesizing, world-conforming tendency. On the side head of this editorial must be answered: Not Reforma-
     of the error of the well-meant offer, it has led most tion, but Splinter.
     recently to the error of general atonement in the


                 Sunday School - A Definite Improvement
      Recently there was given me a complete set of "Our            In recent years "Our Guide"  - and with it, our
     Guide, For Use In the Protestant Reformed Sunday Sunday Schools - has not prospered too well. There
     School" for the coming Sunday School term, along was a marked stagnation, evidenced concretely in the
     with a "Bulletin of the Protestant Reformed Sunday fact that "Our Guide," the paper used in our Sunday
     School Association" for distribution at the beginning Schools, had taken to offering reprints of lessons from
     of the new term to the parents. Perhaps by the time previous years. This was, I think, a symptom of lack of
     this appears in print, at least some of you will have progress and growth, of stagnation, of a certain stale-
     received this bulletin and will know whereof I speak; I ness which had crept not only into our Sunday School
     do not know what the schedule is. But I do wish to paper but which had made its influence felt by the
     make a few comments on this subject.                         teachers, the pupils, and the parents as well. I felt this


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 487



personally, and, as the teachers present will remember,        antidote for boredom at "the same stories over and
I chided them for this in an address at a teachers' mass       over. "
meeting last spring, - not to scold them, but to prod       5) Besides the regular weekly memory work, there is
and encourage them. As it happened, work was already           an optional merit system of memory work for chil-
being done at that time to bring about improvement.            dren who memorize with little difficulty. And, per-
  Now that improvement has been accomplished!                  sonally, I cannot stress strongly enough the im-
  And, in my opinion, having perused this set of               mense value of Bible memory work on the part of
papers, the improvement is marked! The Sunday                  our children. Sunday School offers an excellent
School Association has succeeded in producing a paper          opportunity for this.
which has real potential for a successful Sunday School       Finally, I wish to call attention to the "Bulletin"
term.                                                       accompanying this set of papers. Before "Our Guide"
  The present set of papers covers Bible history from       is used in any family, it is a must to read this "Bulle-
Exodus 5 to I Samuel 8. Each paper contains, as             tin" and its valuable suggestions. One of the most
before, lessons at two levels - for .older and for youn- valuable suggestions made is that parents treat the
ger children. But there are several points of merit in      Sunday School paper in several sessions during the
the renovated paper:                                        week, and that this can very nicely be integrated, in
1) The paper is unified. Not only are the lessons at        part, with family worship at the supper table. This.
  both levels unified; but the unity extends to  tine       suggestion has real potential.
  Bible memory work and even to the new "Activities           The Sunday School Association is to be congratula-
  Page" which has replaced the continued story which        ted on this good step. In particular, I wish to express a
  was formerly printed.                                     word of appreciation to our genial News Editor, Mr.
2) The lessons are not only well written, but they are      Don Doezema, and his wife, who did a tremendous
  designed to stimulate interest and  - what is more        amount of work in preparing the material of these
  important - study on the part of the children.            papers.
3) Each lesson is accompanied by a set of study ques-         It is my hope and prayer that this change for the
  tions which are designed to assist the pupils, but        better may also be an incentive to all concerned  -
  which are also intentionally designed to assist the       teachers, students, and parents  - in bringing about
  parents (as well as the teachers) in helping their        renewed vigor and vitality in our Sunday Schools,
  children to study.                                          In conclusion, I would certainly recommend that in
4) The lesson story, especially for older pupils, is in- congregations where there is no Sunday School ar-
  tentionally made more difficult, in order to stimu- rangements be made that our families may be provided
   late them to keep reaching. This is also a very good with the improved "Our Guide."


All Around Us

                                 Ecology: A Christian Calling ?
                                           Unlimited Abortions
                         Rome's New laws For Mixed Marriages
                        Southern Baptists Assert Their Conservatism

                                                 Prof  H.  Hank0

ECOLOGY: A Christian Calling?                               landscape is littered with dumps, heaps of rusted car
  The country has latched on to a new domestic issue bodies, the refuse of an affluent society. The beauty of
- the issue of environmental pollution.                     the creation is buried beneath the rubble of waste and
  It is not hard to understand why this has become an long ribbons of concrete highways and runways. Wild-
important domestic issue. Our air is so filled with life is rapidly disappearing from the scene; and the
noxious and poisonous fumes that in some areas the air. whole balance of nature, so necessary to support life
we breath is a threat to health and life: The rivers and on this planet, is in grave danger of being upset beyond
lakes are  filled with garbage, sewage, and industrial repair.
wastes, so that they- are unfit for human use, unfit for      Dire prophecies of awful calamities are made each
recreation, unable to sustain any useful water life. The day to scare people into doing something about


488                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


smoke-belching factory chimneys and poison-spewing            obligated him to rule over the creation in such a way
car exhausts. We are rapidly making our earthly home          that he sought God's glory. This made it necessary for
uninhabitable.                                                Adam to rule over all the creation as a benevolent and
  More and more students of ecology agree that the            kind monarch who, for God's sake, sought the good of
real trouble lies with over-population. A student of          the subjects over which he ruled.
ecology writes: "(We must) explore other social struc-           When man fell in Adam, man did not cease to be
tures and marriage forms, such as group marriage and          king in the creation. He still rules over all things in this
polyandrous marriage, which provide family life but           earthly house. But man was changed spiritually. He no
may produce less children." (Quoted from Ctk3tianity          longer remained a servant of God but became a slave of
Today.)  The result is that ecology has been directly         Satan. He no longer ruled over the creation for God's
responsible for spawning movements which legalize             honor, but rather exercised dominion over all things to
abortion upon demand, which limit family size, and            serve his own evil purposes. He wants the creation to
which destroy the institution of marriage. Prophets of        do something other than glorify its Maker. He wants it
doom assure us that if we do not severly cut back on          to be an instrument to permit him to indulge in all his
population growth, the excess of people will make life        evil desires. He is not a kind and benevolent monarch
on this planet impossible. The solution to pollution of       who rules in God's name; but he is a tyrant, cruel and
all kinds is said to be in complete control of popula-        bloodthirsty, bent on using his throne for himself
tion growth.                                                  alone no matter what the cost to his subjects.
  It is becoming an increasingly important and pres-             Because this spiritual fault is the dominating char-
sing question as to whether the child of God has a            acteristic of his life in relation to the creation, he rapes
calling in this respect. To many it seems obvious that        the creation. He cannot seek its good. He wants to
he does. Even a cursory reading of editorial material in      trample on it, to force it to serve his own evil ends. He
the ecclesiastical press soon makes clear that the            wants it to be twisted and wrenched, trampled and a-
church as well as the world has latched on to this            bused, so that he can gain all there is to be gained from
problem and made it a central issue of Christianity.          it to sin as much as possible. He forces the soil to pro-
The argument is clear enough. This world is God's             duce beyond its capacity by all kinds of artificial means,
world, it is pointed out; and it is obviously our calling     so that he may become wealthy and a glutton. He leaves
to keep God's world as beautiful as we possibly can.          desolation strewed in his wake as he sails forth exploit-
When we are guilty ourselves of despoiling the creation,      ing the resources of the creation to accumulate riches
we are guilty of abusing God's creation and of destroy-       and luxuries. He makes the powers of the creation
ing the beauties which are an instrument of divine            serve destructive ends. Harnessing the atom, he turns
revelation. The argument seems clear and conclusive.          its power into bombs. Manufacturing automobiles, he
                                                              slaughters thousands on the highways. Creating tele-
   But is it all that conclusive?                             vision, he uses it for the transmission of ungodly enter-
  While we have no doubt but that there is some               tainment and wicked philosophy. Even his compatriots
element of truth in the above argument and that there         shudder at the staggering sins to which television gives
is a calling of the Christian in this respect, there are      rise.
other elements which enter in and which are of impor-            All this and much more he does. He will continue to
tance to consider.                                            do this as long as he is wicked. No interest in environ-
  In the first place, it is usually forgotten or ignored      mental pollution and ecological balance will atler this.
that the curse of God hangs heavily on this creation.         He will never sacrifice his own pleasure to restore bal-
Because of Adam's sin, God cursed the world. This             ance to the creation and beauty to the world. The big
curse is not removed from this present creation. Only         question in pollution control is the question of who
the new earth will be free from the curse. While the          will pay the bill (a bill of billions of dollars) to clean up
curse does not completely obscure the many beauties           the mess man has made. No one wants to do this un-
of the creation, the curse is, nonetheless, death. Noth-      less, in some way, it will put more money in his
ing man does will ever be able to eradicate the death         pockets. The industrialist will staunch the stream of
which despoils this creation.                                 pollution which destroys the rivers if it will sell his
  In the second place, man's wrecking of the creation         product, if it is good business. The citizen will join an
is not an intellectual fault but a spiritual. sin. He does    anti-litter campaign if it will make his pleasure more
not ruin the world because of ignorance. He ruins it          pleasurable. His motives remain selfish. He will not be
because he is wicked. The problem is not therefore, so        king for God's sake; he must remain a cruel and despo-
easily solved. God created man as king over the crea-         tic tyrant in the world.
tion. Now a king is one who, above all, fears God. This          As long as this lasts (and it will last until the world
was eminently true of Adam. He was king; but under            ends) there is no solution. Man builds a house of cards
God. He was king of the world, but servant of the Most        which presently will crumble. He destroys himself and
High. And his kingship was therefore the kind which           the world which is his home. He works to save one part


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 489.


of the creation, but must destroy another to accom- `then the pro-abortionists will not be satisfied. Already
plish it.                                                      ithey are preparing a campaign to make abortion re-
    It is for this reason that man is so terribly wrong in quired in various cases. These people want abortions to
finding the deepest cause of his troubles in an excess of be legally imposed upon those who are  me&ally  re-
population. This is a flat denial of God's sovereign rule /tarded (by some standards they themselves set up),
over all things. But in this wicked idea he finds his `upon those who are carriers of crippling and hereditary
solutions. And so he must speak in terms which violate diseases (no matter how small the genetic possibility of
God's sacred precepts. He will slaughter the unborn `passing on these diseases may be), upon those who
babes in their mother's wombs with cold-blooded fury refuse to limit the size of their families voluntarily.
to preserve his self-interests and his desires to accumu-        When laws making abortion available to all who re-
late the world's treasures as his own. He will corrupt quest it become nation-wide, hundreds of thousands of
the institution of marriage so that it remains a means unborn infants will be killed. The thought is blood-
for indugling in unbridled sex, but does not result in chilling. If the pro-abortionists get their way in forcing
childbirth and population growth. But when his through state or federal legislatures their ideas, the
troubles stem from rebellion against God, he must not consequences will be horrible beyond discription.
expect that his troubles will be solved from yet greater
rebellion.. When his big problems result from refusing ROME'S NEW LAWS FOR  MIXED MARRIAGES
to rule in God's world as God's'servant, he is a fool to         Once again Rome has liberalized her requirements in
think that the solution lies in c&temptuous  violation mixed marriages. In 1966, the Romish Church issued
of God's sacred commands. He remains the instrument guidelines which required a non-Catholic marrying a
of his own destruction.                                        Roman Catholic to promise sincerely and openly to
   This is hopelessness and despair, of course. This is raise the children as members of the Romish Church.
why the child of God does not fasten his hopes and The question at that time was whether the promise had
desires  up& the  thin@  of this world. He knows that to be made in writing or orally. The decision was to be
the world will be destroyed. It cannot endure forever: left to the local bishop.
for Christ rules over all and will burn this world in fire.      This requirement has now been dropped. Pope Paul
His hopes are fastened upon the new heavens and the VI has ruled that such it should be. The non-Catholic
new earth which is his home.                                   need make no such promise any longer. However, the
                                                               Catholic partner in the marriage is still under obliga-
UNLIMITED ABORTIONS                                            tion to do his or her utmost to see to it that the
   The first reports are in on the results of the new children born of a mixed marriage are baptized in the
laws recently adopted in New York State to liberalize Church and brought up in the Roman faith. The non-
abortions. The new law permits abortions to be per- Catholic partner need only be informed of these obli-
formed at any time up to the 24th week of pregnancy gations of his or her prospective mate.
as a matter of discretion between a woman and her                A Roman Catholic still needs a dispensation from
doctor. The law went into effect July 1.                       his bishop before he may marry a person not baptized
   On the very first day close to 200 pregnancies were in the Roman Catholic Church.
terminated in state hospitals, more than twenty times            Roman Catholics have traditionally seen the dangers
as many as would have been legal under old laws which involved in mixed marriages and have attempted to
permitted abortion only to save the life of the mother. solve some of the problems which arise through various
Hospital officials estimate that they shall have to per- laws which are now gradually being relaxed. But
form in the neighborhood of 30,000 abortions a year whether there are laws or not, whether existing laws
under this law in municipal hospitals alone. Private are abandoned or retained, the principle that needs to
hospitals would have to handle an additional 30,000 or be emphasized is that only when husband and wife are
more abortions to take care of the demand. This would joined "in the Lord" and are united on the basis of His
be a figure far in excess of the annual number of de- truth can their marriage be a picture of the relation
liveries.                                                      between Christ and His Church. Without the unity of
   But already problems are rising. One of these prob- the truth there is no unity in any aspect of marriage.
lems is the cost of an abortion. The cost is so high that United in the truth of the Scriptures there is unity in
only those who have enough money or adequate in- all married life.
surance will be able to gain access to operating rooms
while the poor will be denied abortions. The result is SOUTHERN BAPTISTS ASSERT THEIR CONSERV-
that already those who pushed so hard for abortion ATISM
reform are clamoring for additional changes and more             Last year, in Southern Baptist circles a new com-
liberalization of the law so that abortion can be avail- mentary was issued on the book of Genesis written by
able to all no matter how poor they may be. This too           G. Henton Davis and published by Broadman Press, the
will soon pass public approval, no doubt. But even publishtig arm of the Southern Baptist's Sunday


 490                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



 School Board. This commentary threw doubt on the              What is not clear is how the Church avoids some
 traditional views of the infallibility of Scripture and kind of censuring of literature. It would appear that
 the historicity of parts of the-book of Genesis. The the correct procedure would have been to discipline
 commentary came under immediate attack, but the the author of the book, those who approved the book
 leadership of the church put its stamp of approval on and the publishers for publishing it if the responsibility
 the book and.it was sold throughout the Church.             rested upon them in any way. But this was not done, it
    But the issue came up at last summer's meeting of seems. Rather, the Convention voted to refuse to con-
 the Convention and the Convention revolted against its tinue publishing the book. This is almost always a
 leadership and voted by majority of 5 to 1 to. stamp guarantee to make it a best seller, and the problem is
 out  a the book. The conservatives were too strong for hardly solved.
 the liberals in this issue.


 Correspondence and Reply

                          About the Father Groppi lecture
                           Calvin College                    contradictory and irreconcilable with each other. This
                           Grand Rapids, Mich. 49506         past year, for example, the two lecturers we heard
                           August, 1970                      were Russell Kirk, the prominent spokesman for con-
                                                             servatism on social issues, and Father Groppi who is
 The Rev. G. Van Baren                                       very liberal on the same issues. In a similar program
  c/o The Standard Bearer                                    this year we had a panel of NBC newsmen, which in all
                                                             probability included some agnostics. It is simply incon-
 Dear Rev. Van Baren:                                        ceivable that the college could be endorsing all the
    Your recent article on "Father Groppi at Calvin contradictory views `of the speakers whom we may
 College" has been brought to our attention, and since bring to our campus. Furthermore, this college and its
 we were the three Calvin professors who were on stage faculty members in fact disagree fundamentally with
 with Father Groppi we feel that some explanation on the positions represented by any such speakers who are
 our part is in order. We hope that you will be so kind not Reformed Christians. We do feel, nevertheless, that
 as to print this reply in The Standard Beaver.              it is proper for an educational institution to present
    We are grateful for your expressions of concern for      opportunities to hear as well as to study positions
 Calvin College and for the integrity of the Reformed which may differ from those which we present in our
 faith which is being taught there. We share your con- own classes.
 cern lest the historic Reformed faith as contained in         Nonetheless, we can understand how a, guest coming
 the Scriptures and summarized in the confessions of to hear some one of these lectures might misconstrue
 the Reformation be diluted or compromised. We can our intentions and assume that we were endorsing
 understand very well also how after hearing Father something that we were not. We in the college com-
 Groppi's address at Calvin youmight be alarmed and munity have discussed this problem at great length
 saddened. If the only thing that one heard from Calvin over the past years, and in fact we were particularly
 College were what Father Groppi said, it would be easy concerned over the appearance of Father Groppi,
 to conclude that the college had forsaken the Re- which we feared might well lead to these sort of
 formed faith and that it no longer had anything to set misunderstandings. We had hoped, however, that by
 it apart as the distinctive "college of the Christian having Calvin professors on the stage we would be able
 Reformed Church."                                           to open up a discussion with him that would clarify
    Father Groppi did not speak for Calvin College and our differences. In this, however, we must confess that
 his appearance at Calvin by no means implied the we did not succeed, and we can only ask that you will
 college's endorsement of anything he might have said. try to understand our explanation of why.
 He appeared as part of our lecture program which is           Instead of a lecture, Father Groppi delivered an im-
*. designed to allow the college community to hear first passioned exhortation. As you saw, he is a master at
 hand the spokesmen for views which may differ from arousing an audience's sympathies, and it was clear to
 the views of the college and its faculty. That we at all of us on stage that any attempt at serious debate
 Calvin do not endorse the positions of those who may afterward would be an anti-climax in which we would
 .lecture in this series should be clear from the fact that come out the losers. It would have been somewhat
 8such guest lecturers have represented views that are analagous to attempting to debate Reformed theology


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                             491



with Billy Graham as he was giving his altar call.         views differing from our own, has provided us with
Moreover, Groppi was speaking on the most emotion- continuing occasions which we have been. using .to
ally charged issue of the day, and much of what he said    discuss the Reformed view on precisely these vital
concerning injustices and exploitations of blacks and issues and distinctions with our classes.
the need for justice and an end to such exploitations        We sincerely hope that you will attempt to under-
was unquestionably laudable. We, of course, differed stand this episode in its entire context, and we apolo-
with him concerning many of the tactics and moral gize for any misunderstandings which it has caused. We
positions which he endorsed, and in our own dealings would like to be able to continue to keep our lecture
with these problems have insisted on the crucial impor- series open to persons in the community such as your-
tance of the redemptive work of Christ and the regen- self who are interested as we are in hearing how those
erating work of the Holy Spirit. We were faced how- who differ from us express their views, and we hope to
ever with a very difficult situation, and this became find a way to help avoid such misunderstandings
evident in our questions. Because Groppi had defined among our friends in the future. We sincerely hope also
his subject in such a way that any opposition to his that you will continue in your concern for Calvin Col-
methods of dealing with exploitation and injustice lege in the warmth of Christian admonition and fellow-
would automatically be interpreted by him as a racist ship. Each of us would be glad to talk personally with
endorsement of such exploitation and injustice, it you or any others further about this matter at any
seemed best to each of us to emphasize first of all that time.
we did not disagree with him as to the urgency of such                            Sincerely yours,
problems and to ask questions that might help clarify                             Samuel Greydanus,
what he was trying to say in his many controversial                              George Marsden,
suggestions as to the solutions to these problems. Even                           Richard Mouw
so, Groppi, who was much more disposed to exhort Copies:             Torch & Trumpet
than to discuss, was clearly impatient with our ques-                President W. Spoelhof,
tions (he cut off one questioner and he also suggested               Calvin College
that after each of us had spoken only once we hear
from those on the floor). Under such circumstances
none of us felt talented enough to raise all the issues of Dear Professors,
our fundamental differences in the brief time re-            I thank you for the courteous and concerned answer
maining without creating serious misunderstandings. you give to the "Father Groppi" article which ap-
The result was, as your account of what we said peared in the  Standard Bearer  of June 1, 1970, and
underscored, that our true intentions as well  as  our which was reproduced and distributed by the Associa-
own positions on the basic issues were not made en- tion of Christian Reformed Laymen in their bulletin,
tirely clear. For this we are truly sorry. We must add and reprinted in the Torch and Trumpet.
also the observation that anyone making impromptu            I am happy to hear that you do renounce the
remarks (as even President Nixon recently found out) "tactics and moral judgements which Father Groppi
is liable to choose words which are not the best. The advocated." Any Reformed Christian could do no less.
reference to "the best sermon" that was made is a case As you suggest, is surely was not evident that you
of such ill-chosen words which we regret and would disagreed with Groppi that evening he spoke at Calvin.
like to retract.                                           Your reference that night to Groppi's speech as "one
  Again, we can understand how, coming in from the of the best sermons I've ever heard" and your favor-
outside and seeing only this from us without the total able comparison of Groppi with the Old Testament
context of what we ourselves say, write, and teach in prophets, as well as the opening prayer which asked
our classes, you could plausibly have come to the God's blessing upon that man - this suggested whole-
conclusion that we were compromising the faith. In hearted approval. In fact, I did not at all have the
that context, however, of the entire work of the col- impression that your "own positions on the basic
lege and of our own work we do not feel that we were issues were not made entirely clear" (italics mine). On
compromising. No student at Calvin College who the contrary, I thought (and still do) that you ex-
knows us or has heard what the three of us teach in pressed yourselves very clearly - and therefore I am
our courses, or who has studied with our colleagues at pleased that you now repudiate much of that p,osition
Calvin, could possibly maintain that we endorsed all of through your letter.
the tactics and moral judgements which Father Groppi         I am sorry, however, that you suggest that a judg-
advocated. Very few of our students, we feel sure, ment of that one evening ought to be made in the
would have any difficulty in distinguishing between "total context of what (you) say, write, and teach in
our points of agreement with Groppi and the points of (your) classes." If I too may use an analogy, I would
our basic disagreement. Moreover, Father Groppi's think that your reasoning sounds much like the robber,
appearance, as all such guest lectures where we hear caught in the act, who would plead for his freedom


492                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



and even claim innocence in light of :the context of a       hearing of both sides of a question. Yet such a policy
good religious and family life. It seems to me that          is a very basic error. I would point out that this is true
anyone acquainted with the Reformed position you             for several reasons:
maintain is yours in the classroom, would have been            First: the devil and his followers have platforms in
doubly appalled by your stance that evening in which abundance already in this world (over television and
Groppi spoke.                                                radio; in magazines and newspapers; at public gather-
  I do question also your statement that "very few of ings); should Christians provide additional platforms
our students . . . would have any difficulty in distin- for them within their schools or churches? What nation
guishing between our points of agreement with Groppi         ever invites its adversary within its walls to advocate
and the points of our basic disagreement." I could wish      its own cause?
that were true. But I can only form a judgment of that         Secondly: Jesus said, "For the children of this world
evening on the basis of the continual applause follow-       are in their generation wiser than the children of light"
ing even the most unscriptural suggestions and of the        (Luke 16: 8). That fact is often seen when children of
standing ovation by the largely student audience at the God attempt to sit on the same platform with the
conclusion of the speech. It was my opinion then, and ungodly. Worldly wisdom is made to appear so much
your letter does not change my conviction, that either better than that Wisdom which is from above. You
most of these students could discern no basic disagree- yourselves suggest this when you state, "Under such
ment between yourselves and  Grgppi, or, if they dis- circumstances none of us felt talented enough to raise
cerned any basic disagreement, that they were ready to       all the issues of our fundamental differences in the
support Groppi rather than any position you main- brief time remaining without creating serious mis-
tained in your classroom:In  either case, the situation understandings."
would be very serious, and reason for concern.                 Thirdly: to debate with the ungodly, one must pro-
  I w'ant also to express appreciation for your invita- ceed from their basis: a human logic. The ungodly, of
tion to continue expressions of concern for Calvin course, will never accept arguments from the infallible
College "in the warmth of Christian admonition and Word of God. Proceeding from the basis of mere hu-
felloivship." I would like to respond to that invitation.    man logic, children of God would likely "lose" every
  In the first place, I would like to address myself to      debate. By faith only does one believe the revelation of
you. You, in your letter, express certain fears which God's Word. There can then be no basis for any sort of
you had that evening  - fears of coming out of any           true debate between the child of God and the ungodly.
debate as "loosers", fears of being labeled "racists",         Fourthly: Calvin College deliberately places impres-
fears of "creating serious misunderstandings". I sup- sionable covenant youth in a position in which these
pose I can understand some of these fears - but they youth can compare men such as Groppi with your-
are sinful fears, are they not? If one gives answer from selves. You yourselves confess that you came out
the infallible Word of God showing that obedience to second best, Would you place the hand of your child in
governmental authority is required by God, or that the the flame in order to teach him the dangers and
commandments of God are always binding and to be hazards of fire? Should you deliberately place the eyes,
obeyed  - then it matters not if Groppi calls you ears, and minds of impressionable youth at the feet of
"racist". It is not his judgment which must be of a man such as Father Groppi for purposes of "instruc-
,concem to you, but the judgment of God in His Word.         tion"  - yet believe that they will not be spiritually
And  lvho, ultimately, must determine if you are             "`burned"?
"loosers" in any debate? The audience could conceiv-           Finally, and decisively as far as I am concerned,
ably have so judged; but again, God's judgment is the there is the testimony of Scripture concerning this.
only valid one. Nor do I understand your fear of Paul warns the Ephesians, "Neither give place to the
"creating serious misunderstandings" - for this is ex- devil"  (4:27). That surely means that you allow
actly what you did by indicating full approval of neither the devil nor his cohorts a platform within the
Groppi's position. Scripture very pertinently insists, church or within any Christian institution from which
"And be ready always to give an answer to every man he can directly address Christians. Paul further warns,
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you "But .though  we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
with meekness and fear." (I Pet. 3: 15b)                     other gospel unto you than that which we have
       In the second place, may I be so bold as to criticize preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1  :S).
the position of Calvin College whereby it admits to its And the apostle John states emphatically, "If there
platform, welcomes, and even prays for speakers such come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine,  ie-
as Groppi. You have, so you write, already discussed ceive him not into your house, neither bid him God-
among yourselves this question at great length during speed; for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of
the past years. You have concluded that you can allow his evil deeds (II John  10,ll). Your present practice
virtually any sort of speaker on your platform - even violates that Scripture.
agnostics. I understand the arguments concerning the           In conclusion, it is my hope that the original article


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 493


concerning "Fathei Groppi at Calvin College" empha- the time or desire to attend future lectures. Yet,
sized especially the deep concern of the whole faithful should the college now close any future lecture series
Reformed community concerning the direction in to the public, perhaps out of a fear of unfavorable
which Calvin College is going. The "Father Groppi" reports, it will only open itself to greater distrust and
incident is not an isolated instance which gives cause suspicion.
for such concern. I hope too that you do continue to                                     Sincerely,
"keep the lecture series open to persons of the  com-                                         G. Van Baren
munity. . . ." I do not know if I mvself will have either

Qu e&on Box

                       A Question About II Peter 2: 1, 2
                                               s

                                                     Prof:  H.C Hoeksema

From a  Wiscossin55Teader comes the following who were also warned against in the Law (cf. Deut. 13
question:                                                        and 18). These false teachers shall be characterized by
Dear Edit&:                                                      two things, according to the text. They will import
Would you please explain II Peter 2: 1. According to their heresies into the church secretly, stealthily. This
an article in the  Lutheran News (Christian News?  - is always characteristic of a heretical teacher, of
HCH), verse 2 refers to us as Protestant Reformed. I course. He cannot succeed if he stomps in wearing
would appreciate an explanation of verse 1.                      wooden shoes. He must deceive. He must work stealth-
     Thank-you.                                                  ily. He must leave a pious impression. He must fool
                       In the unending love of Christ,           people into thinking that he speaks in the name of the
                                                                 Lord and as a Christian teacher; and he must make an
                                                                 appeal to Scripture. But all the time he is secretly lead-
Reply                                                            ing away from Scripture. Meanwhile - and here is the
  First of all, let me remark that as a matter of policy,        second characteristic - they bring in damnable
questions for this department will no longer be accom- heresies, heresies of damnation, i.e., which have their
panied by the names of the correspondents unless spe- origin in hell, so that through these false teachers and
cifically requested. The questions as sent in to the Edi- their false teachings "the gates of hell" attempt to pre-
tor, however, must be signed; as a matter of personal vail against the church.
policy, I throw all unsigned correspondence in the                 In the second place, these false teachers even deny
wastebasket unread.                                              the Lord that bought them. Negatively, we may rule
  Now the question.                                              out at once any interpretation of this expression which
   1) As far as the reference to Christian News is con- would teach that those whom the Lord bought by His
cerned, although both Prof. Hanko and I usually scan precious sacrifice ' could finally deny Him and go lost.
this paper, I did not notice the article to which my This is the well-known Arminian heresy of the denial
correspondent refers nor any reference to the Protes- of the perseverance of the saints and, with it, of the
tant Reformed Churches. Hence, if my questioner is efficacy of the atonement. As Canons V, 8 so aptly
not satisfied after this answer, he is welcome to write puts it, and as is the current teaching of Scripture con-
again and furnish me with the article in question.               cerning particular atonement, "the merit, intercession
  2) II Peter 2: 1 reads: "But there were false proph- and preservation of Christ cannot be rendered ineffec-
ets also among the people, even as there shall be false tual." If therefore we follow the King James transla-
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damn- tion, the statement can only mean that these false
able heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, teachers belonged to the church outwardly, though
and bring upon themselves swift destruction." Briefly, they never truly were of the church. They outwardly
I would call attention to the following elements:                belonged to the church, and in that same sense out-
  In the first place, the apostle, having written in the wardly (by their name and by their profession) be-
preceding context about the true prophets (1: 16-2 l),, longed to those that were saved by the blood of Christ.
now prohesies that false teachers shall arise in  thei But now according to their false teaching they deny
church. And he introduces this warning by empha                  that Lord Who bought them, that is, the very Lord of
sizing that this may be expected because it has alway            Whom they once professed that He bought them. And
                                                            i
been the case in the church: it took place already  in thus it also becomes evident that actually and  objec-
the old dispensation that there were false prophets,! ,tively the Lord had never really bought them, and they


  494                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



   did not belong to His sheep: for then they would not They still claim to belsng to the Lord, but they deny
   fall away.                                                    that the Lord is an atoning Lord. In other words, they
     There is another possible interpretation, however, teach, positively, the false doctrine that they are saved
   on the basis of the original. Perhaps if .I translate the by works. In my opinion, this second interpretation
   expresssion literally as follows, this will be more clear:    has much in favor of it.
   "the-having-bought-them-Lord denying." Then the                 In the third place, the text emphasizes a fact which
   text does not mean that they deny that the Lord had many today are reluctant to emphasize, namely, that
   bought them, or that they deny that they once had been        such false teachers gather to themselves swift destruc-
   bought by Christ whereas they formerly professed this.        tion; and the reference is not to any temporal de-
   Nor does the text then emphasize that they deny the struction, but to final destruction. In other words,
   Lord as such and in general. But the emphasis falls such false teachers run swiftly to hell!
   upon the aspect of the atonement itself. They deny the          I do not know what questions this may raise for my
   atoning Lord. They deny the atonement and the neces- correspondent with respect to verse 2. But I have tried
   sity of the atonement for themselves or for anyone.           to fulfill my mandate, to explain verse 1.


                      Questions About The "New Theology"

  From a reader in Holland, Michigan comes the fol-              Scripture's infallibility. In the first place, I believe that
  lowing:                                                        the authority of the Scriptures depends on the Author
~. Dear Brother,                                                 of the Scriptures, God Himself. Because the Scriptures
     Today olie reads much about the new theology, neo-          are the Word of God written, they are vested with and
   orthodoxy, and recent scientific data which compels           characterized by the authority (sovereign authority,
   theologians to accept new exegetical ideas in regard to mind you!) of God Himself. In the second place, I
   the Scriptures.                                               believe that the infallibility of Scripture is not only
     What must we say about this? Our fathers gave us            directly taught us by the divinely authoritative Scrip-
   our Doctrinal Standards. Are they becoming obsolete?          tures, but that such infallibility necessarily follows
   Are there really new truths which call for a new inter- from the fact that the Scriptures are of divine author-
   pretation of the Scriptures? Doesn't the authority of ity. Authority and infallibility go hand in hand. In the
   the Scriptures depend on its infallibility?                   third place, I believe that it is certainly impossible to
     We're living in an age of confusion and doctrinal deny the infallibility of Scripture and at the same time
   indifference. Your comments will be greatly appreci- to maintain its divine authority. This would result in
   ated. You may do so in The Standard Bearer.                   the totally contradictory idea that divine authority
                             Your brother in the Lord,           could inhere in that which is fallible and erroneous. In
                                                                 other words, it would make God a liar. And this is too
   Reply                                                         blasphemous to conceive.
                                                                   Moreover, I believe the above answer is in hamony
     This questioner gives a rather large order which I with Scripture and the confessions, specifically the Bel-
   will have to fill on the installment plan, I'm afraid, lest gic Confession, Articles 3 and 5.
   I hog too many pages. But the questions are both inter-         I will try to answer the remaining questions in the
   esting and pertinent.                                         next issue.
     For the sake of simplicity and also because this is a
   rather key question, let me begin with the last ques-
   tion: "Doesn't the authority of the Scriptures depend
   on its infallibility?"
     This is a question which is much discussed today in
   ,connection  with the so-called "new theology." The
   latter is inclined to answer this question negatively and
   to maintain that somehow the authority of Scripture
   can be maintained while the infallibility of Scripture
   can be denied. Authority does not depend on infallibil-
   ity; hence, it is safe to deny infallibility without run-
   ning the risk of denying authority.
     Perhaps my answer to this question will come as
   something of a shock. I also answer No. I do not be-
   lieve that the authority of the Scriptures depends on


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     495



  In His Fear

                       Caesar's For Christ's Sake
                                                 Rev. John A. Heys

    The believer is a pilgrim.                               dom for God's and Christ's sake. And he is a loyal
    Having said this we have not said anything distinc- citizen also for that very reason. He is a citizen of
  tive about him.                                            Caesar's kingdom, and he recognizes Caesar as his king.
    All men are pilgrims whether they belong to Caesar's He is a citizen of Christ's kingdom, and he recognizes
  kingdom, that is, to a kingdom of this world, or           Christ as his King. But there is no conflict here. He
  whether they have their citizenship in heaven. All men     does not refuse to be a citizen of Caesar's kingdom in
  not only stay on this earth temporarily in one of order to remain a citizen of Christ's. He remains a loyal
  Caesar's kingdoms, but all men are travelling to a dif-    and faithful citizen in Caesar's kingdom exactly be-
  ferent country than that of their earthly life, and cause he wants to be pleasing to Christ, his King. The
 presently will be everlastingly in a realm other than       believer, as he lives from the principle of his faith is the
  that over which Caesar or one of his counterparts          most loyal citizen that any earthly kingdom could ever
 ruled.                                                      want or find.
    The believer is a pilgrim who is walking with his eye       That does not mean that Caesar and his like will
 upon the city that hath foundations, whose designer always make this judgment. This does not mean that his
  and builder is God. The unbeliever is a pilgrim who is     compatriots will do the same. Was it not exactly the
 rushing ever more swiftly to an abode of desolation, of     Jews who accused One of their own of being unloyal
  weeping and gnashing of teeth. Neither one will remain     to Caesar? Was this not exactly their cry whereby they
 here forever. The believer shall return to life on this     obtained a cross in order to get rid of Him? Were not
 earth after it is purified and renewed. The unbeliever,     the apostles of Christ accused of the very same thing?
 who thinks of nothing but this life and gives his name      and long before this was not this the cry of  Haman
 to his possessions in the hope of remaining here            before king Ahasuerus, in order to have all the Jews all
 through his works and posterity, shall be swept off,        over the world exterminated? Oh, no, we may expect to
 never to have a moment of laughter and joy upon it          be called obstructionists, narrow-minded, traitors and
 again.                                                      the like.
    And although the child of God, chosen by Him,              But the fact remains that the believer as he lives out
 loved by Him and having some wonderful promises of the principle of his faith is the most loyal and most-
 from Him, is approaching every moment of his earthly        to-be-desired citizen in any kingdom of this earth. He
 life that city which hath foundations, it pleases God to    honours his father and his mother. He submits to every
 make him a citizen of. a kingdom of this world for a        ordinance of man for God's sake. He pays his taxes in
 time. He is a citizen of God's kingdom and of Caesar's.     full and without complaint. He obeys all laws even
 The unbeliever is a citizen of Caesar's and of Satan's      when he cannot see the wisdom or justice of them. He
 kingdoms; and Caesar and all his cohorts and counter-       will do anything that his government demands of him
 parts are likewise citizens of that kingdom of darkness.    and that does not require of him that he sin against the
 It makes no difference to what earthly kingdom the          King of the City toward which he is travelling.
 unbeliever may belong, he is at once and at the same          It is exactly because he is a citizen of Christ's king-
time a citizen of the kingdom of unrighteousness. But        dom that he will do all this. There was no better citi-
 it makes really no principle difference to the child of zen than Christ. He did not hesitate to inform His
 God either to what earthly kingdom he belongs. He           tormentors that they must render to Caesar the things
 may have more persecution in the one and more free-         of Caesar. He never broke a law of Caesar's rule. He
 doms in the other. He may be able to make a better          was willing to be born in a stable when the demand of
 living in the realm of one of Caesar's kind than in Caesar came that all the world should be registered for a
 another. But since this is not his goal, and he is only     coming taxation. When Caesar through Pilate nailed
 passing through, his concern is the kingdom at the end      Him to the tree, He remained there though men
 of the way. He knows that these are not only tempo- taunted Him to come down, and He had the power to
 rary  afflicitions which now he suffers, but also such      do so.
 very light afflictions in contrast to the everlasting         And the Christian partaking of Christ's anointing,
 weight of glory that is laid away in Christ. II Corin-      reborn with His life, controlled by His Spirit, loving
 thians 4: 17,lS.                                            the law of God, by the love from Christ shed abroad in
    However, the believer is a citizen of Caesar's king-     his heart, will do as Christ did. He will "render to all


496                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to has always boasted that it will be like God. It has
whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom always made fantastic claims of what it is going to do.
honour." Romans 13: 7. He will do this when he lives It has boasted of the diseases it will cure and of the
from the principle of his faith and new life. That life death it will ultimately overcome. It boasts today of
and that faith will allow him to do nothing but that         the day when it will control our weather, and when it
which Christ would do in the circumstances.                  will create life in the test tube of the laboratory.
  But that Christian pilgrim is in for some rough days. Caesar has never said, "Render unto God the things of
And all of it will not come from those who claim no God." He has always said that it all belongs to man.
other loyalty and citizenship than that of the earthly And nothing else can we expect from the world.
kingdom wherein they were born or obtained their citi-         But so much of the church has joined Caesar in his
zenship. This will certainly be part of it. But, as was antichristian ambitions and projects. That is the trag-
the case with Jesus, who was attacked not directly by edy of it. So many churches make no attempt to get at
Caesar and Pilate, but, of all things, by His own coun-      the root of all social problems: Sin. So many therefore
trymen, and those who professed to be the children of explore every way for a solution but the way of a
God, by the rulers in the church of that day, so it will     rebirth and a new heart by the grace of God. And
be in the days that are rapidly approaching us.              many that call themselves Christian psychiatrists reveal
  You see, Jesus gave what is called the great commis- the same folly. Sin is not the cause of our quirks and
sion; and He sent His apostles out to disciple(That is even of murder. No, there is a more palatable explana-
the word Jesus uses) all nations. But while this is going tion that gives a little more hope to man. If he is
on, Satan has also commissioned his viper's brood to totally depraved, there is, of course, nothing that other
disciple all church members for and to baptize them in men can do for him. But if it is some experience in
the name of the Antichrist. And Satan and his cohorts childhood, some environment, some childhood de-
and labourers seek to realize a church that is Christ's privation or scare that can be blamed for it all, then
for Caesar's sake. THAT is the battle of the ages. That MAN can solve man's problems; and we do not need
is the struggle of which God spoke in Genesis 3 : 15, Christ and His cross and Spirit. We do not pray then,
when He promises to put His own love in the hearts of but we pay. No prayer to God is needed; but you can
the seed of the woman while leaving the hatred of God pay dearly  $0 the "head shrinker" for his words of
in the hearts of the serpent's brood. The Word of God foolishness!
tells us to be Caesar's for Christ's sake. The philosophy      Much of the church wants no "blood theology" of
of man urges us to be Christ's for Caesar's sake.            the cross of Christ and forgiveness of our sins through
  Satan does not mind if you are Christ's as long as it. Instead they stand with open mouths to drink in
you are Christ's for Caesar's sake. When he can press and devour the spoutings of the world that come with
the church into serving the kingdoms of this world, he a salvation by science. Many in the church world today
knows that he has diverted her from serving Christ. He do not glory in the cross of Christ anymore but boast
is quite willing to see the church moving into the area of the "social gains" that they have made. And the
of all the social problems of the world, because while reason for it all is at hand. They want no salvation
she is busy with these she has no time or enthusiasm from sin and for the glory of God. They want no abil-
any more to be busy with the problems of sin and of ity to walk in His fear and to be His royal priesthood.
salvation. Let it be clearly understood that solving the They want a salvation that gives their flesh freedom
social problems of the world has nothing to do with and opportunity to seek more fully the lusts of the
salvation. All that you gain for man in this way, he is flesh, the lusts of the eye and the pride of life. They
going to lose anyway. And all the earthly benefits you will be Christ's, if it will enable them to be Caesar's to
may realize for him are not going to bring him one the full extent of their flesh's earthly cravings.
inch closer to the kingdom of God. But if the church           What is the conclusion of the matter? Be a good
can only preach along with Satan, "Thou shalt and can citizen of Caesar for Christ's sake:Be loyal and faithful
become like God," Satan is quite happy to have you in to the powers that God sets over you during your pil-
that church.                                                 grimage here below. But let no man deceive you into
  The serious-minded believer today will take stock in becoming Christ's for Caesar's sake. Let the dead bury
what is taking place in the church world. The world the dead. But, as living stones, live in His fear.




                Reserve September 24 for the Annual R.F.P.A. Meeting at Southwest Prot. Ref. Church


                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         497



Contending for the Faith

                                 The Doctrine of Atonement
                                                 FIRST PERIOD  - 80-254 A.D.

                                                         Rev, H. Veldman

  We concluded our preceding article with the remark             to keep silence at the mystery of the cross. The suffer-
that distinctive clarity of thought with respect to the          ings of Christ's life as well as of the crucifixion are
atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ did not charac-               efficacious to redemption."
terize the doctrine and teachings of the church until               Tertullian does not give such a comprehensive and
later. This is understandable. It is always heresy and           varied  portraiture of the work of redemption, although
attacks upon the truths of the Word of God that evoke            he does speak of the death of Christ as the ground of
and call forth from the church its answer to these               salvation, and as a sacrifice. Writing against Marcion, he
attacks upon the truth. This is tme of the union of the          writes the following  (The Ante-Nicene Fathers,  III
divine and human natures as united in the one Divine             328):
Person of the Son. This is also true as far as the                        Christ's death, wherein lies the whole weight and
atonement and redemption of Christ are concerned. Be                 fruit of the Christian name, is denied, although the
this as it may, Tertullian does have something to say                apostle asserts it so expressly as undoubtedly real,
about the nature of the passion and sufferings of our                making it the very foundation of the gospel, of our
Lord Jesus Christ.                                                   salvation, and of his own preaching. "I have delivered
  In answer to  Marcion,  who denied the reality of                  unto you before all things," says he, "how that Christ
Christ's appearance in our flesh and blood, Tertullian               died for our sins, and that He was buried, and that He
                                                                     rose again the third day."
maintains the reality of this appearance of Christ, as is
evident from the following quotation (Vol. III,  The               In this same volume of  The Ante-Nicene Fathers,
Ante-Nicene Fathers,                                             page 639, Chapter VII, this church father writes the
                          page 524):
       There are, to be sure, other things also quite as         following:
   -foolish (as the birth of Christ), which have reference                The apostle also knows what kind of God he has
    to the humiliations and sufferings of God. Or else, let          ascribed to us, when he writes: "If God spared not
    them call a crucified God "wisdom." But  Marcion                 His own Son, but gave Him up for us, how did He not
    will apply the knife to this  doctrine  also, and even           with Him also give us all things?" You see how Divine
    with greater reason. For which is more unworthy of               Wisdom has murdered even her own proper firstborn
    God, which is more likely to  raise a blush of shame,            and only Son, Who is certainly about to live, nay, to
    that God should be born, or that He should die? that             bring back the others also into life. I can say with the
    He should bear the flesh, or the cross? be circum-               Wisdom of God; It is Christ Who gave Himself up for
    cised, or be crucified? be cradled, or be coffined? be           our offences.
    laid in a manger, or in a tomb?  Talk  of  "wisdom!"           Writing on Baptism, Tertullian writes, Chapter XI,
    You  will show more of  that  if you refuse to believe       page 674 (in this passage the emphasis is laid upon the
    this also. But, after all, you will not be "wise" unless     truth that the death of Jesus Christ is the ground of
    you become a "fool" to the world, by believing "the          our salvation):
    foolish things of God." Have you, then, cut away all                  And thus it was with the  selfsame "baptism of
    sufferings from Christ, on the ground that, as a mere            John" that His disciples used to baptize, as ministers,
    phantom, He was incapable of experiencing them? We               with which John before had baptized as forerunner.
    have said above that He might possibly have under-               Let none think it was with some other, because no
    gone birth and infancy. But answer me at once, you               other exists, except that of Christ subsequently;
    that murder truth: Was not God really crucified?                 which at that time, of course, could not be given by
    And, having been really crucified, did He not really             His disciples, inasmuch as the glory of the Lord had
    die? And, having indeed really died, did He not really           not yet been fully attained, nor the efficacy of the
    rise again? Falsely did Paul "determine to know noth-            font established through the passion  atid the resur-
    ing amongst us but Jesus and Him crucified;" falsely             rection; because neither can our death see dissolution
   has he impressed upon us that He was buried; falsely              except by the Lord's passion, nor our Iife be restored
    inculcated that He rose again. False, therefore, is our          without His resurrection.
    faith also. And all that we hope for whom Christ will          Setting forth the views of Irenaeus, Reinhold
    be a phantom.                                                Seeberg writes the following (see his  The History  of
  Of Tertullian,  Ttze New  Schaff-Nerzog Religious Doctrines, Book I, 128 f.f.):
Encyclopedia  writes the following (XI, 306: "(4) In                      United to God through Him, we attain to the faith
soteriology Tertullian does not dogmatize, he prefers               of Abraham and learn to know and properly honor


498                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



       God. But to this man could not attain unless freed            We are not in the position to check up on all the
       from the forces of evil under whose dominion and            references in the `writings of Irenaeus which appear in
       bondage he had fallen. These are sin, alienation from       this quotation of  Seeberg. Even so, however, it is
       God, and the devil. Christ, therefore, became man in        interesting to call attention to certain expressions at-
       order to recapitulate (cf. Eph. 1  :lO) the whole           tributed to Irenaeus. We `read, e.g., that Christ stood
       human race in Himself. (The reader may possibly             surety in compendium for our salvation. We also read
       recall, in an article not too long ago, that the under-     that this church father speaks of Christ as the repre-
       signed quoted the late Dr. H. Bavinck, in which Dr.
       Bavinck states that the universalism of Christ's death      sentative of the human race, and this would seem to
       was rather widely accepted in the Church in the days        stress the legal idea. Irenaeus also uses the word
       of its New Testament infancy.  - H.V.) . . . . He           "reconciliation," and that Christ by His blood gave
       embraces in Himself the entire human race and all           Himself a ransom for those who have been led into
       human life: "When He became incarnate and was               captivity. However, we again observe that the suffer-
       made man, He recapitulated in Himself the long line         ings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ were not
       of men, standing surety in compendium for our salva-        clearly. and distinctively defined and set forth by these
       tion, so that what we had lost in Adam, i.e., our being     early church fathers.
       in the image and likeness of God, this we might               We also wish to call attention to Origen. Of the
       receive in Christ Jesus." . . . . As the human race was
       thus combined in Him, He became a new progenitor            person and life of Origen we may read in Vol. IV of
       like Adam. He did what we and Adam should have              The An te-Nicene Fathers.  Origen, surnamed
       done. He, as the representative of the race, presented      Adamantinus, was born in all probability at Alex-
       His obedience before God for our disobedience. By           andria, about the year 185 A.D. Notwithstanding that
       His blood Christ redeemed us from the unrighteous           his name. is derived from that of an Egyptian deity,
       dominion of sin ("By His blood effectually redeeming        there seems no reason to doubt that his parents were
       us, He gave Himself a ransom for those who have             Christian at the time of his birth. The reader should
       been led into captivity.") Through the fellowship of        remember the rise and rapid development of the great
       Christ with the race, it becomes reconciled to God;         Alexandrian school, and the predominance which was
       "For in the first Adam we offended, not observing his       imparted to it by the genius of the illustrious Clement.
       commandment; in the second Adam we have been
       reconciled again, having become obedient unto               But in Origen, his pupil, who succeeded him at the
       death." Through the fall, the race was brought under        surprising age of eighteen, a new sun was to rise upon
       the dominion, though unlawful of the devil (the un-         its noontide. Truly Alexandria was the mother and
       dersigned, H.V., does not understand just what is           mistress of churches in the benign sense of a nurse and
       meant when it is stated that the race was brought           instructress of Christendom. On the outbreak of the
       under the dominion unlawfully; we know, in the light        Decian persecution, in 249, he was imprisoned at Tyre,
       of the Word of God, that man's bondage to sin is            to which city he had gone from  Caesarea  for some
       certainly the punishment of God upon sin and there-         unknown reason, and was made to suffer great cruel-
       fore completely in harmony with the justice and             ties by his persecutors. The effect of these upon a
       righteousness of the living God). Christ has lawfully       frame worn out by ascetic  labours may be easily con-
       as a man, by the application and observance of the          ceived. Although he survived his imprisonment, his
       divine commandment (at his temptation), conquered
       the devil, and He has by His resurrection broken the        body was so weakened by his sufferings, that he died
       power of death over the race. Thus #he race became          at Tyre in 254, in the seventieth year of his age.
       free from the power of death and the devil and from           According to Philip  Schaff (Vol. II, page 587):
       condemnation. In this way man became again the                    Origen differs from Irenaeus in considering man, in
       image of God and the son of God. And thus man                   consequence of sin, the lawful property of Satan, and
       became again precious in God's sight and intercourse            in representing the victory over Satan as an outwit-
       and fellowship between God and man was restored                 ting of the enemy, who had no claim to the sinless
       through the forgiveness of sins . . . . Irenaeus accord-        soul of Jesus, and therefore could not keep it in
       ingly means that Christ has taught us to know God,              death. The ransom was paid, not to God, but to
       and that He, by entering the race and becoming a                Satan, who thereby lost his right to man. Here Origen
       member of the body of humanity, has, as the new                 touches on mythical Gnosticism. He contemplates the
       Adam, made the latter acceptable to God and freed it            death of Christ, however, from other points of view
       from the devil, death, and the dominion of sin.                 also, as an atoning sacrifice of love offered to God for
       Through fellowship with Him the Spirit of God is                the sins of the world; as the highest proof of perfect
       brought to us, Who begins in us a new life in holy              obedience to God; and as an example of patience. He
       works, But the aim in view is the immortality of man;           singularly extends the virtue of this redemption to
       and thus the scope of apostolic teaching is, after the          the whole spirit world, to fallen angels as well as men,
       Greek fashion, contracted. Yet, as means to this end,           in connection with his hypothesis of a fmal restora-
       biblical ideas find recognition as of fundamental im-           tion. The only one of the fathers who accompanies
       p o r t a n c e :                                               him in this is Gregory of Myssa.


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   499



Pages from the Past

                              Believers and Their Seed
                                COVENANT CHILDREN WHO DIE IN INFANCY
                                           (Continuation of Chapter XI)

                                              Rev. Herman Hoeksema

  Hence, rather commonly an entirely different con-          basis on which to build the proposition that all bap-
sideration is adduced, namely, the fact that the Lord        tized children who are taken away in their childhood
t.akes such children away in their early childhood. Not      are saved. In the first place, it is by no means exeget-
so much the covenant as the fact that they are taken         ically certain that David here is thinking of heaven.
away in infancy is then the ground upon which they           When he says, "Can I bring him back again?" it is very
wish to assume that such children. are saved. Now there      plain that he is simply thinking of the state of death,
is indeed a certain validity in this consideration. The      and of nothing more. That death is decisive. His fasting
reasoning is that one knows nothing else of such chil-       and weeping would, from that point of view, be an
dren than that they were brought by God into the             indication of rebellion if he would continue it also
sphere of His covenant, that they were in no position        after the child had died. That he does not want. He
whatsoever to set themselves against that covenant,          will submit himself to the Lord and give himself over
and that if it is God's purpose with the reprobate chil-     to Him. But when immediately thereafter it also fol-
dren of the kingdom that in them sin shall be. fully         lows, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to
manifest as sin, then this purpose is surely never           me," then it is exegetically improper to think of any-
reached in those little ones who die. And therefore one      thing else than of that same state of death. David evi-
would rather judge that such children are saved, ex-         dently wants to say that he also will enter into that
actly because of the consideration that the Lord took        state of death, that he is journeying toward that same
them away. But although there is indeed something            grave, but that  the'child  shall not return out of the
attractive about such reasoning, it will nevertheless        grave to him. But even if you would understand the
have to be admitted that at this point all Scriptural        passage differently and accept the idea that the king
light is lacking. To a sure declaration that all children    here actually is thinking of the state of glory, then
of the covenant who are taken. away in early childhood       there is still no ground here for the general proposition
are saved one can never come along the path of such          that all baptized children who die in infancy are saved.
reasoning. It remains rather a judgment of love than a       At best one might draw the same conclusion as that
well-founded item of confession.                             which appears in Article 17 of the First Head of the
  Further, appeal is also made to a few expressions of       Canons of Dordrecht, namely, that godly parents
Holy Writ which might seem to shed light on this             ought not to doubt concerning the salvation of their
problem.                                                     children.
  In the first place, some like to point to the words of       Some have also pointed to the example of Abijah,
David when the child which he `had begotten by               the son of Jeroboam. We are all familiar with the his-
Bathsheba was taken away by the Lord. As long as the         tory. Abijah was sick; and Jeroboam sent his wife in
child was still wrestling with death, the king fasted and    disguise to Ahijah the prophet, in order to find out
wept. But as soon as the child was taken away, the           what would become of the child. And with respect to
king arose and washed himself and anointed himself his sick son, the following is prophesied by the prophet
and changed his apparel, in order to go to the house of      in the name of the Lord: "Arise thou therefore, get
the Lord and worship. And when his servants do not           thee to thine house: and when thy feet enter into the
understand this and question him about it, the king          city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for
answers: "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and        him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall
wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be           come to the grave, because in him there is found some
gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is       good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house
dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back          of Jeroboam," (I Kings 14: 12, 13). From this some
again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me,"    would draw the conclusion that the Lord takes away
(II Samuel 12: 15-23). Especially from these last words      children in their youth when He beholds some good in
some would draw the conclusion that David lived in           them toward the Lord. Now it strikes one immediately
the conviction that his child had gone to heaven. Now        how weak suih a proof is as a ground .for the proposi-
everyone will have to concede that this is a very weak       tion that all the children of believers who die in infancy


500                                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



are saved. For, in the first place, we have the instance                                                      RESOLUTION OFSYMPATHY
here of an ungodly king, not of a godly parent.  Be-                                            The Men's Society and The Ladies' Society of the
sides, the Lord does not say that He takes the child                                         South Holland Protestant Reformed Church wishes to
away because there is some good found in him toward                                          express their heartfelt sympathy to Mr. and Mrs.
the Lord, but that for this reason the child, in distinc-                                    Edward Bruinsma and family in the passing of their
tion from the rest of Jeroboam's house, shall come to father and  grandfather
the grave. Of how little validity it is, then, to conclude                                                     MR. RICHARD L. REGNERUS
from this that when the Lord takes out of this life a                                           "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His
child of believing parents, He has seen some good in saints." Psalm 1 16: 15.
that child. Much rather would this incident lead one to
the conclusion that the Lord takes away children of                                                                                    Rev. R. Decker, Pres.
ungodly parents in their youth because He sees some                                                                                    Mr. Richard Poortinga, Sec'y.
good in them.                                               (To Be Continued)                                                          Mrs. Ray Bruinsma, Sec'y.


                                                                  ANNUAL MEETING
                                                                                     of the


                              DATE:                              SEPTEMBER 24,8 P.M.
                              PLACE:                             SOUTHWEST PROTESTANT REFORMED CHURCH
                             SPEAKER:                            REV. JOHN A. HEYS



                                                                   NEW MEMBERS WELCOME!





                                     MIDEX `BP                                                        ISJIVE 46
                       TEXTUAL INDEX                                                         Ezekiel 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G.L.        372
                                                                                             Ezekiel 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.       393
Text                                                                  Author         Page    Ezekiel 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.       418
Genesis 6: 5-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.        434     Matthew  3:13-17          . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S.     242
II Samuel 19:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.             37     Matthew  4:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.           17
II Samuel 2O:l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.           111     Matthew  11:20-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.              257
II Samuel 21:l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.           131     Matthew  11:22-24           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.    277
II Samuel 23:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.           213     Matthew  16:24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S.             74
II Samuel 24:l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.           164     Luke2:49................................M.S.                                          218
II Samuel 24:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.            187     Luke  10:13-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G.L.            257
IKings  1:38,39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.            251     Luke  10:13-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G.L.            277
IKings2:1-4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B.W.           447     Luke24:5-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..M.S.             290
Psalm 24:7,8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.            338     John12:8.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..C.H.             391
Psalm 116:12,13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S.               98     Acts 4:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.H.        297
Proverbs 3:5,6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.          146     ICorinthians   1:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S             26
Isaiah 2:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         386     Philippians 2:  8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.        266
Isaiah43:1,2        . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S.     50     I Thessalonians 4: 13,14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                 314
Isaiah 43:21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.        482     I Timothy  I:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S.           122
Isaiah 44: 3-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.        362     Hebrews9:11,12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..G.L.                  11
Isaiah45:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..H.C.H.             194     Hebrews  9:13,14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.              12
Isaiah 51:ll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M.S.         170     Hebrews 9:15,16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.               13


                                                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                       501



Hebrews 9:15,16                   ......................... G.L.                              40         Jus Divinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.               286
Hebrews 9:  16,17                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.      40         Latin American Church Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                           119
Hebrews 9: 18-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                     41         Life In One's Stride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.               119
Hebrews 9: 18-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                     88         TheManBornToBeKing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                            427
Hebrews  9:23,24                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.       89         The Pattern Of New Testament Truth. . . . . . . . . H.H.                             332
Hebrews 9: 23,24                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.       116        Paul And His Epistles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                 286
Hebrews  9:25,26                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.       117        The Prophets Of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                    23
Hebrews 9:27, 28                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.      158         The Reform Of The Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                        332
Hebrews 10:  I-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                   158         Repaid A Hundredfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                     119
Hebrews  10:5,6  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                     179        T h e R o a d A h e a d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H . H .    426
Hebrews 10:7-g  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                   229         A Symposium On Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.                        333
Hebrews lO:ll-14                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.      302         TheyDareToHope                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.     239
Hebrews 10: 15-l 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                    303         Three Letters From Prison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                     311
Hebrews  11:16 .  _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                   458         Understanding The Scriptures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                       44
IIPeter2:1,2   .   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                    493         A Voice From America About America . . . . . H.C.H.                                  427
I Peter 1:4,5  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                  2         TheWholeArmorOfGod.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..H.H.                              263
I John  2:1-3  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                449                                             -c-
I John  2:1-3  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                  472     Caesar's For Christ's Sake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.A.H.                    495
Revelation 3 : 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                   410     Campus Crusade, More About ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                         389
                                                                                                     Campus Crusade, The Unpardonable Sin and . . . R.C.H.                                    328
                               SUBJECT INDEX                                                         Canons, The Gereformeerde Kerken
Subject                                     -A-                                  Author      Page        Repudiate the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.               341
A.A.C.S. and Christian Schools, The . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                             370     "Catholicity of the Church, The Holy
A.A.C.S. and Its Educational Creed, The . . . . . . . . H.H.                                 295         Spirit and the" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                36
"Abomination of Desolation, The" . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                              105     Celibacy, Troubles on the Question of . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                           225
A b o r t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H . H .    356     Chicago Trial and Judicial Process, The . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                         261
Abortions, Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                      489     Church Attendance, Decline in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                       225
ACT  - A Contemporary Translation                                                                    Church Property Decision, An Important . . . . . . . . H.H.                              225
    of the Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                414     Churches, Underground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                       9
ACT - A Contemporary Translation                                                                     Church, Which? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.K.              248
    of the Bible, More About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                          436     Clerical Garb, As To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                  175
ACT's Translation, Evaluation of . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                              461     COCU, Developments At . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                       324
Ark Found, Noah's? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                       11     ComeYeApart...AndRestAWhil e . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                                     62
Atonement, The Doctrine of (First Period). . . . . . . H.V.                                  376     Come Ye Apart . . . AndRest  AWhile . . . . . . . . . .C.H.                              105
Atonement, The Doctrine of (First Period) . . . . . . . H.V.                                 403     ComeYeApart...AndRestAWhil  e . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                                   211
Atonement, The Doctrine of (First Period). . . . . . . H.V.                                  420     ComeYeApart...AndRestAWhil  e . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                                   259
Atonement, The Doctrine of (First Period) . . . . . . . H.V.                                 439     Come Ye Apart . . . And Rest A While . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                            297
Atonement, The Doctrine of (First Period). . . . . . . H.V.                                  470     Come Ye Apart., . AndRest  AWhile . . . . . . . . . .C.H.                                353
Atonement, The Doctrine of (First Period) . . . . . . . H.V.                                 497     ComeYeApart...AndRestAWhil  e . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                                   391
                                           -B-                                                       Come Ye Apart . . . And Rest A While . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                            422
Babel, Twentieth Century Tower Of. . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                  197     Come Ye Apart . . . AndRest  A While . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                            441
Bible, A Holy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . H.C.H.                    366     Come Ye Apart . . .:And Rest A While . . . . . . . . . . C.H.                            469
Blessing of the Spirit, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                       362     Coming Down: A Section of the Wall . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.                             416
Broadcasting, A Blow To Religious . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                              10     Coming Down: A Section of the Wall . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.                             442
Book Reviews:                                                                                        Contributions:
   The Bible And Archeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                           427        Government Force, Not By Human Might
   Black Self-Determination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                          23            Nor By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..H.T.             166
   The Book of Isaiah, II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                       333        Perspective, Distorted . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . W.A.DeJ.                     235
   Captive To The Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                         71     Councils of Churches Deception, The . . . . . . . . . R.C.H.                             279
   The Case For Biblical Christianity . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                           286     Counsel For the Future, Sage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                      146
   The Christian Message To A                                                                        Covenant Youth, A Word To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.                          183
       Changing World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.                     22     Covenant Youth, A Word To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.                          209
   Conflict And Harmony In Science                                     .                             Covenant Youth, A Word To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.                          231
       And The Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                  239     Covenant Youth, A Word To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.                          255
   De Oude Barth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                      333     Cross A Power, The Word of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                         26
   Do You Understand What You Read? . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                     358     Crucible, Safe In God's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                  50
   The Early Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                     119                                            -D-
   Exposition of Isaiah, I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                       285     David's Return And Its Complexities . . . . . . . . . . . B.W.                            37
   Exposition of Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                       428     David's Spiritual Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B.W.                       213
   Holy Book and Holy Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                              22     "Days," Once Again The Question Of. . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                             398
   In Remembrance Of Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                           286     Death, Popular Views of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                   355
   Interpreting God's Word Today . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                358     Desiring A Better Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                     458


502                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



Doctrinal Controversy, The Issue In . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                     151    King of Glory Enters, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.          338
Dogmatics, A Faulty Understanding Of? . . . . . . . H.C.H.                           7                                       -L-
                                     -E-                                                  Liturgical Renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.      80
Ecology: A Christian Calling? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.               487    Lord Mistaken, Was The? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.            245
"Economic And Social Development, World" . . . G.V.B.                              137    Love, A Scriptural Morality of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.K.           205
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         29    Love of God Wholly Particular, The (1) . . . . . . . . . H.V.                 320
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         77    Love of God Wholly Particular, The (2) . . . . . . . . . H.V.                 347
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.      125    Love, Only Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.K.     66
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.        317                                      -M-
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.        413    Man Become God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.       400
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.        461    Man, Cease Ye From . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         386
Education, The Trend of Modern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                    283    Marks of the True Church, The (1) . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                .317
Ethics, The Error Of Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.K.                118    Marks of the True Church, The (2) . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                343
Ethics, The Error Of Situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.K.                136    Marriages, Mixed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.V.     82
Evangelism, Congress On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.               57    Marriages, Rome's New Laws for Mixed . . . . . . . . . H.H.                   489
                                     -F-                                                     McIntire's  Manifesto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.      32
Faithful Saying, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.          122       McIntire Under Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.       468
Famine,The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..B.W.          131    Medicare and Medicaid in the Light of
Father's Business, About His . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.              218       Article 25 of the Church Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.            199
First At Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.    378
Following After Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.            74    Minutes, May We Have a Few, Please? . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                  221
Formed For God's Praise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.               482    Mission Activities, Our . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.K.      107
Future, Fear For The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.             162    Missionary Movement, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R.C.H.            13
                                     - G                                                  "Mission, Renewal In" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.           92
Gap, The Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.             300    Missions in America, Early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.H.          15
-Gap, The Veneration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.           275                                       -N-
Gereformeerde Kerken, De . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                   29    N.C.C., General Assembly of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.            224
Gereformeerde Kerken, Decisions of the . . . . . . . . . H.H.                      129    Netherlands, Bad News From The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                32
Gideons, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R.C.H.        139    News from Church Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.              445
Government Subsidy, Our Schools and (9) . . . . . H.C.H.                             5    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.             24
Government Subsidy, Our Schools And (10) . . . H.C.H.                               77    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.             48
Government Subsidy, Our Schools And (11) ._ . . H.C.H.                             101    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.             72
Graham's Compromised Crusade                                                              News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.             96
   Connections, Billy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R.C.H.         380    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             120
Greed, Spell It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.      395    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             144
Groppi at Calvin College, Father . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                  401    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             168
Groppi Lecture, Correspondence and                                                        News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.           192
   Reply About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.          490    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.           216
                                     -H-                                                  News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.           240
"Hare, The Ruminating" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                247    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             264
High Schools, Trouble in the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.              262    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             288
Homosexuals, A Church For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                 325    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             312
Hopeful Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         314    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             335
Hope, The Object of the Christian's . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                     2    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             360
Humbled Unto Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.              266    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             383
                                     -I'-                                                 News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             408
Iconographic, Pornographic, And                                                           News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             431
   Distortionistic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.        125    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             456
Infallibility, Attacks On Papal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.             153    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.             480
"International Affairs, Toward Justice                                                    News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D.R.D.           503
   And Peace In" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.          181                                       -o-
Irish Religious Struggle, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.              31    Obedient In His Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.        242
Israel, The Numbering Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.               164    O'Hare, A New Church for Madelyn . . . . ; . :. . . . . H.H.                  324
                                     -J-                                                  Operation `76 And The Universal Church . . . . . . . . H.H.                   154
Jamaica, A Memorable Day In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.M.                    350                                       -P-
Joshua, Proof for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.          369    Parochiaid and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.           5
Journal, A Stimulating Christian Scientific . . . . . R.C.H.                       156    Parochiaid and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.          77
Joy from "`Down Under," Topsy-Turvy (3) . . . . H.C.H.                               7    Parochiaid And Our Philosophy
JoyOfTheRedeemed,The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                      170       Of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.      101
                                     -Km                                                  Parochiaid, Can We Fight? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.            221
"Kies Koers!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         365    Pella,  Joy In (News Feature) . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . .     299
King, A Different View of Martin Luther . . . . . . . . H.H.                       284    Physician, Heal Thyself! . . . . . . i . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         268


                                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                             503


Pollution, Heir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.A.H.     330      Speech Ye Shall Know Them By Their . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                   292
Presbyterian Church US, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.             468      Splinter or Reformation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                         484
                                    -Q-                                                 "Styles of Living, Towards New" . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                              326
Question Box:                                                                           Sunday School  - A Defmite Improvement . . . . . H.C.H.                                     486
   About  IIPeter   1:1,2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.         493      Survey, Have Your Returned Your? . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                 273
   About the "New Theology" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                 494      Synodof1970,Reportofthe.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                                424
Quote, An Interesting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.       447      Synod0ftheC.R.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                       466
                                   -R-
R.C.A., Decisions of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.         467      Tax Privileges Out, Church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.                        103
R.C.A., Divisions in the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.        31      Telephone  Flight From  ThI.-. . . . .                                          H.C.H.      149
Reformation, What Is Necessary For . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                  270      Temptation, Kept From The Hour Of.
                                                                                                                                                 .................... . M.S.        410
Repentance of the Immutable, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                434      Thanksgiving, The Question Of True . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.                              98
Retirement, Dangerous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.          464      Thanks, Open Letter of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.L.                      189
Reunion Or Merger? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.          173      Translations of Rev. H. Hoeksema's writings:
Resurrection Gospel, The First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M.S.            290         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter V) . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                 42
R.F.P.A., Annual Reports of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           46         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter VI) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                  43
Roman Catholics, Saints, and Ecumenicity . . . . . . . H.H.                    225         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter VI) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                  70
                                    -S-                                                    Believers And Their Seed (Chapter VI) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                  94
Sabbath Day Movement, A . . . . . . . . :`-. . . . . . . . R.C.H.               9(8        Believers And Their Seed (Chapter VII) . . . . . H.C.H.                                  190
Sabbath Observance  -In The Business                                                       Believers And Their Seed (Chapter VII) . . . . . H.C.H.                                  236
   Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.    104         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter VIII) . . . . . H.C.H.                                 306
Sacrifice and Mercy, Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.W.        187         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter IX) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                 405
Salvation, Israel's Everlasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.           194         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter IX) . . . : . . H.C:H.                                 429
School, A Visit To The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.          64         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter IX) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                 451
School, Our Theological . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.        397         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter X) . . . . . . . H.C.H.                                453
Seed, Sowing The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.        33         Believers And Their Seed (Chapte.r  X) . . . . . . . H.C.H .. 474
Seed, Sowing The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.        68         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter XI) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                 477
Seed, Sowing The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.        86         Believers And Their Seed (Chapter XI) . . . . . . H.C.H.                                 499
Seed, Sowing The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.A.H.       109                                                -u-
Seminary, Our . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .J.M.F.     64     Union Labor Decision in Canada, An Important . . . H.H.                                      131
Seventies, Entering The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.       176     United Reformed Church, A? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                              128
Sex Education In The Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.H.               58     United Reformed Church, A? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                              173
Sheba, The Revolt Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B.W.        111                                                -v-
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant - Calvin) . . . . . . . H.V.                   20     V a r i a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H . H .    400
Sin, The'Doctrine of (Protestant - Calvin) . . . . . . . H.V.                   60                                               -w-
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant - Calvin) . . . . . . . H.V.                  114     W.C.C., Dr. Daane, St. Paul, and the . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                              374
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant - Calvin . . . . . . . H.V.                   134     W.C.C., Membership in the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.H.                          325
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant - Caivin3 . . . . . . . H.V.                  160     What Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                   29
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant - Calvin) . . . . . . . H.V.                  185     Who Said So . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.A.H.                   141
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant - Calvin) . . . . . . . H.V.                  207     Witnesses, Ye Are My . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.C.H.                         53
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant  -                                                    Word, But By Every . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.A.H.                         17
   Reformed Symbols) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.V.          227     World Council of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                            36
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant -                                                     World Council of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                            92
   Reformed Symbols) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.V.          253     World Council of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G:V.B.                           137
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant -                                                     World Council of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                           181
   Reformed Symbols) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.V.          273     World Council of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                           281
Sin, The Doctrine of (Protestant  -                                                    World Council of Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                           326
   Reformed Symbols) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H.V.          304     World Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . R.C.H.                   13
Solomon Made King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B.W.           251     "Worship" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.V.B.                 281
Solomon's Ascension to Israel's Throne . . . . . . . . . B.W.                  447                                               -Y-
Southern Baptists Assert Their Conservatism . . . . . H.H.                     489     Youth For WHO? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R.C.H.                        233




                                           News From Our Churches

  From  the looks of this wonderful stack of news,                                     Iowa, as has Rev. G. Van  Baren  the call from
we're going to have to be selective again this time.                                   Randolph, Wisconsin.
Let's begin with a couple of items most easily dated.                                     Those of you who place announcements in bulletins
  Rev. C.  Hank0 has declined the call from  Doon,- of other churches might be interested in knowing that


 THE STANDARD  BEA,RER
       P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506




504                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



the new "bulletin-maker" at our Hudsonville church is        there's a recent event, the reporting of which ought to
Mrs. Henry Bergman, 2005 Edson Drive, Hudsonville,           be more fun than anything this writer has ever handled
Mich. 49426.                                                 in this column. That event is the ministers' retreat,
  Another important address is that of Rev. Geo. C.          held August 25-27. Already in the May information
Lubbers: Montego Bay, Jamaica, West Indies, General          sheet sent to ministers and their wives, there was a hint
Delivery. His plans were to leave Grand Rapids Sep-          that this retreat would provide opportunity for both
tember 9, at 7:00 A.M., and arrive in Jamaica at 2:20        spiritual profit and refreshing relaxation and recrea-
P.M. So that he is not a "man without a country," he         tion. The letter made note of the fact that this would
has a U.S. office address  - 7501 Terrace Lane,  Jeni-       be an opportunity "for ministers to `let their hair
son, Mich. 49428.                                            down' (if they had enough to do that)."Judging from
  On Sept. 4, before he left, Rev. Lubbers had a part        reports, the ministers who attended had at least
in a "Jamaican Mission Emphasis Night" in our church         enough hair to let down.
in South Holland. Rev. Lubbers spoke and showed his            According to Rev. Schipper, "the weather was per-
slides. Rev. Elliott was also present,,  to address the      fect, and," he added, between mouthfuls of his first
audience. A similar program.  was held `in Loveland,         meal back home after the retreat, "I'm  still hungry."
Colorado, on August ,7. Rev. J. Heys was there at the        We understand that at least one other minister enjoyed
time, and he also accompanied his address to the             the food. Rev. Decker, it seems, has quite a capacity
people with a showing of the slides which he took in         for pancakes. Rev. Heys, in counting those  Rev.
Jamaica during his stay there last spring.                   Decker was putting away, lost track after twelve. But
  Because of the nature of the work, our missionary          Mrs. Hoeksema counted up to no less-than seventeen.
efforts in Jamaica are more obvious, at present, than is     Mrs. Hoeksema, by the way, brought several pies a-long.
the church extension work which is being carried on          There was one piece of pie left, and, somehow or
by various individual congregations. That this impor-        other, Rev. Decker managed to get that piece. But the
tant, though perhaps less glamorous, work is not being       two professors saw to it, personally, that though he
neglected, is evident from the bulletins and news sheets     had his pie, he didn't have a chance to eat it, too.
sent this way. In fact, it seems that this work is being       We're told that the Deckers, Engelsmas, and Hankos
carried on with increased tempo. We would like to            went out for a middle-of-the-night dip. Seems that,
quote from a news letter from Pella, Iowa.                   though trying to remain quiet, they disturbed the sleep
  "1.) We now have a pamphlet distributing commit-           of a couple of others. Next morning, it was discovered
tee which mails 250 pamphlets a week to the Pella and        that Rev. Decker's suitcase had mysteriously dis-
Oskaloosa areas. These pamphlets are written by Rev.         appeared. The fact that Rev. and Mrs. Van Baren knew
Engelsma and myself, and printed by the Reformed             so little about this incident makes it rather difficult for
Action Society. General subject: the Last Things. 2.) A      one to believe that they were completely innocent in
summer series of seven lectures on the Letters to the        the case of the disappearing case.
Churches of Revelation 2 and 3 is well under way. The          Then there were the two-man rubber rafts. The
problems that confront the church are treated in the         object was to see tb it that the other raft was empty of
context of these letters. It is hoped that these lectures    occupants as much as possible.
give counsel and encouragement to those within and             That our ministers had a well-deserved recreational
without our congregation. The pastor gives these             outing, there is no doubt. But that they got together
speeches alternate Wednesday evenings throughout the         for more than that is equally beyond doubt. Topics for
summer. 3.) Although growth is very slow, yet we             discussion included "The Pastor as Counselor and our
found it necessary to expand our auditorium, so that         Youth" led by Prof. Hoeksema, "Problems of the
now seating capacity is about 110. We still get a goodly     Jamaican Mission Field" by Rev. Elliott, "Suggested
number of visitors at the evening worship service."          Methods for a More Active Home Mission" by Rev. D.
  Our thanks for the above to Rev. D. Kuiper, pastor Engelsma, and "Could We Improve Our Order of Wor-
of the Pella congregation.                                   ship - and if so, how?`" by Prof. Hanko.
  There are, still, seperal other churches about which         This news is too long. But after the editor-in-chief
we would like to give information concerning church          gets through with it, it'll probably be down to the right
extension activities  - notably, the congregations of size. (Editor's  no$e  to. News Editor: cf. Judges
Loveland and Hope (Grand Rapids). But we're going to         14: 18-b.)
have to wait a couple of weeks with that because                                                                D.R.D.


