                              he

                            tandard
                              i`, earer

A  REFORMED  SEMI-MONTHLY  MAGAZINE



IN  THIS ISSUE


   Meditation:
      Israel Commanded To Go Forward

   Editorials:
      Encouraging Contacts
      Concerning the Doctrinal Tensions in Australasia

    Letter From The RES Interim Committee
      (see: All Around Us)

    Training Our Youth In Covenant Distinctiveness
      (see: In His Fear)


                                       Volume XL VIljNumber  7/January  I, 19 71


146                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



                               CONTENTS:                                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                       Semimonthly, except monthly during June, July and August.

Meditation  -                                                                          Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
       Israel Command To Go Forward . . . . . . . . . . . .146                                Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids,  Mich.
                                                                                 Editor-in-Chief: Prof.  f-f.  C. Hoeksema

Editorials -                                                                     Department Editors::  Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev. Cornelius  Hanklo,  Prof.
                                                                                 Herman Hanko,  Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A.  Heys. Rev. Jay
       Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .I49 Kortering, Rev.  George  C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
       Encouraging Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Van  Baren, Rev. Herman  Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
       Concerning The Doctrinal Tensions                                         Editorial Office:  Prof. H.  C: Hoeksema
          In Australasia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151                       1842 Plymouth Terrace,  SE.
                                                                                                    Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
                                                                                 Church News Editor:       Mr. Donald Doezema
Question Box -                                                                                             1904 Plymouth Terrace, S.E.
       As To Divorce and Remarriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153                                         Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
                                                                                 Editorial Policy:  Even/  editor is solely responsible for the contents of his
All Around Us -                                                                  own articles. Contributions of general interest from our readers and
       Dr. McIntire and the A.C.C.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 questions for the Question-Box Department are welcome. Contributions
                                                                                 will be limited to approximately 300 words and must be neatly written
       Letter from the RES Interim Committee . . . . . .155 or typewritten. Copy deadlines are the first and the fifteenth of the
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Feature -
       The Pilgrim's Involvement In                                              Business Office:  The Standard Bearer,
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Medhzthn

                              Israel Commanded To Go Forward
                                                                   Rev. M. Schipper

                                       "`Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. "
                                                                                             Exodus 14: 15b.

     I;t is morning  - a new day  - and a new year has                           could see in a moment all that has transpired in it. For
begun !                                                                          some there were moments of joy; for others, moments
     The night - another day - and with it another year of sadness; and for most of us, a mixture of both.
has passed away!                                                                     But now it is morning, and we stand at the threshold
     And what a year it has been!                                                of a new year!
     Indeed, we would stand aghast if all the moments it                             The height of folly it would be that, like the  chil-
contained would be flashed suddenly before us, and we dren of this world, we should expect something new


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                          147


 and better that the future should bring. 0, indeed, we the favor of God, might soon turn against him and
 may expect there will again be moments of joy and destroy him and his land. Under severe bondage he
 gladness. For they shall marry and be given in brought them, until they cried out to the Lord for
 marriage, new arrivals will continue to gladden our deliverance. And God heard their cry, and sent them
 homes. And most of all we shall continue to experi- one who would lead them out. After tengreat plagues
 ence the blessings and joys of salvation. But we may which God visited upon the Egyptians, Moses leads
 also expect that all these joys will be tempered with Israel out and toward the promised land.
 sorrow and pain, the same as we endured in the years        Not, however, did God choose to have His people go
 now passed. The ever recurring cycle that brings over the shortest route to the land of the promise; but
 nothing new under the sun will also bring with it the He lead them by a pillar of cloud by day. and a pillar of
 usual moments of darkness and pain. And we need not fire by night to the region west of the Red Sea. The
 be described as too pessimistic when we say that there    divine reasoning was two-fold: on the one hand, He
 are reasons to believe that conditions in the world and would teach His people that the way to Canaan and
 in the church will not be better, but perhaps even rest was a way fraught with difficulty and fear, in
 worse than in the year that has ended. The growing order that they might place all their confidence and
 unrest in the world does not now appear as having trust in Him their Deliverer; on the other hand, He
 been stunted in its growth. Though the war in Asiz purposed to lead Israel's erstwhile captor to his sudden
 appears to be coming to its conclusion, the unrest in     destruction in the Red Sea.
 Palestine and other areas of the world continue to          However, there at the Red Sea, Israel discovered
 bring us great concern. The internal troubles in our their helpless condition. For to the left of them lay the
 own land and throughout the world will no doubt con- sea, and in front of them and to their right were insur-
 tinue to increase. And the conditions in the  church-     mountable mountains, while behind them pursuing
 world appear to be heading for more turmoil and were the steel-clad armies and chariots of their enemy.
 trouble. Indeed, all this does not present a rosy pros- Pharaoh, as the Lord had, predicted, had hardened his
 pect as we stand at the beginning of another year. But heart and was in fast pursuit to confiscate what had
 we ask in the light of God's prophetic Word, is there been so recently taken from him. With six hundred
 anything different to expect?                             horsemen and chariots he followed hard after Israel,
    Moreover, we cannot now avoid being confronted intent on bringing them back to Egypt and servitude.
 with many questions concerning us as churches, as Caught in a pocket as it were with no possible means
 families, as individuals. As churches, shall we continue of escape were the children of Israel. And they were
 to be faithful to the truth, and our calling to faithfully sore afraid, murmuring at the same time that Moses
 proclaim it? Will our children continue in faith of our had taken them out of slavery only to let them die at
 fathers, or will -they be carried away with the tide of the hand of their enemy. Most desperate was their situ-
 apostasy evident on every hand? Will we personally be ation. Listen to them complain: "Because there were
 able to withstand the fiery darts of Satan as he will no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away, to die in
 continue to fling them at us? When the angel of death the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us,
 shall strike into our homes, will we be able to remain to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is this not the word
 strong,in faith, or will we murmur that the way of the that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone,
 Lord is not right?                                        that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been
   All these questions, and many more like them, quite better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we
 naturally raise another question: When all these things should die in the wilderness."
 come to pass, what shall we do? What shall we do            Lest we should conclude that what we have here is
 when all things appear to be against us?                  an isolated incident in the history of this ancient
   Such, according to the context of our text, was the people, we ought to remind ourselves that typically
 question of Israel. And to that question the God of they are a picture of the church of God. A type they
 Israel thunders in our text:                              were of the church that is principally delivered from
   Tell the children of Israel to go forward!              the prison-house of sin and death, and a type of the
   Ah, indeed, the historical setting presents to us a church as she still resides in the world.
 helpless Israel!                                            0, to  be  sure, through the redemption we have in
   You remember, they were on the march. They had Christ Jesus, we, like Israel delivered from Egypt, have
 just been delivered out of Egypt, the house of bond- been delivered from the power of sin and death. And
 age. For four hundred years they had dwelt under the on the basis of that redemptive work of Christ we have
 whip-lashes of and in servitude to the Pharaohs of a right to the heavenly land of Canaan and rest, and
Egypt. Another Pharaoh had risen to command who the Lord will surely bring us there. But it is equally
 knew not Joseph and the past favors God had provided true, as it was for the children of Israel, that we are not
 for His people in the land of Goshen.  The new Pharaoh there yet. We must go through the wilderness of this
 sensed that the children of Israel had increased under world. And under divine direction there is also the Red


148                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



Sea, the insurmountable mountains, and the pursuing Moses, accusing him of having deceived them and
hosts of evil.                                              leading them into a trap where they must be con-
   No different will this be in the year into which we sumed, all of them. At the moment all they envisioned
have now entered. Dark and fearsome may be the days was death. They had no eye, so it seemed, to behold
that lie ahead for us as churches, and as individuals - the cloud that moved before them as a guide, and be-
for us and our children. So terrifying may be the days hind them as a protector. They saw only the swiftly
that despairingly we may exclaim: What shall we do? advancing steeds of Pharaoh. They appeared crazed
the divine answer is:                                       with fright. It looked to them like their doom was
  Tell the children of Israel to go forward!                tixed. So great was their vexation that also Moses
   Literally the text says: Pull up! Break camp, and apparently is carried away with it. For he also cried
move on!                                                    unto the Lord. It was a cry which clearly displeased
  You see, Israel dwells in tents, not in permanent, the Lord, as is evident from the question: "Wherefore
earth-fastened domiciles. Though we pitch our tents criest thou unto me?"
for a night, they must be pulled up in the morning, and       What shall we conclude from all this? Are we to
we journey on. The march to Canaan must progress.           draw from it that they were all faithless reprobates;?
  Go forward!                                                 Indeed not! Though undoubtedly there were repro-
  Not merely a command of a sovereign Lord, but a bates among them, for they were not all Israel that is
command of sovereign love! For it is Jehovah our called Israel. Rather we turn to the Scriptural commen-
covenant Lord Who commands. Not merely an tary on this passage in Hebrews  11:29 "By faith they
almighty God Whose right it is to command expecting passed through the Red Sea as by dry land; which the
our obedience; but He is our covenant God Who has Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." So that here
established eternally and unchangeably His covenant of we have a true picture of the helplessness of the child-
friendship with us, and Who from everlasting has loved ren of God expressed when He brings sore trials upon
us with a love that will not let us go  - a love that them. It is the trial of their faith!
always seeks our eternal perfection - a love that will        And what is demanded of that faith Jehovah gives?
also destroy all our enemies, and perfectly deliver us.       That it follow blindly in the way God leads? 0, NO!
  A command that is motivated by a threefold pur- Faith is never blind, nor does faith which is spiritual
pose! First, it is His purpose to bring His Israel to and rational ever follow blindly. Rather, it looks at the
Canaan. That is the final destination of the journey. To signs of Jehovah's presence as evidenced in the cloud,
that `destination Israel cannot come by standing still, or and relies on His promises that He will bring them
by going backward to Egypt. Israel must pull stakes, safely to their promised rest. It is that faith that sees in
and go forward to get there. It is a long march, not, as the waters of the Red Sea the baptism that saves. It
we have seen, by the shortest route, but over the long saves them not only by separating them from the
and trying route, - it is the way of sin and grace, over power of the devil, which is presently destroyed sym-
which Jehovah leads His people unto the promised bolically in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host,
land. Second, in close connection with the foregoing, it but it saves them through the blood of atonement,
is His purpose to save Israel. Not only so marvelously through the death and resurrection with Christ of
and miraculously out of Egypt, the house of bondage; which those waters also speak. They must, in one
but now also through the Red Sea, the type of word, believe that their God Who had promised to
baptism, which in turn was symbolic of entering into bring them to Canaan would go with them as they
Christ's death and resurrection, which saves us. And passed through the waters.
third, His purpose was to test them and try their faith.      Thus the way, which looked like, a trap in which
Not to learn how Israel will react to the trial, for this they would be consumed, became the way of escape,
He knows omnisciently. He who could know the and would bring them forward unto their final and
thoughts of the reprobate heart of Pharaoh, shall He glorious salvation.
not know the thoughts of the hearts of His elect? But         In that faith let us also go forward, my fellow
His purpose is to let Israel through the trial place all pilgrim!
their confidence only in Jehovah. For this He prepares        Have no fear, but by grace place all our trust in Him
the conditions for the trial, and it is He who tries Who is indeed the God of our salvation.
them.                                                         And we shall never be ashamed!
  The trial of faith!
  0, be not too hasty to condemn this people as being
faithless, and rebellious! Indeed, it seemed that they
had forgotten their Deliverer. For they cried out unto           Folks who follow the crowd usually get into a jam.
the Lord not with a cry that seemed to proceed out of
faith, but rather of distrust, and rebellion. Moreover,
they also raised accusation against the Lord's, servant


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                               149



  Editoria Is

                                        Editor's  Notes
                                               Pro5  H.C. Hoeksema

  In "Come Ye Apart . . . And Rest A While" you will Michigan Supreme Court had once refused to upset an
  find another of several attractive articles by Rev. C. Appeals Court decision that the anti-parochiaid amend-
  Ha&o. It could not be placed in the Dec. 15 issue; but ment should properly be on the ballot, now that same
  we felt that January 1 is not so far removed from the Supreme Court has for some unexplained reason de-
  Christmas season as to warrant saving this article for an cided to look into the legality of the manner in which
  entire year! So we present it - and without apologies! that amendment was brought. This could mean the
                           ***                              resurrection of parochiaid! Time and the court will
  This issue features the second and concluding instal- tell.
  lment of Rev. D. Engelsma's "The Pilgrim's Involve-                               ***
  ment In Earthly Affairs." And "In His Fear" carries In conclusion, have you ordered your Volume I of The
, the first installment of a recent address by Rev. J. Heys ~~~2~ Know2edge reprint? Forgot it, eh? Well, make a
  on "Training Our Youth In Covenant Distinctiveness."
                           ***                              New Year's resolution not to forget such important
  A possible resurrection? In the December 15 issue we items; and then keep it, too! Start off by sending your
  proclaimed the death of parochiaid. We should have order, with $8.95, to: R.F.P.A. Publications  Commit-
  known better, but we had -forgotten a lesson learned. tee, P.O. Box 2006, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501.
  long ago - that the courts can be fickle. Although the



                              Encouraging Contacts

    Christchurch, New Zealand.                                Mr. Wm. van Rij visited us from Christchurch, New
    Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England.                        Zealand. Our contact with him was occasioned by
    Gerdview, Transvaal, South Africa.                      The Standard Bearer's  reflections on the theology of
    What do these romantic sounding cities in far away Dr. Klaas Runia a little more than a year ago. Inciden-
  lands of three widely separated continents have in tally, it was another reader of our Standard Bearer -
  common? And why are they mentioned in The Stand- also not a member of our churches - who brought the
 ard Bearer?                                                Standard Bearer to brother van Rij's attention. Unbe-
    Within the past month and a  half there have been knownst to us at the time, there were tensions in the
 men from all three of these far away places who sought churches of New Zealand and Australia surrounding
  contact with us. I am not speaking of contact by corre- the teachings of Dr. Runia. And brother van Rij recog-
  spondence. Of the latter kind of contact, too, we have nized in The Standard Bearer a kindred defender of the
  been having much - with people of other church com- Reformed faith, began to correspond with us, and to
 munions, both in this country and in foreign lands. It exchange views, as well as to publish excerpts from
 seems, in fact, that especially of late such contacts The Standard Bearer  "down under" in a little paper
 have been increasing. If we had a "mail-bag" depart- called  The Reformed Guardian.  Brother van Rij is a
 ment in our magazine, some of the letters which are member of the Reformed Church of New Zealand and
 received would indeed surprise many of our readers. is a director-president of an organization called The Pres-
 And these contacts usually come about either through byterian and Reformed Fellowship, whose purpose is
 our  Standard Bearer  or through other literature pro- to defend the Reformed faith against the same liberal-
 duced in our churches, particularly the books being izing tendencies which are at present afflicting Re-
 published by the R.F.P.A.                                  formed churches throughout the world. About these
    But I am speaking now of personal, face-to-face matters we  shah write in  detail later. But the fruit of
contacts.                                                   this contact was that when brother van Rij was in this
    Without violating any personal confidences or country on a very crowded schedule on a business trip,
 embarrassing any individuals, let me briefly relate the he had the opportunity to spend a week-end in Grand
 story of these visits.                                     Rapids and sought us out. Thus it came about that Mr.


     150                                           THE STANDARD  BEARER
I



     and Mrs. van Rij were our guests; and we had the contact with a group called Christian Ministries Ltd;, in
     opportunity of face-to-face contact and discussion, South Africa. But imagine my surprise when on an
     gained a much fuller insight into the situation "down evening my telephone rang, and a gentleman inquired
     under," had the opportunity to inform the brother about "a publication called The Standard Bearer. " As
     more fully concerning our Protestant Reformed the story developed, the voice was that of Mr. Iain B.
     Churches and our stand, even had the pleasure of Grubb, who was in our city on business for South
     having the van Rijs as guests in our Sunday services at Africa Airways. He is a director of the literature distri-
     Hope Church and Southeast Church, and laid the bution group called Christian Ministries Ltd. He had
     groundwork for further contact with the brethren in been urged to get in touch with The Standard Bearer
     New Zealand.                                              while in this country, and to inquire about the possi-
       International contact Number Two was with a bility of distributing our magazine in South Africa. But
     minister from that delightfully romantic sounding city he came with no more than a post office box number.
     on the English Channel, Bexhill-on-Sea. The Rev. After various efforts to get information, he remem-
     Stanley R. Baxter is a minister in the Free Church of bered the name "Hoeksema" from one of our R.F.P.A.
     England, a sister church of the Reformed Episcopal books, consulted the telephone d,i.rectory, and tried my
     Church in this country. But he is a man who has come number. The result was that during his brief stay in
     to love the pure Reformed faith. The amazing aspect Grand Rapids Mr. Grubb spent an evening at my home,
     of this is that, as he himself put it in his broad English and we became as acquainted as was possible in the
     accent, he moved from "a rabid Arminian,  dispensa- three hours before I brought him to Kent County Air-
     tionalist" position to the Reformed faith. And now he port to make his delayed trip to New York. The story I
     is dedicated to furthering the pure Reformed faith heard from him was more wonderful than I could have
     among others, both his fellow ministers and the dreamed. He belongs to a group which has moved from
     people, in England. It seems that it was largely through a Pentacostalist and Brethren background to  "Five-
     the influence of literature published by the Banner of Point Calvinism" and is apparently moving toward a
     Truth Trust in England that the Rev. Mr. Baxter be- fully Reformed position. No, I am under no illusions
     came acquainted with the Reformed faith. And it was that this brother was "Protestant Reformed." Nor
     through our literature distributed in England by the was he! But the significant  .point is that here is
     Banner of Truth Trust that brother Baxter became apparently a group of believers who have - as they put
     acquainted with us; he himself made special mention it, "providentially" and "by God's grace" - come into
     of Reformed Dogmatics and Therefore Have ISpoken contact with Calvinism and the Reformed faith, who
     (and he went back home, by the way, with Behold, He are genuinely interested in learning more, and who
     Cometh - and much other literature - in his luggage!). have gone out of their way even to seek personal con-
     It was a real pleasure for the Rev. Van Baren and my- tact with us on the flimsiest clew of a post office box
     self to have Rev. Baxter in our homes for a few days. number and a name partially remembered.
     But a goodly number of our people also had the oppor-       Now why, you may ask, am I relating these stories?
     tunity to become acquainted, to hear him speak, and         Well, certainly not to boast. Neither do I have delu-
     to ask questions. And our Seminary had a treat in the sions of grandeur as to a tremendous revival of the
     form of a visit from Rev. Baxter and a 3-hour session Reformed faith in this age of apostasy which increas-
     with him. Besides, the Michigan ministers gathered in ingly points to the nearness of the end, nor do I be-
     conference with this brother from England in the after- lieve that we have anything whereof to boast even of
     noon of the same day when he visited the Seminary. these small fruits  - and how could a  Reformed man
     The result of this 4-day visit which the Rev. Baxter boast, except in the Lord?
     made specifically to seek face-to-face contact with us      But I have more than one reason for sharing this
     was a mutual understanding, rich fellowship, the laying information.
     of ground-work for further fellowship with him and          In the first place, I believe that the Lord has some-
     with others, and the establishing of more contacts with thing to say to us in these contacts which were seem-
     likeminded brethren. Our guest has already written a ingly laid, as it were, on our doorstep. And what the
     couple days after his return to England, "Thank you Lord has to say to us is, I believe, for our encourage-
     very much indeed for all the love and fellowship in the ment. At any rate, I and the other brethren with me
     Gospel that you and your brethren and family gave to felt greatly encouraged and refreshed by these contacts
     me. It was a great thrill to me to be in such company with brethren from far away lands. Sometimes we
     and to have stayed in Christian families."                begin to feel rather lonely, begin to feel almost as
       International contact Number Three is almost though we are the only ones left who are holding to
     stranger than fiction. Apparently this contact also and fighting for the pure Reformed faith. And now the
     came about originally through our literature distributed Lord brings us into contact with kindred souls - from
     by the Banner of Truth Trust in London, England. For afar  - and reminds us that He always has His seven
     some time our Business Manager, however, had a little thousand. And refreshing it is, and mutually beneficial


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                             151



and strengthening, to have such contacts.                  There are several who have recently urged us
  In second place, it is striking that what these people strongly  - brethren in this land and in foreign coun-
are interested in - to one degree or another 1 is not tries  - to "get our witness out" much more than we
some brand of watered down Calvinism or  dacadent have done. They have thus urged us because they have
Reformed witness, of which there is a great plenty in recognized that witness for what it is: REFORMED!
our day. But they are interested in the clear-cut, un- And, indeed, there is much  .that could be done. The
compromised Reformed faith. This is precisely what question is not, certainly, whether we can make money
has attracted them to us, This is what drew their atten- on our publications, not even whether we can break
tion in our literature. This factor also has something to even on them. If there are outlets for our  Standard
say to us, namely, that we should never, never think of Bearer  and our pamphlets and brochures and books,
compromising the heritage of the Reformed faith and if there is interest shown, then we should by all
which the Lord has given us, but maintain our Re- means see to it that this literature is made readily avail-
formed witness in all its purity and sharpness of defini- able, even at our own expense! I know, for example,
tion with unflagging devotion and zeal. If this should that our Standard Bearer and our books would be wel-
ever be different among us, we will have become like comed by others in England, except that people can
salt which has lost its savor - even as so many other truthfully not afford them. The average salary of
Reformed groups have already become. This is impor- ministers in Rev. Baxter's denomination, for example,
tant to remember in a day when the temptation to is about $25000, surely not leaving much surplus for
compromise is great!                                     books and magazine subscriptions. I think the Banner
  In the third place, it is striking to me that these of Truth Trust gives us a worthy example in this re-
contacts all came about through our Protestant Re- gard. Not only do they publish and sell books as
formed literature, and that, too, in what one would reasonably as possible; but I am told that in case there
almost call an accidental manner. There are no acci- are worthy subjects who cannot afford their books,
dents, of course; all of these contacts have been they make cash grants to be used toward the cost of
directed by God's gracious providence toward His books. And why cannot we do something of this kind
church. But what I mean is this, that there was no too - not foolishly and indiscriminately, but with dis-
overt effort on our part to reach these brethren with cretion and in cases of genuine interest? And why
our witness; in fact, the first contacts were made unbe- could we not make The Standard Bearer available to
knownst to us.                                           those outside our churches, both here and in foreign
  My point is this, that if these are the results when lands on a much wider basis, and free if necessary? I:
there is little or no effort put forth by us, then who for one, would be in favor of extending our witness -
knows what may be the result of  an overt and con- and I have in mind especially our literature witness -
certed effort to send forth our literature-witness, both on a much greater scale. Contacts such as those I have
in this country and overseas? By all means, we should described should encourage us in this. Moreover, we
not let our smallness and limited means and power ever will discover that contacts made through such means
become an alibi for lack of zeal and effort on our part. will in turn open the door to other and increasing con-
Nor should we allow a certain inferiority complex to tacts.
deter us. It is Reformed thinking, is it not, to send      But let us be up and doing!
forth our witness according to the means and ability       Let us labor while it is day! The night  cometh in
and opportunities which the Lord gives us  - to the which no man can work!
utmost of our power - and to leave the fruits to Him?      Our God will give the increase!
  Let us not forget this.



     Concerning the Doctrinal Tensions in Australasia
  From time to time The Standard Bearer has called matters in greater  detail  in coming issues. There has
attention to the doctrinal tensions "down under" in been organized a Reformed and Presbyterian Fellow-
the Reformed Church of New Zealand and the Re- ship of Australasia, with its headquarters in Christ-
formed Church of Australia  - tensions  ~which center church, New Zealand. Briefly, the purpose of this
about various doctrinal expressions of Prof. `Dr. Klaas organization - somewhat akin in its origin and purpose
Runia, of the Geelong Theological College. The Stand- to our R.F.P.A. - is to defend the Reformed faith over-
ard Bearer  intends to-reflect on this conflict "down against the doctrinal aberrations which are appearing in
under" in d&ii and to give its attention to the various the churches there. To this end, as was mentioned in
doctrinal issues involved. We shall write on these another editorial, the Reformed and Presbyterian


152                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



Fellowship of Australasia published a little paper called believe that we may remain silent. And we would
the Reformed Guardian, so that it may have a literary appreciate it if your publication would present the
voice over against  Trowel and Sword,  which, it is accompanying clarification.
claimed, has closed its columns to those who attacked                        "Sincerely,
Prof. Runia's views.                                                             for The Reformed and Presbyterian
   As mentioned before, we intend to furnish our                                 Fellowship of Australasia
readers with some background information about the
churches "down under" and to give an account of the                              W. Van Rij, President
controversy. But at present we have on hand an item                              B. van Herk, Secretary"
which is worthy of immediate attention. The opposi-            Then follows the explanation itself (we. translate):
tion of the Fellowship to the doctrinal positions taken         "The `Reformed and Presbyterian Fellowship of
by Dr. Runia has become known in the Netherlands Australasia' is sorry that in the Netherlands press incor-
and in America. Recently Dr. Runia visited in the rect information is furnished with respect to the source
Netherlands and in this country, apparently in connec-       and the content of the critique of various expressions
tion  *th a meeting of the RES Interim Committee; of Prof. Dr. K. Runia, professor at the Reformed
and he took the occasion to express himself, both Theological College at Geelong, Australia.-
orally and in writing, concerning the objections                "As to the source of the critique, reference was
registered against his views by the Fellowship. This also made to a `small group of men who came together in
was done in both the Netherlands and in America. A Wellington' (Friesch  Dagblad,   Aug., 1970). However,
recent issue of De Wacht& carried an editorial on the let the following serve as an introduction:
subject and also carried an account of Dr. Runia's reac-       "The Reformed and Presbyterian Fellowship is a
tions to his opponents' attacks. It is the opinion of the    fellowship of those who are unreservedly committed to
Reformed and Presbyterian Fellowship - and we agree the authority of Holy Scripture, the Bible, as well as
with them  - that Dr. Runia has not presented a the  Articuli  Fundamentales  as these are found in the
correct and fair picture of the situation. Moreover, for rich spiritual heritage of the Calvinistic Creeds, namely,
the most part, instead of treating the issues he engages     the Belgic Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg
in belittling his opposition. The Fellowship has issued a Catechism, the Canons of Dordt, and the Westminster
press release in which they correct the false impres- Confession of Faith and Catechism.
sions left by Dr. Runia. We have not observed as yet           "The sad necessity of proceeding to constitute this
whether any publications who carried Dr. Runia's Fellowship is like.wise the consequence of the fact that
remarks have taken up this press release in their Prof. Runia in Trowel and Sword, the only `Reformed'
columns. However, we believe that the Fellowship has publication in Australasia, by an untimely cessation of
a..right  to be heard on these matters. And because of correspondence cut off those who for conscience' sake
our interest in their struggle and our mutual concern        could not agree'with  his viewpoint.
for the defense of the Reformed faith, we will present         "According to the professor, `These men have mis-
in our columns this press release, which was issued in understood a number of expressions of mine and have
the Dutch language and which we translate. This will at upon their own conclusions built further conclusions'
the same time serve to give our readers a little informa- (De Rotterdammer, Sept. 17, 1970).
tion about the issues at stake "down under." At a later        "When the Fellowship called into being the publica-
date we hope to fill in some of the details of the pic- tion `The Reformed Guardian,' this meant a blow to
ture and to give our judgment of the pros and cons of the prestige of the `Reformed' hierarchy. When one is
the dispute.                                                 accustomed as professor to dominate both in the
  First we present the cover letter accompanying this theological faculty and in the paper Trowel and Sword
press release from the Reformed and Presbyterian             and in the synodical gatherings, then it becomes diffi-
Fellowship of Australasia. It reads as follows (we           cult not to see this step as insubordination. The evi-
translate):                                                  dence published in The Reformed Guardian whereby
  "Some time ago Prof. Dr. K. Runia defended him-            the members of the Reformed Churches are con-
self in the Netherlands press and on television, as well fronted by the direction taken by Prof. Runia came as
as in the' American "Wachter," against the objections a shock to many.
which have been brought against his theological              `Misunderstood?"
position.                                                      "Already some years ago Prof. Runia published a
  "The professor thought to minimize those objec- series of articles in Trowel and Sword on the subject
tions and thought to explain them from the influence EVOLUTION, which was the occasion for the entire                   ~
of Dr. Carl McIntire, the president of the I.C.C.C.          ministers' conference at Wellington to request him to      ~
  "To anyone who is acquainted with the situation,           stop `this kind of writing.'
this last must indeed sound laughable.                         "In  his  book  Crisis  iiz the Reformed Churches 
  "Over against this twisting of the facts, we do not ( 1968). under `recent Reformed criticisms of the


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 153



Canons' you can find Prof. Runia's criticism of God's well have happened that way."
decree with respect to `reprobation.' In spite of the "`Resume" - -
fact that this article is of great fundamental impor-        "The material cited above is sufficient proof that
tance, the professor does not consider it necessary to Prof. Runia has forsaken the original Reformed posi-
file a gravamen.                                           tion. The general tendency is now that the Geelong
   "In Trowel and Sword, August 1969, we read - `the men reflect the weak position of Prof. Runia. In
Apostle Paul appears to take all the details of the first Palmerston-North,  classis already rejected a candidate
chapters of Genesis literally,' and further: `The last after having examined him! In spite of all this, Prof.
word has not yet been spoken about this, for it seems Runia dares to explain in Holland that we have quoted
that it appears to scholars that Paul held to "Rabbini- him `out of context,' that our conclusions are `incor-
cal methods of interpretation and quotation".' [Note: rect,' or that we have `misunderstood' him. We desire
I do not have at hand the original English quotation to have men of God in our pulpits of the `Thus saith
here; this is a retranslation to English of a Dutch trans- the Lord'-caliber; and we reject those who are
lation of the original statement of Dr. Runia, and I apologetically oriented in their presentation.
cannot vouch for its exactness. HCHI                         "`As `Reformed and Presbyterian Fellowship' we feel
  "The Fellowship judges that a holy God did not ourselves under the necessity of `blowing the trumpet
move `holy men of God' (II Peter 1: 21) to write myths in Zion' in the hope that hereby a return may be ini-
and legends. `All scripture is given by inspiration of tiated, so that the training of our future ministers will,
God,' inclusive of Genesis 1-3. According to Prof. among many other things, guarantee the literal inter-
Runia `Assen' [The Dutch synod of 1926 in the pretation of Genesis l-3.
Geelkerken Case and its declarations. HCH] is a dead-        "Our help is in the Name of the Lord, Who made
end street, and he is glad that Lunteren (The Synod of heaven and earth.
1967/68, HCH) let go of Assen. In one of his `Aus-            "In the name of the Reformed and Presbyterian
tralian Letters' to Centraal Weekblad he wrote: `It can                     Fellowship of Australasia
indeed also not be denied that the history as it is re-                                        W. van Rij, president
corded in Genesis 2 and 3, including the "speaking                                          B. van Herk, secretary"
serpent" (quotation marks of the professor!), may very


Question Box

                          As To Divorce And Remarriage
                                               l?ofi H.C. Hoeksema

Question                                                   the Question Box has run out of questions, a new ques-
  The following communication is a further question tion has come in. This is good. Readers, keep the ques-
about the reply given in the Dec. 1 issue concerning tions coming, lest the Question Box grow hungry!
priestly marriages in Israel:                                I more or less expected this question when I penned
"Dear Prof. Hoeksema,                                      the answer to the question about priestly marriages in
  "I am writing in regard to the answer you gave in the Dec. 1 issue. But at the time I did not want to
the Standard Bearer of Dec. 1 concerning the matter of lengthen and complicate that answer by writing any-
divorce in Israel.                                         thing about Deut. 24. Besides, I was not asked about
  "The reader's last question was, Is it implied that Deut. 24. I am glad, however, that this question was
the other Israelites could marry a divorced woman? raised by my correspondent; and I will try to clarify
Your. answer (negative, HCH) is found in the last this matter. This passage seems to occasion questions
paragraph.                                                 rather often.
  "In Deut. 24: l-4 we read Moses' instructions con-         Let us first get the passage before us. For the sake of
cerning divorce. How are we to explain this, especially clarity I will insert the verse numbers as I quote it:
verse 2, which reads, `And when she is departed out of " 1. When a man hath taken a wife, and married her,
his house, she may go and be another man's wife.' "        and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes,
                                 "Your Brother in Christ" because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then
                                                           let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in
Rely                                                       her hand, and send her out of his house. 2. And when
  Thank-you for your question. Every time I fear that she is departed out of his house, she may go and be


154                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



another man's wife. 3. And if the latter husband hate matter treated about; and ver. 4 contains the apodosis,
her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it with the law concerning the point in question. If a man
in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the married a wife, and he put her away with a letter of
latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; divorce, because she did not please him any longer, and
4. Her former husband, which sent her away, may not the divorced woman married another man, and he
take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; either put her away in the same manner or died, the
for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou first husband could not take her as his wife again. The
shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy putting away (divorce) of a wife with a letter of
God giveth thee for an inheritance."                       divorce, which the husband gave to the wife whom he
   This is, of course, the passage referred to in Matthew put away, is assumed as a custom founded upon tradi-
 19:7, 8: "They say unto him, Why did Moses then tion . . . . The custom of giving letters of divorce was
command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put probably adopted by the Israelites in Egypt, where the
her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the practice of writing had already found its way into all
hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your the relations of life. The law that the first  huslband
wives: but from the beginning it was not so."              could not take his divorced wife back again, if she had
   In reply to the question, I would point out:            married another husband in the meantime, even
 1) That while this is not very clear in the King James supposing that the second husband was dead, would
rendering, the ordinance, the specific precept, in this necessarily put a check upon frivolous divorces. Moses
passage does not come until verse 4.                       could not entirely abolish the traditional custom, if
2) The first three verses describe the situation in which only `because of the hardness of the people's hearts'
the ordinance of verse 4 is to be applied.                 (Matt. xix. 8). The thought, therefore, of the impos-
3) The point is, therefore, that the law does not pre- sibility of reunion with the first husband, after the
scribe and approve divorce and remarriage here, but wife had contracted a second marriage, would put
rather recognizes that these occur and "suffers" men some restraint upon a frivolous rupture of the marriage
to put away their wives and wives to go and belong to tie: it would have this effect, that whilst, on the one
other men. The latter was "because of the hardness OF hand, the man would reflect when inducements to
your hearts."                                              divorce his wife presented themselves, and would recall
   The Keil and Delitzsch  Commentary on this passage a rash act if it had been performed, before the wife he
has, I think, some helpful remarks:                        had put away had married another husband; on the
   ". . . In these verses, however, divorce is not estab- other hand, the wife would yield more readily to the
lished as a right; all that is done is, that in case of a will of her husband, and seek to avoid furnishing him
divorce a reunion with the divorced wife is forbidden, with an inducement for divorce."
if in the meantime she had married another man, even         In conclusion, my previous answer stands: Scripture
though the second husband had also put her away, or does not lend approval to the remarriage of divorced
had died. The four verses form a period, in which vers. persons - not even in Deuteronomy 24.
l-3 are the clauses of the protasis, which describe the


All Around  fJs

                 ,              Dr.  McI&re and the A.C.C.C.
                        letter from the RES Interim Committee

                                                   Pro f H. Hanko

DR. MclNTIRE AND THE A.C.C.C.                              changed. Just exactly what happened at the  twenty-
   Some time ago we reported in that column that Dr. ninth convention of the ACCC held in Pasedena,
Carl  McIntire had been expelled from the American California in November is not clear. The  Christian
Council of Churches (ACCC) because some of the Beacon,  McIntire's  paper, carried one report; Christi-
leadership differed with him on his involvement in anity Todajr carried another under the heading: `"Will
politics and because they were weary of his one-man the Real ACCC Please Come to Order?" It is not too
rule.                                                      surprising that the two do not agree.
   In some form or another the situation has now             What is clear from both reports, however, is that


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                       155



McIntire staged a coup d'etat in which he attempted to           ber churches, it regarded it as its duty to draw the
regain the leadership of the ACCC for himself. Whether           attention of the churches to the `present critical con-
he was successful or not is still really not known. With         dition .'
fifty-five delegates, many of  whom, according to                   Noting that the Reformed Ecumenical Synod
ACCC officials, had not attended ACCC meetings for               Amsterdam 1968 urged the RES member churches to
many years, McIntire made his .appearance at the con-            display mutual trust and confidence toward one
                                                                 another, the `Committee observed that the trust and
vention. A business meeting had been scheduled for               confidence have diminished rather thari increased in
2: 15 in the afternoon, `but in the morning session              recent years.
McIntire was recognized by the chairman who decided                 The Interim Committee made an appeal to the
to call a scheduled recess after  Mdntire asked that a           churches to do their utmost to realize the purpose of
b+ness meeting be called immediately. When the dele-             the RES as stated in the Rules and Standing Orders.
gates went out for coffee, McIntire took the podium,             At the same time it urged that everything possible be
prbceeded with the business meeting anyway and had               done to avoid all that `could undermine or destroy
himself elected president. When the delegates hetumed            the unity that has been given to us'.
there was general astonishment when McIntire an-               A text of the letter then follows. After taking note
nounced that he had just- been elected president and of the growth of the  RE. as an indication of God's
would now function as such. There was confusion and blessing and after making mention of the many impor-
bedlam following this announcement; for there had tant discussions which have been held over the years,
not yet been a roll call, certification of delegates, or the letter goes on to say:
determination of who was eligible to  irote. McIntire               At the same time it cannot be denied that the!e are
had decided some of these things on his own, along with          clouds on the horizon. In spite of what has been
the delegates who had supported him.                             accomplished so far, there seem to be forces at work
                                                                 which drive the member churches farther apart rather
  The result of it all was that'there were two ACCC              than drawing them closer together. In some respects
meetings, one of McIntire with his delegates and the                          `seems to move towards a crisis situation,
other of the group which had originally expelled                 which if unchecked could eventually lead to a falling
McIntire. The headquarters of the council at Valley              apart of  the Synod. The lack of mutual trust and
Forge were locked up upon the advice of legal counsel            confidence, which was mentioned at the 1968
and it seems as if the whole thing will go to the courts         meeting, seems to have increased rather than de-
before it is decided who are the legal ACCC.                     creased in recent years. To some extent this is due to
  We are not in a position to judge who constitute the           the different. historical and traditional backgrounds of
ACCC at this point, not are we interested in attempt-            the member churches, to a-larger extent it is the re-
ing to enter into this intermural squabble. Nor is it            sult of theological and confessional developments in
possible to judge from this distance whether Mcintiire           some of the member churches.
                                                                   It is not the ta& of the Interim Committee to give
was legally ousted from the CounciP a couple of years            a critical analysis or evaluation of the variousltend-
ago. But what does trouble us is the fact that McIntire          encies and developments in the member churches.
is not afraid to use power politics and stage a question-        This belongs to the .province of the churches them-
ably legal coup d' etat to gain his ends. Has his close          selves when they meet in Synod. But the Interim
association with political maneuvering over the years            Committee regards i'c as its duty to draw the attention
and his deep involvement in political issues-led him to          of the churches to the present critical situation.
apply the same tactics' in matters of the Church of                 Believing that the RES has come into existence
Christ? It seems that way, and this is to be abhorred.           under the guidance of God's Spirit and seeing @e
                                                                 many blessings God has bestowed upon this body and
LETTER FROM THE RES INTERiM  COMMITTEE                           its member churches, the Interim Committee wants
  The Interim Committee of the Reformed Ecumeni-                 to repeat emphatically one of the decisions of the
                                                                 previous Synod, namely, that the churches of the
cal Synod took an unusual step recently in sending a             RES, "supported by what they confess in Article II
letter to all the member churches. Since our churches            of the Statutes as their common foundation, ought to
have taken some interest in RES activities, we quote in          embrace one another in mutual trust, show sympathy
this column the report of this which appeared in the             for one another's problems and patience with one
last RES Newsle tter.                                            another's weaknesses, and above all desire to lead and
      The RJZS Secretariat recently sent to all 35 mem-          keep one another in the way which the Lord of the
    ber churches of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod a              Church has given his Word" (Art. 181). As` churches
    Message to the Churches over the signatures of the six       of the same confession, it is our duty, especially in
    members of the RES Interim Committee. The Interim            this time of theological confusion and erosion, to do
    Committee took this unprecedented step because it            our utmost in order t&al:  the purpose of the Rl3S as
    felt constrained to speak a word to the churches in          mentioned in Art. II of the Rules and Standing
    the present strained situation. Although the Commit-        -Orders may be realized. At the same time everything
    tee did not consider it within its province to evaluate      that could undermine or destroy the unity that has
    the various tendencies and developments in the mem-          been given to us should be avoided.


156                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER


          It is the sincere prayer of the Interim Committee             by the growing influences of Arminianism, the same
       that God may give all the member churches his grace
            ^_^_  _           _  _                                      Arminianism so forcibly condemned by all the  Re-
       to  fultil this task for the glory of his name                   formed Churches at the great Synod of Dordrecht.
       (Romans 11:36),  for the mutual enrichment of the                   Arminianism is not an isolated error, a minor dis-
       churches (Ephesians 3: 17-19), and for the effective
       exercise of the ministry of reconciliation in this               agreement in the body of believers over some insignifi-
       world (IICorinthians  5 : 18-2 1).                               cant point of doctrine. It is a fundamental error in-
  While the letter is worded very carefully (no doubt, volving all the Reformed faith. Its tentacles reach out
the Interim Committee did not have the power to do to poison every doctrine. Its leaven leaveneth the
much else), it is apparent that the RES is not only in whole lump. Its departure from the truth is so basic
deep trouble, but is `also in imminent danger of disinte- and so fundamental that no doctrine can stand when
grating, or at least, of losing several of its larger mem- once it has entered the life stream of the churches. It is
ber denominations.                                                      deadly and devastating. It ruins and destroys.
  And while the letter does not cite specific instances                    And this is the explanation for the sad state of
or reasons, it is apparent that the real trouble is that affairs in the RES today. It is not really so surprising
several member churches are no longer interested in that these things have happened. It is not strange that
maintaining their Reformed character. The trouble is modernism has taken over in Reformed Churches and
                                                                        that this is ruining the RES. It would be strange if this
not simply that the Reformed faith is being vitiated by &ad not happened. The RES is reaping the awful
the member churches through the continued inroads of harvest sowed so long ago.in the seed of Arminianism.
Arminianism  - this too is true, but has been true of Arminianism always leads to modernism. There cannot
many member churches for many years; the trouble is
that the member churches in several instances are be any other result. After all, Arminianism exalts man
                                                                        and gives him a role to play in the work of salvation.
denying the very fundamentals of the Christian faith.
This is apparent especially in recent developments in And what exalts man, debases God. Modernism is only
                                                                       `the end product of this, for modernism exalts man to
the  Gereformeerde   Kerken in the Netherlands. And
these                                                                   God's throne. What begins in Arminianism ends in
          Geveformeerde Kevken  do not seem to care much
what the RES says about the issues of the day; they go modernism and humanism and the worship of man.
                                                                           If the RES is to be saved, this can only be done by a
their own sweet way. This is the case, e.g., with respect
to membership in the W.C.C.                                             return to the Reformed faith. It is not sufficient, quite
  There is something sad about this. The RES func- obviously, to make a plea for mutual patience, under-
                                                                        standing and tolerance. There must be a return to the
tioned as the only organization of specifically Re- Reformed faith.. Arminianism must be rooted out, or
formed denominations. It has (or, should have) an nothing will really come of the whole organization. It
important place in the ecclesiastical world. It should be is conceivable that the RES will arise in strength and
in a position to speak out'unitedly on current issues in expel from its membership those who have gone the
the ecclesiastical world from a distinctively Reformed way of modernism; but if the Arminianism is not
viewpoint. But its own members are making this rooted out, if there is not a genuine return to the
impossible.                                                             truths of sovereign grace, then the whole dreary cycle
  But there is also a lesson to be learned, I think. The will simply be played over once again.
RES was in some important respects never truly and                         Would to God that the RES could see the devas-
distinctively Reformed - at least as some of its mem- tating effects which Arminianism has had in its exist-
ber churches were concerned. The Reformed faith ence. Would to God that the glorious truths of
after all, especially as it developed in the Netherlands, sovereign grace could once again be sounded loudly
is the truth of sovereign grace rooted in eternal predes- and clearly in the councils of this organization. Would
tination and manifested in the realization of God's to God that faithfulness and loyalty to the Scriptures
everlasting covenant. This truth has not, for many could be its only mark. Can it be that yet, at this date,
years, been maintained in all its purity and Sciiptural. the RES will serve as some such unity of believers in
emphasis in many Reformed Churches. This truth has the Church of Christ?
been compromised, watered down and de-emphasized



                                      A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

                                                                                  -Proverbs 25: 11



                                                                                                                               J


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      157



Feature

       The Pilgrim's lnvolvenient In Earthly Affairs (2)

                                                 Rev. David Engelsma

    II. THE BELIEVER IS A PILGRIM, BUT A PILGRIM               earth." We are "other-worldly," let the caricaturists
       CALLED TO SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT, THAT  IS,                 chortle as they may. Not this world but the coming
           INVOLVEMENT IN EARTHLY AFFAIRS.                     world is ours. It belongs to us and we belong to it
   The second truth that must necessarily be estab- because of the resurrection of Christ and the power of
lished is the truth that every believer is a pilgrim. Prob-    the resurrection in us. "Our citizenship is in heaven"
ably, no other truth is as widely ignored and denied in        (Phil.  3:20).
practice as is this one. In our ecclesiastical and material      It is a tragedy that the Church has let go of this and
ease, we pay lip service at the most to the reality of         even sneers at this in our day. Let alone the power of
our pilgrimage. It is natural enough, then, that we take       sin in the life of the Church, in the lives of Christian
part, even enthusiastic part, in the affairs of our home-      families, in the life of every believer, which all by itself
land. There are some evils yet in the midst of all our makes this life a continual death and a valley of tears;
prosperity which we like to see eradicated so that we let alone the "normal" abnormality of sickness, of di-
can really settle down: a war in Viet  Nam, inflation,         sease, and of death; this present life, the earthly, wit-
racial unrest, smog. If this is the motivation for taking nesses the bloody spectacle of brutal war, little
part in any social affair whatever, not only will our          children shot to pieces and scalded with napalm, vicious
activity be a piece of utter worthlessness as far as           crime abounding, government often run by politicians
Christ is concerned but it will also be an activity that       that laugh at justice and truth, society seething in the
opposes Him and His Kingdom, part and parcel of the            caldron of racial hatred - this is our home, our father-
gigantic, on-going development of Antichrist that cul-         land, our life? And now we must work in the affairs of
minates in the reality of Revelation 13.                       this earth to improve them? If this were the case, apart
  We are pilgrims and as pilgrims, and only as pilgrims,       from all else, I for one would absolutely refuse all part
are we to involve ourselves in politics, labor and the         in this earth's activities and in sheer pessimism would
rest. This is Scripture everywhere, the New Testament          let the dead bury their dead.
even more strongly than the Old Testament, if that is            There are those that make a caricature of this
possible. Peter addresses the believers, in I Peter 2: 11,     pilgrim-teaching. They portray those who confess their
as "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as pilgrims and              pilgrim-status as the Greek poet, Aristophanes, por-
strangers. . ." The address is especially significant be- trayed Socrates in  The Clouds,  suspended above the
cause in this passage Peter directs to the believers their     earth in a basket, gazing stupidly into the sky. It is
calling with regard to various creation-ordinances. Al- here, as everywhere, easy to reduce an opponent's
though they are pilgrims, they have a calling with re-         argument to absurdity. Of late, the name of John
gard to these earthly affairs. Their calling is to be busy     Calvin is appealed to against the idea of our life's being
as pilgrims and strangers. So keenly does Paul experi-         a pilgrimage. A son of Calvin, it is stated, is one who
ence the pilgrim-nature of his life that he longs to be        regards this earthly life as a homeland, to which he
with Christ, to be home, to die (Phil. 1). The believer's gives himself in co-operation with the unbelieving citi-
hope is not here but above, not in the present but in          zens, usually, to improve the fatherland.  `I wonder
the future. The believer's confession is, "we do not           often whether they refer to the same Calvin I read.
have here an abiding city, but we fervently seek the             In the  Institutes,  Book III, Chapter VI ff., Calvin
coming one" (Heb. 13: 14). That we are pilgrims may            takes up the subject of "The Life of the Christian
not be watered down to mean merely that we are Man." Among others, he makes the following state-
strangers to sin, to the wicked aspect of this life and ments: "there is no medium between the two things:
earth. As pilgrims, we are not at home in this earthly         the earth must either be worthless in our estimation, or
life, on this. present earth. This earth is not our coun-      keep us enslaved by an intemperate love of it"; "Who
try, our fatherland. Our home towards which we                 then can deny that it is of the highest importance to us
travel, through this earth, is above, in heaven, and will      all, I say not, to be admonished by words, but con-
be reached only at death and, perfectly, at the end,           vinced by all possible experience of the miserable con-
when this earth shall be destroyed by tire. He-                dition of our earthly life; since even when convinced
brews 11: 13 commends the patriarchs for confessing we scarcely cease to gaze upon it with vicious, stupid
themselves pilgrims, not "in the world" (that is, with         admiration. . ."; "If heaven is our country, what can
regard to. the wickedness on the earth), but "on the           the earth be but a place of exile? If departure from the


158                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



world is entrance into life, what is the world but a and Word. The sphere of the Kingdom is everywhere
sepulchre, and what is residence in it but immersion in the King rules, so that what goes on in this world is
death?" Calvin goes so far as to say, "I confess, indeed,    glorifying to God His Father. Now, the citizens of the
that a most accurate opinion was formed by those who Kingdom of Heaven are the regenerated believers. To
thought, that the best thing was not to be born, the be such a citizen means more than personal peace in
next best to die early" (Institutes,' III, IX;:4). Not, of the soul. It means that Christ has made one an office-
course, that this is his opinion, for those who have it bearer in this world, already in this world. We are kings
have no light of God, but it is accurate in expressing under Christ, already now in this creation of God.
the miserableness of this life.                              Whatever a believer touches in this world or engages in
   Does not the pilgrim-reality preclude any involve- as a faithful king-servant of the King becomes an ex-
ment in earthly, social affairs? This is the question that tension, a penetrating enlargement and a demonstra-
undoubtedly-is most prevalent among us? It does not!         tion of the Kingdom of Heaven. For Christ's own King-
And now we come to the very heart of the topic. It is ship? His pressing of all things into the service of GQ~
`not only the case that involvement in earthly affairs is    goes on through every believer. To this royal work in and
an inescapable necessity (a man must work, must play on behalf of the Kingdom of Heaven, every believer is
some part in the life and order of the polis, must get an called by his Lord. The Hei elberg Catechism speaks of
education, must participate in "culture'"), but this is a this in Q. and A. 32: As a partaker of Christ's anoint-
calling, a calling to the  piIgrim, as pilgrim, from the ing, the believer shares in His offices and official labor,
King, Jesus Christ.                                          including the Kingly. Althou         the Catechism stresses
   We reject the notion that the pilgrim-reality implies the battling aspect of the               office during the pres-
world-flight. Especially to be rejected is the real temp- ent time, there is also an              se of the ruling aspect
tation that lies behind world-flight, namely, the divid- in this life. Lord's Days 48 and 49 are also noteworthly
ing of our total life into two separate compartments, in this connection. The coming of God's Kingdom is
the earthly life over here and the spiritual, eternal life brought immediately into cormection with God's rule
over there. To solve the puzzle of being a citizen of in me.  There is a coming of the Kingdom already in
heaven in the middle of the world in this way is a real      this life, and this coming consists of the rule of Christ
threat. One impressed with his pilgrim-status can read- in the elect, so that they submit to Him and subject all
ily do this, sincerely convinced that this is pious. The to Him. It is erroneous to limit this submission and
"real and worthy" part  sf his life is Sunday and the subjection to the internal life of the believer. It ex-
moments in a day when he prays and meditates on the tends to the whole wide range of God's creation, wher-
Bible;  hermeticahy  `sealed off from this part is the ever the believer goes and whatever he does. The same
earthly part of everyday activities in society. Strangely, thou       is even more plainly found in Lord's Day 49.
the inevitable result of such thinking is that the man Ther           no abstract consideration of the will of God in
ends up putting much too much stock in this earthly general, above me and around me and apart from me,
life; he seeks the earth too strongly and has his treasure but concrete application to my (the believer's) doing
here. This is not strange after all, althou         at first God's wih--m-my earthly ""station and calling"? so that
glance it seems so Anything and everything that is cut       already now the will of God reigns in His creation (as
loose from Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven, any- it should, to the praise of His adorable Name. Amen!)
thing we do or desire independently of Christ and the thrsu            His people in Christ. Our present official
Kingdom soon asserts itself  against  Christ and the status as kings and our present calling in the land of
Kingdom and claims for itself what belongs to Christ.        our pilgrimage are set forth in I Corinthians  101~3 1:
It becomes an idol. The theory of two compartments,          "`Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye
made in the name of magnifying the eternal life and          do, do all to the glory of Gsd."
minimizing the temporal life, has the very opposite,           This creation is Christ's creation, because of the
result.                                                      cross, and its ordinances are His ordinances. Already
  `Our temporal-earthly and eternal-spiritual lives are now, the Kingdom is established in the creation, be it
to be related this `way, that the latter permeates, di- in principle. And it pleases the King, of sheer grace, to
rects and controls the former. When Jesus commanded extend `His rule through each believer living and work-
us to seek first the` kingdom of heaven, He meant that ing in loving submission to Christ Jesus.
we .were to aim at the kingdom of heaven as the sole           The Kingdom is broader than the Church, not as to
goal. in every sphere and area of our:earthly, temporal citizens or members, but as to sphere. The Church
existence, when we embrace a wife, build a home,             equips the believers to serve the-King in all spheres of
stand on an assembly line or vote for President.             life. And this is the relationship between the Church
  Each believer is called to social involvement because      and earthly affairs.
the Kingdom, of Heaven has broken forth in this world               Ill. BRIEFLY, THE  INVOLVENlENT   ITSELF
and is breaking forth. The Kingdom.if,Heaven is simply                               OF THE  PI/el.lJii
the rule of the King, the rule of Christ, by His Spirit         The pilgrim may not have the wrong motives for his
                          ,


                                              THESTANDARD BEARER                                                      159



involvement in earthly affairs. It may not be his motiv.e shares with all men, as one who "for the time being" is
that society be redeemed, whether in the form of the altogether apart from Jesus Christ, and as really an
nation or the world. The redemption of society as a inhabitant and citizen of the Kingdom of this World.
goal of Christian action has infiltrated the thinking of Apart from all else, this view of the Christian's life in
some - who strongly advocate Christian organizations. this world makes the same error as does world-flight. It
Bernard Zylstra, in the essay, "Challenge and Re- divides the believer's life up into two compartments,
sponse", sets forth the purpose of Christian organiza- the spiritual-ecclesiastical and the earthly-societal. The
tions in this way:                                           former he lives as a pilgrim-in-Christ and the latter he
  "The Challenge therefore which we face today is            lives differently, apart from Christ, out of the principle
  the reformation of the world in which we live.             of a common grace. If there is one most basic truth
  Our society must be changed in the fundamentals.           about the believer's calling in this world, with regard to
  The Word of the living God must again become               all earthly activities, it is that the believer must live out
  the foundation-stone of our civilization."                 of Christ and Christ alone, out of the power of the
  Again, "This is . . . to save the nation, to redeem        regenerating Spirit of Christ and it alone, and for the
  mankind."                                                  sake of the Kingdom of Heaven and it alone. Fallen
  In further explanation of the goal of Christian ac- man does indeed carry out the cultural mandate, but
tion through Christian organizations in every sphere of exclusively for the Devil's sake, as a rebel-king. It has
life, he writes, "God has sent the Love of His Son into become clear as crystal in our day that the theory of
our world so that it may become a better place. The common grace is appealed to in order to deny specifi-
faith of the Christian then must mold society."              cally Christian efforts in every sphere of creation, to
  Over against this suggested goal, the fact is that the validate unholy alliances with the ungodly, and to
elect and the cosmos have been redeemed once for all break down the antithesis between light and darkness,
by Christ on the cross. Nor is it Christ's will to deliver Christ and Belial, in the believer's life in the world.
the present civilization or improve it, but to destroy it      The motive of the believer, strong enough to encour-
by fire. The idea of the improvement of society is age him to his duty and maintain him through thick
deadly, although it may seem innocuous and even and thin, is love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His
noble. Christ did not come to improve anything or righteousness, and an abhorrence of the present power
anyone, but radically to judge and then, with regard to of His enemy in the world. It is true, then, that we
the elect and the cosmos, to create anew, radically to must recognize the full scope of Christ's redemptive
renew. Improvement implies some resident, inherent work, according to John 3: 16, "the world." Christ's
goodness that needs only to be perfected. The New will and right it is to subject the entire creation to His
Testament Scriptures plainly teach a godless society, Father. Although this occurs now only in principle, it
dominated in every sphere by the wicked. The god of is right and good that Christ's scepter hold sway every-
this world is the Devil. Scripture teaches that the world where, in government, in labor, in education, in the
will become worse and worse until the beast from the arts and sciences, everywhere.
sea, the Antichrist, rules all in the name of the dragon.      To testify to this and to be instrumental in carrying
Only then, through the destruction of the present this out is the responsibility of the individual believer.
world, will Christ, as His own direct, personal work, The individual nature of the'calling may not be mini-
institute the new creation in which righteousness shall mized. The New Testament addresses the individual
dwell. Much better as the purpose of the pilgrim's in- believer when it calls to the honoring of the ordinances
volvement in earthly affairs or ordinances, but in con- of God in the creation, e.g., in I Peter 2 and 3.
trast to his previous suggestion, is Mr. Zylstra's             It is, however, not only proper but also desirable
concluding statement: "not to create a paradise on that believers organize to carry out their calling with
earth but to form a living witness against the power of regard to earthly affairs. When they do, they must re-
this world."                                                 member several things.
  Nor may the pilgrim's motive for involvement in              1) That the organization does not become a church,
earthly affairs be the desire, in co-operation with the zealously carrying out the mission of the church, an
unbeliever, to fulfil the cultural mandate of Genesis 1 ecclesiola  in ecclesia, not even an arm of the church.
by virtue of common grace. Also this motive is pro-            2) That the purpose of the organization is not sud-
pounded by some. This idea has it that fallen man can denly changed from Christ and His glorious rule to us
still fulfill the cultural mandate by virtue of God's gift and our ambitions, or even our daily bread.
to all men of a "common grace", and that the believer          3) That the group may not begin to consider itself a
ought to co-operate with fallen man (the unbeliever) to pressure-group among the world's countless groups,
carry this out. The believer then lives and works in the matching or trying to match the world muscle for
sphere of earthly affairs, not out of the new life of muscle, number for number, and finally violence for
Christ, not as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, not violence.
as a pilgrim, but out of this common grace which he            4) That here too the battle and struggle is spiritual,


160                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



fought with spiritual weaponry that is incomprehensi-           I suggest that we study and discuss the matter, ana-
ble and ludicrous to the world, the weapons of the            lyze the earthly spheres in which the believer is called
Word and Spirit, the weapons of faith - by which we           to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, note the
overcome the world.                                           present conditions, especially, our present conduct in
   5) That the people of God are despised, small and          earthly affairs, and map out a future course.
opposed here also. Success is out of the question, al-          I also recommend serious consideration of an organi-
though here and there for His glory God casts down a          zation called "Christian Action Foundation", or
stronghold or two..                                           C.A.F.* Its constitution is sound, even admirable.
   Nevertheless, there may be a holy boldness, a reck-        Under "Basis", the constitution has: "( 1) The basis of
lessness of faith. The victory of the,.cause of Christ has    the Foundation is the infallible, inerrant Word of God,
been achieved, by our Lord. He `manifests it through          the Holy Scripture. (2) In faith the members confess
His people. We go from victory to victory. We do so in        Jesus Christ as only Redeemer and sovereign Lord, in
earthly affairs also, only as we consecrate ourselves to      Whom man is called to dedicate the fullness of life to
God, keep our eyes upon Christ, and depend upon the           the triune God in loving and obedient service." Under
Word.                                                         "Purpose", it states: "( 1) The purpose of the Founda-
   Concerning any organization that believers may             tion shall be: (a) To propagate biblical principles in the
form, its principles must be pure and, sound. It must various spheres of society. (b) To sponsor and engage
express the goal of seeking the Kingdom. It must in Christian communal action in society. (2) The pur-
reckon with submission, unreservedly, to God's de-            pose shall furthermore be. realized by such means as:
scription in His Word of the earthly ordinances with (a) Studying the Word of God in its relevance to such
which the particular organization deals. There may be areas of life as marriage, home, family, education,
no association with unbelievers. It must be Reformed          science, art, politics, labor, industry, agriculture, com-
in its entirety.                                              merce, government, welfare, morality, and press. . ."
  If someone is unenthusiastic because of the unprom-
ising fortunes of such an organization, let him consider      *Because C.A.F. has changed its name and purpose,
that this is irrelevant. Not success but faithfulness to       since the time when this speech was given, and be-
Christ is the sole desire of the believer. Take politics       cause it is in the process of changing its constitution,
for an example. What could a Reformed political or-            I no longer maintain this recommendation of
ganization do? But, apart from all else, what are we           "serious consideration."                           - D E
now doing in the political sphere? We vote between
Tweedledeedee and Tweedledeedum, as to person and
platform, or fail to vote at all. In the voting-booth, we     A speech given for the Men's Society of the Protes-
do not pull the lever out of principle; our voting does       tant Reformed Church of South Holland, Illinois on
not stem from the conviction that the person or party         March 5, 1968.
stands for the principles of the governing of the State                                 l .0
which God sets forth in His Word.


In His Fear

       Training Our Youth' In Covenant Distinctiveness (1)
                                                 Rev. John A. Heys

  The members of a Mr. and Mrs. Society in our sowing the seed, watering the plants, weeding and cul-
churches, I understand, are husbands'and wives whose tivating. Soon the time will be here for you to observe
combined ages total no more than seventy or seventy- the fruits of your  labours and see you children go
five years. That being the case, I have before me to- through the same experiences that are yours today.
night parents of teenagers, or of children below that           There is a difference, however. Your lot in this most
age, who soon will be teenagers. And let me point out important period in your lives as parents is more diffi-
to you, then, that you are in the most important cult than it was for your parents. It will be even more
period of your married lives. For this is the time for difficult for your children, as the world continues to
you to train your children in the Fear of God's name.         develop in sin; and we approach those days of which
From childhood until your marriage you were in the Jesus said, "Shall the Son of man  find faith on the
period of preparation. Now you are in the period of earth?"


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                   161



  The Board of your league did wisely in choosing the       are thrilled and "sent" by these. The heroes of the
subject of this speech. Parents who are in this most        world are their heroes. The immoral, adulterous movie
important period of their lives as parents, and find        "stars" are their idols as well as the children of the
themselves in the awfully carnal age in which we live,      world's The banquettings and revellings, the wild and
must have and do have deep concern. They know the           worldly parties are their preferred way of life as well as
power of the enemy. They know their own weak-               it is the youth's in the world.
nesses. And the period when there are teenagers in the         And whatever the generation in the age in which
home to be trained often is a trying one, and one full      they live produces, they accept and seek. And this is
of disappointments, even in the covenant home. A few        not, we must understand, simply because they do not
words may then fittingly be said about that which in-       want to be out of step. It is not simply that they do
creasingly grieves many parents: The imitation of the       not have the spiritual courage to live the covenant life
world, the open embracing of the ways of the world,         before those who live the covenant-breaking life. It is
by covenant youth. The Board asked me to say some-          not simply that they want to avoid ridicule and want
thing about this; and I have agreed to speak on the         to be accepted by the youth of their own generation in
subject: Training our Youth in Covenant Distinctive-        the world. How then would you explain that often
ness. I wish to call your attention to Our Unique           they marry these unbelievers? No, they wear mini,
Youth; to Our Distinctive Training; and to Our Assur-       skirts as short as the world - and maybe shorter than
ance of Success.                                            many in the world  - wear hippy and yippy symbols
                    I. Our Unique Youth                     and copy their hairdos, which should be hair don'ts.
  .The first child born to Adam and Eve, and thus to        And they do this because they like these. Their flesh
be born in this world, was an unbeliever, a child of        craves all this. Of course they do. That is why they too
darkness. The first of the twins born to Isaac and          skip their Catechism classes - and this is not imitating
Rebekah was likewise an unbeliever, a child of dark-        the world  - commit fornication, rush after worldly
ness. But let us understand clearly that the second         pleasures, have not time for spiritual matters, use filthy
child that Adam and Eve brought forth, and that             language, curse and swear. Am I saying too much? If
second twin son of Isaac and Rebekah also were un-          all this is not true, then what about adults, such as
believers, children of darkness. What we bring forth is     David, show their fleshly lusts, who also show the
always a sinner, a rebel, an enemy of God. It is not so     power that the world has upon them?
that believing parents sometimes bring forth unbe-             Yet, thanks be to God, we may say something else
lieving children. They always do, every single time.        about our children. They are at the same time a dis-
                                                            tinctive, a different, a peculiar people. Because we have
  David said that in Psalm 5 1: 5, "Behold I was shapen     twice-born children. What we bring forth is a sinner;
in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." but God is pleased to cause to be born in these chil-
Paul, speaking of his flesh which his parents brought       dren, already in infancy, a saint. All that which we give
forth says  -in Romans 7: 18, "For I know that in me        them is their physical life and a depraved nature. But
(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to      God, through the Spirit of Christ, gives them spiritual
will is present with me; but how to perform that which life and a holy nature. Listen once to that beautiful
is good I find not." And. again, speaking of the mind       text in I John  3:9, "Whosoever is born of God doth
that we receive by the first birth which our parents        not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he
give to us, he says in Romans 8:7, "Because the carnal      cannot sin, because he is born of God." John is
mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the    speaking of that other life which our children receive
law of God, neither indeed can be."                         as begotten of God. This life cannot sin, never does sin,
  Our Reformed Confessions say the same thing. The          always seeks God's glory and knows Him in love. That
Heidelberg Catechism says that we are conceived and         is why, in the text we already quoted, Paul says, "For I
born in sin. The Netherlands Confession speaks of an        know that in me (that is in my flesh,) dwelleth no
hereditary disease wherewith infants are infected in        good thing; for (and now note) to will is present; but
their mother's wombs and which produceth all sorts of how to perform that which is good I find not." By his
sin. And the Canons speak of a corrupt stock pro-           first birth he is evil, a child of darkness, a sinner. But
ducing a corrupt offspring with a vicious nature.           there is in him the  will  to do good because he was
  The result is that we bring forth children exactly        twice-born, and by this second birth he had received
like the children of the world. And this explains why       that life which is from above. He was born of God; and
our children enjoy all that which the children of the       because of this there was present in him the will to do
world enjoy, why they have the same delights and            good.
ambitions, love the same sins, and often walk in them.         That exactly explains also the conflict in Paul's life
The rock and roll music of the world gives them a           and in the lives of our children. There is that constant
thrill; the Beatles and. Monkees, and what have you,        t e n s i o n   b e t w e e n   t h e   o l d   a n d   n e w   m a n   o f
"send them" just as surely as the children of the world     Romans 7: 14-24.  The new man says,..`-`Lord what. wilt


162                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



Thou have me do?" The old says, "Don't tell me what covenant' distinctiveness because they are covenant
to do!" The new man says, "Sheak, Lord, for thy children with the life of God's covenant in them.
servant heareth." The `old man says, with  Pharaoh,           knd- they do need to be trained. They neither come
"Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?".The into this world with the knowledge of God, nor with
one says, "Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomor- the skill to walk in love before Him. Adam was created
row we die!" The other says, "0, how love I Thy law!        knowing God and skilled in serving Him. Eve was
it is my meditation -all the day." And these two lives created the same way. But a child that is born needs to
our covenant children have usually from infancy. For be taught. A child that is twice-born needs to be taught
it pleases God as a rule to give them this second birth as well. Gradually more and more knowledge of God
in their infancy. The first birth gives them a powerful can be instilled in his mind. Gradually as well he can be
life of hatred against God. The new life gives them but trained to walk in love to God. And this training is far
a small beginning of this new obedience. But it is there; more difficult than the imparting of knowledge be-
tid although they do not always tell us, they, too, cause of that first birth with its depraved heart and
experience the agony of which Paul speaks when he mind. You can impart knowledge of God into the
cries, "0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me mind of the flesh-born children of the world. (Satan,
from -the body of this death?" They may not experi- himself, has a very detailed knowledge of God and of
ence it as deeply and strongly as we do; but it is there the doctrines of Scripture.) But to train the child of
by virtue of the fact that both lives are there.            God to walk the distinctive life of a child of God re-
  And because of the presence of that other, new,           quires much work and dedication, because of that old
different, diametrically opposed life of the second man of sin that he still has. That child has two feet
birth we can train our children in covenant distinctive- that want to go in the way of sin, ten fingers that want
ness. I say, We can train them. The world can never do to take hold of this world for the sake of the flesh, in
that for us; and if we want to train them in covenant fact, a complete body together with its s&l that wants
distinctiveness, we had better send them to a distinc- to see, hear, taste, smell and touch all the evil that is in
tive school that loves our Covenant God. That, surely, the world. And it is all these members and faculties
is part of covenant training. For we train our children     that the new man must not only use but first wrest
to despise covenant instruction when it is available and from the control of, the old man. For this reason we
we do not use it.                                           must train our children. That new life wants to go only
  Then too, we cti train them. You cannot train the in God's way. Understand that well. You do not need
youth of the world to live this distinctive life of God's to make it want to live a distinctive Christian life  -
covenant anymore than you can `train an earthworm to which is the same as covenant distinctiveness. God has
fly. It just does not even have the equipment. And the made it want to do this. But because of that presence
children of the world with only one life, and that being and opposition of the old nature we have to teach it
one of enmity against God, cannot be trained to walk        and train it to go in that direction. The athlete may
in love before Him. They could be trained to perform a      want ever so much to succeed, but because he has been
few hypocritical external actions; but they cannot be       doing things wrong, using a technique that hampers
trained to walk in love before God. No more than you        and hinders rather than helps, he must be trained to do
can train a child that is born without legs to walk, or things differently. So it'is with our children who, be-
the child born blind to count the stars and find the        cause of that new life are different and want to be
"big dipper" in the sky, can you train one with the life different. They must be taught and trained in that
from below to walk in the distinctiveness of the life which is distinctively,Christian.
which is from above. You can train your children in                           (To be continued)


From Holy Writ

                           Exposition of Hebrews
                                                    Rev. G. Lubbers

CONSIDERING ONE ANOTHER UNTO LOVE AND                       greatest of these is love." The charismatic gifts in the
GOOD WORKS (Hebrews 10: 24,25)                              church fail, cease and are done away with, when a
 Nearly everyone whd has some Bible knowledge will          certain point of development in the church and in the
know the text in I Corinthians 13: 13 "and now              giving of God's revelation has been reached. But faith,
abideth faith, hope and love; these three, but the hope and love are verities in the church which abide


I
                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     163



     from age to age. But of these three which remain the            that we are our brother's keeper, as the Heidelberg
     supreme verity and attribute in the church is love!             Catechism. puts it so clearly ". . . that everyone must
     Does not the word of Jesus shine as a Beacon Light              know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to em-
     across the ages, when he says to his disciples in the           ploy his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other
     night in which he was betrayed "in this shall all men           members." (Question 55) And thus it is in the text,
     know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to           The "let us" is directed to all who draw near with true
     ano they. "                                                     hearts and who hold fast to the profession of the hope.
       Let this word sink deep into our hearts!                      And these know the more excellent way and have
       In this essay we would call attention to this aspect          learned to sing with the apostle Paul  ". . . Love
     and proof of our discipleship, that we indeed do draw           suffereth long and is kind . . . beareth all things,  be-
     nigh unto God and the very presence of God in truth             lieveth all things, endureth all things." (I Corin-
     with a pure conscience, and that we do hold fast the            thians  13:4-7) Here is that beautiful Psalm 133 in
     confession of our hope firm and without wavering to             action. Here is experienced "Behold, how good and
     the end.                                                        how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
       Three times the writer  says "let us . .  .". It is an        unity . . . for there the Lord commanded the blessing,
     echo of the Hundred Twenty-Second Psalm "My heart               even life for evermore!"
     was glad when they said unto me:  let us go into the              `Here is the straight gate and narrow way which few
     house of the Loud. . . . " "Let us draw near with a true        find! Alas, how often this is not found even by minis-
     heart in the full assurance of faith." And, again, `let us      ters and elders in the church! What a holy resolution
     hold fast the profession of OUY hope. . . ." And now in         and what an earnest and a meaningful exhortation. Let
     the text of our essay `and let us consider one another US consider one another. This is a very mutual activity.
     to provoke unto love and to good works. "                          Here is it  consider  one another. The term in the
       In this trial the last is not the least in importance.        Greek is  "Katanooew."  It means: to perceive thor-
     This is clearly stated in I Corinthians 13: 13. "The            oughly with the mind, that is, with sanctified under-
     greatest of these is love.I" But this is also rather evident    standing. It is not fault-finding; it intends to be con-
     from the text itself. The apostle is not addressing a           structive and loving and edifying. One who is
     mixed multitude, a crowd of people on the street                spiritually engaged in this debt of love to his neighbor
     comer, but he is addressing the "brethren," who have a          has done a little consideration concerning himself. He
     merited boldness in Christ to come into the very                has "considered" whether there is a "beam" in his own
     presence of God, in the presence of their heavenly              eye, heeding the word of Jesus "And why  beholdst
     Father. They have this in the blood of Him, Whose               ("blepeis")  thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,
     blood speaketh better things than Abel. This is the .but considerest not ("0~ katanoeis") the beam that is
     blood of atonement and of reconciliation. When our              in thine own eye?" The hypercritical man cannot give
     consciences have been cleansed by pure water we no              this spiritual "consideration" of the brother. He does
     longer say with Cain "Am I my brother's keeper?" That           not desire that he "be considered." He is member
     is the horrible condemnation upon those who are                 extra-ordinary! Here is spoken of a great consideration
     murderers, haters of their brother, and who are alien-          for the brother: it is continuous and careful and
     ated from the life of God. These say very proudly "I            prayerful thoughtfulness.1 It is thoughtful and sym-
     know God," but they belie this bold confession where-           pathetic regard. It is the more excellent way! It is also
     as they hate their brother. They do not have the truth          very profound and spiritual  - this activity. It is the
     in them. They are liars! Such liars can do many things.         same profound "consideration" which Jesus enjoins us'
     They chiefly can provoke to wrath; the truly soft               to have for God's handiwork in the lilies of the field
     answer they do not have! Fools are they, be they never          and the ravens which God feeds. We must see the work
     so learned. They are unprofitable. They do not seek             of God, and the care of the Lord for each creature,
     out God. The way of peace they have not known;                  especially for us His children. (Luke 12: 24,27) It is the
     there is no fear of God before their eyes! They are the         same thoughtful consideration, the sympathetic
     godless in the church, which shall perish as the chaff is       pondering which we must have for the greatness of the
     burned from the threshing-floor! (Rom, 3 : 17,18)               High-Priesthood of Jesus, as He towers above Moses
       Here is another way unto which we are admonished.             the faithful servant of God. (Hebrews 3: 1)
     It is that we "consider one another unto provoking                 Now we see how this "`consideration" is very love
     unto love and good works." Here the rule holds which            itself!
     is only possible where we have had fellowship with the             The term in the Greek is in the present tense. Hence
     Father in His very presence and with His Son, Jesus             it means to tell us that we must  keep on having  this
     Christ. (I John 1: l-3). This is the "more excellent            spiritual consideration for one another and not become
     way" (I Cor. 13: 1). Here is hope in action, the hope to        weary in well-doing. For this is in the midst of
     see God. "Everyone who has this hope upon God puri-             `:Grethren" who are yet in the midst of sin, and who
     fies himself as He is pure." (I John 3:3) Here we know          have a love which is not yet perfected. It is the only


164                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



formula for living in the midst of the brethren here in bear much fruit; so  shaJ.l ye be my disciples. Even as
this imperfect church on earth. Here the formula is the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you; abide
"upholding each other in love, in meekness, striving ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall
(not strife!) to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond    abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's
of peace." (Ephesians 4: 1)                                  commandments and abide in  hi? love." This is very
  In this spiritual climate we can speak of "provoking significant,. for it gives us to see how this love of God
to love and to good works." This is a peculiar provoca-      becomes ours; it shows us the love which must be pro-
tion. When one takes a hasty look at the terms in voked in us to do good works, to be+r much fruit and
"Young's Analytical Concordance  Of  The Bible" we glorify our Father who is in heaven. The pure love
notice that it is most often used in the sense of pro- which the Father has for the Son in the human nature,
voking to anger (Deut.  4:24); to make bitter: pro- the eternal Son, is the same love in tihich the Son has
voking God as Israel did at  `Mariba, " or when Israel loved us. This is the love which is shed abroad in our
provoked God by their blasphemy. Thus it is used in          hearts by the Spirit of Christ, taking it out of Him and
Hebrews 3: 8,15 of Israel in the wilderness. However, giving it to us. Thus His joy becomes our joy and our
here the term is that from which we get our medical joy becomes full in perfected love!
term: paroxysm. This means to excite, to stimulate, to         Here Christ unfolds the mystery of the love of the
call forth the good in the brother, and in each other brethren for one another, and  sina qua non  of the
which is there by virtue of the seed of regeneration:        provoking of each other to love and to good works.
the love of God shed abroad in our hearts. This is a         And, therefore, all men may know that we are Christ's
provocation by those who have love in their own              disciples in this that we have love one for another!!
hearts which "endureth all things, believeth all things"       Our love for one another is a fruit of and manifesta-
concerning the brother. The Holland translation has tion of the love which the Father has for the Son!
"opscherpen  der  liefde." To make love more keen and          Thus we are indeed image-bearers of God!
active in the full orb of its expression in the church,        Thus we are Sons and daughters of the living God,
toward God, Christ and man and all .things, so as to be who dwell in His temple day and night.
some firstfruits of God's creatures. This sharpening of        And this love will surely reveal itself in good works
love we can only exercise when we are good examples          of thankfulness, in the keeping of the commandments
of it, in the spirit of meekness, lest we fall into tempta- of God. For the end of the commandment is love out
tion. (Gal. 6: l-4)                                          of a pure heart, a good conscience and faith unfeigned.
  What is this "love" here spoken of in the text?            The good works here are those which proceed from a
  The .term love here is the term always used for the        true faith, are performed according to the command-
ethical love. In the highest and most profound sense ments of God, and which are unto the glory of God's
the Bible says: God is love. In that profound section of grace. They are beautiful works, which testify of their
I John 4:7,8 we read "Beloved, let us love one another;      divine origin, namely, from our heavenly Father's love
for love is of God, and every one that loveth is be-         for His Son, which love the Son has manifested to us
gotten of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not           and worked in our hearts. Fruits these are of the
knoweth not God; for God is love." Such must be our branches in the true Vine of the heavenly  Husband-
starting-point in understanding love- here in the text.      man, God! And in the garden of God's congregation
For the writer does not write love of God, or love of we must provoke the living planting of God's branches
Christ, etc. but simply "love." There is no limitation.      in the Vine to bear much fruit of beautiful works.
The only reference is that of the clause which follows:        To this end we must consider each other!
"and good works." Hence, this is a love which has its          Each must esteem the other greater than himself. If
starting-point in God and which has its fruit in good        there be any  encouragment of love, if any fellowship
(beautiful) works. Nevertheless, even so we must see         of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions -
this love is` the realization of the New Covenant of God     let us have sanctified, considerate attention to one
in our hearts. Wherefore Jesus teaches us in                 another in the garden of God's planting!
john 15: 8110 "Herein is -my Father glorified, that ye



                               Come Ye Apart... And Rest A While

                                                     Rev. C. Hank0

  Come, little children, gather around, and we shall           You do remember, don't you, that the angel Gabriel
listen to the Christmas story.                               came to the temple in Jerusalem? He visited the priest


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      165



Zacharias in the Holy Place, and told him that he and       to rule over God's people, a king like David. And yet
his wife Elisabeth would have a son. For years they         He would be far greater than David, because His king-
had wanted a baby. For years they had waited, but           dom is in heaven, where He will rule over all His people
now they were actually too old to have children. So         and over-all the new creation just for ever and ever.
they had given up hoping for one. Yes, now that they          That all seemed almost too wonderful to be true.
were old they were going to have a son. This would be       She asked: "How shall this be? I am not even mar-
a very special son, because he would be a prophet who       ried." Yes, she had promised Joseph to marry him, but
would point out the promised Savior. And that meant         could the great Son of David be the son of JosBph and
that soon the long awaited Savior would also be born.       of her, when she alone was of the royal line of David?
0, it seemed so strange to Zacharias, too strange to With wonder in her eyes and amazement in her voice
believe. He could not believe his ears. No, not even        she whispered, "How shall this be since I am not mar-
when an angel came direct from heaven to tell him. He       ried?"
should have believed it, for nothing is impossible with       Then angel Gabriel told her about one of the biggest
God. And yet he asked for a sign. Gabriel gave him a        wonders that has ever happened in this world. God
sign, but not a nice sign at all. Because he would not      told Gabriel exactly what to say, so that Mary would
believe, he was not able to hear nor to speak until John    understand. And so he did. She knew that it must be
was born.                                                   true, because no one less than an angel had told her.
  A half year later Gabriel was again sent out by God.      And we know that it is true, because it is written for us
This time he was sent, not to Jerusalem, but to a far       in the Bible. It is such a great wonder, yet we believe
away city of Galilee. In this small city of Nazareth        it, because God gives us faith to believe it.
lived a young woman whose name was Mary. She was              Do you know what the angel told Mary?
not married as yet, but she was engaged to be married         Listen. She would not need a husband to have this
to a man named Joseph. Now both Mary and Joseph             child. This son would not have an earthly father, as you
were poor. They did not belong to the rich, but to the      and I do. God would be His Father. And He would be
poor among the Jews. Yet that did not bother them           the very Son of God. As Mary listened she heard the
much. What did bother them was that wicked king             angel say: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and
Herod sat on the throne of David in Jerusalem. You          the power of the Highest will overshadow thee: there-
see, they were both of the family of David. Mary was        fore also that Holy One that shall be born of thee shall
even of the kingly line of David, out of which the          be called the SON of GOD."
promised Savior was to be born. Mary was maybe even           And then she found herself alone again, thrilled with
the last one of that royal line. And so in these dark       the wonderful message that held her spell-bound with
times Mary and Joseph, along with many other  God-          amazement.
fearing people, were looking eagerly for the promised         Now the angel dropped a hint to her. He told her
Savior. They longed for the One Who would save them         about Zachariah and Elisabeth, that they were to have
from their sin, for they knew that they needed such a       a son in their old age. Gabriel wanted her to know
Savior, just as we do.                                      that with the Lord nothing is impossible. He is able to
  And then one day as Mary was sitting alone in her         do all things, even the greatest wonders.
small home, Gabriel came to her. I do not think that          As she sat there thinking, she began to see how hard
she heard him knock on the door. She likely did not         it would be for her to tell these things to her family, to
even notice him until he stood there in front of her.       her friends, and especially to Joseph. How would they
She was surprised to see a young man, so beautiful, so      understand when it was so hard for her to grasp this
holy, that she knew at once that he was an angel.           wonder. Then she thought about Elisabeth. She would
Because she knew that she was a sinner, she felt very       understand! For she also was expecting a baby by the
uncomfortable in his presence. For he had just come         wonder of God. 0, how she wanted to talk to her
out of heaven. She wondered why a heavenly messen-          cousin, just to pour out her soul to somebody who was
ger should come and visit her, a common, ordinary           able to be thrilled by this secret with her. It was a long
woman. She was afraid.                                      journey, but she wanted to go so badly that even that
  But what made her more afraid was the message he          did not stop her from going. And was that maybe the
brought. She heard him say, "Hail, 0 favored one, the       reason why the angel had told her about Elisabeth? It
Lord is with you. Of all women you are the most             must be. The more she thought about it, the better she
blessed." Why would he say that to .her? What made          understood that God was telling her to go. So she
her the favored one of God, the most blessed among          went.
women? She trembled in fear and wonder.                       After travelling a few days she stood at the door of
  But Gabriel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary. God      her cousin. Imagine Elisabeth's surprise when she saw
has chosen you to be the mother of the promised             Mary. They threw their arms around each other in
Savior." And then he went on to tell her that she           happy greeting. But at that moment something else
should call her son's name Jesus. For He would be king      happened. For months Elisabeth must have wondered


166                                          TME STANDARD BEARER



about her own baby, who was to prepare the way for            Now it was Mary's turn to be surprised. For now she
the Savior. And soon she began to wonder who that          knew that what the angel told her had already
Savior would be. And who would be the happy                happened. The Holy Ghost had come upon her. The
mother. Now she knew. Before Mary could say a word         power of the Most High God had already worked with-
to her she knew that God had chosen Mary to be the         in her, and was working even now to make her the
mother of Jesus.                                           mother of God's holy Son, Jesus.
  She held Mary at arm's length and almost shouted:           Mary stayed there three months. She and Elisabeth
"Ah, blessed mother of my Lord! And blessed is your        had so many things to talk about. Every day they
son. How can God ever be so kind to me as to send          talked about the great wonders that God was working
you to me just at this time?"                              to bring salvation to His people. They marvelled to
  How did she know? Her own baby stirred within            think that God would use them to carry out His
her, telling her about Mary. No, that did not just         promises.
happen. God was already using John to prepare the             And all the while Mary sang in her heart:
way before Jesus! The Holy Spirit told Elisabeth:             My soul doth magnify the Lord,
"`Your son is already meeting his Lord and preparing          And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
the way before Him. Mary is the mother of the                 He that is mighty hath done to me great things;
promised Savior."                                             And holy is His Name.



                                  BOOIKREVIEWS
THE MESSAGE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT,  by H.                      The books are of little help in the understanding of
L.  Ellison;  Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970; 94 pp., the Scriptures and often reduce the revelation of God
$1.45 (paper).                                             in the Scriptures to moral homilies.
 In this short volume the writer attempts to sum up                                                              H.H.
the central message of the Old Testament. The descrip-
tion on the book contains this sentence: "With his PREACHING FROM PAUL, by R. C. H. Lenski; Baker
established reputation for Old Testament studies he is Book House, 1968; 247 pp., $2.95 (paper).
uniquely qualified for what might seem a Herculean            This reprint is part of Baker's Minister's Paperback
task, particularly when it has to be accomplished in 96 Library. It contains material on selected sections of
pages!" It is a Herculean task, indeed too great to be Paul's work as described in the book of Acts and Paul's
done in 96 pages, as the book amply proves. The epistles. Most of the material is exegetical, but' in-
author makes his own subject an impossible one by cluded also are "homiletical hints" and sermon out-
asserting early in the book that there is really no central lines. It is intended to be an aid to ministers preaching
theme in the Old Testament which makes of it a unity. on the great apostle. Apart from his synergism (which
The book is not Reformed and' does little to help to repeatedly shines through in the book)  Lenski is an
understand this important part of God's Word.              excellent exegete and there is a great deal of good
                                                    H.H. material in this book, although it is adapted for
                                                           ministerial use with its constant references to the
BIBLE STUDY BOOKS                                          Greek. The homiletics is quite different from what is
I PETER  - REVELATION,  by H. L.  Ellison;  92 pp. practiced generally in Reformed Churches.
$1.25 (paper).                                                                                                   H.H.
LAMENTATIONS  - DANIEL,  by J. Stafford Wright;
93 pp., $1.25 (paper).                                     FOR SmrNERS  ONLY, by Jacob D. Eppinga; Wm. B.
ISAIAH 40  - JEREMIAH,  by Arthur E. Cundall; 92 Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970; 142 pp., $3.95.
pp., $1.25 (paper).                                           Written by the pastor of  LaGrave Ave. Christian
Published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970. Reformed Church,. this book attempts to be of assist-
  These books are part of the Scripture Union Bible ance to young people preparing to make confession of
Study Books. They are not intended as commentaries their faith by discussing various segments of the life of
but as aids in the daily reading of Scripture. According the apostle Paul. While there is undoubtedly a need for
to the introduction, they are "designed to provide such a book for covenant young people, this book is
basic study' material for the Christian who wishes to hardly what is required. It is superficial, moralistic, not
have a mature and organized guide for the whole of the of great help in understanding the meaning of confes-
Bible."                                                    sion of faith and contains incorrect explanations of


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    167
I

     several of the passages referred to. It can hardly be          of these church fathers were under. the influence of
1 recommended as of help in preparing for the celebra-              pagan thought.
     tion of the Lord's Supper.                             H.H.      For another thing, he is overly concerned with apol-
                                                                    ogetics in relation to the unbeliever. He looks at the
     BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHRIST,  by John H.                      whole question of Apologetics from the broad perspec-
     Schaal; Baker Book House, 1968; 128 pp., $1.95                 tive of the whole of Christendom. He does not reckon
     (paper).                                                       with the fact sufficiently that the battle in the defense  _ _
        This book is the second in the series of "Layman.`s         of the truth of God's Word is often most heated and
     Bible Study Series." It is a book of studies in the            bitter, against heresies which arise in the Church. The
     epistle to the Hebrews and is written as an aid to this        result is that he concentrates upon what answer the
     study for societies, schools, those taking corre-              Church shall give to unbelieving philosophy and re-
     spondence courses or for personal study. The format            sorts, in large measure, to ~rationalistic  argument as a
     .of the book is good: it has room for texts, notes,            legitimate weapon in defense of the faith. This is espe-
     ideas and each chapter is concluded with a series of           cially apparent when he deals with modern times: He
     questions. There is also some excellent material in the        finds the enemies of the church to be particularly
     book, ,although there is a tendency to reduce the Scrip-       science, communism, secularism, and humanism. And
     ture truth to moral precepts. Perhaps the weakness of he analyses the apologetic response of the Church
     the book is its brevity. It is almost too short to give an     against these evils as this response is made by form
     accurate and thorough understanding of the epistle to          criticism, Barth, Tillich, the "God-is-dead" school, etc.
     the Hebrews. But books of this nature can be effec-            And, while he is critical of some of these answers, his
     tively used in societies and classroom work and can            criticism is not complete; he finds too much that is
     serve as valuable aids in studying particular books of         satisfactory in these writings. These men are not apolo-
     the Bible.                                             H.H.    gists for the faith, but enemies who must themselves be
                                                                    answered by the Church.
     CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS, by J. K. S. Reid; Wm.                     The result of all this is that he fails to deal with the
     B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970; 224 pp., $2.45               fact that is all-important in apologetics: that God uses
     (paper>.                                                       attacks upon the faith to spur the Church on in the
        One important aspect of the calling of the Church           development of the truth.
     throughout the ages has been her task of defending the           If read carefully and understandingly, this book is
     faith against false doctrine. Prof. Reid traces the his-       recommended to all who are interested in the history
     tory of this defense of the faith from the time of Pen-        of doctrine and who are concerned with the apologetic
     tecost until today. This history is traced in light of         calling of the Church.                               H.H.
     various questions which arise: In the defense of the
     faith, is it possible for the Church to remain faithful to                     WEDDING.ANNIVE&SARY
     the truth? Against whom must the Church do battle?               On Friday, December  18th, our dear parents, Mr.
     What is the methodology of Apologetics? The princi-            and Mrs. William Lems, celebrated their 40th wedding
     ples of Apologetics are interwoven with the history.           anniversary.
        In many respects, this is a valuable and interesting          We thank our Covenant God that we might share
     book. It is an able analysis of various trends which           this joyous occasion with them. We pray that God may
     appeared in the history of the defense of the truth. It        continue to lead them in His way, and that in all things
     is a clear account of the many heresies which threat-          we may acknowledge Him.         Mr. and Mrs. Henry Boer
     ened the existence of the Church. It has some excellent                                     Mr. and Mrs. Norwin Brower
     evaluations of how faithful the Church was in the exe-                                    Mr. and Mrs. Robert De Young
     cution of her task. E.g., in the discussion of the proofs                                            and grandchildren.
     for the existence of God (such a burning question in
     the Middle Ages) it points out that these proofs have                     RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
     proved to be of value only in the context of faith.
        But there are some points in the book which are less          The Mr. and Mrs. Society of the Southeast Protes-
     than satisfactory. For one thing, the author has his           tant Reformed Church extends sympathy to its mem-
     own personal opinions of the value of pagan thought.           bers, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Noorman, in the recent
     In keeping with these opinions, he does injustice to the       death of his mother,
     Scriptures and to the Church. He finds, e.g., the book                     MRS. CORNELIA NOORMAN,
     of Hebrews affected by the Platonism rampant in Alex-          whom the Lord took home on December 7, 1970.
     andria and leans to the idea that this book was written          "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and
     by an Alexandrian who was well-versed in philosophy.           whether we die,' we die unto the Lord: whether we live
     He sometimes unjustly imposes his ideas on the early           therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14:8).
     church fathers - although it is certainly true that some       Rev. M. Schipper, Pres.      Mrs. Robert Moelker, Sec'y.


THE STANDARD BEARER
       P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 4950


168                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


                               News From Our Churches
   The news from our church in Holland, Michigan, is either going the same way or gone. He mentioned that
that the pastor, Rev. Heys, declined the call from his particular church is a member of a denomination
Doon, Iowa. And, according to news from another-of consisting of 42 small churches. And he noted, also,
our churches, Rev. Heys, eleven days later, received the that in his church there are no families - only individ-
call from Southwest Church.                                uals who have been attracted to his church either from
                        *******                            a modernistic church or from no church background at
   The diaconate of Hope Church in Grand Rapids was all. He said that he has to "preach the idea of the
happy to announce that the recent Jamaican Clothing covenant, by faith," since his congregation does not
,Drive was very successful. On November 10, no less know it from experience.
than 3000 lbs. of clothing was sent to Jamaica.
                        *******                              We're spending, in this news column, quite a bit of
   On the evening of November 13, Hope Church of time with Rev. Baxter. That's partly because there's
Isabel, South Dakota, held a dedication program in not a whole lot of news, anyway, and partly because
gratitude for their new church building. According to we find it very interesting to learn that we are estab-
that church's bulletin, "Rev. C. Hanko will speak for lishing contact with brethren, in a different land, who
this occasion." And, further, "May God grant that we are interested in us because they feel themselves to be,
may dedicate ourselves to the upholding of God's for good reason, it seems, one with us.
Truth in this building as we have in the old."               Since there's a little space left yet, we'll deal with-
  We notice also that Isabel's pastor, Rev. Moore, has one more of Rev. Baxter's visits  - this one to the
recently begun a weekly "study class," to which all the    student body of Adams Street School. By the very
members of the congregation are invited. Their present nature of this case, this will be in a lighter vein; but
topic for discussion is "the doctrine of last things."     then you'll get the whole picture. We'll quote from a
                        *i:******                          news sheet from Adams (we trust that the author will
   From various sources we learn that some ministers not object).
in the Grand Rapids area have recently entertained a         "A special assembly was held at 12:30 last Wednes-
rather interesting guest in the person of Rev. Stanley day to give the 6th through 9th graders an opportunity
Baxter from the country of England. According to a to hear him. And what a treat it turned out to be! He
South Holland bulletin, he is pastor of the St. Paul's spoke for % hour, during which time he, among other
Free Church of England. According to Rev. Harbach's things, gave his impressions of America, as compared
Kalamazoo bulletin, that church is the "sister church to England. He noted a difference in `spice': - which
of the Reformed Episcopal Church" in America. It meant very little to the audience until they discovered
seems that he came to America particularly to make that the sounded vowel in `spice' rhymes with that in
contact with the Reformed Episcopal Church in Phila- `todiy' and `Michigan stite.' By the time he mentioned
delphia. But several years ago he had begun corre- that the English pliy cricket, which is their national
spondence with several of our ministers  - first with gime, the students were so accustomed to his British
Rev. Van Baren and shortly after with Prof. Hoeksema. English that they didn't bit an eyelish. After speaking
He decided, therefore, to spend a few days in Grand for about 30 minutes, he offered to answer any ques-
Rapids, Two of those he spent at the home of Rev.          tions the students might have. Questions were a little
Van Baren, and two at the home of Prof. Hoeksema.          slow in coming at first, but once the audience got
  According to Grand Rapids church bulletins, on           wound  up, there was no stopping them. The speaker
Dec. 3 he met with some of our ministers, who found was asked concerning the length of skirts in England.
him to be a very knowledgeable person, and one who is The reply - `I can tell you what it was like 2 weeks
"deeply interested in not only Calvinism, but the Re- ago when I left, but I can't guarantee what it'll be
formed truth." He met for a time also with our Semi-       when I get back.' He was asked how the English cele-
nary, and after rather lengthy discourse, the conclusion brated Christmas. The answer  - `In the usual pagan
drawn was that there seemed to be virtually no area of way, just as in America.' The students enjoyed every
real disagreement.                                         minute of it, and when, 50 minutes later, the proceed-
  Rev. Baxter also spoke at the after-recess program of ings finally had to be called to a halt, hands yet waved.
the Junior Mr. and Mrs. Society of First Chruch. He We're sure that the tremendous and spontaneous
painted a rather dismal picture of the ecclesiastical applause at the close of the meeting was all the thanks
situation in England. He spoke of theological colleges needed by Rev. Baxter."
which are openly liberal, and of churches, therefore,                                                        D.D.


