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



IN THIS ISSUE


     Meditation:
        The Anchor of the Soul

     Editorial:
        Common Grace Still the Issue?

     Feature:
        Theological School Building Fund

     All Around Us:
        Rock Music





                                                    Volume XL VII/Number 17 / June 1, I9 71


386                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



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

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   The Anchor of the Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386                     Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids, Mich.
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   Common Grace Still The Issue? (2) . . . . . . . . . .388                Kortering,  REV. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper. Rev.  Gise  J.
                                                                           Van  Baren, Rev. Herman  Veldman. Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
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Meditation

                                        The Anchor of the Soul
                                                              Rev. M. Schipper

             "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth
             into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus. . . . "
                                                                                                                Hebrews 6: 19, 20a.

   The soul of the saint is like the ship which is waiting                     So this Scripture looks upon the hope of the Chris-
outside of the harbor for the favorable tide which will                    tian as such an anchor of his soul that will hold him
carry it into the haven; and while it waits, it is securely                fast until he may enter the glorious haven of God's
anchored, in fact, the anchor is already cast into the                     covenant communion - the fellowship of His eternal
haven. Lest the strong currents and contrary winds tabernacle.
should draw the ship back into the crests and billows,                         Such, in a figure, is the intention of the Word of
it must be anchored to hold it fast.                                       God here to describe the Christian's security while still


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   387


on the sea of life, and while he anticipates presently to      In Him is the full realization of the promise!
enter the haven of rest.                                       He is the Object of our hope, - the Anchor of our
   In the figure of an anchor the writer speaks of the soul!
hope! To lay hold upon the hope set before us: which           The Anchor, both sure and steadfast!
we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stead-         Indeed, a sharp contrast to earthly hopes! Poets and
fast, and which entereth into that within the veil.          moralists find much response when they touch upon
   Important it is to see that when the Scripture here the chord of earthly hopes. It seems as if elaborate
speaks of the hope as an anchor, it does not look upon provisions were made in our human natures for delud-
hope in the subjective sense of the word. Scripture ing us, tempting us along toilsome paths, only to
often does speak of hope in this sense, and then it gather at the end a handful of mist, so that in the end
refers to that tendency of the soul that is born from men must exclaim in bitterness: "All is vanity and vex-
above to seek its own level. Then it refers to that long- ation of spirit." And how many are the poets, and the
ing, that undaunted anticipation, and joyful expecta- compositions of rhymes that depict that deluding pow-
tion of the child of God for the city which has founda- er men call hope! The disillusionment of these
tions whose builder and maker is God, - that ultimate earthly hopes is felt in the results they often effect.
realization of the promise of God according to which Here is a young man who had hoped for success and in
He will make all things new and cause us to abide his business met only failure and disappointment.
forever in the perfection of beauty where righteousness There is a young maiden whose trousseau was made,
shall dwell. Hope, in this subjective sense is an action whose cedar chest was filled, and the moment of her
on the part of the Christian in which he seeks and hoped for happiness leaves `her standing alone at the
longs after an unseen object. That the Scripture here altar. She tears to shreds her wedding gown, because
does not refer to hope in this sense, is plain from the her lover has deserted her in pursuit of another mate.
context as well as from the text itself.                     Here is a farmer whose hope was set on a bumper crop,
   Nay, rather, hope must be understood here in the and in one night he sees all his hope blasted by a
objective sense. The verse immediately preceding our devastating hail storm, or an unexpected flood. Like
text speaks of "the hope set before us." And the text air-castles built on the imagination, or like pretty soap
speaks of this hope as an anchor "which entereth into bubbles, their hopes are crumbled by the slightest dis-
that within the veil." Hope is the anchor which is cast. turbance, or pricked with the finest pin. These earthly
Though the hope is the anchor of the soul, it is with- hopes are neither sure nor steadfast. They have in them
out the soul, and is cast within the veil.                   nothing that holds your soul with any security and
   And if you ask: What then is that hope? What is that assurance.
anchor that is cast within the veil? Then there can be         But the soul of the Christian has hope which as an
but one answer: that hope and that cast anchor is anchor is both sure and steadfast!
Christ!                                                        It is firm, and can be relied upon, and confided in;
   Christ Jesus is the anchor of the soul!                   because it cannot be disturbed by outward influences.
   He is the object of the Christian's hope! He is the The arms of its flukes are firmly embedded, - not to
hope which we have as an anchor, both sure and stead- be pulled out. It is steadfast, because of its inherent
fast, and which entereth into that within, behind the strength. Its stock, its shank, and flukes are all of one
veil.                                                        piece. No danger, therefore, that it should fall apart. In
   In Him is all the hope of the soul of the saint, now the Christian's hope there is therefore a double secur-
realized. Not so was it in the old dispensation. Then ity, - sure and steadfast!
the curtain that separated the holy of  holies  from the       The Anchor of the soul within the veil!
holy place and outer court was only a material veil in a       You understand, of course, that the Scriptures here
material and earthly tent, or building. 0, to be sure, also speak in a figure. The veil typically referred to was
the saints then also had a sure consolation, for the that which was found in the ancient tabernacle, and
Lord made promise which was sure by two immutable later in the temple; which made separation between                       ,
things, - His counsel and His oath. He sware by Him- the holy of  holies  and the holy place and the rest of
self that. He would bless Abraham and his seed. In type the place of worship. Behind the veil God was said to
and shadow He spoke to them of His immutable oath. dwell, and above the ark of the covenant, where no
But even so, there was in the old dispensation no tangi- one might approach saving the high priest once a year.
ble realization of that immutable promise. There were But even he might not remain there. After he had
shadows and pictures of the hope that was to come. sprinkled blood on the mercy seat, he had to leave
But Jesus was not yet! The blood of atonement had immediately. And the veil was closed again for another
not yet been shed. And no one had entered into that year. Typically, therefore, behind the veil was the
within the veil to abide there.                              place where God dwelt.
   But now that hope is objectively real!                      The text, however, is looking at the reality. And
   Jesus has come and entered!                               that is heaven! Behind the veil speaks of the fellowship


388                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



and communion with the living God.                            The text says, "we have!"
   The Anchor of the soul, Christ Jesus, has entered          That is, all who have Christ Jesus as the object of
into the very presence of God. And not like the priest their hope. It is all they who are the heirs of the im-
who had to leave almost as soon as he' entered, but mutable promise which God sware with an oath. It is
now to remain there at God's right hand.                    all the spiritual children of Abraham who by faith em-
   This is the significance of His glorious ascension! In brace the promise, and who have fled for refuge to lay
our human nature the risen, and ascended Lord en- hold upon the hope set before us.
tered into that within the veil. He, in Whom is all our       In their behalf the Anchor works!
salvation, and Who is the object of all our hope, is the      Christ did not enter into that which is within the
Anchor, both sure and steadfast. He is entered into the veil merely to wait for us, but to work for us. He is the
very presence of God, and to abide there. There He forerunner who opens the way. That is what He meant
makes intercession for us, while He also prepares a when He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
place for us.                                               No one cometh unto the Father, but by Me." And on
   Note how the text speaks of Him as the forerunner. the basis of His mediatorial work He gives us the right
Who is for us entered, even Jesus!                          to come also where He is, namely, into the most
   Not only  does He make it possible for us to enter blessed presence and communion of the living God.
where He is, but He also prepares the way and draws us        And because it is the Father's will that none of
to Himself. It is not the ship which holds the anchor those who are attached to Him shall be lost, He draws
fast, but the Anchor which holds the ship and draws it them to Himself, in order that they may be where He
to itself.                                                  is. This He continues to do by His Word and Spirit.
   As we said at the beginning, the soul of the saint is      You need not wait long my fellow Christian. This
like the ship which is waiting outside the harbor for Jesus is not a priest after the order of Aaron, whose
the favorable tide which will carry it into port. It is priesthood was of a temporary nature; but His pn-iest-
still on the sea of life with its boisterous billows, and hood is after the order of Melchisedec, - and abiding,
its often contrary winds. But it is tied to a sure and eternal priesthood. And when He has accomplished all
steadfast Anchor, which will not allow it to be lost at that is necessary for us to enter, He will draw us unto
sea. Our Anchor holds, and draws us to the very place Himself.
where He is firmly fixed, - to the very presence, and         In the meantime all our hope is in Him! As a sure
before the face of the living God. When the forerunner, and steadfast Anchor, He will hold us fast!
even Jesus, prepares for us a place, and He prepares us       And when we enter where He is, we shall never go
for that place, then He will draw us into that within out, world without end!
the veil.                                                     Amen!
  Whose is that Anchor?


Editorial

                   Common G-race Still The Issue? (2)
                                              Pro$ H.C. Hoeksema

  In our May 1 issue we posed the above question and common grace.
promised to demonstrate by argument and evidence              Now, of course, the position referred to really pre-
that the answer to the question is indeed a Yes-answer. supposes that there is a good and proper use and appli-
  Before we produce Exhibit No. 1 in `the case, we cation of a bad doctrine possible, as well as a misuse
wish to call attention to one more facet,of this ques- and misapplication. And with this I cannot possibly
tion by way of introduction, There are those, both agree. I hold, and the Protestant Reformed Churches
within and outside the Christian Reformed Church, have always held, that common grace, as embodied in
who, on the one hand, do not approve of various ten- the Three Points of 1924, is a bad doctrine. And a bad
dencies toward worldliness and Arminianism and those doctrine can, of course, never produce good fruits. A
evils which are sometimes rather vaguely referred to by corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. And for the
that catch-all term liberalism Their claim is that these same reason I also hold that there is an intrinsic rela-
ills are not as such the necessary outgrowth and fruit tionship between many of the current ills in the Chris-
of the Three Points of 1924, but that they are rather tian Reformed Church and the theory of common
due to a  misuse and misapplication  of the theory of grace as it was adopted in 1924. At this I hinted when


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                               389


in my previous editorial I made the point that common theology of the present time really obliterates the dis-
grace is the underlying issue. If my position was not tinction between the Church and the world. It is more
clear, then let it be clear now. It is this: the current ills and more emphasized by many that the great signifi-
(for example, the worldliness referred to in Rev. Van cance of the Church lies in her influence upon social
Baren's lecture, May 15 issue) are not due to a possible life. The consciousness of a spiritual-ethical antithesis
misuse and misapplication of the theory of common becomes increasingly vague in the minds of many, to
grace, but are a necessary outgrowth and consequence make room for an indefinite notion of a general broth-
of the doctrines of the Three Points. As surely as the erhood. The preaching of the Word concerns itself
church never stands still with respect to its doctrine largely with the periphery of life and does not pene-
and walk, so surely common grace was bound to bear trate into its spiritual centre. The doctrine of particular
its fruits, practically speaking, in a virtually complete grace in Christ is more and more pushed to the back-
denial of the spiritual, ethical antithesis. And it is a ground. There is a strong tendency to bring theology
rather striking fact that this has become true in our day into harmony with a science that stands in the service
in large measure both with respect to the official pro- of infidelity. Through the agency of the press and vari-
nouncements of the church and with respect to the ous -inventions and discoveries, which as such are, un-
actual life and walk of many of its members. A walk doubtedly, to be regarded as good gifts of God, the
hand in hand with the world has at the same time sinful world is to a great extent carried into our Chris-
found justification in official  synodical pronounce- tian homes. (Is not this entire paragraph a graphic de-
ments which even literally appeal to the theory of scription of our own times? HCH)
comma n grace.                                              "Because of all these and similar influences, exerted
   Hence, those who want to appeal to a possible mis- upon us from every side, it is peremptorily necessary
use of common grace have a double duty incumbent that the Church keep watch over the fundamentals;
upon them First of all, they must show that common and that, though she also maintains the above men-
grace is in itself a good, sound, Scriptural, Reformed tioned three points, she vindicates the spiritual-ethical
doctrine. And I am referring, of course, to common antithesis tooth and nail. May she never permit her
grace as set forth in the Three Points, which have to preaching to degenerate into mere social treatises or
this day not been repudiated. And, secondly, they literary productions. Let her be vigilant -that Christ,
must demonstrate that this allegedly good doctrine has and He crucified and risen, always remains the heart of
a good and legitimate application and not necessarily the preaching. Constantly she must maintain the prin-
bad results.                                              ciple that the people of God are a peculiar people,
   But I would also call attention to the fact that the living from their proper root, the root of faith. With
Synod of 1924 seemed to fear a misuse and misapplica- holy zeal she must constantly send forth the call to our
tion of the doctrines of the Three Points. That Synod people, especially to our youth: `And be ye not con-
adopted a "Testimony," which, however, was never formed to this world, but be ye transformed by the
actually sent to the churches, but was only buried in renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
the printed  Acts.  It will be worth our while to pay good and acceptable and perfect will of God.' With the
attention for a moment to that "Testimony." For un- blessing of the Lord this will keep our churches from
intentionally that "Testimony" is almost prophetic. It worldly-mindedness, that extinguishes the flame of
reads as follows:                                         spiritual ardor and deprives the Church of her power
   "Now synod expressed itself on three points that and beauty."
were at stake in the denial of Common Grace and             Concerning this Testimony the late Rev. Herman
thereby condemned the entire disregard for this doc- Hoeksema commented in his The Protestant Refomzed
trine, she feels constrained at the same time to warn Churches in America, pp. 9 1, 92, as follows:
our Churches and especially our leaders earnestly           "What shall we say about this testimony?
against all  onesided  emphasis on and misuse of the        "It proves clearly how conscious the synod was of
doctrine of Common Grace. It cannot be denied that the conflict between the so-called doctrine of Common
there exists a real danger in this respect. When Doctor Grace and the maintenance of the spiritual-ethical anti-
Kuyper wrote his monumental work on this subject he thesis of which this Testimony speaks. Not only is this
revealed that he was not unconscious of the danger consciousness evident from the very fact that she
that some would be seduced by it to lose themselves in deemed it necessary to accompany the declaration of
the world. And even now history shows that this dan- the three points by this Testimony, but she also plainly
-ger is more than imaginary. And also Doctor Bavinck expresses this consciousness of the existing conflict in
reminded us of this danger in his Dogma tics.            the words: `and that, though she also maintains the
   "When we consider the direction in which the spirit above mentioned three points, she vindicates the spirit-
of the time develops round about us, it cannot be de- ual ethical antithesis tooth and nail.' And in this re-
nied that our present danger lies more in the direction spect the synod was right. She is sadly mistaken, how-
of worldly-mindedness than of false seclusion. Liberal ever, when she labors under the impression that a pious


I    390                                              THE STANDARD BEARER


     testimony will prevent the influence of a false  dot- only or for eternity? And does this not mean that God
     trine. The false doctrine is the theory; of common Himself "obliterates" His own distinction between
     grace, even in as far as it is officially adopted in the      church and world, light and darkness, Christ and Belial,
     three points. The  inevitabEe result  of that doctrine is elect and reprobate?
     obliteration of the distinction between the Church and          And if God Himself does so, why should not the
     the world, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, right- church follow suit?
     eousness and unrighteousness. And the practical fruit is        And if the church follows suit, then what else can be
     worldliness." (emphasis added)                                the result than that the church becomes like the world
       With the above we agree completely.                         and lives as the world does? What else can be the result
       Is it not plain that common grace is in its very na-        than that which is described in the second paragraph of
     ture a denial of the antithesis? Is that `not the very the Testimony quoted above?
     meaning of the word "common?" Does not this  doc-               What is described there has indeed come to pass in
     trine exactly mean that God Himself looks upon men our day very clearly.
     "in common" in His favor - whether that be for time


     Question Box

                               About the Validity of Baptism

     Question                                                      false church has in mind, first of all, the Roman Catho-
       From "A Reader in Holland" we received the lic Church)  - these very same Reformed fathers of
     following questions concerning the recognition of the Reformation times recognized as valid the baptism ad-
     baptism of those who come from other denomi- ministered by the Roman Catholic Church. There is an
     nations:                                                      informative passage in Van Dellen  and Monsma, The
       "On what basis do we recognize as valid the baptism         Church Order Commentary, pp. 235, 236,`on this very
     of those who come to our churches from other denom- question. Incidentally, I checked up on the references
     inations,  - whether it be adult baptism or infant in this paragraph to the decisions of the Synod of
     baptism?                                                      Emden and the Synod of Middelburg; and these are
       "Could we ever recognize a baptism which is not in correctly summarized in the commentary of Van
     the name of the Father, the Son, and the;Holy Ghost? Dellen and Monsma. The passage is as follows:
     For example, if Unitarians, who deny the Trinity,               "The Reformation Churches soon faced the ques-
     would baptize someone, could that, baptism be tion of the validity of Baptism administered in the
     recognized?                                                   Roman Church. Synod of  Emden, 1571, held that
       "In a discussion, however, we were particularly con- those who had been regularly baptized in the Roman
     cerned with the Roman Catholic Church, which the Church did not have to be baptized once again, fearing
     Netherlands Confession seems to brand `as the false that the Roman Baptism was of no value. But our
     church. Yet' we recognize baptism when such Roman fathers doubtlessly felt that although the Roman
     Catholic members seek to affiliate with us.! Perhaps this Church was filled with error, that yet it was a Church
     leads us off the point; but the matter of what or who         of Christ in essence; and that therefore its Baptisms
     that false church is, which the Netherlands Confession were valid. If therefore Baptism was administered by
     claims is so easy to determine, enters in. j                  an authorized priest, with water and in the name of the
       "If you find this a question that would serve the Triune God, then re-Baptism did not take place. Even
     edification of the Standard Bearer readers, we would the Baptism of `vagabond priests,' constantly traveling
     like to see a published answer."                              from place to place, was held to be valid (Synod of
     Reply                                                         Middelburg, 1581) inasmuch as these were officially
       This is indeed an interesting question,: or series of called. But the Baptism of monks was considered to be
     related questions; and I will try to shed some light.         invalid, for they have no charge to Baptize. Even
       It is always well, I think, to consider iquestions of `emergency Baptisms' administered by mid-wives, doc-
     this kind first from an historical point of view, that is,    tors, etc., were usually held to be valid because the
     to inquire what has been the practice of Reformed Roman Church charges individuals to Baptize a child
     churches in the past. And then it is rather interesting which is about to die. Whether the Reformation
     to learn that the very Reformed fathers who con- Churches were justified in acknowledging even these
     demned Roman Catholicism so strongly (and there can latter classes of Baptisms is indeed a question.
     be no doubt that the Confession in its references to the        "The Baptism of anabaptists was recognized, if Bap-

                                                 I


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  391



tism had taken place in the name of the Triune God. self. And then the question becomes: through what
This was not always the case, because some anabaptists baptism is Christ Himself pleased to speak His Word?
entertained erroneous conceptions regarding the doc- And the answer can only be: through that baptism
trine of the trinity. However, Baptism administered by which is according to Christ's Word. And the baptism
the Socinians was rejected because they had broken which is according to Christ's Word is, without doubt,
with the essence of Christianity. We assume the same tvinitarian.   Closely connected with this, secondly, is
attitude toward the Baptism administered by Uni- the question of the proper administration - or better,
tarians, Mormons, etc., inasmuch as these have broken the proper administrator - of baptism. Christ has insti-
with the Christian religion.                                tuted the sacraments as means of grace to be admin-
   "The early Reformed Churches also faced the ques- istered by His church. Now where, historically speak-
tion, what should be done by parents living in parts ing, is the boundary line between church and
where there was no Reformed Church? Some had to non-church? When, from this point of view, can it be
flee to Germany during the days of persecution and said of a certain religious group that it in no sense of
lived for a time among the Lutherans. What of children the word belongs in the class of historic Christendom,
born to these people? Should they remain unbaptized? belongs historically to the church in the midst of the
The Reformed people residing at Frankfort also faced world? That utmost boundary is the truth of the Holy
this question because the government of Frankfort for- Trinity. Historically, all who deny the truth of the
-bade the Reformed religion in 1562. Many Reformed Trinity in their confession are outside of the Christian
theologians held that none of these parents should turn Church. Such a church will, of course, also not baptize
to the Roman Church for Baptism,`but that the Luth- in the name of the Triune God, i.e., according to the
eran Church should be asked to baptize their chil- institution of Christ. The late Rev. Herman Hoeksema
dren, provided the Ministers were willing to omit cer- points in this direction in Volume I of  The Triple
tain Lutheran ceremonies such as exorcisms (banishing Knowledge (2nd edition), pp. 353, ff. After callingat-
of evil spirits), etc. Calvin also judged that if Reformed tention to the confession of the church concerning the
parents found it impossible to move within the pale of Trinity, he writes first:
a Reformed. Church that then they should ask the              "Essentially nothing has been changed in or added
Lutheran Church to baptize, with the understanding, to the doctrine of the trinity as adopted by the early
however, that the Roman remnants of a superstitious Church. The Nicene Creed is still the expression of the
character would be omitted, and that the parents re- faith of the entire Church of Christ in the world. There
tain their Reformed convictions and that the child were controversies and restatements of doctrine with
would be reared in the Reformed faith.                      respect to other parts of the truth, but the dogma of
  "In general it may be said that the Reformed the trinity remained the same since its adoption by the
Churches have always recognized the validity of Bap- Council of  Nicea. The Church of the Middle Ages
tisms administered by other groups if Baptism was ad- adopted this truth, and the great minds of Scholasti-
ministered 1) according to the institution of Christ cism did not alter it either in form or in content. It is
(the rightful element, water, not wanting), 2) in a corn-' true that there were always individual thinkers that
munity or association of believers confession the Trin- departed from the line of this fundamental doctrine.
ity, which association is therefore in principle a Church Old heresies were revived and appeared sometimes in a
of Christ, 3) by one duly authorized to administer this new form. Some presented views that reminded of
Sacrament by a Church or Christian association."            Nominal  Trinitatianism,  like  Scotus Erigena and
  With the above I find myself in essential agreement. Abelard; others separated the Persons of the Godhead,
  Perhaps a few additional comments are in order, and were inclined to tritheism, or even to tetratheism.
however.                                                    But all such deviations were regarded by the Church as
  In the first place, it should be evident that the truth heretical, and never was she seriously disturbed by any
of the Trinity is crucial here. This is true, first of all, of them And the same is true of the period of the
with respect to baptism itself. Baptism must be accord- Reformation."
ing to the institution of Christ. This means, literally,      And at the end of the same chapter on the Trinity
that it must be "in the name of the Father, and of the he writes:
Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Right here is the essen-         "This doctrine of the trinity has found a place in all
tial criterion of all true baptism. For we must remem- the main creeds of the Protestant Churches, nor dared
ber that this question of the validity of baptism is not the Roman Catholic Church differ from them in this
a merely formal question of official membership in a respect, although the declarations of the Council of
certain church-communion here on earth. No, baptism Trent take issue with the Protestant faith on many
is the sacrament of our incorporation into the body of other points."
Christ; and the question of the validity of baptism is,       And, finally, he writes:
after all, the question of whether baptism is valid in        "The overwhelming testimony of the Church, there-
the sight of and according to the Word of Christ Him- fore, brands the. Unitarians as heretics, outside of the


392                                              THE STANDARD BEARER

                                            I

Christian Church. Servetus launched a violent and the validity of Roman baptism, on the one hand, and
blasphemous attack upon this most fundamental of their considering Rome as false church, on the other
Christian truths, and it cost him his life. But the hand. For one thing, it is plain that the fathers could
fathers of modern Unitarianism, and of modern Ra- not and did not brand Rome as standing outside the
tionalism, are the two brothers Laelius and Faustus pale of historic Christianity: for then they could not
Socinus. They agreed in denying the trinity, and they have recognized baptism by the Roman Catholic
succeeded where Servetus failed, in founding a sect of Church as valid. Secondly, however, I would call your
their own. They found an asylum in one of the Polish attention to the fact that the viewpoint in our Nether-
Palatines, produced a number of theologians, and form- lands Confession's articles on the true church and the
ulated a creed of their own. From there it made marks of the true church  - and I think this is often
inroads into other parts of the world, especially in Eng- overlooked both in theory and in practice - is a pecu-
land and America, while on the continent it found a liar one. The viewpoint there is that of the very
powerful ally in rationalistic philosophy. But in its poignant and personal question: where am I in duty
Anti-trinitarian position it stands condemned by the bound before God to join myself? The test for the
entire Church of all ages, for the Spirit that leads into answer to that question is that of the well-known three
all the truth constantly taught her, through the Holy marks of the church. The fathers evidently would not
Scriptures, to confess that God is one essence, distinct apply that test when it came to the question of the
in three persons, and that these three persons are the validity of baptism. Had they done so, they would
one, only, eternal God, Whom to know iseternal life!" have branded themselves as sectarian and cut them-
  In the second place, the preceding `should already selves off from the historic Christian church. Their
largely clear up the matter of apparent conflict be- view was in a true proper sense broader than that.
tween our Reformed fathers' willingness to recognize


Feature

                      Theological School Building Fund
                                                   Rev. M. Schipper

  All the members of the Protestant Reformed De- have to be approved by the authorities as meeting all
nomination have been informed of the need of a new the building codes. And the final plans will also have to
theological school building and the decision of the be formulated by a registered and capable architect.
1968 Synod to initiate a drive for funds that such a Considering all this, it should be apparent to everyone
building may be constructed as soon as possible. They that the plan submitted to you was formulated only
were also informed of the approximate cost of such a with a view to determine approximately what such a
building on the basis of today's prices.                    building, occupying the suggested space, would cost. It
  The response of our people has been gratifying, was determined that the approximate cost, including
though it is apparent that we are still a long way from furnishings, paving, etc., would be in the neighborhood
reaching our goal.                                          of $70,000.
  There have been several who have written to us ask:         It has been suggested to us that perhaps we ought to
ing questions mostly about the proposed plan which think in terms of purchasing an older building that
accompanied the letter. The Theological School Com- could be remodeled if necessary to till our need. Our
mittee deemed it necessary that this article appear in committee has given this considerable thought, and, in
our Standard Bearer which would attempt to answer fact, found such a building. But when it was con-
the more important questions. To meet this request, sidered how much it would cost to make such a build-
the undersigned gladly complies.                            ing capable of caring for our need, it was discovered
  In the first place, as far as the suggested floor plan is that it would cost nearly as much as the cost of a new
concerned, no one should conclude that any definite building, and we would have only an older building
and final plans have been made by the Theological which -could never be remodeled to precisely fill the
School Committee. No such final plans will be made          need as a new building would do.
until sufficient funds have first been collected that         This brings us, in the second place, to consider the
would warrant us to proceed with building; and in any question: What makes the proposed new facility so
event, such plans would first have to be presented to necessary now? Some have wondered how it is that
and approved by a future synod. They would then after some 45 years of using the basement of First


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   393



Church, which has always taken care of our physical torium, wondering why that was necessary, since the
need as far as a place for our seminary to meet is building as proposed will be adjacent to Southeast
concerned, that now we should have to construct new Church whose facilities could be used for  practise
facilities.                                                  preaching. Others have inquired about the proposed
   Our answer to this is that prior to 1968 our present parking area, whereas Southeast Church has more than
facility, for want of a better place to meet, did cover enough space already paved for parking purposes. Still
our needs. All of our present ministers received their others have asked about the proposed kitchen, lunch
theological training in the basement of First Church, room, ladies' toilet,facility, etc.
except for a brief period when the school was locked            Allow us to touch briefly on each of these ques-
out of the building because of circumstances beyond tions. Neither the Theological School Committee, nor
our control. However, in 1968 the synod decided that the synod, will ask Southeast Church for the use of
a preseminary department should be added to our any of their facilities. The reason being that such a
school on a trial basis. The trial period was to extend proposed seminary building must be complete and in-
for three years, in which time it was to be determined dependent. And since said building will be a synodical
whether we could provide our students with all the property, it is not unreasonable that Synod will also
academic training which would be necessary for them use it for synodical purposes, such as a place for its
to have should they enter into the seminary proper. It annual synodical meetings, and a place for its
must be clearly understood that pri&- to 1968 our stu- appointed committees to meet and deliberate without
dents were required to obtain their academic credits in imposing on local churches. Since synod meets at that
other schools where their instruction was suspect. In time of the year when school is not in session, it could
several instances they learned things which were con- use the auditorium and class room space, as well as the
trary to our beliefs, and that which they did learn in kitchen in which meals and lunches will have to be
many instances was not of the caliber we would expect prepared. Besides, it has happened more than once in
them to have shall they serve in the ministry in our the history of our seminary that women have re-
churches. It was the synod of 1968 which had the fore- quested the privilege of sitting in on especially dogma-
sight to see that it is necessary today that our young tic classes as aids to their teaching in our Christian
men receive all of their training from us. We may re- Schools. Neither they nor the women serving the
port to you that the trial preseminary courses which synod should be required to use the men's toilet facil-
have been given to our present students have proved to ity. As far as the students and professors are con-
be highly successful. Naturally, because it was pioneer cerned, everyone acquainted with the conduct of our
work, and because we have had only our two profes- school knows that they have their coffee and lunch
sors, who were called originally to teach only seminary breaks for which provision will have to be made. As to
subjects and who therefore performed a gigantic task the necessity of an adequate parking area, this is deter-
in taking on this extra work load, it would be natural, I mined by the building code of Grand Rapids which
say, to expect that all was not perfect. Naturally there requires that a building such as a seminary shall have
is still much room for improvements and expansion. its own parking area, and large enough to satisfy the
But enough has been determined that we can have and needs of all who will occupy the building. In this con-
should have our own preseminary department. And nection it may be remarked that the building code
this means quite naturally also that more space is imposes other specifications that will have to be met.
needed, as well as an expanded faculty.                      We trust that what we have said so far will help to give
  It follows therefore that our seminary and presemi- you a better understanding of the need of such a semi-
nary departments should have not less than four class nary building, and answer in part the questions which
rooms. It follows, too, that such a school should have may have made you to hesitate in contributing to such
adequate library space, not only to accommodate the a worthy cause.
library which is steadily increasing in size, but also to      It should be abundantly clear to everyone of us that
afford our students a place for private study and re- shall we be able to prepare young men for the ministry
search. Referring once more to the floor plan which in our churches they should receive all of their training
was presented to most of our people, you will observe from us. It is of this which the dedicated young men
there were only two class rooms in the plan and no now attending our seminary, and the professors, as
library. We are assured, however, that by juggling space well as the Theological School Committee have be-
on the ground level and dropping everything on the come thoroughly convinced. Shall our precious heri-
picture into the basement except the class rooms, audi- tage be preserved, and the ministry in our churches
torium, and office, four class rooms and an adequate remain pure and distinctly Protestant Reformed, we
library can be provided in the space we have.                shall have to train our future ministers in our Christian
  In the third place, there are other  Imiscellaneous elementary and secondary schools, and get them in our
questions that have been asked which require a brief preseminary department right out of high school. Here
answer. Some have inauired about the DroDosed audi- they would be expected to get all the academic  re-


394                                          THE STANDARD  BEARER



quirements necessary `for them to enter dur seminary. today several vacant churches who need a minister
This schedule of training would mean that they have sorely. There is also a great need of men to go out
four years of preseminary education and then three from our churches with the good news of salvation to
years of actual seminary training before they could be bring that Word to those outside of our churches. Indi-
declared candidates for the ministry in our churches. cations are that there are many spread abroad, not
This is our goal.                                          only in our own country, but also in places outside,
   The question has been raised: but how' about those who are suffering from want of hearing the pure
young men coming from high school who are not rea- preaching of the Word in their own churches. But we
sonably sure that they are called to the ministry? Who have no men to send to them. May the Lord lay it
therefore decide to go to some other college to obtain upon your heart to consider seriously and prayerfully
an AB degree? Who during the course of their educa- the mandate given by Christ to go into all the world
tion decide that they are called to the ministry? What and preach the gospel!
would we do with them? Or, suppose  teat there are           Secondy, we wish to impress upon the hearts of our
some who would enter our preseminary department own people, as well as upon the hearts of those outside
and after a year or two decide that they are not called of our churches, who may read this article and who are
to the ministry and wish to train in another institution vitally interested in what we are doing as Protestant
of learning with a view to another vocation? Would Reformed Churches, that our need for these new semi-
they be wasting their time and credits in our school?      nary facilities is very great. We need more space, we
   We answer, first of all, that those who would go need more students, we need more capable professors
from high school to another institution and then after to train these students. May God give you sufficient
a year or two, or after a full fledged college course, grace to see our need, and to give to this worthy cause
would decide that they are called to the ministry in as He has blessed you. In the original letter sent to all
our churches; these would be given  cr,edit for any our membership it was estimated that if each family
scholastic attainments they have obtained which are would contribute only $100.00 we would have sufficient
required for entrance into our seminary, precisely as funds to erect this building. This amounts to less than
we have always required these. In respect to those who $2.00 a week. Is that too much to give for such a
would come to us from high school and after a year or worthy cause? Of course we understand that some are
two of preseminary training decide that they are not better able to do this than others. Well, then, let those
called to the ministry and  who wish to  ,pursue  their who can contribute more do so, but by all means let us
education elsewhere, we have been assured by such all see that everyone should contribute faithfully as the
institutions as Calvin, Trinity, Dort, and Hope College Lord provides. Societies in our churches could also
that they would be required to pass an examination on consider seriously of contributing of their surplus
the subjects studied, and with a passing grade would be funds, and even conducting programs to raise funds for
given credit in these institutions.                        this cause. All of us, working together, can help to
  In conclusion, there are two important remarks we realize this project which should have the deep concern
wish to make which we hope will impress jrou.              of everyone interested in the preservation and future
  The first is that we want to encourage our young progress of the cause closest to our hearts. Please send
men to consider seriously our need of dedi,cated, spirit- your contributions to: Mr. Richard H. Teitsma, 1659
ual young men who would desire to enter'the ministry S hangrai La Drive, S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan
of our churches. You all know that we  ihave several 49508, and you will receive a receipt which you can
ministers in our churches whose ages tell us that they use for tax pm-poses. Thank you!
will soon have to be replaced by younger men. We have




                             The Love That Hates
                                                 Rev. John A. Heys

  To be a reprobate is too awful to contemplate;          uses of the word Paul admonishes us to examine our-
  Nevertheless we must give serious thought to this selves whether we be in the faith. For, he points out, if
matter of reprobation. Not only does Scritpure teach it we are not in the faith, then Christ is not in us. And
and speak frequently of it both by the  use of the very then we are reprobates! This is his teaching  iri
word, but also by implication. And in one of the literal II Corinthians 13:5. So, although to be a reprobate is


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 395



too awful to contemplate, we must give. serious lesser degree of hatred. Jacob He did not richly love
thought to the matter of reprobation. And examining while Esau He loved less. But Jacob He loved and Esau
ourselves whether we be in the faith also is extremely He hated. Romans 9: 13. But, refer back to what we
important.                                                 wrote last time. We cannot take more time now for
  As to the word reprobate itself, it means "not ap- this matter.
proved" and stands contrasted in Scripture with elec-        Let us instead notice a few instances from Scripture
tion. In Hebrews 6:8 it is translated as "rejected." And itself where men who did not love God, and did not
the Canons of Dordrecht in their firm stand against the hate sin, who did works which they even claimed to
Arminian denial of eternal and unchangeable election do in God's name, were banished forever from His
speak in the sections that deal with the rejection of blessed presence. There is that false prophet Balaam,
errors of, "The true doctrine of Election and who gave us in God's name such a beautiful promise of
Rejection."                                                the coming of Christ, when he spoke of the Star, which
  Now let us observe that Paul does not tell us to hush    the wise men came to worship after seeing their star in
up this doctrine. He does not say, "Rid your minds of the east. See Numbers 24: 17. Yet Balaam did not do
the word. Take it out of your vocabulary; and be sure this in love to God and in hatred of sin. Just read
not to bring it on the pulpit." Instead he tells us to live Numbers 3 1: l-8, and you will find that at God's com-
in the awareness of this fact of reprobation and to mand Moses has Balaam slain with the sword and exe-
examine ourselves, not because he would frighten us cuted as a reprobate. He prophesied in God's name,
with this truth, but so that we may walk in His fear, but he did not in love do the will of the Father in
and so have the joy of knowing that we are NOT repro- heaven.
bates. He urges the believer in whom Christ is, to walk      Jehu is another example of this. Zeal he had in
in sanctification so that he may find Christ to be in      abundance. He cast out many "devils" when he slew
Him, and so have the joy of knowing that he is an elect every last one of the  Baa1 prophets he could lay his
of God.                                                    hands on, and all the house of wicked Ahab as well.
  Many do not concern themselves with this matter of But it was not in hatred of Ahab's sin and in love to
reprobation and do not examine themselves whether God. It was in love to Jehu. And though outwardly he,
they be in the faith. It matters nothing to them. Others according to II Kings 10:30, did well in executing that
examine themselves according to a wrong standard, which was right in God's eyes, and is told that his sons
and these, Jesus teaches us in Matthew 7:21-23, think to the fourth generation will sit on his throne, the very
that they and their works are approved of God. They next verse states that "Jehu took no heed to walk in
boast of having done this and that in His name, only to    the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart, for
be told to depart because God never knew them, and he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which
that only those who do the will of the Father in           made Israel to sin." Yes, he cast out some "devils." He
heaven will enter His kingdom. All this we considered a destroyed Baa1 and his worship. But he joined himself
month ago under the title,  "Taking Spiritual to other "devils" and their idolatry. Therefore in
Inventory. "                                               Hosea  1:4 God speaks of avenging the blood of the
  Last time we looked more closely at this matter of house of Jehu  - and that includes Jehu, the head of
doing the will of the Father in heaven and were forced     that house  - and will cause to cease the kingdom of
to bring a halt to the matter before we had reached the the house of Israel. The plain meaning of the last part
point we wished to stress. This closer look we treated is that Jehu and his house brought the kingdom of
under the theme, "Doing the Will of the Father. "And Israel closer to its ruin. And Jehu and his house did not
our present theme or title is due to the observation enter the Kingdom, `for they were not doing the will of
which we made last time, namely, that to understand the Father in the sense of loving Him and hating sin.
God's love  - for doing the will of the Father means         Cyrus, king of Persia, performed the "mighty work"
that we walk in love before Him - we must not look at      of letting Israel return to the land of Canaan.  Herod
our natural, fleshly love, which is a matter of the emo- built a beautiful temple for the Jews in Jerusalem. Yet
tions, but we must begin with the truth that God IS God never knew them. Their works were not done in a
love, and that He loves Himself. Our love must become      hatred of sin and in a love to God; and they were told
like unto His; His love is not something like ours. His at the moment of death, "Depart from me, I never
love is a matter of His will; and our love to Him must knew you."
be a matter of our will.                                     Let us get it straight, then. Unless we perform a
  We pointed out that God, Who loves Himself and work in love toward God and His Son, it is not pleasing
His Son in our flesh, cannot possibly love those who in God's sight, and will receive no reward of grace.
hate Him and His Son. The very nature of His love is With all kinds of works in God's name that are void of
such that as the holy God that He is, He cannot possi- His love, we still will not enter His kingdom.
bly love those who hate  Him and hate His Son. His           Applied now to us (for we are to examine ourselves;
love is an antithetical love. And love in God is never a and these examples are only to show the fact of the


396                                         THE STANDARD BEARER



matter that simply calling Him Lord with our mouths you know the faith. Paul tells us to examine ourselves
but not living before Him as our Lord wlill not reveal whether we be in the faith. If we are, we are going to
that Christ is in us) this truth means that we must find hate every departure from the faith once delivered to
ourselves a hatred for sin, and for the sinner as God's- theSaints. We are going to strive for pure doctrine. We
enemy.                                                   are going to insist on a doctrine that glorifies God. But
  Here is one qualification which we must make be- we are also going to discipline those who walk contrary
tween God's love and ours. God hates sin and the sin- to such pure doctrine. We will count them enemies of
ner. You and I must hate sin and the sinner as God's God who introduce, maintain and defend that which
enemy.  As far as he is our neighbour, as far as being denies God His glory. And then these enemies - be-
our enemy is concerned, we must love him and do him cause we may not hate them as our enemies - we are
good. As far as being God's enemy we can only hate going to fight not with weapons of the flesh, but with
the sinner and may not love him. Listen to what the the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
inspired psalmist said in Psalm  139:21,22. "Do not I       Do we love God? Are we eager to do the will of the
hate them, 0 Lord, that hate Thee?  atid am not I Father in heaven Who loves Himself and His Son in our
grieved with those that rise up against Thee? I hate flesh? Can we then call our friends and seek the com-
them with a perfect hatred: I count them mine ene- panionship of those who blaspheme His name and take
mies." Of course, for Christ was in the ps+ist; and he it in vain with their cursing and rash swearing? If Christ
had the same love that God has  because'of that fact. is  in us, can we possibly delight in having His name
Or again, in I John 2: 15 we are commanded not to dragged in the mire? Can we do that ourselves? And
love the world. And what can that mean but that we can we then still maintain that Christ is in us and that
hate the world? In fact there is added in the next verse we love Him? Jesus said of God and mammon that we
that, if we do love the world (and a distinction is made would hate the one and love the other, but could not
in verse 15 between the world and the things in world) love both. The same thing is true of sin and of the
the love of the Father is not in us. You cannot love sinner as God's enemy. It is an antithetical matter. We
God and love the world that hates  Him; Our love to love God and hate those who hate Him, or we hate
God must be a love that hates the serpent and his seed God and love those that hate Him.
as enemies of the living God. Never may yve hate them       It is possible to love a man and not hate the other
as our enemies. Then we must do good ts them. Then neighbour with a natural love and hatred. The young
in love we must call them to repentance and show woman who does not love a certain young man with
them the error cf their way, give to them rather than that natural love, is not required by the law of God,
take from them, shield and protect their lives rather which demands of us that we love our neighbour, to
than to take them away from them, deal.in  truth with marry that young man. She does not love him, but that
them and not destroy their name, obey them in their does not mean that she necessarily hates him. She may
positions of authority over us and not go on strike still consider him a very close and esteemed friend. But
against them or throw off their yoke by violence or with God it is a case of either loving Him or hating
harmful deeds. But because they are God's enemies, we Him. And it is a case of loving Him or loving His
will have to hate them in order to love God. You sim- enemies. It is a love that hates. The holy God you
ply cannot do both. And from the opposite point of cannot love without hating sin, and the sinner who
view another inspired psalmist declares in Psalm hates Him. If you love the holy God, you hate your
119:63, "I am a companion of those that fear Thee, own sins too, and seek to do His will.
and of them that keep Thy precepts." That means that        Then when in His name you prophesy (or teach
he is a companion of those that love God and are not and sing His praises), when you cast out the devil that
His enemies. We will find no pleasure in the company troubles you with sin, and when you perform the
and fellowship of those that hate God,. Work with mighty work of weeping over your sins - Yes, this is a
them we may have to do; but our companions, our mighty work  - you will know Christ is in you, that
friends we will find among those that love God. These you are an elect of God and will be received into the
we will love. The rest we will have to hate in order to kingdom.
love the holy God.                                          Indeed, take spiritual inventory to find out what
  Examine yourselves then whether ye be in the faith. you must discard and whether you are in the faith.
Do you hate false doctrines? And are you ready to Then boundless joy will be yours, and hope and con-
fight for the truth? Does it make no difference to you fidence, now and in the day of your last breath of
what men say and preach and teach concerning the earthly. life, that you will be received into the kingdom
living God and His Christ? The question is not whether to enjoy God's love to the full.


       Following our usual publication schedule, there will be only one issue of the Standard Bearer in June. 1


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                              397



Contending For The Faith

                              The Doctrink of Atonement
                                           THE REFORtiA TION PERIOD
                                                   ARMINIANISM

                                                   Rev. H. Veldmn

  In our preceding article we remarked that it would           mountain tops of the pure and unadulterated doctrine
be well to call attention to the Arminian controversy          of the Word of God! How easy it has been, again and
before setting forth the Reformed position as set forth        again, to fall back into the error of pelagianism and
in our Canons of Dordrecht. And we concluded this              semi-pelagianism!, Pelagianism was succeeded by semi-
article with a quotation on Arminius and Arminianism pelagianism. The latter is worse than the former. Any
from the New Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopedia              compromise with the truth is always worse and more
  Dr. L. H. Wagenaar is the author of a book which is          dangerous than an outright denial of the truth. Finally
entitled, "Van Strijd en Overwinning," or, if you will,        this entire controversy was terminated by the Synod of
"Of Conflict and Victory." In this book he sets forth          Orange in 529. This synod is especi$ly known because
what is known as the Great Synod of 16 18-l 6 19 and           of its consistent condemnation  of,semi-pelagianism. It
the history that preceded it. In the early part of this        is for this reason that many historians have the impres-
book the author has two chapters which he devoted to           sion that this synod represents a last victory for the
men who prepared the way for Remonstrantism and Augustinian conception of predestination and sov-
who were the forerunners of this Arminian movement.            ereign grace. This, however, is not the case. What is true
Preceding these chapters is an introductory chapter in is that this synod left the impression that it was afraid
which Wagenaar presents a very brief resume of the             of the strict Augustinian principles. Augustine's doc-
history of the church, going back as far as the Arian trine was certainly not maintained by the synod. On
controversy. Wagenaar stresses the heresy of  pela-            the one hand, the synod maintained, rather incon-
gianism, calling attention to the truth that this heresy       sistently, the total incapability o$ the sinner to do any
of the free will of the sinner was also adopted by the good, as over against the semi-pelagians. But, on the
Arminians. Pelagianism teaches that man is born as in-         other hand, it denied the infallible and irresistible
nocent and inexperienced, gifted with a free will that         operation of sovereign grace. As far as predestination is
cannot be lost, but also subject to covetousness. Adam         concerned, the synod declared that a predestination
permitted himself to be led astray. However, every unto evil is to be condemned; in other words, it must
man is born as was Adam before the fall. Every man is          have nothing of sovereign reprobation. And in the deci-
born with the possibility to do either good or evil and sions of this synod of Orange there is to be found
with a free will. It is true that the will to do good          nothing concerning sovereign election and reprobation.
becomes weaker in the measure that it chooses that             And we know that the denial of sovereign reprobation
which is evil, but it is also true that the sinner retains must inevitably lead to the denial of the truth of sover-
the power to choose the good at any given moment.              eign election. And we also know that the Romish
Already before Christ there have been perfect and sin- Church has followed in the footsteps of pelagianism.
less people, such as Abel and Enoch. This pelagianism,         This, we understand, must be borne in mind when
we know, was opposed by Augustine. Augustine main- dealing with the  @minian controversy in the early
tained that the sinner is a slave of sin. The sinner's will    years of the seventeenth century.
remains free in the sense that it is morally free. The           Wagenaar quotes from men who prepared the way
sinner is never forced to commit sin. However,                 for Arminianism and were the forerunners of
Augustine maintained that he also chooses iniquity and Arminius. And it is striking that these forerunners also
unrighteousness, and this corruption of the human na- believed in a common grace. From page 7 we quote the
ture is passed on in the line of generations, so that man      following, presenting the view of a certain Cassianus:
always begets a sinner like unto himself. This church
father rejected the pelagian heresy that every man is                 Originally man, as God's image-bearer, was immor-
born as Adam was before his fall, taught the utter                 tal, free and wise; but Adam fell and thereby brought
                                                                   mankind under the dominion of death and of the
depravity of the sinner.                                           flesh. Original sin is an evil and a weakness: it is true
  How difficult it has been for the church of God                  that the will has been weakened to do good, but he
throughout the ages to maintain this Augustinian doc-              remains free, and there are seeds of the good in every
trine of the utter depravity of the sinner! How true it            soul, so that, when grace invites, cooperation comes
is that the church has stood very briefly upon the                 about. The grace of God can therefore not work  irre-


398                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER



        sistibly and God's preordination is dependent upon          read that he gave expression to his hatred against the
        His foreknowledge. God's grace is not  particular  -  to    doctrine of predestination in a book in which he ques-
        say this would be an abominable sacrilege!, ("een te        tioned whether the views of Calvin and Beza, with re-
        gruwelijke heiligschennis!")  - nay, it is completely       spect to the decrees of God are according to the Divine
        common, universal.                                          Scriptures. Coomhert was a furious opponent of Cal-
  Incidentally, all these quotations from Wagenaar's vinism and he was surely another who prepared the
"Of Conflict and Victory" are our translation from the way for the heresy of Arminius.
Dutch language. You will notice, in this quotation,                   As forerunners of Arminius, the following are men-
that Cassianus speaks of a conditional predestination, tioned by Wagenaar: Coolhaas, Herberts, Wiggerts,
that God's foreordination is dependent upon His fore- Sybrandi and Venator. And it is striking that these
knowledge. And then he emphasizes that'the grace of forerunners have in common with those who prepared
God is not particular, but common and universal.  He the way for this heretical movement that they were
also writes that original sin is but an evil and a weak- Romish who, although having broken with Rome,
ness; the will of the sinner always remains free in the never did embrace unconditionally the rich and com-
sense that it continues able to choose the good as well forting doctrine of the Reformation.
as the evil. These heresies are inseparably connected.                Coolhaas was condemned by the National Synod at
The one demands the other. If we believe in condi- Middelburg in 1581 because he maintained that the
tional predestination  - the first of the five points of Presbyterian form of church government was in error,
the Arminians - then we must also believe in universal and also because he denied man's inability to do good
atonement and that the sinner is not wholly and com- and taught that the grace of God is common. He died
pletely depraved. And is it not striking that these fore- in 16 10. He did cause a tumult in the church of
runners of the Arminian controversy maintained that Leiden, but not as yet in the church of God in general.
the grace of God is not particular but common?                      In distinction from the Arminians, the Calvinists fa-
  Wagenaar mentions among those who prepared the vored the presbyterian form of church government, be-
way for the heresy of Arminianism the names of lieved that the church should govern its own affairs
Anastasius (Johannes Anastasius Veluanus) and Dirck and without interference from the government.
Volkertszoon Coornhert. Concerning a book which the                   Herberts, also originally Roman Catholic, had little
former had written, Wagenaar writes the following:                  love for the Heidelberg Catechism. Later, when called
           There is in this extremely popular book of instruc-      to appear before the General Synod of  `s Gravenhage
        tion much good; however in regard to the matter of          in 1586, he signed a confession of guilt, declared him-
        the "free will" Anastasius remained semipelagian and        self in favor of the Netherland Confession of Faith
        he did not hide his aversion to "predestination." It is
        therefore not surprising that Wtenbogaert prized' this      (the 37 Articles) and the Heidelberg Catechism, al-
        book highly. In the light of the fact that this gripping    though he did have objections against Art 16 of the
        and clearly written book of instruction had been pub-       Netherland Confession, the article on Eternal Election,
        lished already six times before 1610 and again ap-          against the decree of reprobation, as did Coolhaas, and
        peared in this year in `s Graver&age,  we may conclude      against Answer 114 of the Heidelberg Catechism which
        that its influence could not have been slight and that      speaks of the imperfections of the children of God.
        it  must have left its mark upon many. Insofar as that      Wagenaar also calls our attention to the fact that
        mark delineated an aversion against the doctrine of         Wtenbogaert, Arminius' bosom friend, was Herbert's
        foreordination, set forth the idea of the free will and     defender.
        set forth that grace is common, one can certainly
        agree that the evasive pastor, who in these respects          A third forerunner of Arminianism, named by
        had remained Romish, has prepared the way for  Re-          Wagenaar, is Comelis Wiggerts, an "author of great dis-
        monstrantism; however, there is no mention in               turbances and agitation in the churches of Holland."
        Anastasius of any peculiarly Netherland-Reformatory         Of him we are told that he was deeply anti-Calvinist in
        development of doctrine.                                    his soul, and that he revealed his semi-pelagian senti-
  Notice, please, in this quotation, that Wagenaar, ments in his preaching; he also took the liberty upon
speaking of Anastasius' aversion to the doctrine of himself to make changes in the liturgy. Wiggerts was
"foreordination," his emphasis upon the `sinner's free very popular in North Holland. There, in North Hol-
will and his maintaining of the universality of grace, land, were many respectable people of high social
declares that Anastasius in these matters remained standing and who remained secretly Roman Catholic.
Roman Catholic.                                                     They would have nothing to do with Calvinistic
       Coomhert was another who prepared the way for preaching. Among these this forerunner of Arminianism
the heresy of Arminianism. In fact, he was a man of was very popular, and we are also informed by
great influence. He had great difficulty with the Scrip- Wagenaar that he was supported by Wtenbogaert. Al-
tural truth of original sin, learned Latin-to be able to though he was synodically condemned, the magistrates
read the writings of Augustine, but was in love with or political parties "held his head above water," and he
Erasmus, the classics and Stoic philosophy. Of him we continued to preach in a small congregation, also after


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                399



he was excommunicated from the church in 1598. The played such an important role in the Arminian contro-
magistrate remained his defender until his death in versy after the death of Arminius in 1609. These men
1624. However, it is worthy of note that also this fore- would have nothing to do with the truths of sovereign
runner of the Arminian heresy was a bitter opponent of predestination and the utter inability of the sinner to
Calvinism and was defended by Wtenbogaert who                 do any good in the sight of the Lord.


Studies in Election

                                  Its Scripture Proof
                                                  Rev. Robert C. Harbach

  Especially for the sake of the young reader, also for       foolishness, but rebellion to refuse it or to oppose it.
any readers who may never have had the benefit of             The Christian who believes that the Bible is the only
instruction in this doctrine, proof that it is entirely infallible rule of faith and practice ought to have no
scriptural is in order. This series, we hope, may come        difficulty in bowing to the sceptre of Holy Writ at this
into the hands of some who know very little about this        point.
truth, but who are willing to learn. What they have             Aside from the question why God chose any, or
heard of this doctrine has, for the most part, been in unto what He chose them, it certainly is plain that God
the way of misrepresentation and perversion. When has an elect nation in Israel of the Old Testament.
they ask their pastor about it, he may instantly affirm       "The Lord hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, Israel for
that he believes it, while mumbling something about           His peculiar treasure" (Ps.  135:4). "Thou, Israel, art
"foreknowledge" or "foresight" of man's "accepting" My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of
Christ, then, more than likely, he immediately changes Abraham My friend . . . I have chosen thee and not
the subject. No one, however, ought to allow himself cast thee away" (Isa. 41: 8, 9). Then within the nation
to be put off so cheaply. There is really no excuse, nor      of Israel God made a distinction between carnal Israel
need to go on further in life ignorant and unenlight-         and spiritual Israel. Like a kernel within the shell, there
ened relative to this truth. There are so many fine           was an election within an election. There was a par-
books on the market, new, and extremely reasonably            ticular people within the nation. "For they are not all
priced, that now, today, ought to be a great age of           Israel which are of Israel, neither because they are the
enlightenment as far as the reformed doctrine of pre-         seed of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac
destination is concerned. Why not procure and read L.         shall thy seed be called" (Rom. 9:6-8). "I have re-
Boettner's with the same title as the italicized words,       served to Myself seven thousand men who have not
Thomas Goodwin on Ephesians  1, Calvin's Calvinism, A.        bowed the knee to  BaaI: even so then at this present
W. Pink on The Sovereignty of God, Elisha Coles on            time also there is a remnant according to the election
God's Sovereignty, Zanchius on Absolute Predestina-           of grace. Israel (the `mere political nation) hath not
tion, Steele and Thomas' The Five Points of Calvinism         obtained that which he seeketh for, but the. election
and Bonar, et al., under the same title. Include also H.      (the true Israel of God) hath obtained it" (Rom.
Hoeksema's  Reformed Dogmatics.  Set yourself up a            11:4-7).  The nation itself was chosen to be a kind of
good reading future, some golden hours, and go to it.         trellis to the vine, while the vine was chosen to be the
You will soon learn that predestination is not a theo-        plant which the heavenly Father has planted, and
logical figment of Calvin, of the Westminster divines,        which shall never be rooted up.
nor of the Dutchmen of Dort. You should know that               God has an elect people, as is plain from the fact
by now, reading only this far in this series. No, rather,     that "For the elect's sake those days shall be shortened
it is the plain revelation of Scripture truth.                . . . that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
  To anyone with only a mediocre acquaintance with            elect . . . and they shall gather together His elect from.
the Bible, it is certain that God has an elect people.        the four winds" (Matt. 24: 22, 24,3 1). "Shall not God
The terms "predestination," "elect" and "election" avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto
occur prominently in outstanding passages of Scrip,: Him" (Lk.  18:7). "Who shall lay anything to the
ture. But what these passages and terms mean can be           charge of God's elect?" (Rom.  8:33). Then there is
known only when the Lord reveals the meaning of the           mention of "the purpose of God according to elec-
Spirit, and may be determined only by the receptive,          tion" (9: 1  l), and "the faith of God's elect" (Titus
humble and contrite heart. When the Lord does reveal          1:  I). If this is not sufficient Scripture evidence, take
this truth before the eye of any man, it is not only          your exhaustive concordance and note the fact that


400                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



"elected" or its various forms, and "chosen" and its flesh and blood. There was something congruous if He
various forms appear on the divine record well over had said unto the angels, `Ye shall be My sons.' But no!
one hundred times. Surely, then, there is a divine elec- though all these were His own, He passes them by and
tion, God has an elect people, and the truth is deeply stoops to man."
imbedded in Scripture.                                       It might be argued that the reason why God had
  In election the choice is God's, and since His is a primary reference in mankind as over against the angels
sovereignly free will, His choice is a selection, a singling was because man fell, so affording God greater cause to
out, a picking out, and God has singled out from the glorify His mercy. But the angels also fell, one third of
mass of His creatures a people He has determined shall them, yet had no gospel preached to them, no Savior
be His eternal possession. We hope to have more to say sent them, being reprobate. Man would be God's pecu-
later of this divine choice of a people from the massof liar treasure above all creatures. Why? What will they
God's creatures. But, by the way, that selection we do who hate the truth of God's absolute sovereignty and
not view as a picking out of portion from Adam's race, who belittle the doctrine of unconditional election say
at least not out from a portion of Adam's fallen race.     to this? They constantly prate about God being no
For the scriptural picture of predestination has a respecter of persons and showing no partiality. Then
stronger frame than that of the infralapsa$an frame.       why did he show partiality between elect men and
  The Arminian, in his view of election,, must by vir- reprobate men.3 between race and  .race (Amos  3:2)?
tue of his humanistic philosophy hold to the element between elect angels and fallen angels? and why did He
of chance. Perchance a given sinner will believe in favor fallen men as He never did fallen angels? Man
Christ. But there is also the chance, a much greater cannot answer these questions. The best he can do is to
chance, that he will not. But God, in His decree of take God's own word in explanation. For one, He gives
election, leaves nothing to chance. The cbmpletion of no account of any of His matters (Job 33: 13). He,
the body of Christ is not left to the fickleness of the rather, does whatsoever He will with His own things
sinner, the caprice of man, nor to any contingent (Matt. 20: 15; Prov. 16:4). We can resolve the question
event. The fixing of destiny does not depend, as no better than with, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed
modern evangelists present it, on the will of man, but good in Thy sight."
on the will of God.                                          Predestination is often said to be one of those secret
  The highest exemplification of election we have in things which belong to the Lord our God (Deut.
Christ. The next highest is in the angelic host. Election 29:29). It is, indeed, a divine secret, which comes from
includes that heavenly company. There are "elect the inscrutable will of God in eternity. But it does not
angels" (I Tim. 5 : 21). The implication is that there are always remain entirely secret. For in time, in the
also reprobate angels. There can be no elect angels process of progressive revelation, God revealed His
without reprobate angels. The elect angels are con- secret, eternal counsel. From the beginning, God made
firmed in holiness, and so are called "the,holy angels." it known that predestination is "double," that there is
They are holy because they were chosen, and not an elect line and a reprobate line, in Gen. 3: 15. Here
chosen because they were holy. The "angels that He made it plain that the atonement is limited, that it
sinned," on the other hand, were "cast down to hell" never was, even from the beginning of time, the pur-
and "delivered in chains of darkness" (II Pet. 2:4). But pose of God to love all men or to save all men. The
God's purpose of election was not to glorify Himself as covenant is particular, proceeding in the line of the
the elect head of the angels, although He is that, but to continued generations of the seed of the woman, to
be glorified in a race of elect men. Again, in this con- the consistent rejection of the seed of the serpent.
nection, C. H. Spurgeon  is well worth reading. He says, Here God's election love is plainly particular, and not
"Now this is a wonder of wonders, when we come to universal.
consider that the heaven, even the heaven of heavens,        God chose Abel, which is evident from the fact that
is the Lord's. If God must have a chosen race, why did he was a man of faith (Heb. 1 l), and the fact that only
He not select one from the majestic order of angels? those ordained to eternal life believe (AC. 13:48). God
Why was not Gabriel fixed upon? Why was he not so rejected Cain, as is plain from the fact that he was of
constituted that from his loins there might spring a that Wicked One (I John 3: 12). Since Abel was mur-
mighty race of angels, and why were not, those chosen dered by the serpent's breed, the covenant line was cut
of God from before the foundation of the. world? What off, and the antithesis was destroyed. So the devil
could there be in  man,  a creature lower than the would have it. But God continued the line of election
angels, that God should select him rather than the in Seth; and not in Cain, then in Enoch of Seth, and
angelic spirits? Why were not the cherubim and not in Enoch of Cain. Yet Seth's generations became
seraphim given to Christ? Why did He not assume the so  currupted that God with the flood swept them all
nature of angels, and take them into union with Him- off the face of the earth. Still God maintained His
self? An angelic body might be more in keeping with covenant and His electing love in choice of Noah. After
the person of Deity, than a body of weak.and suffering the flood He distinguished between the children of


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   401



Noah. Shem is chosen, but Canaan is cursed. From the          Abraham that made him any better than his fellow
sons of Shem, Assur, Elim and Eber, the latter was            heathen neighbors. For Abraham with them was of a
chosen, so that not the Assyrians nor the Persians, but       corrupt origin (Josh.  24:2). The outstanding virtue
the Hebrews were a chosen race! Of the Hebrews, the           which we know made Abraham an eminent man of
Lord chose Abraham (Neh.  9:7) in sovereign mercy.            God was the result, not the cause of his election.
Out of the vast extent of the city of Ur, God "called                           (To be continued)
him alone" (Isa. 51:  1, 2). Yet there was nothing in


All Around Us

                                          Wock Music
                                                       Pro8 H. Hanko

  We have, in two previous articles, discussed the sub-         It seems to me that just as soon as one has granted
ject of rock music, chiefly the kind of music rock the point that music is communication, one has also
music is. We want to continue that discussion in this said that music is, in its very nature, morally and
article. I have made the point before, and I want to ethically, good or bad. The whole idea of communica-
emphasize it again, that I am not an expert in the tion immediately involves the question of the truth or
whole field of music by any means; and it is possible, the lie; for communication has to do with ideas. One
therefore, that I shall make statements in this article communicates thoughts, knowledge, ideas, concepts,
with which those who know and understand music far truths, lies. This is inescapable. And this immediately
better than I disagree. In that event, I would welcome brings the whole subject of music within the area of
the advice and suggestions of those who have made a the intellect. For the mind of man is that which pro-
study of music and the corrections which these are poses ideas, receives ideas, learns ideas, understands
able to make of my thoughts on this subject.                  ideas, and accepts ideas. Music has got to have an intel-
  It seems clear to me, however, that, given the truth lectual aspect to it therefore.
that music is a gift of God, music has a purpose,which
only it can fill. It is a unique gift among many other          I do not think that I am able to draw the lines
gifts of God and serves a function in our lives which         sharply here. I mean that I do not think that it is
cannot be served by any other gift which we receive. In possible to say of any given piece of music that just
attempting to answer the question of what this pur- this idea is expressed in this piece of music and not
pose is, it seems to me that this must be defined as          that idea. Listening to a piece of classical music for
being communication. Music is a vehicle of communi- example, will not enable a person to say with absolute
cation above all else. I am talking now about music as precision that such and such an idea is expressed or
music; not with words added. It. is quite obvious, I communicated through this masterpiece. Maybe this is
think, that the lyrics of any song will quite naturally partly due to the fact that sin has also made all music
communicate ideas and thoughts. But of this I am not less than perfect. I do not know. But, while it is impos-
speaking. Even music without words must communi- sible to speak with absolute precision on this point, it
cate if it is to have any meaning and significance.           seems to me that, in general, it is possible to say that
  But having stated this, we have not yet said all that       some music conveys specific ideas in distinction from
needs to be said about the purpose of music. After all, other music. And it seems to me that this is an essen-
it is perfectly obvious that there are other means of tial point that we must not overlook.
communication than music. And the chief means of                But partly the reason why we cannot speak here
communication is through the spoken or the written with precision is in the nature of music itself. If music
word. Speaking or writing (whether the latter be in the did nothing more than communicate ideas, it would
form of an essay, a treatise, a poem, a novel, a short differ not at all from verbal communication - whether
story, or whatever else) is also communication. And we in the spoken or written word. The appeal of music is
have to ask the question of how music is an instrument not to the intellect alone in distinction from man's
of communication in distinction from the written or other powers and faculties. In addition to and in rela-
spoken word.                                                  tion to this communication of ideas, music has this
  It is in attempting to answer this question that one about it which is unique, that it communicates mood,
faces difficulties. The question is not really such an or feelings, or emotions, or whatever you may want to
easy one to answer.                                           call it. I do not want, at this point, to get involved in


402                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



some kind of psychological discussion of what the soul lodged within a body without any connection be-
emotions or the feelings are; and what is the relation tween the two. There is the closest possible relation
between the emotions and the intellect, etc. I only between what goes on in the soul of man and what
insist at this point, that music is highly emotional and happens to his body. We may not always understand
appeals, in a unique way, in a way that nothing else this relation very clearly; but that this is present, no
can, to the feelings and emotions of a person. This is       one will deny. When we are angry, the effects of anger
not bad. God created a person so that he is able to feel.    are present in the whole body. To mention but a few:
God created a person so that he is an emotional crea- our hearts begin to beat more rapidly, adrenalin is re-
ture as well as a rational and moral creature. Joy and       leased into our blood stream, and our breathing
happiness, sorrow and grief, to mention but a few changes from slow to rapid. Every emotion has some
emotions, are legitimate. Man is not cold and indif- physical effect. Thus music, in its very nature, has
ferent and cannot be. He feels and he feels deeply physical influences on those who listen. We may not
about things. He is, indeed, a man just because he is always be conscious even of what influences there are;
this way.                                                    but they are there. Everyone must have found himself
  Yet man is also created in such a way that his unconsciously tapping his feet to the beat of a piece of
emotional life is closely related to and must be guided music even though he was listening only slightly. I re-
by his intellect. Man is not, as some psychologists have call, for example, the time I was preaching in one of
said, a mere bundle of feelings. He is notmoved  to do our congregations which was meeting at the time in a
what he does by feeling alone. He is not the kind of store. People were living upstairs and one of the mem-
creature who only feels and does not think or will. bers of the family was playing a trombone. I recall
And, in keeping with this, music must be of a kind vividly how I was stunned momentarily when I discov-
which appeals to the intellect and emotions of a person ered that I was pounding my hand on the pulpit in
so that the two are joined (in the appreciation of a perfect time to the strains of music coming from
good piece of music) in the proper way. It is somewhat above; and I noticed that several in the audience were
difficult to say perhaps, just exactly what the relation- also keeping time with their feet to the music.
ship is. Sometimes, I think, the appeal. of music is           It is here that I find the basic evil of rock music.
heavily intellectual and the emotional impact is via the Rock music is not alone in this respect; there are other
intellect. Perhaps there is an analogy here in a genuine types of music which are very similar. But there is this
work of art. The longer one looks at a work of art, sees emphasis in rock. I refer to the fact that the essence of
its details, understands the skill involved in producing rock music is its beat. And the influence of rock, the
it, grasps its harmony of color, perspective, and com- appeal of rock, is to the physical and emotional ahnost
position, the more deeply one is moved. But then again exclusively. Almost everyone who has, in these recent
it seems to me possible that ideas are conveyed days discussed- the question of rock music is agreed on
through music because the very nature of the music this. Its appeal is purely emotional and purely physical.
sets the proper mood for the reception of such ideas. This is why rock music is at its best played at high
At any rate, the communication is possible because levels of noise. The very loudness of the music must
music, good music, is profoundly moving.                     itself have physical impact on people who listen. The
  And it is here that music has moral and ethical con-       driving beat must influence a person in physical ways
tent. There are good ideas and bad ideas, for there is and thus, in emotional ways. Its appeal is to the emo-
the truth and there is the lie. There are good emotions tions via the physical. This is why those who listen to
and there, are bad emotions for there is lust in the rock and give themselves completely over to it speak of
world as well as godly joy. Music can communicate the music giving them a "high" in much the same way
good ideas  and. bad ideas; it can communicate good that drugs give people "highs." There are those, in fact,
emotions and bad emotions - and the two stand con- who speak of a "rock trip" in the same way as a "drug
nected. Music can rouse one to godly sorrow or joy in trip."
the Lord; it can also create a frivolous feeling, an           This is terribly evil. For an appeal to the emotions
I-don't-care attitude, an obscene emotion. Music can via the physical, has to be, in the nature of the case,
soothe. It can also rouse to battle. I&sic can be sinful. It is an appeal to the base emotions.  It'is an
written which is suitable to marches of armies to war appeal to purely sexual emotions, to purely physical
and which kindles a martial spirit. It can also be funer- anger, to purely emotional rebellion.
eal. By a combination of harmony, tempo, beat, key,            I am aware of the fact that there are many different
tone and volume, it can convey many different ideas types of rock music. There are such types as pop rock,
and many different feelings.                                 folk rock, country rock, and, no doubt, other kinds.
  Just as soon as we enter the area of feeling, however, And there is what goes under the name of hard rock,
we are entering the area of the physical as well as the      or acid rock. It is the latter which is the purest form of
mental or psychological. God created man one living rock and which one finds so often associated with drug
soul. He cannot be chopped up into pieces. He is not a trips, rock festivals where young people give them-                 1


                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER                                          1403
selves over to drugs and fornication.  And, while, some           music which glorifies God; i.e., music which is an
argument may perhaps be made for the idea that not                appropriate vehicle for  cqmmunicating God's truth.
all rock is as bad as hard rock, the fact of the  matter is       The second is that the words or lyrics are not only
that all rock music has this in common, that it appeals           from a formal point of view good poetry, but that they
to the emotions alone via the physical.  And  to the              contain-  also the truth concerning God as He has re-
extent that it does this, it is wrong.                            vealed Himself in His Word. And the third is that the
   I have before me a couple of quotes in this  cdnnec- music and the words fit each other. The music must be
tion which are taken from a book entitled "Rhythm,                the kind that conveys the same ideas as the song. One
Riots and Revolution" by David A. Noebel. On page                 does not and cannot sing joyous anthems in a minor
16 he quotes from a psychiatrist these words:               !     key. One does not sing the songs of a prayer to a tune
       Music is a curiously subtle art with innumerable,          which is a war march. Apart from some of the music
    varying emotional connotations. It is made up of              found in our own Psalter, it is true that in several
    many ingredients and, according to  the proportions           striking instances, the music does not fit the words of
    of these components, it can be soothing or invigorat-         the song at all. This makes for bad music.
    ing, ennobling or vulgarizing, philosophical or orgias-
    tic. It has powers for evil as well as for good.                With respect to our discussion of rock music, it is
  In a footnote on pp. 54  & 55 a book is quoted                  my contention that the music itself is a precise instru-
which tells of experiments which were made to deter-              ment to convey a particular type of song. And that
mine the relation between music and the muscular                  type of song is the song which speaks of drugs, sex,
activity of  the body.                                            rebellion, revolt, revolution, disregard for authority; in
      Using musical selections as the stimulus, T- ob-            short, all the themes of the  hippie culture.
    served that (1) music exercises a powerful influence            This is not my contention alone however; it is the
    on muscular activity, which increases or diminishes           contention of other writers as well. In his book
    according to the character of the melodies employed;          "Music, Does It Make Any Difference?" Bob Parks
    (2) when music is sad or of a slow rhythm, and in the         writes.
    minor key, the capacity for muscular work decreases                      I have found in listening to the songs that are con-
    to the point of ceasing entirely if the muscle has been           sidered "pop hits" that most of them fall into one of
    fatigued from previous work. The general conclusion               about five categories in word content. There are the
    is that sounds are dynamogenic or that muscular                   songs whose words are quite acceptable morally, as I
    energy increases with the intensity and pitch of the              have already mentioned. These are in the minority.
    sound stimuli. Isolated tones, scales, motifs, and sini-          Most of the others fall into the last five categories: 1)
    ple tonal sequences have all been found to have an                Words with obvious immoral suggestions, 2) Words
    energizing effect upon the muscles.                               with hidden or double meanings, 3) Words that refer
  Quoting again from another author on p. 115, the                    to drugs, 4) Words that suggest an anti-establishment
book says:                                                            attitude and 5) Words that refer to religion. p. 45
      This type of music, it appears, is just as dangerous                   which do you hear most about in your run-of-the-
                                                                      mill rock song? Songwriters today aren't writing 
    and perhaps more insidious a weapon in the battle                                                                        what
                                                                      Christians feel. I'm speaking of those who are writing
    between Light and Darkness for the minds, bodies                  rock, pop, and the like. These fellows, many of them
    and souls of our young people, as are the salacious               members of rock combos, are writing the thoughts of
    movies and pornographic literature on which the                   their own unregenerate minds. p. 46.
    Parent-Teacher Associations, the clergy and other
    groups are waging an all-out attack. . . .                               Some songs very bluntly exalt sin; there are others
      Great musicians see the music as degenerative.                  that disguise it.  The use of double meanings and
                                                                      innuendos is nothing new either. There have always
  This same book claims, and a correspondent has                      been little words and phrases that can be taken two
confirmed this, that rock music really has its origin in              ways. Real clever, that technique. Then if you get
the tribal music of Africa. As such it is music which                 caught saying what you shouldn't be saying you can
has become, in that country, a vehicle to express the                 always reply that you had never thought of taking it
superstition, pagan idolatry, and gross immorality                    in any other way. Ibis style of writing in modern pop
which characterizes these countries. It is imported to                rock music is becoming more and more popular. As
other countries as a proper and highly effective vehicle              new words and phrases are invented and passed
to convey the same superstitions, emotions, and idola-                around, the more fun it is to fool people who aren't
tries as are present in Africa.                                       aware what they're singing. Perhaps I should refer to
  It is for these reasons that rock music has become an               the lyrics that talk about drugs at this point. There
                                                                      has been a wave of "drug numbers" that has hit the
acceptable and highly effective means of  commtinica-                 market over the past five years that has put its mes-
tion among the youth culture of our day. This, of                     sage not in bold print but between the lines. Not only
course, brings us into the other aspect of rock music:                have the implications been sexual in double-meaning
the words.                                                            phrases, but  they have promoted the philosophy,
  There are, it seems to me, at least three  qualifica-1               "tune in, turn on, drop out" that we've heard so
tions of good music. The first is that it must contain                much about. Using terms that are "code names" for


404                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



       drugs, pushers, prostitutes, pimps, and hundreds of             "creeping permissiveness" in American society and
       other words, these song-writers, many of them  "hop-           `_ urged the nation to "move hard and fast" to combat
       heads" themselves, have tucked messages away having             the problem. He called the message of many popular
       to do with drugs, sex, and revolution that have been            songs "blatant drug culture propaganda," and cited
       received by many impressionable young minds. p. 48.             several "catchy tunes" that carried innuendos with
            Not less than three days previous to this writing,         reference to drugs. p. 49.
       I read two newspaper articles about "drug messages"           The author also speaks of a group of rock songs
       in rock music. The first was a report of a speech given
       by one of the highest ranking officials in our country      which are "religious" in content.  This is another aspect
       who accused many rock songs most of adult America           of the problem. But we shall wait with discussing this
       regards as harmless as latent drug culture propaganda       till next time, D.V.
       that is brainwashing American youth. He attacked


Come Ye Apart . . . And Rest A While

                                  A Bit More About Marriage
                                                            Rev. C. Hanko

  A short time ago I passed along the remark that I correctly brands with the terrible indictment of forni-
intended to write a bit more about marriage. Since that cation and adultery.
time other articles are appearing in the Standard Bearer             What is true, is that God created Adam and Eve as
on this same subject. I am happy about that, especially male and female. Scripture makes a point of it that
because in the meantime I have received a letter in Adam was first created, and then Eve. Adam was taken
which the remark was made that marriage is no longer from the dust of the earth, and God breathed into him
understood, not by the world, nor by the church. The the breath of life. He was the highest of all God's
writer added that it is appalling how little; even married earthly creatures, formed in the likeness of God as
couples in the church understand of the holy bond of image-bearer, impressed with the image of true knowl-
matrimony. So maybe even this small contribution edge, righteousness and holiness. But Eve, in turn, was
may serve a purpose in its own way.                                taken from the flesh and bone of Adam, from his rib,
  We speak of the marriage bond. And we speak of near his heart. She was completely human, like her
that bond as an exclusive union between two parties, a husband. And yet sexually different. She was suffi-
man and a woman. This union is so absolutely exclu- ciently similar, and yet sufficiently different- that to-
sive that the interference of a third party means adul- gether they could live in paradise as man and wife in
tery, since a third party creates unfaithfulness in the intimate fellowship with one another, and thus in inti-
marriage bond. And this union is the most intimate mate fellowship of love with God, as His  friend-
covenant fellowship that is conceivable between two servants. Adam was king of the earthly creation. But I
persons, so that as far as these persons are concerned it hesitate to speak of Eve as queen, because it is more
is all-inclusive, it involves their whole life, both in body correct to say that her calling was to assist Adam as his
and soul, "until death them do part." All of which help. In everything she did she fulfilled her duty when
means that we can speak of marriage from a three-fold she devoted herself to her husband and to his calling.
aspect: a natural bond, a legal bond, and a spiritual Together they walked through the garden to admire
bond. All three of these are essential to a real, holy, the wonders of God's creation, together they walked
happy marriage.                                                    with God in the cool of day, together they talked, and
  Let us take a look at that natural bond:                         sang, and rejoiced in the high calling of earth's king to
  When I speak of a natural bond I do not mean what the glory of their God.
some would advocate today in  defence of free love.                  It is still true that God brings as by His own hand to
Many like to tell you that the sexual impulse in man is every man his wife. A young man meets a young
as natural as hunger and thirst, and must likewise be woman, sometimes under such striking circumstances
satisfied under any and every circumstance. This gives that they can plainly see the hand of God's providence
license to young people to indulge in sexual rela- that brought them together. They grow fond of each
tionships before marriage. And this gives married other as they become better acquainted, so that they
people the liberty to indulge in their lusts, together, but are drawn to each other and enjoy each other's com-
also promiscuously as the occassion  offers. But this is panionship. If that attachment is nothing but a sexual
nothing less than rank wickedness, which Scripture lure or attraction that can only be satisfied with  con-


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                               405



stant embracing, they had better think thrice before           The magistrate is placed in authority over us by
plunging into an unhappy marriage. They must; have           God. God joins in marriage, not man. He makes the
many likes and dislikes in common. The one must fill a       marriage legal through the magistrate. Therefore when
definite need in the life of the other. Friendship must a marriage is solemnized, vows are spoken before the
grow into love, not a wild, romantic "love," but a seri-     face of God and before all those who are immediately
ous, plain, down to earth, yet powerful attachment,          concerned. He wants us to realize this. Any vow rashly
rooted in respect and admiration. He looks forward to spoken or carelessly broken brings God's judgment
the day when he can claim his virgin as his very own,        upon us. That is what God tells us in the third com-
and she looks forward to the time when she can devote        mandment. "What God has joined together, let not
all her time and effort to serving the MAN in h&r life, man put asunder."
to giving him children and to helping him train them in        Yet if marriage is nothing more than a natural, legal
the fear of the Lord. In marriage they give themselves relationship it is still fornication.
completely, soul and body, to one another, so that             Real marrage is in the Loud. Read Ephesians 5, and
sexual relationships serve to express their intimate love    in this connection read also the valuable article of Rev.
and unity. God never intended that sexual intercourse Kortering in the April 15 issue of the Standard Bearer.
should serve merely for carnal pleksure,  not that mar- If you have read it, I recommend that you read it
riage should serve merely for the lustful convenience of again.
the parties involved. "What? know ye not that your             The only real bond of unity that can bind heart,
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you,       mind, soul and body together as "one flesh" is the
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For bond of faith that unites us in our Lord Jesus Chiist. If
ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify  dad in that is lacking, there can only be a marital gap that can
your body and in your spirit, which are GOD'S" never be filled. If husband and wife do not agree spirit-
I Corinthians 6 : 19,20.                                     ually, they will not agree on anything else. Their lives
  But I must hasten to add that if marriage is no more will have to be a series of miserable compromises.
than a natural bond it is still fornication.                   Paul speaks in II Corinthians 6: 14 of being un-
  For there is also a legal bond in marriage.                equally yoked with an unbeliever. Imagine, he says,
  Those who advocate free love sneer at the idea that a harnessing an ox and an ass, a clean and an unclean
mere "yes" before a justice of the peace, sealed by a animal to the plow. How abominable! But how much
marriage certificate, can make a marriage binding. more abominable in the sight of God is the believer
They favor marriage on an experimental basis. Even if who tries to fit himself (or herself) under the yoke of
they go through the formalities of a legal marriage to an unbeliever to sacrifice his faith, his convictions, yes,
satisfy the law, they do so with tongue in cheek, cer- all that is most important to him in life, for the sake of
tain that this can be dissolved as soon as they we&-y of "peace."
each other.                                                    Husband and wife must be able to pray together,
  But we are not individuals who live our lives inde- read the Scriptures together, worship together on Sun-
pendent from our families or from our community. day in the church, discuss together and work out to-
Therefore in olden times parents made the arrange- gether their problems in the fear of the Lord, in
ments for the marriage. But today the magistrate also covenant communion and fellowship with God. The
has something to say about our marital relationships. Lord commends His blessing there - no where else.
And that is as it should be.


                                     B O O K R E V I E W S
                                                    ProJ: H. Hanko

THE BIBLE, NATURAL SCIENCE, AND E  VOLU- Scripture also in matters of science. From this stand-
TION, by Russell W. Mattman; Baker Book House,               point it would seem that the author would defend fer-
1970; 165 pp., $3.50 (paper;).                               vently and unambiguously the doctrine of special
  Thi.s book is written by the professor of Chemistry        creation and would condemn without equivocation the
and the Chairman of the department of  .NBtural heresy of evolution. But this he does not do; and in
Sciences at Dordt College. It is a discussion of that this, the book is a disappointment.
vexing problem of the relation between science and             We cannot discuss all the many points which the
Christian faith.                                             author discusses in this book. But some matters are of
  The author takes his standpoint on the truth of the        particular importance. The author's rather elaborate
infallibility of Scripture and the absolute authority of treatment of the differences between believing and un-


     406                                            THESTANDARD BEARER



     believing science is often good and is well worth the non-living creatures to living creatures is explained in
     price of the book. But even in this respect, in some key      this way, as well as the appearance in the creation of
     matters, the author's discussion is less  <than satisfac-     the various "kinds" of which Genesis 1 speaks. Yet
     tory. For example, in his treatment of natural law, he God brought these kinds into existence by means of
     discusses the whole concept of miracles, and interprets       miracles. He writes on page 145, e.g.:
     them in terms of God's power. Scripture does not do                  If belief in evolution from the simple to the com-
     this, but rather explains miracles as signs of the wonder         plex forms of life is belief in a miracle, why should
     of grace which God performs in Jesus Christ. This ap-             such a belief be accepted? Why accept a miracle not
     proach would have had profound effect upon the                    taught by the Bible? Contrary to the hypothetical
     author's treatment of creation. Also in this connection           situation described above, the Bible does not instruct
     the author makes the questionable assertion that there            us to accept evolution. "After its kind" seems to the
                                                                       Bible-believer to rule out evolution. Even for those
     is, above all natural law, one law which is not discerni-         who cannot see that point, what positive reason is
     ble or understandable to us, but is known to God                  there to accept evolution? To accept either creation
     alone. Nor is the effect of sin given proper treatment            or evolution calls for belief in a miracle. There is then
     when the whole matter of scientific activity is dis-              no remaining objection to the idea that at various
     cussed.                                                           times God created new kinds, and that these kinds
       But it is especially his treatment of creation that is          always reproduced individuals like themselves.
     of interest to us. The author insists that he does not               In the previous chapter it was shown that in the
     want to let scientific studies be determinative in Scrip-         last analysis only a miracle can account for the origin
     tural exegesis. And so he approaches the whole ques-              of the simplest life. It is not too important to know
     tion of the period theory from the viewpoint of the               whether or not God used non-living matter to make
     interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2. He attempts to show            the simplest life. In the same way, it is possible that
     that a careful exegesis of these chapters in the light of         God created new kinds by performing miracles on
                                                                       existing kinds. Whether or not existing organisms
     the rest of Scripture will lead anyone to adopt the               were used as starting materials  ,is quite unimportant.
     conclusion that the "days" mentioned there are not                Creation of the kinds was miraculous, and once they
     days of twenty-four hours, but long periods of time.              were created, they reproduced naturally after their
     But this is unsatisfactory. Even the author cannot                own kind.
     quite swallow this and pointedly insists that scientific        All of this is not very clear. But it seems to be the
     inquiry leads one to the conclusion that, an old earth        author's contention that the various kinds did develop
     must be accepted. He is not convincing when he tries          by some process of evolution, but that at key points
     to show that a sober exegesis of the first two chapters       God intervened with a miracle to bring about a new
     of Genesis, even apart from any influence of science,         kind. In other words, the explanation for creation is
     will inevitably lead to the adoption of some kind of          evolution plus miracles. Yet when the author discusses
     period theory. All the arguments which have been              the creation of man he forcibly repudiates this inter-
     raised against the period theory are treated, however;        pretation of man's appearance. Here he does not want
     and the author attempts to deal with these arguments.         any process plus a miracle, but a miracle alone will
       It has been asserted time and time again that the           explain this work of God. Yet the question immedi-
     whole question of the interpretation of Genesis 1 and         ately arises: Why? If the various kinds of Genesis 1
     2 does not simply involve a question of how old the           appeared in such a way that they were the product to
     creation is; it also involves the question of how the         development plus a miracle, why exclude man from
     creation took place. The period theory is not simply an       this process? It is not satisfactory to assert that the
     inquiry into the subject of the age of the earth; it is an    reason is that man has a soul and that man was created
     inquiry into the matter of evolution vs. creation.            as image bearer. A miracle in connection with evolu-
     Whether some sort of theistic evolutionism is accepted        tionary processes could adequately explain this too, it
     or whether Darwinian evolutionism or some form of it          would seem.
     is used as an interpretation of the existence of things,        There are especially two passages which the author
     the fact is that the question of how things came into         never touches upon which are, in my opinion, decisive.
     being cannot, according to Scripture, be answered in          One is Romans 4: 17: "(As it is written, I have made
     terms of development from one "kind" into another.            thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he
     Yet this is the position the author accepts. He does not believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and
.    want even a theistic evolution; yet he seeks to explain       calleth those things which be not as though they
     the existence of things in terms of some kind of devel-       were." The other is Hebrews 11:3 : "Through faith we
     opment. His discussion at this point is not as clear as understand that the worlds were framed by the word
     one would like to have it. But it seems as if the author      of God, so that things which are seen were not made of
     wants some sort of evolutionary process to explain the        things which do appear." This latter passage especially
     how of creation; but an evolutionary process which            emphatically insists that all the things which are seen
     incorporates the idea of miracles. The transition from were not made of things which do appear. This rules


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        407


out, without equivocation, any instance of process and             every day of the year from the various writings of the
development in the work of creation. And it insists                well-knowh  minister of Westminster Chapel (now re-
that the "how" of creation can be known only by                    tired). We highly recommend the book for those who
faith. Not a general kind of faith which is  lwhat                 enjoy devotional literature and for those who have
Maatman claims even the evolutionists have; but a sav-             grown in appreciation for the lucid and perceptive
ing faith; a faith which "is the substance of things               writings of this well-known English Calvinist.
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Not
science can tell us of the "how" of creation. Scripture
alone can. And that must be accepted by that true and
living faith which is the gift of God and which is the                          RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
means of salvation.
  It is disheartening when a man of the Reformed                      The Ladies Society of the Hudsonville Protestant
`tradition and of a conservative college compromises               Reformed Church expresses deepest sympathy to one
these truths.                                                      of its members, Mrs. Bernard Lubbers, in the sudden
                                                                   passing of her brother,
                                                                                MR. CECIL VANDEN BELDT,
A FIRST BOOK OF DAILY READINGS, by  Mbrtyn                         and her father,
Lloyd-Jones, Selected by Frank Cumbers; Wm. B.                                 MR. ARTHUR VANDEN BELDT.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970; 366 pp., $2.95                         "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to
(paper).                                                           you." (John 14: 18).
  The book contains short devotional readings for                                                      Mrs. G. Holstege, Sec'y.





                                                                Where God builds His Church, there Satan  pitches his tent.

                                                                There are no objections to Reformed truth; only objectors.

            It's the old timer who says he knows something, for sure. The trend today is that when someone says he knows
            something for sure, he means he knows nothing for sure. In other words, the trend today is that there is no
            absolute truth!




                                   News  From Our Churches

  From our South Holland church we have received an                about the departure from the truth so evident in our
interesting news item which we should pass along day.
through this column. The church extension committee                                           *****
has completed arrangements to make a broadcast of
one of the church services over WLNR-FM. This is a                    We could note, also, that there's been a recent
Lansing, Illinois, station which, because of its location          change in the order of worship in our South Holland
in the Chicago area, can reach a listening audience                church. There has, for one thing, been a change to a
numbering, likely, in the millions. The broadcast will             "silent offering." The Consistory and Council con-
not be live, but will be made, rather, from a taped                sidered this to be more appropriate than a collection
recording of a church service (the Scripture reading               taken during the singing of a Psalter number, because,
and sermon). The church extension committee: will                  as mentioned in their Sunday bulletin, "the congrega-
provide a tape each week, for a broadcast from 5:30 to             tional singing and the giving of our gifts are each a
6:30 on Sunday afternoon, beginning June 13  .' The                distinct part of worship."
pastor, Rev. Decker, as well as the committee, is look-               The second change involves the reading of Scripture.
ing forward eagerly to this opportunity to reach those             In the past, South Holland's "Order of Worship" called
who would not be likely to attend the services but who             for congregational singing between the reading of
are, nevertheless, interested because of their concern             Scripture and the sermon. As a result of the change in


TliE STANDARD BEARER
       P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506

                                         ~,_  _~~--  -.~~  -__--~
                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



the order, the number which had, in the past, been other side of the continent, in the Loveland church, by
sung immediately prior to the sermon is now sung after the Loveland school students. Children there in grades
the salutation at the beginning of the worship service.       five through eight presented a public talent program on
The ground for this change was that "the song between April 18.
the sermon and the scripture reading caused an unna-
tural break between the reading of God's Word and the                Since we're on school news anyway, we could note
preaching of it." This change should also be a good this from a not very recent (February) Hull bulletin:
thing for the radio broadcast. The tape, remember, will       "Chapel exercises of the N.W. Iowa P.R. Chr. School
include the reading of Scripture and the sermon. The will be tomorrow at 9 A.M. at the  Doon Prot. Ref.
transition  frqm the one to the other should be more          Church. Rev. C. Hanko has consented to lead. There
natural under the altered order.
                        *****                                 will be special numbers by the school children. Re-
                                                              freshments will be served in school. Parents, children,
  The Doon congregation has extended a call to Rev. and friends are welcome." One week later, the follow-
Lanting, pastor in Edgerton. Rev. Van Baren, pastor at ing information appeared in Isabel's bulletin: "While in
Grand Rapids' First Church, has declined the call for Doon for  Classis, our minister had the unexpected
Hudsonville.                                                  pleasure of addressing the school children of our
                        *****                                 Northwest Iowa school at a chapel service. Rev. C.
  A couple of months ago the board of Covenant Hanko was unable to give this address and Rev. Moore
Christian High School conducted what ,they called a was called upon to fill in." A bit more recent bulletin
"Ten to Twenty Drive." The supporters, were encour- (April 25), this one from Hull, gave information con-
aged to "set aside your relatively small but vital ten to cerning another chapel service held in Doon Church. In
twenty dollar gift, to be collected next Sunday." Two that one, "the children of Edgerton school will also..
weeks later, bulletins announced that the drive was a participate. Rev. Kortering will speak. All parents and
success. As usual, when the need is made known, those friends are invited to attend."
interested in the cause of Protestant Reformed educa-
tion, respond.                                                       A meeting of a little different nature was described
                        *****                                 by Mr. Henry Hoekstra, board secretary, in the
  Another item that's about two months late is this quarterly newsletter of our school in  Doon. He de-
one from Hudsonville. The congregation there held a scribed the "inspirational meeting" which was arranged
"coffee-grocery shower for two of our. seminary sons by the board. "Rev. Kortering brought us a very
of our church; Marv Kamps and Ron Van Overloop." worthwhile message on `Parental Values.' The crowd
The bulletin announcement added that "their busy was not large, but I think I can speak for all those in
work schedule does not give them much time to sup- attendance, that it was good for us to have been there.
port themselves." The following Sunday's bulletin in- The message brought to mind our parental responsibili-
cluded a note of appreciation from the  ,two students.        ties in regard to the instruction of our covenant
                        *****                                 children."
  Then there's some two-month old news from the                                          **I;***
schools. If you get the idea that we keep a little store-            We would like to squeeze in one more item, yet. The
house of "news" to be used  in emergencies, you're Standard Bearer board recently received a letter from a
absolutely right. This one has to do with Spring Pro- man in England. It's a letter that certainly must be a
grams. The students of Hope School presented an all- source of encouragement to those who  work.hard to'
school program in First Church on April 2. Oul' people publish this magazine atid to those who do the writing
in the Grand Rapids' area were encouraged to "share between the covers. It reads a.s follows: "I am a Meth-
with them in song and speech the wonderful truths of odist Lay Preacher and Bible Study Leader, and have
`Our Catholic, Undoubted Christian Faith.' " On April been told your Magazine the f,Standard Bearer' is a very
16, another school program was rendered in First great help to  .preachers.  I don't have a lot of money
Church. This time it was Adams' turn. The program, but if you could let me have some old copies I could
centered around the theme, Peace, included a very fine make good use of them - we need in the Church to get
number presented by a choir on the platform and an back  to the Bible as the Word of God - all  of it not
echo choir in the balcony, under the direction of Mrs. just a part! I hope you can help me to `preach the
H. C. Hoeksema. A third program was one given on the Word.' "                                                       D . D .


