                                 he



                                         ear.er

    A   R E F 'O R M E D   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E



I N   T H I S   I S S U E

       Editorial:
           An Unholy Alliance

       Feature:
           The Crisis Mounts

       Beginning:

           The Voice of our Fathers

          1 Around Us:
           Creation and Evohxtion in the Public Schools
           A Blasphemous Chapel Service


                                               Volume XLIX 1 Number 3 /November I,1972


50                                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



                              CONTENTS:                                                                     .THE STANDARD  BEARER
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Editorials -                                                                    Robert  C.  Harbach,  Rev.  John   A.  Heys,  Rev.  Jay  Kortering,   Rev.  Dale  H.
                                                                                Kuiper,  Rev.  George  C.  Lubbers,   Rev.  Marinus   Schipper,  Rev.  Gise  J.
      Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Van  Baren.  Rev.  Herman  Veldman.   Rev.  Bernard  Woudenberg
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Meditation

                                                Saved By Grace
                                                                   Rev. M. Schipper
                "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
               Not of works, any man should boast. "
                                                                                                                              Ephesians 2:8, 9.

      "And you . , ."                                                           life in you. You were dead because of your trespasses
      These are the words with which the apostle begins' and sins. Not only were you dead because of Adam's
this chapter inwhich our text is found. The apostle, it sin, but you actually walked in time past in your sins;
appears, is so overwhelmed by the expression that he and your walk was according to the prince of the
elaborates upon it. The reference is in the first instance power of the air, the spirit that now  worketh in the
to the congregation at Ephesus; but, as it is true ,of all children~ of disobedience. You had your pleasure in
his epistles, they refer `to the church of all ages, and doing the lusts of your flesh and mind; and were by
therefore-to you and me.                                                        nature children  .of wrath, even as others. You were
      "Andyou . . ."                                                             spiritually dead!
      You also were dead in trespasses and sins. Not only                           "But God . . ."
is it true that you were ungodly, wicked, as all the rest                           Note the sharp contrast!
of mankind, but you were dead. There was no spiritual                               The contrast is so -great that the apostle does not


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   51


return to his original thought, about our death in            Saved by grace!
trespasses and sins. He is overwhelmed with the               To be saved is to be delivered from the greatest
greatness of God's mercy and love, according to which possible misery, and to be made partaker of the highest
He made us, who were dead, to live with Christ.            possible good. In the light of the context it is not
  But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love difficult at all to determine what in the mind of the
wherewith He loved us, hath quickened us together apostle he considered to- be the greatest possible evil.
with Christ. God wanted to show in the coming ages Very simply, it is to be dead in trespasses and sins. Nor
the exceeding riches of His grace, the revelation of His is it difficult, to understand what the apostle
kindness upon us in Christ Jesus; and therefore saved considered to be the highest good. It is to be-made
by His grace.                                               beautiful as God is beautiful. It is to be quickened, to
  For by grace are ye saved!                                be made alive together with Christ. And be sure to
  Not of works, lest any man should boast!                  notice the tense which the apostle uses here. He says,
   Saved by grace!                                          by grace are ye saved. It is a completed act. He does
  Grace! What is it? 0, you have heard it many times. not say, you will be saved, that is, in some future time.
But it is not superfluous to call your attention to this But you are saved by grace now. It is an accomplished
Scriptural concept again. Inseparably it is connected fact. All of which was accomplished in the death and
with our salvation; Without it there is no salvation resurrection of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
possible.                                                     Saved by grace!
   Grace in Scripture is that which is objectively            Not of works, lest any man should boast!
beautiful, and therefore affords joy because of. its          0 how ugly, how God-dishonoring is the doctrine
beauty and pleasantness. Thus it stands opposed to that men can save themselves! Would that men who
that which is ugly, plain, awkward, harsh, and crude. preach this doctrine of salvation by works could see
For example, in Luke 4:22 we read, "And all bare Him how this doctrine robs God of His glory;  while it
witness, and wondered at the gracious words which glorifies man instead of God. Would, too, that they
proceeded out of His mouth." In other words, Jesus' who hear this doctrine could see how vain it is. That
contemporaries        marvelled at the gracious; i.e., they could see that God will not have His honor
beautiful words which He spoke.                             profaned. For God will not allow any man to boast
   Grace may also beg looked at from the point of view before Him. Any individuals, or any church that
of that which is essentially good as bending down to professes to stand as a projection of the Reformation,
that which is truly beautiful. In this sense it is realized and still purports to be saved by an act of their will, or
in a relation of friendship and favor. The angel who on the basis of their work, has never understood the
appeared unto the Virgin Mary said unto her: "Fear basic truth which the Reformation brought forth. Let
not, Mary, for thou hast found grace in the eyes of the them be honest, and go back where they came from,
Lord."                                                      namely, to that church which always believed and still
   If this grace is directed to unworthy and sinful believes and preaches that men can be saved by works
objects, it also has two other meanings. In the first which they perform. Or, let them repent, and embrace
place, it is unmerited, forfeited favor; and stands with us the truth of God's Word, that we are saved
opposed to obligation, reward according to works, merely of grace.
earned favor. In this sense Paul speaks of it in              How beautiful is the conception, the truth that by
Ephesians 1: 7, "In whom we have redemption through the redemptive power of God's grace which bent down
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the to us miserable, lost, hell-bound sinners to make us
riches of his grace." In the second place, it also has the beautiful as God is beautiful, has saved us by bringing
meaning of redemptive power, active favor; that which us to the highest good, - to dwell in eternal life in the
makes blessed. "And of His fulness have all we blessed communion and fellowship with the living
received, and grace for grace." John 1: 16.                 God! Such is the meaning of being saved by grace!
   In our text grace, no doubt, has this latter               But this is not all that the Word of God says here.
significance. Grace is, then, that redemptive power           We are informed that we are saved by grace through
which is favor in action. Grace is, then, the pouring out faith.
over, and working in of God's beauty in the chosen            And faith is the living bond of fellowship which ties
and justified sinner; imparting all spiritual blessings to us to the Captain of our salvation. As the umbilical
him, granting him all the blessings of salvation. In one cord connects the fetus,  ' the unborn child to its
word, grace is the causal means used of, God to make mother, through which cord the child receives of its
the chosen sinner beautiful. Free, sovereign goodness mother all the food and life-giving energies the fetus
of God bending toward the bound, dependent, wretch; needs for normal and healthy growth, so is faith the
to deliver him. Grace is the unmerited, forfeited favor living connection of the saved sinner to Christ, in
of God which brings blessedness and spiritual beauty Whom is his salvation. The difference to be marked in
to poor misearable sinners.        ;    `.                 the above comparison is the fact that the fetus is


52                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



totally unaware of the connection to its mother, while is offered to you. But this is what men say, - it is not
the saved sinner is consciously united to Christ.               what the Word of God says. Notice what our text says
      Faith, as is well-known, contains two elements; that so beautifully, but emphatically: "For by grace are ye
of a certain spiritual knowledge, and that of a hearty s a v e d   t h r o u g h   f a i t h ;   a n d   t h a t   N O T   O F
confidence. It contains a certain knowledge of God as YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD."
the God of my salvation and His grace in Christ, in and            All of our salvation, as well as our faith to "oelieve, is
through Whom all that grace flows to me. According to not of us: it is the gift of God!
this knowledge I know my original state and condition              Salvation is of grace!
of misery and death. Accordingly I also know my need               Faith is of grace!
of deliverance, and Him Who delivered me. Faith                    It is not of us in any sense of the word, but it is the
contains also the hearty confidence or trust that the gift of God!
grace in Christ is sufficient to save me, and to make me           Not of our will! Not of any-merit on our part!
to conform to the beauty of my Saviour.                            It is all of God! It is given to us in His sovereign and
      Faith is the divinely ordained means and divinely free grace. If flows to us from the stream of His eternal
given grace through which Christ, the God of my and unchangeable love.
salvation conveys consciously to me all the graces of              Here is indeed a gift with no strings attached.. No
salvation. Never is it a condition dependent on me for prerequisites which we must fulfill before we can have
its fulfillment before I can be saved. Nor is it the it. No conditions with which we must comply before
ground of my salvation. Nor is it another work which I He will give it. No work we must first perform that will
perform in order to be saved. But faith is the divinely make us worthy of it.
ordained means, and divinely bestowed gift, whereby I,             Very simply, but 0 so. graciously, He gives us all of
who am saved by grace, am consciously made aware of our salvation from the beginnning to the end.
my salvation. It is that gift of God through the                   And you can see why it must needs be so, and not
conscious appropriation of which I become the otherwise. The apostle makes this very plain in the last
recipient of all the beauteous grace which is in Christ part of the text: "Lest any man should boast." Isn't
Jesus.                                                          that precisely what we would do if our salvation in any
      But we do not have this faith of ourselves! Contrary way was dependent upon us? If you say NO! to this
to the very prevalent view that all men have faith. It is question, you do not know yourself. But God knows
said that if all men did not have faith, why, life in this us. He knows that if He conditioned our salvation and
world would be impossible. If I am to travel, for made it dependent on our will, or our faith, we would
example, by plane from my home city to another certainly conclude that God ought to be very graceful
across the country, I must believe that the plane will that we accepted His salvation.
be able to transport me. I must believe that the pilot             Shall God alone be glorified, salvation, grace, faith,
will be able to get the plane off the ground, properly and all that pertains to it, must all be of Him!
navigate it, and be able to set it down at my                      This is the gospel the Reformers embraced! It is for
destination. I must believe that the young lady who the preservation of this truth that they took up the
put a little slip of paper in my hand in exchange for sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to fight
the proper number of dollars gave me a ticket that will against the he. It was for this that they were willing to
get me entrance into the plane. I must believe that the be castigated, and excommunicated. by a fellowship
extra luggage which went into the baggage department that maintained, and still maintains, that salvation is
of the plane will be where I can pick it up when I by works. 0, indeed, not the works of the law, but by
arrive at my destination. 0, I must have faith! Without the work of faith.
it I cannot do business. I cannot live in this world. And          It is this gospel which is our precious heritage;
so, men apply this also to the matter of our salvation.            It alone gives us a beautiful and very precious God!
The faith that is in you when you board a plane, or                And those whom He saves by His sovereign grace
when you transact your business, is the faith you must through faith shall become beautiful as He is beautiful!
also exercise when salvation, be it a salvation of grace,          Say with me, Amen!


                                                         THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           53


     Editorials

                                                 Editor's Notes
                                                          ProJ: H. C. Hoelcsema

        Elsewhere in this issue you will find an article from had the opportunity to renew acquaintances with
     the pen of Dr. John R. de Witt, of Kingstree, South friend de Witt and his gracious wife, and to talk over
     Carolina. The reader will recall that some months ago many church matters of mutual interest in an evening's
     Dr. de Witt wrote two articles for our magazine on visit which proved to be all too brief.
     "The Crisis in the Southern Presbyterian Church."                                                 ***
     These articles brought a critical response from Dr.
     James Daane in a recent issue of the  Reformed                         An old-new rubric appears in this issue, with the
     Journal. Upon noticing said response, I invited Dr. de Rev. J. Kortering as department editor. In  T!ze Voice
     Witt to reply if he saw fit to do so. Our readers will of our Fathers Rev. Kortering takes up the exposition
     understand, I am sure, that placement of Dr. de Witt's of our Netherlands Confession of Faith at the point
     reply does not necessarily imply agreement and where I dropped it several years ago when the duties of
     endorsement of all of his positions; and Dr. de Witt editor were laid upon me. Be sure to follow this
     himself understands this, too. In fact, to enliven the instructive series, which will alternate with Rev.
     discussion your editor may probably reflect on some Kortering's writings for The Strength of Youth. Watch
     matters in the current article. But if I have any the November 15 issue for a repeat of the green insert
     disagreements with Dr. de Witt, and he with me, they and its attractive combination book-and-subscription
     are the disagreements of  friends.  The points touched offers. This will be the last time before Christmas that
     on by Dr. de Witt will, I think, be clear even though these offers will be made. So if you have any ideas
     the reader does not have access to Dr. Daane's article. about giving someone a most excellent Christmas gift
     And I believe that the thoughts expressed by Dr. de (Think of it! The  Standard Bearer  and R.F.P.A.
     Witt will prove stimulating with respect to the whole b o o k s ! ) ,   b e   s u r e   t o   a c t   p r o m p t l y .   A n d   a t
     subject of church reformation. Incidentally, I recently inflation-fighting prices, too!


                                       An Unholy Alliance
        "A historic `first' in ecumenical adventure took not an ecclesiastical, conference, as a commendable
     place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, August  28-30 that venture in ecumenicity. The report in the Banner was
     may hopefully be the beginning of similar ventures accompanied by pictures which obviously purposed to
     throughout the nation." f The Banner, Oct. 6, 1972)                portray the ecumenical spirit - even one of Mr. Ivan
        "Ecumenical history was made here this week when Zylstra, an official of the National Union of Christian
     that strolling religious troubadour, Archbishop Fulton Schools arm-in-arm with Bishop Sheen!
     J. Sheen, paced in front of Catholic, Missouri Synod                  I call it ecumenism, with the emphasis on the ISM!
     Lutheran and Christian Reformed educators at the                      An unholy alliance!
     Civic Auditorium." (The Grand Rapids Press, Sept. 2,                  A shameful reflection on our forefathers who
     1972)                                                              founded our Christian Schools and who sacrificed for
        To what do these glowing statements refer?                      the sake of Reformed, covenantal, distinctive,
        To MANSEC, Michigan Association of Nonpublic antithetical education!
     Schools Educational Conference. This was a                            Something which ought, without much reflection,
     conference of educators from Roman Catholic, to offend the sensibilities of any right-minded
     Missouri Lutheran, and National Union of Christian Christian School man!
     Schools personnel, the latter, of course, being chiefly               How is the gold of the Christian school movement
     Christian Reformed. Attendance on the part of become dim!
     teachers from at least some -National Union schools                   My parents gave me a Christian school education.
     was compulsory.                                                    And although even at that time the education was not
       As the above quotations indicate, this Conference all that .was to be desired from a Protestant Reformed
     was hailed in both the secular press and in the Banner viewpoint, (there were no Protestant Reformed
     as a great thing, and, although it was an educational, Christian Schools as yet), it was by-and-large a good

L


54                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



Christian education. But neither they nor, I dare say, work for what is called a pluralistic educational
almost all Christian school supporters ever envisioned arrangement  - one in which we have all kinds of
that the Christian school movement would arrive at schools? My answer is: not at all! I am for Christian,
such a sad estate as this, and so swiftly!                    parental education, period. And I am against all other
      I will not comment. on the possible motives of a kinds as being contrary to Scripture.
movement like this, though I sometimes wonder if the            Even as far as its formal, organizational principle is
motive is simply an insatiable desire to be big, to count concerned, MANSEC constituted an unholy alliance -
in this world. I know not; I cannot understand it. I do an attempted union of right and wrong, of light and
know that the motive cannot possibly be good. Things darkness, of Biblical and unbiblical principles, which
like this simply do not arise out of good motives.            could only be at the expense of the right.
      I will not comment on the fact that this is the same      And materially, that is, as far as the substance of the
notorious organization that campaigned so strenuously conference was concerned, matters were even worse. In
in Michigan for the almighty dollar of parochiaid, all the reports which. I read, I failed to find anything
although let it be said that there were strong overtones good; and I found much that ought to be an offense to
of this same desire for some form of parochiaid at this anyone who calls himself Reformed and a son of the
conference.                                                   Reformation. In fact, one hardly knows where to begin
      But I do wish to point out some. fundamental with recounting the evils.
wrongs, briefly.                                                Can you feature "Catholic sisters in a variety of
      In the first place, and from the formal point of view, habits and white-collared priests (joining) Christian
the organization is wrong, unholy. It is a making of school teachers and administrators of Protestant
common cause with Roman Catholics and Lutherans persuasion in rousing renditions of `Faith of Our
on a broad common denominator, and a negative one, Fathers, Living Still' "? Is it not ecumenical hypocrisy
besides. This is an organization of nonymblic schools. that cries to the Lord of the church?
Perhaps you ask what is wrong with that. Is it not              Could you give silent assent while a Roman Catholic
true? I answer: it is negative, purely negative. This is prelate declaimed, "Our common interest in religious
already bad in itself. How can you properly form an education is not to be penalized for believing in God.
organization on a pure negation? But there is more. It is our common love. for the Lord that draws us
This negative is not innocent. It involves the ignoring together"?.
of and a denial of a fundamental principle of                   Can you feature one who is supposed to be a
education. Surely, we do not believe in public representative of the Reformed faith (Editor DeKoster
education, that is, in the principle that it is the of the  Banner)  blatantly denying man's loss of the
government's duty to educate our children. This is not image of God, and blandly saying to an audience which
Biblical. But neither do we believe, as do Roman included Roman Catholic Semi-Pelagians (who, of
Catholics and Lutherans, in parochial education, that course, would accept this with relish) such things as
is, that it is the business of the church to educate our the following? "Whatever race, creed or color has the
children. This also is not Biblical. We believe in flesh of Adam, shares the image of God. It is the
parental  education, that is, that it is the God-given church (Which one, that of Rome or that of our
calling of covenant parents to educate their God-given fathers? HCH) and the church's schools that have
children in the fear of the Lord. I am afraid that even stood for this in all centuries of the church's existence.
we tend to forget this too much, and to think that we God and man rise or fall together. This first
can palm, off the duty of education on a school board convention, whether we meant it or not, has as its
or a staff of teachers; the latter kind of thinking is to scope the hope of the world."
be classed as a sort of belief in private education, not        Can you imagine an audience which includes
parental education. We must hold on, in a very real Reformed educators being enthralled at such oratory
sense, to this sacred principle of the parental calling as this from the mouth of Bishop Sheen: "Nonpublic
and the parental responsibility of education; and we education is the savior of this country"?
must keep our schools answerable to the parents only,           Can you imagine this mixed body of conventioneers
and keep our servants, the teachers, and our servants, ignoring the past, ignoring their respective positions,
the school board, wholly and strictly answerable to the ignoring (in the case of Reformed and Lutherans) their
parents.                                                      blood-bought heritage, and singing as though there
      But this is the very Biblical principle which is were never any Reformation-struggle, "And we'll work
ignored and denied by MANSEC. One becomes with each other, We will work side by side . `. . And
involved with those who want parochial education, they'll know we are Christians by our love"?
which is not Biblical any more than is public                   Can, you feature Reformed educators being edified
education; and one necessarily becomes involved in by Roman Catholic liturgical dancers performing an
helping the cause of parochial education.                     interpretive dance of the story of Ezekiel's Dry Bones?
      Someone will say, perhaps: but is it not good to Or a dance group presenting Jesus Christ Superstar for '


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   55.


the benefit of Reformed, Christian educators? Or `there is no reason to hope and expect that such a
"Jesus Is `Just All Right" or "Day by Day" from brand of Christian education will survive. It has a
Godspell? Or fifty `excerpts -of songs by the Beatles, built-in self-destruct mechanism - world conformity.
followed by fifty excerpts of Bob Dylan?                       Number 2. Where our people have the opportunity
  All this in the name of Christian and Reformed to send their children to our Protestant Reformed
education?                                                   Christian Schools, I believe it is a dirty shame and a
  One is inclined to ask whether the leaders who grave wrong deliberately to reject that opportunity and
prepared all this in the name of Christian education deliberately to expose their covenant children to the
have lost their bearings altogether.                         evil influences which they must expect from National
  It is appalling.                                           Union Schools. And I feel sorry for their children who
  The very thought of all this is nauseating.                are the victims.
                                                               Number 3. Wherever the Lord makes it possible, we
                           ***                               must continue to establish and maintain our own
  Permit me an application.                                  schools even at the cost of great financial sacrifice.
  Number 1. Recently the Northwest Iowa Chapter of             Number 4. We must be constantly on the alert, lest
Reformed Fellowship issued a Testimony Concerning similar  levelling, antithesis-denying influences be
the Promotion of Christian Education  which has been allowed to creep into our own thinking and our own
published by various religious journals. On the whole, schools.
it is not a bad testimony. But in the light of the above       Number 5. When I think of tendencies such as those
sample of what the Christian education of the National       of MANSEC and when I become acquainted, through
Union Schools is, the testimony is completely                student witnesses, with the kind of college training
unrealistic. They should instead issue a testimony to        that is available to our young people today, I become
start anew, to re-establish a system of Reformed             increasingly convinced that we must begin to think in
education. There is no sound reason to urge parents to       terms of providing Protestant Reformed higher
support the kind of Christian education that can go to       education. A visionary's dream, you say? I would
the extremes manifested by MANSEC and praised so             rather be a visionary than an ostrich. And there is a
highly by the  Banner.  And I make bold to say that          choice!


Question Box

                         About "Unordained Preachers"
                                                  Pro$ H. C. Hoeksema

  From a Western Michigan reader I received the thereunto. And when anyone acts contrary thereto,
following:                                                   and after being frequently admonished does not desist,
  "In the last few years I have noticed, in the the  classis shall judge whether he is to be declared a
Reformed community, an increase in the number of schismatic or is' to be punished in some other way."
unordained men preaching. This occurs because of The seriousness, by the way, with which the Church
various circumstances. Ministers go on vacation; and Order views such lawlessness is very evident from what
rather than ask another minister to preach, a this article says about a possible punishment: the
cons&tory asks a lay member to lead the service, Or a violation of this principle can even lead to being
church will send one of its members to a nearby declared schismatic!
camping area to conduct a Sunday service. This seems           In the second place, I would point out that there are
to me to be a bad practice and, moreover, a violation not only many such individual "unordained preachers"
of the Church Order. Please comment."                       in our day; but there are whole movements,
Reply                                                       organizations, which engage in this kind of activity
  My first comment is that this is indeed a violation of apart from the church and its offices.  I refer to the
the Church Order of Dordrecht, which is very clear on m a n y   n o n - e c c l e s i a s t i c a l , s o - c a l l e d
this point, Article 3: "No one, though he be a "non-denominational," evangelistic associations which
professor of theology, elder or deacon, shall be presume to do mission work and evangelism in our day
permitted to enter upon the ministry of the Word and - all apart from the  .church institute. This is in
the sacraments without having been lawfully called violation of the Scriptural principle that a preacher is


56                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


one who is called and sent by God and by Christ. It is        of doing things - even if it seems to be a pious way
in violation of the principle that Christ has given to His    with pious motives - upon the Lord God, and then to
church pastors and, teachers. And it is in violation of expect that He will bless that wrong way. This is the
the principle- that Christ calls men to the ministry of height of presumption against the living God. If it
the gospel in and through His church  - never apart pleases God to work His work through preachers
from it. Today, it seems, any Tom, Dick, and Harry            whom He calls and sends only, are we to tell the Lord
can be a preacher, or an "evangelist," as they like. to       God that we have a better way of doing things? God
call themselves.                                              forbid!
      In the third place, I want to warn against the idea       In the fourth place, I wish to point to a still greater
that such men after all do much good, sometimes even evil, namely, that churches lend their official sanction
more good; than the church and its ordained men to such evangelistic movements and support them,
accomplishes. This is sometimes used as an argument in even finding much good sometimes in the work of such
favor of such movements. I do not accept this                 wild movements as the Jesus Movement. This is a dirty
argument whatsoever - even apart now from the fact shame, when the church belittles its own position and
that the "gospel" which these men and these its own calling and its own Christ-ordained offices.
organizations usually bring is by no means the gospel This can only be self-destructive for any church. And
of the Scriptures. My point is that we have no right to that self-destruction, I believe, is the manifestation of
expect the blessing of the Lord in the way of the heavy hand of God's wrath against a church which
lawlessness. We have no right to try to impose our way has been unfaithful to its calling to preach the Word.

                               About 1 Corinthians ,ll: 3-16
      From a California -reader comes this interesting be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her
question:                                                     be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his
      "I  don't really remember which one of head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God:
your ministers answers the Question Box; but the but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is
question has come up about women wearing hats in not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither
church, or having their heads covered in church, and was the man created for the woman; but the woman
also `if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him.' I for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have
am referring to I Corinthians 11, about the first fifteen power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless
verses. Could you please explain this to me?"                 neither is the man without the woman, neither the
Rep&                                                          woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the
      This is an interesting question, and, let me add woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the
immediately, that the passage involved is not one of woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it
the easiest to understand. I will not try at this time to comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth
give a full and detailed explanation of the entire not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have
passage. That would require more space than is long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have
available to me for Question Box. Besides, it would long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her
lead us afield, I fear, from the question of chief for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious,
concern to my questioner. Rather, I will try to make a we have no such custom, neither the churches of
few main points concerning the meaning of this God."
passage and to furnish a few guidelines with respect to         Negatively, I would point out the following:
the concrete question raised. And then, if my                   1) That it cannot be the intention of this passage to
questioner is not satisfied or is left with  ..more lay down rules and regulations for the dress of women
questions than answers, she is welcome to call again.         in church as such, i.e., when the congregation is
      First of all, let us get the passage in question before gathered for public worship. Why not? Notice that the
us. I will quote verses 3-16 from the KJV: "But I apostle is writing here about the conduct of women
would have you know, that the head of every man is when they pray or prophesy, vss. 4, 5. Hence, while
Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the the passage may indeed say something about the
head of Christ is God. Every man praying or conduct of women in public, it does not address itself
prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his as such to conduct in public worship. For with respect
head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth to the latter, this same apostle insists, I Cor. 14: 34,
with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for 35: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for
that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are
woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it commanded to be under obedience, as also  saith the


~                                                                 THE STANDARD  BEARER-                                                  57


          law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their upsweep? And how about a man? How short is short?
          husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to Must he have his hair cropped or shaved? If he has a
     ,speak in the church." I emphasize this because it has brushcut, is it permissible to have a flat-top? And if his
          not been uncommon, at least in the past, that this hair is two inches long, may it also be three or
          passage has been applied to conduct in public worship,                    three-and-a-quarter inches? You say, perhaps, that I am
          as though this were the apostle's concern here. engaged in a  reductio ad  absuvdum   (a reduction to
          Moreover, there have been those who sometimes have absurdity). No, I am merely pointing out to what
          insisted, with an appeal to this passage, that it is absurdities legalism actually, in experience, leads. And
          absolutely mandatory for a woman to wear a hat or a eventually those involved become guilty of straining at
          kerchief of some kind in the worship services of the a gnat and swallowing a camel, just as did the
          church, but who would not insist on the same thing in Pharisees. [If, by the way, anyone wonders whether I
          other public gatherings or meetings of saints other than hold the same opinion with respect to other legalism,
          worship services. Now regardless of the "hat question," as, for instance, with dress codes, hair-codes, etc., the
          this cannot possibly be the proper meaning and answer is affirmative. I detest them, and consider them
          application. of this passage.                                             demeaning of Christian liberty and totally unedifying
            2) We must be careful against interpreting this with respect to Christian virtues. By the same token,
          passage in a legalistic manner, as though the apostle however, I also detest libertinism!]
          were prescribing all kinds of detailed laws and                             Positively, I would point out. the following:
          precepts, and that, too, for saints in all ages and in all                  1) The apostle is concerned about a principle. That
          places. Do not forget that this same apostle inveighs principle is the one of the proper relation of the
          against legalism in his epistles more than once. The woman to the man. The man is the head of the
          Christian is not under the law, but under grace. Nor is woman, even as Christ is the head of the man, and God
          there any principle as such in the wearing of a hat or in is the head of Christ. Authority and subjection are,
          the failure to wear a hat by either women or men. If therefore, involved. I know that in our day of women's
          there were, then the high priest and his sons, the liberation movements - more properly called women's
          priests, would not have. been commanded to wear any libertine movements  - this tends to sound strange,
          head-dress, as they were in Ex. 28 and.29. Hence, even even sometimes in Christian circles. But it is a Biblical
          as it is not sin as such for a man (even in the service of principle.
          God, as were the priests) to wear a head-covering, so it                    2) Evidently there were women in the church of
          cannot be sin  as  such  for a woman not to wear a Corinth also who wanted to "kick the traces" and to
     head-covering. Sin is not in mere things, neither is put themselves on the same level as men in the church.
          grace. We ought to avoid such legalism like the plague. Perhaps they found the  occasion  (not the reason) for
     It is neither spiritual nor edifying. And practical this in the truth that in Christ there is neither male nor
     experience always teaches that such legalism among female. And especially in the matter of praying and
     Christians leads to all kinds of inconsistencies and prophesying they began to conduct themselves as the
     inanities. Just take the present subject as an example. equals of men, rather than to manifest their subjection
     It is easy to raise all kinds of questions. What in the Lord.
     constitutes a hat? How big may and must it be to                                3) And the manner by which they did this was to
          qualify as a hat? Will a kerchief do as a substitute? remove the symbol of their womanhood (virtually, we
     Must the hat also have a veil  - as some ladies' hats are told, the one item of clothing which distinguished a
     used to have? Or will a hat without a veil also do? Or I woman from a man in Grecian circles), their
     could insist - to be strictly legal;- that women today head-dress, or veil. By doing so they made themselves
     have to wear the sort of face-veil which, according to appear as shameless women, even, according to some,
     some, was' in vogue -in the apostle's day; and that a like prostitutes and street women. And this was
     mere hat of modern fashion will  .not qualify unseemly. They changed their proper liberty in Christ,
     whatsoever. The same is  true with respect to the as women in relation to men in the Lord, into
     hair-question. And perhaps some of our older readers licentiousness. And, I take it, when in verse 16 the
     may still remember the hot arguments about "bobbed" apostle speaks of the fact that "we have no such
     hair. Well, how long is long? May a woman cut her hair custom, neither the churches of God," he is referring
     at all? May she, perhaps, trim the ends evenly? And if to the custom suggested in vss. 4 and 5.
     s h e   m a y   t r i m   a n   i n c h   o f f ,   h o w   a b o u t   a n                               *****
     inch-and-a-half? Moreover, if she has long hair, may she [Editor's note. I have on hand a question concerning
     make it appear as though she has short hair by curling the elder son in the parable of the prodigal son. This
     it or by rolling it up in a "bun" or by fixing it in an will have to wait until the next issue.]
     I                                             The antithesis is absolute, or it is not an anti-thesis.


 58                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


Feature

                                  The Crisis Mounts
                                               Dr. John Richard de Witt

       In the July-August number of  Tkze  Reformed own conviction. "Given his (my - d.W.) conscience on
Journal  notice was taken by Dr.  James Daane of the this matter, his failure to separate," says Daane, "raises
two articles I contributed some months ago to this serious questions. For if a separation is justifiable it is
paper under the title "The Crisis in the Southern also demanded," etc. I must protest vehemently
Presbyterian Church." And while I am appreciative in against this kind of treatment, and declare publicly
some respects for the interest he shows in our that it proceeds on an assumption wholly unwarranted
situation, yet at the same time I cannot forbear to by what I said. Bad as the situation now is, it can be
reply. Certain of the conclusions which Dr. Daane tolerated by conservatives who, because of their high
thinks himself able to draw from my articles and doctrine of the church (a doctrine to which I hold with
certain of the charges which he feels inclined to make all my heart), "abhor schism, shun separation, groan
leave me with no choice but to impose once  -again for the manifestation of the power of God in the
upon the patience of the readers of  The Standard preaching of the. gospel of Christ," as I said in my first
Bearer, whose editor has generously opened its pages article.
to me.                                                         The prevailing situation is about to be profoundly
       In the first place, then, I am not aware of having altered, however, and therein lies the difficulty. We are
said or implied in any way that "a separation within almost certainly going to see in the next two or three
the PCUS (i.e., the Presbyterian Church in the United years a radical shifting of the constitutional and
States, or Southern Presbyterian Church) has long been confessional position of the church: in fact, a
justifiable," and that, in my view, "the people in the subverting of that position. And as Southern
PCUS who are thinking secession have long had serious Presbyterians we are having to ask ourselves whether,
and valid reasons for separation." I did indeed speak of when the PCUS is no longer a Reformed church in
the "apostasies" which have characterized the church respect of its constitution and its confession, we who
in recent years, and it may be that that is what Dr. are committed to the Reformed faith can in conscience
Daane intends. I could not and did not say, however, continue any longer in its fellowship. That, in brief, is
that separation has long been justifiable, inasmuch as I the issue; and it is quite different from what Dr, Daane
do not know that, am not able to say that such is the has made it out to be.
case. I do not doubt that the situation is very grave          In the PCUS two vastly significant questions are
even at the present time; nor do I question that, now before us: the one is that which I discussed at
whether or not church union with the UPUSA (the length in my previous .articles,  namely, union with the
Northern Presbyterian Church) takes place, Northern Presbyterian Church (the UPUSA); the other,
continuance under prevailing conditions would to which I alluded only briefly, involves confessional
confront those committed to the Reformed faith with revision. The confessional question has become much
great problems. But-one  of the points I sought to make more current in the intervening months because we
in my first article was just that conservatives remain in now have a "tentative. draft" of the "Proposed New
the PCUS because, though it has been guilty of many Confession of Faith" in hand. One scarcely knows
offences, yet its constitutional and confessional whether to smile at its puerility, or to be incensed and
position has continued to be basically sound. And that,     disgusted at its theological poverty, its insinuations of
it seems to me, is a matter of the utmost importance. unbelief, its omissions, and its downright corruptions
So long as the foundation of the church is unaltered, of the truth. But there is worse to follow. The
and the constitutional position of the church is adoption of this radically new confessional statement
essentially unimpaired, conservatives believe they are is to be accompanied with its inclusion in a "Book of
duty-bound to press on with the struggle for the faith Confessions," after the fashion of the UPUSA,
within the denominational framework. Moreover, they which means in fact the deconfessionalization of the
are able to do so in good conscience.                       church, its  creedal statements only marking out the
       It is a mystery to me why Dr. Daane would have me lines along which the thinking of the church has moved
say that "a separation within the PCUS has long been. in the past, broadly defining its doctrinal tradition, but
justifiable," and then go on to reproach me for having without binding authority.
"made no move to separate," on the ground of my                The result will be, if this takes place, that the


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      59


Presbyterian Church in the United States must become argument, when face to face with what,  .if carried
detached from its presently binding commitment to through (as it almost inevitably will be), is surely a
the Westminster Confession of Faith, a commitment most compelling and convincing reason. I listed a series
which signalizes and gives force to its profession of of instances in the recent history of the PCUS which
being Reformed, and grow into a modem, liberal show the doctrinal and moral direction it has been
denomination of the type only all too familiar to us, taking, not to give an "adequate' reason" for the
albeit from a Reformed root. What the adoption of justification of withdrawal, but to describe conditions
both or either of the two proposals will mean - church as they exist among us.
union and/or confessional revision - is the subversion            But the terminal point of that series is what really
and overthrow of the constitutional and confessional concerns me and engages all my attention. Loyal
foundation of the Southern Church. It will, not only in Presbyterians have had, all their struggles and efforts
effect, but openly, publicly, in name and in law, no notwithstanding, to stand by helplessly and see the
longer be a Reformed church. Just what it will be is PCUS add nail after nail to its own coffin in the past
perhaps difficult to define. But the outcome cannot be twenty-five or thirty years. Each "nail" may not have
otherwise than that the PCUS will have rid itself of its been enough to indicate that the coffin was completed
historic posture as a church of the Reformation  ,and and that the denomination was now prepared to make
have abandoned itself to the advanced critical views use of it by confessional and constitutional suicide. But
and theological disarray of the age. That is the position the point which must be made  - and the fact which
as it really is. And that is the situation we face in the must be emphasized  - is that the critical phase of
PCUS.                                                          deterioration has been drawing closer, perceptibly
  Dr. Daane seeks to declare against us that "when an closer, for years. And the end of the process, signalized
adequate reason cannot be found to justify a in successive annual reports and Minutes of the General
contemplated action, multiple reasons are often Assembly, is now very definitely in sight. The question
substituted. Quantity is substituted for quality in the is whether Reformed Christians are obliged to
belief that out of the alchemy of compounded p a r t i c i p a t e   i n   t h e   a c t   o f   d e n o m i n a t i o n a l
inadequate reasons an adequate justification will self-destruction, or whether they are to press on,
emerge." Then he goes on afterward to state that I, faithful to  .the Lord and to his holy gospel, in a
and others, have long thought a separation justifiable, continuing Presbyterian church.
and to comment adversely on our failure to take the               Still further, Dr. Daane charges: "It seems that
step of withdrawing ourselves from the denomination. church union, even between Presbyterian churches that
But, as I have indicated, there is ground neither in my once were united, is a far greater evil than the host of
articles nor in my mind for a grievous and unfair alleged apostasies from the Reformed faith. They (i.e.,
charge of this sort. No doubt it can sometimes be the conservatives in the PCUS - d.W.) will separate for the
case that many inadequate reasons are put forward sake of the Reformed faith if the PCUS and the UPC
when a single, adequate reason cannot be found for reunite. Such a stance is more born of a schismatic
this or that contemplated action. Daane states spirit than it is grounded in Reformed theology." But
unequivocally that this occurred when the Christian mark well that the issue is not, as Dr. Daane appears to
Reformed Church came out of the Reformed Church believe, reunion with the UPUSA as such. This matter,
in America in  _ 1857. But this does not serve to too, is not so simple as it looks on the surface, since
overthrow the cumulative effect of deviations from the the Northern Church has undergone two unions of its
truth - such as those I cited in my initial article -, as own since 186 1. The nineteenth century controversy
though a whole host of objectionable positions and between the Old and New School branches of
shameful apostasies were not of greater weight than Presbyterianism still continues to exercise influence;
one or two. Of course these things pile up. Of course and the present Northern Church is quite different in
there is a cumulative working here. Of course the composition, as well as stance, from what it was when
situation is becoming graver with every passing year, as the Southern Church went its own way at the outbreak
successive general assemblies meet and, under liberal of the Civil War. But that, as I said, is not the issue.
leadership, abandon increasingly large stretches of The issue here is rather union with a UPUSA which has
territory. It is on the face of it absurd to say that ten forsaken its heritage, cast itself into apostasy, virtually
arguments have no more force than one; or that no surrendered all binding obligation to adhere to any
difference exists between the adoption of one confession of faith, and even ejected some who sought
erroneous position and ten.                                   to be consistent and loyal to the doctrines of the Word
  It may be that one "adequate reason" for separation of God. The issue is whether the PCUS is to be a
has not yet presented itself  - I have in fact said as Reformed church any longer, a Christian church even,
much; but the addition of disturbing and worrisome in the full and historic and Reformation sense of the
and distressing factor after factor through the years word. As I attempted to make plain in my first article,
certainly adds weight to the conservative side of the no one can be opposed to the idea of union in itself;


60                                           THE  STANDA.RD  BEARER



but church union must be union in the truth, and not to me, and indeed whether in that event I am
in the lie or in apostasy or in unbelief or in surrender. permitted to go on regarding it even as "a" church at
I t   i s   n o t   t h a t "church union, even between all. I do not deny the presence of "churches," that is
Presbyterian churches that once were united, is a far to say, congregations, in the UPUSA, nor in the united
greater evil than the host of alleged apostasies." That is denomination to be produced in the future, any more
simply not true. The dividing line is about to be than Calvin did in the Church of Rome, to which as a
reached; the end result of the cumulative succession of whole he refused to ascribe the name of "church." But
deviations from the faith is within sight; a choice, we have to do here not with the existence of genuine
difficult but inevitable, must be made: a choice "churches," congregations of true believers who may
between consenting to confessional and constitutional be faithful and continue to go their own, scriptural,
subversion and a continuing Presbyterian church loyal way, in the face of the general apostasy and
to Scripture and the Reformed faith.                        deterioration, but with a denomination, "a" church.
      But now Dr. Daane goes so far as to say: "A And it is plain that on this score there can be-no doubt
separation from the church is -never legitimate. No about the position I have to take. True enough,
amount of sin, weakness, unfaithfulness ,of the church "separation from the church is always separation from
warrants separation from it. Separation from the Christ." I am altogether convinced that outside of and
church is always separation from Christ, from the apart from the church there is no ordinary possibility
Christ who loved and died for the church and therefore of salvation. But separation from an. apostate
never withdraws from the church." I am  `not denomination is not at all the same thing. And if one
completely certain how Dr. Daane wishes us to is to cleave to Christ with all his heart and strength,
understand him here, for obviously enough the word and to be faithful to the truth as it is in .the One who
"church" is the vital one; and how we interpret that himself is Truth, that sometimes means separation,
will determine just how far we can go along-with him. separation, that is, from what persists in calling itself
Does he mean: "A separation from a denomination is church but has no right to the title.
never legitimate?" If so, the statement is preposterous,      To be sure, the confused state of the conservative
inasmuch as no denomination is "the church" in any part of the PCUS does greatly complicate the situation.
absolute or complete sense. What is the church? That There are many amongst us who are by no means
question needs answering before we can assess his Reformed; and one wonders just what will happen
claim. And so does another, immediately related to it: when a continuing church comes into being, whether it
When does what we call the church cease to be the will be possible to build upon the foundation of the
church? For surely it is clear that "a" church can cease New Testament and the heritage of the Reformed
to be that any longer, when it abandons the faith and faith. But I do not see, all my doubts and my criticisms
becomes lukewarm; indeed, "a" church may even be notwithstanding (and I was at pains not to conceal
rejected by God: "Because thou art lukewarm, and these in my discussion of the state of affairs in our
neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my church), how it. is possible for me to do anything
mouth." (Rev. 3: 16) In the present discussion we are other, if I am to be obedient to the Lord, than to
not dealing  - alas!  - with- one, holy, catholic, and refuse to have part in the overthrow of the confession
apostolic church whose organic and external unity is and constitution of the church. I can live with the
visible to all, but with denominations, with the present situation because of its essential soundness.
proliferation of various forms of the church. And of But that absolutely basic consideration will be
these it is not possible to speak as though they were removed upon union and/or confessional revision, and
"the church" from which all separation is always then I must decide whether I shall work together with
unlawful because it is separation from Christ.              my brethren in the faith, whom I regard as defective in
      I grant, of course, that at present the PCUS is the their views at some or at many points, or whether I
form of the church with which I have to do, just as the shall drown out the promptings of conscience and the
Christian Reformed Church is for Dr. Daane. And I leading of what I believe to be biblical principles and
grant also that one cannot otherwise contemplate the submit myself meekly, not to the Lordship of Christ,
confused and multiform character of the church than but to the hegemony of the liberal establishment.
with pain and sorrow, as something not countenanced Surely that decision, however painful and difficult it
by the New Testament, which envisions the church as may be in many respects, is in the nature of the case
one, and commands it to be one. But to say this does already determined by the situation. There can be no
not resolve anything, nor make it clear to me where doubt about the choice one has to make.
my duty and obligation lie. For the question                  I must add a single word  .before I close. It is
confronting me, and others like me in the PCUS, is significant that Dr. Daane's comments found much
whether, when the PCUS is no longer confessionally favor with the editors of  The Presbyterian Outlook,
and constitutionally true to the Scriptures and true to the leading independent paper of the liberal part of the
itself, it remains and continues to remain "the church" church, and considerable extracts were included from


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     61



what he had to say in the issue of September 25, 1972,      of a Christian Reformed minister, and be employed as
without so much as. a reference to the occasion which an instrument with which to flay those seeking to
called them forth or to  The Standard Bearer.  How          adhere to the gospel in the Southern Church! How
interesting that such strong denunciation of Southern interesting, and how sad!
Presbyterian conservatives should `come from the pen



All Around Us

          Creation and Evolution in the Public Schools

                                                 Prof H. Hanko


  Several months ago The Standard Bearer published a such an injunction would be the First Amendment of
review of a series of science manuals to be used in the the Constitution which requires the separation of
public school system in California which present            Church and State.
creationism as a viable alternative to evolutionism.          When I wrote the review of the series of books
These manuals were prepared by the Creation Research prepared by the Creation Research Society, I
Society. The purpose of these manuals must be clearly       mentioned that I was not wholly in agreement with the
understood. The purpose was not to banish the idea of presenting creationism merely as a viable
t  caching  of evolutionism from the public school          alternative to evolutionism. After all, the battle
system. The purpose was not to insist on the teaching between creationism and evolutionism is a battle
of creationism alone as the truth of God's Word. The        between God's Word and man's philosophies. It is a             .
purpose was rather to gain permission to present battle between faith in the Scriptures and unbelief. It
creationism as a scientifically acceptable alternate to is a battle between light and darkness. It is a spiritual
evolutionism. Both would be taught in the school, and,      b a t t l e .
presumably, the teacher. would be required to
demonstrate that creationism was as acceptable an             But what concerns us now is the  Silly. notion
explanation for the origin of all things as evolutionism    advanced by those who oppose this program on the
- even from a scientific viewpoint.                         grounds of the First Amendment. If it is true that the
                                                            teaching of creationism in the public school system is a
  In a recent issue of Scientific American there was a      violation of the principle of the separation of Church
report on the progress of this campaign. This report        and State, this can be only on the grounds that
noted that the  .above proposal had been approved by        creationism is a "doctrine'? while evolutionism is not.
the Curriculum Development and Supplemental                 This is absurd and folly in the extreme. Creationism is,
Materials Commission which is responsible for the           of course, a doctrine. It is a doctrine which is clearly
evaluation of textbooks and workbooks to be used in         taught in Scripture and which is the confession of the
the public schools and which is responsible to the State    Church. It is not only a religion, but it is an article of
Board of Education. This month,,the Commission is to        faith in the one and. only true religion: "By faith we
meet with the State Board for purposes of discussing        understand that the worlds were framed by the Word
the matter, and it is hoped by many that the State          of God. . . ." (Heb.  11:3). But evolutionism is also a
Board will approve of the recommendations of its            doctrine, a religion if you will. It is a false doctrine, a
commission. If this would happen, then creationism          heresy, an evil religion. But it is that nonetheless. One
would be taught in the public schools of California         cannot assume the position then, that to teach
along with evolutionism.                                    creationism is to teach religion and violate the First
                                                            Amendment; but to teach evolutionism is not to teach
  Quite naturally, opposition has developed. There are      religion and is legally within the requirements of the
those in California not only who strenuously oppose         First Amendment. This is the devil's sophistry and is
this program, but there is also the threat of a court       merely a subtle attempt to overthrow the Scriptures
case. The National Association of Biology is                and make the heresies of  .men the "religion" of the
considering filing for an injunction in the event that      public schools. And yet this is precisely what has
the State Board approves of this program. The basis for happened in this country.


62                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER


                                 A Blasphemous Chapel Service
      From one of our readers I received a copy of a                            Leader: We are rather sensitive about this, Father.
chapel service which was held September 13, lb72 in                                      We're talking about a chain reaction of
Illiana Christian High School. As is evident from the                                    forgiving.
program, the service was a responsive reading of the                                     That's not easy. We are proud.
leader and the students attending the chapel. We quote                                   We sometimes feel guilty or miserable
the program in full.                                                                     despite your love and acceptance.
               Hymn 360 "Christian, Dost Thou See                                        Open our hearts to love and give us the
                                Them"                                                    power to love others now as we will in that
      People: Our Father, who art in heaven. . . .                                       new age.
      Leader: Father.                                                           People: Lead us not into temptation but deliver us
               could we have your undivided attention.                                   from evil. . . .
               There are some matters we must discuss                           Leader: Father, don't let us have to face the ultimate
               with you today.                                                           test of obedience.
      People: Hallowed be thy name. . . .                                                Christ did that for us.
      Leader: It's like this.                                                            Father, don't let us have to face the full
               Your name is mud in some circles.                                         force of evil.
               P e o p l e   l a u g h   w h e n   y o u r   n a m e   i s               Christ did that for us.
               mentioned.                                                                Father, don't let us have to face death
               For some your name is nothing but a                                       without you beside us.
               cussword.                                                                 Christ did that for us.
               Restore some honor to your name, Lord.                           People: For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
               And help us to do the same.                                               and the glory, forever and ever.
      People: Thy kingdom come. . . .                                           Leader: You are God, after all.
      Leader: We have some real difficulties here, Lord.                                 You have the power, You have the plan
               It's so hard to see your hand at work in the                              You have the honor.
               world around us.                                                          Take over now and rule forever.
               There are so many wars and evils at large.                                And give us the joy of seeing it happen.
               We want you to take over right now and to                                 Amen.
               straighten out this mess on earth.                                        Hymn 397 "More Love to Thee, 0 Christ"
               Make this the final takeover.                                                           "Prayer of Saint Francis"
               And use us to do it.                                                      "Lord, make me an instrument of your
 People: Thy will be done, on earth as it is in                                                        peace!
               heaven. . . .                                                             Where there is hatred - let me sow love.
      Leader: We'd like to point out, Father, that no one                                Where there is injury - pardon.
               seems to know the plans for heaven and                                    Where there is doubt - faith.
               very few seem to care.                                                    Where there is despair - hope.
               Anyway, your sons are very confused                                       Where there is darkness - light.
               about what your will is supposed to be on                                 Where there is sadness - joy.
               earth.                                                                    0 divine Master, grant that
               What kind of change in politics and people                                I may not so much seek
               will make this world free and good?                                       To be consoled - as to console,
               Teach us your *plan, put it into operation,                               To be understood - as to understand.
               and speed up your timetable.                                              To be loved - as to love.
      People: Give us this day our daily-bread. . . .                                    For it is in giving - that we receive.
      Leader: Daily bread is one of our  ,foremost  needs.                               It is in pardoning - that we are pardoned.
                Millions upon millions are starving.                                     It is in dying  - that we are born to
                The world's population is exploding.                                                   eternal life."
                How can we use our resources to develop                                  The Nicene Creed sung by
                each man's pride in his own work?
                As we tackle this task give us some of the                      One has come to .expect almost anything nowadays
                rich bread from that banquet table in innovations. Yet this particular chapel service leaves
                prepared for men at the end of this age.                      one gasping a bit. There are several comments which
      People: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive ought to be made.
                those who trespass against us. . . .                            In the first place, one is. struck by the blasphemy.


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   63



More and more in our day wicked men drag the Most              statement: "We want you to take over right now and
High down to their own human level. It seems a thing           to straighten out this mess on earth"? Is not Jehovah
almost incredible that the Holy One of Israel does not sovereign in all that happens in the world? Why must
break forth in fury at such desecration of His adorable        He take over now if He rules according to His counsel
name. Is there no fear left any more when men stand            always? Can a school which claims to stand in the
in the presence of Him before Whom the angels hide Reformed tradition so openly violate its heritage and
their faces? The whole service is -characterized by this       destroy the truth of God's sovereignty? and no one
familiarity, this contempt of God, this blasphemy              does anything? And what about: "Make this the final
which makes one shudder. But particularly revolting is         takeover"? Is not this, as well as the whole service,
the leader's response to the address. If it is true, as the filled with the most blatant post-millennial&m? And
leader says in response to the first petition, that God's      these are but a few examples.
name is mud in some circles, this service has gone a             In the fourth place, there are what can best be called
long way to make it such.                                      inane statements which no one can possibly interpret
   In the second place, apparently what the leader says in any sensible way. "Anyway, your sons are very
is supposed to be some sort of commentary on the confused about what your will is supposed to be on
various petitions of the Lord's Prayer. If one would           earth." "Teach us your plan, put it into operation, and
but compare this "commentary" with that given by speed up your timetable." "How can we use our
our Heidelberg Catechism, one could only shake his resources to develop each man's pride in his own
head in amazement that the beautiful descriptions of work?"
the Catechism can be so ruthlessly destroyed by those            Finally, all this is done in a school where young
who make the Catechism a creedal basis.                        people are gathered to study in preparation for their
   In the third place, one can only be shocked by the          calling as covenant people in God's heritage. What an
heresy of the "commentary." What about the irresponsible travesty of covenant instruction.



The Day of Shadows

                             The Paving of Sin's Highway

                                                  Rev. John A. Heys

   Sin is a one-way street. All its traffic goes in one          Cain left the church and took with him  all. his
direction. And that direction is to hell! Always it leads      children; and generations grew up that knew not God,
away from God and unto the place where man                     made no attempt to worship Him, and did what they
everlastingly will be aware of God's holy wrath against        themselves judged to be good and evil. The sad thing is
sin. Only by crossing over to the way of righteousness         that Satan was lying, and what they judged to be good
can one go in the direction of covenant fellowship with        was evil, and what they judged to be evil was in every
God and the joys of His kingdom.                               instance good.
   After he had murdered his brother Abel, Cain went             Scripture passes over this dastardly deed of Cain
out from the presence of God; and the highway of sin           (consisting in killing his brother, and in his bold,
was established by man from the place just outside the         defiant answer to God when he was told of his
gate into paradise to the land of Nod, where Cain built        temporal punishment) to Lamech, a descendant of
himself a city. His descendants widened that way, beat         Cain who grew up outside the sphere of the church of
a more definite path of sin. And in due time they              that day. In the lust of the flesh he takes two wives.
paved it for a more convenient walk of sin, and for            And in hatred he also commits murder. The names of
what they hoped would be a fleshly, pleasure-insuring          his wives are significant.  Adah. means pleasure; and
life.                                                          Zillah means protection, coming from a word which
   One thing that is quite striking in Scripture's             means shade, and protection in that sense. Since these
account of the human race, from the time of the fall of names were given in the land away from that gate to
man till the days of the flood, is the rapid development       paradise and by those who had separated themselves
of sin. In a relatively few years the sin of eating a piece    from God and His worship, the pleasure implied in that
of forbidden fruit, and the rebellion therein, produced        name is not the delight in serving God, but refers to
an amazing amount of violence not only, but also a             the lust of the flesh. And the protection is not under
shockingly bold practice of sin!                               the shadow of the Almighty, but some comfort that


64                                              THE STANDARD BEARER



man sees and seeks apart from God and His covenant             from the ground. Through the flood  - which was a
promise.                                                       work of God's grace for the saving of His Church  -
      Lamech is wholly moved by the flesh. He took two         God brought up, by the opening of the fountains of
wives  - and man always does  - only for the sake of           the deep, some rich ocean-bottom soil that made the
the flesh. One is enough to raise up covenant seed -           growing of food in the field far less difficult, without
which Lamech in no way has in mind - and God gave              removing the curse upon the world, and without it
Adam but one. One is enough for fellowship and                 being some "common grace" for the whole human
companionship, and two will engender jealousy and              race. All things work together for good to them that
drive apart. One is'an help meet for man, and two at a love God. All is done in God's providence for the
time do not help the man or one another. But it was            advantage of the Church. The chaff must have rain and
lust and nothing less than lust that moved Lamech to           sunshine that the wheat may be garnered in after the
want more flesh.                                               chaff had been cast into the fire. But we do well to
      What did he care about God's ordinances? He did          remember that the curse made life in Lamech's day
not even care about man's wellbeing. He slew a man             extremely difficult. Life was hard. And although
because he got in his way. And he boasts of it to his          apparently man was much stronger physically, and the
wives. Without remorse, but in devilish glee he calls his      curse did not in that period manifest itself in the
wives to come and listen to him while he boasts of his         sicknesses and diseases, the cancer and respiratory
murder. And this is only a few generations removed             diseases of our day, the arthritic pains and heart
from man's expulsion from paradise and his first sin!          attacks, the curse- was there, and God made it known
He, too, in an almost satanic derision laughs about the in that unproductive soil.
vengeance of God. "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,           On that background we must view the achievements
truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." The highway of            of  Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-Cain. They were talented
sin is wide and gives much room for movement and the           men and each had his own individual nature. But they
carnal pleasure of sin.1 Talk about lawlessness and had one common thought and goal. And that goal was
disorder!                                                      to get rid of the curse without the cross. No, they did
      What a vicious society has sprung up here to the east    not say it that way. They did not say it at all. They
of the garden in the land of Nod! Man lives for his just worked at it and went their. separate ways in folly
flesh. For all the generations that will follow, Lamech        to seek to achieve it. With them it was simply a matter
sets the example and teaches that Adam's and Eve's             of getting from under the curse by their own works so
shame of nakedness was a weakness, and that man                that they could enjoy a life of doing their own thing.
should feed his sexual lusts and get him the pleasure he         To understand  Jabal's ambitious undertaking we
craves unbridled by divine ordinances. Truly the good          must bear in mind that at this point in history man did
he calls evil, and the evil he now knows as good. And if not eat the flesh of animals for food. This we read of
a man gets in your way,' your way is what counts.              later, after the flood, in Genesis  9:3, "Every moving
Murder him. Let violence reign! You are not your thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the
brother's keeper. Every man for himself, and no man            green herb have I given you all things." And there is no
with thought of God! And in that light we must also            record that these unbelievers living in Cain's city defied
see the astounding feats of his three sons. It is              this ordinance of God. Bear also in mind, then, that
significant that here in the world, among the seed of they had moved away from the presence of God, and
the serpent, in the midst of those who have gone away          that Cain was wroth that God would not accept his
from the presence of the Lord there at the entrance to         offering of the fruits of his toil in the sin-cursed
paradise, where the cherubim with the flaming sword            ground. This simply means that there was no more
still stood, we find the men who revolutionized the life       sacrificing at all in that community living east of the
of' the human race, AND PAVED THE HIGHWAY OF                   entrance to paradise. They did not need to gather
SIN!                                                           cattle and raise them for sacrifices to God, and  Jabal
      They were brothers, but they did not have the same       did not have to be one that had cattle for that reason.
mother.  Jabal and Jubal were sons of  Adah, the one           He was on that one-way street of sin and was going
affording Lamech with carnal sexual pleasure.                  away from God in this act of having cattle and
Tubal-Cain was the son of Zillah, the shade and                dwelling in tents. He was in no way trying to be a
protection Lamech sought for his flesh, the solace, the        steward of God's goods. The thought of being God's
comfort. She was, perhaps, a woman with a tender, royal priesthood was far from his mind.
sympathetic nature to whom Lamech could go when                  No,  Jabal represents the natural man as he denies
the problems of that day weighed heavily upon him. that this is God's creation and strikes out to get his
For remember that though life was far more simple in hands on as much of it as he can, to enjoy this world
those days, they had their frustrations, their aches and       with its possessions while he can, to be like God in
pains, their problems and hardships. The curse was that he is the owner and controller of this earth.
there. It was extremely difficult to get enough food             Jubal in the midst of the tears and woes of this life


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                               65



introduces music to try to turn man's thoughts away the curse. The unbelievers went away from that cross,
from the curse, to quicken his step with a lively dance, despised- it, strove by their own ingenuity to make a
to make laughter and to manufacture some joy in the heaven on earth by their prowess, and by their physical
valley where the shadow of death is cast. He is the and mental achievements. Both want escape from the
father of such who strive to make it possible for man curse. The one rushes along the paved one-way street
to live it up and forget what man cannot live down, whereon their backs are turned to the living God to
namely that curse that is in all things.                  obtain it. The other by faith, and facing God, waits for
  Tubal-cam either found how to start a fire - Adam Him to realize His promise in the cross of Christ, even
had no matches in the pockets of his coat of skin - or though at that time they were not able to declare it in
certainly learned its power to melt iron and other such terminology.
metals and thereby learned to mold and shape them to         Does that mean that we may not have cattle and
fashion  "labour-saving" devices and show God that possessions, may not use organs, and stringed
man will not eat in the sweat of his brow.                instruments, must shun and flee from all labour saving
  And all the industry, the arts, and the world of devices and inventions of the world? Of course not!
finances and business have their beginning in the works Noah used what Tubal-Cain made to build the ark. The
of these three sons of Lamech. All the lust of the flesh, psalmist over and over tells us to praise God with the
the lust of the eye (and ear) and the pride of life of organ and harp. God gave Solomon not only much
which John speaks and declares to be in the world cattle, but peacocks and apes as symbols of material
which we are not to love, received one tremendous wealth. The point is that we must use them in our
impetus, one powerful thrust forward by the works of worship of God and that when they stand in the way
these of the viper's brood, the seed of the serpent who of our act of faith of expecting all our deliverance
had moved away from the Church as it was represented from the curse to be the cross of Christ, we get rid of
in Adam, and Seth, and their children who lived by the them! For it is better to lose them and escape the
entrance to paradise.                                     curse, than to hold on to them for a few brief years
  The seed of the woman looked toward that paradise, and end with Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-cam and Lamech in
and toward the God Who formerly met man at the tree the hottest place of the curse.
of life, for relief from the curse. They continued to        Receive this earth's goods with thanksgiving. But
pray to God through a sacrifice of  a- lamb with shed never deceive yourself into thinking that these remove
blood, in the belief that God would keep His promise. the curse, even though they mean a few less aching
and give them a Seed that would bring victory to His muscles. The psalmist says it so beautifully in Psalm
Church. The seed of the serpent moved away from all        103:3, "`Who forgiveth thine iniquities, who healeth
this, and on the one-way street of s,m went constantly thy diseases." THAT is the way it comes to pass. The
in that one direction, and pressed everything they saw cross removes our guilt; and on that basis we enter
and every natural talent they had in the way of trying presently in the realm where all disease is gone, all the
to flee from the curse by fleeing from the cross. The evidence of the curse is gone, all trace and scars of it
believers in the Old Testament day went to that cross are erased, and where we are in The Paradise by God's
in their sacrificial lambs for salvation and escape from work in Christ and His cross.



The Voice of our Fathers

                         Man Created, Not Evolved
                                                 Rev. J. Kortering
              "We believe that God created man out of the dust of the earth, and made and formed him
           after his own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy, capable in all things to will,
           agreeably to the will of God. ,But being in honor, he understood it not, neither knew his
           excellency, butt willfully subjected himself to sin, and consequently to death, and the curse,
           giving ear to the words of the devil. For the commandment of life, which he had received,
           he transgressed; and by sin separated himself from God, who was his true life, having
           corrupted his whole nature; whereby he made himself liable to corporal and spiri-tual  death.
           And being thus become wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways, he hath lost all his
           excellent gifts, which he had received from God and only retained a few remains thereof


66                                                              THE STANDARD BEARER



                 which, however are sufficient to leave man without excuse; for all the light which is in us.is
                 changed into darkness, as the Scriptures teach us, saying: The light shineth in darkness, and
                 the darkness comprehendeth it not: where St. John calleth men darkness. Therefore we'
                 reject all that is taught repugnant to. this, concerning the free will of man, since man is but a
                 slave to sin; and has nothing  of  himself, unless it is given from heaven. For who may
                 presume to boast, that he of himself can do any good, since Christ saith, No man can come
                 to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him? Who will glory in his own will,
                 who understands, that to be carnally minded is enmity against God? Who can speak of his
                 knowledge, .since the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God? In short,
                 who dare suggest any thought, since he knows that we are not sufficient of ourselves to
                 think anything as of ourselves, but that our sufficiency is of God? And therefore what the
                 apostle saith ought justly to be held sure and firm, that cod worketh in us both to will and
                 to do of his good pleasure. For there is no will nor understanding, conformable to the
                 divine will and understanding, but what Christ hath wrought, in man; which he teaches us,
                 when he saith, Without me ye can do nothing."

      This 14th article of our Confession `deals with the                            advanced, but he is still classified - animal.
origin of man, his fall into sin, and the resultant                                    Evolutionists  believe that man came from lower
incapacity to perform what is truly good.                                            forms of animal life. To demonstrate this, they
      In distinction from the 12th article which explains                            compose another chart, one that depicts man as arising
the origin of all things through the creative Word of                                from the ape. You have seen those horrible pictures of
God, this article deals exclusively with the creation of creatures half-man and half-ape, supposedly our
man. There is, however, a close relationship. Only after                             forebears. They give them nice long names which seem
having expressed our faith in the truth of the creation                              scientifically impressive: Australopithecus Man, who
of the heavens and the earth are we ready to confess                                 supposedly roamed about a million years before Christ.
our faith in the creation of Adam and Eve. We now Yes, there is the Heidelberg Man, 800,000 B.C.; the
make the transition from the general to the particular.                              Neanderthal Man, 30,000 B.C.;  CroMagnon  Man,
The creation of man is a. special instance of the total                              25,000 B.C. At long last we find just plain man!
creative work of God.                                                                  A representative of this kind of thinking is Desmond
      I t   i s   r e f r e s h i n g   t o   r e a d   t h i s   b o l d   a n d    Morris, who wrote the popular book, The Naked Ape.
uncompromising statement of faith concerning the                                     He writes on page 17, ff.
                                                                                        -.                 _
origin of man, "We believe that God created `man out.                                            The primate group, to which our naked ape
of the dust of the earth, and made and formed him                                             belongs, arose originally from primitive insectivore
after his own image and likeness, good, righteous, and                                        stock. Those early mammals were small, insignificant
holy, capable in all things to will, agreeably to the will                                    creatures, scuttling nervously around in the safety of
of God."                                                                                      the forests, while the reptile overlords were
THE NAKED APE                                                                                 dominating the animal ~scene. Between eighty and
      Our emotions may swing from holy indignation to                                         fifty million years ago, following the collapse of the
uproarious amusement as we deal with man's attempt                                            great age of reptiles, these little insect-eaters began to
to explain his origin. One can peruse a textbook on                                           venture out into new territories. There they spread
biology or delve into a le.arned exposition of Darwin's                                       and grew into many strange shapes. Some became
                                                                                              plant-eaters and burrowed under the ground for
Origin  of Species to taste a little of this bitter-sweet.                                    safety, or grew long, stilt like legs with which to flee
Encyclopedias unveil before the reader's eye colorful                                         from their enemies. Others became long-clawed, sharp
charts detailing man's animal past. If we will do justice                                     toothed killers. Although the major reptiles had
to this backward glance, we have to consult two such                                          abdicated and left the scene, the open country was
charts, the first  - the classification of animals, the                                       once again a battlefield. . . .
second - prehistoric man.                                                                           Somewhere between twenty-five and thirty-five
      It is an insult to our God, yet it remains true  that                                   million years ago, these pre-monkeys had already
man  think; that he belongs on the chart which                                                started to evolve into monkeys proper.. . . As time
classifies animals. On the very top we find the                                               passed, some of these monkey-like creatures became
protozoa                                                                                      bigger and heavier . . . their tails became obsolete.
                (one celled animals) followed by parazoa all                                     This brings us to the last million or so yexs of the
the way down to the chordata (animals with a                                                  naked ape's ancestral history, and to a series of
notachord). $ome chordata are vertebrates, having                                             shattering and increasingly dramatic developments
back bones. Of these yertebrates, some are mammals                                            . . . So the hunting ape became a territorial ape. His
(give milk to their young). Of the mammals, some are                                          whole sexual, parental, and social pattern began to be
primates (apes, chimpanzees, and man). Homo sapiens                                           affected. His old wandering, fruit-plucking way of life
is listed among the primates, yes he is called the most                                       was fading rapidly. He had now really left his forest


                                                                                                 _
!                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                              67

          of Eden. He was an ape with responsibilities. . . .                      man-like brutes so produced, and made him the first
             Only by taking a hard look ai the way in which we                     human being, by endowing him with a human soul
          have originated and then by studying the biological                      and a morally responsible nature. . . . In such a
          aspects of the way we behave as a species today, can                     conception there is nothing contrary to the Bible.
          we really acquire a balanced, objective understanding                    (page 288)
          of our extraordinary e,xistence.                                       This should enlighten us to understand that
        By conducting such a search,  Zoologist Morris                        p r o g r e s s i v e   c r e a t i o n i s t s   c e r t a i n l y   d o   n o t
     believes that he has the key to understanding man as a wholeheartedly condemn evolution, they qualify it
     social creature with all his `wonderfully strange repeatedly. They do nqt say that evolution and
     behavior. If we only study our monkey ancestry, we creation are incompatible and cannot be reconciled.
     can find the explanation as to our present actions as Ramm makes this plain in his book, pages 290, ff.
     social creatures.                                                               What is the real issue in evolution? It is this, is it in
        Such a book demonstrates that the wisdom of the                             its essence antichristian? But this question is based
     world is foolishness with God. If we truly believe                             upon a prior one of greater importance: when is any
     Article 14 of the Belgic Confession, we will dismiss all                       scientific  theory antichristian?  We cannot answer the
     these attempts to understand our present in the light                          former  till we have worked out the details of the
     of  past evolution as insulting. One who believes in the                       second. We must not so concentrate on evolution as
     creation of man has nothing in common with such                                to miss the essential structure of the relationship
     unbelief. The line of the antithesis is sharply drawn.                         between any theory of science and Christianity.
                                                                                    Evolution is contrary to Christianity only when it can
     P R O G R E S S I V E   C R E A T I O N I S M   -                              be shown to be antichristian in essence, and that can
        The trend within the Christian church today is to                           only be shown when we can set forth the pattern by
     find a balance between evolution and creation.                                 which any theory conflicts with Christianity. In order
     Impressed by the seeming proof of man's evolution                              to do this intelligently we must pay some attention to
     and convinced that to remain "scholarly" one has to                            the historical features of this problem.
     agree to some extent with the conclusions of modern                         To do this, Ramm sets forth the following
     science, the temptation is to synthesize these two observations: (1) Many theories of science, once
     positiol>s into one. Such an attempt is put forth by                     declared antichristian are now held by  m@ions of
     Bernard Ramm, who likes to be called a progressive Christians with. no evil effects on Christianity.
     creationist. His position is set forth in his book,                      (2) Further, many scientific theories of every kind are
                                                                       The
     Christian View                                                           held today by  evangelicals and that without
                          of  Scripture and Science.  In the section
     of the book which deals with biology, he writes controversy. (3) The date of history drives us to the
     concerning evolution:                                                    conclusion that a theory is antichristian when it denies
            However, evolution is not always set in a                         something in Christian metaphysics, i.e., when it
         materialistic or atheistic or naturalistic or positivistic           attacks the very roots of the Christian faith. (4) To
         setting. That evolution has aided antichristian systems              which class does theistic evolution belong? Is it a
         of thought no informed person can doubt; but that it                 theory that is violently antichristian because it is
         has also been turned to other purposes, no informed                  contrary to the metaphysics of Christianity? Or have
         person can doubt either. There are several forms of a                we just made a monster out of a balloon? Should we
         spiritualistic interpretation of evolution.  The mistake             deflate the monster and go our way?
         of Straton (J. R. Straton in his book Evolutiorz,  j.k.)                To this he adds:
         is that he bases his entire attack on the antichristian                       ye have already noted that orthodox thinkers
         and anti-spiritual interpretation of evolution, or else                   have affirmed that evolution, properly defined, can
         tries to force all spiritual interpretations into the                     be assimilated  into Christianity.  This is a strong
         anti-spiritual mold. This greatly detracts from the
         cogency of his position; Even more distracting is his                      evidence that evolution is not metaphysically
         high Jegard for Price's geolo_gv  and the adoption of                     incompatible with Christianity
         the universal flood as the cause of all geological                            The writer is not a theistic evolutionist. He is a
         phenomena. (pages 262,263)                                                progressive creationist for he feelsthat in progressive
       His point is that if we are going to be honest in                            creatiotism there- is the best accounting for all the
     dealing with a criticism of evolution, we have to                             facts - biological, geological, and Biblical. He has
                                                                                   friends who are fiat. creationists, and theistic
     recognize that some good has come from evolution and                          evolutionists. Their respect for the Bible and loyalty
     it is not all  bad.  Little wonder then, that he quotes                       to Christ he admires. But, progressive creation is the
     favorably from the  Notes on Genesis  by  Albertus                            theory of the relationship of God's works and God's
     Pieters, when Pieters says:                                                   Holy Word which makes the most sense to the author
            If a Christian believer is inclined to yield as far as                 - and upon what other basis can he make up his
         possible to the theory of organic evolution, he can                       tiind?
         hold that man's body was prepared by God through                        This has a direct bearing upon his view of Adam and
         such a natural process, and that, when this process                  whether there was any form of man before Adam
         had reached a certain state, God took one of the                     existed. We shall look into this, D.V., next time.


68                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



Taking Heed To The Doctrine

                   A Defense of Calvinism As The Gospel
                                                  Rev. David Engelsma
                                                       (continued)

      Another of the five points of Calvinism is the truth heaven, but that God makes a man willing, who before
of limited atonement. There is deliverance for fallen was unwilling, and that God keeps him willing. In the
men only in Jesus Christ, God's eternal Son in our Canons of Dordt, the Reformed believer describes the
flesh. This deliverance occurred in the death of Christ saving work of irresistible'grace this way:
on the cross. His death was atonement for sins,                    "But when God accomplishes His good pleasure in
inasmuch as He satisfied the righteousness of God,                 the elect, or works in them true conversion, He not
suffering the penalty of God's wrath in our stead who              only causes the gospel to be externally preached to
deserved that wrath because of our sins. Jesus' death              them, and powerfully illuminates their minds by His
was efficacious; it saved! It saved everyone for whom              Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand and
He died. It removed, in full, the punishment of                    discern the things of the Spirit of God; but by the
everyone in whose stead Jesus died. He atoned for                  efficacy of the same regenerating Spirit, pervades
some, particular men, not all. His atonement was                   the inmost recesses of the man; He opens the closed,
limited as regards the number of men for whom  ,He                 and softens the hardened heart, and circumcises that
died and whom He re~deemed.  They are "His people"                 which was uncircumcised, infuses new qualities into
(Matthew  1:21), His "sheep" (John 10: 15: "I lay                  the will, which though heretofore dead, He
down my life for the sheep"), and "as many as (the                 quickens; from being evil, disobedient and
Father) hast given (Jesus)" (John  17:2). It is not                refractory, He renders it good, obedient, and pliable;
Calvinism, that some, even one, who seek salvation will            actuates and strengthens it, that like a good tree, it
be denied, but that the death of Jesus  saved,  was                may bring forth the fruits of good actions." (III, IV,
efficacious, was not in vain.                                      Al-t. 11)
      Irresistible grace, or efficacious grace, is a third of      The doctrine of the perseverance of saints, or
the five points of Calvinism. This doctrine refers to the        "eternal security," as some call it, follows from the
actual saving of fallen men by the Holy Spirit, to the           truth of irresistible grace. Not one person to whom
application to them of the redemption which Christ God gives the grace of the Holy Spirit will perish,
accomplished on the cross. This work of salvation is because that grace and that Spirit preserve him unto
entirely God's work; it takes place by grace alone.              the perfect salvation of the Day of Christ. It is not
Negatively, this means two things. First, the salvation Calvinism that one may do as he pleases and still be
of a man is not something that any man deserves or saved, or that a saint can never fall into sin. As the lives
makes himself worthy of in any way. Secondly,                    of the saints recorded in Scripture show, saints do
salvation is not a work that man accomplishes, in                sometimes fall into sin, even deeply, but the Holy
whole or in part. Man does not co-operate with God in Spirit brings them to repentance. Over against the
bringing about his salvation. Positively, that salvation charge that the doctrine of perseverance implies that
takes place by grace alone means that salvation is one may do as he pleases and still be saved, the truth is
freely given to men by God, merely out of His love and that the Holy Spirit preserves us by sanctifying us, by
goodness. Also, it means that this salvation is                  strengthening our faith, and by giving us the gift of
accomplished by God's power, the Holy Spirit. He endurance to the very end.
regenerates; He calls; He gives faith; He sanctifies; He           All of the salvation described above has its source in
glorifies. This work of saving and the power of grace            God's eternal election. The truth of election is another
by which the Holy Spirit performs this work. are of the characteristic Calvinistic doctrines. God has
efficacious. This work of grace does not make a man's from eternity elected, or chosen, in Christ, some of the
salvation possible, but it saves. It is not on the order of fallen human race unto salvation. This choice was
an attempt by God that depends, ultimately, on the unconditional, gracious, and free, not due to anything
man whom God tries to save and that may, therefore,              in those who were chosen. Reprobation is implied.
be- frustrated, but it is on the order of a work of God did not choose all men, but He rejected some  -
creation (cf. Ephesians 2: 10) that sovereignly and men. It makes no essential difference whether one
unfailingly makes the man whom God is pleased to views reprobation as God's passing by some men with
save a new creature in Jesus Christ. It is not Calvinism, His decree of election in eternity (which is, in fact, a
that God forces men, kicking and screaming, into Divine decision about their eternal destiny!) or


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     69



whether one views it as a positive decree that some to do of his good pleasure."
men perish in their sin, their unbelief and                      The gospel proclaims the death of Christ as a death
disobedience. Election and reprobation make up                 that effectively redeems some men, rather than as a
predestination, the doctrine that God has determined death that merely makes salvation possible for all men.
the destiny of all men from eternity. This truth is            Scripture teaches limited atonement. Christ Himself
regarded, not inaccurately, as the hallmark of taught this in John 10: 15 : ". . . and I lay down my life
Calvinism. But the main element, according to                  for the sheep." A little further'in this same chapter, the
Scripture, is election, God's gracious choice of some          Lord specifically states that some men are not included
men, guilty and depraved, worthy only of damnation, in "the sheep." In verse 26; He says: "But ye believe
unto salvation. Election is the foundation of all not, because ye are not of `my sheep, as I said unto
salvation! As such, it is the ultimate proof and y o u . " He died for some men, "the sheep," in
guarantee that salvation is gracious, that salvation does      distinction from other men, who are not of His sheep.
not depend upon man but upon God, that salvation is Jesus spoke of His death in Matthew, 20:28: "Even as
not man's idea but God's, that salvation is not man's the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
work but God's, that salvation is not due to man's minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." It is
decision but to God's eternal will. This is how Calvin         not so much the point here that He called those for
himself viewed predestination  - as the final,                 whom He died "many," not `"all," as it is that He
conclusive, incontrovertible testimony to and described His death as a giving of a ransom in the stead
guarantee of gracious salvation. Therefore, in his             of others. By dying, He paid the ransom-price to God
definitive edition of the  Irzstitu  tes  (  1559),  Calvin    on behalf of all for whom He died, so that every one
treated predestination at the end of Book III, after his       for whom He died is freed from sin, death, and hell.
treatment of redemption in Christ and his treatment of Not one for whom Jesus died will perish. He may not,
the application of redemption by the Holy Spirit.              for Jesus has paid the ransom for him. The whole of
Calvin wrote: "We shall never feel persuaded as we             Isaiah 53 in the Old Testament teaches the same truth.
ought that our salvation flows from the free mercy of Christ's suffering was His bearing the iniquities of
God as its fountain, until we are made acquainted with         other men; He suffered effectively, so that He actually
His eternal election, the grace of God being illustrated       took away their sins; He did this, not for everybody,
by the contrast  - viz. that He does not adopt                 but for some men, those whom Isaiah calls "us," that
promiscuously to the hope of salvation, but gives to           is, God's chosen people.
some what He denies to others" (Institutes, III, XXI, 1).        The gospel proclaims an irresistible grace, a
  This is Calvinism!                                           sovereign work of salvation by the Holy Spirit. This is
  This is the gospel!                                          the message of Ephesians  2:4, 5: "But God, Who is
  The gospel proclaims man's misery as total                   rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved
depravity, including the bondage of his will. Ephesians us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us
2: 1 describes the spiritual condition of man apart from together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)." In verse
the quickening of the Spirit of Christ thus: "dead in          10 of the same chapter, Paul likens the work by which
trespasses and sins." Man is spiritually dead, that is, we were saved to the work of creation, thus making
without any good, without any ability to do good, and very clear that this work is exclusively the work of
without any capacity to effect a change in this God the Creator and not at all the work of the creature
condition. Romans 8:7, 8 teaches the same: "Because that is created: "For we are His workmanship, created
the `carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not in Christ Jesus unto good works. . . ." Jesus explained
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So how salvation takes place in John 6:44: "No man can
then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." The come to me, except the Father which hath sent me
carnal mind is simply human nature as it is by virtue of draw him: and I will raise him'up at the last day." God
natural birth. Its condition is such that it is incapable draws a man by His Almighty power, the Holy Spirit in
of being in subjection to God's law. Those that are in his heart, and, therefore, ,that man comes to Jesus, in
the flesh are those that are not born again by the Spirit .tme faith. The act of saving a' man is an act of raising
of Christ, those that are outside of Christ. Their the dead, according to Scripture, comparable to Jesus'
spiritual condition is such that they are incapable of acts of raising the physically dead. This is
pleasing God. All that they are able to do is sin.             accomplished in every case, and can only be
Philippians 2: 13 teaches that the only man who wills accomplished, by the sovereign power of the
or chooses the good is the saint in Jesus Christ and that efficacious grace of God.
he wills the good only because God works this in him:
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and                               (to be continued)


70                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



Book  Rtxiemcs

                               They Chose To Live
THEY CHOSE TO LIVE: The Racial Agony  of an                   obviously the race issue lay at the heart of  the.
American Church, by J. Herbert  Gilmore, Jr.; Wm. B.          controversy. This was the pastor's contention, and this
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1972; 206 pp., $2.95                 cannot be denied. However, many of his opponents
(paper). [Reviewed by Prox  H Hankol                          insisted that the issue was also doctrinal unsoundness
      Perhaps our readers will recall that about two years    on the part of the pastor. While  Gilmore denies this
ago the news media in this country gave extensive             vehemently, the documents prove quite clearly that
coverage to an event in the First Baptist Church of           Gilmore  was a theological "liberal" and denied key
Birmingham, Alabama. At that time the church refused          doctrines    of Scripture,    particularly the truth
to receive two blacks  - a black woman and her                concerning the inspiration and authority of God's
daughter. This resulted in the resignation of the pastor      Word.
and the formation of a new congregation.                         It is for this reason also that the plea of the book
      This book,  ,written by the pastor involved, details    that the Church become more deeply involved in the
the events which preceded the split in the congregation       racial issues of the day is not sound. It is made from a
which came at the time of the pastor's resignation, led       liberal basis which teaches that God is the Father of all
up to the split and culminated in the split. It contains      men and loves all, that Christ redeemed all and wills to
the whole history of the controversy, a detailed              save all.
description of the many meetings and the                         I am not a segregationist and have little sympathy
parliamentary maneuverings of both groups along with          for some of the statements made by those who
appendices which give verbatim some of the important          opposed Gihnore.  But the solution to the race problem
speeches which were made by speakers on both sides            is not to be found in this book - though admittedly,
of the issue.                                                 this is the position taken by almost the entire church
      The book, quite obviously, is intended to support       world.
Gilmore's position in the controversy; but more                  The book makes for interesting reading, however,
importantly, it is intended to serve as a vivid               and gives insight into the bitter struggle which is going
illustration of what, in the author's opinion, is the         on over the race question in the American church
Church's calling with respect to the race issue. Quite        world.



                 labor Problems In Christian Perspective

LABOR PROBLEMS IN CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE, Hendrik Hart from the AACS; Joel Nederhoed and
edited by John H. Redenkop; Wm. B. Eerdmans Harry Antonides. These men favor strongly Christian
Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1972; $6.95. [reviewed          Labor Organizations.
by Prof. H. Hank01                                              There is in the book a great deal of criticism of
      There are twenty-six different essays in this book existing labor unions, though always within the
written by almost as many different men and                   context of their basic propriety. There are some essays
addressed to the problem of the Christian's relation to which have almost nothing to do with Christian
labor unions.                                                 perspectives. If one is looking for a book which will
      It is but inevitable that, with such a large number of give a basic and principal critique of secular labor
authors, there is wide variety both as to the quality of unions, he will not find it here. The value of the book
the essays and the particular viewpoint which the is in the fact that it presents a rather thorough
authors take as to the union problems which are               description of the present status of  *the labor
discussed. Nevertheless, almost all the authors are, at movement. One who wishes to acquaint himself with
least, united on this one point: secular unionism is this situation can learn a great deal from the book. For
good. The possible exceptions may be the essays by basic Christian perspectives one will have to go
Gerald Vandezande, Executive secretary of the CLAC; elsewhere.


I                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER                                                71


                                                   .- .
                RESOL UTION OF SYMPA THY                                        RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
       The Martha Ladies Aid Society of the Hull                       The Mr. and Mrs. Society of Hull Protestant
     Pro  testant Reformed Church expresses its sincere Reformed Church expresses its sympathy to their
     sympathy to one of our members, Mrs. Floyd Jansma, fellow members, Mr. and Mrs. Tunis L. Jansma in the
     and to her husband and children in the loss of their death of their infant daughter,
     infant granddaughter                                                                  JULIE ANN
                             JULIA ANN.                                May our Covenant God comfort the bereaved in
       May the bereaved be comforted in The Word of God their sorrow by the words of Psalm 29: 11, "The Lord
     found in Job 1: 21, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath           will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless
     taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."                   His people with peace."
                                   Rev. Jason Kortering, Pres.                                          Rev. J. Kortering, Pres.
                                 Mrs. .H.J.Blankespoor, Sec'y.                                     Mrs. G. L. De Jong, Sec'y.




                         IN MEMORIAM                                                RESOL UTION OF SYMPA THY
       On September 16, 1972 our covenant God reached                  The Ladies Society of Southwest Protestant
     out His Almighty Hand to take unto Himself our Reformed Church expresses its sincere sympathy to
     beloved son and brother,                                        one ,of its members, Mrs. Albert Talsma, in the passing
                         ROBERT ALAN MARING                          of her husband
     at the age of 23 years.                                                          MR. ALBERT TALSMA.
       Through God's inscrutable wisdom he suffered                    May our Covenant God comfort her with His Word.
     many infirmities as long as he was entrusted to us,             "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
     whereby we were taught to look in eager expectation             henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit,' that they may rest
     to the day when the eyes of the blind shall be opened, from their  labours; and their works do follow them."
     and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, when the           (Rev.14: 13).
     lame man shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the                                      Rev. Herman Veldman, Pres.
     dumb shall sing. Isaiah 35: 5,6.                                                                  Mrs. John Buiter, Sec'y
                                         Mr. and Mrs. Bert Maring
                                                  and Ruth Ann.


                                                                                  RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
                                                                        The Mr. and Mrs. Society of The Southeast
                                                                      Protestant Reformed Church expresses its sincere
                                                                      sympathy to our members, Mr. and Mrs. Gary
                         IN MEMORIAM                                  Moelker, in the loss of their father
       On Sunday morning, October 1, our Heavenly                                     MR. JOHN G.MOELKER.
     Father called to Himself our beloved Husband, Father               "For this God is our God forever and ever: He
     and Grandfather,                                                 will be our Guide even unto death." (Psalm 48: 14)
                         ALBERT TALSMA                                                                 Rev. M. Schipper, Pres.
     at the age of 80 years.                                                                             Mrs. Ted Pipe, Sec'y .
       "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him,
     and he will show them his covenant." Psalm 25: 14
          Mrs. Albert Talsma
          Mr. & Mrs. Nick Talsma
          Mr. & Mrs. Earl DeGood                                                    RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
          Mr. & Mrs. Gerrit Mulder                                       The Ladies Society of the Hudsonville Protestant
          Mrs. Josephine Senko                                        Reformed Church wishes to extend its Christian
          Mr. & Mrs. C. P. Arnold                                     sympathy to Mrs. Bert Maring in the sudden passing
          Mr. & Mrs. Peter Talsma                                     of her son
          Mr. & Mrs. Albert Talsma                                                              ROBERT.'
          Mr. & Mrs. Tony Talsma                                         May our Heavenly Father comfort and sustain His
          Mrs. Senetta Bergman                                        own as he gathers his saints.
          Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Talsma                                                                      Pres. - Rev. C. Hanko
          35 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren                                                 Sec'y - Mrs. Jay Lubbers

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


72                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


                                 News From Our Churches

      As is plain from the report which follows this news item of business: the examination of minister-elect
column, Classis East met on October 4. From Hope's             Ronald Van Overloop. After all the evidence was in -
bulletin we read that this session of  Classis was of his ability to preach and exegete, his knowledge of
"Particular significance to us as congregation, as our scripture and the confessions, his knowledge of the six
pastor-elect will be examined." The announcement loci of dogmatics, his knowledge of the controversies
concluded with the fitting prayer "that our faithful           of the church, together with a fitting conclusion of the
God may sustain him and continue to bless him as he            practica  -  classis gave its unanimous approval of the
nears his long sought-after goal of undershepherd of examination and announced with joy to the consistory
the King of the Church." At a worship service, led by          of Hope that they might proceed with his ordination.
Rev. H. Veldman, in Hope on October 5, pastor-elect              Classis was enjoyable as well because of the
Ronald J. Van  Overloop  was ordained into the                 fellowship which was had not only with the delegates
ministry.                                                      ad examina  of  Classis West but also with the Rev.
      Classis West met in Hull during the week of October Dorman of the Cornville, Maine Orthodox Presbyterian
8. Isabel's bulletin noted that this particular Classis "is    Church. Rev. Dorman was given opportunity to speak
an occasion for joy, since two young men will be               to the  classis at day's end and the words of
examined as candidates for the ministry." Reading encouragement which he gave to the Protestant
further in that bulletin, we learn that "Candidate             Reformed Churches were received with a silent
Bekkering will preach before Classis at worship services       "Amen!"
on Tuesday evening, and Candidate Kamps will preach              The report of the Stated Clerk and  the- Classical
before  Classis on Wednesday morning." The                     Committee were received and the usual committees
installation and ordination of Candidate Bekkering was         were appointed and reported. Elders D. Langeland and
held in Randolph on Friday evening of that same                G. Scholten served on the Finance Committee and
week. We can echo the words of the writer of Elder J. Dykstra, Jr. thanked the ladies for their
Southeast's bulletin, "may the Lord strengthen (them)          catering services.
for the awesome task He has laid upon (them)."                   Noticeably absent was the appointment and report
      In further news, we learn that Rev. D. Kuiper            of the Classical Appointment Committee since, for the
declined the call to serve as home missionary.                 first time in many years, there were no vacant pulpits
                                                               in  Classis East. This situation gave rise to a request
                                                               from the seminary professors that they and their
      A couple of items from our western bulletins may         students be given opportunity to preach.  Classis took
be of interest. During the second week of September,           advisory action in this regard and asked the
the men of Doon's  congregation assembled, not in the          consistories of Classis East to consider releasing their
church, but  on  it  - to reshingle the roof. And from ministers every seventh Sunday.
Isabel's bulletin we learn that "the ladies of the church        There was much joy in this day but there was a
officially organized themselves into a new study group.        reminder that the kingdom of God upon earth is not
They chose to call themselves The Dorcas Society of without sorrow. Classis gave its consent to the increase
the Hope Protestant Reformed Church of Isabel.                 of censure for a member of one of our churches.
During the course of the year they will be studying the          To close the session of  classis, the questions of
parables which the Lord spake and taught the people." Article 41 of the Church Order were answered
                                                      D.D.     satisfactorily, the chairman expressed his thanks for
                                                               the cooperation of the classis, and Rev. G. Van Baren
               REPORT OF CLASSIS  EAST                         raised a prayer of thanksgiving for God's faithfulness
                      October 4, 1972                          to his church.
                Southwest Prot. Ref. Church                      Classis is adjourned until January  3,1973 which'
                                                               session will be held in Hope Church.
      Classis East met in a most enjoyable and fruitful
session on the 4th of October in Southwest Church.             Respectfully submitted,
After the opening devotions by Rev. C. Hanko and
the opening remarks of the chairman for the day, Rev.          Jon Huisken
R.C. Harbach,  Classis concerned itself with the main          Stated Clerk


