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



IN THIS ISSUE

     Meditation:
         Good Tidings Of Great Joy

     Editorial:
         Does The Tail Wag The Dog?

    Pre-Adamite Man?
         (see: The Voice of our Fathers)

     Seminary Building- -
         Progress Report


98                                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


                               CONTENTS:                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER
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      Does The Tail Wag The Dog? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .lOl               Kuiper, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev. Gise J.
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Meditation

                                       Good Tidings Of Great Joy
                                                                   Rev. M. Schipper

                "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
                which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
                which is Christ the Lord. "
                                                                                                                              Luke 2: 10, 11.


      Good tidings of great joy!                                                Who always reveals His wisdom in the foolish, and His
      To the shepherds, and to all people!                                      power in the weak.
      Not to Herod, nor to Caesar were the good tidings                            But to shepherds, that simple, humble folk, were the
brought. Not to the nobles and the rulers of this world good tidings brought!
was the message directed. Though such might be the                                 And mark well, not to all shepherds! But expressly
fast to hear, should the direction of the good tidings to those who were keeping watch over their flocks by
be determined by men. For did not the message night in the hill country of  Judea, near to the little
contain the news of the birth of the King? And should town of Bethlehem, the city' of David. God-fearing
not the great ones of the earth be the first to hear?                           shepherds they were whom God selected to be the very
Such undoubtedly would be the reasoning of the first to hear the glad tidings of great joy. Men, who, by
wisdom of man. But not so was the wisdom of God,                                the grace of God, were able to receive the message.


                         1.                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                              99



Men, who undoubtedly were looking for the hope of Rome sends forth his decree that all the world should
Israel and the fulfillment of the promise which be enrolled for the tax. Joseph and his wife, heavy
 somehow they must have surmised was soon to be with child, wend their way over the rugged terrain of
 realized.                                                 Palestine to the little town of Bethlehem. The teeming
   And to all people!                                      city of David, which fills up the inn and pushes as it
   Again, not to all people of the world head for head! were the saintly couple which had just arrived, to the
 Nor even to all Israel! For in respect to the latter the periphery of the world and into a smelly cattle stall.
 saying is true: They are not all Israel that are called The meditative shepherds musing on the promises of
 Israel; and at the moment when the good tidings are God while they watched their flocks by night  - all
`brought, the majority of them, being steeped in worked together to realize this wonderful day and
 spiritual lethargy, are wholly unable to receive the night.
 message. And as far as the former is concerned, also        Yet, how wrong would be the observation that only
here, as is always the case in Scripture, "all" never in these last days all was astir to usher in this day. All
means each individual, but all classes of people. For,     the days, from the very first, when God said: "Let
 indeed, not merely to a handful of godly shepherds are there be light . . . and God saw the light, that it was
the good tidings brought, but to God's people as they very good: and God divided the light from the
 are to be found historically in all nations, tribes, and darkness; and God called the light day, and the
tongues.                                                   darkness he called night; and the evening and the
   Fear not!                                               morning were the first day" - from that day unto this
   0, indeed, there was cause for fear! Who of sinful day when the angel spoke to the shepherds, God
men will not fear when he is confronted with the unraveled the things of His counsel, and realized in
manifestation of the glory of heaven? Not only do the history those things which in one way or ,another were
wicked fear when they are brought into proximity to related to the manifestation of His Son in the flesh.
the radiance of God's glory, and therefore call to the       On this day is born a Saviour!
mountains to cover them; but even the sinful saints cry      One Who is come to deliver us from the greatest
 out: "Woe is me! for I am undone, because I am a man possible evil, and to make us partakers of the highest
 of unclean lips . . ." And do we not read in the context possible good!
that the glory of the Lord shone round about them,           Not did He come to be a reformer, who by His
and they were sore afraid?                                 example and teachings would seek to improve the
   But how gracious is the address: Fear not!              conditions found in our corrupt society, to correct the
   Indeed, there is no need to fear when the relationships among men which through avarice and
announcement is about to be made that the very cause jealousy, greed and pride, set them at variance. Nor did
of fear is about to be taken away; namely, the cause of He come to destroy disease, and to remove the
sin and guilt. And how wonderful that as many times common ills and pains that follow us from the cradle
as there are books in the Bible, so many times does this to the grave. And surely not did He come to establish
comforting expression appear on the pages of Holy an earthly kingdom in which peace and prosperity
Writ: Fear not! And this is one of them The good would prevail after He had brought all the kingdoms of
tidings about to be expressed must assuage all fear, and the world into submission to His principles.
cause the recipient of the message to leap for joy.          Rather, the greatest possible evil is sin and guilt,
   Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy!          corruption and death; hatred and enmity against God,
   For unto you is born this day in the city of David a    and the slavery to the power of the Devil, under which
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord!                         we are conceived and born. The greatest possible evil is
   This day! This night!                                   to be subject to the eternal and righteous wrath of
   And what a day, and what a night it was!                God.
   Of all the days and nights that followed the very         And to be partakers of the highest possible good, is
first at the dawn of history, there was none like this     to be cleansed from sin and guilt, and to be clothed
one. In fact, it is safe to say, evening and morning in with God's righteousness. It -is to be made to stand
their successive interchange have no significance except once more in the image and in the favor of God. It is
as they proceed to produce this day and night. Evening to be made to taste His loving-kindness, which is better
and morning which God created in their succession set than life. It is to be made heirs of the kingdom of
the pace for the eras of history in which creation and heaven. It is to dwell near unto God.
fall, the development of sin as well as the development      And such a Saviour is He, in the first place, because
of the promise, run their course under the direction of `He is Christ the Lord!
the eternal counsel of the Almighty. And they all find       The One Who was ordained and anointed of God
their end purpose in this day and night. On this night from everlasting, and therefore appointed and qualified
and day all the world is astir to realize the promise of to save us. Who, as God's Friend-servant, would reveal
Jehovah. Unwittingly, of course, even the emperor of unto us by His Word and Spirit the Father, and His


100                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



secret counsel respecting our redemption, Who, as the          The Saviour, which is Christ the Lord!
great High Priest would bring a sacrifice that could           Don't you see then, beloved reader, how this
really cover all our sin and guilt, and atone for us; constitutes good tidings of great joy?
while at the same time, on the basis of His perfect            Understand well, the good news is not that the
sacrifice, He could intercede for us with the Father as messenger from heaven speaks to the shepherds and to
our Advocate. Who, as our eternal King, would bring all people, of a possible Saviour - a Saviour Who is
all His and our enemies into subjection and destroy willing to save you. and is able to save you if you will
them, while He establishes in our hearts the principles only let Him. Such a Saviour would be no Saviour at
of His eternal and heavenly kingdom Thus becoming all, Who must wait for you to act before He can save.
our Lord, Who governs us and defends us in the Surely it is no good tidings of great joy at all that
preservation of that salvation which He has purchased would inform us that God in Christ will save us if we
and accomplished for us.                                     only accept Him. The simple reason being, that there is
   Such a Saviour He is, secondly, because He is born. not a shepherd, nor any of all the people that is able
   Not, you understand, was He born of the will of of himself to do this.
man. For then He would be like us, guilty and                  But here is indeed good tidings which afford us
condemned, and therefore unable to deliver us.               everlasting joy - that whereas we were utterly lost and
   Born He was by the will of God, and conceived by undone in ourselves, God prepared and sent forth from
the Holy Spirit! Yea, He was the very Person of the His own bosom His Son, promised by Him from of old,
Son of God, Who through the Holy Spirit was and in the fulness of time conceived of the Holy Spirit,
conceived in the womb and born of the virgin.                and born of the virgin Mary, a complete Saviour!
   Born He was, not just anywhere in the world. But in         Here  is. the good news, that David's royal Son is,
the city of David. Which implies that He was, indeed, the God of your salvation!
according to the flesh, out of David's royal seed. Not         Who saves you and me unto the uttermost!
of a virgin in China or Africa was He born, but of a           In this we rejoice now, according to the measure we
virgin of the royal and elect line of David, as that line have tasted His saving grace!
finds its culmination in Mary, the last of David's house,      In this we shall joy everlastingly, when we shall
whom our confessions call the Mother of God.                 appear in body and soul, without spot or wrinkle,
  What a wonder of grace!                                    before Him.
  God manifested in the flesh!                                 In the house of His covenant!


Editorials

                                     Editor's Notes
                                             ProJ: H. C Hoeksema

  TO OUR CONSTERNATION we discovered that a he wants to get the continuity) that this material
horrible mistake was made in Rev. Harbach's                  follows immediately upon that in the May 1 issue, and
department, Studies In Election. What happened? Rev.         it precedes the material in the August and October 15
Harbach is a department editor who gets his copy in to issues. Next time, after we are back on the track, we
the editor far in advance. To help our typesetting will continue where we left off in the October 15 issue.
service we send in Rev. Harbach's copy in advance also; Our admonitions have gone to the typesetting service,
this gives the typesetter a running start on preparation and our apologies to Rev. Harbach.
o'f  the  Standard Bearer.  Since these articles are all                            ****
numbered, we expect our typesetting service to place
them in the Standard Bearer in proper succession. All          Due to lack of space, our discussion of the proposed
went well until our May 1 issue, when "Its Evidences" union of RPs and OPs will have to be postponed until
was printed. And then a large portion of Rev. the next issue.
Harbach's series was inadvertently skipped, so that in                              ****
the August issue and the October 15 issue you will find        THOSE INTERESTED in obtaining the Protestant
a portion of "15. Its Resistance." In consultation with Reformed The'ological Jdurnal's  December issue, or in
Rev. Harbach, I decided that the best way to remedy being placed on our permanent mailing list, should write
partially this mistake was to publish all of the omitted to Prof. H. Hanko, 4665 Ju-Le-On Dr., S.W., Grand
material in this issue. -The reader should understand (if Rapids, Michigan 49504. The December issue will


I
                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                               101
I

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                              Does The Tail Wag The Dog?
       Dr. James Daane, undoubtedly following the bad Berkouwer's and Daane's misuse of the  `izon eodem
     example of Dr. G. C. Berkouwer, seems to think so.          modo" ("not in the same manner") expression which'
       I mean this, of course, figuratively. The "dog" in is found in this Conclusion.
     this case is the Canons of Dordrecht, and the "tail" is       And I want to sound the same warning to Daane
     the Conclusion of the Canons.                               which the Synod sounded to the slanderers of the
       And thereby hangs a tale.                                 Reformed confessions and the Reformed churches. For
       Briefly, the tale is this. From 1934 to 1959 the by his misrepresentation of the Conclusion Dr. Daane
     Christian Reformed  Psalter Hymnal  omitted the in effect makes himself guilty of the very heinous sin
     Conclusion of the Canons. Apparently it took Dr. against which the Conclusion warns. Here is the
     Daane a good many years to wake up to this fact; and language of the Synod: "Moreover, the. synod warns
     when he did wake up, he failed to do the kind of calumniators themselves, to consider the terrible
     elementary research that a good doctor of theology judgment of God which awaits them, for bearing false
     ought to do. Instead, he broke out into print in the witness against the confessions of so many Churches,
     "Voices" column of the Banner (September 1) on the for distressing the consciences of the weak; and for
     presumption that this omission was "unauthorized" laboring to render suspected the society of the truly
     and that someone dared to "tamper thus with this faithful."
     Confession of our church." "After all," he writes, "this      Now what kind of tail does Dr. Daane make out this
     alteration of the Canons was not the result of official Conclusion to be?
     Synodical decision."                                          First of all, he misrepresents the place and purpose
       The Rev. John Vander Ploeg sets the record straight of the Conclusion, as follows:
     in  the  Banner  of October 27, quoting a synodical                The first ground is the only actual ground. And it
     decision to drop the Conclusion from the  Psalter               is weak. (How often many reasons are given when one
     Hymnal.                                                         good one cannot be found!) The Conclusion was
       Dr. Daane was evidently given opportunity to reply            eliminated by the 1934 Synod because it is a
     to Rev. Vander Ploeg in the same "Voices" column. He            "historical apology" and hence `is not a part of the
     briefly acknowledges the information furnished by               Canons as such." On the same basis one could argue
     Rev. Vander Ploeg, admits that he was wrong in                  that the Canon's Rejection of Errors is not part .of
     writing that this omission was unauthorized, and then           the Canons as such and should also be eliminated.
     proceeds not only to criticize the synodical decision,          Moreover, the so-called "historical apology" is far
                                                                     more a 
     but also launches forth on a commentary about the                          theological apology, for, like the Rejection of
                                                                     Errors, it explicitly rejects specific theological
     Conclusion to the Canons and its significance which             positions, thereby clearly indicating how the Synod
     can best be summed up by the figure of the tail                 of Dort did not want its Canons to be interpretated.
     wagging the dog.                                                In its Conclusions the Synod of Dort gives us a
       And to make matters worse, Daane perverts and                 window through which we may see its mind and
     presents a caricature of the Conclusion. He must do             intent; it throws light on its teachings in the Canons
     this in order to present the Conclusion (the tail) as           by asserting that the Synod rejects such and such
     being of such a nature and significance that it wags the        misinterpretations of the Canons.
     dog (the body of the Canons).                                 Now what is wrong here?
       And to make matters still worse, Daane's purpose is         Let me point out the following:
     to present the Canons (in the light of his own                1) Daane is altogether mistaken when he calls this
     perverted version of the Conclusion) as teaching Conclusion far more a  theological  apology than an
     something which is the very opposite of what they do historical  apology. A simple reading of the first two
     indeed teach. It is in this sense that he makes the tail paragraphs of the Conclusion will make it abundantly
     wag the dog. This is the same sleight of hand which Dr.     clear that the reference of the Conclusion is historical.
     Berkouwer tried in his study on  Divine Election.  By         2) Daane is utterly mistaken when he exalts this
     this crafty trick many have been deceived. I refer to Conclusion virtually to the status of the Canons'


     102                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



     Rejection of Errors, and suggests that one could just as             of the Reformed churches, Whence it clearly appears
     well omit the Rejection of Errors as the Conclusion.                 (Emphasis added. Note, to use Daane's term, that
     The simple fact is that in the body of the Canons,                   here is the window! But a window opening on what?
     both the positive part and the Rejection of Errors, the              Read on. HCH)  - Whence it clearly appears that
     fathers engaged in all the theological apologetics that              some whom such conduct by no means became, have
     was necessary. And now, on the basis of all that they                violated all truth, equity, and charity, in wishing to
     have set forth in the body of the Canons, they  dray                 persuade the public. (And at this point there follows
                                                                          a long paragraph in quotation marks which lists all
     certain conclusions chiefly with respect to the false                the evil and slanderous charges of which some tried to
     charges (calumnies) which historically the Arminian                  persuade the public. HCH)
     enemies had brought against the Reformed churches
     and the Reformed faith long before the Canons were                 To anyone who can read English it must be very
     composed.                                                        plain that not the Conclusion is a window on the
        3) Daane misrepresents the Conclusion when he Canons, but the Conclusion calls the Canons a window
     states that it is virtually another Rejection of Errors from which it "clearly appears" that all the charges of
     which "explicitly rejects specific theological positions, the enemies against the Reformed faith are wicked
     thereby clearly indicating how the Synod of Dort did calumnies, or slanders. Daane can understand this too,
     not want its Canons to be interpretated" (sic!). He if only he wants to.
     ought to know the fathers better than that! Our                    I n   t h e   s e c o n d   p l a c e ,   D a a n e   i s   g u i l t y   o f
     fathers were not wont to call a "Rejection of Errors" a misrepresenting both the contents of the Conclusion
     "Conclusion." Nor were they such theological nin- and the teachings of Reformed theologians in the
     compoops as to finish four specific rejections of errors following paragraphs of his "Voices" article:
     and then turn right around and add another one. The                     In the Conclusion to the Canons the Synod of
     fact of the matter is that in the opening statement of the           Dort declared that anyone who interprets them as
                                                                          teaching that God is the author of sin, or as teaching
     Conclusion the fathers call their Canons "the per-                   that God elects and reprobates "in the same manner,"
     spicuous, simple, and ingenuous declaration of the                   that is, that reprobation  is as unconditional  as
     orthodox doctrine respecting the five articles which                 election, is teaching something that "the Reformed
     have been controverted in the Belgic churches; and the               Churches not only do not acknowledge, but even
     rejection of the errors with which they have for some                detest with their whole soul."
     time been troubled." Obviously, the fathers did not                     My interest in  why  the Conclusion of the Canons
     feel the need of any more doctrinal explanations and                 was dropped in the Christian Reformed Church for a
     defense of the truth. They were finished with that; and              quarter of a century (until 1959) stems from the fact
     they considered their work perspicuous and simple!                   that a number of Reformed theologians during these
     They were perfectly willing to let the Canons speak for              twenty five years, and even after the reinstatement of
                                                                          the Conclusion, have projected positions upon the
     themselves, and did not have tosay "how the Synod of                 Reformed churches on such doctrines as divine
     Dort did not want its Canons to be interpreted."                     sovereignty, the divine authorship (causality, origin)
       4) Daane completely perverts the relationship                      of sin, unconditional theology, a view of reprobation
     between the Canons and the Conclusion when he states                 that is unconditional "in the same manner" as
     that "In its Conclusions the Synod of Dort gives us a                election, and a supralapsarianism each of which falls
     window through which we may see its mind and                         under the judgment of the Canon's Conclusion that
     intent; it throws light on its teachings in the Canons by            "the Reformed Churches not only do not
     asserting that the Synod rejects such and such                       acknowledge, but even detest with their whole soul."
     misinterpretations of the Canons." The-very opposite                Here are my reasons:
     is true. Not the Conclusion is a window opening on the              1)  Daane persists  in saying that the Conclusion
     Canons; but the Canons furnish a window through declares something about how the Canons must be
     which to view the slanderous charges and the makers interpreted. As shown above, it says nothing of the
.    of those slanderous charges against the Reformed kind.
     doctrine. Again, a simple reading of the first paragraph             2) Daane perverts  a plain statement of this
     of the conclusion will show that I have the language of Conclusion, a statement of one of the slanders against
     the Conclusion plainly on my side in this statement. the Reformed truth, and thereby he twists it to deny
     Pay attention carefully to this:                                 sovereign reprobation and to present unconditional
                                                                      reprobation as a false, non-Dortian doctrine. The
               And this is the perspicuous, simple, and.mgenuous      Conclusion does not speak of the "teaching that God
            declaration of the orthodox doctrine respecting the       elects and reprobates `in the same manner,' that is, that
            five articles which have been controverted in the
            Belgic churches; and the rejection of the errors, with    reprobation is as unconditional as election." Here is
            which they have for some time been troubled. This         the statement of the Conclusion: "that in the same
            doctrine the Synod judges to be drawn from the            manner `in which the election is the fountain and the
            Word of God, and to be agreeable to the confessions       cause of faith and good works, reprobation is the cause


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                              103



of unbelief and impiety." Mind you, this is a statement discover that the Synod was asked to condemn certain
of one of the  calumnies.  That is, this is what the strong expressions of supralapsarians, but declined to
enemies  said that Reformed churches taught. Of this do so.
the Conclusion says, in effect, that anyone who claims      Finally I am inquisitive as to which "Reformed
that we teach this is a liar! And of this and similar theologians and churchmen" Daane has in mind. He
calumnies the Conclusion says: "which things the must, it seems to me, be referring to  Christian
Reformed Churches not only do not acknowledge, but Reformed  theologians and churchmen. For he writes
even detest with their whole soul." Now notice: a) of the fact that the omission of the Conclusion from
This says nothing whatsoever about unconditional the  Psalter Hymnal  has made it easier for them to
reprobation. Daane pulls that out of his hat. b) It does project views which the Canons in the Conclusion
not even say that reprobation is not the cause of detest. I must confess, however, that I know of no
unbelief and impiety. It could not possibly intend to such theologians and churchmen in the CRC. One
say it: this would contradict the Canons proper. It says would have to search with a candle to  find such a
that if you charge that the Reformed churches teach champion of the Canons of Dordt in the CRC. In 1967
that "reprobation is the cause of unbelief and impiety no one finally dared to stand up and be counted
IN THE SAME MANNER in which election is the against the Arminianism of Harold Dekker. One of the
fountain and the cause of faith and good works," you more conservative groups in the CRC, the Reformed
violate "all truth, equity, and charity."                 Fellowship, published a book, Crisis In The Reformed
  3) Daane is guilty of begging the question when he Churches, in commemoration of Dordrecht's Synod, in
speaks of Reformed theologians who teach "divine which the very views of Daane are championed by
authorship of sin." I challenge him to point out "a Klaas Runia.
number of Reformed theologians during these                 Hence, I almost come to the conclusion that Daane
twenty-five years" who teach this.                        probably might have us in mind. But that cannot be.
  4) He is guilty of begging the question and of We are not Christian Reformed. We do not use the
contradiction of the Canons when he assumes that Psalter Hymnal. And in all the years in which the latter
unconditional reprobation is a detestable doctrine.       did not include the Conclusion, we faithfully preserved
  5) Neither literally nor by implication does the it in our  Psalter.  So if Daane by any chance was
Conclusion anywhere refer to supralapsarianism. looking for a stick with which to whip a dog, he is
Besides, Daane ought to know that there were mistaken. Besides, his stick is nothing but a broken
supralapsarians who signed the Canons at the end of reed!
this Conclusion - among them Gomarus. Moreover, if          But let me assure him, too: we believe in the dog
Daane consulted the history of Dordt, he would wagging the tail, not vice versa.



Question Box  -

                         About The Elder Son (continued)
                                              Pro5 H. C Hoeksema


  In the previous issue we began to answer a question the law in general, it makes no difference, principally,
concerning the elder son in the parable of the prodigal with regard to the attitude of the elder son. That law -
son. We had just begun to explain from a positive point as the Pharisee, the ideal son of the law conceived of it
of view the significance of this elder son. That - he never transgressed. That law as a mere body of
discussion we now continue.                               precepts which had to be obeyed was kept by him
  What, we may ask, are the characteristics of this meticulously. Understand: that law was a mere code, a
elder son (Pharisee)?                                     cold code, which had to be kept. There was no heart
  In the first place, he is one who never transgressed, pulsating in that law. And the Pharisee-elder son kept
that is, according to his own opinion and according to that cold code. He prayed so often, fasted so often,
his own view of the law. Whether you think, now, of brought so many bulls and goats and lambs to the
the particular law with all the precepts as they were temple for sacrifice, paid the temple tax, the tithe,
given to Israel - moral, civil, and ceremonial, plus all kept so many holy days per year, did not overtly steal,
the traditions of the elders - or whether you think of commit the act of adultery or fornication, or actually


104                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



kill someone. All in all, he was an ideal man, a cold           And so he is the picture of one who will be
man of the law.                                              righteous by his own works of the law, righteous by
   Remember now, however, that this was not the law faithful service all his life. In the church of today he is
in fact and in truth, but the law as he conceived of it.     one who will be righteous by coming to church, by
In truth, that law had a heart; it was a warm and living paying his dues, by coming to the Lord's Supper, by
law. That heart of the law was love! "Thou shalt love reading his Bible, by saying his prayers, by never
the Lord thy God . . . and thy neighbor as thyself." stealing or swearing or committing adultery or
Did not the Lord Jesus emphasize this again and again?       murdering overtly,  - all as so many works of
It was for this reason, too, that the "end of the law        righteousness whereby he gains credit with God. And
was Christ." He was its end not merely in the sense in the world he is a man full of outward morality. He is
that He alone fulfilled all obedience to the law for us,     above reproach outwardly. You cannot lay a finger on
but also in the sense that the law in Israel pointed him. And by all this he would claim righteousness
directly to Him; the Heart of all the temple service and before God! "These many years do I serve thee,
all the blood of the old covenant and all the sacrifices neither transgressed I thy commandments at any
was Christ. The true child of God, who felt the heart time."
of the law, knew all the time that he could not keep           What is wrong with such a man?
that law; and he therefore looked forward to the one           Fundamentally this: he never repents! He does not
sacrifice that was to come. But the Pharisee never did know the a-b-c of repentance.
this. To the ideal Pharisee the law was a body of              He has a wrong conception of God, first of all. The
precept upon precept which had to be kept in order to        God of Phariseeism was as cold as his body of laws:
get a good account, gain credit, with God.                   there was no heart in him. He commanded and gave
  Such a Pharisee this elder son in the parable orders like a boss. He was like an employer. The world
represents: the ideal Pharisee. Actually, of course, the was his shop; the Pharisee was his employee; and
Pharisee as he stood before Jesus was far worse than eternal life was the wage. Such a God is cold and
this elder son - as might, indeed, be expected from the      forbidding and heartless, like any "boss." (This, to me,
development of Phariseeism. The actual Pharisee was a is what makes the whole covenant of works theory
whitewashed sepulchre, and he knew it. He devoured unattractive, too. The relation between God and Adam
widows' houses, and then made long prayers on the in Paradise is pictured as such a cold, mechanical,
street. With all his wicke`dness he went to the temple,      heartless relation - one of contract.) But this is wrong,
and then he thanked the Lord that there were no other of course. God is not such a cold, heartless "boss" with
good men beside him. So this elder son in the parable        an outward code of laws, but a living Father and
did not, certainly, represent the Pharisee as he actually    covenant Friend, with a loving heart. He is the living
existed.                                                     God!
  But neither did he represent the faithful covenant           But the Pharisee's conception of himself, of course,
child. The latter is one who knows the heart of the law followed from his conception of God, even as one's
and who sees that the end of the law is Christ. He is        conception of God is always determinative. He was
one who knows his own sin and will surely not say, "I God's "workman." He was a slave, or, at best, a
never transgressed any of the commandments." On the wage-earner. He had to  work.  He had to bring
contrary, he is always one who is sorry for his sins,        sacrifices, keep holy days, etc. There was no heart in
who repents, and who is forgiven.                            him either. There was no love, no joy. He was cold as
  But the elder son represents the ideal of Phariseeism. stone. Like an employee, he would look at the clock
As it were, the Lord says to the Pharisees in His all day, to see if he had done almost enough for the
audience: "All right; I will take you at face value. I will Lord. And this is wrong! Properly conceived, man is
take you at your best. I will take you, not as you friend-son in relation to God.
actually are, but as you pretend to be: ideal sons of the      It follows, of course, that he also had a wrong
law who are far above publicans and sinners. And then conception of righteousness. Righteousness, for the
I will picture to you your trouble, your problem, and Pharisee, was the sum-total of the number of sacrifices
compare you with the real picture of these publicans he brought, the days he observed, the times he prayed,
and sinners who come to Me."                                 etc. In other words, righteousness consisted in all
  That this is correct is plain from the parable. Notice, outward good works. And this is dead wrong. With the
first, that the elder son is in the field,  working for Lord, Who wants love, righteousness is the sum-total of
father. Notice, too, that he says, "These many years do the heart-beats of a heart that never skips even once in
I serve thee, neither transgressed I thy commandments true, covenant love!
at any time." And notice, further, that the father in          If you understand this, you will also understand that
the parable does not argue the point, does not deny it. this elder son did not know repentance and never
In a sense - such is the point of the parable - this is repented. He did not repent, not; to be sure, because
what the elder son did.                                      objectively there was no reason for him to repent! But


                                              THE STANDARD  BEA'RER                                              105


subjectively it was impossible for him to repent. He did sense, man cannot escape the fact. that he was
not understand sin; and he did not know his own sins. created a son and cannot shake the responsibility and
And as long as a man does not know his sins, it is calling to live as a son, though he has utterly lost the
spiritually impossible for him to repent!                     ability and desire to be a true son. He is, from that
  Was this elder son really different from the younger? point of view, a cold son, a hateful son, a son in hell;
Let us test this. What was the principle of the younger but he cannot change his being. He has only changed
son's sin in the parable? This, that he in his mind and his own spiritual attitude through his wilful fall into
heart separated father's goods from father. He wanted sin. Intentionally the father in the parable emphasizes
the goods, but he did not care for father. He conceived this. He expresses what the elder son  should be,  not
of having joy without father's love and father's home. what he actually assumes to be. It is like Jesus' word to
This is precisely the condition of every sinner by Judas, "Friend , . ." "Thou art ever with me,  " the
nature! But what was the attitude of the elder son? father says to -him, too. This is also true of the
Was it basically any different? Listen to him: "Thou Pharisee; but it was only a presence of proximity, not
never gavest me a kid to make merry with my friends!" of love. "And all mine is thine." Here the Lord
There is a world of sentiment revealed here. He felt emphasizes that the goods cannot be separated from
that he never received anything from father. He felt no Father. They are His and His people's, and can be
joy, only grumbling dissatisfaction, as long as he could enjoyed only in His communion. They are "thine" but
not rejoice with father's goods. He wanted at least to always and only as "mine," that is,  Father's,`never
separate one kid to enjoy himself with his friends, otherwise.
apart from father. In principle, therefore, he was exactly      Hence, he ought to rejoice. For a son was dead as a
like the younger son when the latter left home, The son, and he is now living as a son. And that sonship,
only difference was in  manifestation.  The one left that son-Father relation, is the main thing. Without it,
home with his cold heart; the other stayed on the farm the goods are a curse and soon turn into the husks that
with his equally cold heart.                                  the swine eat.
  And so it was subjectively impossible for him to              But the elder son answers like a slave! He is angry!
come to repentance. You see, one does not repent for Within is the joy of deepest love: a repenting sinner, a
a boss. At best, he might quit. Or he might promise to loving Father, and the angels singing for joy! Outside is
do more work - and this, not as long as he thinks he the angry son, grumbling because he never felt the
has been doing a good day's work. But he does not heart of father, but only the ice and the cold of a body
repent. Repentance is a matter of living love. It comes of precepts. He cannot enter into that love and that
when we come to ourselves. It comes when we realize joy. He is outside of that love and that joy with all his
that the relation between God and our lives is not one heart. And to his father he answers like a slave: "Thou
of boss and workman, but of father and son, of Friend- never gavest me a kid!" He will not go in to the feast.
sovereign and friend-servant. It comes when the love of He does not know sin. He does not know repentance.
God is spread abroad in our hearts and we become He does not know the joy of the repentant. How is it
more sorry than we can express because we have torn possible that he can rejoice in the repentance and the
ourselves from Father's heart! And this living love the joyous reception of another?
elder son did not know. He labored for a boss; hence,           And there the text leaves it, almost as if for us to
he could not repent.                                          finish it and draw the proper conclusion: if that cold
  And thus, finally, the elder son never rejoiced. Even slave of self-righteousness does not repent like his
as he did not know repentance, so he could not younger brother, he will never enter in! And we
experience the joy of forgiveness and of glad reception conclude: Thanks be to God for the fact that in the
by the Father.                                                deep way of sin and grace  - sovereign grace, grace
  Father maintains His Fatherhood, indeed! In the greater than all our sins  - He manifested to us the
parable, the father says, "Son . .  ." In the deepest deep love of His eternal heart!


All Around Us

                          Vouchers For Private Schools
                                                  Pr0.f H. Hanko

  The war for various forms of government aid to programs as violations of the First Amendment of the
private and parochial schools goes on. Some battles Constitution. But, evidently, those who are interested
have been lost because the courts have ruled some in such government aid continue to devise new


106                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER


programs which, they hope, will not be struck down                    pre-voucher days.
by the courts.                                                           * Those with children in the public schools will be
   One such program, gaining an increasing amount of                  forced to pay increased taxes with no increased
favor, is the so-called "voucher system." The plan                    return.
works this way. The `government, whether national,                       *Those with no children in any school will pay
state or regional, which enacts this program, will give               increased taxes and continue to receive nothing in
to parents sending their children to school a voucher                 return.
                                                                         How anyone could think that confusion and
worth an agreed upon sum of money. This voucher will                  injustice will be anything but compounded. . .
be turned in to the school as part or all of the tuition            After pointing out these things, the author turns to
payment. The school ,will, in turn, be able to cash in            the matter of government interference in the
this voucher with the government and receive its                  administration of the schools. Does this type of
value in cash.                                                    program avoid that danger? The author's answer is No.
  This is considered a  .very excellent plan for more                    We live in an age in which government, at all levels,
than one reason. On the one hand, it will be a pleasant               is anything but disinterested. The bureaus and
relief to parents to have part or all of the heavy tuition            agencies of government are peopled with men beset
load carried by the state. On the other hand, it will                 with the meddling urge as never before in history.
avoid nasty questions such as whether such a plan is                  Money distributed by the government. has seldom had
Constitutional (i.e., whether it is in violation of the               more strings attached than now. Busing to achieve
principle of the separation between Church and State),                racial balance in the public schools is a good example.
and whether or not the government will interfere in                      The voucher scheme cries out to be used as an
the administration of the school. After all, the aid is               indirect licensing system for the  private schools.
given to parents, not to the school. How then can such                There are already hints in the press that certain
                                                                      "modifications" and "safeguards" will have to be
a plan be declared unconstitutional? and how can the                  introduced into the program if it is passed.  Private
government interfere in the operation of the school? It               schools, for instance, that maintain a racial imbalance
seems easy and a way to avoid pitfalls.                               will not be able to cash their vouchers.
  This whole plan is discussed in a little magazine                      There are other points upon which private,
called The Freeman by a law student named John P.                     especially religious, schools might do well to
Cahill. He himself is a product of private school                     meditate. Would a school be permitted to cash
education, and is consequently concerned about the                    vouchers if that school promoted teachings contrary
preservation of private schools in this country. In                   to the government policy, such as artificial birth
discussing this proposed method of government aid to                  prevention or abortion? Could a school with an
private schools, he approaches the whole question from                "inadequate" sex-education program cash vouchers?
various viewpoints and shows that also this type of                   Given the temper of the times, one would think that
                                                                      "accreditation" for participation would not come
program will lead ultimately to the destruction of                    cheaply.
private schools. His arguments are worth our notice.                     How could the bureaucrat think that it was other
  He points out first of all, that the program "ignores               than his duty to "protect" the parent and child from
some basic principles and obvious facts." He writes:                  the "misuse" or their new found freedom in a "below
          1. The unwillingness or inability of the users to           standard" school? May a school be dropped from the
       continue to pay the tuition and operating costs of the         program because its graduates are untrained in
       private schools is one reason that they are in need of         sensitivity?
       financial assistance.                                             These thoughts must not be overlooked . . .
          2. This inability to pay is in no small part brought      The author then turns to the subject of participation
       about by increased taxes and inflation caused by           in the program up to such a time as it becomes
       increased governmeni deficit spending.                     impossible to participate without giving in to
          3. No one can give what he does not have. If the        government control. He considers  that withdrawal
       government is going to pay the expenses of all the         from such a program, after once being in it, is highly
       children in private schools in addition to those in        unlikely.
       public schools, it must  find a source for the                    A school would have to be very wealthy indeed to
       additional funds that will be needed.                          survive if it were to reject its prevailing source of
          4.  The government has two sources for these
       funds: increased taxes or further inflated currency.           regular income, the government. A school which had
          Not to be forgotten are the additional hundreds of          grown dependent on the program could be dealt a
       highly paid bureaucrats who will be needed  -to                mortal blow if it withdrew or was expelled from the
       administer such a program. The result will hardly be           program. How many parents would continue sending
                                                                      their children if the "free" tuition vouchers from the
       the great triumph of justice which is predicted:
          * The taxes of everyone who pays school taxes               government were rendered worthless at this school,
       wL!.l increase.                                                especially in the face of higher taxation  to  support
          *  Some  of  these; taxpayers will now receive a            the other private schools .on the program?
       return for their money which they did not receive in         Turning then to what I consider the very heart of


                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                              107


the matter, the author writes:                                                          mire of government control of all aspects of our lives.
           But what of the private schools themselves? Won't                          How true! And if we put this into the context of
    they die out without some sort of government                                    our own educational system, we come up with two
    assistance?                                                                     points which surely cannot be stressed strongly
           Good schools will not die out. There is more to                          enough. In the first place, we must be sure that our
    the plight of the private school than the ability of the                        schools are indeed what they purport to be: Christian
    user to pay. Willingness is a major factor. When the                            Schools. They must be schools which give instruction
    r e l i g i o u s   s c h o o l   i s   "s e c u l a r i z e d " o r   t h e    which in every respect is in harmony with the Word of
         denominational or other private school loses its                           God and the Reformed faith. This is the responsibility
    tradition and becomes, in essence, no different than                            of all of.us'whether  teachers or parents. Only then will
    the public school, the sacrifice that a man must m&e                            ovr schools be worth maintaining.
    to "pay twice" for his child's education loses all                                In the second place, the key word is "willingness."
    reason. Why should a man who is forced to support                               The author speaks of this. Put into the context of the
    the public school system pay again for a private
    school education if the product is like that of  the-                           responsibility and  privilege  of covenant instruction of
    public school?                                                                  covenant children, this willingness is surely all-impor-
           A return to the first principles of  their founders                      tant.  And where it is present, there will be sufficient
    may not save private schools. But it is a first step, and                       financial means to support these schools without
    a giant one, in the right direction. The voucher                                government assistance and the threat of government
         system is a step backward and downward into the                            control.
                                      The Argument Over Abortion
  Although a liberalization of abortion laws appeared                                   the decision whether to bear or beget a child."
on the ballot  in several states and was defeated, the                                     To believe this is not to deny the mystery of birth,
fight goes on. It was somewhat disconcerting to note in                                 nor the sanctity of life. To understand that a fetus is
the general debates prior to last November's election                                   not a "person" in any constitutional sense, and
that even the Church, when entering the debate                                          cannot thus be "murdered", is not to equate the
opposed to abortion, often did not take its stand on                                    unborn with blob. There is still room for legitimate
the Word of God, but argued the issue on purely                                         philosophical disputation. But more interesting is that
                                                                                        open debate on these matters is, for the first time in
humanistic and moralistic grounds. This happens with                                    history, making women fully aware of their own
disconcerting frequency when the  Church enters the                                     rights to a full life on equal  ternis with men. Not just
public arena and begins to debate legislation  - even                                   full sexual life, but full social and professional and
when the Church is, so to speak, on the "right side."                                   economic and political life.
However that may be, the case fov abortion was a sad                                       As women realize they can change their own  lot
commentary on the condition of our times. This case                                     by taking political action to change the law, they will
was perhaps nowhere so eloquently stated as in a                                        begin to move into the economic area, into protests
recent column in Newsweelc written by Shana                                             against sex differentials in wages, salaries, benefits
Alexander. She writes:                                                                  and opportunities for advancement  - which is where
           What the abortion fight really comes down to is                              the real sexual inequities exist.
    whether one should yield dominion over one's body                                 The author does not want to yield dominion over
    to the state  - or to the church, or the medical                                her body  to the state or the church or the medical
    profession,         or any other institution. I oppose                          profession or any other institution. But it is clear that,
    abortion laws for the same reason I oppose                                      behind it all, there is a terrible and blatant refusal to
    brainwashing, or the Thought Police: the state  wiU                             yieid one's body to the dominion of the Word of God.
    please keep its cotton-pi&in hands as far away from                             "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
    me as possible, mind and body. Or in the eloquent
    language of Judge  Jori 0. Newman, who wrote the                                unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto
    majority opinion in the latest pro-abortion victory in                          God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your
    Connecticut, "If the right of privacy means anything,                           members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
    it is the right of the individual, married or single, to                        Rom. 6: 13. Where this is done, abortion is not a
    be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion                                 question for discussion, but an awful sin of murder
    into matters so fimdamentally affecting a person as                             against the Most High Majesty of God.
                                                   Resolution on Key `73
  The American Council of Christian Churches has                                           1. Key 73 permits and encourages each participant
recently passed a resolution on Key `73 which is worth                                  to "DO THEIR OWN THING" in evangelism. But the
quoting. It appears  in Christian  News, and reads in                                   Bible plainly sets forth the fact that there is only one
part:                                                                                   true gospel and that all who preach any other gospel


108                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER


       are to be "accursed." (Galatians 1:8,9).                       against the many false teachers and apostate churches
          2. Key 73 is encouraging the wide distribution of           which are a part of Key 73. The American Council of
       Bible translations and versions such as "GOOD NEWS             Christian Churches gladly reaffirms its belief in the
       FOR MODERN MAN," "THE LIVING NEW                               one true gospel as "the power of God unto salvation
       TESTAMENT," and the "REVISED STANDARD                          to every one that believeth" and we call upon all
       VERSION," each one of which contains serious                   believers everywhere to proclaim this good news to
       changes, omissions and additions to the text of God's          every creature, while at the same time repudiating
       Holy and eternal Word.                                         and exposing the many false teachers and apostate
          3. Key 73 is definitely inclusive and ecumenical in         groups which are a part of the Key 73 evangelism
       character, making it ethically impossible to direct any        program.
       converts into Bible-believing churches or to warn


Studies in Election                                 Its Evidences
                                                      Rev, Robert C. Harbach
                       (Editor's note: For an explanation of the publishing of this large installment
                       of Rev. Harbach.`s department, see Editor's Notes.)

   When it is  proclaimed in  the Gospel that Christ concern themselves with whether they are elect. It is
Jesus  died on the cross to--save sinners, it is not the first first required of them that they believe they "are all
logical step, on the basis of that premise, for me to lay         under sin," that they are lost sinners. They must first
it down that He died for me in particular. That would know their misery. They must first be conversant with
be to confuse the order of God's salvation. The burden faith, obedience and righteousness of life, before
of the Gospel-is that God sent His Son into the world, they enter upon the matter of their personal election.
and there He was manifested to take away the sins of On this important point, both Paul and Ursinus
His people. That is, He came into a world of woe to faithfully followed the teaching of our Lord.
make a way of escape out of the midst of death for                  We may certainly conclude that where Christ's
them that are lost. He died for ungodly ones, perfectly ministers faithfully and regularly hold forth the Word
satisfying divine justice for the offence of all their sins. of life, there God's elect will be found. (Acts 18: 10; II
So He made atonement, and on that ground God can Tim. 2: 10). Because the Lord does have His elect
and does rightly justify the sinner through faith in His scattered throughout His world-wide vineyard,
blood. That is the initial thrust of the Gospel, man's He sustains His ministers by divine providence and
involvement in sin, misery and death. When I hear that directs them by His Word and Spirit. He prevents them
basic premise of the Gospel, I am bound to believe it, from going to areas where, either there are no elect, or
and then believing it, I am bound over to a life of if there are, the time has not come for their calling and
obedience to the Gospel. Until I do that, believe and conversion (Acts  16:6). For these reasons the Lord
obey the Gospel, I am under no necessity to believe does not allow His servants to enter certain areas
that Christ died for me in particular. When I have done (16: 7). He has them pass on to areas and places of His
and am doing that, it is then my right and privilege to choice (16: 18). The Lord is an unhindered and
enjoy the assurance that comes in that way.                       indisputable sovereign in sending the Gospel to some
  Just so, it is my responsibility, as it is that of every        and not to others. On Paul's second missionary journey
man, to believe the doctrine of election upon hearing the' Word was not sent to northern Asia Minor,
the preaching of the Gospel, for therein it is revealed. Bithynia and Mysia, but, instead, it was taken to
But my own personal election I cannot warrantably Macedonia, Thessaly and Greece.
believe, nor may I believe it, except as God reveals its            The Lord so directs His ministers, His Word and the
evidences in me. True faith is not a blind faith without preaching of it that the elect come. to hear, in due
evidence, and faith in and obedience to the Gospel are time, the Gospel of their salvation. Sometimes the
the twin evidences of election. Nor may a man doubt Lord calls a minister, as He did Philip, from his beloved
or deny his election, or assume that he is a reprobate, and busy pastorate in a thriving  Samaria to go down
as long as he is not in a condition where it is impossible into a desert region to take the Word of His grace to a
for the evidences of election to be produced-in him. As good ground hearer. Sometimes He leads His servant
long as he does not obey the Gospel, there is no out "`where cross the crowded ways of life" in order to
evidence that he is reprobate as long as it is possible for testify the Gospel of the grace of God to a rich young
him to become obedient. Then, although election must ruler who turns away from it at the moment, but who
be preached, where the Gospel is to be scripturally later repents and returns to the Lord (since he was
preached, it is not the immediate duty of men to beloved of his God, Mark 10:21; Neh. 13:26). Another


                                                                                                              --
                                               THE STANDARD BEARER'                                                  109



time He leads His servant to the home of a member of           claims this, "believe it not!" But Paul came to this
the Italian Band (Acts 10) with the same word of knowledge through the fruits of election being evident
truth. Or the Lord may lead His witnesses to a prison          in the Thessalonian Christians. They were "chosen in
where the jailer, to say nothing of the inmates, may           Him before the foundation of the world, that (to the
have little or no opportunity to hear the Gospel. In           end that)" they "should be holy and without blame
such places the Lord has His elect. (Acts  16:34;              before Him." Paul saw the marks of a holy life in them
Philemon 10). The Lord had them in mind when He                and traced such mercy-drops back to the great
said, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold;          fountain of election.
them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice"            "For our Gospel came . . . unto you." The Gospel
(John 10: 16). They were chosen before the foundation          must come to men, in order to their eternal salvation.
of the world (Eph.  1:4), quickened by the power of But what is the Gospel? Not everything boasted as
His Spirit (John 6:63), made to hear His voice (10:27;         "gospel" is Gospel. The pratings of a "Great Society"
5:25) through His- servants (Rom. 10: 14) and believe          movement is not the Gospel. The "social gospel" of
through grace (Acts 18: 27).                                   civil-rightism is not the Gospel. The memorandums of
  Where the Lord does have a people, there He will llabor union leaders are not the Gospel. The creed
send His servants to enlighten them and lead them in irevisions of the modernist churches are nothing of the
all the truth. For this reason, Christ's ministers endure      Gospel. The bemusing philosophy of the Arminian
alI things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain      evangelist is not the Gospel. The patter of those who
the salvation which is in Christ Jesus. The elect are to       talk almost exclusively about Jesus but almost never
be found where the ministers of the Gospel labor and           about God is not the Gospel. You have a clear
endure. Does the reader live in such a place? Then             presentation of the Gospel in the Heidelberg
where two's and three's are gathered together in               Catechism. Briefly it is there stated that the people of
Christ's name, there He is in the midst. Does the young        God belong to their faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, from
"David" or "Timothy"? reading these lines feel                 all eternity, and are brought to Him by the way of sin
something of the glory of the ministry, and perhaps a          and misery through the redemption which is in Christ
drawing of the Lord in the direction of that highest           Jesus, unto a sanctified life of thanksgiving. Nor is the
calling? These are, admittedly, the dark days of the           Gospel preached by everyone who claims to preach it.
many antichrists which lead to the Antichrist, but they        It is not preached by the modern men of the one-world
are also days in which the Lord is still calling out a         church ecumenical movement. It is not preached  .by
people for His name, and days, too, in which it is your        the modem adovcates of the so called "new morality,"
duty to respond and yield to the heavenly calling of nor is it involved in the dalliances of "sensitivity
the Lord.                                                      training." It is not preached by the "clergy" of the
  The Lord sends the preacher where according to His           Romanist church. It is not heard in the Jewish
counsel and providence He has elect. He will then              synagogue. It is not so much as in the thought of
make His Word preached to them effective and the               modem religious humanists and sociologists. But a man
labors expended on them fruitful. Of the Thessalonian          who really wants to know the truth need not fear
church Paul said, "Knowing, brethren, beloved, your            being deceived by the myriad counterfeit gospels in the
election of God. For our Gospel came not unto you in           world today. For the Gospel is semper eadem. It never
word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit,          changes. Some Baptists have changed, and have
and in much assurance" (I Thess. 1:4,5). Paul came to          departed from the Philadelphia Confession, or from
know the election of this church. He knew they were            whatever original Calvinistic confession they had, and
among God's chosen people. This ought to answer, in            so fall from the truth of predestination. They have
part, the oft repeated question whether we shall know          departed from the teaching of their fathers, men like
one another in heaven. If ministers know the election          Gill, Booth,  Spurgeon and Pink. Some Presbyterians
of the sheep in their flocks here in this life, surely they    have changed, so badly that they have made corrupt
will know their sheep in heaven. Surely, there above           additions to the Westminster Confessions. Many of the
we shall have not less knowledge, but more perfect             Reformed churches have changed. They are now
knowledge, than we have here below. This implies, too,         Reformed in name only. Attacks are made on the
that if the ministers may know the election of their           doctrines of predestination, election, reprobation,
people, the people themselves may know it and rejoice          creation and infallible inspiration of Scripture.
in it. This knowledge did not come to Paul, nor does it        Everywhere there is heard the old Arminian language
come to the elect, by direct revelation from heaven.           that God loves everybody, Christ died for all men, and
The Lord does not let down in a sheet a gilt-edged,            made a "universal redemption." Imagine, the latter is
Morrocco-bound copy of the Book of Life for our                conceived as being without the foundation of universal
perusal. Nor does He reveal this knowledge by a vision         salvation! A hopeless, comfortless, impossible figment!
in the sky, nor by the voice of angels, nor by an              But the Gospel remains immutable. Take a look at its
appearance of Christ himself before us. If anyone              beautiful,' powerful and utterly biblical expression as


110                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



found in the Heidelberg Book of Comfort.                       minds, but in word only.
  We must not only know what the Gospel is, but how               "But our Gospel came . . . unto you . . . in power
it should be received, if we are to have any good from         and in the Holy Spirit." When it comes to us in power,
it. "For our Gospel came not unto you in word only."           its first effect is not that we "anon with joy receive it,".
That  .is all many hearers of the Gospel receive, the          nor that we do many things, and hear it gladly (Mark
mere external word of it, not the power of it. It has, of      6:20), but rather that we believe the state of misery
itself, a natural appeal to the intellect and an attractive    described in it is ours, namely, that we are enmity
force of argument. This, by itself, is the mere letter,        against God (Rom.  8:7), by nature the children of
which, by itself,  killeth. But that is all many know,         wrath (Eph.  2:3), under the curse of the law (Gal.
experimentially, of the Gospel. They attend church, 3: 10) and were led captive by the devil at his will (II
pray, sing praises, partake of the sacraments, pay Tim. 2:26). When the Gospel comes to us in the power
tithes, etc., and believe that this should make them           of the Holy Spirit, we have heard more than "a good
good enough for heaven: Where they believe there is a sermon," which we may or may not have enjoyed. We
deficiency in their account, they call in the merits of do not think how we liked it. We think, How do I like
Christ to make up the difference. They put new wine myself, miserable, offending sinner that I am? What
(Christ's blood of atonement) into the old bottles of does God think of me? How much of His Word is evi-
their self-righteousness. They attempt the sewing of dent in my conduct by a righteous life? Then we have a
new cloth (Christ's righteousness) on the filthy rags of zeal not only for the truth of election, but also for the
their dead works. The Gospel has penetrated their fruits of election!



                                             Its Assurance

  "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God:            man is bound to believe that he is certainly in the
for our Gospel came . . . in much assurance" (1 Thess. number of the elect, let such an one be accursed."
1:4, 5), which means not only that it is possible for us `Popery puts its puerile curses against plain Scripture.
to know our election, that we may and ought to know "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect!
it, but also that we may be assured of it beyond a It is God that justifieth! Who is he that condemneth!"
doubt. When the Gospel comes to a man in the power Does not that Scripture make it as plain as possible
of the Spirit, he doubts not the Scripture's veracity, that the justified man is certainly in the number of the
infallibility, authenticity and authority. He becomes elect? If a man cannot believe that he is among the
convinced that it, and the preached word, is "not the          elect, neither can he believe he is among the justified.
word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God" The Apostle Paul thought that a justified man is bound
(v. 13). For him, the clever arguments of atheists, to believe he is in the number of the elect. He taught,
modern scientists and sociologists are dispelled like "we are bound to give thanks always to God for you,
milk-weed in the wind. He affirms, "by His Holy Spirit brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from
my Father in heaven assures me of eternal life." He is the beginning  chosen  you to salvation through
as much assured of his election as he is of Christ's sanctification of the Spirit  and belief  of the truth"
absolute Godhead, His true humanity, His virgin birth, (II Thess. 2: 13). But since none of the curses of the
His atoning death, His office as prophet, priest and Council of Trent have been lifted from the head of so
king, His covenant  headship and His eternal reign. much as one Protestant, let the Romanist cease his
These things are settled in his mind once for all. His prattle about "dialogue" with the Protestant bodies.
faith, positive and dogmatic, may amaze the Let him know that according to his own Bible, the
self-complacent ignorant and amuse the supercilious Gospel, which comes in power, in the Holy Spirit, and
intellectual. His Romish acquaintances may regard his in much assurance, insists upon brethren beloved from
faith with a mixture of envy and amused tolerance. eternity knowing their election of God. (1 Thess. 1:4,
They may even eye him with pity, for according to the 5). Let him, also know that with us it is a very small
avowed standard of Popery, all such "erring brethren" matter that we should be judged of Rome, or of man's
are actually cursed. Ever since the Council of Trent judgment (1 Cor.  4:4). But if he know not anything
(1563, the year the Heidelberg Catechism, was first else, let him know at least this much, that "if any man
published), the Romish church has pronounced a curse preach any other `gospel' unto you than that which we
upon Ursinus, his catechism, and the Protestant and have preached unto you,  let him  be accursed" (Gal.
Reformed churches, in its decrees, one of which reads,         1:9)!
"If any one shall affirm that a regenerate and justified


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   111


                                            .Its Veneration
   The one who does the choosing puts honor and 65:4).
value on the chosen ones. To be appointed by the                Peculiar honor is further evident in the relative
president to an office is an honor; or to be granted a fewness of the elect in any age. In the days of Noah,
position by the state places dignity on the appointee. the elect were sheltered in "the ark . . . wherein few,
It was a special commendation that "Titus . . . was-also that' is, eight souls were saved" (1 Pet. 3 : 19), but "the
chosen of the churches" (2 Cor. 8: 19). Of higher world of the ungodly" perished. The Lord in answer to
honor is it that "God hath chosen the foolish things of the question, "Are there few that be saved?" (Luke
the world . . . God hath chosen the weak things of the 13:23), answered, "Narrow is the way which leadeth
world" (1 Cor.  1:27). The highest possible honor is unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt. 7:13).
expressed in, "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold, In contrast to the nations of the world, thy Lord says,
Mine Elect, My Beloved, whom I have chosen" (Isa.             "Fear not, (very) little flock, for it.. is your Father's
42: 1; Matt. 12: 18). Christ is the first Elect. He is the good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:30,
"chief Cornerstone, elect, precious" (1 Pet.  2:6), 32). It is true of God's people generally that "Ye were
which shows that the honor and excellency of the fewest of all people" (Deut. 7:7), and that was so
preciousness is upon Christ because He is elect. His because "many are called, but few chosen"  (Matt.
members are referred to thus, "His elect's sake, whom 20: 16). This scarcity comes about not because the
He hath chosen" (Mark 13 :20). The most honored of Lord is disappointed or defeated in His original
the saints are so because of their election: "For David purpose, but because it is the realization of His
My servant's sake, whom I chose" (1 Kings  11:34); foreordination in eternity. "Whatsoever the Lord
"Aaron whom He had chosen" (Ps. 150:26); Paul was pleased, that did He." "Whatsoever His soul desireth,
a "chosen vessel unto Me" (Acts 9: 15). "Ye are a even that He doeth." "He doeth according to His will
chosen generation" (1 Pet.  2:9), i.e., "an elect race" in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of
(ASV), for "I have chosen you" (John 15: 16). We the earth, and none can stay His hand." The total
could never dwell in the house of the Lord for ever number of the elect is "a great multitude, which no
except that we had been chosen of God. "Blessed is man could number, of all nations and  kindreds and
the man whom Thou choosest and causest  to approach people and tongues" (Rev. 7:9).
unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts"  (Ps.


                                            Its Resistance
  When the doctrine of election is scripturally and           perseverance of the saints as offensive. Still another
faithfully preached, it will be met -with bitter finds embarrassing to modern cultural tastes the
protestations. It was always so in every age of the           doctrine of the trinity and the doctrine of fiat
church. The natural man would rather not hear the             creation. Preach that men are by nature like the
truth of the absolute sovereignty of God, that He is the      impotent man, fallen, foul, helpless in the dust; like
Potter, while he the clay to be formed a vessel of wrath      the prodigal son, a bankrupt pauper owing ten
or a vessel of mercy, as He ordains. This arouses his ire     thousand talents with nothing to pay; like Lazarus,
as nothing else will. When the preacher insists that man      dead and stinking in the grave of sin and spiritual
is so totally depraved in sin that he is spiritually dead,    death; like the dry bones in the valley, utterly
is prone to all evil and incapable of any good, and           dependent on the sovereign good pleasure of God for
therefore can never come to salvation unless God has restoration and life  - preach that, and vain man,
chosen and quickened him, that preacher is denounced ignorant of his real misery, cannot tolerate such
in rage as a "wicked man." Maintaining of this truth self-denuding, pride-abasing doctrine.
has brought forth opposition from local church,                 From experience you soon learn that the usual'
bearing the name Reformed, and from standing method of attack against this truth is that of
denominational committee. Certain Bible movements misrepresentation, not that of refutation. It is not
single out an attack on first one part of Scripture           taken up and answered, but held down and perverted.
truth, then another, until very little of fundamental It is so hated that it cannot be mentioned nor
Bible truth is left. One movement agrees that the five appraised in such a way as to let the doctrine as found
points of Calvinism are a "one hoss  shay." Another in the Reformed and Calvinistic confessions and.in the
contemptuously regards eternal punishment as                  Scripture speak for itself. Instead, election is presented
unnecessary, and the final preservation and                   as though God ordained the end without ordaining the


112                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER


means; as though election were not to the end that we               threatening to the "democratic spirit," to
should be holy; that it were not through sanctification,            the"brotherhood of man" and the "unity of
faith and unto obedience. It is made to teach that the              mankind." Satan reveals his power when he is able to
elect may become as wicked as they please and still go              stir up all kinds of animosity against this truth from
to heaven, and the reprobate may have every regard for              every quarter of the wicked world. But he
virtue and longing for heaven, but despite that can                 demonstrates his cunning when he is able to enlist the
never make it to heaven. Often, denial of election takes            underground and underhanded activities of professing
the course of caricature of Scripture.                              Christians within the church to carry on his subversion
  This is the "smear" tactic used against the doctrine              for him. But none of these things should move the
of election. It is made to appear an evil monster,                  lover of Reformed truth.


The Voice of our Fathers

         Belgic Confession, Article 14 Pre- Adamite Man?
                                                           Rev. J. Kortering

  All who accept a form of progressive creationism presuppositions. They are as follows.
have to deal with the problem of evolution as it applies              First, "We may assert that the geologists are
to man. Was there a man before Adam? Was Adam the completely wrong and that man was created a few
Cro-Magnon man? When did the animal become man? thousand years before Christ." He suggests that if this
  These problems arise upon a rejection of the simple is our presupposition, then we will say that geologists
faith presented in our Belgic Confession. There we and anthropologists are blinded by evolution and
read,. "We believe that God created man out of the therefore not to be trusted. He, however, cannot take
dust of the earth, and made and formed him after his this position because, "We cannot write off all of
own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy, modem geology and anthropology in defense of the
capable in all things to will, agreeable to the will of origin of man about 4000 B.C."
God."                                                                  Secondly, "We may assert that there is a difference
  It may interest us and thereby reaffirm our faith in between fossil man and Biblical man." We could say
the creation of man, if we pause a few moments to that fossil man was part of the original creation and
consider how the progressive creationist deals with the that there was a long period of time between Gen. 1: 1
pre-Adamite problem.                                                and Gen 1:2ff., (the gap theory). By the time God got
  We will let Bernard Ramm be our spokesman. In our around to creating man, the fossil  inan was ready to
last article we referred to his book, The Christian View become man and God did a little improving upon him.
of Science and Scripture., We noticed that he is If we reject the "Gap theory," we might go in the
sympathetic to the evidence of evolution and allows it direction of a  pre-Apamite man and maintain that
to influence his view of man's origin. Concerning this some of these men were alive upon the earth at the
he has more to say.                                                 same time Adam was. Concerning this, Ramm states,
                                                                    "There are problems with this theory before it can be a
FIVE PRESUPPOSITIONS                                                good option. It seems too much like having our cake
  He writes concerning the origin of man on pages and eating it . . . We can have the antiquity of  man,.
315, ff.                                                            and the recency of Adam! But who is to tell where one
           We believe that modern science has demonstrated          leaves off and the other begins? Certainly, if
        a great antiquity of man, relatively speaking. His          pre-Adamism leads to the breakdown of the unity of
        antiquity of somewhere near 500,000 years is large          the race we have theological problems with the
        compared to Ussher's 4004 B.C., but recent compared         imputation of sin through the fall of one man."
        to the 500 million years ago when life is abundantly          Thirdly, "We may believe that the Biblical account
        detected in the rocks.  Evangelicals  wiil applaud the      is metaphorical and we must look to science for the
        almost universal testimony of modem anthropology
        to the unity of the human race, but are apt to be very      actual data of man's origin." To this he adds an
        chary over an antiquity of about 500,000 years for          explanation, "We may accept the Genesis account as
        man. The answer to man's antiquity  r&St hinge in           theologically true, but believe that this inspired truth is
        large part on our presuppositions as to the origin of       set forth in allegorical or figurative or metaphorical or
        man.                                                        symbolical or mythical literary structure." He &es
       Ramm continues by detailing these five two examples of this approach, one of Emil Brunner


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                       113



and the other of James Orr. His evaluation of this                   We must await more information from science and
approach  is,. "Many Evangelical scholars would feel               exegesis before we can propound a pointed theory of
apprehensive over taking too many liberties with the               the harmony of Genesis and anthropology. The most
interpretation of the text, but it must also be kept in            vexing part of the problem is the connection of
mind that a crass, literalistic interpretation with its            Genesis 3 with Genesis 4. The evident recency of the
literal anthropomorphisms is also objectionable to                 date of Genesis 4 seems to involve us with the
good exegetical taste. There is nothing a priori in the            recency of man in Genesis 3. While awaiting a
                                                                   solution to the problem we can remind ourselves of
exegesis of the passage which enables the literalist (at           certain features which we tend to overlook; for
this point) to preempt the position of orthodoxy to                anatomy, anthropology, and physiology are not the
themselves. The account is graphic and it is somewhat              sole sources of information about man.
anthropomorphic and it is somewhat pictorial."                   What are these features we tend to overlook? They
   Fourth, "We may take  theistic evolution  as the            are: (1) Both geology and Scripture teach that man is
solution to our problem of the origin of man." Such a          the latest major form to appear on the earth. Even if
view accepts the derivation of one species to another          we grant the anthropologist's point that man has been
or accepts theistic evolution as the modus operandi of on the earth 500,000 years, it still is recent compared
creation, or would accept evolution as long as it allows       to the 3 billion years of geologic history. (2)
for the inclusion of some idea of creation. He states,         Anthropology and Scripture agree that man is the
"Those who admit the possibility of theistic evolution highest  form of life, call it image of God or man
tack man's origin on to their general belief in theistic       possessing the largest brain in  ratio to the weight of
evolution and believe that at a certain point a                the body. (3) Both assert that man has much in
prehuman became a human, and that was Mr. Adam.                common with animals. The Bible says that the earth
The details of the creation of Eve would then be brought forth the animals, and God made man from
considered as a graphic or metaphorical or dramatic            the dust. Science says that man's body is the
 method of indicating the unity of male'and female be- continuation of the animals. (4) There is a divine
fore God. Certainly if a scholar accepts the theory of element detectable in human nature now, which
theistic evolution for man's origin he is no more bound        indicates a divine origin of man in the past. Psychology
to a literal account of Eve's origin than he is of and philosophy bear proof of this.
Adam's." Here too, he refers to James Orr as the                 His final point is as follows:
representative of this view. He quotes Orr's book,                   Perhaps our problem is interpretative. Maybe our
Go d's Image in Man                                                trouble is that we are trying to apply modern methods
       I have already made the admission that there is no          of historiography to a method of divine revelation
     necessary antagonism between theism and a doctrine            which will not yield  to5uch  a treatment. It might be
     of organic evolution as such. The species should have         that in some clay tablet yet to be unearthed  - and
     arisen by a method of derivation from some primeval           Chiera said 90 percent are still buried!  - will come a
     germ (or germs) rather than by unrelated creations, is        new clue to the interpretation of these early chapters.
     not only not inconceivable, but may even commend              Until we get further light from science or archaeoloa
     itself as a higher and more worthy conception of the          we must suspend judgment as to any  final theory of
     divine working than the older hypothesis.  Assume             the harmonization of Genesis and anthropology,
     God  - as many devout evolutionists do  - to be               realizing that if we are pledged to period geology we
     immanent in the evolutionary process, and His                 perhaps shall have to be pledged to period
     intelligence and purpose to be expressed in it; then          anthropology.
     evolution so far from conflicting with theism may
     become a new and heightened form of the theistic          A FALSE SYNTHESIS
     argument.                                                   By way of a brief criticism of the above, we offer
   Fifth, "Another possibility is to affirm that  man  is ; the following:
as old as anthropologists  say  he  is." This approach            1. Unbelieving science is readily accepted as the
would simply say, all right, man is 500,000 years old,         interpreter of natural revelation. This we reject, for
we accept that. We can harmonize this with the days of         such science prostitutes that revelation rather than
Genesis being long periods of time, and thereby animal         understands it. Rom  1:20-24. Only the believer
gradually evolved into man during the "sixth day." To          thoroughly imbued with the love of God and the
, this Ramm responds, "All these interpretations are           wisdom of the Word of God is qualified to address
 accompanied by serious problems, and materialistic            himself to the givens of natural revelation. He alone is
 and naturalistic views about man have them as well. If        spiritually prepared to deal properly with it. Such a
 there were prehumans or pre-Adamites we have no               scientist has nothing in common with the unbeliever,
 criteria as yet to identify them in any given find unless     much less will he be impressed with the unbeliever's
 we arbitrarily assign a date to Biblical man."                conclusions on origins. The blind must not be leaders
   What does Ramm say in conclusion to  all this?              of the blind or they both fall into the pit. Matt. 15: 14.
 Listen.                                                          2. If the "evidence" of natural science will control


114                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



our exegesis of Scripture, the result is a complete never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, II
sell-out of divine revelation to human speculation. Tim. 3: 7. After having given different propositions to
Follow the line of reasoning. (1) Evolution is              consider, having documented these possibilities with
compatible with creation (the basic assumption we           learned quotations from authorities in the field, what
believe to be a serious error, theistic evolution or        do we get? This, "It might be that in some clay tablet
progressive creation are self-contradictory terms). (2)     yet to be unearthed - and Chiera said 90 percent are
Evolution is a process so creation is a process. (3) The    still buried!  - will come a new clue to the
process applies to the whole of creation, man is part of interpretation of these early chapters." Of all things,
that creation. (4) Evolution claims man's origin began      learned men still need more tablets to be able to
at least 500,000 B.C., this is too early for Adam's         understand the Scriptures.
presence in history if we take Genesis 3 and 4                 God give us child-like faith to believe what our
seriously, so there must have been pre-Adamite              fathers expressed so beautifully in the Belgic
creatures. So Ramm is willing to sell his spiritual         Confession, "We believe that God created man out of
birthright of the beautiful doctrine of creation of man     the dust of the earth, and made and formed him after
for a mess of scientific pottage when he says, "we          his own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy,
perhaps shall have to be pledged to period                  capable in all things to will, agreeable to the will of
anthropology."                                              God."
   3. This is a tragic example of man ever learning but        Such faith is a gift of God.


About Theological School

                  Seminary Building--A Progress Report

  Many are very interested in the progress of our drive     $20,000 above the last report). Of this total amount,
for funds for a new seminary building, and the              we have $40,149.27 in cash.
development of plans for its erection in the near              A little twiddling with a pencil will show that
future. We expect, by reports such as these, to keep        already, on an  average, our families have contributed
you well informed.                                          each $54.00 in cash, with an additional $59.00 pledged
  But first, a word of apology. In the last report, the     - for a total of $113.00. Remember: this is the
undersigned included the names of the individual average. Now that is nothing short of amazing - and
churches in the denomination and the sums collected         surely reason for gratitude to God. True, we need an
by them in the recent drive. This was presented in the      average of $150.00 per family - but right now we are
interest of a full and complete report. However, some       only $37.00 per family short of that goal. We would
thought that this invited unfair comparison between         earnestly ask our families for continued support: if
the various churches and ought to have been omitted.        gifts in cash or pledges have not yet been given, we
For this invitation to apparent unfair comparisons, I do    would ask for your gifts soon; if you have already
want to apologize. In the future, we expect not to          contributed or pledged, but could see your way clear
report in that manner.                                      to provide additional support, we ask for that
                                                            assistance. And our sincere thanks go to each of you
CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS                                    who have so generously supported this project.
  It can only be with continued gratitude to God that
we can report on the willingness of the members of our AND NOW: THE TASK OF BUILDING!
churches (and from some outside of our churches) to           Synod instructed our committee to dispose of the
support so generously this cause. The need was              proposed. building site next to our Southeast Church
recognized, and the response was in harmony with the        and. to purchase at least a two-acre site at the
recognition.                                                approximate cost of $10,000. Synod also instructed
  Our last report (August 10,1972) showed cash gifts our committee to appoint a "Blue Ribbon" Committee
and pledges of $64,278. That was just a shade under which would advise on site locations and supervise the
the 65% that Synod required before building would erection of a building.
begin. To date, we have far exceeded that 65%, though         We are in the process of attempting to sell our
we have not attained to 100% of the goal. With still        original location. This is not yet completed. The
about three of our churches to report, we have on           committee is of the opinion that this site will be finally
hand or pledged a total of $84,638.27 (a gain of over sold for at least as much as was originally invested in it.


                                2             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                    115



  That "Blue-Ribbon" Committee was also appointed.           Church. Proceeding south on Ivanrest, and just before
The chairman is Mr. Gordon Van Overloop  from our            r e a c h i n g   5 2 n d   S t r e e t ,   j u s t   s o u t h   o f   t h e
Hudsonville church. The other members are: Mr. Ernie         GrandvilIe-Wyoming  city boundaries, one can find the
Miedema from our Hudsonville church; Mr. John                proposed site. (Try to find it  - it isn't all that hard.
Kuiper, Jr. from our Hope Church; and Mr. Tom                Perhaps the Theological School Committee or the
Newhof, Jr. from our First, Grand Rapids church. (We         "Blue Ribbon" Committee can be persuaded to erect a
would also wish to express-our sympathy to one of the        sign : "Future Location of the Protestant Reformed
members of the committee,  Mr; Ernie Miedema, and            Seminary.")
his family in the sudden, recent death of their son.            The site is very lovely. The building would be placed
May God richly provide for them in this grief through        on the top of a rather high knoll overlooking most of
His Word and by His Spirit.)                                 Grand Rapids area. The view is extremely beautiful -
  This committee began with great enthusiasm to              and we hope not too distracting to professors and
carry out their task of finding a location for the new       students.
building. After spending much time investigating, they          Now the "Blue Ribbon" Committee has been
proposed two possible sites to the Theological School        instructed to prepare, for final approval of the
Committee with the suggestion that this committee            Theological School Committee, plans for a building
select one of the two. It was not easy to select. Neither    which will be suitable for this site. Likely there will
of the parcels was improved (no water or sewer). But         have to be modifications of the plan which was printed
both were very lovely sites. The chief consideration in the last Acts of Synod We will try to pass these on
was: which site would be of greater benefit for the new      to you, through the Standard Bearer, as soon as they
Seminary building and for the churches at large? We          are prepared.
could not unanimously agree on this question, but a             We do hope that building can begin by early spring
selection was made. And the Theological School               - at least we are aiming for such a goal. And we can
Committee unitedly agrees that now that the selection        not help but be excited about the prospect of having,
is made, we are going to proceed as soon as possible         finally, our own seminary building.
with building.                                                  We thank our covenant God for all these blessings
  "Where is it? Where is it?" you ask. Perhaps, if you       bestowed richly and freely upon our churches  - and
are acquainted with Grand Rapids, I can explain its          now seen again concretely in this endeavor which He
location. It is west of, and fronting on, Ivanrest, S.W.     has prospered.
One crosses  Ivanrest on 28th Street (the South Belt                                for the Theological School Committee,
Line), not very far from the location of our Southwest                                                          Rev. G. Van Baren


Contending For The Faith

    The Doctrine of Atonement (Reformation Period)
                                                 Rev. H. Feldman

  In our preceding article we quoted Article IV of the       position of the Arminians with respect to faith as the
Rejection of Errors of Head II of the Canons of Dordt        new condition prescribed by the Lord in connection
which treats the atoning suffering and death of our          with the salvation of the sinner.
Lord Jesus Christ. And we noted the fact that, in this          It is well to understand the meaning of faith as
article, the Remonstrants present what they consider         interpreted by the Reformed fathers. The Arminian
the condition upon which God will bestow life and            believed that faith is a condition which man by his free
salvation. In the preceding articles of this Rejection of    will must be willing to meet in order to be saved.
Errors the Arminians declare that Christ by His death        However, the meaning which the Remonstrant gave to
upon the cross merited for the Father the authority          faith is entirely different from that which the
and will to deal again with the sinner, to prescribe new     Reformed fathers attach to it. According to the
conditions for that sinner unto his salvation. Now, in       Reformed conception, and with this the entire church
Article IV, they state what this new condition is. We        agrees, as is stated at the conclusion of this fourth
must bear in mind, of course, that the fathers, in this      article, faith is, that gift of God whereby He places us
article, set forth the position of the Remonstrants,         in living connection with Christ, so that the
hold before us what they believe and know to be the          satisfaction of Christ remains the ground of all our


116                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



salvation. In the first place, the Reformed fathers            consist that we by faith, in as much as it accepts the
emphasized that faith is a gift of God. This, we know, is      merits of Christ, are justified before God and saved,
according to the Scriptures, as stated in Eph. 2:8: "For       but in the fact that God having revoked the demand of
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of perfect obedience of faith, regards faith itself and the
yourselves: it is the gift of God." In the second place,       obedience of faith, although imperfect, as the perfect
the Reformed position calls attention to the fact that         obedience of the law, and does esteem it worthy of the
this faith  is'one of the benefits merited by our Lord         reward of eternal life through grace."
Jesus Christ. Faith'is not a condition upon which the            We have already called attention to the fact that this
atonement of Calvary rests, but it is a benefit of that        translation as it appears in our psalter is an imperfect
cross. This is stated emphatically in Article VIII of the      translation of the original article. In the translation we
Second Head of the Canons, and we quote: "For this             read : "but in the fact that God having revoked the
was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and          demand of perfect obedience of faith." This should
purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and             read: "but  in. the fact that God having revoked the
saving efficacy of the most precious death of His Son          demand of the perfect obedience of the law." For the
should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon             Remonstrants faith becomes a work of man, which
them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring      indeed is not perfect, but which God in grace will
them infallibly to salvation." Notice, please, that the        account as the perfect obedience of the law. We should
gift of justifying faith is here connected with the            notice the following. God has now revoked, recalled
quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious            His demand of the perfect obedience of the law. This
death of the Son of God. And notice, too, that faith           refers to the law of the Old Dispensation. In the Old
here is God's means to bring these elect infallibly unto       Dispensation God demanded the perfect obedience of
salvation. And, in the third place, please notice that,        His law. Perfect obedience was God's requirement in
according to the Reformed fathers, faith accepts the           the days of the Old Testament shadows. Only then
merits of Christ. What a fundamental statement this is!        would the sinner be justified and accounted righteous
How this should be emphasized! Do we understand                before the Lord. This, however, failed. The sinner did
this statement in all its implications? Faith accepts. Of not measure up to this standard. And now the Lord
course! None will dispute this. Faith embraces, lays           introduces another condition for the sinner's
hold of something. The Reformed fathers, however,              righteousness and salvation. He will accept the faith of
emphasize that faith accepts, embraces, receives the           the sinner. It is true that this faith is imperfect. But the
merits of Christ. This means that faith itself never           Lord will accept this imperfect faith of the sinner as
merits anything. Faith only receives. There is never           his righteousness. Notice, please, that the righteousness
anything meritorious in faith. That a sinner believes          of Christ is not this perfect righteousness of thh-, sinner.
means that he appears before the living God as a               It is not what Christ did upon the cross of Calvary
worthless, condemnable sinner who can never do                 which renders man righteous before the Lord but the
anything else than render himself condemnable before sinner's faith. So, the sinner's faith has become a
the living God. Of course, we must believe. Of course,         work-righteousness, a work or activity of the sinner
the child of God must walk in the way of                       which renders him righteous before the living God.
sanctification, must seek the things that are above and          It is true that the A&-rinian also speaks of the grace
reject the things that are below. But all this is the fruit    of God. You will notice that he speaks of the "new
of faith and, therefore, the gift of God which never           covenant of grace." Of course, the Remonstrant
merits our justification, never precedes our                   realizes that he must insert the element of grace. Do
justification but is always the fruit of it. Faith never       not the Scriptures emphasize that we are saved by
has .anything to give, can never claim anything before         grace? So, he, too, speaks of the grace of God. But;
the living God. Faith always receives and embraces the         according to him, the grace' of God is simply this, that
merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. The ground of our             the Lord has consented to accept an imperfect faith as
justification is never anything we do but only what            the perfect obedience of the law. For the Lord to
Christ has done for His own upon the cross of Calvary.         accept as perfect that which is very imperfect is the
To believe means' that we lay ourselves prostrate in the       condescending goodness of the Lord.
dust with the plea of the penitent in our hearts and             Of course, this also implies that, according to the
upon our lips: O,God, be merciful to me, the sinner.           Remonstrant, also the works which proceed from faith
This is the meaning of faith as interpreted by the             are reckoned as part of that condition; This all comes
Reformed fathers.                                              down to this, that man by faith can merit salvation
  How radically different is the meaning of faith as           with God. And this is also the teaching of Roman
set forth by the Remonstrant! We read in this fourth           Catholicism which declares accursed anyone who
article : "Who teach: That the new covenant of grace,          denies that our works cannot merit anything before
which God the Father, through the mediation of the             the Lord. The Arminians have certainly followed in the
death of Christ, made with man, does not. herein               footsteps of the workrighteousness of Rome.


                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER                                                       117



    How do our Reformed fathers appraise this                                 the Lord will declare something to be true that is not
 conception of the Remonstrants? In the first place we                        true. How can the holy and righteous God declare
 would again remind our readers of the fact that the                          something to be worthy of everlasting life which is not
 Arminians declare that the Reformed position speaks                          worthy of that everlasting life? This is completely
 contemptuously of the sufferings and death of Christ.                        contrary to what the Heidelberg Catechism declares in
 How bold and evil is this charge of these heretics! We                       Question and Answer 11, as setting forth the truth of
 speak contemptuously of the death of Christ? We                              the infallible  Scriptures:"Is not God then also
 speak of the cross with disdain when we maintain that                        merciful? God is indeed merciful, but also just;
 this death of our Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only                      therefore His justice requires that sin which is
 ground of our justification, when we emphasize the                           committed against the most high majesty of God be
 power and efficacy of that cross, that the blood of our                      also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting
 Lord Jesus Christ actually blots out all our sins and                        punishment of body and soul." And this is surely the
' trespasses and merits for all His own everlasting life                      truth of the Word of God. The holy and unchangeable
 a n d   g l o r y ?   T h e   R e f o r m e d   f a t h e r s   s p e a k    God can never deny Himself, can never accept as the
 contemptuously of the death of Christ, when in the                           ground for the justification of the sinner that which is
 cross of Christ they glory and seek in it all their life                     in violation of His righteousness and justice.
 and salvation? And what about the Arminian? Why,                               Of course, that the Arminian takes this position
 actually discards the cross of Calvary. He declares that                     does not surprise us. Fact is, he is not interested in the
 the Lord accepts his faith, however imperfect, as the                        Lord. He is not interested in the holiness and
 ground for his justification and forgiveness of his                          righteousness of the alone living God. The Arminian is
 sins. Of course, he must maintain this. Does he interested only in the sinner. It is not his concern
 not believe in a death of Christ for all? Does this whether sin be paid or not. He therefore tramples
 not mean that Christ, therefore, also died for those                         under foot every truth that extols and magnifies the
 who perish? And does this not mean that Christ                               Lord, and prates of that which elevates the sinner.
 therefore never really did pay for man's sins and                            Everything revolves about the free will of man. Man's
 trespasses? Hence, he cannot seek in the cross the                           salvation does not rest upon God and the work of God.
 ground of his justification. That cross never did pay for                    It does not rest upon the cross of Calvary. It rests upon
 his sin. The Lord, therefore, will accept the sinner's                       his faith, and the Lord, although denying Himself and
 faith as the ground of his justification, and will also                      everything that is just and holy, simply accepts his
 regard that sinner's works as meritorious. But this is                       imperfect faith as the perfect obedience of His law.
 not all. This Arminian conception also violates the                          But the Reformed fathers, and the Church of God
 justice and righteousness of the Lord. The Lord will                         throughout the ages, proclaims that faith is a gift of
 regard a sinner's imperfect faith as a perfect fuitillment                   God and that we are saved only because God loved us
 of His law. This means that the Lord will evaluate as                        first in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 perfect that which is very imperfect. This means that


 From Holy  .Writ

                                Pure and Undefiled Religion (4)
                                                             Rev. Robert D. Decker

 CHAPTER I:58
    The question to be answered is, "What is this                             Ecclesiastes). God reveals Himself in His Word, the
 wisdom which, according to the text, we lack?"                               Bible as the all-wise God. God, in His infinite, perfect
 Wisdom is not to be confused with intellectual                               wisdom, determined the end or goal  (telos)  of all
 knowledge. One may be brilliant and have a head full                         things; viz., the perfect glory of Himself revealed in the
 of knowledge and still be a fool. One may even have a                        Body of Jesus Christ. And God determined all things,
 thorough knowledge of the Scriptures and be a fool.                          great and small, that should by the power of His
 James is speaking of the wisdom of God. We must ask                          providence work toward that goal to be finally realized
 for wisdom of God because "the Lord giveth wisdom"                           in the new' creation. Thus the Scriptures teach that
 (Prov.  2:6). There is no other source of true wisdom                        everything finds its meaning and significance in
 than the Lord. All the wisdom of this world, of- sinful                      relation to Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the
 man, is foolishness (cf. I Cor. 1, the Book of                               dead (cf. that beautiful passage, Col. 1:  13-23):


118                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



Everything was created by and for Christ Who is the           pray constantly. We must not expect that God will
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every            grant us the necessary wisdom apart from the means of
creature. In Christ we have redemption, even the              constant. prayer. More often than not, when God's
forgiveness of sins, and are delivered out of the power people are troubled and perplexed, it is simply because
of darkness. By Christ all things consist and in all          they aren't praying as they ought. God doesn't drop
things, He has the preeminence. This is the counsel of wisdom from the sky automatically. As the
God: "For it pleased the Father that in him should all Heidelberger teaches, He gives His grace and Holy
fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the             Spirit only to those who sincerely and continuously
blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to         ask them of Him. (Lord's Day 45) Further, our praying
himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth,      must be very specific. We are to ask for wisdom That's
or things in heaven." (vss. 19,20)  That is the wisdom the need. The need is not that the temptations be
of God. Wisdom in the child of God then is to know removed, or that we be exempt from the resulting
the reality of that good pleasure of God as revealed in       sufferings and reproach. The need is God's wisdom, so
Jesus Christ, preserved in the infallibly inspired            that we may conform to God's will and way.
Scriptures. And, wisdom is to possess the skill to live in      We are to ask: "of God who giveth to all men
harmony with that reality. One is truly wise when he          liberally and upbraideth not." Again the translation is
orders his life in obedience to the revealed will of God not accurate. A literal rendering appears somewhat
and lives in harmony with God. Jesus Himself stilted in the English. "Let him ask from the giving
illustrates true wisdom in the little parable of the wise     God, to all liberally and not upbraiding." Notice that.
and foolish builders, recorded in Matthew  7:24-29.           We must ask from the giving God, from the God Whose
The wise man knew the reality of the wind, rain, and          very nature it is to give. Our God is the giving God.
floods; and he therefore built his house upon the rock,       The cross is the proof. "God so loved the world that he
and it stood. The foolish man, refusing to reckon with gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
the reality of the rain and wind, built his house upon in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
the sand. It fell, and great was the fall of it! Jesus        John 3: 16.
teaches that the point is: whoever hears and does His           God is the giving God in Jesus Christ. In Christ He
sayings  is wise, and whoever hears and does not his          gives us all spiritual blessings, and, in this context, the
sayings is foolish.                                           wisdom we need to count it all joy when we fall into
  Now, if we are going to count it all joy when we fall       divers temptations.
into divers temptations in the knowledge that the               The text speaks of how God gives as well. He gives
trying of our faith works patience, we need the               to all. Not to all men. The word "men" doesn't even
wisdom of God. By the wisdom of God we are able to            appear in the text. But He gives to all. All, not only
see God's gracious direction of our lives, His molding who find themselves in divers temptations, but all who
us after the image of Christ. But, as we saw last time,       keep on asking for wisdom from God. All the slaves of
this is precisely what we lack. For that reason the           God through the Lord Jesus Christ who pray earnestly
inspired James says, "Ask of God." That verb really and fervently and unceasingly for God's wisdom. God
means "demand," and it carries the notion of extreme          furthermore gives liberally. That is: God gives simply,
urgency, an urgency born of a crying need. This is            openly, freely, sincerely; moved only by His gracious
determined by the use of this term in other Scriptures.       desire to give to His redeemed. Out of His abundant
I Peter 3: 15 teaches that we must be ready always to         and merciful generosity God gives wisdom to His
give an answer to everyone who "asks" (demands) a praying children. "And he upbraideth not." Here the
reason of the hope that is within us. Jesus exhorts us Holy Spirit uses the negative for emphasis. To upbraid
to ask, seek, and knock, and we shall receive, find, and is to reproach, so that the point is that God does not
it shall be opened to us (Matt. 7:9-l 1). This urgency is     give grudgingly, as we often do. He does not reproach
further emphasized by both the tense and mood of the us for lacking and asking. God doesn't scold His
verb: present, imperative. A literal translation is: "Let children when they come to Him just as they are  -
him keep on demanding." The child of God in divers empty. When the child of God comes to this awareness
temptations is to pray without ceasing for the wisdom         of His giving God, he is moved to sing with Asaph; "0
of God. His whole life must be a life of persistent God, how good thou art to all the pure of heart,
prayer for the wisdom of God, in order to know God's          though life seems vain; Burdened with anxious care, I
.way with him and live in harmony with that way.              groped in dark despair, `till in thy house of prayer all
  All this says something about praying. Prayer is was made plain." No one ever keeps on asking from
demanding of God. We have the right to do that on the God without receiving. This is the sure promise of the
basis of the merits of Jesus Christ. As the redeemed, Word of God; "it shall be given him. " There can be no
we encounter many temptations; and for Jesus' sake doubt about that. God will surely give His asking
we are to demand of God the wisdom necessary to children the necessary wisdom to see His way and live
endure them patiently and joyfully. And, we are to in harmony with it.


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     119



   But, writes James, "Let him ask in faith, nothing         straddling the fence, with one foot in the world and
wavering . . ." (verse 6). To be sure, this means that we    the other in the church. On the Lord's Day he's in
must pray without doubting. Doubting is really sin.          church and apparently a sincere chiId of God. With a
Surely, one cannot pray for the wisdom of God                show of great piety he listens to and agrees with the
doubting that God will hear his petition and grant his       preaching of the Word; but from Monday through
request. Jesus in Mark 11 told His disciples that when       Saturday he is found seeking the perishing things of
they pray, they must believe. It is that faith which         the earth. Thus he is described as "unstable in all his
moves mountains. Hebrews  11:6 teaches: "But                 ways." He lacks the ability to stand firmly on the
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that    Word, and therefore he is always reeling about as a
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a      drunken man. He is unsteady in all his. ways: in his
rewarder of them that diligently seek him. "                 home, at his job, in school. In all his ways, in all his
  As true as this may be, it is not the point of the         life, he is unstable. He's always compromising with sin.
text. We are to pray in the sphere of faith, which           Rather than counting it all joy in divers temptations,
means in reference to faith. This is explained by            he yields. Thus he is to be compared to a wave of the
"nothing wavering." Wavering is vacillating. James is        sea, or the surge of the sea, as it is always agitated and
saying, then, that we must not pray for wisdom while         tossed about by the wind. Thus James gives a vivid
secretly loving the world and yielding to the                picture of the one who fails to pray in faith. He has no
temptations. In no way vacillating, but only out of a        s t a b i l i t y .
pure, sincere desire for the wisdom of God, we are to           Flatly the text states: "Let not that man imagine  -
ask in faith.                                                that he shall receive anything of the Lord." When he
  The ground for this admonition  to- ask in faith is:       prays, he will receive nothing. And, lacking the wisdom
"For (because) he that wavereth is like (is to be            of God, he will find no peace. Anxiety and despair and
compared to) a wave of the sea (or, the surge of the         ultimately destruction will be his experience.
sea) driven (agitated) by the wind and tossed about.            The message is well taken. We do find ourselves
For let not that man think (suppose, imagine, or             ,amid divers temptations. Let us humbly keep on
delude himself into thinking) that he shall receive          asking wisdom from our giving God, in faith, without
anything from the Lord. A double minded man is               wavering. It shall be given us. And we shall be able
unstable in all his ways." (verses 6-8). The meaning is      then to know God in Jesus Christ and order our life in
clear. The man who wavers is double minded, literally        harmony with His will. That affords unspeakable joy -
"two-souled." He is the foolish man who tries to live        even now in this weary night of sin and death.


                 RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                                     RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
   The Ladies Society of Southwest Protestant  Re-             The Ladies Society of Hope Protestant Reformed
formed Church expresses its sincere sympathy to one Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, expresses their
of its members, Mrs. Ted Engelsma, in the passing of sincere sympathy to one of its members, Mrs. William
her mother,                                                  Kamps, her husband and their children in the death of
                                                             their son and brother                           ,
           MRS. WILLIAM MASTENBROEK.                                                GEORGE KAMPS.
   "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and            May our God comfort the bereaved in their sorrow
whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live        and grant them His peace.
therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14:8).          "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
                                                             blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1: 2 1).
                        Rev. H. Veldman, Pres.                                           Rev. R. Van Overloop, Pres.
                        Mrs. John Buiter, Sec'y.                                         Mrs. David Meulenberg, Sec'y.


                                       ANNIVERSAR Y  ANNOUNCEMENT

   On December 4, 1947 our parents,                          Word of God in the past years and wish them God's
    M-R. AND MRS. GORDON,VAN OVERLOOP,                       blessing in their remaining years together on this earth.
were united in holy matrimony. We the children and
grandchildren wish them God's continued blessing on                David                  Mr. and Mrs. Jim Van Overloop
their 25th.wedding anniversary. We are thankful to our             Randal                 Rev. and Mrs. R. Van Overloop
covenant God for bringing them to this milestone. We               Greg                     K e v i n
wish to thank them for their love and guidance in the              Tom              t       Ronda

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

                                News From Our Churches
  It's evident from information found in church              usual, in First Church. As part of the program
bulletins received during the past couple of weeks, that     presented at that time, the choir of our own Covenant
many of our churches were actively involved in the           Christian High School, under the direction of Mr.
commemoration of Reformation Day. We find the                Roland Petersen, sang "Holy is the Almighty," and
following, for example, in the October.29 bulletin of        "Sing Unto God." The lecture, on "Holy Scripture -
Southwest: "Rev. Veldman has received the consent of Wholly Divine," was delivered by Prof. H. C.
the Consistory to administer the Word to the                 Hoeksema. According to a note in the printed
Congregation at Pella today. He will deliver a               program, a tape recording of the lecture has been made
Reformation Day speech Tuesday evening in the Pella          available for a nominal sum. Further, free literature
area."                                                       was displayed on a table in the foyer on the evening of
  From a couple of -Hull bulletins we can learn of           the lecture.
further activities of our western churches. "The               A couple of quotes from the message on the
Reformed Witness Committee," according to one of above-mentioned printed program might be
those bulletins, made "plans to sponsor a Reformation        appropriate in this connection. The Protestant
Day lecture in each of the local congregations. Rev.         Reformed Churches in America, it was pointed out,
Lanting will speak in Edgerton, Monday, October 30,          "are approaching the fiftieth year of their existence,
Rev. Moore in Doon, Tuesday, October 31, and Rev.            and still hew the line of the truth expressed by the
Kortering, Wednesday, November 1, in Hull." The              fathers of the Reformation of the sixteenth century.
topics of the lectures, according to another bulletin        This they do both in preaching and in practice.
announcement, were as follows: `"Faith of our                  "Our reference to antiquity is simply to remind you
Fathers," by Rev. Lanting; "Scriptural Basis of the          that biblical concepts believed and expressed by the
Reformation," by Rev. Moore; and "Reformation                Reformers are, according to our conviction, the sole
Today," by Rev. Kortering. Hull's congregation was           basis for the right of existence of any church which
encouraged to "help promote the lecture in our area          purports to be Reformed . . .
by distributing the invitation cards available in the          "It is our prayer that God will call His people who
bulletin rack. These can be handed out or sent through have strayed from this foundation back to the old
the mail to anyone you think might be interested in          paths, and to a firm resolve that the ancient landmarks
attending."                                                  never be removed."
  From Isabel, South Dakota, comes word that "the              Permit me one more yet - this one a line from John
congregation and the public (were) invited to attend a       Calvin's  The Necessity  -of Reforming the Church,
public lecture by (Rev. Miersma) discussing the              q u o t e d   i n "Thoughts for Contemplation," of
`Reformation and its significance for us as Protestant Loveland's bulletin: "There is nothing in which all men
Reformed churches.' "                                        ought to feel a deeper interest, nothing in which God
       And, still further west, the Church Extension wishes us to exhibit a more intense zeal, than in
Committee of Loveland Protestant Reformed Church endeavoring that the glory of His name may remain
sponsored a public, Reformation Day lecture in the unimpaired, His kingdom be advanced, and the pure;
Denver Christian High School Gym. Rev. Engelsma doctrine, which alone can guide us to true worship,,
spoke on "The Importance of the Preaching of God's flourish in full vigor."
Word." Advance work for this lecture included the                                    ****
following, according to an early October Loveland              The worthwhile news yet before me is sufficient to.
bulletin: "The plans of our Church Extension                 fill at least another complete column. It will have to:
Committee for a Reformation Day lecture in Denver            wait, of course, but there's one item which we `cannot
include calling on persons living in Denver with whom        pass by. From Mr. Vander Wal, the following:
we have had some contact. If you, know of someone              "The business manager of our  Standard Bearer  is
whom we may contact personally, please give his name         `hunting' again! Last time reported, he was hunting for
to our (committee) soon."                                    a subscriber in Hawaii. Well, we got one. The time
       Then, from our eastern churches, we learn that the    before, one in Alaska. We got three! This hunting trip
Men's Society of our South Holland congregation              is aimed at the state of Utah. At present our paper is
sponsored a public lecture held on November 10. The          not sent to any resident of that state. Any reader of
lecturer was Rev. D. Engelsma, who spoke on the              The Standard Bearer. who submits a name and address
subject "How does the Protestant church of today             of a resident in the state of Utah, is promised that the
stand in relation to the church and doctrine of the          name submitted will receive a three-month  free
Reformation Era?"                                            subscription.
  The lecture in the Grand Rapids area was held, as            "Westward Ho!"                                   D.D.


