                                    he

                              tandid

                                            earer

. 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
                  A Prayer For Forgiveness

               To Be Tolerant Or Intolerant
                  (see: In His Fear)

                The Supreme Court and Abortion
                  (see: All Around Us)

                cc. . . .and earthquakes. . . ."
     .            (see: Signs of the Times)



                                                Volume XLIX /Number 12  /March  15,1973


266                                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


                              CONTENTS:                                                                                     THE  STANDARD   BEARER
                                                                                        Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July, and August.
                                                                                        Published by the Reformed Free  PublishinS  Association. Inc.
Editorials -                                                                                 Second Class Postage Paid at Grand  Rapids.   Mich.
   Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266          Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Homer C. Hoeksema
                                                                                   Department Editors:  Rev. Robert D. Decker, Mr. Donald  Doezema,  Rev.
   Should OPs and RPs Unite? (5)                                                    D a v i d   J .   Engelsma,   R e v .   C o r n e l i u s   Hanko.   P r o f .   H e r m a n   H a n k o .   R e v .
                                                                                    R o b e r t   C .   H a r b a c h ,   R e v .   J o h n   A .   Heys,  R e v .   J a y   Kortering.  Rev. Dale H.
        Information, Please! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267             Kuiper,   R e v .   G e o r g e   C .   L u b b e r s ,   R e v .   Marlnus   Schipper,   R e v .   G i s e   J .
                                                                                   V a n   Baren.   R e v .   H e r m a n   Veldman.   R e v .   B e r n a r d   W o u d e n b e r g
M e d i t a t i o n   -                                                            Editorial  dffice:   Prof. H. C. tloeksema
   A Prayer For Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,269                                                1 8 4 2   P l y m o u t h   T e r r a c e ,   S . E .
                                                                                                                  G r a n d   R a p i d s ,   Mich.  49506
Question Box -                                                                     Church News Editor:                         M r .   D o n a l d   Ooezema
                                                                                                                               1 9 0 4   P l y m o u t h   T e r r a c e ,   S . E .
   Some Pertinent Questions About                                                                                              G r a n d   R a p i d s ,   Mich.  49506
                                                                                   Editorial Policy:  Every editor is solely responsible for the contents of his
        Our Reformed Position (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271                 o w n   a r t i c l e s .   C o n t r i b u t i o n s   o f   g e n e r a l   i n t e r e s t   f r o m   o u r   r e a d e r s   a n d
                                                                                   q u e s t i o n s   f o r   t h e   Q u e s t i o n - B o x   D e p a r t m e n t   a r e   w e l c o m e .   C o n t r i b u t i o n s
All Around Us -                                                                    wlll   b e   l i m i t e d   t o   a p p r o x i m a t e l y   3 0 0   w o r d s   a n d   m u s t   b e   n e a t l y   W r i t t e n
                                                                                   or typewritten, and must be signed. Copy deadlines are the first and the
   The Supreme Court' and Abortion . . . . . . . . . . .274                        fifteenth   o f   t h e   m o n t h .   A l l   c o m m u n i c a t i o n s   r e l a t i v e   t o   t h e   c o n t e n t s
                                                                                   should  ba sent to the editorial office.
   Some Thoughts On Dialoguing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .276 Repfinf   PO/icy:  Permission is hereby granted for the reprinting of  ar!iCleS
Signs of the Times  -                                                              I n   o u r   m a g a z i n e   b y   o t h e r   p u b l i c a t i o n s .   provided:   a )   t h a t   s u c h   repranted
   "                                                                               articles are reproduced in full;  b) that proper acknowledgement is made;
       . . . and earthquakes . . ." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277           c) that a copy of the periodical in which such reprint appears is sent  t0
                                                                                   our editorial  offlce.
From Holy Writ -                                                                   Business Office:  The Standard Bearer,
  Pure and Undefiled ,Religion (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . .279                                                   Mr. H.  Vander   Wal.  Bus.  Mgr.
                                                                                                                  P . O .   Box  6064
Voice of our Fathers +                                                                                            G r a n d   R a p i d s ,   M i c h i g a n   4 9 5 0 6
                                                                                   Business Agent for Australasia:                                       Mr. Wm. van  Rij
   Belgic Confession, Article 14                                                                                                                        5 9   K e n t   L o d g e   A v e .
                                                                                                                                                        Chrlstchurch  4, New Zealand
        Man, Created In God's Image . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 1 .%brcriptiOn   hIiCy:  Subscrlption   p r i c e , $ 7 . 0 0   p e r   y e a r   ( $ 5 . 0 0   for
                                                                                   Australasia). Unless a  definite  request for  discontinuance  is received, it  IS
In His Fear -                                                                      assumed that the subscriber  wishes  the subscription to continue without
                                                                                   the formality of a renewal order, and he Will be billed for renewal.  If YOU
  To Be Tolerant Or Intolerant -                                                   have a change of address, please notify the Business Office as  early  as
                                                                                   oosslble  In order to avoid the inconvenience of delayed delivery.  Include
        That Is The Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283              j-our  Zip Code.
                                                                                   Advertising Policy: 
Book Reviews -                                                                                                             The  Standard Bearer  does not accept commercial
                                                                                   advertlsin           o f   a n y   k i n d .   A n n o u n c e m e n t s   o f   c h u r c h   a n d   s c h o o l   e v e n t s .
  The Covenantal Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28.5                 anniversar9 es obltuarles,   a n d   s y m p a t h y   r e s o l u t i o n s   w i l l   b e   p l a c e d   f o r   a
                                                                                   $ 3 . 0 0   f e e   ihese   s h o u l d   b e   s e n t   t o   t h e   B u s i n e s s   O f f i c e   ancl   snould  be
                                                                                   accompan'ied  by the $3.00 fee. Deadline for announcements is the  1st Or
   FeedMy  S h e e p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 6 the 15th of the month. previous to publication on the 15th or the  1st
                                                                                   respectively.
   Farewell To Anglicanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287                  B o u n d   Volumes:   The Business Office will accept  standins  orders for
News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288                    b o u n d co les o f   t h e   c u r r e n t   v o l u m e ;   s u c h   o r d e r s   a r e   fllled  as soon as
                                                                                   possible a Pter completion of a Volume. A  llmited   number  of past volumes
                                                                                   may be obtained through the Business  Offlce.





Editorials

                                                    Editor's Notes
                                                                 ProJ: H.  C H o e k s e m a

   Publication News.  The second, correct printing of this issue. I'm sure you will notice it if it is enclosed; so
Reformed Dogmatics has long been in the hands of our if you don't notice it, it isn't there. But we do promise
printer. We had hoped that it would be ready by now. that it will be available soon. And we `do urge you to
However, a delay of some six weeks is due to a paper use it and to order good literature.
shortage. We have received word that the book is in
process of being printed now. After that it must still go                               Question Box. At the risk of being monotonous, let.
to our binder, who is also behind schedule. Working on me remind you that I still receive occasional letters for
the principle that misery loves company, I am glad that Question Box which are unsigned. Sorry, but they
I'm not the only one who gets behind schedule. But as cannot be used and will not be answered. Let me
to the book, who knows? Maybe . . . Aprl 15???                                     clarify once more: we cannot accept anonymous
                                                                                   questions, but we do not publish your name when
   New Publications  Catalogue.  That brings to mind a your question is printed. So you can safely sign your'
second item which is behind schedule, namely, our name; I can keep a.secret.
new, (hopefully) up-to-date folder listing Protestant
Reformed publications. If our printer keeps his                                         Ten for Two. Do you have a friend or acquaintance
promise, we might even be able to enclose a copy with to whom you would like to introduce the  Standard


                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                267


Bearer? You can do so at a very reasonable price and            $2.00). for that friend. Send the name and address
still give him a good sampling of our magazine. Send in (and, of course, the $2.00). Our Business Manager will
a Ten for Two subscription (10 issues, a half year, for do the rest.


                             Should OPs and RPs Unite? (5)
                                     `i  Inform,ation, Please!
                                                      ProJ: H. C Hoeksema

  In our discussion of the  Ijroposed merger of the                      Dr. Glasser now is a professor on the faculty of
Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Reformed                         Fuller Theological Seminary whose president, David
Presbyterian Church (Evangelical Synod) we must                       Hubbard, participated in the National Council of
diverge briefly from the discussion of the OPC and                    Churches' pallas Assembly held on December 3-7,
Arminianism, in order to pay attention to another - to                1972. These men have gone into the ecumenical
me, new - aspect of this proposed merger.                             movement. for fellowship and personal testimony.
  This new aspect concerns a,matter  which I have not                    The Rev. K. C. Quek of Singapore, who as a
seen discussed in the Presbyterian Guardian's recent                  reporter covered the Bangkok Conference for the
discussions of this subject. The matter, briefly, is this:            Christian Beacon,  said that the "Affirmation on
                                                                      Salvation Today" was prepared by Dr. Arthur Glasser
are the two denominations agreed on the question of                   who played quite an important role being on the
e c u m e n i s m , particularly on the matter  of                    Steering Committee, thus adding to the evangelical
denominational attitudes toward the World Council of                  facade of the WCC.
Churches?                                                                Dr. Glasser's place of missionary leadership in the
  My question is `occasioned. by a rather disturbing                  Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, is
report in Dr. Carl McIntire's Christian Beacon (January               of `the greatest significance, for its board was a
25, 1973). Much of this issue is devoted to criticism of             breakaway from and a repudiation of the
the recent WCC meetings' in Bangkok and the                          Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions
"Dialogue With People of  OtLer Living Faiths."  -                   founded by Dr. J. Gresham Machen.
among them, Buddhists.  Among the various critical                 The article then goes on to classify Dr. Glasser as a
articles is one entitled, "Dr. Glasser: Fundamentalist leader of the "New  Evangelicals" and to criticize
Turned Ecumenist." I will quote the first  five others of both the RPC and the OPC as "new
paragraphs of this article:                                     evangelicals. " Elsewhere in this  same issue of the
           The activities of Dr. ArthFr F. Glasser, a voting    Christian Beacon  the "Affirmation on Salvation
    delegate and "reflector" in the Bangkok conference          Today" is reproduced (with Dr. Glasser's name
    of the World Council of Churches, stand out as a            attached), and this "Affirmation" is criticized.
    major accomplishment for the ecumenical movement.              Now it is not our purpose to express sympathy with
    His presence and participation,reveals  how men who         Dr. McIntire's position; while McIntire rightly criticizes
    once stood for the faith have joined hands "in              the WCC in many respects, we nevertheless are not in
    fellowship" with those who have long since rejected
    it.                                                         sympathy with his movement. Nor is it our purpose to
           Dr. Glasser was a top leader of the China Inland     e n t e r   i n t o   tine  m a t e r i a l   o f   D r .   G l a s s e r 's
    Mission and then of its renamed organization after it       accomplishments at the Bangkok Conference of the
    was driven out of China by the Communists. He was           WCC.
    an early graduate of Faith The?logical Seminary, and           Our concern is with the report as such. The report
    he became a strong critic of the International Council      presents Dr. Glasser as a voting delegate at the WCC
    of Christian Churches and of Dr. Carl McIntire in           conference and as an active participant in its activities.
    particular. After the Reformed Presbyterian Church,         And the report repeatedly associates this same Dr.
    Evangelical Synod, withdrew from the Bible                  Glasser with the Reformed Presbyterian Church,
    Presbyterian denomination and from the
    International Council of Christian Churches in 1954,        Evangelical Synod, the denomination. with which the
    Dr. Glasser, with other mission leaders of inclusivist      OPC proposes to merge. He is called a  missionary
    ideals, joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church,            leader as well as a minister in that denomination.
    Evangelical Synod. Today he is not only a minister in          This raises a few questions.
    that church but a member of the board of the World             The first question is, of course: .is the above report
    Presbyterian Mission.                                       concerning Dr. Glasser factually correct? I have no way


268                                       THE STANDARD BEARER


of knowing whether the  Christian Beacon  is correct OPC, July 6-l 0, 1970, decided to submit the following
when it states that Dr. Glasser is a minister of the RPC overture to the 1972 Synod of the RES :
and occupies a place of "missionary leadership."                  That this General Assembly overture the Synod of
Neither have I any reason to doubt the accuracy of the         the Reformed Ecumenical Synod, meeting in Sydney,
report, though I can hardly imagine that the Christian         Australia  ti 1972, to declare that its Rules and
Beacon  would dare to say these things without good            Standing Orders,  especially its articles on Basis,
information. But I .am simply asking for information.          Purpose, and Membership, make membership in the
The evidence that Dr. Glasser was an active delegate to        World Council of Churches and other religious
this WCC conference appears to be incontrovertible.            organizations which allow unbelief to be uncensured
  If the answer to the first question is Yes, then my          incompatible with membership in the Reformed
                                                               Ecumenical Synod, and to provide two years from
second question is three-fold: 1) Is the Reformed              the 1972 meeting of the Synod for Reformed
Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, a member of            Ecumenical Synod member churches which are in such
either the NCC or the WCC, or in any way                       fellowship (1) to decide in which they wish their
denominationally connected with either of these                membership to remain, and (2) to notify the
organizations? 2) Does the Reformed Presbyterian               Reformed Ecumenical Synod secretariat of their
Church, Evangelical Synod,  officially tolerate                decision.
participation by its members and officebearers in the        It is certainly a fair conclusion that the above
WCC or the NCC? 3) `Or, if neither of the preceding is overture represents not only the attitude of the OPC
true, does the Reformed Presbyterian Church, toward simultaneous membership in the WCC and the
Evangelical Synod,  passively wink at  such RES, but also the attitude of the OPC itself toward the
participation, so that it is acceptable for a minister in WCC. For: 1) In the view  of. the OPC the World
good standing to participate in the activities of the Council is an organization which allows unbelief to be
WCC or the NCC?  Any of these questions can be uncensured; and, 2) The reference to the Basis of the
answered by a simple Yes or No.                            RES includes reference to the confessiona basis of the
  My third question is this: in the official merger Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
discussions between the OPC and the RPC, has this            And it would appear to follow, therefore, that there
matter of participation in the WCC been openly and is a serious incompatibility between the  RPC and the
thoroughly discussed? J repeat: I have seen no reference OPC with respect to the World Council of Churches -
to this question in anything I have read about this provided, of course, that it is true that the RPC even
proposed merger, and especially not in the Proposed tolerates participation in the WCC by its ministers.
Basis of Union. Has the question been overlooked? Has Moreover, this is an incompatibility which extends (in
it been passed by? Did it simply never come up for the light of the above overture) to the understanding
consideration? Just what is the situation?                 and maintenance of the Presbyterian confessions.
  Now why do I raise! these questions?                       To this observer it would seem mandatory for` the
  First of all, let  no.one imagine that I am trying to OPC and the RPC to settle this question between them
throw a "monkey wrench" into the merger machinery. before the ecclesiastical wedding bells ring. And if the
This is not the purpose, let alone the fact that it would purpose of the merger is to achieve "a Presbyterian
be ascribing too  mvch influence  to  the  Standard church in our land with the strength to challenge the
Bearer.  However, I stated in the beginning of the apostate churches and the size to provide a fellowship
discussion of  the, merger that there should be for all those  of like precious faith throughout the
compatibility between the marriage partners  before land," (a hope which the Rev. John J. Mitchell
they marry. They should enter this union with both expressed editorially), then this question must not
eyes open and with full persuasion.                        only be settled, but settled in the right way. If it is not,
  And, secondly, I  w.as of the understanding that the the result can only be a fatal compromise of the
Orthodox Presbyterian Church is rather strongly Presbyterian witness.
opposed to membership in the World Council of                Hence, I respectfully suggest that Editor Mitchell
Churches. I do not have at hand any detailed decision provide information on the above questions in the
of the OPC on this subject. But I recall that the Presbyterian Guardian. If the fears which I expressed
Orthodox Presbyterian Church had objections to the are unfounded, so much the better; and then the
simultaneous membership of the  Gerefomeerde Christian Beacon  should do some retracting. But if
Kerken  in the WCC and the Reformed Ecumenical they are not unfounded, then the brethren of the
Synod. Moreover, these objections were based on Orthodox Presbyterian Church should be alerted by
principle.  The Thirty-seventh General Assembly of the the  Guardian.


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                             269.:



~
 Meditation

                                    A Prayer For Forgiveness
                                                       Rev. M. Schipper

                         "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do . . . "
                                                                                         Luke 23 : 34a

       The first word of the cross, uttered by the crucified man demonstrates what he will do with God if God
     Saviour!                                                   will a-how him to get his hands on Him
        One of seven utterances  .He is recorded to have           Talk about the inherent goodness of man, or even of
     spoken as He lays down His life for His sheep!             a certain goodness man may have due to a certain
     - Words, however, which are,not to be interpreted as common grace of God, - ridiculous! There is surely no
     being merely the last utterances pressed from the lips evidence of it at the cross. Yea, the very opposite is the
     of a dying man; which are  :mtended  to evoke your truth. At the cross you see the awful extremity of the
     sympathy, or to command  :your condolence. Such depravity of natural man. As we said, if God will allow
     perhaps might be the significance of the last sayings of Himself to be taken by the hands of depraved and
     an ordinary, and especially of a great man. But not so natural man (and He did), then this is precisely what
     may we approach the last words of the dying Saviour. man will do with God, - crucify Him
     Rather, He enters into death victoriously. His life is        Awful wickedness!
     not taken from Him, but He lays it down of Himself.           Even so, when you have said all this, you have n9t
     And His words are those of life and power. They are yet described all the sin which the Lord had in mind
     intended by Him to be for His own a revelation of His when He prayed as He did. Not only were they
     atoning work.                                              shedding the blood of the Son of God, but they were
       Such is, without question, His intention in the first also shedding the blood of the covenant, and counting
     word of the cross. At the very moment that the nails it an unholy thing. That blood of the covenant was the
     were driven into His blessed hands and feet and He was blood of atonement, the very blood whereby men
     affixed to the cross, He uttered this beautiful prayer must be saved. And to despise this blood and count it
     for forgiveness.                                           an unholy thing, is the greatest of all sin. Concerning
       Father, forgive them!                                    the despising of this blood, the writer to the Hebrews
        Forgiveness for what? Forgiveness for whom? And informs us: "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose
     on what ground does the Lord utter this prayer?            ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
       These are the questions that demand our attention under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
     as we give consideration to this first utterance from the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an
     cross. There can be no doubt: that in this prayer Jesus unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of
     is concerned about forgiveness of sin, and particularly grace?" The writer to the Hebrews answers his own
     now the forgiveness of the sin ,of the crucifixion.        question by informing us that for such there is no
       It is to be noted that it was not merely an innocent more offering for sin, there is no hope of forgiveness.
     man who was being crucified. 0, He was that, to be (Hebrews 10: 26, 29) It follows that if this sin were to
     sure! All His life testified. to His perfect holiness. And be reckoned to the perpetrators thereof, no deliverance
     all the trial He endured at the close of His life would be possible. Indeed, the crucifixion of Christ
     produced no other verdict than that He was innocent. would have been the end of the world.
     Of this the Roman judge bore testimony repeatedly             Therefore Jesus must pray at this moment this
     during the trial, and of this the washing of his hands particular prayer.
     was a sign. And, of course, to slay an innocent man,          Make no mistake about it, of this sin the whole
     apart from any other considerations, would have been world made itself guilty.
     a terrible crime, and a diabolical sin.                       How naive we would be to conclude that only they
       But the sin of the crucifixion of Jesus was much who were immediately involved in the crucifixion of
     greater. They were crucifying the promised Messiah. Christ were those, and those only, for whom Jesus
     Still worse, they were crucifying the Son of God. prayed! Not only the Jews were. guilty, who cried for
     Verily, it was the only begotten Son of God whom they His blood. Nor was Pontius Pilate the sole responsible
     made their victim And to crucify God is a sin which party, though he gave sentence that He should die. Nor
     defies all description. Very really on the cross wicked was it only the Roman soldiers who were nailing Him
                                                                                                   .


270                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


to His cross, though `it cannot be denied that they doing?
carried out the sentenc,e of the Roman governor.               Most assuredly, they all knew what they were doing!
  But it was you and I who did it!                           When the Jewish council summoned men to deliver a
  The whole world,  j all  the. sons of Adam, were false witness, they knew full well they were dealing
responsible for this horrible crime!                         with one who was innocent. When they chose Barrabas
  Reverently speaking, therefore, if the Lord had not instead of Jesus, they chose not unwittingly. When
prayed as He did at this moment, the world would Pilate's wife warned him not to have anything to do
have perished. Christ would have died in vain, and no with this righteous man, but he sentenced Him to
one would be saved.                                          death anyway, he knew full well that he was violating
  Jesus must pray this: prayer!                              justice. When the  soldiers  mocked and derided His
  Father, forgive them!                                      kingship and He was apparently impotent to fight
  But what does that mean?                                   back, they wickedly took advantage of  I Him, The
  Does it mean, as some aver, that Jesus here prayed world, represented in the Roman government, and the
that the Father would not immediately destroy those church, represented in the Jewish council with its
wicked who were crucifying Him, in order then to give rulers and the people,  - all of them knew without a
them another chance, because they did not know what doubt that they were crucifying a really righteous man.
they were doing? Did Jesus want the Father here in His         But this one thing they did not know, and of it they
leniency to postpone judgment, so that ample time were totally ignorant,  - they did not know that they
might be given for them to convert, after the offer of were shedding the blood of the covenant. They did not
the gospel might be proffered to them? Must the grace know that the blood of Jesus was the blood that must
of God become evident both in the restraint of take away sin. They did not know that their victim was
punishment, as well as in the general offer of grace in the very Prince of life. This they could not know, for
the preaching of the gospel?                                 the light of Pentecost had not yet risen over the cross
  Such an interpretation, beloved reader, would be and the resurrection. Therefore Jesus prays.
contrary to all of Scripture. Forgiveness, in the              For they know not what they do!
Scriptures, never means delay of punishment.                   G r o u n d   f o r - t h e   L o r d 's   p r a y e r !   N o t   f o r
  Always forgiveness  : of sin means to wipe out the forgiveness!
guilt. It means to  lift; up the guilt of sin, to send it      It can never be so that forgiveness is granted on the
away, to blot it out so that nothing of it remains. And ground of ignorance. Also here it must be true that
therefore it also means that where guilt has been ignorance excuses none. Guilty we are because of sin,
removed, there remains no longer the punishment for though we do it ignorantly. It may be true that
sin. One who is forgiven is completely exonerated. All ignorance changes the character of sin, but it never can
of his sin is blotted out, and forever. Nor should we be the ground for forgiveness. Rather, forgiveness finds
conclude that the Lord is praying only for the its ground in the atoning blood of the  Saviour, And
forgiveness of this one sin. The Lord does not forgive undoubtedly also here the Lord is pleading that the sin
one sin, and allow all the rest of our sins to remain.       committed in the crucifixion be added to the burden
  Therefore we should understand here that when the `of sin He bore when He came to the cross. But
Lord prayed as He did, He petitions the Father to lay ignorance of the fact that it was the Son of God Who
also this sin upon the burden of sin He bore as He was being crucified, and the blood of atonement was
appears on the cross as the sin-bearer. Wicked hands being shed,  - this is the ground or reason for the
were busy shedding the blood of atonement, and Jesus prayer the Savior uttered.
prays that they may be forgiven in the same blood; for         And this prayer will surely be heard! As the Lord
without the shedding of blood;there  is no forgiveness. informs us in John 11, His prayer is always heard,
  Father, forgive them, for they know not what they "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I
do!                     /                                    knew that thou hearest me always." The sin of those
  But did they not know what they were doing? Did for whom Jesus prayed will surely be forgiven. Not
not the Jewish council know that He was perfectly only the sin committed here, but all their sin. Father
righteous, whom they had condemned? Did not the must forgive, on the basis of His atoning blood and
tial before Pilate make perfectly clear to Pilate and to sacrifice.
the Jewish rabble that milled in his court-room, that          But for whom then did Jesus pray?
Jesus was perfectly innocent? Did not the soldiers, who        Was it for the Roman soldiers, who, perhaps more
were immediately responsible for His crucifixion, but than any other, were ignorant of the act they were
who had mocked Him, spit in his face, beat Him with performing? Or,, was it perhaps the Roman governor
their fists, ripped open  His_ back with their leaded Jesus had in mind? Or, could we perhaps say that it
thongs, pressed down His thorny crown upon His was the Jewish nation, which was not ashamed to cry
noble brow so that His blood trickled down the lines out: "His blood be upon us, and our children;" so that
of His face,  - did they not know what they were Jesus, is particularly concerned about His own kinsmen


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 271



  according to the flesh?                                      Peter, after Pentecost, is speaking to a vast multitude,
    Let us stop asking such questions, and cease looking and charging them with the sin of the crucifixion. He
  for particular individuals, or  :even a particular nation informs them that they had delivered up and denied
  that moved the Lord to pray as He did!                       Jesus in the presence of Pilate, when he was
    If we keep in mind, as we mentioned above, that we determined to let Him go. He shows them that they
all are guilty of the sin that needs forgiveness in His had chosen a murderer instead of Christ. He charged
  precious blood, then there is a sense in which the them that they had killed the Prince of life, whom God
  prayer of Jesus is universal in its scope. And that raised from the dead. And he concludes these charging
  means that everyone in `the whole world for whom statements with this notable assertion: "And now,
  Jesus prayed is included in this prayer.                     brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did
    But we hasten to add, that this prayer or any other also your rulers." The result of this preaching was that
  the Lord may have uttered may not contradict the they were pricked in their hearts, and cried out: "What
  sacerdotal prayer the Lord uttered shortly before His shall we do?" And the apostle answered: "Repent, and
  crucifixion, and recorded  ti John 17: "I pray for be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
  them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Christ, for the remission of sins, .  ." And three
  thou hast given me; for they are thine." You feel thousand souls were added unto the church. These are
  immediately this is a prayer' for all the elect, those they for whom Christ prayed!
  whom the Father had given tinto Him to be saved by             What is your reaction to the charge of guilt in the
  Him.                                                         shedding of the blood of the Son of God, the very
    If you really want to know who they are for whom blood of the covenant whereby you must be saved?
  Jesus prayed, I refer you to the very next cross-word,         Are you pricked in your hearts? Does it bring you to
  spoken to the penitent thief. !n answer to-his penitent your knees in godly sorrow?
  cry: "Lord, remember me  ween thou  comest into thy            Then rest assured that not only this sin, but all your
  kingdom," the Lord answers,: "Today shalt thou be sin is graciously forgiven.
  with me in Paradise."                                          `The Saviour's prayer finds its answer in your heart,
    I refer you also to Acts 2, 3, where the apostle in which you experience perfect peace!


  Question Box

                        Some Pertinent Questions About
                               Our Reformed Position (2)
                                                 ProA H.C. Hoeksema

  [Note: For the questions with which we are busy in they see and hear. And if our fathers  who passed on
  this article, we refer the reader to the March 1 issue.]     some fifty years ago could be brought back to today's
    We began last time to answer the following question:. ecclesiastical scene, their dismay would turn to
  "According to one of your contributors . . . all our         dumbfoundedness, I am sure. Why this decline? And
  present troubles in the Christian Reformed Church are `why is it so rapid - more rapid than in other churches?
  because of our views on common grace. But there are Some years ago a minister in the Reformed Church in
  so many churches which never heard of common grace, America remarked to me that in recent years the
  and they are going the same way as our churches. How Christian Reformed Church has been going downhill
  do we have to see this?" In answering this question, we faster than the RCA; and I agreed. I believe the same
  reached the point of a more specific question, namely: ,may be  s&id of the  Gereformeerde Kerken  in
  why has the decline been so  .terrifyingly rapid, both comparison with the  Hervormde  Kerk in  the
  here and in the Netherlands? At the conclusion of my Netherlands. In fact, I have seen observations by Dutch
  previous article, I promised some thoughts on this writers to the same effect. Are there reasons for this? I
  question.                                                    would suggest the following.
    That the decline has, indeed, been rapid is, I believe,      In the first place, there are historical reasons. For
  a fact. If some of our fathers  ,who died only, say, one thing, I have in mind the fact that many of the
  twenty years ago would be able to view the scene larger denominations in this country and in Canada
  today, they would undoubtedly be dismayed at what began to decline, and in  large measure finished their


272                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



decline, already in the last century and in the beginning Christian Reformed Church is catching up probably
of this  centurqi. They fought the battle which has faster than most realize or want to admit. But I have
sometimes been generally described as the two observations in this connection. The first is that
modernist-fundame,ntalist battle. The Christian the leaven of this wrong view of Scripture has long
Reformed Church did; not face and fight that battle. been present in both the Christian Reformed Church
But when they began to come out of their isolationist and the Gereformeerde Kerken. And the proponents of
shell, they had in a sense some "catching up" to do.        this wrong view have long been working. If you will
Not only. so, but they emerged upon an ecclesiastical trace history, you will discover that this whole debate
scene where there had already been considerable about Scripture has been going on in the GKN ever
decline and apostasy ainong the major denominations. since the rise of `de jongeren. " In the 1920s there was
And there is always ar'influence of the false arid of the already pressure exerted for a broadening out of the
apostatizing church upon the faithful church, drawing confession concerning Scripture. Think, too, of the
the latter away from the pure line of the truth. That, I Geelkerken Case in 1926 and of the fact that Dr.
think, is one factor.  ;A second factor concerns the Geelkerken's  defenders were always to be found in the
history of the Christian Reformed Church itself. I refer GKN. The same is true of this country. Dr. Ralph
to the fact that today a new, post-l 924, generation has Janssen was deposed in 1922 because of his errant
arisen. That is simply a fact. Both in our denomination views of Scripture and his higher criticism. But do not
and in the Christian Reformed Church the generation forget that for the most part'his followers remained in
which gave leadership in 1924 is well-nigh gone. A new the church - and were active. In fact, it was some of
generation has arisen. And this automatically means those followers who took vengeance upon Danhof and
change and development, whether for good or for ill. I Hoeksema in 1924. Today a man like Dr. Harry Boer
myself belong to the second generation, and I was (in the Reformed Journal) is engaged in a posthumous
brought up and educated wholly under the influence "eerherstelling   (restoration to honor)" of Dr. Janssen,
of Protestant Reformed theology and preaching. The even as the GKN did with Geelkerken. Why? Because
same is true in the Christian Reformed Church: there is essentially the views of Dr. Janssen have won the day
at present in seminary and in pulpit, as well as in pew,    in the Christian Reformed Church in Report  36/44.
a generation which has been brought up wholly under And because in the Netherlands the views of the
a theology colored by the theory of common grace and "jongeren"  have essentially won the field. But this
all that it implies. This is simply a fact. And it means brings me to a second observation. Have you  eves
development: this generation is simply farther along in noticed how closely associated in history the Janssen
the course of development - whatever the course may Case and the Common Grace Case were? And have you.
be - than the previous, one. The "old guard" who were ever noticed that it was the same jongeren who took the.
in many instances responsible directly for the adoption bit of Kuyper's common grace in their teeth who also
of the Three Points are largely gone. They brought were the early proponents in the Netherlands of
forth and trained a new generation; and that new broader views of Scripture? Personally, I am more and
generation was steeped in common grace theology. To more of the conviction that the relation between these
an observer of these `things it was a striking and a two is more than coincidental, and that the relation
rather sad fact that in their declining years many of between the Janssen Case and Common Grace Case is
this "old guard" who had themselves been responsible more than historical. It is, I believe, intrinsically
for the liberalizing trend in their earlier years became doctrinal.  And at least part of the connection is this,
the conservatives who bemoaned the liberal trends in that common grace leads to an esteem of the world's
their own denomination when they saw the new science and learning and the world's methods and the
generation taking over; Once upon a time, I recall, Dr. world's literary criticism which, when applied to the
James  Daane hailed and welcomed this very aoctrine of Scripture, ends in higher criticism and the
development and  spo$e  of the "winds of change" denial of infallibility. That is putting it very briefly and
blowing through the denomination. Now, put this simply; perhaps I will write about that in greater detail
second factor in corinection with the first; and I later. But do not forget: Dr. Janssen was a common
believe this partially accounts for the rapidity of the grace man. He made a point of it. And he accused his
decline.                                                    critics, some of whom later played a leading part in
  In the second place, I believe that there is a 1924, that they were heretical because they denied
doctrinal reason. My questioner  `wote `early in his common grace. The record will prove this.
letter: "Since our  c@urch has begun to debate the            In the third place,  - and here I touch on a crucial
infallibility of the Word of God, it has gone down very aspect in the life of the church - there is, I believe, a
fast." I agree. And  Again, the same is true in the spiritual, ethical reason. I almost hesitate to speak of
Netherlands; only there the departure from the truth this because people are often touchy about this. But
of inspiration and infallibility is farther advanced, and speak of it I must and shall. And when I do so, please
the results are even more devastating, although the remember that I am speaking not of individual


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 273



members but of churches, of official actions, and of have to do! And God deals thus with men, but He also
ecclesiastical trends. Besides, I do not write in an        deals thus with churches. He always judges a righteous
accusatory, holier-than-thou tone. I want to say this ,judgment! You can observe this again and again, for
explicitly because I have too often heard the taunt that    example, in the history of  th-e church in the old
"you PRs think you're so much better." No, what we          dispensation. One example: when the Old Testament
are, we are only by the grace of God. We have nothing       church sinfully clamored for a king, He "gave them a
to boast in ourselves. If we are faithful to the            king in his anger, and took him away in his wrath."
Reformed truth, it is only because  God has kept us         But have you ever wondered why  the Gereformeerde
faithful. Let there be no misunderstanding about that!      Kerken  in recent years seem to be smitten more and
But I want to emphasize that the matter of truth            more with a spirit of blindness, so that they blunder
versus error in the church of Jesus Christ is never a       from one bad situation into the next? Have you ever
minor matter, never a mere academic matter. At stake        connected that with the judgment of God? Have you
in the deepest sense is never OUY view or OUY opinion       ever wondered why the Christian Reformed Church,
and  OUY church, but at stake is God's truth of God's       ever since 1924, has been virtually paralysed every
Holy Word in God's church. You see, the matter is a time they faced a crucial ecclesiastical situation or any
deeply spiritual one. For this same reason, no church kind of doctrinal crisis? Have you ever wondered why
can ever tamper with the truth with impunity. To do it has become virtually impossible even to have a
so can only have dire results. ,Moreover, the closer any    doctrinal controversy, much less bring one to trial for
church stands to the truth of Scripture and the clearer heresy? No, do not forget that the Reformed church is
the light which that church has, the more wrong it is       ever reforming, and that this "ever reforming" means
and the more spiritually devastating when such a ever  repenting,  and that it is only in the way of
church deviates from the truth. And, as a rule, the         repentance that individuals and churches can and may
more rapidly the devastating results become manifest.       expect to bask in the sunshine of God's favor! In the
Add to that the fact that the common grace                  way of sin and apostasy from the truth no individual
controversy is indeed concerned with the very heart of      or church can experience the favor of the living God!
the truth  - sovereign, particular grace, and, in fact,       Finally - for I have already used up more than my
one's fundamental view of God and of man - and I say        space for this issue - I want to emphasize that all this
that it was predictable that the common grace               must be seen in the light of the fact that we are living
deviation from the Reformed truth could only have           in the last times. Why is the decline in the church so
dire consequences. And if you add to that fact that the     rapid? Because the end of all things is at hand! And the
Christian Reformed Church in 1924 cast out men who          closer we approach to the end, the more rapidly all
were according to the official testimony of the Synod       things move and develop. This is true in the history of
"fundamentally Reformed," then you have exactly             the world in general; it is also true in the sphere of the
such a sorely wrong spiritual, ethical situation with       church. We are hastening toward the end! And we may
respect to God's truth in a church of which my              expect that the lines between church and world, and
questioner correctly writes that it did "bask in the        especially between the true church" and the false
sunshine of God's favor" and received "much light" church will become ever more clearly drawn! We must
from God's Word, - such a situation which was ripe          expect that! This, I think, basically explains the
for rapid decline. The fruits we are witnessing today!      almost dizzying pace at which things develop today `on
  All this stands in connection, in the fourth place,       the ecclesiastical scene. And the pace is indeed so rapid
with the fact that God always deals judicially with His that one can hardly keep up with it!
church in the midst of the world, and always judges a         Let us take heed! Sometimes today I hear it said
righteous judgment. After al&the deepest reason why         that there must be a general banding together of
one cannot tamper with the truth with impunity is           so-called conservatives, or orthodox, with an ignoring
that God, the Righteous and Holy One, cannot be             or sweeping under the rug of their  so-called minor
mocked! Let me put it this way: only as we walk in          differences. I do not believe this, tempting as it may
the way of His truth and in the way of the love of His      sometimes be for a small denomination. What I believe
truth and faithfulness thereto does God also lead us is this: it is time for all truly Reformed people of God,
more and more into the riches of His truth. And,            those who want to adhere strictly and one hundred per
conversely, when we turn from the truth to error, then      cent to the Reformed faith, to band together under the
God gives us over to our own wilfulness and                 banner of truth. Perhaps the time is at hand when they
foolishness, so that we depart farther and farther. And,    can no longer ignore this imperative, but will be
unless He give us repentance, this is dreadful! I say it providentially thrown together!
with fear and trembling! Let us never forget that in the      [To my questioner: I promise to answer your
church it is GOD - not merely men - with Whom we second question next time, the Lord willirig.1


     274                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



     All Around Us

                                     The Supreme Court and Abortion
                                      Some Thoughts  OIU Dialoguing

                                                         Proji  H;  Hanko

     THE SUPREME  COURT AND ABORTION                                term or have it aborted. But this is strange and evil.
       All our readers are, no doubt, aware of the fact by          There are others who are necessarily involved in the
     this time that the United States Supreme Court has             decision whether the court will recognize this or not.
     overthrown the abortion statutes of the State of Texas,        For one thing, certainly the father is involved. He is
     and, in effect, of all the states who  still have              responsible for that unborn child. But the court
     anti-abortion laws on their books.                             evidently forbids him to have any word in the matter.
       There were some peculiar features of the Supreme             He may not enter into the decision which will affect
     Court ruling which are worth noting.                           his own child. A family is involved. But these, too, do
       The Court ruled that a state may not regulate                not count in the eyes of the law any more. The State
     abortion at all during the first three months of               certainly is involved, for the State has the calling
     pregnancy; during the second three months, abortion is         before God to protect the life of the citizens of the
     allowed to protect the health of the mother. At this           State. But with this decision, the State has abrogated
     point, so the court ruled, the fetus becomes viable, i.e.,     its responsibility before God. But a private matter it is
     capable of meaningful `life. From this time on, that is,       not.
     during the last three months of pregnancy, the Court             It is also strange and ominous that the court defined
     ruled that "if the State is interested in protecting fetal     "viable life" as being "`meaningful life." It is hard to
     life , . . it may go so far as to proscribe abortion during    say what precisely this means. It certainly ought to be
     that period, except when it is necessary to preserve the       clear to anyone in his right mind that an unborn child
     life or health of the mother." But the hitch is that the       has "meaningful life." It certainly is a life with
     court specifically said that it meant the mental health        meaning. And if by this expression the court means
     of the mother as well as her physical health. In effect,       only meaningful life outside the mother's womb, then
     therefore, abortion is fiermissible during any period of       one wonders about a lot of people who are not normal.
     pregnancy under the right circumstances.                       There are many children born who are retarded or
       This ruling of the court was based upon the right of         handicapped, There are many people in this world who,
     privacy. Apparently the meaning is that the                    because of illness, old age, crippling diseases, or other
     constitutionally guaranteed right of privacy gives to a        sufferings can hardly be characterized as living
     pregnant woman the right to determine whether or not           meaningful lives according to the court's definition. If
     she shall carry her child to birth or have it aborted. We      the ability to live a meaningful life is to be a criterion
     fail to see what the right of privacy has to do with this      for saving a life or ending a life, then one can easily see
     whole matter.                                                  that presently the court could very well order the
       There are a few remarks which ought to be made in            "mercy-killing" of all kinds of undesirables.
     connection with this ruling.                                     There is a point here which is worth emphasizing.
       The court made the'ruling that it did on the grounds         Who is to determine whether a life is "meaningful" or
     that there has not,' up to this point, been any                not? Even children of God have often stood at the side
     agreement among doctors, theologians, or any one else          of the bed of a loved one who is very aged, perhaps has
     interested in the matter on the question of when the           been in a coma for a number of months or even years,
     life of the fetus actually begins. After having stated         has a terminal disease which is beyond treatment, and
     this, however, the court itself proceeds to settle this        wondered in his own soul why the Lord does not take
     very question. It declares a fetus viable when it is           such a loved one out of this life. The fact of the matter
     capable of meaningful life; i.e., when it reaches the          is that no man is in any position to determine the
     approximate age of six months. Since when does the
I                                                                   purpose why God puts someone into the world, why
i    court have the right to determine this question?               that person remains in the world, and when that
       When the court bases its decision on the right of            person has finished his God-assigned work and is ready
     privacy, it evidently considers the whole matter of a          to leave this world. That is solely the determination of
     pregnancy a personal. matter of the pregnant woman.            the Most High. And that is true not only of the
     No one else may interfere with her decision on                 retarded and handicapped, not only of the ill and aged,
     whether the pregnant woman shall carry the child full' but also of the unborn infant `whose life is in the hands


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  275



of the Most High Who gave it..                               account before the judgment seat of Christ for all that
  The court has spoken of the  %ght" of abortion,            he did as servant of Christ in his position of authority
and has granted this right to pregnant mothers. The          in the State. When, therefore, the State not  only
court  has not (yet?) ruled on the  obligation  of           ignores the Scriptures in matters of law, but enacts
abortion. It  .has not yet made abortion under certain       legislation and makes rulings which are directly
circumstances obligatory. We may be thankful for this.       opposed to the Scriptures, the State becomes
For we still have the right under the law to determine       Antichrist. And that is the situation which is fast
for ourselves whether we shall abort a child or not.         developing in this country.
And a child of God may,: therefore, still live in              What must the believer do? Certainly the child of
obedience to His God in this matter without legal            God who subjects the whole of his life to the Word of
penalty or enforced abortion. But even this is a             God may never, in spite of the ruling of the Supreme
precarious "right." It is not `difficult to envision the     Court, take advantage of this weakness of the laws of
possibilityof a later ruling of the court which will make    the land. There may, indeed, be temptation to do
abortion mandatory under certain circumstances. And          exactly that. So often it happens that terrible sins
this is not difficult to imagine because there reallyis a    be co me so customary that we ourselves scarcely
very close relationship between right and obligation, It     consider such deeds to be sins at all, simply permitting
is emphasized, e.g., even in this country that a citizen     the generally accepted customs of the day to rule our
has the "right" to vote; but this right is also an           life. This we must never do. In fact,  even if the
obligation. It is something he .owes to his country as a     Supreme Court should make abortion obligatory under
citizen. The same thing is true in all our relationships     certain circumstances, the child of God may not obey
to God. Bight and obligation are inseparable. The            for conscience' sake.
Christian has the right to pray, but also the obligation.      But the question arises whether or not we should
He has the right before God to go to Church, but also        voice our objections against this monstrous evil. The
the obligation. He has the right to worship, but this is     answer is, undoubtedly, yes  - in whatever way it is
no less a calling. In the whole sphere of Christian          possible for us to do that. But there is a warning that is
ethics, right and obligation  ' go together. Is it not       in order in this connection. There are many
possible that the court may think this true also in the      organizations about the country who make it their
whole area of abortion? You can almost predict the           business to fight legalized abortion. From time to time
reasoning. A mother is pregnant whose physical and/or        various church groups also join these organizations and
mental health is precarious. She now has the right to        give out statements condemning abortion and fighting
an abortion. It is not a big step to go on and say: for      for the rights of the unborn. Many times, however,
the sake of herself, her family and society at large, she    these organizations base their arguments on issues
also has the obligation to abort her child. Or perhaps       other than the directives and principles of Scripture.
the argument will go something like this: a pregnant         They may, e.g., argue from a legal point of view that
mother is ready to be delivered of a child whom she          the law ought to defend the rights of the unborn: for
does not want because of the financial, social, and          the law is instituted to protect life. They may argue on
economic stress which such a :child will bring. She will     the basis of natural law by pointing out that the murder
add to a world already overburdened with a population        of infants is against even natural feeling and against the
which is too great for this planet to support. She'has       laws of nature; that it violates even the instinctive
the right of abortion. If the argument is valid, however,    feelings of man. They may argue that historically the
it almost has to follow that this right is also an           JudaeoChristian ethic has forbidden abortion, and
obligation. She ought to, no, she must, abort her child      that abortion has been always a pagan practice. These
for the sake of humanity at large, etc..                     and many other arguments are raised against abortion.
  Above  all, however, the court has abandoned any             There is, of course, an element of truth in these
semblance of determining these matters in the light of       arguments. No one can deny them. But it is, after all,
the law of God. This ought not strike us as strange. It      the  Scriptures, and the Scriptures alone, which
has been a long time since the legislative, executive,       determine decisively the truth in these matters. The
and judicial branches of government have made                argument against abortion which is not based upon the
decisions which are reflections: of the will of God. And     Scriptures is an argument which will eventually fail.
in this country, increasingly paganized and secularized,     And therefore the Christian is called to protest this
it is not surprising that this trend should continue; But    evil; but he is called to do so on the basis of the Word
it is a serious matter for all that. The magistrate is       of God. For He is a servant of the Word, and before
called, in Scripture, to be a servant of the Lord Christ.    that Word alone he bows. Let his testimony be
Every magistrate has the solemn obligation before God        therefore, based only upon the Scriptures.
to rule in Christ's name and according to His will. That       If the objection is raised that the wicked will not
will is recorded in the Holy Scriptures. So real is this     listen to the Scriptures, that an argument must be
that every magistrate shall some day have to render          brought to their attention which is more readily


     276                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



     acceptable to them, the answer must be that Scripture       the ecclesiastical jargon can often win a place in our
     alone is our guide and authority. We must make our speech without our realizing the implications involved.
     testimony on the basis of God's Word - whether they           If talks aimed at church merger are defined or
     will hear or whether they will forbear. This only is our    characterized as a dialogue, there is implicit in the
     calling.                                                    word a hidden assumption which is very evil. That
        Let us in the meantime prepare ourselves for evil        hidden assumption is there; just think about it for a
     days which are ahead. !The storm clouds gather on the       moment. If the deftition which the Dictionary offers
     distant horizon and the rolling of the thunder already is the correct usage in this instance, then it is clear that
     reaches our ears. If we, expect the storm to come and       church leaders who engage in dialogue begin their
     prepare ourselves beforetime, then we will not be           conversations with the admission on both sides that
     caught unprepared when that day is here.                    both sides are, in a measure, right concerning their
                                                                 ideas and opinions. Though they may. violently
     SOME THOUGHTS ON DIALOGUING                                 disagree, though their ecclesiastical positions are
        To hold a dialogue is the "in thing" in the area of      directly at odds with each other, they both are right in
     ecumenical relations. The caption is not a grammatical      some measure. And the real truth of the matter can be
     error. Today, in modem parlance, people "dialogue." ascertained by both sides discussing the issue until they
     There was a time when the word was only a noun.             find a common ground on which both can stand
     Today it has become a verb. A recent news.headline          without materially altering their position. Hence, the
     reads: "WCC dialogues *with Buddhists."                     assumption is that no one is really right, and no one is
        Everybody who is interested in church unity              really wrong. The truth is a relative thing. Union can
     "dialogues." Not only does the WCC dialogue with be reached between denominations by means of both
     Buddhists, but churches within the Protestant tradition merging their positions into a position common
     dialogue with each other; Protestantism dialogues with enough to both so that both can accept it. So the goal
     Roman Catholicism, the Christian religious leaders          of dialogue is not to find out what the Scriptures
     dialogue with pagan religious leaders. Dialogue is really teach; the goal of dialogue is rather to find that
     the thing. You just are not with it today unless you        common ground upon which both can comfortably
     are, somewhere along the line, carrying on a dialogue.      stand.
        This is not a Scriptural concept. So one must turn to      The Scriptures do not admonish us to "dialogue."
     the Dictionary to  find out what it means. My Jesus did not carry on dialogues with the Scribes and
     Unabridged Dictionary tells me that, among various Pharisees. The apostles knew nothing of this either.
     other meanings, the word can also mean: "an exchange Paul did not invite the Judaizers in the Galatian
     of ideas or opinions on a particular issue, with a view
     to reaching an amicable agreement or settlement." My Churches to sit down for a dialogue. Jesus said: "Woe
     Dictionary is a few years old, and does not designate unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites." And Paul
     the word as a verb. This is of more recent vintage.         said: "If any one preach any other gospel than that
     The goal of dialogue, as is evident also from the which I have preached, let him be anathema."
     definition quoted above, is agreement and settlement          To sit down together to search the Scriptures is one
     of issues; hence, when dialoguing is carried on within thing. This is our calling. It can, indeed, only be done
     the Church, the goal is the settlement of issues with a where all concerned are willing to bow before the
     view to some sort of church union.                          Scriptures as the only rule of faith and life. But this is
        Apart from the whole question of the rightness or not dialogue. To preach the truth, witness to the truth,`.
     wrongness of the ecumenical movement, is it correct to and speak the truth in love is our calling. Nothing else
     engage in efforts to resolve differences by engaging in will do, for we are enjoined by the Scriptures to do
     dialogue? or by dialoguing?                                 this. But this is not dialogue either.
        It is weIl to think through the matter for a moment,       Let dialoguing be accursed. There is no place for it
     because these words which so easily become a part of in the life of the Church.





I


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                277



 Signs  of the Times
                  11             .and earthquakes.                                                ."
                        n n n                                                             n n 


                                                 Rev. G. Van Baren

   The quake was not, according to the Richter scale, in China (see above). Can, then, earthquakes be
 particularly severe. It did not take as many lives as considered as signs of the end of time? Are these not
 many other earthquakes. Yet, two days before normal and usual events which have always taken
 Christmas, there was a reminder of the terrible place? Must we regard the Managua earthquake as
 devastation that an earthquake causes. The Central merely a natural phenomenon unrelated to the end
 American capital Managua, of the country of of time?
 Nicaragua, wasvirtually wiped off the map. The quake,         The Scriptural answer, of course is, "no." These are
 with its epicenter in the heart of this city, caused definitely signs of the end of time. There is no doubt
unbelievable destruction. Evidently no one knows for about that because Jesus Himself points this out.
 certain the number of lives taken.  Time  magazine However, Jesus also states in Matt. 24:8, "All these are
 presented the estimate of 6,000 dead and at least the beginning of sorrows." This means that the signs
 20,000 injured. Other, later reports suggest more than Jesus mentions in verse 7, including earthquakes, are
 10,000 killed. Such numbers of dead seem difficult to not to be considered indications only of the imminent
imagine. Whole families were wiped out. The sorrow, end of time. They are rather the "beginning of
 the suffering, the destruction after just a few moments sorrows." Literally, these represent the "birthpangs"
 of quake are indescribable. The same Time magazine of of the new creation. Each time one of these signs is
 January 8, 1973 presented through pictures the seen, it is as the labor-pain of a woman in travail. These
 destruction and portrayed the horror of the scene.         pains come not just at the moment of birth, but for
   Time listed other earthquakes of the past, including some time before. So also the "beginnings of sorrows"
 a list of those of this century. There was an earthquake are seen on this earth. Each pestilence, each famine,
in China in 1556 killing some, 830,000 people. Another each earthquake (which cause great pain and suffering)
in Lisbon, Portugal in 1755 killed some 50,000. In is used by God in order that finally the new heavens
 1920 in China another earthquake killed 180,000. In and-new earth may be ushered in. These "pains" have
 1923 in the Tokyo-Yokohama area 143,000 were been present from the beginning of time after the fall
killed. The list presents other quakes, each killing of man. There were earthquakes already before the
thousands of people. Since 1900 there were 26 quakes coming of Christ. We read of some of these in the Old
which caused serious damage' and great loss of life. In Testament books. These "pains" continue into the
our own country, in 1906, `there was the great San New Testament age. And each time these remind us
 Francisco earthquake when 700 were killed.                 that the coming of Christ is a little bit nearer.
   The question the child of God confronts when                Scripture does suggest certain truths which
 reading of all these disasters is: "Is this a sign that the end earthquakes must convey. This becomes evident as one
of time is near?" We think, often, that earthquakes considers the quakes recorded in Scripture and the
,especially are reminders that soon our Lord shall times when these occurred. There was an earthquake at
return on the clouds of glory. It might be well to the time of Christ's death. We read in Matt.  27:54,
consider what Scripture does teach concerning "Now when the centurion, and they that were with
earthquakes.                                                him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those
   Jesus speaks of those in that well-known passage of things that were done, they feared greatly, saying,
Matthew .24. In verse 7 we read, "For nation shall rise Truly this was the Son of God." Several times in the
 against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and book of Revelation one reads also of earthquakes.
there shall be famines, and pestilences, and These come near the end of this age and are extremely
earthquakes, in divers places." These are presented as, devastating. In chapter 6: 12, we read, "And I beheld
part of the signs of Jesus' coming and the end of the when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a
world (vs. 3).                                              great earthquake; and the sun became black as
   Yet many have pointed out that earthquakes are not sackcloth of hair, and the moon became so bold. . ."
 limited to any one location  ion this earth and surely Or we read in Rev. 16: 18, "And there were voices,&d
~ not to any one time-period. It is simply not so that thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great
severe earthquakes happened only in recent years. In earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the
recent years (from 1900 on) there has been nothing to earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great."
compare to the magnitude of the earthquake of 1556            The above earthquakes all come as sign of judgment


278                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



of God upon a wicked and perverse generation. God Drought strikes the earth. The hot sun parches it.
shall tear apart this earth as it presently exists. He shall Famine racks it. Quakes change its very terrain.
do all of this in His wrath against all wicked, reprobate,    Disease destroys much of it. Death affects all of it.
men. He shows to the: wicked no mercy. He destroys This is the earth on which we live - the earth under
all that in which they boast. The very earth, which the the curse for man's transgression. Therefore also we
wicked consider relatively permanent, shall open up read in Rom.  8:21,22, "Because the creature itself
before the wicked.                                            also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
  Each earthquake which comes upon this earth is into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For
God's clear testimony of this judgment. It is His we know that the whole creation groaneth and  tra-
judgment already now, upon wicked men, but also a vaileth in.pain together until now."
reminder of the final earthquake which shall rock the           The rending of the earth, therefore, at Christ's death
very foundations of this earth.                               and again at His resurrection indicates that this old,
  Children of God must consider earthquakes in that corrupted earth shall be rent in order that the new
light too. We can not simply wring our hands and wish, might be ushered in. That curse presently affecting the
as it were, that such would never happen. We can not          earth  can be removed because of the perfect work of
simply deplore the terrible destruction and great loss Christ on the cross. He removed the curse and
of life. But we hear God speak to remind us that He           condemnation upon His people by satisfying the
has not forgotten His people here on the earth. His justice of God. Then the creation itself shall be
people may truly suffer much. These may be the scum delivered from the bondage of corruption. The
of the earth; downtrodden of men. Sometimes one old must be rent in order that the new may come.
might think that there !is not a just and holy God Who          That reminds faithful children of God of the truth
sees the wickedness of men and does judge. But we that they must have their hearts set on the heavenly
have had a comforting reminder again, two days before rather than upon the things of the earth. The things of
Christmas, that God does see and know and judge. We           this earth shall surely pass away. Some place their
do not rejoice in loss of life or destruction of property hearts on the earthly. As the rich man in Christ's
as such. We do rejoice that God gives constant                parable, these make plans to take their ease, for their
testimony that He has ,not forgotten the plight of His soul have gotten them much goods. But all these
people here on the earth. We can observe the                  things shall be taken away: in the last day not only,
"beginning of sorrows" or "birthpangs" of the new but in the day of our death. None of the material can
creation. Do you see  :a11 of  this when you read of we take with us. Also God sends reminders of this fact.
another earthquake? We will be seeing more of these The rich of Managua in a moment were stripped of all
earthquakes in the days to come - and probably in our that in which they had boasted. It does not take God
own country as well Remember why God sends these.             long to remove from one everything that he has. How
  But another fact must be kept in mind in                    foolish, then, to set one's heart upon earthly riches!
connection with these `earthquakes. They are signs of The Christian looks rather for the new, which shall
renewal. There was an earthquake at the time of never be rent nor destroyed. There righteousness shall
Christ's death, but also again at the time of His             dwell. There we shall behold the face of our Lord Jesus
resurrection from the dead. Both remind us that `Christ. That is the reality for which the child of God
through the death and resurrection of Christ, there longs.
comes a renewal of all things. It is worthy to note that        May we learn, then, in the rending of this earth to
at Christ's death, three things took place: the vail of look for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ when the
the temple was rent  frpm the top to the bottom; the earth shall be rent once more, and finally, in order that
graves were opened; and the earth was rent. Each              the new may come in all of its beauty. And each time
represented a tearing `or rending of the old. Each            we read of, or experience, the rending of this earth, we
rending was directly related to the death of Christ.          can truly say, "The Lord is at hand" (Phil 4:5).
Because of  His suffering and death on the cross, the
old is done away. The vail of the temple was rent
(from top to bottom  :- thus, not by human hands)
because through the death of Christ, His people now
have direct access to their God. These need no more
come by way of sacrifice, nor through the priest. The
graves were opened as a sign of the fact that through
the death of Christ, the grave no longer has the vic-
tory. His people shall arise from the graves in the last
day in order to inherit ,the new heavens and new earth.
But also the earth was rent. This earth is presently af-
fected by the curse. The thorn and thistle still grow.


                                                THE STANDARD B'EARER                                            279



From Holy Writ

              Pure and Undefiled  Relicjon  (9)
                                AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE OF JAMES

                                                Rev. Robert D. Decker

Chapter  1:19-21, Receiving, the Word With Meek- it to its fruition by means of the pure preaching of the
ness . . .                                                 Word. By that means the implanted Word sinks its
   There are two possible readings of verse 19. It is      roots ever more deeply into the "good ground" of the
possible to read the text as, it appears in the King       elect hearers (cf. Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13);
James, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren . . ." And it is    and the seed of the new life sprouts and grows and
also possible to read, "Know this, my beloved brethren     develops and brings forth fruit "some an hundred
  "
. . .  While in either case it makes no difference         fold, some sixty, some thirty." This is what James
concerning the sense of the passage, we prefer to read,    speaks of. The Word of God in Christ, implanted in us
"Know this." The inspired writer means to catch the        by regeneration, must be received by us through the
undivided attention of his readers and stir them up.       means of the preaching and the sacraments which
"Know this!" "My brothers, this you must know." signify and seal the grace of salvation preached.
What must we know? We must know that we are to                Receive that implanted Word! This is a powerful
receive the engrafted Word with meekness, being swift      concept and rich in meaning. To receive the Word is
to hear and slow to wrath, because the wrath of man        more than a simple acceptance of the gospel. It's more
works not the righteousness of God. We are to receive      than saying to our preacher, "That was a nice sermon,
that Word in the way of laying aside all filthiness and    I enjoyed that." Receiving the engrafted Word is more
superfluity of naughtiness; and this is all the more       than merely agreeing with what was preached. The
urgent because this engraftedl Word is able to save our    receiving which the Scriptures speak of in this passage
souls.                                                     is to appropriate the Word preached. The idea is that
   All of this follows very naturally from the             we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd; and hearing
astounding truth of verse 18, where James teaches that His voice, we know Him and follow Him (John 10).
we are born again with the Word of truth in order that     Putting it another way, to receive the implanted Word
we should be a kind of first-fruits of God's creatures.    is to embrace the Christ Who is preached. It means that
Of God's own sovereign will1 He determined to make         we take that Word of Christ to heart and with joy and
us, by nature dead in sin, alive in Christ for the thanksgiving; in faith believing, we embrace the
purpose that we should be the: ones in whom the whole      implanted Word.
creation is consecrated to the praise of God's glory.        This is an imperative. James is not saying, "I wish
This means something for us; it means that we must         you would please accept the implanted Word, my
receive the engrafted Word which alone is able to save     beloved brothers." This is no offer for the hearers to
us. This is an absolute imperative.                        accept or reject at will. This is the exhortation of God
4 That engrafted Word is the Word which God spoke.         Himself to His servants through the Lord Jesus Christ
It is the Word of truth of which verse 18 speaks. It is    who have been begotten again with the Word of truth.
the eternal Word by whom and for whom all things           And as always with the Word of God, it is an "either
were made; it is the Word which became flesh and
                        .                                    . or" matter. Either one embraces the implanted
dwelt among us, revealing the glory of God (cf. John Word, or one rejects the Word; either heembraces Christ
1). The engrafted Word is the Word which God spoke by a true and living faith, or he rejects in unbelief. But
in His Son Jesus Christ. By `the miracle of infallible God presents no offer to men, He comes with no
inspiration that Word of God in Jesus Christ is            choice. God simply says to the regenerated servants of
inscrip turated, so that we may say it.is the Bible.       Jesus Christ, "Embrace the implanted Word."
   That Word is "engrafted.`? A better translation of        The idea is further emphasized by more imperatives
the term is "implanted." The term really means "to         in the text: "Let every man be swift to the hearing,
sow or to plant." The idea, therefore, is that the Word slow to the speaking, slow to wrath." While as a
of God is rooted in us. God implants His Word first by general rule it is always true that we should do more
the wonder of regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Christ,     listening than talking and be slow to wrath, the text
the Word of God, by the Spirit enters our hearts and       does not come with generalities or "helpful hints for
gives us new, heavenly, resurrection life which never good living." James speaks of more than our everyday
dies. Christ nourishes and sustains that life and brings talking and conversation. "Be swift to the  :hearing":


280                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



that means to be quick, ready to hear the implanted get rid of the excesses of sin but the superabundance
Word. Those begotten again with the Word of truth are of sin. There remains in us an  overflowing of sin.
to be full of eager longing and eagerness to hear Christ "Superabundance" emphasizes that sin is an
preached, so that they may more and more embrace unbelievable monster in us. "Naughtiness" is only one
Him in faith. For that reason they are to be slow to of many words used in the Bible for sin. We should
speak, i.e. slow to begin speaking. How true! One always remember that the Holy Spirit never uses words
cannot embrace Christ through the preaching of the indiscriminately. "Naughtiness" denotes a very specific
Word without hearing His voice; and one certainly sin. More often than not the term is translated
cannot hear His voice when one is speaking. But again, "malice." And malice is that evil disposition which
James is not merely speaking of talking when the Word desires to injure one's fellow believer. This is Scripture.
is preached. That being slow to the speaking is further Scripture is its own interpreter. Romans  1:29 lists
defined by "be slow. to wrath." Wrath refers to a maliciousness as one of the characteristics of the
deepseated anger, a settled indignation, which always reprobate. I Peter 2: 1,2 teaches that we are to lay aside
carries with it the desire of revenge. It is wrath all malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies, evil speakings, and
against God, the expression of hatred against and as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the Word so
opposition to God. Be,slow, James writes, to that kind that we may grow. Eph. 4:3 1 calls us to put away from
of wrath. Be dull or inactive to speak out of wrath us all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speakings,
against the implanted `Word of God. In plain words, and malice, and to be kind, tenderhearted, and
what the text says is that we are never to let that wrath forgiving to one another. All of these passages indicate
be in us, so that we speak out in opposition to the the same truth. Malice has to do with our relationships
implanted Word of truth. Rather are we to be eager to together as members of the Body of Christ. The point
hear Christ so that we may embrace Him by faith.                 is simply this: we cannot receive the implanted Word
  It belongs to our sinful nature to be quick to speak as it comes through preaching and sacrament when
out of wrath against the Word. In the context of this fnled with that evil disposition to hurt our fellow
first `chapter of James when the Word of God says, saints. This is the filthy root which bears the bitter
"Count it all joy in divers temptations, ask for the fruit of evil speaking, bitterness, envies, hypocrisies -
wisdom of God to be in harmony with His will, rejoice terrible sins all - which rip and tear the church apart,
in your low degree, put away your doublemindedness, wound and kill members of Christ's sacred Body.
endure the temptations, and when you fall do not say Ultimately this malice is the root out of which springs
you are tempted of God"; in brief, when the Word of that wrath of man which worketh not the
Truth  - Christ through the preaching  - points us to righteousness of God, but which speaks out against the
our sin and sinful natures, we do not want to hear it!           Word. Lay that apart. Hearts full of malice cannot
That flesh is so very strong in us, and our inclination is receive the implanted Word.
exactly to speak out. against the Word rather than                 That Word must be received positively with
receive it. We have many ways of doing that, too. "meekness." This is humility. It's that mild, gentle
Some subtle and others not so subtle. "That word disposition that confesses when the Word is preached,
applies to brother so and so," or "That word applies to "Yes, Lord, that's I." Meekness is godly sorrow for our
those other apostatizing churches," or "That's the sins and confession. of them all before the Father. And
preacher's opinion, he's welcome to it, but I have meekness is reflected in our relationships one with
mine"; these are just some of the ways we oppose another. Recognizing ourselves as sinners saved only by
God's Word. And that "wrath of man" is the very grace, we edify one another rather than destroying one
antithesis of the righteousness of God. It does not another. Each esteems other better than self. Bearing
work, produce the righteousness of God. We fail to one another's burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ.
measure up to God's standard. The tragedy of this is That is the righteousness of God.
that we cannot grow in the faith in the knowledge of               Know this, my beloved brethren! Receive with
God. Receive the Word, the implanted Word, my meekness the implanted Word. It's the Word which is
brothers, be slow to speak out in wrath against God's able to save your souls. Literally the text reads:
Word.                                                            "powerful to save your souls." The implanted Word,
  There is only one way. Negatively, the Scripture Christ crucified and raised again, as that Word comes
teaches that we must lay aside "all filthiness." This is through the preaching and as it is signified and sealed
what our indifference to the Word is. Our speaking out in the holy sacraments, is God's almighty power to lift
in wrath against the Word implanted is not merely a our souls out of deepest misery into the enjoyment of
shortcoming, a failure, a weakness, but vile, rotten, God's blessed friendship and favor.
filthy sm. Lay it apart, iget rid of it; all of it.                There is the urgency of this Word of God. Yes, we
  And "lay apart all superfluity of naughtiness." This are saved, our sins are forgiven, we are born again by
is a catchy phrase, but a poor translation. Superfluity the Word of truth, and that Word has been implanted
is superabundance; and the point is that we are not to in our hearts. Still we must continue to embrace that


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 281



Word with meekness. God does not implant it, and up, encourage us when downcast, correct us when we
then we have it and somehow go to heaven. As the wander, preserve us in the temptations, and strengthen
beloved brethren, the saints in the dispersion who us in the battle of faith. Know this, my beloved
encounter divers temptations,' we are called to embrace brothers. Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath,
the implanted Word. That is God's means and God's receive with meekness the implanted Word, which
power to comfort in our sorrows, instruct and build us alone is powerful to save your souls.


Voice of our Fathers

                                  Belgic Confession, Article 14
                               Man, Created In God's Image

                                                 Rev.  J. Kovtering

  One concise statement in the fourteenth article of he may laugh the same way, have the same gentle
the Belgic Confession expresses volumes of truth            nature, etc. Such a one would be both image and
concerning the image of God. "We believe that God likeness.
created man out of the dust of the earth and made and          Thus, when God created man, He made man in His
formed him after his  ,own image and likeness, good,        likeness. By this, Scripture indicates that man
righteous, and holy, capable in all things to will          possessed a nature that enabled him to enter into
agreeably to the will of God."                              fellowship with God. God possesses a mind; God made
  We have considered the implications'of God having man with a mind. This does not mean that man is
formed man out of the dust of the ground. We                divine: God's mind is entirely divine; man's mind is
examine in this article the effects of God's image upon     entirely human (of the dust). In a creaturely way, man
man.                                                        was able to reflect God. He could think, he could
IMAGE AND LIKENESS                                          express his desires, he could enjoy creation, he could
  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after        enter into friendship and express his thoughts in
our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish      speech.
of the sea, and over the fowl `of the air, and over the       In addition to this, God also made man in His own
cattle, and over all the earth, ,and over every creeping image. This applies not only to the general character of
thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created          man's nature, but specifically to the spiritual content
man in his own image, in the image of God created he        of that nature.
him; male and female created he them," Gen. 1: 26, 27.      GOD BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS
  These words demonstrate the close relationship              "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
between our previous article and the present one. By        ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
virtue of God's having formed, man out of the dust of life; and man became a living soul," Gen. 2:7. The last
the ground, He made man able to bear His own image.         part of the verse describes how God made man in His
God made man in His likeness to such an extent that         own image. What was true for the creation of man's
man possessed a nature that enabled him to think, and       physical, earthly nature, applies also to the creation of
to will, and thus to have the capacity to receive the       his spiritual nature. The words describe in human
image of God.                                               language a divine wonder. God breathed into Adam's
  Image and likeness are not identical terms which          nostrils the breath of life.
breathe redundancy into the inspired record. Likeness         By this description, we are made to think in earthly
is a further definition of image, an expanding upon the     ways of a great mystery. How else could we even think
meaning. Conceivably, one may have an image which is        of it! God pictures before our eyes the act of physical
                                                            resuscitation to demonstrate the infusion of His own
not a likeness, e.g. a picture of a loved one who is        spiritual nature in man. Certainly, God does not mean
living elsewhere. That picture is the image of the          by this phrase, "breathed into his nostrils" the
person, but hardly the likeness. In another sense, it is    inflating of Adam's lungs with oxygen. This is the
possible to become acquainted with another `person earthly picture of a spiritual reality. Two things are
who may be the image of a'loved one, so that he looks       immediately added, "the breath of life" and "and
like him very much, but also acts very much like him:       Adam became a living soul." Both of these ideas, life


282                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



and soul, are not to be taken in a limited earthly sense.      naming of the animals demonstrates Adam's innate
The life that followed the inbreathing was far more ability to understand God's revelation and return to
than physical; it was life in the all comprehensive sense God all the glory of it.
of fellowship with God. So also with the word soul, it           We agree with Calvin, that the way to learn the
means much more than Adam's physical ability to specific content of this image of God is to read the
breathe and live; the animal has this capacity as well, New Testament and discover what is included in the
Lev. 17: 14ff. Rather, man as a living soul refers to his      image as it is restored to His people in Christ Jesus.
ability to enter into conscious fellowship with the "But our definition of the image seems not to be
creation, not only, but with God the Creator. Paul             complete until it appears more clearly what the
makes mention of this in his letter to the Corinthians,        faculties are in which man excels, and in which he is to
"The first man Adam: was made a living soul; the last          be regarded as a mirror of the divine glory. This,
Adam was made a quickening spirit," I Cor.  15:45.             however, cannot be better known than from the
Adam was a living soul in relation to God; he enjoyed remedy provided for the corruption of nature,"
the blessedness of friendship with God within the Institutes, Book I chapter 15 (4). This renewed image
context of the earthly creation. Christ however, is a or "new man" is detailed in Eph.  4:23, 24, "And be
quickening spirit; He is able to make the dead alive,          renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on
and that, too, in perfect covenant fellowship with God the new man, which after God is created in
beyond the limits of, the earthly life: He brings His righteousness and true holiness." Similarly in Col.
people into the glorious presence of God in heaven.            3: 10, "And have put on the new man, which is
                                                               renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
THE IMAGE OF GOD                                               created him."
  We must ask, what really is implied in the image of            The material content of the image of God is
God.                                                           distinguished as threefold.
  Our answer will lead us into controversy with the              First, Adam possessed not only a mind by which he
Pelagian. When God  jformed man in His image, He could think; God filled his mind with proper thoughts.
infused into the very nature of man certain qualities of As stated above, he was able to know God personally,
goodness. It is on this point that we part company             to understand God's revelation, to function as a ,true
with the Pelagian who insists that there are no good           prophet in the midst of the house of God, Paradise, a
qualities inherent in man's nature, heart, mind, will,         type of heaven.
etc. just as there are now no bad qualities as a result of       Secondly, not only did Adam possess a human will,
Adam's sin. The only good or bad in anyone is seen in but God created that will with the inclination to seek
the deeds he performs, not inherent in his nature. Our the good. Our fathers express it this way in the Belgic
Reformed fathers describe the Pelagian position in Confession, "in all things to will, agreeably to this will
Canons II  & III Rejection of errors, article 2, "The          of God." This is the beautiful description of Adam's
spiritual gifts, or the good qualities and virtues, such as    free will. Adam's will was created by the righteous God
goodness, holiness, righteousness, could not belong to who willed that man should express his will by doing
the will of man, when he was  fmt created, and that            what God willed Hence the freedom of Adam was not
these, therefore, could not have been separated                simply being able to do whatever he wanted to do,
therefrom in the fall." This view was rejected by the          whether good or evil, Because he was created in the
Reformed churches as unscriptural. When God created image of God, Adam was able to will agreeably to the
man in His image, He `made man in such a way that his          will of God, to want what God wanted him to want.
very nature spontaneously sought after God.                    Indeed, Adam was able also to want the evil, but this
  If we try to put some specific content into this idea,       constituted not an added measure to the freedom of
we might express it this way. Adam was God-conscious his will, rather it formed a severe limitation upon it,
the moment He was created. God did not have to come            viz. that it led him into the bondage of sin. We once
to Adam to introduce Himself to Adam and tell Him again quote Calvin, "At first every part of the soul was
that He was the Author of his life. Adam possessed this        formed to rectitude. There was soundness of mind and
knowledge innately. He knew God existed, he                    freedom of will to choose the good. If any one objects
understood his relationship to God, he was overjoyed that it was placed, as it were, in a slippery position,
with the blessedness that he could walk and talk with because its power was weak, I answer, that the degree
God in the cool of the day. This was his highest               conferred was sufficient to take away every excuse.
moment of bliss in the midst of God's creation.                For surely the Deity could not be tied down to this
Covenant joy`with God, however was not restricted to           condition - to make man such that he either could not
certain moments when God condescended to the earth             or would not sin. Such a nature might have been more
in a personal encounter, Gen. 3: 8. His whole life was excellent; but to expostulate with God as if he had
engrossed in learning and articulating the greatness of been bound to confer this nature,on man, is more than
God, which surrounded him in the whole creation. The unjust seeing He had the full right to determine how


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  283



much or how little He would give." Institutes, Book I good. God eternally seeks His own good; He created
chapter 15 (8). Adam's righteousness was expressed in man to serve Him in this lofty goal. Adam naturally
his ability to do what God told him to be right. As          desired this and rejoiced in it.
such, he was the perfect king, obedient unto God his            Little wonder that we can hardly understand the
Sovereign.                                                   depth of such a beautiful creation. Man possessed the
   Thirdly, Adam not only possessed a heart, God nature (the tools) whereby he was made able to serve
ffiled his heart with good. The Bible speaks often of God. Gladly he rendered this service as prophet, priest,
God's holiness. All Israel could see the evidence of         and king. In this way God was glorified by His own
God's holiness when Moses descended from the                 creation.
Mount: his face was white,' Ex.  34:29. The Word               What a perplexing contrast follows, "But being in
exhorts us, "Be ye holy; for I am holy, I Peter 1: 16.       honor he understood it not, neither knew his
This holiness was communicated unto Adam through             excellency, but willfully subjected himself to sin, and
creation. His heart was filled with the love of God and      consequently to death, and the curse, giving ear to the
therefore he gladly set apart  ihis whole life unto the words of the devil."
service of God. The image of God so permeated the              How are the mighty fallen.
depth of his spiritual being that he was a perfect priest      We believe he fell into the arms of Christ.
in the tabernacle of God. Everything he possessed              In Christ, we are renewed in that image of God and
belonged unto God and was gladly used in the service now have the privilege to serve God as prophet, priest,
of God. Such consecration reflected the perfect              and king. A better day awaits us when we shall serve
consecration that God has toward Himself as the only         God in the tabernacle that is four-square.


In His Fear

                       To Be Tolerant Or lntolerrant -
                               That Is The Question
                                                 Rev. D. H. Kuiper

  Tolerance is allowance for `error or deviation. The        offend, he is tolerant. If he should come into contact
human body is able to tolerate certain environmental`with a man who holds pbsitions or practices which
factors which work physiological detriment externally,       differ or conflict with his own, why, he smiles rather
or the body can tolerate a  ,certain  level of poison        than confronts. He judges according to the touchstone
(drugs) which combat the body's well-being internally.       of sincerity. A man may believe and do pretty much as
The term toleration is also commonly used in the             he pleases; yet he gets high marks if only he is sincere.
manufacture of tools and machines. By using hard With such "good church members" the work of the
metals and precise measurements, workmen are able to         church can go forward, forward in such things as the
produce parts which deviate from a standard by as preaching of the Gospel, discipline, ecumenism,
little as  .005 of an inch.  i This allows for mass          evangelism projects, and education, both at home and
production and the interchanging of parts. The third at school. It is certainly the case that such things are
area in which our subject is important is that of affected by the matter of tolerance or intolerance.
intersocial volition; here tolerance is sympathy or            Basic to the entire tolerant position in matters of a
indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from, or moral, ethical nature is the premise that man, that is,
conflicting with, one's own. We are, of course,              man in the church, does not have an absolute standard
interested here not in physiology or industry, but in of truth. It is so often said that truth is not as absolute
this last area of personal relations, more precisely,        as some would make it. There must be room for
those relations where a child of God is involved. It is diverse opinions in matters of doctrine and walk. And
here that the question raised in the title is most since there is no absolute standard, who would dare to
pressing.                                                    condemn an idea or an action? Maybe the other fellow
  There is scarcely an aspect of life where men would is right. Maybe the other fellow is partly right. So there
not have us believe that tolerance is the ultimate is in the church a growing agnosticism, perhaps better
virtue. It seems that a good church member is above all called a Christian agnosticism, that states that we really
else a "nice" person. He is friendly, he does not can't know who is right and who is wrong. When the


284                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



Bible is brought forth ,as just such a standard by which Writing his second epistle, John admonishes, "If there
all doctrines and behavior may be evaluated, various         come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive
ploys are used to escape such consequences that,would him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
then follow. They are familiar: the.Bible,  especially the for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of  his
Old Testament but also the New, is bound to the time         evil deeds." The doctrines of the Word of God are clear
of its composition: there are errors in the Bible which and understandable. The church member may not
ought to make us hesitant in using it too strictly; and receive or send off with well-wishing any that do not
then the catch-all, who can tell what the Bible really hew strictly to those doctrines.
means? Is it not sufficient that a man sincerely holds         Further, our confessions demonstrate  -this same
to what he thinks the .Bible means? Must there not be intolerance towards doctrinal deviation and sin in the
room for diversity of opinions?                              life of the church member. Please confer the
  Let it be stated here that the truly Christian man is      Heidelberg Catechism, Questions and Answers 62-64,
intolerant. And he is intolerant according to the            80, 82, 83-85, 87, and 115. All this from the most
Scriptures. He does not allow for error or deviation.        practical and personal of the three confessions. See
That is, he does not give room to practices or beliefs also the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordt;
which differ from or conflict with the teaching of the any article will demonstrate that truth is sharp and
Word of God. He does not allow room for sin, any sin.        sure, can be known, must be confessed and lived. There
He does not allow room for doctrinal error, however is `one other document that ought to be read at this
small or insignificant that departure may appear. If this    point. For every office-bearer in our churches (and
shakes you a little bit; then it ought to be recognized      others) the Formula of Subscription is binding. It, too,
that Christianity is an intolerant religion. Although is based on the above mentioned characteristics of
Mohammedanism, Confucianism, Hinduism,                       truth, as truth is revealed to us by God in His Word. As
Shintoism, Taoism are content to occupy the stage            men today say, Instead of theological differences let us
with Christianity,, true Christianity does not               sing together Paul's hymn of Christian love, instead of
reciprocate this contentedness. Nor is true Christianity     controversy let us have prayer, instead of polemics let
content with much that happens within the sphere of,         us have evangelism, let the man of God say, I will have
and under the name  .of, Christianity. Here tolerance        the 01  ogical differences, controversy, and polemics
says, "Let it go." Christian intolerance says, "Let it' when the Word of God requires it of me. And then I
stop." Tolerance says, "Maybe." Intolerance says,            will enjoy Christian love, prayer, and evangelism in the-
"No." This "no" must be directed not only against way of that same Word.
opponents outside the church but against the                   It is time to inject two important considerations. In
opponents within as well. Opponents of the Bible do the first place, all the above does not imply that there
not become less dangerous, but they become far more is never any room for a difference of opinion in respect
dangerous when they are found within ecclesiastical          to beliefs and practices. The fourteenth chapter of
walls.                                                       Romans certainly teaches us that within the Church of
  Jesus, the apostles, the entire Bible, present an          Christ there is room for some variation, and there must
attitude and a teaching that can only be called              be room for this. This is the well known question of
intolerant. According  ,to John  14:6 Jesus says, "I am      the things indifferent. The Church Order also
the way, the truth and the life: no man  cometh unto         recognizes that in the area of church mergers and
the Father, but by Me." This answer of Jesus to              con gr e ga tions joining a denomination, "Churches
Thomas employs the, most absolute words possible;            whose usages differ from ours merely in non-essentials
there is no life apart' from Christ, there is no truth       shall not be rejected." (Art.  85).So there is room for
except as it is in Christ, there is no way unto the          the exercise of Christian liberty according to an
salvation of the Father other than Christ. In the church     individual's conscience. We would point out, however,
on earth that must be, preached with all authority and       that this consideration does not vitiate what has been
emphasis. Any departure from those words is a lie,           previously stated, because tolerance has been defined
destroys the way' of; salvation, and invites devilish        as sympathy or indulgence for those things which are
heresies. In Galatians : 1: 8 inspired Paul dares to say,    contrary to the Word of God.
"But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any             The second consideration has to do with love.
other gospel unto you than that which we have                Surely the question has already occurred to many,
preached unto you, let him be accursed." -What lies          Where does love fit into this picture? Tolerance is not
behind such absolutism? Surely there lies in Paul's love; never may they be confused. And intolerance
heart the Spirit-worked conviction that what he has          must be grounded in love. What kind of love is it that
preached is  truth!  And that which the false teachers       allows a brother to continue in his sin unrebuked? The
present are damnable5 heresies that subvert the entire       brother offends God, experiences a deadly guilt, and
gospel of Christ. What sort of evangelism can be             loses the sense of God's favor. Tolerance allows him to
indifferent to the question of what is being preached? stay that way. Intolerance in respect to sin will humbly


                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      285


  insist that the brother confess his sin and forsake it,  * vices of the pagan world which resulted in a decline of
  will restore him with the spirit of meekness, and cause         spirituality and discipline; the Church forsook Christ
  him to experience the lifting up of God's countenance           and His Gospel and  whored after  secular and political
  upon him. Again, what kind of love is it that allows a          matters. It is written large in the history of the church
  false gospel to be preached on the mission field, a             that toleration causes the life of the Church in this
  gospel which cannot save? F&se teachers make a fair             world to become sullied, her witness is dimmed, and
  show in the flesh and with feigned words make                   her true message is put to silence.
  merchandise of their hearers; but God does not use                The calling of the faithful child of God is, then, to be
  them for the gathering of H&Church. If you have love            intolerant, uncompromising, and unbending in respect
  for those who are as sheep without a shepherd, if you           to doctrinal errors and all sin. His calling is to love God.
  are concerned for the welfare, of those who are God's           and his neighbor, and this calling he fulfills by standing
  children but as yet unconverted, then you will want             on the Scriptures and speaking the Scriptures. He will
  the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ preached unto them.             then find  that those that shout "Toleration!" the
  And that will require a position of intolerance toward loudest will not be tolerant of him. J. Gresham
 all errors. John sums this up beautifully by saying, "If Machen,  writing in "The Importance of Christian
  we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in            Scholarship" (p. 27) notes that "The representatives of
  darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk          the  dominant Modern-indifferentist forces have
  in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship         engaged in the most violent adjectival abuse of their
  one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His             opponents; yet they have been called sweet and
  Son cleanseth us from all sin."                                 beautiful and tolerant: the defenders of the Bible and
    Historically, toleration in religion and ethics shows         of the historic position of the Church have spoken
  itself to be deadly. The one example of the Edict of courteously, though plainly, in opposition, and have
  Toleration issued by Constantine in 313 will suffice.           been called "bitter" and "extreme." Words like bitter,
  Although there were certain benefits for the Church             extreme, narrow-minded, old-fashioned, cannot hurt
  due to this Edict, the disadvantages far outweighed             those who esteem the favour of Christ more than the
  them: the Church became wealthy and pre-occupied                favour of men.
  with material things; because the emperor favored                 What kind of church member do these latter days
  Christianity, hordes of people joined the Church who            require? One who is vigilant, who stands firm in the
  had no business there, and they brought with them the           faith, who behaves as a man and is strong!


  Book Reviews

                                             The Covenantal Sabbath

  THE CO VENANTAL SABBATH (The Weekly Sabbath                         and for the next fifteen years Sunday was my weekly
  Scrip  &rally and  &torically Considered),  By Dr.                  vacation. The ecclesiastical holy day had become my
  Francis Nigel Lee; The Lord's Day Observance Society,               personal holiday.
  London, United Kingdom (343 pages, 2.00 pounds)                        In the extreme mercies of Almighty God, at the
  [Reviewed by Prof. H. C. Hoeksema]                                  age of twenty-one my soul was turned from my sinful
                                                                      ways to serve not the ecclesiastical tradition of
    On the dust jacket of  .this book there is an                     fallible man, but to serve the living Lord according to
  interesting note about the author. However, I prefer to             His infallible Word - to serve Him in every sphere,
quote the author's own testimony as found in the                      including the sphere of sabbath observance.
                                                                         But here my problems began. The Seventh-day
  Introduction of this book:                                          Adventists told me that God would have me keep the
         This thesis reflects part of the story of my life.           sabbath from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. The
         Born a Roman Catholic, for the first eight years of          Antinomians told me the weekly sabbath had been
      my life I was compelled to go to Church every                   abolished in Christ's death, and that Sunday is not
      Sundgy, never understanding why. Yet between                    the sabbath and not to be kept as such, and that mere
      attending the morning mass and the evening                      Church attendance suffices. The Modernists assured
      benediction, extremely unfortunately, I then spent              me that the whole issue was unimportant. And so I
      the greater part  bf Sunday in finding my own                   had to determine for myself: What saith the Scrip-
      pleasure on God's holy sabbath (cf. Isa. 58: 13).               ture:?
         At the age of eight, I was converted to atheism.                My searching of the Scriptures against the claims
      This meant a total breach with all Church attendance,           of numerous Churches finally led me to Calvinism.


  286                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



         Here my weary- soul found rest: rest in the immutable       and for that reason chiefly a book in which ministers
         counsel of that glorious covenantal Being, the Triune       and theologians would be interested.
         God, Who made me, preserved me, saved me, is now              But in a day when in some Reformed circles the
         sanctifying me and shall presently perfect me. Here I       sabbath has become an issue, this is a good book. It is
         could rest in the great Seventh Day creation sabbath        Reformed. It is Scripturally founded. It is a sound
         of God the Father, rest in its principal fulfilment  in     study of the sabbath. I am afraid that the sabbath is
         the death and Lord's day resurrection of God the            under discussion in some Reformed circles today
         Son, rest in the assurance of the glorious advent of
         God's Eighth Day, the Day of the Lord - an                  simply out of a desire to justify its desecration. This
   ' assurance guaranteed me by Him Who came on                      book, however, will furnish a sound and Scriptural
         Pentecost. Sunday to abide with me forever - God            ahtidote to the spirit of sabbath-desecration. It answers
         the Holy Spirit.                                            two questions, and answers them both affirmatively:
            These then are the necessary presuppositions             "Is the sabbath of perpetual obligation?" and "Was the
         which govern my afiproach to the subject of this            historical change of the sabbath-day from Saturday to
         thesis. I would not leave the reader in any doubt as to     Sunday scriptural or not?"
         my point of departure. I consider academic neutrality         With the main thrust of this book I am in thorough
         to be impossible, and, affirm my childlike faith in the     and  warm agreement. On some of the details I find
         plenary verbal inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures as      myself in disagreement. And I was disturbed by the
         the very Word of God, their exclusive role as the           author's surprising failure to insist that the days of
         supreme arbiter in all matters of faith and conduct,        creation-week were ordinary 24-hour days. However,
         and their substantially correct reflection in the Belgic    the book as a whole is to be recommended.
         Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Decrees of          It is too bad, in my opinion, that the publishing of
         Dordt, the Thirty-nirie Articles and the Westminster
         Confession of Faith.                                        this work could not be more generously and
                                                                     attractively executed. The print is small, and the pages
    The above language : comes as a refreshing breeze on             are crowded. The book is deserving of better
  a hot and sultry day, dnd it promises much good in the             treatment.
  pages of this book, a promise which is faithfully kept.            Ministers and theological students will do well to
    The book is a slight abridgement of the author's                 add this work to their libraries. Be prepared, however,
doctoral thesis, submitted to the University of                      to put on your thinking-cap!
  Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa. In the nature              [For those who might wish to order the book, here is
  of the case, this is not an easy book for popular                  the address: The Lord's Day Observance Society, 55
  reading; it ,is a technical, theological, exegetical study,        Fleet Street, London, E.C. 4, United Kingdom.]



                                                        Feed My Sheep

  FEED MY SHEEP  (A Manual for Sunday School                         study than is given, is the Sunday School as an arm of
  Teachers, Superintendents, and Leaders), Compiled                  evangelism A great deal is made of this in the book
  and Edited by John H. Schaal; Baker Book House,                    and several chapters refer to it. But the fact of the
  1972; 162 pp., $1.95 (paper). Reviewed by Prof. H.                 matter is that, while certainly the Sunday School is not
  Hanko .                                                            even a part of the official ministry of the Church,
                                                                     making  the Sunday School an evangelistic force in the
    This book is intended to be of assistance in making              Church is a denial ofthe doctrine of the covenant. The
  the Sunday School a more effective educational force               idea is, of course, to get children from the community
  in the Church. I am n@ very happy with the book for                into the Sunday School where, hopefully, they will be
  various reasons. One important omission in the book is             saved; and perhaps this will also make it possible to get
  a discussion of the history of the Sunday School                   into  the homes of these children. Yet the whole truth
  movement, its proper place in the life of the Church -             of the covenant emphasizes that God saves families;
  especially in relationship to Catechetical instruction             i.e., God saves parents and their children. There is little
  and the specific purpose which it ought to serve. The              or no recognition of this important truth. Further,
  unexpressed assumptic$  of the book seems to be that               there is too much emphasis placed in the book on
  all the instruction in the Church must be in the Sunday            "gadgets" and too little on sound instruction.
  School, and thus there is an implied denial of the                   Nevertheless, there is some profit in reading the
  official' task of the Church in Catechetical instruction.          book for those who teach in Sunday Schools. There
  Another facet of the book which warrants far more                  are some good chapters on the nature of a child,


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                287
.

effective ways of teaching, various means of making will read the book with spiritual discernment,  it will, I
Sunday School more interesting, etc. If our teachers am sure, be of some assistance to them in their task.



                                        Fare well To Anglicanism

FAREWELL TO ANGLICANISM,  by H. M. Carson; reason is that it gives insights into the situation in the
Henry E. Walter Ltd., 26  Grafton Road, Worthing; modern Anglican Church. Another reason is that it is a
     1969; 144 pp.,  7/6 (paper). Reviewed by Prof. H.         clear apology for secession. It has thus considerable
Hanko .                                                        importance for all those who are in similar situations,
      The author of this very interesting book was             whether they are members of an Anglican Church or
ordained in the Anglican Church. He served in the church some other denomination.
for a number of years and  .was Vicar at St. Paul's              The style is clear, lucid, and lively. The book is
Cambridge. But he had increasing doubts about his heartily recommended.
place in that Church and finally, in 1965, left to join
the nonconformist movement in England. This book,
written in 1969, is a description of his spiritual
pilgrimage as he struggled  <with the problems of
conscience which finally led him to resign his vicarage
and become a minister in a Baptist Church. The book
deals primarily with his reasons for leaving.
      There were several such reasons. He was convinced
of the principal wrong of Establishmentarianism,
especially the control of the Church by Parliament. He
became increasingly dissatisfied with the prescribed
and repetitious rituals of the Prayer Book. He had
objections to the whole idea of the episcopate. He was
disillusioned with the worldliness and liberalism of the
clergy and with the spiritual  cweakness of the people
who only came to Church to have their marriage
confirmed and their children baptized, and who were
carried into Church to be buried under Anglican rites.
      In thevows he had t.aken at the time of his induction
he had pledged to be faithful to the Anglican-system;                               NOTICE!!!
and this increasingly nagged at his soul and conscience.         Classis East will meet in regular session on April 4,
      But one of his chief reasons for leaving was his         1973 in Southeast Prot. Ref. Church. Material to be
increasing conviction that infant baptism was contrary         treated in this session must be in the hands of the
to the requirements of Scripture. This part of the book        Stated Clerk at least ten days prior to the convening of
is most interesting because the author examines closely        the session.
all the arguments which have been raised over the years                                                   Jon Huisken
in support of infant baptism and finds them wanting.                                                      Stated Clerk
>Tevertheless,  one becomes  iincreasingly convinced
while reading this material that there are other reasons
why the author abandoned the doctrine of infant
baptism One such reason is his vehement protest
                                        .                                    RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
against baptismal regeneration. Another reason is an             The Ladies Society of the First Protestant Reformed
altogether defective view of the covenant. When he             Church of Holland, Michigan, extends its sincere
talks about the grounds for infant baptism as being            sympathy to one of our members, Mrs. M. Haveman, in
covenantal grounds, it is quite obvious that he does not       the death of her brother,
understand the doctrine of Scripture at this point. One                        ANDREW HOLSTEGE.
wonders what would have happened had he thoroughly               May our covenant God comfort her and grant her
understood this central truth of Scripture.                    His peace.
      At any rate, the book is well worth reading. There                                    Mrs. J. Van Kampen, Pres.
are various reasons why it is important. One such                                               Mrs. T. Elzinga, Sec'y.

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



288                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



                                Mews From Our Churches
  Probably the most exciting news for this issue is that     Suggestions for a name for the new church were to
of the organization of the new Protestant Reformed have been dropped in the collection plates on Sunday,
congregation in the Grandville-Jenison area. The March 4. And a trio for minister will probably have
organizational meeting, preceded by a divine worship been announced before these lines appear in print. So,
service, was held in the Hope Protestant Reformed perhaps in our next issue we'll be able to provide some
Church, of Grand Rapids, on February 23. The public additional information.
was invited to the divine worship; and was privileged,
also, to witness the organization procedure itself.         ,Classis West was scheduled to meet, as you know, in
  Prof. Ha&o preached on I Timothy 3: 15b, ". . . the South Holland on March 7. I understand that there was
church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the a Ministers' Conference planned for Tuesday, March 6.
truth." Immediately after the sermon, the nineteen The ministers and elder-delegates of Classis West were
families which were to become the new church's to arrive in South Holland a day early; and the
charter members, presented their membership papers. ministers, professors, and the seminary and
Rev. Van Overloop, assisted by a couple of elders from pre-seminary students would join them from the east.
Hope Church, presided during the conduct of the Activities were to include a 9:00 A.M. paper on
necessary business. An open election was held for the ` `P entecostalism," presented by Rev. Decker, and
office of elder and deacon. Three elders were chosen: followed by a discussion period; a 1:OO P.M. paper on
Herman Schipper (vice-president), Gerrit Vanden Top, "The Power, Work, and Fruit of the Holy Spirit,"
and John Van Baren (clerk). The two elected deacons delivered by Rev. Van  Baren, followed, again, by  a.
were Franklin Block and David Ondersma. After the discussion period; and, to cap it all, a dinner together
election, Rev. Van  Overloop read the form for in the evening.
ordination, and the new officebearers were officially        It seems that all of the Protestant Reformed
installed. After the organizational meeting, the ministers would be present at that Conference, except
doxology was sung by all present, and Rev. Van for Rev. Heys and Rev. Lubbers who are laboring in
Overloop pronounced the benediction. Most of you Jamaica, and Rev. Veldman who, you recall, has been
who are reading these lines were not able to be present sent by the Mission Committee to try to lay the
in Hope Church on that memorable occasion. Neither groundwork for a Protestant Reformed Church in
was this writer. But we can, I think, sense some of the Florida.
excitement, even from a second-hand account. To
quote from Southeast's February 25 bulletin, "may            I've just noticed that some. of the bulletins in my
God be praised for this token of His loving kindness!" reserve box are beginning to turn a little yellow.
  I could probably pass on a couple of related items of Perhaps I ought to do a little box cleaning.
interest. The new church began, as we mentioned, with        How about this, from a September bulletin from
nineteen families on the charter member list. Of these First Church? The highlight of the annual church
nineteen, ten came from Hope, four from Hudsonville, picnic was, of all things, an ox roust. Cooked all day,
three from First, and two from Southeast. And, we're on a turning spit!
told, the papers of two more families will be received,      And from a June bulletin of`Hull, we learn that the
shortly, from Hudsonville. The new church includes, annual 4th of July picnic was a joint affair, including
already, thirty-four young children; and no less than. all three of our Protestant Reformed Churches in that
three baptisms will take place in the first few weeks area.
of the church's existence.                                   One more, yet. An announcement from an October,
       The congregation plans to meet temporarily in the - Southeast bulletin, indicates the formation of a new
auditorium of Jenison Christian Junior High School. society - a Senior Mr. and Mrs. Society. With that, the
The consistory has asked the Classical Committee for a announcement continued, "we will have a society in
Counselor, and for classical appointments. Their first this chur.ch  for every teenager and adult. Let everyone
church service (Sunday, February 25) was led by resolve to join with the society of his choice, and then
Professor Hanko. Seminarian Joosten led the evening resolve to faithfully attend."
service on that day.                                         I shouldn't neglect my box . . . obviously.    D. D.


