All Articles For Gritters M

A committee of a certain Classis in the Netherlands, whose task it was to trace the origin and define the meaning of the pre-service prayer, wrote to Dr. Rutgers, complaining that it could find no material on that subject. Dr. Rutgers answered that this was nothing strange since he doubted whether, before the nineteenth century, such a prayer had even been in common usage. (Dr. Rutgers, KerkeMjke Adviezen I. p. 255). He himself could find nothing on it in the earlier centuries. I am not more successful than Dr. Rutgers. It is peculiar to notice that neither Voetius in his...

That is: why is it necessary that a minister of the Gospel acquire an education and be a graduate from a seminary? Perhaps if we put it in conversational form, letting the first speaker each time present the objections to an educated clergy, and the second speaker represent the view of the undersigned in answer thereto, we could make the matter clear. First Speaker: I believe that if God singles out someone to preach the Gospel, He puts the message into their hearts. For we read in Mark 13:11, “Take no thought what ye shall speak, neither do ye pre-meditate,...

Morning Session The Rev. A. Cammenga conducted the usual opening exercises. It appeared from the credentials that all the consist­ories were represented. Rev. H. De Wolf who had come and was already in Hull, received a telegram from his congrega­tion notifying him of the death of Mr. N. Kimm, and the brother had to return before the Classis convened. A word of welcome is addressed to two minister brethren present for the first time. Rev. De Boor coming from Classis East now pastor of Redlands and S. Cammenga, pastor of Orange City. Rev. S. Cam­menga become s president for the...

Samson was strong! It was he who slew a lion single handed; it was he who carried the gates of Gaza to the crest of its hill; it was he who pulled a beam from out of the house by the very locks of his head and be rent new ropes as if they had been scorched jute. It was also Samson who pulled the pillars from under the Dagon theatre, killing thousands of Philistines with one stroke. Samson was strong. Yet he was very weak. He fell an easy prey to the wiles of his ungodly wife, Delilah. Samson...

The rush to the beauty parlor! I realize that I expose myself to a vigorous attack from the young women when we begin to make comment on their beauty. I have heard of people who have been put to flight by the daggered looks of certain young women, when they made comments on their beauty. Somehow, however, if you put it in print the immediate danger is not so great, neither do you need to witness the reaction. I could hardly say, without more, that it is wrong to visit the beauty parlors, for I should not want to be...

On the map one can almost trace the course of the white horse of the Gospel, as it (traversed Asia and Europe and then came to this country of ours. If travelled ever westward. In due time the Lord also brought the Gospel to these shores. And, as a necessary counterpart, there came also Christian Instruction. History proves that with the one belongs the other. This article intends to review some of that history. There was a development of Christian instruction also in Romish and Lutheran circles, but this article will confine itself mostly to the development of it within...

When the men of De Afscheiding came to this country in the middle of the nineteenth century they confessed that one of the reasons for their coming was “That we may enjoy that great privilege of seeing our children instructed in Christian schools, a privilege that we lack here, since in the public schools a general moral instruction is given which may offend neither Jew nor Romanist, while free schools are barred.” (Pamplet; Landverhuizing, Brummelkamp en Van Raalte). So there came to this country at least a nucleus of men who clearly saw that Christian Instruction was necessary. They had...

The Rev. S. Cammenga, pres. of the last Classis opened the session. The roll-call revealed every congregation to be represented with two delegates, ex­cept Redlands and Manhattan, with one each. Rev. P. De Boer took the chair and Rev. S. Cammenga kept the minutes for this session of Classis. The minutes of the last meeting were read and their recording approved. The church visitors for the Calif. churches report that they have done their work and their report on the visit is accepted. The Classical Comm. also renders its report. Then came the report of the Sermon Com­mittee, that is,...

In answering this question one is automatically giving his view on what the Church is, its relation to the world and to heaven, as well as defining the conception of the Covenant and its development in history. And that, it seems to me, is quite a series of important subjects. So please do not expect that I intend at arriving at any one conclusion and say, “now then, that is the purpose of his separation”. When the question is asked why God called Abraham apart and what may be God’s purpose in separating him from his surroundings, various answers are...

I suppose that the reader will say: has it come to this now that the Standard Bearer busies itself with such things as fairies and fairy tales? If the Standard Bearer loses some of its prestige, I beg to be held excusable. We are obedient sons of the good brother who has the dictatorial powers of assigning articles for the year, and we write about anything that is commanded us, even about fairy tales, and even when we happen to know very little about it. I had hoped that my library would yield me something on this mysterious subject but...