(Kuyper is discussing the marks of the true and false church so that those who are called to engage in church reformation may be able to recognize the difference. He has criticized the view of those who hold to a pure-church ideal and who make the holiness of individual members a mark of the true church.)

(In the last paragraph Kuyper has distinguished between reformation and revolution by pointing out that reformation is always done in obedience to God.) 62. Concerning Reformation and the Magistrate. The question is also brought up and is of importance: does not a part of the work of reformation belong to the magistrate? The question is especially whether the magistrate is not called, authorized and obligated “to prevent and exterminate all idolatry and false religion.” Our conviction in this respect does not agree with that of our fathers. We do not make a secret of this difference. Only God’s Word, not...

(Kuyper, in this paragraph, is discussing the marks of the true and the false church. He does this so that the child of God who is called to engage in church reformation may be able to distinguish the two from each other.)

(The last paragraph dealt with the distinction between the true and the false church and the importance of distinguishing between the two for the work of church reformation.)

(In the last paragraph Kuyper has concluded his discussion of how an individual engages in church reformation and finally makes a break with his church when such church reformation proves impossible from within: In, the following paragraph, Kuyper goes on to discuss the whole concept of the true and the false church for reasons which he himself gives.)

(Kuyper has been talking about the role which the magistrate must take in the work of church reformation. In the last paragraph he spoke vehemently against Article 36 of our Belgic Confession which gives to the magistrate the right to exterminate heresy. Although Kuyper does not deny that the magistrate is called to enforce both tables of the law, he insists that the magistrate has not the right to punish the heretic with capital punishment.) 63. Concerning Reformations Which Already Exist and Their Distinct Character. Because the Reformation of the sixteenth century is usually considered to be the Reformation, many live under...

[In this paragraph Kuyper is discussing reformations in Scripture and in history. In the last installment he has spoken of reformations in the Old Testament. He now speaks of reformations in the New Testament and in history.) After the fall of the kings until Jesus’ public ministry we read in Scripture of three more reformations. The first came about when Zerubbabel led the exiled church back to Palestine and was with Joshua instrumental in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls. The second happened when Ezra and Nehemiah rose up with fiery courage to stifle at its inception the corruption which once...

Reprinted from When Thou Sittest In Thine House, by Abraham Kuiper, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1929. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Co. Of Nova Zembla Tollens* sings: “Here the Prince of Winter has erected his throne.” Yet at heart this is ungodly and fundamentally heathen speech, as though there were a Prince of winter, who brings ice and snow and hoarfrost. A language that contrasts strongly with what in Israel a David and an Asaph sang: Our God gives snow like wool, he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes, he casteth forth his ice like morsels:...

Reprinted from When Thou Sittest In Thine House, by Abraham Kuiper, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1929. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Co.   The night   As in reading a book you skip a part that does not interest you, so there are those who between the days of their life simply skip the nights. So a day does not have twenty-four, but sixteen or seventeen hours. They keep count of time from their rising in the morning until they pillow their head by night; but the night that lies in between does not count....

Reprinted from When Thou Sittest In Thine House, by Abraham Kuiper, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1929. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Co. The Day   With us, evening is part of the day, while in the East, as soon as evening comes the day is done. You see this with the Jews in our midst, who do not begin their Sabbath on Saturday morning, but on Friday evening. As soon as the sun is set it is Sabbath. While we say: “Every morning and every evening,” the Scripture says: “Every evening and every morning,” and...