Our Synod is again past history.

At some future time we will perhaps make a few remarks regarding same, but at this time we thought it well to transcribe two missives which were sent by our Synod. Their contents are sufficiently interesting to our readers to warrant immediate publication.

The letters in question follow:

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

May 23, 1941.

The Consistory of the Kalamazoo Protesting First Christian Reformed Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Esteemed brethren in our Lord Jesus Christ:

We received the two letters you sent us under date of July 30, 1940, and January 28, 1941.

The Synod decided to answer you as follows:

We are sorry that you retract your first letter on the basis that same was published and discussed in the Standard Bearer. Moreover, it is our conviction that such action is entirely wrong. The Synod cannot be held responsible for the fact that your first letter was published and discussed by the Rev. H. Hoeksema in the Standard Bearer. Whatever the Rev. Hoeksema writes in the Standard Bearer is his own concern and you will see that you cannot and may not hold our Synod responsible for it. If you disapprove of his action you must address your expression of such disapproval to him. The Standard Bearer is a free paper and not answerable for its contents to the Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches. You may not attempt to punish or rebuke the Synod for acts committed by the Editor of a free paper.

Secondly, your first letter was not “intercepted” but placed into the hands of the proper person, namely, the president of the committee appointed by the Synod for this matter, the Rev. H. Hoeksema.

Thirdly, we cannot agree that the publishing of your answer was contrary to “Reformed Church Law and good order,” because the contents were relative to matters that were inherently public. At any rate, we would have expected you to specify what article or articles of the Reformed Church Order were transgressed. The blanket expression you used is altogether too general and sweeping and consequently proves nothing.

Fourthly, whereas the contents of our address as well as your answer to same pertain to the welfare of your congregation at large; and whereas our half of these matters was known to your membership because of the publication of the Acts of our Synod; and they certainly have great need to know your half, namely, the answer to the above-mentioned matters, it appears to us that the censured publication of them was highly beneficial to the constituency of your church, especially when we consider that due to your strange ecclesiastical isolation, your consistory also comprises the functions otherwise filled by Classis and Synod, which from their very nature should be public.

Finally, we once more would emphasize the matters referred to in the address of our Synod 1940 and earnestly and urgently plead with you to either deny the charges we made and disprove them or to repent and confess them.

Your brethren in the Lord,

The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches;

(W.S.) H. Hoeksema, President;

(W.S.) Gerrit Vos, Secretary;

(W.S.) Geo. C. Lubbers, Asst. Secretary.

Stated Clerk of Synod:

Rev. D. Jonker, 924 Worden St., S. E.,

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

May 23, 1941.

The Synod of the Christian Reformed Churches, assembled at Grand Rapids, Michigan, June, 1941.

Esteemed Brethren in our Lord Jesus Christ:

We are sorry to note that you apparently misunderstood our address sent to you by the Synod of our Churches of 1940. You will kindly remember that it was composed of four parts. In points one and two we brought to your attention various decisions, declarations and acts of your Synods of 1924 and 1926; and being sincerely convinced that all of these decisions, declarations and acts are either contrary to the Word of God and the Reformed Confessions or a great and grievous injustice, we begged and pleaded with you in the name of the King of the Church to recant the errors and to repent of the sin, motivating this plea in the third point of our address. And in the fourth part we requested you for a colloquy on all these matters where we might attempt to restore harmony between your churches and ours under the blessing of our covenant God.

But your answer was very disappointing to us. You do not answer points one to three at all. The only matter you touch on is the matter of the proposed colloquy, mentioned under point four. Hence, we have come to the conclusion that you apparently misunderstood the entire thrust of our missive. It seems to us that you labor under the misconception that an answer to point four treats the entire address.

Secondly, we would say that we are well aware that the matters our Synod brought to your attention were settled by your Synods of 1924 and 1926. Of course, and it was exactly because of the decisions of these Synods that the breach was struck which occasioned much grief to us and much misery of sin and guilt to you. It was the very point of our address to work toward the removal of such grief and misery in our serious endeavor to move you to recant the errors and to repent of your evil way.

Thirdly, we cannot help but gain the impression that you consider your Synodical decisions and declarations infallible. Allow us to explain. We beg you to reconsider the decisions and your answer is: No! we cannot do so because our Synods have definitely spoken regarding them. The Synod of 1940 could not reconsider the Synod’s work of 1924 and 1926 because the latter Synods spoke. If such is what you meant, brethren, then you have added to the list of errors committed in the past. It is horrible to contemplate that such a doctrine of infallible Synods precludes the attractive possibility of ever relieving you of the infamous Three Points.

Fourthly, we have noted that your strange silence with respect to points one to three really is cruel to us and very sinful before God. Let us take your view of the matter. Suppose that you think us wholly in the wrong, a view often expressed but very difficult to prove, on the one hand; and, on the other hand, a view, as we sincerely believe, which has no corresponding reality in your hearts and consciences. But, for the sake of proving your harsh treatment to us ward, let us suppose that you harbor such conviction: would it then not have been your Christian duty to admonish us, especially when we gave you a golden opportunity in the sending of our address? But no. We said: Brethren in the Lord! you have sinned grievously and such you must repent for the sake of the love of God. And what was your answer? You did not say no; neither did you say yes: you said exactly nothing. Such action is expressive of contempt and therefore cruel to us and really also cruel to yourself.

Finally, we would bring the same address and request before your attention again and pray that our Covenant God give you grace to see your error, to confess the sin, to seek forgiveness, so that both your churches and ours may happily join hands and be forever united in confession and walk that tendeth to Godliness.

Your brethren in the Lord,

The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches;

(W.S.) H. Hoeksema, President;

(W.S.) Gerrit Vos, Secretary;

(W.S.) Geo. C. Lubbers, Asst. Secretary.

Stated Clerk of Synod:

Rev. D. Jonker, 924 Worden St., S. E.,

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In due time, D.V., we hope to acquaint you with the answers to the above missives. H.H.