INHERITANCE PRESERVED by W. W. J. VanOene, 280 pp.; Premier Printing Ltd., Winnipeg, 1975. Reviewed by Rev. Jelle Tuininga.

The sub-title of this book is: The Canadian Reformed Churches in Historical Perspective. It was written by W. W. J. VanOene, a minister of the Fergus Guelph, Ontario church, in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Canadian Reformed Churches in Canada. This federation of churches, as most readers will probably know, had its origin in the Netherlands in the year 1944, the year of the so-called Schilder controversy. When these people emigrated 10 Canada they, with a few exceptions, also organized separate churches there, along with one congregation, The American Reformed Church, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

This book describes the beginnings and development of these churches in the new world. This is done “in historical perspective” Chapter I traces briefly the Secession of J834; Chapter 2 the Doleantie of 1886; Chapter 3 the Union of 1892; Chapter 4 the Liberation of 1944; and the remaining three chapters describe the contact with the Christian Reformed Church and the Protestant Reformed Churches, and the resulting decision to form a separate federation of churches. The last chapter also describes some internal conflicts and the efforts put forth in the areas of theological training, mission outreach, and Reformed education. The book contains numerous pictures—of church buildings, former and present ministers, classical and synodical meetings, etc. This will no doubt make the book more attractive to members of these churches.

Your reviewer has always maintained, and stills maintains today, that in the tragic conflict of 1944 in the Netherlands, the so-called “synodical” churches must take the major part of the blame, though of course there was fault on the other side too. But synod made binding decisions which it had no right to make, and what is more, contrary to the rules of Reformed church polity, synod itself deposed ministers and consistories, thus assuming an authority—which does not belong to it. The only proper word for such action is “hierarchy.” The author of this book traces the beginnings of this hierarchy back to 1926 when Geelkerken resisted what at that time already was seen as the “legitimate authority which . . . has been given to the Churches in their major assemblies.” This concept of the major assemblies having authority of their own came to full expression in 1944. And that is clearly contrary to the Scriptures and Reformed church polity.

So, though I do not in any way want to put 1944 on a par with 1834 or 1886, and though the Vrijgemaakte Kerken can be faulted for not putting forth more effort to restore unity, and for falling into hierarchical tendencies themselves later on, it must be said that the “synodical” churches made a grievous mistake which should have been repented of in sackcloth and ashes, and not grudgingly.

When we come to this side of the ocean, the picture changes drastically, at least as far as this reviewer is concerned. I maintain that there never was and still is not a sufficient reason for the separate existence of the Canadian Reformed Churches. To be sure, the Christian Reformed Church made some bad mistakes, mistakes which could and should have been avoided. While ostensibly remained neutral toward the conflict in the Netherlands, in actual fact the Christian Reformed Church took the side of the synodical churches, without prior investigation. That was a very unfortunate development which precipitated the organization of Canadian Reformed churches.

True, this mistake was admitted later on, and rightly so. But it was too late, and perhaps too little. The damage had been done. Walls had been erected, and nothing less than a miracle will make those walls come down. That is the tragedy of church history. One wrong move can have serious repercussions. Here too, an ounce of prevention would have been worth a ton of cure.

Why then do I say that things are so different on this side of the ocean? For more than one reason: 1. There was, especially in the U.S. section of the Christian Reformed Church at that time, considerable ignorance of the real situation in the Netherlands; 2. The Christian Reformed Church did accept as members those who came from the Vrijgemaakte Kerken of Holland; 3. The Christian Reformed Church never did make the binding doctrinal decision that was made in Holland. Many ministers in the CRC to this very day hold to the view of the covenant advocated by Schilder, and they have never been in any way suspect for it; and 5, the mistakes that were made by the CRC, and later on admitted, were not at all of such a nature as to necessitate a separate federation of churches. Sad to say, the Canadian Reformed leaders made a mountain out of a molehill, even to such an extent that the Christian Reformed Church was frequently described, albeit not officially, as a “false church.”

To my mind, it is this introverted, myopic, and somewhat “kerkistisch” perspective which mars this book also. Everything is seen in such a simple (not to say simplistic) black/white scheme. The great complexities of church history and of struggles of the church are reduced to simple formulas. It is all so easy, so clear. It is revealing to see the similarity in this respect between the Protestant Reformed Churches and the Canadian Reformed Churches. The former traces all the evils present in the CRC from the year 1924; the latter sees the downhill road beginning clearly in 1950. Neither is right; one cannot put church history into such simple schemes. And there is one more similarity: the nearest relative receives the most criticism. Fighting is most fierce among members of the same household. Sad, but true.

Let me give a few examples to illustrate what I said above. We read on p. 81; “Joining the Protestant Reformed Churches appeared definitely impossible. It was therefore decided not to ask for content with these churches, but to urgently exhort the Protestant Reformed Churches to return from their hierarchical path. On page 107 we read: “The Christian Reformed Church as well as the Protestant Reformed Churches could not be acknowledged as having continued in the line of the fathers.” One more example from page 201: The Synod of 1962 of the Canadian Reformed Churches decided “to direct a serious and urgent appear” to the Christian Reformed Church “that they might repent of their sins as Churches.”

Such absolute statements arc certainly not conducive to mutual trust and understanding. At the very least one would expect a bit more modesty. In the same vein, the adjectives “true” and “false” as applied to churches are bandied about altogether too easily by members and leaders of the Canadian Reformed Churches.

Two further matters that mar the picture and the road to unity are: the increasing number of separate Canadian Reformed schools being built, and the lack of a real desire for unity on the part of too many leaders in the Canadian Reformed Churches. One could wish there was more of the spirit of Calvin who said he would cross · ten seas for the sake of the unity of the church. The cause of self-preservation, if need be, in isolation from all others, seems to have the upper hand in the Canadian Reformed Churches. The author does say toward the end of the book about these churches: “They have not denied their past, and yet they do not vegetate on the past while neglecting their place, position, and obligations in the present” (p. 217). But I think II statement on the following page reveals the relative importance of these two emphases: “May the Lord . . . keep, preserve, increase, defend, and protect the Churches He has so wondrously maintained . . . .”

Working toward unity with the Canadian Reformed Churches may be exasperating, and even seem futile; yet efforts at closer relations with them and similar churches (Free Reformed, O.P., etc.) ought to have priority over the R.C.A., which is doctrinal!y further removed.

COMPREHENSIVE BIBLE CONCORDANCE, by James Bradford Richmond Walker. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1976. ix, 968 pp. $12.95.

This new edition of an 1894 publication is claimed to be an improvement over Cruden‘s Concordance first published in 1790. It supposedly contains 50,000 more references than Cruden’s and is not burdened with the long list of common references for common words like “and,” “in” and “yet” as in Strong’s—another valuable concordance. It has one alphabet—the words and names all alphabetized together. It is based on the King James Version. To be certain, it has one advantage over my Cruden‘s: it is much easier to read. As a simple text finder, it is valuable. If you do not possess a concordance this volume would be a good investment.

Books about the Ministry and Preaching

PREACHlNG YESTERDAY AND TODAY, by Erroll Hulse, Jim Van Zyl, David Kingdon and Jannie du Preez Henry E. Walter Ltd. and Carey Publications Ltd., Haywards Heath, Sussex, England, 1972. 88 pp., paper, 45p.

Five lectures on preaching presented at the first Evangelical and Reformed Conference in South Africa at Port Eliza· beth in April, 1971. The subjects are George Whitefield’s preaching, the difference between free will and human responsibility, Scriptural evangelism, proclaiming the Gospel to a secular society and, finally, the relationship of Biblical Theology to our preaching. This last lecture is particularly helpful and interesting.

PULPIT SPEECH, by Jay E. Adams. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1971. 169 pp., paper. $3.50.

For most ministers a speech course is part of the dim, distant past. Dr. Adams has written a book to help the present student and those in need of a review. His Purpose “is to help the preacher to preach the Bible truthfully and effectively” (p. 35). Sermon structure and delivery are dealt with in an interesting and effective manner. There is only one danger with a book like this—and that blame belongs to us, not Dr. Adams: we could read it in order 10 justify what we do rather than to learn. In a day when the necessity of the pulpit is questioned by many we ought to seek to improve our preaching. This book will give some helpful insights.

SPEAKING FOR THE MASTER: A STUDY OF PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR CHRISTIAN MEN, by Batsell Barrett Baxter. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1972. 134 pp., paper. $2.95.

Here is another “how-to” book on preaching. Actually, this is a book prepared for men’s training classes so that they can be trained to bring the message of the Gospel. From this point of view it would be helpful for various men in the church who are called upon to lead society meetings, speak at a nursing home, etc. It is written in an interesting style with numerous illustrations. Obviously, the author being a member and leader in the Church of Christ, the book will not have the ring of Reformed language as it is beard in Jay Adams’ book Pulpit Speech. Yet, it has value.

A GUIDE TO PREACHING, A PRACTICAL PRIMER OF HOMILETICS, by H. E. O. White. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Mich. 1973. vii, 244  pp., paper. $3.95.

This is a volume packed full of very helpful insights into preaching. Here are guidelines on how to gather sermon ideas—helpful to yonng preachers an<1 to older ones, too. The development of outlines, introductions, conclusions, the relation of the sermon to the rest of the service, using words and illustrations arc al[ discussed with some fulness. White, Principal of the Baptist Theological College of Scotland, writes, “Experienced preachers will find little for them in these pages, and nothing intended for them.” Perhaps. However, a good refresher course is not out of place. As in all books you will find ideas with which you will disagree, so in this one, too. However, this is worthy of examination.

PREACHING TODAY, by Clyde E. Fant. Harper and Row, New York, 1975. xvi, 196 pp. $8.95.

“lncarnational preaching” is the theme of this book by the pastor of the Fin;t Baptist Church of Richardson, Texas. Previous to this pastorate he sen’ed as Professor of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He believes that “the incarnation is the truest theological model for the mysterious divine-human preaching event, which is neither all of man nor all of God, but which partakes of both with precisely the same degree of mystery and humility as that reality in Jesus of Nazareth” (p. xv). Men like Barth, Brunner, Moltmann, Marty, Ferre, Tillich, Ebeling (one of the New Hermeneuticists), Spurgeon, and Richard Baxter are quoted. The publisher calls this “a handbook to the real world of preaching.” It all depends on one‘s theological stance!