The Formularies of Unity and the Dutch Reformed Church: A preliminary survey

This article undertakes a sur\'ey o f the application o f the F orm ularies o f U nity by the D utch R eform ed Church, covering its h istory fro m the I8 th cen tury to approxim ately 1935. A lthough these F orm ularies were the accep ted confessional basis o f the church, it d id not p reven t add itional theo log ica l accom m odation during the 18th century. D uring the f ir s t p a rt o f the 19 th cen tury an institu tional concept o f the church p u t fo rw a rd a su b ­ scrib ing fo rm ula . The con fession becam e important. In p rin c ip le the w ay was o p en ed f o r an institu tional a n d contractual enforcem ent o f the F orm u­ laries. This happened w hen the church M av invo lved in the w ide-ranging li­ bera l struggle during the six th decade. E ven before the 20th century a new approach in w hich the role o f the Form ularies was seen m ore dogm atically a n d confessiona listica lly cam e to the fo re . And, w hen the church was once again en ta n g led in a st n ig g le (viz. the well-know n 'Du P lessis c a se ' o f the 1930 's) the dogm atic p o in t o f departure p la ye d into the hands o f a con­ fe s s io n a l fundam enta lism . In the h istory o f the D utch R eform ed Church, the F orm ularies thus g a in ed in ecclesio logical em phasis a n d value a n d its applica tion was cond itioned by the context a n d theological influence. M ost importantly, the underlying p rob lem o f its h istoricity on the one hand, a n d its scrip tura l context a n d intent on the o ther hand, rem ained an unpaid


Introduction
There has never been a time in the history o f the Dutch Reformed Church that the Three Fom iularies o f Unity have not been its confessional basis.Ecclesiologicaily as well as theologically, its history shows a typical association with these Formularies.From a church history point o f view this phenom enon can be dis tinguished and described, and a line o f development can be pointed out.This ten dency can be traced back to the 18th century, although the Formularies only came into real prom inence in the 19th century.Its application w as determ ined and qua lified by the historical context and foreign theological influence.At the same time the church w as confronted with the characteristic question or problem peculiar to an authoritative confession.As a formal document the confession w as implemen ted to safeguard the teachings o f the church.Assuming positions and in term s o f minority and majority convictions the basic problem w as, how ever, sidestepped.The aim o f this article, therefore, is to survey the application o f and the reflection on the Formularies o f Unity by the Dutch Reformed Church, covering its history from the 18th century to approxim ately 1935.

The 18th century: additional influences not prevented
For the sake o f the historic positioning and link, a few rem arks are necessary re garding die 18th century.The generally accepted perception exists that the Cape Dutch Church adhered during the 17th and 18th centuries in a strict sense to the Formularies o f Unity in the w ay it w as stipulated and understood by the famous Synod o f Dordrecht (1618/19) (Du Toit, 1911;Vorster, 1981;Van der Watt, 1976).One should, however, be very wary o f describing the first 150 years o f South A incan church and theology history as reformed and 'D ordrecht reform ed' in terms o f the Three Formularies o f Unity.Granted, the ministers, sick-comforters and teachers did indeed in a formal sense by signature adhere to the Three Formularies.And, as an institution and in societal context the church did -in a confessional sense -hold its own, not leaving room for other churches and asso ciations.That is why the church w as instrumental in discouraging and even aver ting the initial M oravian mission (Muller, 1923;Kruger, 1966:11 ff), and why it prevented the Lutherans who avow ed the Augsburg Confession o f Faith to in stitute ecclesiastically ( c f Hoge, 1939:17-19 ff; c f also Hoge, 1938).In this res pect it can indeed be argued that the reformed confession formally protected and maintained the public faith at the Cape.
However, this aspect should not be misunderstood.During the 18th century the accepted and underlying government-centric consciousness dealt with a theocratic concept o f the unitary culture, which linked the public religion to the Cape Church (vide Brown & Britz, 1991:420 fí).In this concept and practice, the For mularies w ere inculcated in a functional and traditional w ay rather than confessionally.This phenomenon is underiined by the fact that during the 18th cen tury the theology o f the Cape Church followed the contem porary Dutch ten dencies and positions.In a broad sense it therefore displayed a characteristic ra tional element, which w as typical o f the w ay in which theology w as scholariy debated and practised at the accepted Dutch faculties ( c f Knappert, 1912:68 ff;Bronsveld, 1873:69 ff;De Jong, 1972:258 ff; Vos, 1888:100 ff)-This conclusion is based on the study o f published ecclesiastic theological literature o f Cape ori gin (c f Britz, 1990:23-40;Britz, 1992:110-126).
Although the published sermons o f Cape origin w ere therefore not so much in accord with D e prediking van de Nadere Reform alie ( c f Brienen, 1974), the The Formularies o f Unity a nd Ihe D utch Reform ed Church.A prelim inary survey___________ "Oude Schrijvers" w ere read as well (cf.Van Zijl, 1991).It is a well known fact that the N adere Reformatie applied the Formularies in its own characteristic way, determ ined by a contextualization in consequence o f a particular understanding o f the gospel ( c f Brienen, 1986;Graafland, 1961).Its influence, em phasis and orientation among members o f the Cape Church should not be underestim ated ( c f Bosman, 1855;Spoelstra, 1963:5 ff;M oorrees, 1937:267 ff).K eeping this in mind it is -in another respect -quite clear why one should be very careful not to draw a line directly and one-sidedly between the Cape Church o f the 18th century and the Dordt confessions.This is also indicated by tw o further developments -the one more historical, the other more theological -during the last quarter o f the 18th century.A fter 1770, when the Cape Patriots (c f Beyers, 1929;Schutte, 1974) shifted the emphasis to society and dem ocracy, the confession did not stand in the w ay o f a shift with regard to the old theocratic concept and vision (Pont, 1969/70) which, however, did not mean that religion w as sacrificed.Society w as viewed in term s o f the law o f nature and God.Religion, how ever, was no longer linked to one church.Even before 1780 the Lutheran Church organized itself ( c f Hoge, 1938, Hoge, 1939).A new order proclaimed itself and w as initiated.
Secondly, and during the same period o f time, the Formularies did not prevent a further theological accommodation.In the Reverend Van Lier an approach from the viewpoint o f faith and the individual verdicts o f faith found a theologian and spokesm an o f stature ( c f Hanekom, 1959).In his method o f w ork and the activation o f mission work the convictions o f evangelical assimilation o f the Puri tan tradition o f England were clearly visible.Together with Michiel Vos (vide Du Plessis, 1911b) he introduced this evangelical accent which bound working communities together transconfessionally, especially with regard to mission work dunng the 1780's.Attitudes, suppositions and deductions w ere, however, not accounted for scripturally and tested confessionally (c f Brown, undated: 90 ff).
In conclusion, it is therefore clear that during the 18th century the Cape society and its public church w as open for theological influencing -the origin o f which should not be sought in the immediate proximity o f the kind o f scriptural synthe sizing found in the Three Fonnularies o f Unity.As directive ecclesiastic writings the confessions o f Dordrecht remained in the background.
Ecclesiastically the confessions o f Dordrecht becam e prominent in the 19th cen tury.& Elphic, 1986).The various churches had to adapt mutually and come to an agreement.The Cape Dutch church thus did not only have to cope with a new situation and its challenges, but had to iden tify and position itself ecclesiologically and theologically as w ell ( c f Claassen, 1986).In that respect it w as no longer possible to take into consideration only its own tradition and Dutch orientation.Some o f its leading ministers such as Serrurier. Fleck, Borcherds (vide Veltkamp, 1977), Berrangé, Spijker and Heyns w ere theologically quite satisfied with a moderate supranaturalism according to which the supranatural aspect o f the Christian faith w as reconciled with the in sight and claims o f the Enlightenment.In addition the arrival o f the Scottish mi nisters (c f M oorrees, 1937:537 ff; Sass, 1956;Claassen, 1990, Beukes, 1985) introduced a Presbyterianism as conceived ecclesiologically and evangelically in terms o f the W estm inster Confession.
Against this background the Cape Church met in 1824 as a synod.The 1804 "Kerken-Ordre" ( c f Kleynhans, 1974:24 ff, 109 ff, 294 ff; Pont, 1991:170 ff) o f De Mist, which protected its position in the new dispensation by law, w as fol lowed.In term s o f an institutional church concept the synod regulated the church's government and ministry.In this concept, as expressed in the "Algemeen Reglement" o f that year (Pont, 1991:204 ff), the Scottish Presbyterianism w as reconciled with the Dutch supranaturalism ( c f Brown, 1992:692).In the process an ecclesiological legal concept was coined according to which the doc trine o f the church could also be endorsed.In fact, according to Section 35 office-bearers (teachers o f religion) w ere expected to subscribe to the confessions o f the church "welke overeenkomstig Gods Heilig W oord, vervat is in de Formulieren van Enigheid" (Pont, 1991:222).Ecclesiologically, the Fonnularies o f Uni ty gained decisive importance.
At the synod o f 1837 this "Acte van Onderteekening" w as am ended particulady by demand o f the Scottish ministers.The proposal by the Reverend W. Robert The Formularies o f Unity a nd the D utch Reform ed Church.A prelim inary survey___________ * In addition to the Dutch Reformed and Lutheran traditions, churches of British descent (the Anghcan, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational and Baptist churches) were also estabhshed at the Cape during this period son that the "Acte" should read; "dat ik de Leer, w elke in de aangenoom ene Form uheren van Eenigheid der Hervormde Kerk is vervat, hartehjk geloof overeenkomstig G ods H eihg W oord te zijn ..." (Pont, 1991:186), w as barely accepted.2It w as, how ever, an important amendment in that the scriptural context o f the For m ularies had been accentuated, thereby taking a different direction in subscribing to the doctrine o f the church than the Nederlands Hervorm de Kerk did ( c f Rasker, 1974:41 ff).This amendment at the same time linked the subscription to the doctrine only to the spirit and purport o f the confession (Pont, 1991:98 ff).
This formula obviously did not say everything.The Formularies w ere not men tioned by name.The question can thus be asked w hether the formularies had been regarded as superfluous.Furthermore, w as the point at issue a functional canonical act and entrenchment in term s o f a confessional accord, rather than the intrinsic 'confessionality'^ o f the Three Formularies o f Unity?O r did an expli cation not really m atter?W ould that be the In die Skrijlig 27(4) 1993:519-536 4.An institutional and contractual enforcem ent during the liberal struggle (1862-1875) Obviously the course o f the so-called liberal trend and the liberal struggle should be studied historically.This trend should also be understood theologically.The community and more than one church w ere involved.Theological influencing from abroad created a situation that dem anded a solution.For the Dutch Refor med Church this struggle involved dogmatic as well as canonical consequences.
The confessions, and their authority, suddenly becam e the centre and focus o f at tention.U nswerving and definite application could no longer be avoided.
With At the Synod o f 1862 controversialists threw down the gauntlet.A s an institution the Synod acted in its own right and in a general sense, in that w ay, on the one hand asserting its authority ecclesiocratically in order to bind the church to its mi nistry and, on the other hand, dissenting ministers to the confession.This ap proach, however, could not keep the church out o f the civil court.Its own Wetten en bepalingen w ere the cause.
The church, or rather the synod, w anted to retain and apply the confession in its historic sense.M any members o f the church were convinced that liberalism ne cessitated the enforcement "van de zuivere leer" (llandelingen, 1863:xii).And, "eene verdediging derzelfe" w as not excluded as well (Handelingen, 1863:xii).G eene leervryheid (vide Lid der Synode, 1863) becam e an ecclesiastical point o f departure.The synod stood by the Acte van onderteekening, and controlled the situation.The synod vested it with church jurisdiction to take action (against the Revs.Kotzé and Burgers) ( c f M oorrees, 1937:889 ft).In this sense the Form ula ries were viewed contractually and linked to legitimation (or adm ission), thereby driving back the function o f the confession within the framework o f "reglementen" and "wetsbepalingen".Within this framework the confession w as enforced.
W ere they, within the outhne o f an ecclesiological legal concept, formally the w atchm en on the w alls without sharing the public square?W ould that be the reason w hy the subscribing formula w as am ended and extended in 1870?From then onw ards ministers had to confirm that they believed wholeheartedly that all the clauses and parts o f the doctrine in the formulary and Catechism , being the Formularies o f Unity o f the Reformed Churches o f the Netherlands, w ere in ac cordance with the W ord o f God.In addition they had to undertake to be willing to reject, repudiate and exclude from the church all false doctrines.Therefore they also undertook not to teach against the confession directly or indirectly.Ê cclesiologically the Formularies w ere therefore enforced.At the same time, many o f those who endorsed this conduct, w ere theologically bound to the con viction that neither rules nor stipulations would be able to stop the liberal trend.For that purpose they believed "dat geene reglementen noch wetsbepalingen in staat zijn dien stroom a f te keeren.Dat daartoe hooger, sterker, levender kracht, de banier van 's Heeren G eest, noodig is" ( c f Handeiingen, 1863:xii).These w ords echo a serious conviction in dealing with this matter.Examined closely, this theological motive threatened the inherent confessionality and com petence o f the Formularies in a subtle manner.The orthodox ministers w anted to act bibli cally, and to remain faithful to the Bible.With almost no reference to the For m ularies, they favoured an evangelical concept or objectifying o f the Christian faith ( c f Brown, 1990;Brown, 1991;Brown, W ., 1987:91 fT).Their apologetic method, according to which a case for faith, the revelation, the Christology, etc., has been m ade out in the literature^ in which D e M o d em e Theologie'^ had been rejected, is a striking proof o f this approach.Even when J.J. Kotzé* published D e Belijdenisschriften der Nederduitsch-G erefo rm eerde K erk en derzelver geschiedkundige toeiigting in 1865, he evaded the problem.To him the ecclesiastic use o f the Formularies m eant "de vasstelling van de voorwaarden der kerkelijke gem eenschap ..." (Kotzé, 1865:1).According to K otzé the formularies w ere the church's "geloofsovertuiging aangaande de "christelijke w aarheden" and "zijn de w aarborg van haar bestaan" (K otzé, 1865; 27, 28, 30 ÍÏ).The relationship betw een Scriptures and Formularies w as thus hie rarchically understood.K otzé (1865:30) claimed that the Formularies are subor dinate to Scripture, but the problem o f its confessionality w as neither touched nor solved.
W ould that, and an ecclesiastic theological conviction, be the reasons why Hofm eyr described the Formularies as the imperfect w ork o f men?H ofm eyr said that the Formularies are intended to w ard off false doctrines that the church encoun tered and fought -false doctrines which had been overcome in the pow er o f the Holy Spirit.The aim o f the Formularies, how ever is not to limit the truth to which the Holy Spirit leads the church until it will reach full growth and com ple tion in Jesus Christ (Hofmeyr, 1865:153;c f M urray, 1888:373-377).Along these lines he thus qualified a w ider and more current insight.In fact, Andrew M urray was probably in trouble at the 1870 Synod for the same reason when the Reverend J.J. K otzé convincingly indicated that M urray w as not in com plete agreement with the Canons o f Dordrecht regarding predestination ( c f Pont, 1959;Anon., 1871).
On the other hand, the problem o f the historicity o f the Formularies w as also overlooked -a problem particularly raised by the liberal theologians.These libe ral theologians indeed w ished to be free from church or confessional prescription and ties -even the scriptural prescription w as adapted to the norm o f reasonable viability.According to that, the magisterium o f a church docum ent out o f the past w as confronted with the authentic Protestant approach.^'In their defence o f the true teachings o f the church, the orthodox group did not pay any attention to this admission and a far-reaching hermeneutical problem remained unsolved.
To conclude: an evangelistical motive and a theological method evidently pre vented a thorough exposition o f the question o f the historicity, as well as the scriptural connections and meaning o f the Formularies.In the apologetic ap proach room w as made for a supranaturalistic adherence to the Bible and asso ciation with faith ( c f Brown, 1991:575).E. Brown pointed out that the first two professors at the Theological Seminary in Stellenbosch believed that nature and revelation, reason and faith w ere not in discord (Brown, 1991:575,574-590;Thom, 1989).This conviction w as coupled with an evangelistic approach.In this w ay the ministry and preaching saved the church from a rationalised theology as it w as accom m odated in Europe and particularly in Germany.The same road as that o f the Free Church o f Scotland w as followed increasingly.
Since 1870 then, and due to the liberal controversy in the Cape Church, the Formularies o f Unity w ere inscribed ecclesiastically.In term s o f an ecclesiastical jurisdiction, it w as maintained by the synod.In this w ay the Dutch Reformed Church drew the contours within which the Fomiularies would function, thereby accom panying its theology and its ministry.

Since c. 1880: a new confessionalistic input and approach towards the function o f the Form ularies o f Unity
Even before the 20th century, a new approach regarding the Formularies in the Dutch R efom ied Church came to the fore in which the role o f the Formularies w as seen more confessionalistically.Yet another theological trend and method announced itself in the Dutch Reformed Church.O nce again links w ere found overseas -this time with the confessional movement as initiated in the Nether lands by the Secession o f 1834 ( c f Rasker, 1974:55 ff) -a movement which was taken further by Abraham Kuyper and others ( c f Rasker, 1974:153 ff,171 ff).In Paarl the Reverend S.J. du Toit ( c f Scholtz, 1975) put this impetus into w ords'^ and com plied with it in his own way ( c f Scholtz, 1975:233 ff).He found suppor ters in the Reverends W.P. de Villiers ( c f de K ock, 1981) P. Huet ( c f Hough, 1962) and Frans Lion-Cachet ( c f Kriel, 1955;Engelbrecht, 1953).The last-men tioned ministered in the Transvaal and ensured that the Fonnularies w ere accep ted ecclesiastically as the norm a norm ata^' (vide Lion-Cachet, 1866:18 ff, 26 flO ____________________________________________________________________________R.M. Britz S J du Toit did not hesitate to polcmisc in this regard He was indeed in more than one respect at loggerheads with the Dutch Reformed Church.In the papers of which he was the editor {De A frikacmse Patriot and I)c Getuige) he accused his church of neglccting the confessions, especially as far as the doctrine of election was conccmcd At the same time he opted for supplementing the Formularies in an eschatological-niillenialistic way What the Cape Synod did not succced in doing, he did He published the Formularies of Unity, added his comments "om leden onzer kerk ecn zoo duidelijk mogelijk begnp te gevcn van wat eigcniijk dc bctekenis is van onze Gereformccrde Leer cn wat dezelfe onderscheidt \'an dc leer van anderc kerkgenootschappcn die van ons verschillcn" (Handelingen, 1881:82, vide further S J du Toit, 1895a, S J du Toit.1895b, S J du Toit, 1901, Oberholster, 1956:50 ff) Vide also Pretorius, 1986:203fF For a contemporarv standpoint and emphasis, vide Bosman, 1889:5 ff,9,12,15,21 ff; Goddefroy, 1890 In die Skrijlig 27( 4) 1993:5J9-536 521

II
W ithout going into the m atter further, it can be stated that the Dutch Reformed Church did gain a confessional consciousness.Theologically this w ould function more strongly.This confessional consciousness had a conservative character, and gained ground in the church after the South African W ar o f 1899-1902.Links were found with the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam) (c f Pont, 1987:28 ff;Brown, 1987:33 ff) and with orthodox and reform ed churches in the United States o f America.Princeton ( c f Noll, 1983) and its theological stand, inter alia, becam e known and attracted South A fncan students.
In the meantime, while J.I. M arais and C.F.J. M uller in their G ereform eerd Maandhlad^'^ w anted to take the hands o f young clergymen in their ministiy, the theological problems o f the time w ere touched upon at a regular basis.Scholarly theology w as to be regarded seriously.prayer and mission w ork w ere most important.These aspects, he says, cultivated a conservative trend in a fiindamentalistic sense (Brown, 1979:133 ff).Inciden tally, the G ereform eerd M aandblad paid little attention to the confessions o f the church.W hen it w as discussed -in 1892, 1898, 1912-13 and 1915 -the em pha sis was placed on the historic context in which they w ere founded, and which ac centuates their value.
At the beginning o f the 20th century the Dutch Reformed Church undoubtedly ac commodated a different and more dogmatic method parallel to the traditional biblical-apologetical and evangelistic approach.The church did not, however, take into account the fact that ecclesiological and theological presuppositions were at work within this method.Another aspect, namely that an ecclesiastical and con fessional problem could arise in this regard, w as also not foreseen.This aspect had indeed consequences regarding the authority, application and significance o f the Formularies o f Unity as the confessional base o f the church.And, in the meantime, the new dogmatic and confessionalistic impetus slowly but surely found its adherents which grew in numbers.
During the tw enties the historicity o f the Formularies as a theological and eccle siological problem could no longer be avoided.Wliat becam e know n as the 'Du The Formularies o f Unity a n d the D utch R eform ed Church.A prelim inary survey___________ The journal existed from 1892 until 1920.
Plessis case' m ade the avoidance o f this problem impossible.The balance be tw een tw o divergent orientations and theological convictions could no longer be m aintained and opponents, with contrasting viewpoints, took up positions.The church found itself in a difficult situation, which could not be solved easily ( c f Olivier, 1988;Olivier & Brown, 1992;Erasmus, 1986).The doctrine o f the church, as expressed in the Formularies o f Unity, w as again addressed to reach a decisive answer.
Diverging points o f view w ere taken with conviction and motivation.The es sence o f these lines o f thought can be read in the theological journal H et Zoeklichl, which w ished to cast "een gekoncentreerd, onderzoekend, krities licht op de dingen die in de duistem is verscholen lichen" (Hel Zoeklicht, 1923:1(1)2.The Other side regarded the Formularies as the expression o f faith as proclaimed in Scripture, and therefore being more than historic formulations.As such the Formularies are regarded as essentially sufficient, and therefore authorative enough to dispel the critical questioning o f the time, to correct the fallacy and to apply doctrinal discipline.Accordingly, the life o f the church becom es service able to the doctrine: the confession is the criterion.This reform ed principle, they argued, determined the limits o f freedom o f thought and research in the con fession.
The church acted within its meeting and took a specific stand in terms o f its con fession.For the majority, the Formularies helped to refute false doctrines.The historicity o f the Fonnularies as an ecclesiological and theological problem w as, however, side-stepped.At the same time their scriptural context and the re ference o f the Formularies w ere not considered.It w as not realised that a dog matic point o f departure had played into the hands o f a confessional funda mentalism.It was also not recognised that a historically critical and inductive method -particularly if applied apologetically -cannot be without presupposi tions.
Du Plessis fell victim to the situation.In a certain sense the church, and the pro blems regarding the authority and application o f the Formularies, also fell victim The Formularies o f Unity and the Dutch R eform ed Church.A prelim inary survey___________ Illustrations of this side of the argument can be found in various articles published during this time: "Waar dr^f ons heen?" (Malan, 1926a: 16 ff;Malan, I926b:51); "Waarheen voer Modemisme?"(Malan, 1926c:360 ff); "Sommige besware teen die Modemismc" (Malan, 1927); "Die dwaling wat ons kerk hierdie ecu bedreig" (Anon., 1928) (Stoker & Potgieter, 1935).See also Kriel, 1924;Kotzc, 1932, Snyman, 1965. to it.Could this be the reason w hy the Dutch Reform ed Church continued to employ its Formularies in both a dogmatic and evangelistic sense?Could this be the reason why the confession did not function sufficiently in theological reflec tion in subsequent years?To discuss this, one w ould immediately engage a new and contem porary development, which is beyond the scope o f tills article.

3.
The 19th century until 1862: an institutional concept o f the church put forward a subscribing formula Historically and from a church history point o f view the situation at the Cape changed at the turn o f the century.The political structure o f the D utch East India Company w as replaced by a Batavian interpretation.In 1806 the Cape becam e a British colony.In a common context many churches' (and mission societies -c f Du Plessis, 1911a:61 ff) from different confessional convictions and traditions joined in the process o f furthering the ministry and mission w ork o f the Christian church in a plural society (c f Giliomee reason w hy O rdinance 7 o f 1843 mentioned only the "confession o f the Synod o f D ordt and ... the H eidelberg C a techism"?O r w as the Confessio Belgica -in the context o f a British colony and judicial system -dropped deliberately in this case?( c f Pont, 1991:251 ff, 260 ff).When the C ape Dutch Church therefore had to identify itself am ong other churches, and an influential theological orientation w as added, an institutional church concept put forward a subscribing fonnula which indicated the confessio nal basis "als overeenkom stig G ods Heilig Woord".**The confession becam e im portant, although it w as not defined in detail.H ow ever, when the confession becam e involved in the institutional enforcement o f the doctrine afier 1860, cer tainty becam e necessary, especially in view o f the w ide-ranging church struggle ( c f M oorrees, 1937:881 ff;Hanekom, 1951:308 fl)  during the period 1860 to 1870.This struggle led to a further development in which the Formularies func tioned in the Dutch Reformed Church.____________________________________________________________________________R.M. Brit: 2 This proposal was acccptcd with 21-19 votes See Handelingen eener builengewone Synodale Vergadertng der NederduHsch-Gereformeerde Kerk van Zuid-A frika, 1858:141 ^ By 'confcssionality' is meant the inherent reliability and scriptural intent with which the Confessions s>Tithetise Scripture and revelation Wetten en hejxilingen voor het besluur der Nederdtiilsch Gereformeerde Kerk in Zuid-Afrika, 1844: Art 63, 35 This subscribing formula remained unchanged until 1870.
the theological training at Stellenbosch in its own hands (c f Ferreira, 1979), the church w as applying the biblical-apologetic approach o f the U trecht School ( c f Rasker, 1974:134 ff) evangelically and contextually.M ethods and a ministry pattern for the sake o f the revival o f the Dutch Reformed Church and society bound the Evangelicals together.H ow ever, the Groningen ( c f Rasker, 1974:45 ff) and Leyden (c f Rasker, 1974:113 fl) adaptation and dismantling o f the idea lism o f the former supranaturalism at the same time provided, under the influence o f the critical German theology, com petent preachers on the C ape pulpits.Their viewpoints and diction were, how ever, too drastically different.Their viewpoints w ere at variance with the strong convictions within the Dutch Reform ed Churchconvictions regarding sin, atonem ent in and by Christ, the supranatural nature o f the revelation and the infallibility o f the Bible (c f Hofineyr, 1860; Hofmeyr, 1868).

The
Formularies o f Unity a n d the D utch R eform ed Church.A prelim inary survey * Not to be confiised with J.J. Kotzé of Darling Cf.Beyers, 198l:304flf ^ This was perhaps one of the main reasons why Faure deserted the Dutch Reformed Church to form a Free Protestant Church in Cape Town ) This journal w anted to break new ground, and w anted to help the Dutch Reformed Church to re-orientate meaningfully in terms o f m odem insights and theological claims ( c f Erasmus, 1986:258 ff, 274 ff).The insistence to re-orientate and its consequences, gave rise to opposition from within the church.In 1926 Dr. D.R. Snyman established D ie Ou Paaie.With reference to Jeremiali 6:16, he and his supporters w anted to keep the Dutch Refonned Church dogmatically to its con fession.The subscribing fonnula again involved the doctrinal base o f the churh in the situ ation.H ow ever, groups, and unattached individuals actualized it contextually.The one side regarded the confession as consisting o f historic formulas o f the Christian faith which had to assist in reaching better formulations.Consequently the confession suffers from essential insufficiency to a greater or lesser extent.The doctrine in a confessing church is always open to reform, reformulation, investigation and supplementation.Consequently, it should becom e serviceable to the life o f the church -as God and the Spirit carry it into effect.The con fession acts as the guide, and leads to the Protestant principle o f freedom within the limits o f the confession.
W hen one considers the history(until c.1935) o f the D utch Reformed Church, it is clear that its Formularies played an important role.Conditioned by the context and theological influence, they gained in ecclesiological em phasis a n d value.The Formularies w ere involved for the sake o f the church itself, and w ere there fore used and understood as an ecclesiastical confession.This em phasis and practice pushed their Christocratic notion a n d se n 'ice unnoticed into the back ground.Indeed, the confession o f the church is more than an ecclesiastic matter.The confession is open to the King o f the church, and therefore also to His ser vice as He effectuates it by the W ord and the Spirit.By upholding the Formu laries ecclesiastically, this aspect w as neglected.The D utch Reformed Church did not steer clear o f a confessional fundam entalism .'5And, as far as the For mularies served an evangelistic-theological purpose, the church played into the hands o f a confessional particularism.Perhaps that is why the underlying problem o f the historicity o f the Formularies on the one hand, and the Scriptural context and intent on the other hand, have remained an unpaid account.The For mularies w ere, after all, not ministered com pletely for the sake o f and in the name o f the Lord o f the Church, as it remains He who cares for, protects, guides and serves His flock.