Where does one still find separating preaching, in which a distinction is made between the unconverted and God's children, and in which all hearers are addressed according to their needs and wants? It must be answered that in many countries in the world it is not, or is no longer, found. Wherever the preaching can still be called objectively orthodox (and, happily enough, that is still the case in various places), it misses, alas, just this separating and subjective element, which imprints such an impression on the hearts and which precisely grants unto God's children the instruction which is so indispensable.

In our fatherland (The Netherlands) separating preaching may still be found to the present day, and, happily enough, in a broader circle than only that of our Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Netherlands Reformed Congregations). Where is it still found? Rather than mentioning the names of some church denominations or parts of church denominations, we want to point out that separating preaching flourishes and is found where the influence of the more recent Reformation (Nadere Reformatie) is still detected. Hopefully the reader knows what this movement is. Sometimes people also speak of Pietism or Puritanism, but in order to prevent all confusion we speak rather about the Nadere Reformatie, a term which was used first by Jacobus Koelman. By this we understand that movement in the church of the Netherlands in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries which strove diligently to the end that the discoveries in God's Word which had been made in the Reformation now also might work effectually both in the life of the individual and in the life of the entire nation. Thus it was not the case that they thought the Reformers had fallen short, but they desired that those things which the Reformers had learned would now also be experienced personally and be practiced by the people.

It was a protest against dead orthodoxy, which was of the opinion that a purified doctrine was enough. It was also a protest against the worldly life of the nation, in which the holy leaven of the Reformation was so very little detected. They pointed to the necessity of the praxis pietatis, the practice of godliness. The spokesmen of the Nadere Reformation are known among us as the "old writers." Who does not know the names of Willem Teellinck, Jacobus Koelman, Gisbertus Voetius, Bernardus Smytegelt, Jodocus van Lodenstein, Abraham Hellenbroek, Wilhelmus a Brakel, Alexander Comrie, Theodorus van der Groe, and so many others?

The preaching of these old writers has been known in our congregations for a long time. In many vacant congregations none but their sermons were read during the reading services. But also individuals read the old writers. Sometimes the books were literally read to pieces. The Keurstoffen (Choice Sermons) of Smytegelt and Hellenbroek, the ABC of Faith and the Eigenschappen (Marks) of Comrie, the Toetssteen (Touchstone) of Van der Groe, and many other works were read from cover to cover, often by young people, too. By them many became acquainted with the preaching of the Nadere Reformation; people came to love it. The sermons heard on Sundays during the reading services were no strange food. And also the preaching which was heard from the mouth of God's servants was understood by many: the people heard the same sounds as from the old writers.

Now I would not like to argue that the writings from the time of the Nadere Reformation are no longer read in our time. A steadily flowing stream of reprints appears on the market. Still, it is to be feared that the old writers are becoming increasingly unknown among young and old. People gladly look for easy reading material, find the old writers somewhat tiresome, and no longer have the time or desire to dig deeply into their works. The shiny, beautiful bindings of the old writers in many bookcases often give the impression that they are handled very little. All this is lamentable and has far-reaching, serious consequences for the life of the congregation. A consistory, for instance, which finds it necessary from time to time to read a sermon from the time of the Nadere Reformation, not infrequently meets increasing pressure from the congregation not to read those "difficult" sermons anymore. People do not understand them anymore! Even worse: even the preaching of our ministers, which is rooted in that of the Nadere Reformation, is considered by some as "strange, not understandable, old fashioned." People want something different. It must be feared that this "difference" pertains not only to the usage of present-day vocabulary, but touches precisely upon the foundational matters which were the heart of the separating preaching of this more recent Reformation.

We would, therefore, urge our readers, and especially our young people, not to neglect the treasures which can be unearthed from the works of the men of the Nadere Reformation. There are many interesting works about the Nadere Reformation. We are thinking of (to be read critically!) the works of Prof. Dr. M. J. A. de Vrijer: Uren met Lodenstein (Hours with Lodenstein), Ds. Bernardus Smytegelt en zijn Gekrookte Riet (Rev. Bernardus Smytegelt and his Bruised Reed), and Schortinghuis en zijn Analogieen (Schortinghuis and his analogies). Also interesting are the books of Dr. W. J. M. Engelberts about Willem Teellinck, of Dr. A. F. Krull about Jacobus Koelman, of Dr. A. G. Honig about Alexander Comrie, and that of our own Rev. Arie Vergunst about Godefridus Cornelisz, Udemans en zijn 't Geestelijck Roer van 't Coopmans Schip (Udemans and his Spiritual Rudder of the Merchant Ship). Those young people who are able to read German and can read with discernment could orient themselves still more broadly in the works of W. Goeters, Die Vorbereiting des Pietismus (The Preparation of Pietism), and H. Heppe, Geschichte des Pietismus and der Mystik (History of Pietism and Mysticism).

Above all, however, it is necessary to read the works of the old writers themselves. They already have been used to the edification and instruction of countless numbers of God's children, but the Lord also has been pleased to use them to the true conversion of sinners. I think that the knowledge of the old writers is such an important issue that the identity of our congregations in the future is connected to it. It is unnecessary to say that knowledge of the letter is insufficient, and that it comes down to sanctified, personal, and experimental knowledge. After all, one can read this abundantly in the old writers themselves.

Why did we now consider the movement of the Nadere Reformation somewhat more in detail? It is because the preaching of the men of the Nadere Reformation precisely teaches what separating preaching is! Whoever learns to read the sermons of our Dutch old writers, and also those of the English Puritans and of the old Scots, will immediately be struck by their serious and precise separating. By "separating" we mean what we have already described several times: not only pointing to the great line of division which runs through the congregation, but also entering into the standings in the spiritual life of God's children, and pointing out the different forms in which being unconverted can manifest itself.

It would be interesting to trace how our old writers have separated in the course of history. Such an attempt has been undertaken by a minister from the Christelijk Gereformeerde Kerken (Free Reformed Churches), Dr. T. Brienen, who gained his doctor's degree in 1974 at the Johannes Calvijn Academie at Kampen, with a theological dissertation entitled: De prediking van de Nadere Reformatie (The preaching of the Nadere Reformation). We still hope to come back to this work. At this time we want only to say that we have respect for the historical inquiry performed by Dr. Brienen, but are very disappointed with the conclusions which he reaches with respect to separating preaching. For separating preaching he uses the somewhat peculiar name, "classification method." Are we mistaken if we already hear in the name a negative evaluation? Why not stay with the term "distinguishing preaching" also used by Hoekstra? We also hope to consider further the manner in which Dr. Brienen mentions the Gereformeerde Gemeenten (Netherlands Reformed Congrega­tions) in his dissertation.