Vol 41 Issue 05

The Prot. Ref. High School Circle sponsored a public meeting of the friends of our own high school Nov. 12, at Southwest Church in Grand Rapids. The speaker was Prof. H.C. Hoeksema and his topic was, “Parental Obligation Respecting Protestant Reformed Secondary Education.” In this way the High School Circle is doing the School Society a service by helping to arouse the interest of the parents in the necessity of having our own high school, besides doing the parents a service by making them aware of their responsibility in this vital matter.

The Fall Meeting of the Eastern Ladies’ League was held on Thursday evening October 22, 1964 at The First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mrs. T. Van Eenenaan played the piano prelude. The meeting was opened by singing our theme song, Psalter No. 374, Dutch Psalm 89:1, and Psalter No. 422, vs. 2. Mrs. J.

Our fall meeting was held the afternoon of September 25, at Doon, Iowa. An organ prelude was played by Mrs. Jim Blankespoor. Rev. H. Hanko opened with prayer. Our chairman of the league, Mrs. William denBesten led us in singing our theme song, Psalter No. 298, and then Psalter No. 256. She then read fromDeut. 6:5-7. Rev. H. Hanko was introduced as our speaker.

From the Men’s Society of our Edgerton Church comes this question: Does the forty days of Jonah 3:4have any relationship to those of Exodus 34:28, I Kings 19:8, and Matthew 4:2,

So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?  And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.  I went out fill, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD bath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

That ecumenicalism has made rapid strides in recent decades is beyond dispute. In the past “Great Century,” denominations have united; co-operation between churches has increased; councils of churches have been established. And the end is not yet. The great fissure separating Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, which seemed so permanent just a few short years ago, more and more is being bridged. No longer are heard statements declaring the impossibility of uniting these two. 

This is the age of ecumenicism, the era of church union. With all this church union comes, sadly enough, doctrinal indifference and decay. One would think that if, as some claim, this is the golden age of the church when, as never before, the church is seeking the unity of the body of Christ, that these years would be characterized by increased doctrinal interest, by flourishing doctrinal studies, by important developments of the truth. But quite the contrary is the case. In their haste to come together, churches coldly shoulder doctrine aside.

We concluded our preceding article on the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures with the observation that no man has the right to assume any other attitude toward the divine Scriptures than that of humble submission. God Himself wrote His own Word, and man should assume an attitude of neutrality over against it?! 

“A Relevant Salvation,” by Reginald E.O. White, 132 pp., Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. Price: $2.25  This is a book of brief sermons, written by an English preacher and teacher. In eighteen chapters, divided into two main sections under the general headings, “The Modern Malaise” and “A Relevant Salvation,” the author is supposed to set forth “Christianity as the only cure for modern man’s malaise,” according to the claim on the dust jacket. 

A few days ago I received a letter from one of the members of the churches of Jamaica associated with Rev. Frame. Having been in Jamaica and knowing the struggle that most of these families have to survive from day to day, this letter made a strong impression upon me. And therefore I will copy it here for you to read:  “Dear Rev. Hanko,  Greetings in the precious name of Jesus, our soon coming King.