PETITION AGAINST CHANGE IN THE KING’S DECLARATION.
WE are glad to observe that a petition, issued by the Protestant Alliance, London, against Mr. William Redmond’s Bill, and the changes proposed therein, is being circulated throughout the country, and we trust that Protestants, old and young, everywhere will awake to a sense of their responsibilities and sign the petition. There cannot be enough lawful effort put forth at the present crisis to resist the new assault upon the bulwarks of our national stability and prosperity. May the Lord Himself arise and defeat the plots of the great adversary, who is doing his utmost to destroy the cause of truth and righteousness in the land!
It may be useful to notice that the enemy employs much subtlety in the advancement of his schemes, and that in connection with the matters presently at stake, this subtlety is conspicuously in evidence. Many, for example, who favour a change in the King’s Protestant Declaration give as a reason that its terms are unnecessarily offensive to the Roman Catholics. We do not believe that its terms were ever drawn up with the set purpose of offending the Roman Catholics or anybody else, but it is an absolutely necessary Christian duty to defend what we believe to be the truth, no matter who is offended. The Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles have set the example of pleasing God rather than men. Further, the Papists have no just cause of offence in regard to the terms of the Declaration. It merely sets forth the simple truth as held by Protestants concerning Transubstantiation, the Invocation of the Virgin Mary, saints, and angels, and the Sacrifice of the Mass. The wonder is that the Declaration does not contain much more by way of condemnation of other aspects of Popery, such as pertain, say, to its claims of civil supremacy. Moreover, it is free from all maledictions or threatenings against the Church of Rome. It bespeaks, indeed, shameless audacity on the part of Romanists to find fault with this mild Declaration, when the authorised oracles of their Church do
not hesitate to pronounce the most dreadful anathemas and curses upon all Protestants, adjudging them over, for no other reason, to eternal damnation.
Again, it will no doubt be argued that the proposed change is a comparatively small one, and that it does not really affect the Protestant character of the Declaration. The method of minimising the extent of a suggested alteration is a well-known device of innovators, and has done much harm to Church and State. But supposing the change were a small one—which it would not be in the present case—ought not a small change for the worse to be resisted, both on its own account and because its tendency is to lead to more? Further, the proposed change will undoubtedly affect the Protestant character of the Declaration. If the King is only asked to declare that he “will maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law,” he may make this declaration and be a Papist. James II. (the Duke of York) entered into such an engagement as this, and as a Papist did grievous harm by plot and persecution to the people of the three Kingdoms. As we remarked in a previous article, a Papist may promise to “maintain” many things he does not personally approve of, if he can only secretly advance the interests of his Church thereby. Should it happen that the Episcopal Church of England would be disestablished—a not impossible event in the future—then the words about “the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law,” would no longer be necessary, and would, as a consequence, fall out. This would leave only the words, “the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel,” and a Papist could with the utmost ease adopt such expressions as describing his own faith.
Another argument which misguided Protestants, who are disposed to make concessions, are ready to bring forward at such a crisis, is to the effect that the changes will do no harm to the cause of Protestantism—that this country is so sound at heart that it will never yield to the supremacy of the Church of Rome. This form of speech betokens a spiritual blindness to the nature of man as fallen, whether he be found in Great Britain or anywhere else. The hearts of the British people are, by the Fall, no sounder than those of the Portuguese, and it is only because we have learned by bitter experience in the past the horrors of Romanism, and have been better instructed, by the grace of God, in the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ than some other countries, that there is as much Protestantism among us as there is. The Roman system is Satan’s masterpiece in the form of religion for deceiving and destroying the souls of men. There is something very attractive to the unenlightened conscience and the carnal heart in the sensuous worship and legal doctrines of the Romish Church, and therefore let no member of these kingdoms think he is safe from its fascination, apart from divine grace. Indeed, blindness as a judgment from God for neglected truth, seems to have happened
to this country of ours in the matter of Popery. Our charity towards its emissaries is excessive to a degree, and will yet lead to dire results, unless the Lord prevent. Italy and France are acting far more wisely, and it does seem passing strange that when they, our neighbours, are opening their eyes to the truth about the Church of Rome, the people of our empire, high and low, are shutting their eyes to it.
We earnestly pray that the Lord may send an awakening among Protestants at the present time, and that more than the usual degree of effort will be put forth to resist the course of events. The civil, moral, and religious interests of the country are at stake. Now is the time to stand fast in the truth and liberty with which the King eternal has made us free, and to do all in our power, in dependence on strength from above, to carry the battle to the gate. Many may yet wring their hands in unavailing sorrow for their indifference and apathy in the cause of Protestant truth at this critical time.