The State of the South American Republics.—The Missionary Review of the World reports Dr. Robert Speer as saying, after six months in South America, that he never saw greater darkness excepting in Central Africa, and that he went into seventy of the largest cathedrals in South America, and after diligent inquiry found only one Bible, and that a Protestant Bible about to be burned. If the Bible is not in their Churches, how much less in their homes?
The Boldness of the Romanising Party in the Church of England.—The barefaced impudence of the Romanising party in the Church of England is almost incredible. But the following cutting will give our readers some idea how daring Ritualists can be:—”The admission of Dissenters to the Communion Table at Hereford Protestant Cathedral has greatly distressed the Ritualistic section of the Anglican Church. The authorities of a Wolverhampton Anglican Church, which is evidently a very ‘High’ church, issued the following document:—To the associates of St. Patrick’s Ward of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. The priest-associates of the Confraternity are called upon to say Masses of Reparation for the grievous dishonour done to our Lord and His Church by the admission of unconfirmed Dissenters, who may have been even unbaptised, to the most Holy Sacrament in Hereford Cathedral and a few other churches at the Coronation. These Masses of Reparation will be said on Tuesday, July 18th, at 6.30 and 7.15, in St. George’s Church, and the Litany of Reparation in the Manual will be said immediately before the Blessing. This is just one of the occasions when associates should be eager to show our Blessed Lord their strong desire to dissociate themselves from the dishonour done Him, and I earnestly ask them to join with me in this act of making some little amends to Him, and to induce others to join with us.—JOHN H. HAMILTON, Superior of St. Patrick’s Ward.
What is a Mass of Reparation?—In view of the foregoing a word of explanation is necessary as to the signification of the term Mass of Reparation. These masses are only said on occasions of grave scandal or great sacrilege. The grave scandal in this case was the action of the Bishop of Hereford in inviting Non-conformists to a joint Communion service at the time of the King’s Coronation. For this he has been denounced by the hypocritical traitors in the Church of England as one that should be “degraded from that great office which he has so abused.”
An Unseemly Sight.—At this time of year it is not an uncommon experience for those travelling by rail or coach in our northern counties to meet many of the fishermen on their way home after their arduous labours in a state of high intoxication. The administration of a rebuke is keenly resented, and the rowdies act generally as if the train and the coaches belonged to themselves. Fortunately, as far as the railway is concerned, respectable citizens have the law on their side and can have the persons causing annoyance by their swearing and foul language expelled from the carriage. It makes one’s heart sore to think that such a state of matters is so common in the Highlands. A sense of God’s goodness in favouring them with success and preserving their lives ought to have a chastening effect on every fisherman returning safe to his home. Fortunately this unseemly state of things only exists among some, for, taking our fishing population generally, they are sober and peace-abiding citizens, and among them are to be found men who have the fear of God in their hearts. The New Testament speaks with no uncertain sound on the degrading sin of drunkenness, and in setting before us the more excellent way it says:—“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Rom. xiii. 13-14.)
The China Opium Traffic.—A great blot, says the Bulwark, is to be wiped out by the new Opium Agreement, under which the import of Indian opium into Chinese ports will cease in two years or even less. This is sooner than had been arranged for (viz., 1917) by an earlier Treaty, and the shortening is due to China’s own desire. Action has gone hand in hand with desire on this occasion, for in the past three years China has reduced her consumption of opium by 70 per cent., and she purposes, by penal enactments, to stop it altogether.
Memoir of Rev. D. Macdonald, Shieldaig.—Copies of this valuable Memoir may still be had from the author, the Rev. D. Macfarlane, F. P. Manse, Dingwall. The price is 2/3 post free. Some copies of Mr. Macfarlane’s pamphlet, “Present Day Aspect of Romanism” (2d. post free) may also be had.