The Recent Weather.—During the greater part of April the weather has been exceptionally severe with snow and frost. Such winter conditions in spring can hardly be remembered by anyone. They have been adverse to all progress in farm work, ploughing, sowing, etc. It appears to us more than a coincidence that this should happen at the very time when leaders in State and Church are encouraging people to perform agricultural work on the Lord’s Day with a view to prevent famine. The Most High is manifestly frowning upon such an unworthy scheme, dishonouring to God and injurious to man’s body and soul. It is strengthening to those who respect the Sabbath to observe that the majority of farmers are opposed to the practice, even on purely physical grounds. They flatly say that seven days’ toil cannot be done, and recommend somewhat longer hours of work on the six week-days as adequate to meet the present need. Let us put our trust in the God of providence, with whom are all temporal and spiritual supplies, for the rest.
“Sovereign Grace Union” Literature.—We have received two further pamphlets, newly issued by the Sovereign Grace Union. The first is “A Martyr’s Testimony concerning the Peril of Idolatry,” with introduction by the Rev. J. P. Wiles, M.A., Devizes. The martyr was the famous Bishop Ridley who, along with Bishop Latimer, sealed his testimony at the stake. The testimony is of historic and intrinsic value. The second pamphlet is entitled “Faithful Testimony,” and consists of an able and spiritual article, by Mr. J. K. Popham, reprinted from the Gospel Standard of January, 1917. These pamphlets (price 1d., by post 1 ½d.; or 6/6 per 100), are to be had from the Rev. H. Atherton, The Parsonage, 100 The Grove, Camberwell, London, S.E., or from Messrs. Farncombe & Sons, 30 Imperial Buildings, Ludgate Circus, London, E.C.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Sabbath Work.—We take the following note from the Protestant Observer of April:—”On 15th March there was published a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury, containing the following remarks: ‘I have no hesitation in saying that in the need which these weeks present, men and women may with a clear conscience do field work on Sundays.’ The next day German airships came over his diocese, and after dropping bombs, got away in safety. . . Three nights after the publication of his Grace’s letter, some German torpedo boat destroyers approached the Kent coast, and fired a number of shells at certain towns in the diocese of Canterbury. Since then the Archbishop has been seriously ill.” The Protestant Observer (1d. per month) contains a large variety of items of information as to the moral and religious condition of the country, and may be had from Messrs. Farncombe & Sons, Publishers, London.
Dreadful Doctrine from a Bishop.—The following utterance is reported in the Protestant Observer:—”The Bishop of Birmingham says: “The man who had died for England, believing that his country’s cause was the cause of God, and who might have gone over the parapet with an oath on his lips, might still be received by Christ, with the words, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.'” Our personal comment on this poisonous doctrine is that the man who uttered it shows himself a blind leader of the blind and a menace to the spiritual welfare of the community. Too many such leaders there be in our time.
Sabbath Concerts in Edinburgh Stopped.—Some time ago we reported that the Edinburgh Town Council had agreed to give the use of the Synod Hall there for concerts of sacred and secular music on Sabbath afternoons. The concerts were intended for the supposed benefit of soldiers from overseas who, as strangers, needed some place of refuge and entertainment on Sabbaths apart from, or in addition to, the Churches. Others, also, might attend by paying a larger price for admission. Such was the miserable scheme of the wreckers of the Lord’s Day in our Scottish capital. We are glad, however, to say that the scheme has fallen through, and the concerts have been stopped, through lack of attendance. The “overseas” men and their friends apparently did not appreciate the attentions of their would-be benefactors.