The Protestant Woman.—This excellent Protestant monthly is holding on its way and witnessing with no uncertain sound against ritualism and popery. There is a fine spiritual tone pervading the leading articles and every month’s issue has articles interesting and informative. Young Protestants is another useful monthly Magazine for the young, and is issued from the same office, 26 Denison House, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Westminster, S.W.1. Both are published at a penny monthly. From the same office we have received an excellent pamphlet on “Transubstantiation” by W. H. Denbow. It is one of the best pamphlets we have read on the subject, and the argument is so simply and convincingly put that it would be well that our young people should read it and thus familiarise themselves with the hollowness of the Romish arguments for this monstrous doctrine.
The Vatican and Russia.—The ceaseless vigilance of the Vatican to further her own interests is clearly brought out in her plans to get the people of Russia within her own fold. The Greek Church, which has been well described as Roman Catholicism without the Pope, is the Church to which the great majority of the Russian people belong, or to which they belonged before the Revolution that wrecked that great nation. But the Pope, as a skilful angler, believes in fishing in troubled waters. The efforts of the predecessors of Pope Pius to bring in the Greek Church within the Roman fold were fruitless, but the present Pope “looks to the people rather than the titular heads of the Eastern Church.” A Roman Catholic paper commenting on the situation voices the ambitions of the Roman See in the following strain:—”The Catholic Church is to-day preaching a sane liberalism. In Italy, for example, it has assumed the leadership of an important liberal party, whose influence has been felt in the industrial disputes of that country. It has brought its ideas near to something that might be acceptable in revolutionary Russia. Apart from the goal at which the Vatican seems to be aiming in Russia, the effect of the rapprochement that is being attempted would be strongly felt throughout Europe. . . . Be these things as they may, the conversion of Russia to Roman Catholicism would be one of the major international developments of our time. Its repercussion would be world-wide and would reverberate for long years to come. Indeed, it might not be too much to say that the vast increase in the influence of the Papacy bids fair to be ranked as one of the major results of the World War.”
Titled Honours for the Breakers of God’s Law.—In the recent discussions on titles, it came to light that all the proprietors of the “Sunday” press in this country were either peers or baronets. The following list was published:—Weekly Dispatch (the late Lord Northcliffe); Sunday Pictorial (Viscount Rothermere); News of the World (Lord Riddell); Lloyd’s News (Lord Dalziel); Sunday Times (Sir William Berry, Bart.); Sunday Express (Lord Beaverbrook); Reynolds’s (Lord Dalziel); Observer (Lord Astor); Sunday Herald (Sir Edward Hulton, Bart.). These papers have tremendously large circulations, and from the commercial standpoint, are valuable property to their proprietors. They exercise a widespread political influence, hence the need of freely scattering honours. Honours for such purposes, it is contended, and rightly contended, ought not to be given. Then there is the more serious question that these papers owned by gentlemen upon whom the King’s advisers have bestowed the highest honours are training the people in the breaking of God’s law relating to His Day. To evade this by saying that these papers are not printed on the Sabbath is beside the point, as they are printed with the full intention of being read by the people on the day when the great majority are free from labour. One has only to see what has happened in America to pray that the British people may be saved from such a plague.
Anti-Semitism in America.—The question of restricting the number of admissions for Jewish students to American High Schools and Colleges has reached such a crisis that the matter is being discussed by some of the leading educationists in America. President Lowell, of Harvard University, in a letter to the press says:—”There is, most unfortunately, a rapidly growing anti-Semitic following in this country, causing—and in no doubt caused by—a strong race feeling on the part of the Jews themselves. In many cities of the country Gentile clubs are excluding Jews altogether, who are forming separate clubs of their own. Private schools are excluding Jews, I believe, and so, we know, are hotels. All this seems to me fraught with very great evils for the Jews, and very great perils for the community. The question did not originate here, but was brought over from Europe—especially from those countries where it existed for centuries.” President Lowell suggests, as a remedy, that every college would take a limited number of Jewish students.
Leaving Home.—At this season of the year many young people come to our large cities to prosecute their studies or take up employment. Some show by their respect for the means of grace and choice of companions, fruits of good training. Others, become indifferent, join foolish companions, display pride and vanity, and substitute the reading of trashy literature for the Word of God. It usually happens that the latter write very deceptive letters to their homes. On the part of parents the neglect of family worship and a home training of a scriptural character has disastrous results. The inordinate love of pleasure and infidel teaching of this age makes the position of the young truly perilous. We appeal to all to give heed to God’s Word. “In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. iii. 16). “The companion of wise men shall be wise, the companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
The Missionary Congress.—The Free Presbyterian Church is deeply interested in Missionary work; but the extraordinary latitudinarian and compromising attitude manifested by the heterogeneous elements composing this Congress, make it impossible for our Church to take any part in it. We hold that it is impossible for men holding such diametrically opposed views as regards the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible and its doctrines, to say nothing about Church Government and worship, to work harmoniously either at home or in the foreign field. The only remedy for our divisions is an outpouring of the Holy Ghost; but let us remember that He is the Spirit of truth, and that He will not countenance men or Churches who depart from the truth.