The Queen’s Return.
Her Majesty the Queen returned home to London with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, on Saturday, the 15th of May, having sailed in the Royal yacht from Malta and Gibraltar on the last stages of her world tour. Her Majesty carried through an extraordinary and historic programme of travels and engagements with which our readers are now familiar. As far as we know nothing untoward happened to affect the Queen’s own person adversely throughout, although there were distressing occurrences both in New Zealand and Australia. Her Majesty and her husband have returned safely and in health, and thus they and the nation have outstanding cause to recognise the beneficent hand of the God of providence in His divine kindness and care over them. The grace that is in Christ Jesus is indeed required to honour God thus. It is satisfying to learn that the Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, on Monday after Her Majesty’s return, stated in the House of Commons that there was reason to thank God for Her Majesty’s safe arrival. May our young Queen be anointed with the saving and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit and thus reign in the fear of the Lord.
Another Greek Earthquake.
In September of last year a terrible earthquake occurred in the region of the Ionian Islands, Greece, causing the deaths of over 400 persons, and enormous material damage and loss. And recently, on the last day of April, another violent earthquake occurred in the interior of Greece, rendering 20,000 people homeless. The number of deaths, by reports, is not large. Yet the loss and misery occasioned to thousands of our fellow creatures by such a calamity must be grievous indeed. No doubt God is speaking to the people of Greece in these dark events, that they might hear the rod and who hath appointed it. It is not without reason, either, that God permitted the floods and storms to strike Britain in recent times with disastrous results. He who ruleth ever by His power is, in these ways, once and again manifesting His holy displeasure against the sins of nations as such.
Pope Recommends the Virgin Life.
The Press at the beginning of May gave publicity to a Papal encyclical recommending the unmarried state over against marriage. We have no inclination to repeat here all the subtle and unscriptural views of the Pope on this question. Our conclusion on this latest pronouncement from the Vatican is that the Church of Rome may be finding out to-day that fewer and fewer of their young men and women are prepared to embrace the priesthood and the vocation of the nun, involving the vow not to marry; and this is propaganda to assist in adding to the ranks of priests and nuns.
Cinemas in Glasgow on the Lord’s Day.
In April, Glasgow Magistrates granted a request by the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association to permit the opening of a larger number of cinemas in the city on the Lord’s Day. At least twelve of these houses of worldly entertainment are now to cater for the pleasure-loving and God-dishonouring people of Glasgow on the Lord’s Day. It appears that the proposal was opposed by representatives of churches, but the world in authority to-day thinks little or nothing of Christian principles. It is said that this decision of the Magistrates is final. We cannot refrain from observing that the Glasgow Presbytery of the Church of Scotland is an exceedingly strong body numerically, and belonging to the so-called National Church in Scotland, yet as a Church Court it seems incapable of exercising any influence worth while in issues of this kind, which involve the Fourth Commandment and the honour of God in the city which had as its motto, “Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the Word.” Herein is cause indeed for lamentation by all who have a gracious interest in the spiritual welfare of precious souls, when churches are closing, that cinemas are opening on the Lord’s Day.
Roman Catholics Turning Protestant.
We are accustomed in recent years to read and hear of professed Protestants turning Roman Catholics for varied reasons: but a survey taken last year in America (and published last April) by the Protestant magazine of that country, The Christian Herald, reveals that approximately four million Roman Catholics have turned to be Protestants during the last ten years. As might be expected this figure is challenged by an R.C. clergyman, Rev. Thomas Burke, religious editor of America. Nevertheless Mr. Burke records, “Catholics have never denied that large numbers of Catholics are lost to the Church between their baptism and the end of their lives. That many hundreds of thousands of them might in some way identify themselves as Protestants somewhere along the line does not seem improbable.” He gives a number of reasons for this wholesale departure of R.C.s from their “Infallible” Church. But without our dealing with other details given in an American paper regarding this matter, it seems incontrovertible that the priest and the confessional have not the “iron” hold they once had on those brought up in the Roman Church, especially in countries where democratic government prevails.
Police Arrest Protestant Preacher in Italy.
In the Buffalo Courier Express of February 15th, 1954, a full account is published of incidents in Leghorn, Italy, in connection with an Italian Church of Christ congregation, which is Protestant and belongs to an American supported sect. On a Lord’s Day in February, Italian police took an Italian Church of Christ preacher into custody. Two policemen entered the Church during divine worship, and only at the request of Mr. Wyndal Hudson of Texas, another preacher, did they defer the arrest until the end of the service. Also in Rome during February police chiselled the name “Church of Christ” from its building. This action was described by the attorney of the Church in Rome as a violation of Italian law, and legal action would be taken. It is related that criticism of Protestant religions in Italy has sharpened recently. A letter issued by R.C. Cardinals and other states, inter alia: “Pernicious errors are arising in Italy from Protestant propaganda, which tends to menace the spiritual unity of the Italian people.” In the light of the political situation to-day in Italy, something other than Protestant truth menaces the unity of Italy, that is, Communism. And persecuting Protestant pastors and churches is just a manifestation by the R.C. Church in Italy of the same spirit as Communism.