Recent Statements by Archbishop of Canterbury.
In May, the Archbishop of Canterbury speaking at Wolverhampton, spoke critically of Roman Catholics, declaring that a lot of direct hostility to the Church of England was led by the Roman Catholics. Some, he said, openly declare they are waging war against the Church of England. In this same speech he uttered the following extraordinary words: “If the Pope would like to come in as chairman of a General Council of Churches we should welcome him.” If the hostility of Roman Catholics to the present Church of England was on account of a faithful Protestant witness in that Church, then the Archbishop might well be satisfied with such a situation; but it is not on that account. Our view is, that the Anglican Church, as a large non-Roman Catholic organisation, is, as such, an obstacle to the more speedy spread of out and out Roman Catholicism in England. As to the Archbishop being prepared to welcome the Pope, this reveals without doubt, the unscriptural and non-Protestant view which Canterbury has of the Pope, the man of sin. And this is the man, who addressed the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May, 1956. On the second Sabbath of June, 1957, the Archbishop, speaking in Canterbury Cathedral, said that the Report on closer relations between the Church of Scotland and the Church of England was historic. It was, he said, the first rough sketch of how a bridge might be thrown across the chasm between the two churches. And so the man who would welcome the Pope, has his eye on the yet Presbyterian Church of Scotland. And can we not truly say “danger ahead!”
Opposition to Bishops being Modified.
Rev. D. C. Mitchell, Convener of the Temperance Committee of the Church of Scotland, speaking to the General Assembly of the United Free Church, in Edinburgh in June, said, “When the Report of the Inter-Church Relations Committee came before the Church of Scotland Assembly he had a bad reaction towards it—a reaction of hostility, and even revulsion—but he had since modified that.” In this case we perceive the evil leaven of Episcopal propaganda working quietly but progressively. And this is the manner in which it will operate.
Present Decision on the Inter-Church Relations Report by the Church of England.
At the end of May the Convocation of Canterbury, heard a report on relations between Anglican and Presbyterian Churches by the Bishop of Exeter (Dr. R. C. Mortimer). Among other things he said: “It has caused considerable astonishment and speculation that the Scottish representatives had announced themselves as willing to consider the possibility of there being bishops in the Kirk of Scotland. . . . It would take the members of the Church of Scotland some considerable time to grow accustomed to the idea that their authorised representatives had promised that they would consider the possibility of having bishops.” The decision come to was that the Report be commended for study until after its submission to the Lambeth Conference, 1958. And so we see here that the Church of Scotland representatives did not repudiate the question of bishops, but actually promised that they would consider the possibility of having bishops in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Men who could go this length in conversations are surely men who are prepared to go further and influence others to support them in Scotland.
Scripture Gift Mission and Eccleston Hall.
At the Annual Meeting of the Scripture Gift Mission, London, held on 29th May, reference was made to the great wonder that after months of arrested progress due to the loss by fire of headquarters at Eccleston Hall and the destruction of many thousands of pounds of Scriptures, translations, documents and records the present output of the Word of God was greater than at any time in the Mission’s history. Mr. C. Ashley Baker, the Secretary, answering the question repeatedly asked concerning the re-building of Eccleston Hall, said the Lord seemed to be leading in that direction, and the London County Council had given permission to proceed. The Eccleston Hall buildings in question, as many of our readers know, was where our London congregation met for Worship, Sabbath and week-day for many years until a disastrous fire destroyed the whole building. We trust that the Scripture Gift Mission will continue to receive evidences of the loving care and guidance of the Most High in all their problems. The present address is: Scripture Gift Mission, 2 Buckingham Palace Gardens, London, S.W.1.
International Congresses at Rome.
The Bulletin of 25th May reports that thousands of Soviet citizens awaited the Pope’s blessing at Rome. The dictatorship of the proletariat and of the Vatican have a lot in common although they have been fighting each other ever since the last war. But what has Protestant Britain and the Vatican in common that our chief statesmen should be like flunkeys back and fore from interviews with “His Holiness?” Our Protestant Constitution forbids all communion with the Papal See, ever since 1688, as a result of the Battle of the Boyne, and the Glorious Revolution. Has the Almighty done so little for Great Britain since then that we must be running to the “Witch of Endor” at Rome for advice. We have nothing against Rome as a historical city where there was a famous church in the days of Paul. “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” There was an international congress of doctors to whom the Pope gave the advice that the life of the child was more important than the life of the mother. This caused controversy and an uproar, as many considered the life of the mother to be more important to the State. Of course the future of the Papacy looks brighter, with the prospect of Episcopacy being restored in Scotland, and the bench of bishops in England introducing Mass and Mass vestments, where these have been hitherto illegal. The Man of Sin was also privileged to give advice to congresses of tailors, journalists, etc. I wonder what advice he will give to the 11th quadrennial congress of the International Council of Nurses. The World Council of Churches is busy preparing the way for the reunion of Christendom. Then we will have the dark ages over again, and the Pope can order civil governments, in the name of Christ, to burn Bibles and any obstinate heretics who will not acknowledge the Roman See.—D. J. Macaskill.