REFLECTIONS FOR AND BEFORE THE QUEEN’S JUBILEE. By W. Lancelot Holland. Newcombe, 9 Shepherd’s Bush Road, London, W.
This penny pamphlet by Mr. Holland is a seasonable one—as seasonable as John the Baptist’s voice in the wilderness. The seamy side of Britain’s case in this year of Jubilee is well set forth. The perilous concessions to Rome on the part of those in authority—the abandoned unbelief and contempt of the Scriptures which characterise the high places of the so-called Christian Church—these things the author comments on in a weighty and faithful manner. His resumé of facts concerning the growth of Papalism, and the thoroughly illegal character of the concessions made to Antichrist by those in authority, from the Queen downwards, is painful reading to a patriotic mind. The following extract from page 2 of this pamphlet is worthy to be read and pondered: —“We may with profit, I think, remind ourselves of the Coronation Oath which every Sovereign of this realm from the time of William III. has been bound to take. The law of the land, too, makes it impossible, not only for a king or queen of the Romish faith to reign over us, but it also lays down very clearly that if our Sovereign ‘holds communion with the See or the Church of Rome, he or she shall be excluded; be for ever incapable to inherit, possess, or enjoy the crown and government of this realm . . . and the people of these realms shall be and are hereby absolved of their allegiance.’
On the day therefore of our Queen’s coronation the Archbishop of Canterbury administered amongst other oaths, the following:—
Will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the PROTESTANT REFORMED RELIGION, established by law? &c.
Queen—All this I promise to do.
In addition, she by the Act of Settlement, made the following declaration:—
I, Victoria, do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, profess, and testify and declare that I do believe that in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper there is not any transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever; and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary, or any other saint, and the sacrifice of the Mass as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous.”
THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE. By the Rev. John Parker, St. James’ Parish, Glasgow. Pickering & Inglis, Glasgow.
This is No. 1 of a series of small pamphlets by a minister of the Established Church, intended to set forth the unchristian character of some books written by the pet religious teachers of the day. The present tract is a critique of Professor Bruce’s book “With open Face.” This work reviewed briefly by us sometime ago, is treated by Mr. Parker in an able and searching manner, and with commendable zeal for sound doctrine. “If we take this book as our guide,” says Mr. Parker, “the glory vanishes, and all we see is a Jewish carpenter, who was also a great religious genius, and who is held forth by this Christian theologian in semi-socialistic fashion as the friend of working men.” “No Unitarian could more consistently ignore the doctrine of the Incarnation.” The title of the pamphlet is intended to indicate the help which such perverters of the faith almost invariably receive from those who should be the guardians of the faith. “From ecclesiastical assemblies,” says the author, “we expect nothing.” The “Conspiracy of Silence” will effectually prevent any condemnation of these views. Meanwhile, it is the duty of all true Christians to break up the conspiracy of silence, and to withdraw themselves from those “who crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.”
WHEN thou prayest rather let thy heart be without words than thy words without heart.—Bunyan.