PASTOR Jacob Primmer has recently had a correspondence with one of his brethren in the Established Church, the treasurer of the ritualistic Church Service Society. The latter gentleman accompanied a team of curlers to Canada, and actually engaged with them in their game on the Lord’s Day. Ritualism and contempt for the law of God are closely connected with one another, and, in this case, goes hand in hand. The correspondence speaks for itself:—
The Manse, Dirleton, 26th August, 1903.
My dear Pastor Primmer.—I send you report of C.S.S. as asked. I thank you for sending me your pamphlet re Mr. Charleson. When are you going to understand that the greatest thing in the world is charity? Your insulting remarks on my Scottish curling team in Canada ought to condemn you to be buried under Niagara Falls.—Yours very truly, J. KERR.
In his reply Mr. Primmer says:—I was once like you, regardless about the Sabbath law, but when God, 45 years ago, showed me that I was a lost sinner and drew my heart to Himself, I bitterly repented of the past, and since then have striven, with the help of the Holy Ghost, to keep all His laws, especially the centre one—the Sabbath Day. I do pray that you may come to do the same. To return to charity, you remind me of the kettle reproving an imaginary pot when you say I ought to be buried under Niagara Falls. A fine charitable spirit indeed! You have yet to understand that one of the greatest things in the world is charity. You may explain that it is not murder nor martyrdom you mean, but only “burial.” Well, in that case, I have no objection to be buried at such a world-famed spot, provided that you dig the grave, and see that I am really put under the ground, and defray all expenses, and set up a tombstone with the inscription that it has been erected by Mr. Kerr’s Sabbath-breaking curling team to one who did not fear to do his duty in denouncing their Sabbath-breaking.
Notes and Comments.
Riots at Bilbao.—In this town trade disputes between masters and workmen have developed into rioting and street fighting. We are not sufficiently conversant with the circumstances of the case to pronounce an opinion on the conduct of parties. There are, however, one or two items in the newspaper account of the matter which have a significance of their own. The Glasgow Herald of this day (October 30) reports that “the strikers looted a large quantity of explosives, which they used afterwards to destroy the railway lines and to blow in the doors of the Jesuits.” Further it says—”The priests keep indoors, as they dare not trust themselves in the streets.” We have no doubt the workmen of Bilbao have a good case against the Jesuits and the priests. However, this method of dynamite and violence is not the right way to obtain redress, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Let us note, however, the attitude of these Bilbao artisans towards Jesuits and priests. They regard them as mischiefmakers and enemies of their welfare. These minions of Rome will no doubt take up attitudes of injured innocence and moral indignation, but their pestilental influence, writ large on the face of Spain’s poverty-stricken fields and inglorious history, is a notable commentary on the results of priestcraft. Neither the independence of the British character nor the resources of the British Empire will avert from ourselves the same descent into poverty and degradation if these locusts and birds of prey are calmly allowed to breed and nestle in the choice places of our privileged island.