THE Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland resolve to enter their most solemn protest against the recent appointment of Sir Henry Howard as Great Britain’s Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Vatican, for the following reasons:—
(1) The appointment complained of has all the appearance of being a step towards the reconciliation of this country with the Pope of Rome, in a sense contrary to the plain intention of the Bill of Rights, a Bill than which nothing is more fundamental to the constitution of the British realm.
(2) The appointment complained of is out of keeping with the Protestant traditions and policy of this country for the last four hundred years.
(3) Great Britain’s greatness may be said to date from the Reformation when diplomatic relations between this country and the Vatican came to an end, we had hoped, forever.
(4) The Presbytery can only characterise the action of the British Government in this business as cruel, seeing they have taken advantage of the present world crisis, in order to do that which, whatever the intention, will have the effect of buttressing the Papal system, a system which the Presbytery verily believe to be abhorrent to God and a menace to the civil liberties of Great Britain.
The Presbytery therefore protest against Sir Henry Howard’s said Mission, and respectfully ask for its immediate termination.
Copies of this Protest were sent to the Prime Minister, Sir Edward Grey, Lord Lansdowne, and Mr. Bonar Law, and also to the Press.