Admiral Sir David Beatty on England’s Need of Repentance.—The following letter from Admiral Sir David Beatty was read on the evening of the 28th January, at Birkenhead, at a gathering of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge:—”May I say that your Society is doing as much to bring the War to a successful conclusion as any society or union. Surely the Almighty God does not intend this War to be just a hideous fracas—a bloody, drunken orgy. There must be a purpose in it all. Improvement must be born out of it: in what direction France has already shown us the way. She has risen out of her ruined cities, with her revived religion—a religion which is most wonderful. Russia has been welded into a whole, and religion plays a greater part. England still remains to be taken out of the stupor of self-satisfaction and complacency in which her great and flourishing condition has steeped her, and until she can be stirred out of this condition, and until a religious revival takes place at home, just so long will the War continue. When she can look out on the future with humbled eyes and prayer on her lips, then we can begin to count the days towards the end. Your body is helping to this end and helping to bring the War to an end—a successful end—and without success it cannot end.”
In the above letter Admiral Beatty refers to the revival of religion in France and Russia, but it should not be forgotten that in both these countries the revived interest in religion is still, to a large extent, superstitious. And while we heartily agree with what he says about England—and by England he evidently means Britain—we earnestly wish to see our country awakening—not to a superstitious religious revival—but to one that bears scriptural evidence as directly from God.
“Shakespeare Sunday.”—In connection with the tercentenary celebrations of Shakespeare’s death, the Committee entrusted with the arrangements have issued the following statement and request:—”As Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, 23rd April, it has been decided to observe that day as Shakespeare Sunday. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey have arranged for a special commemoration of Shakespeare in the Abbey, and special sermons will be preached in the afternoon and evening. The Committee invite the religious leaders of all denominations to join in paying tribute to Shakespeare’s memory on the tercentenary of his death.” The daring effrontery of this Committee is colossal, and the base betrayal of Christ’s cause by the Abbey authorities is deserving of the severest condemnation. When God is little thought of by men then they bring their idols into His house, where He ought to be served. Westminster Abbey, no doubt, on many occasions has been the scene of much fulsome flattery, but the Dean and Chapter must have forgotten
the Lord’s Day was not theirs to devote to the commemoration of Shakespeare. There was a time in England—and that not so very long ago—that the Shakespeare Committee would not have dared to invite the religious leaders of all denominations to join on the Lord’s Day in paying tribute to Shakespeare’s memory, but the tide is with them for the present, and it is more than likely that their request will be widely acceded to.
A Step in the Right Direction.—In a circular to munition manufacturers, Mr. Lloyd George has made the suggestion that all labour on the Sabbath in “controlled establishments” should be abolished. Mr. Lloyd George recently set a bad example by speaking on the Lord’s Day, and if the evil results of breaking the fourth commandment are coming home to the Minister of Munitions, it is something to be thankful for. The War has taught us many lessons, but if it convinces many of the working-classes that the Sabbath cannot be broken without paying a heavy penalty, then it will not be in vain. There are also rumours that the Postmaster-General intends to stop all Sabbath delivery of letters. This, if carried out, will be another step in the right direction, but judging from letters appearing in the press, many will do their utmost to oppose this praiseworthy scheme.
“Lovers of Pleasure more than Lovers of God.”—Before the War broke out pleasure was one of Britain’s chief gods, and, though for a time it seemed to be put somewhat in the background, it is again in high favour. The working classes are earning wages on such a large scale in the larger cities that they do not know very well what to do with the money. The theatres, music halls, and picture palaces are crowded to the doors. In country districts in Scotland collections of money for War Funds are invariably obtained from the proceeds of concerts followed by dancing. Nero fiddling while Rome was burning, has generally been regarded by all right-thinking men as the lowest depths of callousness, but it was reserved for the young people of Scotland, with some old fools, to reach the lower depth of dancing and singing while our countrymen are playing their part in a more bloody tragedy than that of Rome burning.