THE Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church has sent the following Petition to His Majesty the King, through the Secretary of State for Scotland:—
“May it please your Majesty,—The Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, considering with all due regard the command of your Majesty to observe the first Sabbath of January, 1918, as a Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving in connection with the War, desire respectfully to express their humble judgment that an ordinary week-day should be devoted to special religious exercises in this connection, and that these exercises should consist of Fasting and Humiliation as well as Prayer and Thanksgiving.
“The Presbytery would, with all deference, call attention to the following facts and considerations in support of their judgment:—(1) The Lord’s Day has been already appointed by the Lord’s own authority for divine worship, so that to use it for any other purposes, except those that come strictly within the category of necessity and mercy, is sacrilege; (2) The authority of Kings and Magistrates in relation to the Lord’s Day is only administrative; (3) None who claim to be Christians and patriots require any order from human authority to “pray” for their country and its forces in the present terrible struggle, for it is universally recognised that all such persons constantly pray for both in their private and public devotions; (4) The Presbytery consider that an ordinary week-day is the proper period of time to set apart for such an additional approach to God as the present situation calls for, and that, in view of individual and national shortcomings and transgressions, the exercises of fasting, humiliation, and confession of sins, as well as those of thanksgiving to God, are becoming and desirable.
“The Presbytery would, therefore, in conclusion, humbly beseech His Majesty the King to issue an order in Council to have the 1st day of January, 1918, or any other ordinary week-day, set apart for Humiliation, Prayer and Thanksgiving in connection with the War.”
Copies of this Petition were also sent to the Prime Minister and the Press. The Secretary for Scotland and the Prime Minister formally acknowledged receipt of the same.
Petition Laid before the King.
—The following letter has also been received by the Clerk of the Southern Presbytery from the Secretary for Scotland,—“Scottish Office, Whitehall, S.W. 1, 19th December, 1917.—Sir, with reference to your letter of the 3rd instant, I am directed by the Secretary for Scotland to inform you that the Petition by the Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland on the subject of the observance of a Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving has been laid before the King.—I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) JAMES M. DODDS.”