The Stornoway Disaster.—One of the saddest events, in years crowded with sad happenings, occurred on New Year’s morning, when the “Iolaire” was wrecked at the mouth of Stornoway harbour. There was a loss of 200 men, who were coming home on leave. These gallant sailors had come through all the dangers of the War—to perish almost in sight of their homes. A number of our people, ten or twelve, we believe, from North Tolsta, perished among the others. The Island of Lewis did so nobly in giving up her sons in the War, and suffered so severely, that this disaster has touched the heart of the British people, and evoked expressions of deep sympathy. We would seek to take this opportunity of extending to our own bereaved people and others our respectful and heartfelt sympathy with them in their sore loss. And our prayer is that the Lord would sanctify this dispensation to the grief-stricken island. And may we, as well as the people of Lewis, never forget that we may come through many dangers, and perish at the mouth of the harbour after all.
The Roman Catholic Bid for Parliamentary Honours.—During the recent election there were, according to the Protestant Alliance Magazine, 30 Roman Catholic candidates for Parliamentary honours in England and Wales. Of these, 11 were returned, which leaves the Roman Catholic members the same as in the previous Parliament. To these are to be added 80 Roman Catholic members, representing Ireland—an increase of two on the numbers in the previous Parliament. This means a total of 91 Roman Catholic members of Parliament if the Sinn Feiners attend Westminster. Scotland returned no Roman Catholic, we are pleased to note. England returned 11, consisting of two Labour, one Nationalist, and eight Coalition Unionists.
Protest against the New Education Act for Scotland.—The Acting Committee of the Scottish Reformation Society has published a Protest, in which expression is given to profound disappointment that security for provision of Bible teaching in our national schools was not provided in the Act. The transference of the preamble of the 1872 Act into an enacting clause in the Act of 1918, it is maintained, is no real gain. The Committee also protests against the incorporation of clause 18 of the Act granting special privileges to the voluntary schools, which are mainly Roman Catholic.
President Wilson’s Visit to the Pope.—If the Vatican diplomacy failed in getting a representative at the Peace Conference, it was successful in getting President Wilson to visit the Pope. He is the first American President who has done so. It is to be feared too much has been made of the President’s actions and speeches, which were in a right direction, and, owing to the expectation of better things, all the keener disappointment has been felt at his recent actions in receiving the freedom of Carlisle on the Lord’s Day, and in his more recent visit to the Pope.
The Peace Conference.—The preliminaries to the meeting of the greatest Peace Conference that has ever been held, at the time of writing this week, have begun, and it is to be regretted that the Lord’s Day should have been chosen for the opening of these preliminaries. The statesmen of the great nations have not been courageous enough to set their faces against this persistent desecration of the Lord’s Day. Necessity could scarcely in this case be pleaded as an excuse. Israel of old, through her alliance with idolatrous nations, soon forgot her God and His holy laws, and we are showing plainly that, naturally, we are choosing a like road, which in their case led to ruin, national and spiritual.
Inverness Magistrates and a Sabbath Concert.—We are deeply grieved to observe that the Inverness Magistrates, by two votes to one, gave liberty to the Naval Authorities to hold a so-called “sacred concert” in the Music Hall, at 8.15, on Sabbath evening, the 26th January, the Sabbath of the Communion in Inverness. The proceeds of the Concert (a silver collection) were to be given to the Lewis Disaster Fund. Dean of Guild Fraser, who vigorously opposed the grant of the application, reminded the Magistrates that “the very people—the people of the Outer Isles—whom the promoters of the concert desired to benefit, would most resent the use of the Lord’s Day in the manner proposed.” After the decision was come to, he said: “I strongly protest against the finding of the Magistrates, and I wish my protest recorded. I consider it is outwith the province of the Magistrates to encroach on the rights of the Lord’s Day, and to outrage the Christian feelings of the people of Inverness, as you will certainly do by taking this action.”
Dr. Owen on Ireland’s Woes.—The Bulwark gives the following quotation from Dr. Owen’s works, which is of special interest in connection with Ireland’s woeful state:—”How is it that Jesus Christ is in Ireland only as a lion staining all His garments with the blood of His enemies; and none to hold Him out as a Lamb sprinkled with His own blood to His friends? Is it the sovereignty and the interest of England that is alone to be there transacted? For my part, I see no farther into the MYSTERY of these things but that I could heartily rejoice, that, innocent blood being expiated, the Irish might enjoy Ireland as long as the moon endureth, so that Jesus Christ might possess the Irish.
But God having suffered those sworn vassals of the man of sin to break out into such ways of villainy as render them obnoxious unto vengeance, upon such rules of government amongst men as He hath appointed; is there, therefore, nothing to be done but to give a cup of blood into their hands? Doubtless the way whereby God will bring the followers after the beast to condign destruction for all their enmity to the Lord Jesus, will be by suffering them to run into such practices against men as shall righteously expose them to vengeance, according to acknowledged principles among the sons of men. But is this all? Hath He no farther aim? Is not all this to make way for the Lord Jesus to take possession of His long since promised inheritance? And shall we stop at the first part? Is this to deal fairly with the Lord Jesus?—call Him out to the battle, and then keep away His Crown? God hath been faithful in doing great things for you; be faithful in this one—do your utmost for the preaching of the gospel in Ireland.”