Scotland’s Departure.—At a demonstration under the auspices of the Scottish Protestant League, Mrs Walter Young, a converted Roman Catholic, told how, on her marriage to a Presbyterian she had to promise to the priest to use every effort to convert him to Romanism. After eight years she succeeded. Then their eyes were opened, and both of them left the Church of Rome, and also their children. When referring to her tours in Scotland and England, Mrs Young sometimes asked herself what country would be the
soonest to join Rome, and she had come to the conclusion that Scotland was in a more dangerous condition than England, and it saddened her to think this should be so in the land of the Covenants. In a passing reference to Newman’s hymn, “Lead Kindly Light,” she said it should never be sung in a Protestant Church. It was written when Newman was passing over to Rome, and the “angelic faces” mentioned in the hymn referred to his sisters who died Anglican nuns. She said she was always glad to find churches keeping to the Psalms alone. It was far better to sing the Psalms than Popish hymns.
Going Too Far.—The modern trend of secularising the Church has made such extraordinary strides in Scotland that even “Life and Work” (the organ of the Established Church) has to utter a note of warning against (1) methods of raising money for church purposes, and (2) the popularising of services. “As to the former,” it says, “the Assembly has spoken its mind with no uncertain voice, but, as far as many parishes and congregations are concerned, has spoken in vain. With regard to the latter, it fairly ‘scunners’ one to see what some ministers will advertise in the Saturday papers. . . ‘Should women smoke?’ was one we noticed lately; ‘Ae fond kiss’ was another.’ ” The best plan is to close the door against these practices, and if the Established Church with the other Churches in Scotland had done this, things would be very different in Scotland to-day. Nothing short of a day of power from Heaven will put the Churches right on these matters, and when that day comes it will not be necessary to condemn this secularising of the Church. She, in faithfulness to her Lord and Master, will have no place for these methods any longer, and the foolish men who would seek to continue them will at last be appraised at their true value, and their practices will not be tolerated within her borders.
A Bad Step.—In one of our notes in a recent issue we called attention to the fact that the Independent Labour Party held most of its meetings on the Sabbath, and now we find the Conservative and Liberal parties following them in the same evil direction. The Conservatives began meetings in Hyde Park, and these were found so successful, according to the “Morning Post,” that the London Young Liberal Federation has decided to hold meetings on Sabbath afternoon. Politics at best is a very worldly and quirky business. It lives
and moves in a wholly worldly atmosphere, and one would think even the politicians might have enough of it on the six lawful days without dragging this disturbing and restless intruder into the calm and peace of the Lord’s Day. It is another evidence if that were required that the god of this world is making tremendous strides in a successful propaganda to break down every vestige of true religion in this land. And were it not written that the Lord reigns, our hearts might well sink within us. But He has promised He will arise and have mercy upon His Sion.
A Step in the Right Direction.—Since the above note was written we are pleased to see in the London correspondence column of the “Glasgow Herald” that Mr A. Mackenzie Livingstone, M.P., has been active in trying to bring to an end this form of Sabbath desecration by politicians. A petition, in which the petitioners expressed their opposition to Sabbath meetings, was so largely signed that the London correspondent of the “Herald” says that it is not likely any more Sabbath meetings will be held at present.
Bad Advice.—In the June number of “New Health,” the journal of the New Health Society, Sir W. Arbuthnot Lane, the editor, has an opening article entitled “Sunday for the People,” in which he says:—”Anything more devastating to physical and moral health than the mid-Victorian Sunday would be hard to imagine.” We hold no brief for the manner in which the mid-Victorian Sabbath was observed; neither can we offer an unqualified defence, for it was far from what it should be, but compared with the mad rush of the pleasure-loving crowds that make the Sabbath a holiday, it was neither inimical to physical or moral health. Sir Arbuthnot, in advocating liberty for the people to indulge in games on the Lord’s Day and enjoy the benefits of the sun, gives expression to the heathen sentiment—”When all other creeds will have passed into oblivion, the oldest, namely, the worship of the sun will remain.” If the Bible is true, and we believe it is, then this is a lie. Sir Arbuthnot Lane should remember that as surely as penalty dread and sure will be exacted of those who break the laws of health, so certain will it be that moral law will have its retribution. What matters it though you have the body of a giant, with a well-nigh perfect physique, if it lodges the soul of a demon?
Romish Propaganda.—The “Morning Post” had a paragraph recently on the Chicago Eucharistic Congress Film, which is now being shown in London. We quote a part of the paragraph:—”It was a remarkable experience to sit in the Philharmonic Hall and hear continuous applause from the audience for the personalities appearing in the film record of the twenty-eighth International Eucharistic Congress held recently in Chicago. The showing of the picture was financed by the “Universe” and the Fox Film Company, which produced the film. The picture itself is nothing but a long series of what is known in the trade as “topicals,” pictures of current events. Every detail of the progress of the European Cardinals to New York, thence to Chicago, and finally to the vast Soldiers’ Field near the shores of Lake Michigan, where an immense open-air celebration of Pontifical High Mass was held in the presence of 260,000.” Rome is determined by all means to keep herself well in the sight of the world. The Picture House is by no means an inappropriate place for displaying the proceedings in connection with a gathering which has its central attraction the blasphemous rite of the mass. Rome by this method will familiarise millions who never saw a Eucharistic Congress with what it really is, and thus create in the hearts of many a desire to be present the next time one is held in this country.
Defeat of Atheists.—Reference in these Notes has already been made to an American Society with the ominous name of American Association for the Improvement of Atheism. Whatever the “improvement of Atheism” means, there can be little doubt the Association is out to do the work of the Devil more thoroughly than it has been done hitherto. One of the recent efforts was an attempt to prohibit the children of White Plains in the State of New York being allowed half-an-hour each week from the school hours for religious instruction. It appears that the plan in operation at White Plains is that the children devote this half-hour to religious instruction in any church school chosen by their parents. The Atheists wished to rob the children of this privilege, and carried the case from the court of first instance to the Appellate Division, in both of which they were defeated. They threaten to carry the case to the Supreme Court. One of the American papers pertinently remarks that the Freethinkers have not objected to school leave for lessons in dancing and music. They “magnanimously tolerated the additional vacation in
Syracuse during State Fair week. Yet in the eyes of these noble guardians of the Constitution and the compulsory Education Law, the White Plains allocation of half-an-hour each week—less than the time required for a ball game—to education in the principles of religion, is an intolerable abomination. It is well that the courts have stamped out the last vestige of this vicious nonsense.” The plan followed in White Plains School is that adopted by Minnesota, Oregon, and South Dakota. In nine States the courts recognise the practice as legal, viz., Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, and Rhode Island. We call attention to these happenings in America because of our confirmed belief that children should not be denied the benefit of religious instruction in the public schools, provided it is given strictly in accordance with the Bible.
Dundee “Sunday” Concerts.—A recent report by the Chief-Constable of Dundee, as given in the “Evening Telegraph” (Dundee) reveals a scandalous condition of things. Card playing, betting, shouting during the performances, swearing, whistling, wrestling, etc., were a few of the counts in the indictment. One would need, however, to read the Chief-Constable’s report to get a faint idea of the horseplay and rowdyism that forms part of the unintended programme of these “Sunday” concerts. The devil is likely to outwit himself in this hooliganism, for unless he controls his emissaries it is likely that even the most latitudinarian of the magistrates will require for the sake of mere decency to put a stop to these concerts. We used to hear the argument of the refining influence of these concerts, and we were told that music had charms to soothe the savage breast, but the kind of music purveyed at these concerts seems to have the effect of turning men and women (mostly young) into howling savages, and make them act more like demons on the Lord’s Day than human beings.