Moral Bankruptcy at the Vatican.—If decent people have been disgusted by the silence of the Pope on the horrible crime of Italy in Abyssinia, they must now feel doubly disgusted by the speech he made on 12th May. Breaking silence at last, he pronounced what may be called his blessing on that infamy. He was opening an exhibition in the Vatican City of the Roman Catholic press of the world, at which forty-five nations, including Britain, were represented. Attended by Cardinals and the Diplomatic Corps the Pope, in the course of his address, uttered the following amazing sentence:—”God has visibly blessed this exhibition by causing it to coincide with the triumphal joy of a great and good people and a peace which, it is hoped, will be a prelude to that true European and world peace of which this Exhibition aims at being a clear symbol.” So now the world knows without any shadow of uncertainty on which side stood Pope Pius XI. whilst the Italian armies were butchering, bombing and gassing the poor Abyssinians and taking possession of their ancient country.—The Bulwark.
Drink Bill of the United Kingdom.—Mr. George B. Wilson, Secretary of the United Kingdom Alliance, estimates the amount spent on alcoholic liquors in Great Britain in 1935 as about £237,732,000, as against £229,029,000, in 1934; an increase of £8,703,000. The increase in consumption was followed by an increase of drunkenness. The taxation collected by the liquor trade is estimated at £97,709,000.
Jesuit Plots Against Great Britain.—In our notice of this important book the price was inadvertently stated as 1/6. It should have been 2/6 (2/9 post free). Our readers would do well to get this book as it contains most interesting information not easily found elsewhere. It may be had from the Protestant Truth Society, 31 Cannon Street, London, E.C.4.
It Depends on One’s Point of View.—On looking through a volume of pamphlets written during the heat of the Disruption Controversy we were driven to the conclusion by the strong
language used that our controversies are tame compared with those of over ninety years ago. One of the pamphlets written from the “Moderate” standpoint was a masterpiece of vituperation run mad. Its vitriolic attack was enough to make one feel that there was something seriously wrong with the writer. It denounced the proceedings of the Free Church Assemblies of 1844 and 1845 as if the members were a set of brainless idiots. Compared with their critic they knew nothing of church procedure, they were setting both the law of the State and the law of the Church at defiance, and were ruining the cause of Christ as all the world could see. As we read the pamphleteer’s fiery onslaught it occurred to us that Dr. Chalmers, Cunningham, Candlish, and others of the noble band of Disruption worthies must have smiled at the impudence of their critic as they went on in their blundering way (according to the critic) to do their work in the vineyard. To-day he lies somewhere under a few feet of earth unknown and unhonoured while the names of those he criticised are written prominently in the annals of Scottish History.
Roman Catholic Pilgrimage to Iona.—The Roman Catholics recently had a pilgrimage to Iona on Sabbath. The pilgrimage was organized by the Knights of St. Columba. Masses were held. Two steamers were chartered for the pilgrims. There was a great array of church dignitaries including Archbishop Macdonald who preached the panegyric on Columba. As was to be expected Columba was claimed for the Roman Catholic Church. It is easier to make the claim than to prove it. The knights and their followers endeavoured to combine religion with pleasure. It is a pity that Iona should have its Sabbath quiet disturbed by such a pilgrimage.
A Serious Situation.—A very serious situation has been developing for some time in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and by the time this Magazine is in the hands of our readers momentous decisions may have been taken by that section of the Conservatives led by Prof. Machen. The Conservatives unfortunately are now divided into two sections: One section is for fighting within the Church against Modernism; the other
led by Dr. Machen if we have read their contentions aright are for breaking away from the Church.
Union of Churches in Canada.—When the mongrel union took place in Canada great speeches, or at least speechifying, was made about the financial benefits that were likely to accrue by the husbanding of resources. That the false prophets are not yet all dead and buried is evident from the report in the United Churchman which informs its readers that the givings of the United Church are steadily and swiftly declining. The Foreign Mission staff has been reduced from 407 in 1927 to 315 in 1935, and now 60 more are to be sacrificed. In addition to all this there has been a sharp curtailment to the homework in Canada. We have seen the same thing happening in Scotland but the Union ecclesiastical engineers never seem to learn any lessons they are so obsessed with their engineering and bridge-building schemes.
Dr. Christie on the Position in Palestine.—Dr. Christie, Haifa, the well-known Missionary to the Jews, has an illuminating article on the present position in Palestine in the British Weekly (28th May). As one familiar with the present conditions and the events leading up to them Dr. Christie is able to throw light on the present distressing conditions in Palestine. If we read Dr. Christie’s article aright he makes it plain that the present policy of the Jewish leaders to get such an influx of Jews into Palestine so that they may be in the majority is the cause of a good deal of the trouble. There are at present 10,000 Jewish unemployed in Palestine and concerning these the Jewish press says Dr. Christie maintains perfect silence while literally “screaming” for increase of immigration with a view to the hurrying up the “overwhelming majority” at any cost.