By Rev. JAMES MACLEOD, Greenock.
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: of whom I am chief.”—I. Tim., i., 15.
OUR people are passing through a momentous period in the history of the human race. The Lord’s people know who is in power. Christ is in power. He will have glory, and honour out of it all. He came to destroy the works of the devil. Our
young men, who are faced with the most gigantic military power that ever waged war on helpless nations, women, and children, need not fear, nor doubt but the cause with which they are associated will in the end triumph. You will see and hear many things that may cause you to stagger, and wonder what will be the outcome of it all. You must bear in mind that true and vital religion is unknown to the graceless religious world!
Czarist Russia was full of godless, graceless religion. The benighted Russians were as religious as Hindoos, Roman Catholics, or Mohammedans. That is to say they had no knowledge of the gospel of love, mercy, and peace. The Russian Church would not allow their people to read the Word of God. The Czarist Government kept the people illiterate. In 1914 ninety-eight per cent. of the Russian people were unable to read their own language. When the Revolution came in 1917 they were an easy prey to the vile doctrines of the crafty Communists. We have read, and heard much about the godless in Russia in recent years from questionable quarters. Prior to the advent of the revolution the miserable Russians were in gross darkness: since the revolution the Russians have been simply led into the cult of Atheism! Communism is the modern name for Atheism. The Russians are Communists.
The Germans were differently placed. They had the Word of God. They had the gospel. They were educated. They had able theologians, pious pastors. Freedom to “search the Scriptures,” and worship God according to His Word. Every boy and girl in Germany had free access to the Bible. Luther, and the Reformers were household names among them. Family worship, piety, and real godliness were as well known in Germany once as in the city of Edinburgh. What happened in Germany, and happened also in many other nations? While religion was popular, educated, but unconverted young men presumptuously became pastors in the Reformed Church. They soon showed that they had no heart sympathy with Reformation attainments, and with the Bible in particular. The unconverted young theologians began to attack the Word of God from Genesis to
Revelation. Their Theological Schools took up the daring attitude of teaching that the Word of God was not correct nor unerring in its account of Creation, the origin of man, the fall of Adam, sin, corruption, death, hell, devils, law, and gospel. This modern school rejected the Bible and taught the Germans the endless errors they professed to find in the Word of God. The German theologians were not content to poison the minds of their own people they spread their destructive criticism, and rationalistic theories to Holland, Great Britain, U.S.A., Canada; and to the Missionaries in the Foreign Fields. British, Continental, and American scholars and theologians drank this “new wine” of Germany without a qualm. They sent their sons, and even daughters to be educated at the feet of Germanic theological biologists! The German educators were delighted to be so well favoured, and capable to instruct the youth of Scotland, England, America, Holland, and Denmark in their modern cult! The youth came back flushed with the knowledge that the Bible was not a trustworthy document to be accepted by men of culture! The Germans told them that the Bible was not an Inspired Book at all because their own biologists demonstrated that fact to the entire satisfaction of their own people! The Protestant and Reformed Churches suffered more from German Rationalists than from Roman Catholics, or Atheists! We are now reaping the seed sown. May God raise a Samson, who will put fire to the corn of the Phillistines. This destructive criticism of the Word of God sucked the sap out of the religious life of the German people. In 1914 many Protestant pulpits in Germany were without a Bible. It is fully one hundred years since the educated graceless German theologians used all their abilities in rejecting the authority of the Bible. In July 1914 the Synod of the German Protestant Church was to meet in Königsberg to determine whether they should hold the doctrines of the Virgin birth of our Lord or not. As the War began in August 1914 we never heard what was the conclusion arrived at by this pagan Synod! There was a minority group of genuine believers who opposed the infidels. An English gentleman in 1913 travelled
extensively in Germany, and on his return to London warned the British people what to expect in the event of war with the German nation! He told of the Bibleless pulpits of the German Churches. It was from this irreligious rubbish-heap that Hitler (a Roman Catholic), rose: who commanded the pagan army of Germany to slaughter the Protestants of Holland. Hitler’s Jesuitical designs were, and are, to destroy the British Empire. France has been conquered by the Jesuits. Hitler, and his associates made use of all the lowest dregs in Europe so that miserable France succumbed to the intrigues of the Jesuits!
The vast majority of the Protestant people of all nations have not realised yet that the Romanists of Continental Europe, and Romanists elsewhere are in league to crush for ever Protestantism throughout the whole world. Some argue thus: “What about the rape of Poland: how can you reconcile the above statement to the slaughter of the Polish Roman Catholics?” It was Roman Catholic Spaniards that Franco, Mussolini, and Hitler murdered. The generally accepted number of Roman Catholic Spaniards killed, and murdered is put as high as over two millions. The Poles, and Spaniards were in the path of the Jesuits. For that reason they had to be sacrificed. The Jesuitical-minded Pope blessed the Franco victory! Southern Ireland must be spared because the power of Protestants is nil in that priest-ridden country. The Pope rules Ireland through his Cardinals. The province of Ulster is a curse to the Pope and his Irish Princes—the Cardinals. The Eire Government must take its orders from the Vatican. When Hitlerism is defeated the Irish papists must show how tolerant, and sympathetic they are towards the Imperial connection! Mr. Bond (of the Protestant Truth Society), recently reported that Hitler and Mussolini at their last meeting discussed the relationship of the Vatican with the Reich. Hitler (according to this report) agreed on all points provided a certain Cardinal was made to apologise, and recalled from Germany. A few days after this meeting of the two Dictators the poor old Cardinal was summoned to Rome. The “Men of Vichy” France are all devout sons of the Roman
Catholic Church. It will be the wisdom of our Statesmen, Generals, and Admirals to keep a very close watch on the “Men of Vichy.” Irish Americans (R.C.) are opposed to Britain. Mr. Joseph Kennedy is openly, and sneeringly opposed to Britain. Patriotic Roman Catholics in the British Empire are in an invidious position. May the Lord open their eyes to understand that the Italian Bishop (the Pope) is the son of perdition and the malicious enemy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The present battle is against Christ, and His people. Let our brave young men encourage themselves in the Lord. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the “Rock”—Christ. Let all our people take comfort from the knowledge that the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church are against Great Britain. The fair speeches of Cardinal Hinsley, London, is just a blind. We know what solemn engagements he entered upon before he received the Cardinal’s hat. He speaks in London, not in Rome! He condemns Hitlerism, but keeps discreetly silent on Mussolini-ism. Let Protestants be aware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Cardinal is a sworn enemy to Reformation attainments. He hates Protestantism as the devil hates the gospel. If Hitler was to win the Cardinal of London would change his voice and fair speeches as the Cardinal of Paris did when Hitler’s hordes were within the gates of the city.
It is God-provoking to open Theatres, Music Halls, Cinemas, Dance Halls on the Lord’s Day. The best, quietest, and most upright of our people are heart-broken over this trend of events in our national life. The Socialists, Communists, Atheists, and Libertines have no respect for the Fourth Commandment. The Capitalists are wanting higher dividends on the millions of money sunk in Theatres, Cinemas, and Music Halls. The labouring masses are made the scapegoat for the vested interest money lenders. We pray, and hope that these dens of evil will be closed on week days as well as Sabbath days before the end of this present conflict. Our seriously minded young men may mentally question the rightness of our cause in the light of such irreligious conduct on the part of responsible officials.
Judas betrayed his Master but that did not in the least derogate from the righteousness of His cause. The actions of wicked men engaged in a “righteous cause” will never change the fact but the cause itself is right. Cyrus knew not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yet he was used to advance a “righteous cause.” God may use graceless men, as instruments to advance His own purposes. Millions of men may be engaged in a “righteous cause,” who are otherwise as blind as bats as far as the gospel and the cause of Christ in the world is concerned. They may have a thorough grasp of the political issues involved although spiritually blind as to the real cause of the conflict. We have not, and in fact repudiate the idea of, our own share of the present catastrophe. The Protestant Churches have departed from the truth of God. The Bible is not their court of appeal. The Modernists have played havoc with the gospel, the Bible, and the Sacraments. The Modernists are really Infidels (un-believers), who profess religion for the sake of dishonest living. One of our soldiers was telling me recently that during a parade service the Clergyman changed his garments seven times, putting some off, and putting other strips and rags on in their place. The poor deluded madman! This soldier vowed there and then that never again would he sit even for half an hour watching an acrobatic clergyman on church parade! There are thousands of these fanatics in the Protestant Churches. Free Presbyterian young men can always excuse themselves for not attending the religious services of such buffoons. You are in conscience bound not to blaspheme the Great Name of God by attending irreligious pagan services. Your Commanding Officer dare not coerce you to do so. If at any time your Commanding Officer insists upon you attending religious services which are conducted contrary to the practice of your own Church, write your minister, who is in duty bound to take up the matter in the proper quarter, so that your conscience will be relieved from bowing before false gods. They cannot, and must not compel any Free Presbyterian to attend their idolatrous worship.
You may be often pained at the ungodly conversation of the
wicked. Foul speech issues from vulgar minds. Joseph in the midst of corruption behaved himself as a Christian should at all times do. He got no sympathy from his superior officer nor respect from the viciously minded authorities of his day. Daniel was cast into the den of lions. One advantage Daniel had (which God-fearing young men need not expect under present circumstances), was that the poor lions would neither curse, swear, nor use foul filthy language! The growlings of the lions would be sweet music in the ears of some in comparison to the foul speech of wicked men. One may be falsely, and maliciously accused by the enemies of truth, and righteousness, and suffer for the sake of the gospel much tongue persecution, and slanderous accusations. The lying gosipper never needs to advertise for helpers. The devil has ready-made agents at every street corner. The wisest course to take is to leave dangerous accusers and falsifiers of facts in the hands of the Lord. He knows how, and when to deal with such. All liars (as well as others) must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. Joseph, Daniel, and others appealed to a throne of grace. Their Saviour was their Judge. It will be most difficult to find quiet corners to pray, and read your Bible. Prayer is really a heart exercise, and one is at liberty to pray at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. It may be impossible to have set times to read your Bibles. Whenever the opportunity offers itself the Bible must be read to sustain the spiritual life of the soul. The essential duty of reading the Bible is, by the blessing of the Holy Spirit, the way to know Christ. To die serving a good cause is no warrant for heaven. The only warrant for heaven is to be born again. We can never be born again if we reject Christ in the free offer of the gospel. Paul says, Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief. We may feel ourselves “very bad,” and sinful. So we are, yet what could Christ do with “good sinners?” Christ came to save the “chief of sinners.” He is the Saviour of the lost. He is present in the gospel to save poor ruined sinners. Christ will never refuse to save the “chief of sinners.” Many of you may not see the end of this present conflict. Ar
you ready to die, are you prepared to die? Christ alone can answer that solemn question for you dear young men. We know you will prove yourselves second to none in defending the honour of your country as in the past. We have a righteous moral confidence in your courage, and bravery to meet the foe on sea, land, and in the air. You stand in defence of your mothers, sisters, and younger brothers, and the foe must trample your bodies in the dust before he can touch those dearest, and nearest to you in this world. What is all that without Christ. Your chief concern must be the salvation of your souls. Christ alone can heal, and save your precious souls. His blood can both reconcile, and purge away sin. His righteousness can alone cover you. His grace can fortify you against the hour of danger, and His almighty power can shield you in the midst of danger. Christ is King of kings, Lord of lords. Permit me to advise you—do not play cards, nor gamble, nor drink, nor frequent dance halls. Shun theatres, and never go to see dangerous suggestive pictures of the immoral type! The devil is awfully busy, generous, plausible, considerate, and baits his hooks with many kinds of amusements so as to entangle you in his hellish meshes. The director of the play sits behind the curtains. Satan hides himself behind human agents. Christ is your only Friend, Helper, Redeemer, and Protector.
May the Lord lead, guide, and keep you all from all evil. Follow Christ.