Parents giving up their children.—The Glasgow daily paper, The Bulletin, of 25th June last, printed a paragraph headed, “Scots Parents giving up their 7 Children.” To our great astonishment, this referred to a Glasgow father and mother who are to say goodbye to their family of seven children, aged between 5 and 19. It was stated that the parents are not poor; but that they have arranged with the Overseas League’s Migration Secretary, for the children to begin a new life in New Zealand, as it is thought they “will stand a greater chance of happiness in New Zealand than in Scotland.” The parents may never see their children again. It is reported that other Glasgow parents have made a similar decision. Surely this is an unscriptural and new attitude to family life and the responsibilities of parents in relation to their own offspring. It has a veneer of self-denial for the sake of the happiness of the children, that is, happiness as far as “things seen and temporal” are concerned, and which can by no means be assured merely by a transference from Scotland to New Zealand. God in His providence gave these parents, who are in normal circumstances, their children, not to hand over to others to bring them up, but that they themselves should do so by His help and in dependence upon His grace and providence. Parents are enjoined by the Word of God to bring up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”; so that to divest themselves of their responsibilities and part with their own flesh and blood without Scriptural and adequate cause, must be grievous conduct indeed in the sight of Him who is the divine Judge of parents, as of children. “In the last days perilous times shall come,” and one of the outstanding marks of such times is said to be, that men shall be “without natural affection” (II. Tim. iii. 3). But this and other types of conduct which have been breaking up family life in the nation, are just the deadly fruit of spiritual darkness prevailing in and over the minds and consciences of multitudes who have disregarded altogether the Word of God and its guidance for all the relationships we bear one to another.
Strangely enough, in the very same issue of the newspaper referred to, another paragraph appeared with the heading, “Motherhood ‘Evaded’.” A Miss Smith, psychologist of Manchester University, speaking at a conference in London, said that many children know their nursery school “mother” far better than they do their own. But she said of British children: “I come from Australia, and never have I seen such bonnie children as there are in this country.” This is a striking comment when placed alongside the activities of the Overseas League in arranging for children to leave this country for New Zealand and Australia. These particular activities should be scrutinized and strongly disapproved of and discouraged, on Scriptural, moral and social grounds.
Popish Leaven in Methodist Church.—We have become familiar with news of bold and illegal Anglo-Catholic activities throughout the Church of England, aimed at bringing that Church into the darkness and misery of popery. But The English Churchman of 16th July last, carries two paragraphs which reveal that the evil “leaven” of Roman Catholicism has been operating within the Methodist Church for a good many years now, in the form of a Methodist Sacramental Fellowship. Ten years ago, a Committee of this Church declared that the Fellowship had isolated the Lord’s Supper from other means of grace and had given it a position not in harmony with the teaching and practice of the Methodist Church.
“Altars,” crosses and candles are now introduced into Methodist Churches. The founder of the Fellowship joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1935. Methodist magazines express alarm, and one urges that these ordained Methodist ministers with a tendency towards Rome, should be dealt with. We naturally deplore those subversive inroads by the enemies of the Word of God, but our main point is—is there Church government and discipline within the Methodist fold to deal with the menace? The value of Church discipline, according to Scripture, and the necessity for it, is being thrown into relief by such circumstances to-day. The lack of it, in almost every denomination, has permitted a situation in which many men do that which seemeth good in their own eyes, contrary to Gospel doctrine and practice.
50 Years Ago.—In the Original Secession Magazine for July, 1898, there appeared the following comment on the preaching current then, and we think it is a hundred-fold more applicable to the general type of preaching rather prevalent in our own day:—“Much of the preaching current in the present day is meagre, jejune, and unsatisfying—destitute of the marrow of the Gospel, and utterly inadequate as an exposition of Bible truth. It is sad to think of the thinness and littleness of the food dealt out by some men entrusted with the ministry. They are more intent on making their discourses short than on making them rich and edifying. Lecturing is discarded, and the sermons are more like shallow homilies than faithful exhibitions of Gospel truth.” Free Presbyterians have cause for humility and gratitude to the Most High that our ministers do not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, are faithful to Scriptural doctrine, Law and Gospel, and that they have set their face against the modern habit of short sermons.