House of Commons T.V. Debate.
On the 1st of June the House of Commons debated the Government’s Television Bill. The debate on that day centred round a Socialist amendment to ban advertisements on the Lord’s Day in the Television Bill. In a careful study of the report on the debate it was obvious that the Socialists, as the official Opposition to the Government, used the Sabbath question as an argument against advertisements, and not primarily on the side of God’s law. The Government is but following the practice of former Governments in sponsoring and authorising the Radio and now Television programmes, plus advertisements on God’s holy day. This is all an evil work, calculated to turn the people of our nation more than ever from any thought of a Sabbath Day. The homes of Britain are being invaded on Sabbath and weekday now, to such an extent that the claims of the public worship of God must inevitably be ignored by an ever increasing multitude. In the debate referred to, two M.P.s seem to have had genuine concern for the preservation of the Sabbath, viz., Mr. Cyril Black (Tory, Wimbledon) and Mr. William Ross (Socialist, Kilmarnock). These two members of the House have spoken on the side of the Lord’s Day on previous occasions, and we respect them for this.
Elder Condemns Duke of Edinburgh’s Sabbath Polo.
Mr. George Grant, an elder in the Church of Scotland, Golspie, Sutherland, and well known member of Sutherland County Council, at a meeting of the Dornoch Presbytery of his Church on Tuesday, 1st June, 1954, brought forward a motion condemning the Duke of Edinburgh for playing polo on Sabbath, 30th May. This was seconded by Rev. D. Macaskill, Rosehall. We are glad to learn from this action that some in the Church of Scotland are not afraid to bring into public, in a Church Court, their strong disapproval of such conduct on the part of His Royal Highness. But sad to say, the Dornoch Presbytery refused to accept Mr. Grant’s motion, but on what grounds we are not able to specify. It is such conduct on the part of professing Christian ministers and office-bearers, and Church Courts, that weakens and undermines the already weak adherence to the claims of the Lord’s Day among the general public. The Church of Scotland “Tell Scotland Movement” has apparently not as yet told Dornoch Presbytery to witness against flagrant breaches of the Fourth Commandment.
The Scottish Reformation Society.
Recently we read the report of the Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Reformation Society in the Bulwark, the magazine of the society. The president of the society, the Rev. W. J. Baxter, D.D., was in the chair. The Rev. Moffat Gillon, M.A., the secretary, in presenting the report, said, “He was tired of people who said that the Scottish Reformation Society was doing nothing.” He enumerated what they were doing by way of publications and lectures, etc. We have subscribed annually to this society and distributed for years their monthly magazine. But it is thought in some sound Protestant circles in Scotland that this society is deficient in certain respects. For example, we have never read in the public press or in the Bulwark of action by way of protesting or disapproving resolutions on the part of the society on such matters as former visits to the Pope by Royalty or the broadcasting of the Mass by the B.B.C., or the recently intended televising of a canonisation ceremony by the Pope. Now, this may be on account of the fact that we did not happen to see in print resolutions or protests on such matters, if at all issued by the society; or that the society fails to find publicity for any such witnessing. Then shortly after reading the report of the society referred to we were amazed to read in the public press a report of an address given to the Assembly of the United Free Church on 8th June, 1954, by the Rev. Dr. W. J. Baxter, president of the Society. He is reported to have said that the great Church of the future would be bound to have bishops. “We have no great love for bishops,” he added, “but if for the sake of unity and peace of the world we do accept some kind of bishop or moderator, the Church will be in all essentials Presbyterian.” Here speaks the president of the Scottish Reformation Society, who undoubtedly knows his Scottish history as well as anyone, and that history full of contentions in Scotland against Episcopacy and bishops, by our Presbyterian forefathers. If this is the kind of outlook on the part of officials of the Scottish Reformation Society, then no wonder some discern a lack of militant, yet wise, witnessing of a Scriptural Protestant nature on the part of the society. The said Rev. Dr. W. J. Baxter said at the annual meeting, “We must protest against a system which is not Christian and not Biblical,” referring to the Roman Catholic Church. So far so good. But we never hear of protests from the society when such are called for. Maybe this is our fault.