Communions
January—Fifth Sabbath, Inverness. February—First Sabbath, Dingwall; third, Stornoway; fourth, North Uist, Kyle of Lochalsh. March—First Sabbath, Ullapool; second, Ness and Portree; third, Finsbay, Lochinver; fourth, Kinlochbervie, North Tolsta.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Will Ministers, or Clerks of Kirk Sessions, or Missionaries in charge of Mission Stations, examine the list of Communions in the December issue of this Magazine, and forward at once any corrections of Communion dates for 1961, to the Editor.
Kirk-Session and Deacon’s Court Records
Kirk-Session and Deacons’ Court Records of Congregations are now due to be submitted to respective Presbyteries for examination.—Robert R. Sinclair, Clerk of Synod.
Congregational Financial Statements
The Financial Statements of Congregations for the year ended 31st December, 1960, are now due to be submitted to respective Presbyteries for examination, as soon as convenient for Treasurers.—Robert R. Sinclair, Clerk of Synod.
Appeal for Kinlochbervie and Scourie Manse
The joint congregation of Kinlochbervie and Scourie appeal to friends of the Cause throughout the Church for help in procuring a Manse. The congregation, which has been without a settled pastor since the beginning of the Church, has continued throughout the years steadfast to the testimony raised for the truth in 1893. During that long period of time, godly missionaries and elders supplied the congregation and so were used of the Lord to maintain the Cause of Christ in this part of the country.
In October last, in the good providence of the Lord, a pastor was settled over the congregation. Consequently it is desirable to secure a Manse. A house has become available to buy which, with alterations and repairs, it is hoped will prove suitable for a Manse. The total cost is estimated at £3,500. As the congregation is not large, they feel unable to bear this financial burden themselves and so look to all who have the interest of Christ’s cause at heart to help them as they are able.
Contributions will be gratefully received by Mr D. A. Macleod, Tigh-na-mara, by Lairg, Sutherland
D. J. Matheson, Moderator, Northern Presbytery
A. F. Mackay, Clerk, Northern Presbytery
Communion at Kyle of Lochalsh
It has been decided that an annual Communion be held at Kyle on the fourth Sabbath of February. The usual preparatory services will begin on the previous Thursday at 12 noon (D.V.).
Alexander Murray, interim Moderator
Southern Presbytery Protest regarding a Novel
The Rt. Hon. R. A. Butler, C.H., M.P.,
Home Secretary,
Whitehall,
London.
Sir,
The Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, met at Glasgow on Tuesday, the 22nd day of November, 1960, views with grave concern the recent Court decision under the Obscenity Act which permits the sale of the book called “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” which has hitherto been banned from publication in this Country on account of its immoral and depraving nature.
The Presbytery strongly objects to the principle apparently laid down in the Act that the imaginative description of obscene acts and language is to be allowed circulation among the reading public, provided the description is garbed in what is termed literary merit. Is immorality any the less vile because the description of it is clothed in good literary style? This would be tantamount to admiring an adulteress because of the finery of her clothing or to praising a thief because of the skill with which he has used modern scientific knowledge to effect his robberies. Does not the prostitution of a good literary style used in describing acts of immorality make this book all the more dangerous in its depraving effects? Some of the experts called by the defence in this action admitted that they were shocked when they began to read the book, but as they went on this feeling of revulsion went away. Could there be clearer evidence of the dampening of moral sensibility and the consequent tendency to depravity arising from the reading of this vile book? It is evident that the acceptance of the idea that obscenity clothed in literary style is right is unveiled paganism and clean contrary to the Christian ethic.
You, Sir, have been recently appealing to parents and churches to make every effort to raise the moral standards of this Country. You can be assured that you have the full support of this Presbytery in this endeavour. At the same time, however, you allowed on to the Statute Book an Act which permits a book of this morally depraving nature to circulate among young and old. You must realise that the main cause of the drop in moral standards is the familiarising of our people with the sins of fornication, adultery, murder, thieving etc., through novels, plays on the Radio, Television, Theatre, Cinema etc. The publication of this book will lead to a stream of similar productions, as it appears to this Presbytery that the majority of modern novelists have minds which are unfathomable cess-pools of immoral uncleanness. When one considers the dictum of the Lord Jesus Christ, “that whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart,” one trembles at the sight the minds of such men must present to the all-seeing eye of the Judge of all the earth of whom we read: “Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” (Heb. xiii: 4.)
The Presbytery appeals to you to take immediate steps to have the Obscenity Act so amended to prevent this Country from being polluted by the circulation of such literature, obscene from the Christian point of view.
Signed (Rev.) Donald MacLean, Moderator
(Rev.) Malcolm Macsween, Clerk
Protest to Archbishop of Canterbury
May it Please Your Grace,
We, the Religion and Morals Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, having learned with profound regret that you intend, in the near future, to pay a courtesy visit to the Pope at the Vatican, do hereby utter our solemn and emphatic protest against this intended visit. We do so for the following reasons:—
(1) That the Pope is head of the Roman Catholic Church which claims that outside of it there is no salvation. (2) That its sacrifice of the Mass is blasphemous, and reflects adversely on the sacrifice offered at Calvary, which alone has procured the salvation of sinners. (3) That this system persecuted to the death, wherever it had the power, all who claimed to worship God according to His Word, and who refused to accept the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. (4) That, as its proud boast is that it is always the same, it cannot change its attitude to those who differ from it. (5) That it is a well-known fact that this system has been continually plotting to overthrow the British Protestant Constitution. (6) That this being so, it is wrong for professing Protestants and patriots to hold any fellowship with the See of Rome on any pretext whatsoever. (7) The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England deny to the Pope the right, which he claims, to interfere in the internal affairs of Britain. (8) This visit has the effect of nullifying Your Grace’s solemn declaration to maintain the Protestant articles of religion. (9) On account of Your Grace’s official position the intended visit constitutes a weakening of the Protestant position and goes a long way towards obliterating the line of demarcation between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.
We pray that, even at this late hour, wiser counsels will prevail and that the intended visit will be cancelled.
On behalf of the Committee,
John Colquhoun, Convener.
F.P. Manse,
Glendale,
Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Southern Presbytery Protest
The Archbishop of Canterbury,
Lambeth Palace,
London.
Sir,
The Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, being a court of a branch of the Protestant Church of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and met at Glasgow on Tuesday, the 22nd day of November, 1960, take this opportunity of entering its Protest upon your proposed visit to the Pope of Rome.
The church which you represent, professing to be a branch of the Protestant Church, expressly condemns in its constitution the central doctrines of Papacy, such as Transubstantiation and Masses, describing the latter as blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits. Why should you pay a visit to the prime teacher of doctrines you profess to believe to be “blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits”?
The Presbytery would warn you that the Lord Jesus Christ is Head and King of His Church, and that it is to Him you must give a final account of your professed service to Him. The niceties of “courtesy” visits paid to the Arch-Enemy of His Church mean nothing to Him whose holy eye penetrates the secrets of men’s hearts, and, if you wish to avoid offending Him, you would be well advised to break off your visit to Rome.
Signed (Rev.) Donald MacLean, Moderator
(Rev.) Malcolm Macsween, Clerk
Southern Presbytery
Northern Presbytery Protest
We, the Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, met at Inverness on Tuesday, the 15th day of November, 1960, wish most respectfully and earnestly to protest against the visit which Your Grace has publicly announced will be made to the Pope at Rome during Your Grace’s coming tour of Italy and the East—the first visit paid by any head of the Church of England since the Reformation.
We feel deeply concerned over the implications of such a visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in his capacity as head of the Protestant Church of England, to the head of the professedly religious system of the Papacy, both for the Church of England which you represent and for our national Protestantism. We are convinced that any communion with the See of Rome by the head of the National Protestant Church of England is contrary to the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement; is a betrayal of the Protestant Church which arose from the ruins of Romanism; is dishonouring to the memory of the noble Reformers who secured by their blood our deliverance from the errors of Rome and Papal oppression; and constitutes, as well an act which may yet call down the Lord’s wrath upon our land. We would, therefore, strongly urge Your Grace to cancel this proposed visit to the Pope.
A. F. Mackay, Clerk
Protest to Prime Minister from Northern Presbytery
We, the Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, met at Inverness on Tuesday, the 15th day of November, 1960, desire most respectfully to express to you our strong feelings of indignation and dismay on learning of your prospective visit to the Pope in Rome in the near future. Such a visit to the head of the Papacy by the Prime Minister of this Protestant country casts grave dishonour upon the Scriptures of Truth with which the whole papal system is in glaring conflict. We believe that the influence of our Protestant Throne and Constitution, the true source of our national greatness, will continue to decline as a result. And we are convinced that whatever material advantages may be hoped for from this meeting with the Pope will be completely offset by the divine displeasure which your action will certainly invoke. We consider that this step on your part is a profound mistake, and take this opportunity to beseech you most earnestly and solemnly to cancel your proposed visit.
A. F. Mackay, Clerk