The Government and Juvenile Crime
In an endeavour to curb increasing juvenile delinquency and crime, the Government have decided to set up a Standing Advisory Committee to consider this serious problem in our national life and measures for its reduction. The Home Secretary, Mr Henry Brooke, is to be Chairman of the Committee. The crime figures for boys and girls continues to rise and these are the men and women of the future. We disagree strongly with some Christians and others who hold that the Government, even of this professed Christian nation, have no mandate from Scripture or otherwise to take to do with moral principles and issues. Apart from the Church, as such, the Government have to do with law and order and the punishment of criminals, and are required to sustain and preserve true religion in our nation, while not interfering with the functions of the Church in its own realm. If the Government have any regard to Christian principles and morals, they should officially state the stark facts, as known to them, regarding juvenile crime and immorality. They know the real condition of affairs much more than the Churches. Then they should issue an official request; in addition to the above, to parents, to all the Churches and to the Education Authorities and Schools throughout the nation to consider the Moral Law, the ten commandments, in the light of the increase of juvenile crime and to make its terms and requirements known as the law of God, to the young, as a chief duty devolving upon them as responsible parties at this present time. Such an appeal from Government level would, we think, have some effect in the right direction, however limited. On the other hand, if this Government Committee take no cognisance of the Moral Law in their deliberations, all their schemes and plans will effect nothing by way of curbing and restraining the young from criminal conduct. We are of course fully aware that the power of God’s Spirit alone can savingly turn and keep from wickedness young and old. We are also of the opinion that young and old sinners are not the worse for the light of truth being applied to their natural consciences.
Harvesting On Sabbath
The Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church met at Dingwall on Tuesday, 17th September, 1963, and unanimously passed a resolution condemning Sabbath harvesting in the North. The resolution was in the following terms:—
“The Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, meeting at Dingwall on Tuesday, understand from press reports that a good deal of harvesting work is being carried on at the present time in parts of the North of Scotland on the Lord’s Day, and deplore the fact that disregard of the sanctity of the Lord’s Day is on the increase, that such scenes on the harvest field on the Sabbath as have attracted our notice are now becoming a common occurrence throughout the North and North-East of our beloved Highlands.
“We regard these activities as highly provoking to the Most High, who jealously restricts the true and scriptural observance of the Sabbath to His own worship and service, and we view with apprehension the relaxing of the high standards of Sabbath observance which at one time brought priceless blessings to our people. The community engaged in farming, so absolutely dependent upon the arrangements of the Most High in His over-ruling providence, do greatly err by their short-sighted attitude to the Lord’s Day. Whatever prosperity in other respects may be expected, the divine blessing will certainly be withheld.
“A return to the proper and God-honouring respect for the claims of the Sabbath is urgently needed to-day. Among the symptoms of the wide-spread decay in the moral and spiritual life of our people, increasingly apparent on every hand, in every walk of life, and lately very noticeable in places of government and authority, the contempt of the Sabbath Law must be conceded a prominent position. As far as lies in our power, we would plead with our fellow-countrymen for a more just and responsible attitude to the Moral Law of God and particularly that the divine command governing the observance of the Sabbath: ‘Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy,’ must be obeyed. We pray that the spirit of grace and true repentance may be poured out from on high upon our people that the moral and spiritual decline in the life of the nation may be arrested and that the spiritual desolations of our beloved land may be repaired.”—A. F. M.