Death of Sir Winston Churchill
On Sabbath, the 24th day of January, 1965, Sir Winston Churchill, after a brief, serious illness, passed away from this world to eternity, aged 90 years. During the week, prior to his State Funeral on Saturday, the 30th January, almost everything that could be said of this great man, was proclaimed in speeches in The House of Commons, The House of Lords, and by others throughout the nation and indeed in many nations. We, as many others, are persuaded that Sir Winston Churchill was gifted and raised up by God in His merciful and all-wise Providence, to speak and act for the defence of our beloved land and our civil and religious liberties, in face of the evil designs of Hitler and his subordinates. And it is recognised that Sir Winston contributed largely also to the deliverance of other nations from the yoke of German domination. We shall ever remember, that during a serious and dark phase of the War, he quoted in a speech which he delivered in America, the following words from Psalm 112, v. 7: “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” The valiant part which he played brought to him many honours and tokens of gratitude from his fellow men, all over the world. And now, this most eminent and truly historical personality has left behind forever the scene of his own particular trials and triumphs. “Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” (Ps. 39, v. 5). However extraordinary and unique the achievements of men may be in the realm of Providence, the greatest experience for any man, high or low, is to be saved from sin by the unsearchable riches of God’s grace, through faith in Christ Jesus.
Sabbath Desecration at Highland Show Ground
It has been reported that the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland has given permission to hold motor racing on the Lord’s Day, on the Society’s ground at Ingliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The Lord’s Day Observance Society’s magazine states that one of the directors of the Agricultural Society opposed this unworthy and God-dishonouring decision, and Mr Weatherstone, Chairman of the Society, is stated to have said that the race meetings would be held in the afternoon and would allow people to attend Church. This type of observation is threadbare and arises from complete ignorance of the claims of the Fourth Commandment. It may be remembered that before the last Highland Show, a procession was organised to parade through the principal streets of Edinburgh on the Lord’s Day.
It is more than disappointing that the farming community in Scotland are taking up this lax view of the Lord’s Day. As in other cases, we believe the motive is to obtain more cash to run their permanent Show ground. The different public activities of a worldly nature on the Lord’s Day are still increasing in Scotland. On the last Sabbath of January, special skiing races were held on the Cairngorms. Surely God will visit the people in judgment for these things!
Protestants in Franco Spain
We read in magazine articles, reports by missionaries, and in special press articles, varying accounts of how Protestants are situated and dealt with, as such, by the civil and Roman Catholic powers in Spain. In an article in “The Scotsman,” for January 8th, 1965, Richard Comyns Carr deals with what is called “The new attitude of officials.” The following brief extract speaks for itself, in the year 1965: “A significant incident occurred when non-Catholic political prisoners at Burgos prison, who had been forced to Mass and punished for not kneeling, were exempt from attendance as a result of protests . . .” Forced to attend Mass! This is indicative of the Romish principle to persecute when in power. What a “privilege” to be exempt from Mass in this day and age! But Spain, as to religion, is still in the dark ages. There is plenty of talk about freeing the people of East Germany. But there are many in Spain who need to be freed from the oppression of the civil and religious powers in that land.
A Religious Plague in Britain
It has been made known that a new mission area of the Mormon sect in Britain was opened on the 1st of January, 1965. Known as British South, it will have a headquarters in Reading, Berkshire, and its 125 so-called missionaries will cover a territory including Brighton, Sussex and Oxford. This makes three such areas, one in Scotland, one in the North of England, and the other, the biggest, in the South. There will now be nine areas in Britain with more than 1,500 Mormon representatives working. It is indeed clear that there is full freedom in Britain for even foreigners (from U.S.A.) to come to our shores and propagate their unscriptural, evil and dangerous beliefs. Their originator, Joseph Smith, was a visionary and an adulterer. Their views of God are blasphemous. They practice secret ceremonies and rites approximating to Freemasonry. All this is kept well in the background by the well-dressed young men who go about their Mormon business in pairs throughout our professed Christian land. These men keep to the forefront what is called a social gospel. But the blasphemy and the secret rites are kept in reserve for the unwary who are caught in their snares.