Church Unity Move Fails
The Church of England and the Methodist Church agreed to vote separately on first moves toward union between the two Churches. The size of the vote by each Church for this was agreed upon as 75%. The Methodist Church’s was 77% and the Anglican vote was only 69%. So that any action for unity has been dropped, at least for the time being. The Archbishop of Canterbury later lamented, as he would, that the Methodist Church was now the protagonist of Church unity and not his own Church. We wonder if the Methodists know of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Joint Preparatory Commission, set up to find ways by which these two bodies can come together. They should know when we know the facts regarding this Commission, which during the last two years has met in Italy and Malta. This is the Commission which has urged collaboration in the training of clergy, joint use of buildings, free exchange of preachers, which has already taken place in Scotland as well as England, and the drawing up of a liturgy which both could use. Into this ‘net’ the Archbishop of Canterbury endeavoured to draw the Methodists, who apparently were willing dupes. But a hard core of Anglicans who dislike non-Anglican orders, etc., decided against this. We understand that although the Methodist vote was for unity with the Anglicans, yet a considerable number of Methodists would have formed a continuing denomination of their own. Where in all this activity of an ecclesiastical nature is the concern for adherence to the truth of the Word of God handed down by Reformers and martyrs in England?
The Abortion Act
We do not intend to go into details involved in the freedom given to the medical profession by this evil Act presented to Parliament by a Liberal M.P. But from our reading of press reports, one thing is quite clear to us, that it is assisting a large number of persons, some of whom are very young, to cover their sin of fornication. This sin cannot be hidden from the omniscient God; and further, “He that covereth his sin shall not prosper”. There is in all this, encouragement to ignore God and the claims of His divine law: but God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, so shall he also reap. In spite of ‘pills’ and ‘operations’, sin is sin and will bring its own consequences if not repented of. Finally, we would state that many members of the medical profession are strongly opposed to the freedom given by the Abortion Act.
Roman Catholic Priests and Marriage
There have been an extraordinary number of reports from all over the world, indicating a large and increasing demand by Romish priests that priests who desire to marry should be permitted by a change in the law of their Church. Such reports have come from America, Brazil, Switzerland, Holland and Rome. For instance, “A study of 95 Roman Catholic seminaries has indicated that about half of the United States’ future priests opposed Church law forbidding marriage for clergy”. The Pope, who falsely claims to be the successor of the Apostle Peter, ignores the recorded fact in the Bible that the Apostle Peter was married. Paul, in writing to Timothy (2nd Epistle: chap. 4) says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith . . . Forbidding to marry . . .” When the great Reformer, Martin Luther, abandoned the Church of the Pope, he married. His wife, Katherina, did not impede, but graciously assisted her husband in his witness for Truth in difficult times for them both.
The Moon
The landing on the moon by American astronauts is now an accomplished and amazing fact. A highly significant result of the examination by scientists of the samples of moon ‘dust’ brought back by the astronauts is related thus:—”Scientists studying samples . . . have discovered that there are glass bubbles, tubes, veins and even areas of smooth glass coating on the lunar surface.” Scientists have already expressed their views as to this discovery, and suggest that the high proportion of tiny glass marbles probably formed by the heat generated by meteorites crashing into the lunar surface. Although we claim no scientific knowledge, yet we prefer to think that the glass content of the lunar surface was part of the divine Creator’s work when He created the moon to give light by night — reflected light from the Sun.