Age of Consent Vote
The House of Commons towards the end of February voted to reduce the age of consent for homosexuals from 21 to 18. An attempt to lower the age to 16 was defeated. This raised a fury of protest among the ‘gay’ community. It is sad to think that in a country nominally Christian that any place would be given to this obnoxious legislation and that it would find support even among the leaders of the nation. The fact that it was brought forward at all is a measure of how low Britain has fallen morally. The fruit of this legislation will be seen in the increased depravity of the nation.
Further Defections to Rome
As a result of the final decision of the Church of England to ordain women priests, seven bishops and more than 700 clergy have announced that they are to become Roman Catholics. They have agreed to accept the authority of the Pope as the Supreme Pastor of the universal church. The Environment Secretary, Mr John Gummer, has also gone over to the Church of Rome. He condemned the Church of England as a denominational sect. He claimed that there is no guarantee of orthodoxy except in communion with the Church of Rome. No doubt most, if not all, of those who have defected to the Romish Church were high Anglicans and so had already embraced many of the heresies of the Church of Rome.
Priestly Celibacy in the Church of Rome
A report which appeared in the Herald indicated that the rule of celibacy for R.C. priests has become a major subject of controversy in Ireland. This has arisen through revelations which have come to light of the failure of priests to live up to their vows of celibacy. It is said that from 1985 until 1989, 73 priests, 132 nuns and 44 monks left their ministries in Ireland. It is also reported that worldwide some 100,000 priests have given up their office in recent years. It is long since Father Chiniquy exposed the truth about the supposed celibacy of R.C. priests in his book, “The Priest, the Woman, and the Confessional”. It is obvious from recent reports that matters have in no way improved since then but have rather grown worse. What a cesspool of iniquity is the Church of Rome, as Edith O’Gorman also showed in her book, “Convent of Life Unveiled”! If those who are now apostatising to the Church of Rome would read these books it would show them the true character of the Mother of Harlots.
The Death Penalty for Murderers
The House of Commons once again failed to support a proposal for the return of capital punishment for murder. On this occasion it was defeated by a majority of 244, a much greater majority than previously. It is not surprising in the present moral climate to find our legislators acting in this way. It is by expediency and not by the standards of divine law that our nation’s rulers now legislate. As a result murders will continue at their present high level or increase even more as violent men realise that they will not forfeit their life even though they take the life of another. Yet the Word of God still stands: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Failure to act on this leaves the nation lying under the guilt of the innocent blood that has been shed in the land.
Mission News
This month we give an account of much activity on the Mission front, ministers and other members of the Mission travelling or planning to travel from one part of the world to another in hours, rather than in days or weeks.
Rev D. B. MacLeod has been in Kenya and in Malawi for some weeks. His visit is especially appreciated as Mr and Mrs MacDonald are in Glasgow on leave. They are very happy to have a baby girl — tiny, but healthy, and making good progress.
Celia Renes and Truus Ringelberg, old friends from their nursing days in Nigeria, are at work in Sengera. Truus was formerly in Bulawayo working in Thembiso Children’s Home but Celia has not as yet visited Zimbabwe. Miss Jessie Cooe has applied and been accepted to work in Kenya, after many years of hard and much appreciated work in Mbuma Hospital, Zimbabwe.
Mr Dick Vermeulen who did so much useful work at Sengera and in Malawi has returned from New Zealand to the ‘battle-front’ in Kenya and Malawi for a period of three months. He is already well known to our people there.
Miss Louise Leiper of the Glasgow congregation has applied to work on the Mission in Africa in a year’s time, if all is well, and has been accepted. Miss Norma MacLean, who had come home to Scotland for a brief period for medical treatment, has now returned to Zimbabwe in good health and is looking forward to resuming her work in the John Tallach Secondary School. Miss MacLean was formerly a lecturer in business subjects in Stornoway College.
The Lord in His Providence is making clear that the King’s business requires haste when one contrasts the speed with which ministers and other Gospel messengers are enabled to travel to their sphere of work. This contrasts with the days and sometimes years spent by early missionaries in laborious travel in reaching their field of work. We know not what a day nor an hour may bring forth. — J.N.
Church Notes
Presbytery Meetings (D.V.)
- Skye: At Portree on 12th April at 11 a.m.
- Zimbabwe: At Bulawayo on 14th June at 2 p.m.
- Outer Isles: At Stornoway on 21st June at 1 p.m.
- Northern: At Dingwall on 28th June at 2 p.m.
- Australia and New Zealand: At Gisborne on 21st October at 2.30 p.m.
Return of Deputy from Kenya and Malawi
The Editor returned to this country on 5th March after a four weeks’ visit to Africa. He wishes to acknowledge the Lord’s kindness to him during his visit to those countries and on his journeys to and from Africa. May the Lord’s people continue to uphold the Lord’s Cause in Kenya and Malawi in remembering it at a Throne of grace and pleading that the Lord would provide labourers for that part of His vineyard.