Our Protestant constitution endangered by proposals for the monarchy
THE Prime Minister has been having talks with the Queen and the Prince of Wales about radical proposals to reform the monarchy. Of particular concern is the proposal to repeal the 1701 Act of Settlement, which bans the heir to the throne from marrying a Roman Catholic and provides for the Protestant succession to the throne. This is not a surprising proposal when we observe the increasingly friendly relationship between the Royal House and the Roman Catholic hierarchy in this country.
Nor are we surprised to read that Prince Charles is reckoned to be the driving force behind the proposals, which include the proposal to disestablish the Church of England. He has already expressed his wish to be known as the Defender of Faiths rather than the Defender of the Faith — that is, of the national Protestant faith “by law established.” Disestablishment would no doubt open a route for the Prince to escape from some consequences of his marital unfaithfulness and to marry again.
The press welcomes especially the proposal to repeal the Act of Settlement. One columnist says repeal of the Act is “reasonable, desirable and, many would say, long overdue”. He also peddles the current lie that “the Catholics now form the largest religious group in the country” when in fact Protestants outnumber Roman Catholics by 10 to 4.
While we are not surprised at these constitutional developments, we are deeply concerned. The ecumenical agenda is dominant, the multi-faith ethos is powerful, and Roman Catholicism is viewed favourably. On the other hand, the Reformed, Protestant, Biblical religion of our forefathers is written off as not only an anachronism but also as offensive and anti-social. History shows that it is not a long step from the marginalising of true religion to the persecution of those who persist in promulgating it.
We are bound to voice our concern about these dangerous proposals. Any attempt to repeal the Act of Settlement “would engender howls of protest from the deeply Protestant corners of the United Kingdom,” says The Times — and so it should. But our most urgent duty is to pray more earnestly for the preservation of our Protestant constitution, with all its associated religious and civil liberties. These, by the grace of God, have been purchased at the cost of even the blood of those who “loved not their lives unto the death”. We dare not let these privileges disappear by default.