With Mercy and with Judgement, Strict Baptists and the First World War, by Matthew J Hyde, published by Gospel Standard Trust Publications, paperback, 552 pages, £13.00, obtainable from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
This is a large book, and these 552 pages are large pages. It has obviously involved a great deal of work; even the illustrations, of which there are a large number, must have required very considerable effort. The material used in the book has been largely taken from magazines circulating among Gospel Standard homes at the time.
The First World War, which was being fought out 100 years ago, was a grim affair – when defensive arms were so much further developed than offensive weapons – a solemn judgement from God, on nations that were largely determined to forget Him. As a result, generals saw no solution to the impasse that prevailed on the Western Front, in France and Belgium, except to send thousands of men out of the trenches to face the murderous fire being spewed out from the enemy’s guns.
Gospel Standard Pastor J K Popham of Brighton wrote eloquently, in words quoted immediately above the Introduction: “What pen will be able to describe the extent, the depth of the woe in which we are parties? Lands drenched with blood of men; rivers reddened with human gore and choked with corpses; cities and villages heaps of blackened stones and charred timber; the seas turned into graves for ships that floated as so many cities; widows and fatherless children numberless, whose hearts are throbbing with helpless, hopeless anguish; the financial world full of confusion, ruin, and misery; the world’s wealth wasted in the combatants’ fierce attempts to annihilate each other.”
The first main section is an “Overview” giving the historical background and dealing with such topics as “life in the forces” and the “impact within the home”. Much of the material is taken from letters and magazine articles describing the involvement of Strict Baptists in the War. A mother described
“the Lord’s goodness and preserving mercy” towards her son who was aboard ship when they saw an approaching submarine. “The captain told them nothing but a fog could save them; when, to their surprise, a dense fog came over them in three-and-a-half minutes, which lasted three-and-a-half hours.” No doubt we should see this as an answer to prayer, both on the ship and also by prayerful relations and friends at home. What is also remarkable is that, when the danger had passed, “the captain called them together on deck, and held a thanksgiving service for their deliverance”.
There follows a section of “Diaries and Memories”. Only some of the material in this section is spiritual, but the author has “taken the view that the preserving mercies of the Lord in keeping the souls of His people are set in their fullest glory against the contrast of those who lived the war in a careless, unregenerate state”. His further comment is solemnly striking: “It has been a surprise to me just how few men could tell of the experiences of war being blessed to the awakening of their soul, and a seeking of a Saviour”. Even the godly noted how difficult it was to maintain a spiritual frame of mind during a battle. But one soldier, among many, states after a dangerous few days at the front: “I feel at times that God has been very condescending and gracious. O that I might be given a grateful spirit, that I could thank Him as I ought.”
Another section consists of letters, not only from serving soldiers but also from family members and from pastors. One soldier’s widow wrote, “I do hope and trust this great sorrow will not be in vain. I want it to be for my soul’s good and I trust for His honour and glory; then I shall truly say it was good for me to have affliction. I love to think of my dear husband blessing and praising his Saviour, which he longed to do even in health and strength. In his last letter he said, ‘Seek more durable riches, that will never fade away’. His letters lately were so resigned to the Lord’s will, and how much he longed to love and please Him, but I see now quite plainly he was being prepared for a better world.”
A soldier drew attention to some “nice pieces” which had appeared in the magazine, The Little Gleaner: “One in particular I should like you to read: a letter found on a corporal killed on the Somme and addressed to his mother. If I felt I could honestly write as he did, many of my fears would be at rest. What a difference it must make to his parents’ feelings in their loss to know he has gone to a better place, where wars and partings are unknown. I do not want to go to God for grace just to satisfy my parents, and hope that my cry is for myself, and that my longing to be born again is a right one, and not prompted merely by the perils I am at present in.” He went on to express the wish that “we may not merely write on these things from head knowledge”.
An endnote identifies the corporal as Angus Cattanach (a Free Presbyterian from Kingussie)2.
A final section is entitled “War Poetry”. This is the least interesting part of the book, and many of the poems could have been omitted with little loss, in what is already a large volume.
That said, the reviewer enjoyed reading this very interesting book. Indeed it is worth reading to obtain a picture of what soldiers were suffering 100 years ago in that terrible war (and those referred to as serving in the armed forces are almost without exception soldiers). But the book gives light on their spiritual experiences and the experiences of those who lost loved ones in the conflict. For that reason especially, the book is to be warmly welcomed.
Protestant View
The Vatican’s New “Saint”
In September the Pope “canonised” Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, commonly known as “Mother Teresa”, as an official “saint” of the Roman Catholic Church. Mother Teresa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor in Calcutta, is widely regarded, even by many Protestants, as the ultimate example of missionary self-sacrifice and humanitarian devotion. This is the image which the world’s media portrays and which, needless to say, accords very well with Rome’s desire to be seen as compassionate towards the poor and offering a unique form of spiritual solace in the midst of human suffering.
Nevertheless, the evidence strongly suggests that we ought to question Mother Teresa’s teachings and even some of the humanitarian aid her missions provided. As well as being a loyal Romanist, she seems in her published writings to have held to a universalist theology, in which all religions are held to offer a way of salvation. She also held a somewhat pantheistic view of the world, in which the Creator and the creation are fused together. She once said, for example, “Every AIDS victim is Jesus in pitiful disguise. Jesus is in everyone.”
Even the humanitarian work undertaken by her organisation, “The Missionaries of Charity”, ought not to be regarded as beyond criticism, whatever
2This letter, with an introduction by Rev Neil Cameron, appears in The Free Presbyterian Magazine, vol 21, and also in Ministers and Men of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. This is presumably the piece which was reprinted in The Little Gleaner. In spite of the reference to “his parents’ feelings”, Angus Cattanach’s father had died “many years” previously.
kindness may have been shown in many cases. She would not prescribe painkillers in her clinics, because she believed that there was spiritual value in physical suffering, holding that this would bring those afflicted closer to Jesus. She herself, however, is known to have travelled to the best of health-care facilities to receive treatment when she was ill.
That such were the views and practices of one “sainted” by the Pope ought not to be a surprise, since Rome is largely interested in outward allegiance to its own organisation, irrespective of the state of people’s hearts and their views of truth. Indeed, it would come as no surprise if one of the long-term aims of the Papacy is to absorb all world religions under its own authority. In that case, Mother Teresa’s legacy would chime in wonderfully well with such an ambition.
AWM
Notes and Comments
Down’s Syndrome Screening and Abortion
A new screening technique, which the NHS is considering for pregnant women, is causing concern amongst Christians (and other pro-life groups). It is already used privately and is suspected of being behind the rise in the UK’s abortion rate for Down’s syndrome children. The intention is to make it much easier and safer (and cheaper) for the NHS to detect, in the womb, babies with Down’s syndrome. At present, invasive methods including amniocentesis are used, which create a danger of miscarriage. Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) entails taking blood from the mother, which is then tested for abnormal DNA. The mother’s womb is not “invaded”; so there is no risk of a miscarriage at the time of testing.
Why then should this test raise concerns? Being safer, it will almost certainly increase the uptake of testing, and it appears evident that the reason for such testing is to give the mother an opportunity to abort her unborn child – if a chromosome abnormality is found. Crucially, most parents who find out that their unborn child is Downs are under real pressure to abort. It is feared that the “easier” screening will raise the level of detection and so, inevitably, the number of such pregnancies being terminated.
The 1967 Abortion Act allows for disabled children, including Down’s syndrome children, to be aborted up to birth, in contrast to the limit of 24 weeks for the termination of other babies. The whole Act, of course, has led to the murder of millions of unborn babies, and brings “blood guiltiness” on our land. This impending introduction of NIPT in the NHS has led to the founding of a group called Don’t Screen Us Out (DSUO), which describes
itself as “a grass-roots initiative supported by a collection of people with Down’s syndrome, families and Down’s syndrome advocates”. It is convinced that the new testing will lead to “a profound increase in the number of children with Down’s syndrome screened out by termination”. The organisation has received support from a number of bodies and also some politicians.
DSUO claims that 90% of babies who are prenatally diagnosed with Down’s syndrome are currently aborted. According to one study, making the new test available on the NHS may lead to 92 more babies with Down’s syndrome being terminated in the UK each year. Over 500 Down’s children were aborted in 2011; by 2014 the figure had risen to almost 700 and of these it is calculated that 211 were terminated after the 24-week mark. One can quote statistics but, solemnly, each Down’s child has a precious soul created by God. The latest anxieties have led over 900 people with Down’s syndrome and their families to deliver a petition opposing controversial prenatal screening to Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, arguing that the proposals will lead to the systematic abortion of Down’s babies. They state that their concerns have constantly been ignored by the Government.
One Down’s syndrome young lady poignantly said, “The things people are saying are making me cry because people don’t value us like they should. I think people should value everyone; we should value people for who they are, not for what they achieve”. MP Alex Chalk added, “There is concern that parents who may consider abortion for children with Down’s syndrome do not have the full facts and may assume that it is a life of hardship”. Colin Dean, co-founder of Special iApps (a programme designed to help children with disabilities), says his son William, who was born with Down’s, has transformed his family’s lives.
Mr Dean also warned about the pressure being put on parents to abort, telling the BBC, “One of my colleagues – who also has a little girl with Down’s syndrome – she was phoned repeatedly, requesting her to book the appointment for the termination, when she’d already said she didn’t want to do that”. He added that many Down’s children have happy lives and are “not a burden on anybody”. He also noted that a child with a disability can be “aborted” in the Netherlands even after they are born.
These are serious comments. Holland is of course notorious for its liberal practices on both abortion and euthanasia, but Britain, with its increasingly secular and humanistic agenda, is not far behind. When Christianity is marginalised we lose our compassion for the weak and the vulnerable in society. Yet we may think of disabled people such as the godly nineteenth-century Lewisman, Angus of the hills, and see how differently God views matters. “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor 1:27-29). In their own perceived wisdom – what is really their fearful folly – people would destroy those precious lives before they see the light of day, and even after they are born in some cases.
KHM
Ashers Bakery
After a five-month wait, the Northern Ireland Appeal Court dismissed the appeal of Ashers Bakery against a ruling that it had discriminated against a customer on the ground of sexual orientation. The folly of our increasingly humanistic laws and legal system is apparent in that it took five months for three senior judges to decide the legality of refusing to decorate a cake. Widespread dismay over the ruling was expressed in major newspapers. One positive aspect of the ruling was the Court’s concern that the Northern Ireland Equality Commission had entirely sided with the homosexual and shown no regard for the rights of Christians. The supporters of Ashers Bakery now have to decide whether to appeal further, or to seek a change in the law. We rather hope that they will seek the latter. As presently interpreted, the law seems to allow sodomites to persecute certain Christians by requiring them to promote homosexuality on pain of the loss of their employment. DWBS
Winter Festival
An Aberdeen newspaper reports the Lord Provost as announcing that the fireworks display on November 5 would “kick off the start of Aberdeen’s Winter Festival with a packed programme in the weeks and months ahead”. The expression “Winter Festival” was used several times in the article, but “Christmas” not at all. It seems that the “Christianising” of the old pre-Christian pagan winter festival has served Satan’s purpose for the time being and is now being cast off. In the event, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is seldom or never acknowledged by the Aberdeen Council, sent a “stormy wind fulfilling His word” (Ps 148:8) and the fireworks display was cancelled.
DWBS
Mars Space Probe
The space probe Schiaparelli, sent jointly by the European Space Agency and Russia as part of the search for life on Mars, crashed into the planet on October 19 and was destroyed. Much thought went into the project, but probably little prayer. The loss of the probe is a salutary reminder that one small malfunction in a system may be catastrophic: one of the many difficulties that faces the evolutionary hypothesis for the origin of life. DWBS
Church Information
Induction of Rev Wilfred Weale to Halkirk and Thurso
The Northern Presbytery met in the Halkirk church on the evening of Friday, August 12, for the induction of Rev Wilfred Weale to the combined charge of Halkirk, Thurso, Wick and Strathy. The church was filled to capacity, with a considerable number of the people being local. The Moderator, Rev Neil Ross, preached from Acts 13:26, “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent”, and Mr Weale answered the appointed questions and signed the Formula in the presence of the congregation. The Clerk, Rev Douglas Somerset, addressed the newly-inducted minister, while Mr Ross exhorted the congregation.
Refreshments were kindly provided by the congregation at the Halkirk Primary School, and various presentations were made. In thanking the congregation for his presentation, Mr Weale spoke of the remarkable course of providence that had brought him from being an unconverted young man working in Halkirk, to being the Free Church minister in Ullapool with Mr Ross as the Free Presbyterian minister and a near neighbour, to being the Free Presbyterian minister in Halkirk with Mr Ross as a fellow minister on the Presbytery. The Halkirk charge has been vacant since 1982; we are thankful to the Most High that it is now filled; and we pray for His blessing upon Mr Weale’s labours.
(Rev) D W B Somerset
Removed by Death
We note with sadness the death, on October 15, of Mr Roderick J MacLeod, who was an elder in the North Tolsta congregation. We send our sympathy to his family.
The Old Gospel Way
This book, edited by Andrew A Bonar, contains choice quotations on themes at the very centre of the gospel. They come from, among others, such noted eighteenth-century ministers as Thomas Boston and Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine. For further information and an extract, see the October issue of this Magazine. The book should be available, DV, by the time this issue appears; it contains 118 pages and will cost £6.75. It is reprinted by Free Presbyterian Publications and is available from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
College and Library Fund
By appointment of Synod, the second of the year’s two special collections for the College and Library Fund is due to be taken in congregations in December.
W Campbell, General Treasurer
The Free Presbyterian Magazine
2016
Volume 121
Editor:
Rev Kenneth D Macleod
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee,
that it may be displayed because of the truth (Psalm 60:4)
Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
| Almighty and His Promises, The
W K Tweedie | 361 | Donald Gunn
Rev J S Sinclair | 243 |
|——————————————————————————-|—————|————————————————————|—–|
| Book Reviews:
Heavenly Conference Between Christ and Mary, A | | Eastern Europe Mission News
Rev Dmytro Levytskyi | 49 |
| Richard Sibbes | 122 | Editorials: | |
| Jewels from John Newton | 247 | Above All We Ask or Think | 225 |
| Light from Old Times | | “As a Tale That Is Told” | 1 |
| J C Ryle | 248 | “By Strength of Hand” | 257 |
| Meditations on the Lord’s Supper | | Christ Showing His Glory | 321 |
| John Willison | 251 | David Dickson’s Sweet Peace | 129 |
| Quest for the Historical Adam, The | | Deliverance from Spiritual Locusts | 65 |
| William Van Doodewaard | 123 | Eternity | 353 |
| Records of Grace in Sutherland | | Human Reason or Divine Revelation? | 33 |
| Donald Munro | 283 | Profit from Public Worship | 289 |
| Revivals in the Highlands | | “Remember not . . .” | 97 |
| Angus MacGillivray | 344 | Sabbath, The – an Opportunity | 193 |
| Sermons on Titus | | “What the Bible Says, God Says” | 161 |
| John Calvin | 154 | Effectual Calling: | |
| Thoughts for Young Men | | 1. Introduction | 236 |
| J C Ryle | 51 | 2. Based on a Complete Salvation | 271 |
| Why Read Church History? | | 3. The Need for the Spirit’s Work | 300 |
| J Philip Arthur | 345 | 4. The Holy Spirit’s Work | 365 |
| With An Everlasting Love | | Rev D A Ross | |
| Rev Hugh M Cartwright | 153 | Encouragement for Believers | |
| With Mercy and with Judgement | | Thomas Boston | 207 |
| Matthew J Hyde | 374 | First Miraculous Fishing, The | |
| Works of James Hamilton, The | 91 | A Moody Stuart | 112 |
| Character of the Scottish Reformation | | Floating Church, The | |
| 1. A Thorough Work | 279 | Thomas Brown and Alexander Beith | 371 |
| 2. God Speaks Plainly in His Word | 310 | Glorious Gospel, The | |
| 3. Church Government and Discipline | 338 | W K Tweedie | 283 |
| D Hay Fleming | | God’s Promises Are Sure | |
| Charles Gordon | | C R Vaughan | 179 |
| Neil Macleod | 149 | Grace Abounding | |
| Christ as Priest – Some Lessons | | W K Tweedie | 316 |
| Thomas Boston | 303 | Growth in Grace: | |
| Christ as Prophet – Some Lessons | | 4. Practical Applications | |
| Thomas Boston | 8 | J C Ryle | 10 |
| Christ’s Intercession | | John Love’s Early Years: | |
| Thomas Boston | 269 | 5. Preacher of the Gospel | 17 |
| Christ the Mediator: | | 6. Later Years and Writings | 52 |
| 2a. Development of the Doctrine – Early Controversies | 15 | Roy Middleton | |
| 2b. Development of the Doctrine – Later Controversies | 47 | Lamech | |
| 3. Christ Taking the Office of Mediator | 74 | Henry Law | 238 |
| 4. The Activity of Christ the Mediator | 118 | Lessons from Christ’s Incarnation | |
| Rev A W MacColl | | Thomas Boston | 140 |
| Church Information | 32,64,96,127, | Lessons from God’s Election | |
| 159,192,224,255,288,320,351,380 | | Thomas Boston | 172 |
| Congregational Contributions for 2015 | 88 | Meditating on Christ’s Sufferings | |
| | | John Love | 23 |
| | | Musical Instruments in Worship: | |
| | | 1. A Strange Phenomenon | 82 |
| 2. Their Use in Old Testament History | 144 | Declension in the Church of Scotland | |
|—————————————————————————–|——————-|——————————————-|———|
| 3. The Evidence of the New Testament | 174 | A Sad Departure by David J Randall | |
| 4. Objections Answered | 211 | reviewed by the Editor | 185 |
| 5. The Spiritual Meaning | 275 | Scottish Theology by John Macleod | |
| Rev K M Watkins | | reviewed by Matthew Vogan | 216 |
| No Other Gods | | Revival: | |
| Mackintosh Mackay | 304 | 1. Introductory | 141 |
| Notes and Comments | 28,60,93,124,157, | 2. A Historical Survey | 180 |
| 190,221,253,286,317,346,377 | | 3. Some Reflections | 203 |
| | | Rev W A Weale | |
| Obituaries: | | Sermons: | |
| Mr Angus MacLeod, Stornoway | 90 | “Abide in Me” | |
| Mr Ken van Kralingen | 21 | Charles Calder Mackintosh | 68 |
| Our Gospel Work in Africa and Israel | | Christ Weeping Over Jerusalem | |
| Rev Neil M Ross | 116 | R M M’Cheyne | 196 |
| Outlines of Sermons: | | Christ’s Power to Heal | |
| Adoption of Children, The | 156 | Rev Donald MacLean | 100 |
| Call to Holiness, A | 343 | Comfort of True Believers, The | |
| John Kennedy | | R M M’Cheyne | 356 |
| Peace on Earth | | God Commanding His Love | |
| W K Tweedie | 90 | John Macdonald | 4,36 |
| Personal Piety: | | God’s Chief Mercy | |
| 1. Introduction | 332 | John Maclaurin | 261,292 |
| 2. Positive and Negative Aspects | 362 | Gospel Invitation, The | |
| Rev Alexander McPherson | | David Black | 324 |
| Preparation for the Believer’s Death | | Preparation of the Gospel of Peace | |
| John Newton | 124 | Mackintosh Mackay | 132,164 |
| Protestant View | 60,95,157,189, | Spirit and the Heart’s Desires, The | |
| 221,252,285,317,351,376 | | C R Vaughan | 246 |
| Recollections of R M M’Cheyne | | Synod Sermon: | |
| James Hamilton | 78,108 | Lord’s Pleasure in His People, The | |
| Regeneration | | Rev K M Watkins | 228 |
| John Dick | 43 | Taught by God? | |
| Repentance, True and False | | Thomas Boston | 76 |
| C R Vaughan | 81 | Teaching on Election | |
| | | John Newton | 313 |
| Review Articles: | | Teaching on Final Perseverance | |
| Alexander Henderson | | John Newton | 335 |
| Riots, Revolutions and the Scottish Covenanters by L Charles Jackson | | Theological Conference 2016 | |
| reviewed by Roy Middleton | 54 | Rev Neil M Ross | 369 |
| Day of Worship, The by Ryan M McGraw | | True Faith | |
| reviewed by Matthew Vogan | 24 | John Dick | 143 |
| | | Unspeakable Loveliness of Christ, The | |
| | | Isaac Ambrose | 59 |
| | | What the Gospel Is | 307 |