Nelson Chronicle, Colne Observer, and Clitheroe Division News. — 1899-11-24 (Nelson, Lancashire, England)

NATIONAL PROTESTANT SUNDAY.— On Sunday at Carr-road Baptist Church, Nelson, the National Protestant Sunday was observed. Rev. A. S. Hollinshead preached morning and evening. The morning subject was "Britain and her Bible," Romans, Ui, 1-2. In the course of the discourse he showed how that all that was best in our English life was due to the open Bible. That was the glory of a Protestant country. It kept an open Bible and would not allow the priest to come between the seeking sinner and the seeking Saviour. Romanism banished as far as it dared the pure word of God, and substituted in its stead, as was long ago predicted, the traditions of men and the mummeries of priesteraft, and the doctrine of devils. The fires of Smithfield testified the hatred of popish priests— sham priests—against the Bible. Anne Askew was murdered because she held to her Bible, and would not believe (as no sane person would) that the sham priests of Rome could put the body and blood of Christ into what she called "a wafer cake." The liberties of Britain were not due to Romanism. Romanism spelled tyranny, despotism, darkness, and decay. I Protestantism spelled liberty and life.—ln the I evening the subject was " Cromwell—a king that's imar akin to us," 2 Samuels, 19, 42. He remarked upon the appropriateness of the National Protestant Sunday falling on the sth of November, a day for ever memorable in our national history for two events. First, the popish conspiracy headed by the three jesuit priests Gerard, Greenway, end Garnet, by which it was thought to blow up the King and Parliament. That conspiracy the Romish Church had never condemned; Garnet, the murderous assassin who confessed his guilt and was executed, stood to-day enrolled among the so-called martyrs (properly murderers) of the Romish Church. Even Cardinal Manning had glorified those conspirators as saints (see sermons on Ecclesiastical Subjects, vol 1, p. 190). If heaven was for murderers it was interesting to ask what hell was for. The second notable event of Nov. sth was the landing of William to restore the liberties of the English people along with the Protestant religion. The sth of Nov. was set apart by an Act of Parliament vs a day of special thanksgiving to God for the providential deliverance of our nation from popish tyranny and arbitrary power, and the preacher knew not how better to celebrate it than by speaking of Cromwell—the prince of the people —the protector of the oppressed,and the king that's near of kin to us. He showed that in the civil liberties for which he fought and in the religious liberties which he procured, as also in the religion which he professed, King Cromwell was near akin to all Free Churchmen, and he exhorted his hearers to maintain the principles of their illustrious kinsman and carry on his work.—The spacious school was crowded additional forms having to be procured.— layed.)  At the social held by the Nelson Women's Liberal Association the other day a collection was made in aid of the Mayor's War Relief Fund and 13s. was raised. The product has been sent to the Town Hall. Mr. W. H. Seymour, grocer, of 109, Netherfield-road, Nelson, has succeeded in winning a gold medal for fretwork, against a fretcutter in Burnley.