The Election.—The Election has come and gone. It has given satisfaction to none of the parties soliciting the votes of the electors. The Socialists have been returned 288 strong. The Conservatives come next to them with 260 and the Liberals with 58. One of the most satisfactory results was the clean sweep of the Communists. They showed a vote at the polls of only 46,796; of that number, sad to say, Scotland with its comparatively small electorate accounted for 24,603. Of course, this vote does not necessarily show the full strength of the Communist vote. It simply indicates the votes given to Communist candidates. Mr Ramsay Macdonald has now formed a Government and the Socialists are at the head of State affairs in the country. From a religious standpoint, and it is from this standpoint the Magazine views the political parties, it cannot be said that any of the parties are satisfactory. The last Government—at least some of its prominent members—showed anything but sympathy with the Protestant cause. The political situation in which neither of the great political parties are sufficiently strong to rule is judgmentlike. “They obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that Thou commandest them to do; therefore Thou hast called all this evil to come upon them” (Jer. xxxii., 23). That applies to the people as well as the politicians.
What does it mean?—“Many faithful men in the Congregational ministry,” says “The Christian,” “must have experienced a shock, combined with keen vexation, on Tuesday of last week, when Rev. T. Rhondda Williams, in his address from the chair of the Congregational Union, indulged insinuations which implied that ‘absurd exaggerations and insincerities’ are given a place in acts of worship conducted in church assemblies. Impressed with the fact that we are living in a scientific age, the speaker showed a wanton impatience with any point of view or expression of doctrine that does not start with present-day thought or speculation. The things ‘most surely believed’ in the early age of the Church—including the faith of Puritan fathers and Evangelical witnesses for Christ—are, in his judgment, outworn; and he calls for a re-statement of belief whereby, for example, the doctrine of the Fall may be discharged from further use, and such words as ‘saved’ and ‘salvation,’ which he declares to be ‘obnoxious to many people,’ may once and for all be dispensed with. That the Church should entertain beliefs or employ phrases that the ‘modern world’ does not approve, brings displeasure to Mr Rhondda Williams, who seems to seek fellowship with the said offended ‘world’ on terms standing clear of controversy or dispute. He makes his own position clear when he declares that ‘the world will not accept Christianity upon any external authority, not even the authority of Christ: the only authority over us must voice itself within us. The more you reassert the other kind of authority, the weaker you make the Church in its appeal to the modern world.’” The sooner such men leave the ministry the better it will be for themselves and their congregations. It is unspeakably sad to read such utterances from one who belongs to a denomination which was honoured at one time by such men as John Owen and Thomas Goodwin. It is gratifying to read in the religious press strong protests from Congregational ministers against the Modernism of Mr Williams. In a letter received from a master mariner in Greece he says:—“I cannot understand why they don’t sign a man of this type off Articles.” We thoroughly agree.
What They Want.—At a meeting of Roman Catholics held in the Albert Hall, presided over by Cardinal Bourne, Dr Downey, so called Archbishop of Liverpool, said:—”We ask that our schools, in which the Catholic religion is taught and practised, shall not on that account be penalised, but shall receive the same measure of financial support from public funds as schools in which there is no definite religious teaching.” That this aim is likely to be realised is indicated by the forecast made by Lord Eustace Percy, President of the Board of Education. It is to be hoped that the people of England will be more wide-a-awake than the people of Scotland in 1918, when the notorious Education (Scotland) Act was passed. Lord Percy’s new Education Act, in which provision was to be made to meet Roman Catholic aspirations, may, however, with the downfall of the Unionist Party, get no further. If the election has upset this plot we will not be sorry.
The Union of the Established and United Free Churches.—The Union question came up before the Assemblies of these Churches on Friday, 24th May. In the Church of Scotland Assembly the motion for incorporating Union was moved by Dr White and seconded by Lord Sands. It was carried by an overwhelming majority, only three voting against it. In the United Free Church Assembly the minority mustered only 39 votes, this is 14 less than when the basis and plan were approved last year. As a Church we cannot join in the rejoicings over the prospective Union. Reasons have already been given in the Magazine for our attitude, and we hope later on to re-state some of these. The Union is expected to be consummated at an adjourned meeting of the General Assemblies of these Churches to be held on 2nd October of this year. The minority in the United Free Church have made it quite clear that they intend continuing the United Free Church and as a wonderful act of grace, no doubt encouraged by painful legal experiences, arrangements are to be made with them as to funds and property. Perhaps the leaders of the U.F. Church, if their memories were not so short, might, as an act of grace, so far redeem their character by not forgetting the Free Presbyterian Church when they are about to enter into the wealthy heritage of the Church of Scotland. Under the tyrannical majority rule of Principal Rainy there was no magnanimity shown to Messrs Macfarlane and Macdonald to show that the majority were both Christians and gentlemen.
Ban on Sabbath-Caught Herring.—A northern newspaper reports that Scottish fishermen forbade the landing of herring on Monday, 27th May, at Buncrana Pier. The fish salesmen refused to auction the herring caught on Sabbath night by English drifters, as it broke the agreement. An Irish curer bought privately but the Scottish fishermen refused permission to land the herring, which were given to a German trawler lying in the lough. This will probably prevent further Sabbath night fishing in those parts.
The Presbyterian Church of England and the Westminster Confession.—At its General Assembly the Presbyterian Church of England decided by an overwhelming majority to proceed with the revision of the Confession. What that revision means may be surmised from the views held by so many of the ministers of that Church. It is interesting to note that Colonel A. H. Fraser, as reported in the “Manchester Guardian” (10th May) entered a strong protest against the new movement, at least, as far as the first chapter of the Confession was concerned. He is reported as saying:—”Chapter I. asserts, in effect, the complete infallibility of the Bible as the inspired book, to which final appeal is to be made and in which lies the rule of faith and life. The demand for revision came, they were told, from the young people. They were searching for truth, but was not much of the modern criticism dragging the Scriptures from their former place of reverence?” When asked if he would withdraw his resolution, Colonel Fraser vigorously protested. The resolution of the innovators was carried by an overwhelming majority. The Presbyterian Church in England is moving down a dangerous slope, and the disastrous effect of unscriptural teaching that swept the former Presbyterian Church almost wholly into the Unitarian fold should be a warning to the present denomination. But innovators have no ear to hear the voice of history. What is history when the Word of God is not their rule?
Rev. D. Macfarlane’s Memoir.—We regret the printers were not able to fulfil their promise of having the Memoir ready at the beginning of May. At the time of writing the book is printed off and is in the hands of the binders. Copies will be sent to subscribers whenever ready. Parcels of the book are being sent out to ministers and missionaries, and intending purchasers may have copies from them at 3s 6d.
Held Over.—Owing to pressure on our space, due to Synod report, a number of articles, obituaries and the reports of the Canadian Mission, of the Rev. James Macleod, and of the Magazine are held over until next issue.