Communions.—
Stornoway, third Sabbath of February; Breasclete, Lewis, fourth.
The late Principal Rainy.—
The Principal of the U.F. College, Edinburgh, and the leading ecclesiastic in the United Free Church, passed away at Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday, 22nd December. He would have entered his 81st year on the 1st January, had he lived till then. He took this last voyage with a view to benefit his health, but he only survived a fortnight after reaching Melbourne. His remains are being taken home, and are to be buried in the Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh. Sketches of Principal Rainy’s life and career have appeared in all the newspapers. He was born at 40 Montrose Street, Glasgow, and was the eldest son of Dr. Harry Rainy, Professor of Forensic Medicine, in Glasgow University. Young Rainy was a distinguished student, and intended first to go in for medicine, but in the year of the Disruption, 1843, he decided to enter the ministry. His first charge was the Free Church, at Huntly, where he was ordained in 1851. Thence, on the death of Dr. Robert Gordon, in 1853, he was translated to the Free High Church, Edinburgh. In 1861, he was appointed Professor of Church History in the New College. When Dr. Candlish died in 1873, Rainy was appointed principal, an honour which many thought should have been conferred upon Dr. Duff, whose great ability and pre-eminent services as a missionary called for such recognition. We are not to enter at present into any detailed criticism of Dr. Rainy’s life-work as an ecclesiastical leader. It is hardly necessary for us to tell our readers that that is viewed by us with no favourable eye. He became the leader of Voluntaryism in the Free Church, and got his heart’s desire when the union with the United Presbyterians took place in 1900. Though not a direct advocate of uninspired hymns and instrumental music in worship, he did what proved equally injurious—carried majorities of the Assembly with him in granting liberty to introduce these innovations. And what was still more serious, when errors in doctrine, from Arminianism to the Higher Criticism, made themselves manifest in the Free Church, his charity was so great that he looked on them with tolerance and threw the shield of his protection over the exponents of them. The Declaratory Act of 1892 was one of the unhappy fruits of his ingenuity. His friends, since his decease, have been loud in his praises, but we regret to say, we cannot join the chorus. All whom we have known, as thorough and steadfast friends of truth in Scotland for many years past, have regarded his policy and career with undisguised disapproval and dismay.
Has Dr. Dods put on Sackcloth?—
The U.F. professors and students have returned to the New College, Edinburgh. It gives us no pleasure to chronicle the event, but we mention it in view of certain statements Dr. Dods made in his introductory remarks. The one obvious remark, he says, was that any jubilation they might be disposed to indulge in was damped by the humiliating knowledge that the disastrous time through which they were passing had been brought about by their own neglect. The painful and humiliating element in this whole business was that had their ministry been active, winning, intelligent, diligent, or, in one word, conscientious, things could never have been as they now were. It was one of the most discreditable, but one of the best ascertained facts, that in not a few instances the minister was the idlest man in his parish, not toiling for the good of his people, not seeing to it that they were instructed, allowing the young people to grow up in ignorance, and himself losing and justly losing the love and respect of his people. Of course, he did not mean that in every case in which the people had left them the minister was to blame. Very far from that. But he did mean that in many cases the people might have been and would have been loyal had the minister been loyal to his Master. Dr. Dods may never see these lines, but as a candid critic we need scarcely remind Dr. Dods that thousands in Scotland to-day regard him as having a fair share in the disastrous events that have overtaken the United Free Church.
The New Responsibilities of the U.F. Professors.—
In the speech above referred to, Dr. Dods further remarked:—“One other obvious remark is that it cannot be without a Divine purpose that this College has been afresh put into our hands. When Clive’s suicidal pistol missed twice, and when he ascertained that it was loaded with perfect accuracy, he said that his life must have been reserved for something great, and this great purpose he wanted to fulfil and did fulfil. That this College should more adequately than ever fulfil the purpose of God it has been restored to us.” Men have strange ways of interpreting the Divine purpose, but we have utterly failed to understand our Bibles if an institution which has been fostering the Higher Criticism for years fulfils the purpose of God except in the sense which Pharaoh fulfilled it. The unclean spirit of higher critical infidelity seems to have had a peculiar delight in the Mound Buildings, and if it went out for a season, it is to be hoped that it is not returning with seven spirits more wicked than itself.
Beza’s “Icones.”—
Beza’s famous book containing the portraits of distinguished Reformers appeared in 1580. Needless to say, it is now out of print and very scarce. The Religious Tract Society have published a new edition with facsimile reproduction of the portraits in Beza’s Icones (1580) and in Goulard’s edition (1581). This edition has an introduction and biographies by Rev. Dr. M’Crie, Ayr. Fifty-one of the portraits are printed on Japanese paper. The worst feature about the book is its price—half-a-guinea. But the style in which it is got up could scarcely allow it being sold at a cheaper rate.
The Education Bill.—
The Education Bill is dead for the present, though it is quite possible that it will have a resurrection next year, when the fight must be gone over again. Mr. Birrell, who stood sponsor for the Bill, must be heartily glad of a holiday after the troublesome time he has recently passed through. The High Church party in the Church of England, and the Roman Catholics, are inclined to sing for joy, though the Bill gave them a great deal more than ever they had before. It would have been their wisdom to have taken what was offered, and after waiting a time, asked for more. Many friends of the Education Bill think that it conceded too much to sectarianism, and I am inclined to agree with them. The danger now is lest in trying to gain greater advantages for sectarianism, its advocates may drive the Government to introduce a Bill excluding religion altogether from our schools. This, I think, would be a terrible disaster. The Bible should be taught in every school supported by the State, and if our children are made familiar with its teaching we need have but little fear for the next generation.—Protestant Observer.
Union in Canada.—
The Ottawa correspondent of the Times states:—”The Joint-Committee on Church Union, representing the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches, which met in Toronto a few days ago, has prepared its Report. The Committee says that it has received, with much gratification, the cordial and brotherly answer of the Church of England in Canada and the Baptist Church, and recommends that, in view of these answers, a Committee of fifteen be chosen to confer with a delegation appointed by the Church of England on the question of Union, and a Committee of seven to confer with the Baptist bodies. The balance of the Report has reference to the proposed Union of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational bodies, and suggests means for preserving the essence both of a settled pastorate and itinerancy. It also deals with the question of training for the ministry and Church policy.”
The late Principal Story.—
One of the leading figures in the Established Church passed away on January 13th, in the person of Dr. Story, Principal of the Glasgow University. Born on 28th January, 1835, he had not quite attained his 72nd year. He was the son of the Rev. Robert Story, Rosneath, a minister who remained contrary to expectation, in the Established Church in 1843. Principal Story was an able speaker, and took a prominent part in Assembly debates, but he was an advocate of departure from sound doctrine, and used his influence to get the terms of subscription to the Confession of Faith relaxed. Proud and conservative in some things, he did not favour movements towards friendly relations with the United Free Church. His remains have been buried in Rosneath.