Scottish Churches Commission.—The Commission, whose labours it was thought would be finished by this time, have been granted an extension of time to June, 1909. The Commission began its labours in August, 1905, and has already been three years at its difficult task. There is still the sum of £10,000, received in connection with the transference of the Training Colleges to the Provincial Committees for the Training of Teachers, to be allocated. When one remembers that both Free and United Free Churches are liable for the expenses incurred by the Commission, one can well understand the feeling of anxiety that is taking possession of many in both churches at the thought of a bill extending over a period of well nigh four years, involving heavy legal expenses, etc., apart altogether from the legal expenses in preparing the cases of both Churches for the Commissioners, which by this time must have reached a very high figure.
Meeting of the Congregational Churches in Edinburgh.—The International Council of the Congregational Churches held a series of meetings in Edinburgh from the 30th June to the 10th July. Congregationalism can claim some of the great names among the theologians of the Church of Christ. Owen and Goodwin were Congregationalists; Jonathan Edwards and Dr. Shedd began their careers as Congregationalists; and among the most honoured names of consecrated men Scottish Congregationalism can claim Robert and James Haldane, though they afterwards became Baptists. Under their influence, Independency in Scotland to begin with was strongly Calvinistic, but through the influence of Dr. Wardlaw, who adopted Double Reference views of the Atonement, there was a gradual progress towards Arminianism, the fruit of which was seen in 1896 by the Union of the Congregationalists with the Evangelical Union Church (Morisonians).
The Verdict of the Monuments and the Old Testament Scriptures.—A new edition of Prof. Sayce’s The Higher Criticism and the Verdict of the Monuments has been recently issued. This is the seventh edition, and fourteen years have elapsed since the first edition was published. Many changes have taken place since then, and great advances have been made in archaeological discoveries; but, to quote Prof. Sayce’s own words—”While I have been struck with the immense advance in our archaeological knowledge, I have been equally struck with another fact. Every advance in archaeological knowledge has been in favour of tradition and against the subjective conclusions of the ‘Higher Criticism.’ In no single case have the so-called critical theories been confirmed. On the contrary, wherever they could be tested by archaeological discovery they have been proved to be groundless.” These are weighty words coming from one who is anything but prejudiced in the direction of the orthodox view of the inspiration of Holy Scripture.