- “The Reformation in Scotland: Causes, Characteristics, Consequences.” The Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary for 1907-1908, by David Hay Fleming, LL.D. Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1910. 666 pages. Price 10/6 net.
SCARCELY, if ever, have we read a book dealing with historical subjects that has given us such unfeigned satisfaction as Dr. Hay Fleming’s Reformation in Scotland. The thoroughness and masterly presentation of facts, gleaned from all sources, awakens a sense of confidence in the author and commands the attention of the reader throughout. In noticing Dr. Fleming’s important work, we make no attempt to review it. No one need attempt that unless he has given a life-long study to the period covered by Dr. Fleming’s book. No doubt specialists in certain departments of historical research and the kindred branches of human knowledge may be in a position to test those portions dealing with subjects with which they are most familiar. But Dr. Fleming, adopting the more modern methods of the treatment of history, has not simply confined himself to the researches of historical students, but has gleaned from the genealogist and antiquary a vast amount of interesting information hitherto well-nigh inaccessible, and, if accessible, scattered throughout the volumes of proceedings of learned societies. It is this evidence of a life-long industry, traceable on every page, that impresses a reader interested in historical research of the complete vindication of the modern historical method. The days are past when history was a mere plaything for dabbler’s in literature. The immense research and skill with which the facts are arranged help to produce a feeling in the minds of those fairly familiar with the history of the period covered that they are introduced into a new aspect of things which, though leaving the old familiar landmarks unchanged, gives a quite different idea of the lie of the land. The time spent by the historical student in poring over musty documents, brown with age, or searching wearily through learned tomes of published documents, and gathering from the genealogist and the antiquary the scraps they may be able to present in the researches of their respective departments, is not lost labour, as this volume abundantly proves. But in giving this praise we wish it to be clearly understood that for the general reader the book may be a little disappointing. The very minuteness of the treatment of certain subjects, the archaic spelling of the extracts so freely given, notwithstanding the glossary at the foot of the page, repels a certain type of reader, and such may turn away from Dr. Fleming’s book with a sense of disappointment. Strictly speaking, the work is for students and those interested in historical studies. Possibly fault may be found with the somewhat inadequate treatment given to the symbolic books of the Scottish Reformation, but no doubt Dr. Hay Fleming would answer that these have already received full attention from such authorities as Dr. Lee and Dr. Mitchell.
Dr. Fleming begins by showing the state of the pre-Reformation Church in Scotland. It is probably the most terrible and damaging indictment ever prepared against her by a Scottish historian. A great number of the facts presented in these opening chapters are not new, but Dr. Fleming has so arranged them in chronological order that the cumulative effect produced on the reader is an overwhelming sense of the kindness of God to Scotland in breaking the power of Rome. We little realise the favour this country received from the Lord when He visited her in her low estate. The moral tone of society must have been deplorable; as for the priesthood in the lower and higher orders, there is abundant evidence of a condition of things that is scarcely credible. Among the Reformed ministers there were certainly some black sheep, but when one compares their life history with those of the pre-Reformation priests in Scotland, the former, taking them as a class, appear almost as having the purity of angels; we mean, comparatively speaking. Cardinal Betoun, the cruel persecutor of the Reformers, was a shameless blackguard, openly indulging in the sins of the flesh. Well may Dr. Fleming say:—”If the vile soul-degrading lust of the flesh is one of the gates of hell, that gate had long prevailed against the Church of Rome. Perhaps it should rather be said that that Church in its foulness had itself become one of those gates.” Joined to the immorality of the priesthood was their gross ignorance and irreverence. It was such a state of things that existed prior to the great work of the Reformation, and never were we more convinced in our life of the tremendous significance of the word Reformation, as far as it applied to Scotland, than when we laid down Dr. Hay Fleming’s book. It is a day to be remembered for all ages coming as a day of the right hand of the Son of Man, when He expelled this system of idolatry and superstition out of our land; and the men that can light-heartedly play with the trinkets of Rome in Scotland know not what risks they are running.
D. B.
(To be Continued.)
World Missionary Conference.
One of the greatest, if not the greatest, missionary meeting that has ever been held is to convene at Edinburgh during this month. Missionaries from all parts of the world are to be present. Our interest in this meeting would be much greater than it is, were it not for the belief that has been driven home to us by unquestionable evidence of the terrible havoc the higher criticism is making in the mission field. We direct our readers’ special attention to an article on this subject in the present issue.