Interesting Discoveries.—Under the auspices of the Egyptian Research Students’ Association, an interesting lecture was delivered recently in Edinburgh by the Rev. Professor Milligan, D.D., Glasgow University. Professor Milligan, after describing the manufacture of papyrus, and the recent works of exploration in Egypt, indicated some of the direct contributions which the new discoveries had made to our knowledge of the sacred writers and their texts. Amongst these were the recovery of a large number of fragmentary texts, including a papyrus text of the Decalogue, written 500 years earlier than the latest Hebrew manuscript previously in our possession, and portions of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. John, belonging to the third century. Among uncanonical writings special mention might be made of the so-called Logia or Sayings of Jesus, while other documents which had awakened wide interest were the census returns from the beginning of the Christian era, which helped to determine the exact year of our Lord’s birth, and incidentally confirmed St. Luke’s accuracy as a historian. The indirect gains from the papyri were still more striking. In the linguistic field it had been established beyond dispute that the language of the New Testament writers was the ordinary vernacular Greek of the day, and therefore light had been thrown on many terms hitherto imperfectly understood.
Safeguards for Irish Protestants.—The proposed insertion of “guarantees” for Irish Protestants in the Home Rule Bill was met with bitter opposition from some of the Nationalists. Irish Protestants, however, did not ask for any “safeguards” to be placed in the Bill, for the simple reason that they realise that such “safeguards” are entirely worthless, and that the Church of Rome in Ireland would find some means of making them valueless, just as she has done in the case of the Irish Universities Act. But it is interesting to take note of the Nationalist objections to the insertion of “guarantees” in the Bill, for they reveal the bitter spirit which animates the Nationalists against the Protestants.
Sinn Fein (N.), of 30th March, 1912, has an article on the subject, in which it refers to the Protestants as the “implacables.” It says:—
“They (the Protestants) could help Ireland if they chose, but Ireland must needs fulfil her destiny without their help. In the name of heaven, let us cease grovelling under the guise of conciliation. . . . Not so long ago many Nationalists were putting themselves hopelessly in the wrong by suggesting the election of Protestants to prominent positions for the sake of impressing the Implacables. . . . Let us cease speaking of safeguards, which outside of Ulster no one believes to be necessary. Let the Implacable cherish his nightmare of religious persecution.”—Protestant Observer.
The World and the Church.—In an interesting and instructive pamphlet, entitled “The Church and Amusements,” Mr. Charles E. Wincott deals in a forcible way with one of the great movements of the age, which is marring the usefulness of the Church. The following sentences will give an idea of the drift of his pamphlet:—”Perhaps the most serious blunder the Church has made in recent years has been in relation to this subject of pleasure—so often coming down from her exalted spiritual position to join in the catering rage of sensational pleasure for the people; as if the Church’s mission was that of a showman whose success depends upon the amount of superficial happiness he can provide for those who seek his charms to banish dull care. The world is creating the atmosphere on which the health and usefulness of the Church depend, instead of the world receiving its tone from the Church. Church Courts are governed by the mind of the flesh rather than the mind of the Spirit, owing to the fact that we have worldly ministers, worldly officials, worldly choirs, who are more concerned, more eager, to get a large congregation than to make it Christian; more impressed by numbers than by character—by size than by strength—who care more for pleasant entertainment than for religious instruction and stimulus, who act as though their first concern was to make people happy rather than holy. Look which way you may, this evil in the Church is manifest. Questionable entertainments, bazaars, whist drives, dramatic performances, smoking concerts, are the order of the day. The Church, toning down her testimony, tolerates these frivolities in her borders, and casts upon them her mantle of approval, under the specious plea of reaching the masses, but in so doing, the World has conquered the Church instead of the World being conquered by the Church.” The pamphlet may be had from the author, 22 Church Street, Adlington, Lancs., post free, 1 $\frac{1}{2}$ d.; 12, 1/-; 50, 3/3; 100, 6/.
WE desire to call attention to the fact that Miss Mackay, 85 High Street, Dingwall, has still on hand a large number of copies of “The Wonderful History of James Barry,” and of “The Leper Isle,” by late Rev. Dr. Kennedy.