What is Man?—This is the title of a recently published book of Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, Aberdeen University. It consists of a series of lectures delivered to the divinity students of the Aberdeen United Free College, on the invitation of the Senatus of the College. Prof. Thomson is one of the most popular living exponents of the dry facts of science and, like so many of his brethren, he is a thorough-going evolutionist. This was well enough known to the Aberdeen U.F. divinity professors, and when they asked Prof. Thomson to explain in a simple way how biologists regard man they must have surmised that the Professor would give a thorough shaking to any belief that existed of the Genesis account of man’s creation. The Ape ancestry is accepted as a matter beyond dispute. Man, he grants, is not descended from any living ape, but according to scientific teaching he is the scion of a stock common to him and the higher apes. Over against this “scientific teaching,” we set the statement that man was made in the image of God. It is deplorable that the theological teachers of the rising ministry should deliver them over to such teaching.
A Foolish Speech.—A friend has kindly sent us a cutting from the “Star,” Christchurch, New Zealand, giving an account of a Presbytery meeting recently held there. The Rev. J. Dickson brought forward a motion deploring the growing irreligious Sabbath traffic occasioned by the pursuit of pleasure. The motion called upon all ministers and Sabbath school teachers and office-bearers to honour the Lord’s Day and free themselves from the responsibility of encouraging the non-observance of the Lord’s Day. The motion as we read it is comparatively mild, but it was too much for many of the fathers and brethren, some of whom vigorously protested against it. A ministerial member of the Presbytery protested that they were not under the law, and had a blow at the motion as savouring of Pharisaical legalism. Reference was made to the fact that the Lord’s Day was becoming the great day for sports. Another member characterised the wording of the motion as most objectionable, and moved that it be remitted back to the Committee. If the Committee are guided by what was said in the Presbytery their motion will not be worth the paper it is written on. When so-called ministers speak thus, what need be expected of their hearers?
Communists and the Young.—The Communists, like the Jesuits, have in the furtherance of their plans fixed their attention on the young. In Great Britain there are approximately 20,000 children attending “Socialist Sunday Schools.” The nature of the teaching in these schools is atheistic. The children are taught to deny God, deride the Bible, and mock at prayer. We have already in these Notes given quotations from their text books, and it is an ominous sign of the times when the young children are thus openly handed over to the devil. The prayer of every right-thinking man and woman should be that God would deliver the little children out of the hands of these modern worshippers of Moloch.
The Shame of It !—On another page we call attention to the disgraceful conduct shown by many of the people of London on 11th November. It would appear, as indicated by the following cutting from the “Daily Telegraph,” that the revelry was not confined to the hotels, but was openly, shamelessly, carried on in the streets:—”Revelry and solemnity,” says the “Daily Telegraph,” “jostled side by side in London last night (11th November) in the closing scenes of Armistice celebrations. In Whitehall hundreds of people were paying their tribute to the memory of those who in the great struggle were their comrades. The crowds in Trafalgar Square, on the other hand, seemed bent on emulating the scenes of rejoicing that occurred on the first Armistice night, and a police official gave it as his opinion that there were more people in the streets than on previous occasions, except, of course, 1918. In the hotels the evening was celebrated by combined dinners and dances, which continued until two o’clock in the morning.” Comment is needless.
Distress in the West of Scotland.—Owing to the exceptionally wet summer and autumn, combined with widespread unemployment, there is real distress among the people of Lewis and the Western Isles and the western seaboard of Scotland. Sir Hector Munro, Bart., Lord-Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty, has issued an appeal to relieve this very serious destitution.” The hay and the corn have not been secured, the potato crop is a failure, the fishing has not yielded good results, while owing to the wet weather, peats have not been dried. Sir Hector has made an appeal for help either in money, kind, or clothing. In his appeal he says “It is a population left without money, fuel, or sustenance to face the inclemency of the winter and coming spring. . . . The crofter and the cottar are not eligible for unemployment benefit, and Parish Councils, whose rates are already over 20s in the pound, are at the end of their resources.12 The Board of Agriculture has allocated a sum of £4875, and other grants have been intimated. Our Government might employ the money sinfully spent on that useless functionary, the Envoy to the Pope (up to the end of 1922 he has cost the country £32,365) by sending him about his business, and thus allow the people of Lewis (which gave 6000 men at the commencement of the war) to get the benefit of the sum allocated for his upkeep. We are sure our readers will feel for their fellow-Highlanders, and will not only show their sympathy in words, but in a more tangible way by sending what they can to the responsible officials who are dealing with the matter.
Another Royal Visit to the Pope.—As was widely reported in the press at the time the King of Spain paid a visit to the Pope in November, and it would appear read an extraordinary speech to the Pope. It is only now that the main points of the speech are being discussed. It appears from what a well-informed correspondent of the “Morning Post” says, that the speech was listened to by the Pope and Cardinals with anything but unperturbed demeanour. The King was bold enough to give directions to Benedict as to the filling up of the vacant cardinalates by men of the Spanish race. Why an infallible Pope should receive such directions from a fallible King it is not our province to determine, but it would appear from later announcements in the press that the Pope has decided to appoint Italians to the vacant places in the College of Cardinals, so that he may not offend the faithful in the United States who expected to have the papal eye turned towards them. Such is infallibility!
Progress in Corruption.—Dr Hull, Atlanta, U.S.A., has had published by the Presbyterian Committee of Publication, Richmond, a pamphlet showing that Evolution is “science falsely so called.” He calls attention to the fact that “The natural man is dead in trespasses and sins, and needs the Spirit of God to bring about a new birth. The only progress that a dead man will show will be progress in corruption.” This is a damaging criticism, and ought to have the same effect on this uncircumcised giant, Evolution, as David’s well-slung stone from the brook had on the proud Philistine. But we have no hesitation in saying that David’s antagonist was more sensible of the effect of the heaven-directed stone than Evolution will be to the above pointed criticism. The dead, as Dr Hull has so well said, show no progress but in corruption, and it is only when the exceeding greatness of the power of God intervenes that life is produced and the progress of corruption arrested.
Mr Brider’s Mission.—Mr Brider, as many of our readers are aware, carries on his useful work among sailors and soldiers by distributing parcels of religious literature. This Mission has been carried on for fifty years. In the Annual Report Mr Brider says:—”The wide circulation of truth in garrison towns and naval stations, here and beyond seas, continues to meet with much acceptance, and many letters of gratitude reach us telling us of good done by the blessing of God.” The Mission is entirely dependent on contributions by friends, and Mr Brider takes nothing out of these funds, but is wholly dependent upon the Lord for personal support, and bears testimony that “hitherto He has taken care of him.” Each month a parcel of 125 Magazines are sent to Mr Brider, and if the state of the Free Distribution Fund permitted we would willingly increase the number.
A Word of Thanks.—We take this opportunity of thanking many kind friends at home and abroad who have sent us papers and cuttings with reference to religious matters. Sometimes we have been able to use these; at other times they reached us too late for notice in the Magazine; but we are none the less grateful to those who in this way let us know what is going on in different parts of the world. We are also indebted to those who sent us extracts from the writings of God’s servants in past generations, many of which we are sure our readers, in common with ourselves, found helpful. We tender to all these our sincere thanks, and crave the continuance of their kind favours.