Words Fitly Spoken.—”Certain attempts,” says Lord Sands in the ‘Record of the National Bible Society of Scotland’ (April), “have recently been made to give
fresh translations of the Scriptures. No doubt these serve a certain measure of useful purpose, but there is a great deal of exaggerated talk about the inaccessibility of the Bible to the ordinary man and woman of to-day on account of its strange and peculiar language. Doubtless there are a few archaic words, but has not the Authorised Version been for three centuries the great standard of the English language? The Bible not only had a great deal to do with the making of the Reformation in Scotland, but it had an immense hold of the people of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Now, the language of the Bible was far further removed from the language as spoken by the common people of Scotland then, than the language of the Authorised Version is from the language that is spoken by the common people to-day. And, for all that, the Bible got a hold upon the hearts of people. There is nothing, then, in the language of the Bible that is any obstacle to appreciation of, and reverence for, the Bible by the people of Scotland to-day. Make the Bible cheap, sell it for a small sum to the people, but do not cheapen or vulgarise its language. A fierce light has beat upon the Holy Scriptures for seventeen or eighteen centuries, a light never fiercer than during the past hundred years, but still the Holy Scriptures stand high above any production of human genius, and still, from generation to generation, in every clime, the reader finds in its pages the impress of the Divine Hand, and recognises that it is in very truth the Word of God.”
A Just Rebuke.—“The manner of observance of the Sabbath,” says “The Presbyterian” (Philadelphia) “is the sign of any people’s relation to the Lord God. When the Sabbath is violated or treated carelessly, the whole moral law breaks down and the moral life of the community will perish. In view of these facts and principles which every believer in the Scriptures will concede, the recent action of a certain Council of Religious Education is very serious and violent. This Council, while holding a ‘Young People’s Conference,’ to which they invited delegates from all the Sabbath Schools, announced and advertised a special train for the Sabbath Day. Such a train would not be necessary, and to set such example and give such teaching to the young people is, to say the least, very pernicious. It does seem at times that the convention idea takes such a hold of some leaders that they are ready to violate most sacred principles, if thereby they may make the convention a success. These matters should receive due attention and be rebuked and corrected.”
As It Should Be.—In these pages we have frequently called attention to the great struggle going on in America between the Fundamentalists and the Modernists, and it is gratifying to know that the Modernists are not winning all along the line, as the following paragraph from the “Times” shows:—”Led by Mr William Jennings Bryan, they [the Fundamentalists] have conducted a continuous campaign against what they have called the spread of irreligion. They have scored many minor victories in securing the dismissal of teachers of Darwinism from sectarian colleges, but it has remained for the State of Tennessee to give them their first great victory. Governor Peay of that State has signed a Bill providing that ‘it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the Universities, normal schools, and all other public schools of the State which are supported in whole or in part by the school funds of the State to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man is descended from a lower order of animals.'” In a statement explaining his action, Governor Peay said the Bill was a protest against the ‘irreligious tendency to exalt so-called science and deny the Bible in some schools and quarters—a tendency fundamentally wrong and fatally mischievous in its effects on our children, our institutions, and country.'”
The Religious Issue in the Education Elections.—The elections to the new Education Authorities took place at the end of March, and the results were received too late for comment in our April issue. The Roman Catholics have shown again how alert they are to their own interests. One of the most disappointing results was the increase from 7 to 12 Roman Catholic members on the Glasgow Education Authority. Unless the people of this great city will awaken to their responsibilities as Protestants, the city will at the present rate soon be in the hands of Roman Catholics and Socialists alike in civic and educational affairs. We believe there are still in this city sufficient to turn the tide in the right direction in these elections if they would only bestir themselves. In Edinburgh the Roman Catholic representation was increased from 5 to 6. In many other areas the Roman Catholic candidates head the poll.
Protest Meeting Against Romanising Movement in Church of England.—”We want no priestly interference. We ask for no Purgatory, and we will submit to no compulsory confessional,” declared Sir William
Joynson-Hicks, the Home Secretary, presiding at a meeting held on 31st March in London by the World’s Evangelical Alliance to uphold the doctrines of the Reformation, and to protest against the attempt of the Anglo-Catholics to undo its work. Continuing, the Home Secretary said the men who had no right to speak for England were seeking re-union with the Roman Catholic Church, while Rome smiled and sat still, knowing that the only way to such a union was by submission to Rome. A resolution was carried appealing to Parliament to maintain the Protestant character of the Church of England.
Useful Pamphlets.—Mr J. Forbes Moncrieff has published another of his useful pamphlets, entitled “True Religion has no need of Art” (W. F. Henderson, 19 George IV. Bridge, Edinburgh, price 2d), in which he deals in a very interesting and scriptural way with the modern tendency of embellishing places of worship with pictures, etc., and utters a strong protest against so-called sacred pictures. We heartily recommend this pamphlet to our readers. Another pamphlet sent us—”Witness and Warning” (Bible League, 40 Great James Street, Bedford Row, London, W.C. 1. Price 2d)—is made up of two addresses delivered by Mr W. G. Ovens, M.A., LL.B., and Rev. R. Wright Hay, Secretary of the Bible League, in which they utter a strong protest against “The Bible for Youth,” to which we called attention some months ago in the Magazine. It is well that people should be kept informed of what is going on in the religious education of the young, and use their influence to get what is unscriptural kept out of our schools.
We have still on hand a goodly quantity of the reprints from the Magazine—”Standing at Prayer,” “On Dancing” (2½d each, post free), and Prof. Warfield’s “Foundation of the Sabbath in the Word of God” (1½d, post free). These may be had from the Editor.
Memorial of Mrs Elizabeth Fraser (Ealasaid Ruadh), Stratherrick.—We have reprinted this short memorial of a noted Christian woman. The booklet was published in 1857 anonymously, but is known to have been written by the Rev. Alexander Cook, Free Church minister, Stratherrick. The booklet was sent to us by the late Mr William Macgillivray, Errogie Schoolhouse, with a request to have it reprinted. We have now been able to carry out this request, and the booklet may be had either from the Editor or from the printers of the Magazine (6½d, post free). On another page we give a brief sketch of this remarkable woman.
Church Notes.
Communions.—May—First Sabbath, Kames and Oban; second, Dumbarton; third, Edinburgh. June—First Sabbath, Coigach; second, Shieldaig; third, Dornoch, Helmsdale, Glendale, and Lochcarron; fourth, Gairloch and Inverness. July—First Sabbath, Lairg, Beauly, and Raasay; second, Tain, Staffin, and Tomatin; third, Daviot, Halkirk, Flashadder, and Rogart; fourth, North Uist and Plockton. August—First Sabbath, Dingwall; second, Portree and Stratherrick; third, Bonar-Bridge; fourth, Stornoway. September—First Sabbath, Ullapool and Vatten; second, Strathy; third, Applecross and Stoer; fourth, Laide.
Meeting of Synod.—The Synod will meet, God willing, on Tuesday, 19th May, at 6.30 p.m., in the Free Presbyterian Church, Inverness. The Rev. D. A. Macfarlane, M.A., retiring Moderator, will conduct divine worship at the above hour.
Change of General Treasurer’s Address.—Mr Grant has removed from 30 Duncraig Street to Palmerston Villa, 4 Millburn Road, Inverness. After this notice, all communications intended for him should be sent to this address.
Induction of Rev. M. Gillies.—The induction of the Rev. Malcolm Gillies to the Stornoway charge took place on Monday evening, the 30th March, at about 7 o’clock. The induction had to be postponed to the above date owing to unforeseen circumstances. In the presence of an exceptionally large congregation, many being present from other denominations, the Rev. John Maclachlan, Moderator of the Western Presbytery, preached the induction sermon from Romans i. 16—”For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,” and the Rev. D. M. Macdonald, Clerk of Presbytery, then addressed the newly-inducted minister and afterwards the congregation as to their respective duties. Great interest was taken in the event, and the proceedings were followed with wrapt attention throughout. The call was signed by 648. Our prayer for the congregation and minister is that they may have a rich baptism of the Spirit, and may the great Head of the Church, through the ministry of Mr Gillies, turn many in Lewis and elsewhere unto Himself.
D. M. M.