The Death of Dr. Hay Fleming.
It is with sincere regret we record the passing of this distinguished Scottish historian. Dr. Hay Fleming occupied the front rank of Scottish historians. His wide knowledge of documents and records, particularly of the pre-Reformation and post-Reformation periods, was amazing. He had no sympathy with the Cavalier-type of Scottish historians, who, unfortunately are far too numerous. As was naturally to be expected from a member of the Original Secession Church, he was in hearty sympathy with the contending of the Reformers and Covenanters, which many a careless writer knew to his cost, when he ignorantly attacked the men who purchased for us our civil and ecclesiastical liberty. Dr. Hay Fleming’s eminence as a historian opened doors to him in the press and literary journals which he took full advantage of. His greatest work is said to have been his unfinished work on Mary, Queen of Scots. The Princeton Stone Lectures, printed in this country, was a masterly piece of work laying bare the putrid sores of the Church of Rome immediately prior to the Reformation. Dr. Hay Fleming also did excellent work as a reviewer, and even experts passed under his searching criticism in a way that must have made them feel ill at ease; while historians, who relied on their imagination for their facts, received a merciless trouncing. Many of these book reviews, which appeared in the “British Weekly,” etc., were published in book form and contain valuable material for Scottish ecclesiastical historians.
Professor R. Hannay, of Edinburgh University, paid him the following fine tribute in “The Bulletin”:—
“Dr. Fleming’s industry was remarkable as was his memory. In those periods of Scottish history to which he had given special attention his intimate knowledge of the bibliography and of the books themselves was unrivalled; while habitually systematic methods enabled him to put his finger very rapidly upon the passage or the information which he sought. Along with a growing passion for accuracy in detail, he brought to his studies strong moral convictions and views firmly held. In matters religious and ecclesiastical his innate loyalty impelled him to deal faithfully with any who disparaged historical figures which he held in regard or what seemed to him a righteous cause. As a consequence his occasional papers and reviews on controversial questions are sometimes apt to appear unduly destructive and to obscure their very positive value, not so much in illuminating the broader and deeper issues, but in adding to the ascertained fact.”
It is well known that Dr. Hay Fleming had prepared a life of John Knox, which it is hoped may yet see the light. He left instructions that no religious service should be held at the grave when he was buried.
Principal Martin on Women Preachers.
Dr. Martin is reported in the press as saying that it is his opinion that “eventually—not to-day nor to-morrow, but eventually—that the threefold petition supported by the late Lady Frances Balfour and others which came before last General Assembly will be granted by the Church in full.” “The Scriptural argument,” he further added, “formerly urged against a female is being surrendered.” If the argument is “scriptural” then why should it be surrendered. Unfortunately, it is not the only scriptural matter that is being surrendered in the Church of Scotland.
Questionnaire Issued by the Scottish Reformation Society.
The following questionnaire was issued to all candidates for parliamentary honours prior to the election:—
“In the interests of simple justice as well as national economy,” asks the questionnaire, “would you be willing to support a Bill if introduced to amend the Education (Scotland) Act so as to secure that:—(a) No new school that the Roman Catholic Church may build shall be included in the national system and placed on the rates without the consent of the education department, obtained after a full and satisfactory public inquiry with respect to the adequacy of accommodation in existing schools for general requirements and for the giving of separate religious instruction to Roman Catholic children at the same hour as to the other children attending the school? (b) That under the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929, the Roman Catholic Church shall be placed in the same position as other churches with respect to representation on the education committees? Would you oppose all proposed measures for Scotland that would give legislative sanction to the inroads upon the quiet of the Lord’s Day that are being made in the interests of worldly gain and pleasure?”
Roman Catholic Lord Rector for Glasgow University.
The students of Glasgow University have elected Mr. Compton Mackenzie, the novelist, and a pervert to the Church of Rome. The students evidently wished to cut themselves free from the traditional aspect of rectorial elections, which were usually decided on political lines. We have no quarrel with the students on that score, for it always has appeared to us rather a strange thing that a man should be elected to such a position simply because he is an outstanding politician, but when it comes to the election of a Roman Catholic as Lord Rector in a Protestant University it is an indication, as Principal Rainy said when his ecclesiastical troubles multiplied:—”There is something wrong somewhere.” We notice that the press, advocating Mr. Mackenzie’s claims to recognition, made great use of the German god, “Culture,” in making an appeal to the suffrages of the students. We had concluded that the red fields of France and the long trenches of the dead had given that god its death blow. We were evidently wrong.
The Importance of Atheism to Women.
Such is the title of a lecture recently delivered in Glasgow to the Glasgow District Rationalistic Press Association by Mrs. Dora Russell (Countess Russell). Mrs. Russell, according to the press report, indicated that religion and the modes of thinking it had imposed on the community had been the cause of many of the disabilities which hamper women. This is only one of the foolish and distorted sentiments expressed by the lecturer. She advocated a clean sweep of the marriage and divorce laws. Our marriage and divorce laws are far from perfect, though the ground of our objection to their defects is very different from Mrs. Russell’s. These laws require strengthening, not sweeping away. Mrs. Russell indicated that she believed that the problems of marriage, divorce, sexual freedom for men and women, would not be tackled as long as religion was held to be good enough for women and they did not preach a full-blooded and passionate atheism to the whole of the female race. Satan has often made use of women for the extension of his kingdom, and in Mrs. Russell he appears to have an active propagandist in trying to bring about a condition of things that will cause everlasting sorrow.
National Government Returned to Power.
As a result of the Parliamentary Election the National Government has been returned to power. The Socialists suffered one of the most crushing defeats recorded in Parliamentary Elections. Most of their leading men were defeated at the polls. The new Government has a tremendous task on hand, and it is to be hoped that the leaders will look to God for guidance and not trust too much to their overwhelming strength in the Commons, as they will be too ready to do. Britain is not yet out of the deep sea of her financial troubles.