The Bag-Pipes in the Pulpit.
—Principal Anderson, interim-moderator of Scots Church, Sydney, Australia, has written saying that the quotation from the press under the above heading which appeared in our May issue has no foundation in fact. “The kirk-session of the Scots Church, Sydney, desires me to inform you,” he writes, “that there is no truth whatsoever in the press report. Neither at a forenoon nor an afternoon nor any service on ‘Sunday’ did Mr. Sutherland wear Highland costume or play the bag-pipes. He did so only at a concert or social gathering or evening dinner.” Our quotation was taken from the Northern Chronicle (Inverness), 13th February. The paragraph had appeared also in other Scottish papers. We waited until April before making comment in case a denial might appear but no such denial appearing we, in good faith, accepted the statement as accurate and commented on it accordingly. The fact that the statement appeared in an Inverness paper in which town Mr. Sutherland was a minister for a time and that Mr. Sutherland was well known as an enthusiast for the bag pipes all helped to confirm us in accepting the accuracy of the report. Principal Anderson, however, says there was no truth in the press report as far as the Sabbath services were concerned and we accept his statement and express regret for giving publicity to it in the Magazine and withdraw the remarks made on it. In doing so, however, we may be allowed to say that, in our estimation, Mr. Sutherland’s playing the bag-pipes at “a concert, or a social or evening dinner” was conduct unbecoming a minister of Christ.
The Vatican and the British Monarchy.
—The Protestant Truth Society adds yet another popular 2d. pamphlet to its Vatican Series. The new one is entitled—”The Vatican and the British Monarchy,” and it gives a survey in adequate but brief outline of the relationships betwixt British sovereigns from the days of King Offa (756) down to the present, and the claims of the Papacy. The pamphlet is useful and informative and may be had from the above Society, 31 Cannon Street, London, E.C.4, price 2½d. post free.
Rev. N. Cameron’s Memoirs Translated into Dutch.
—It will be of interest to our readers to know that Mr. Cameron’s Memoirs have been translated into Dutch and are appearing serially in the daily newspaper De Banier. The sterling personality of Mr. Cameron evidently appeals to many of our friends in Holland and it is gratifying for us to know that there is in that land which showed so much kindness to our Covenanting forefathers in the day of their sore trial a people still who appreciate vital godliness. Mr. Cameron’s faithfulness as a fearless exponent of God’s everlasting truth and well-balanced declaration of the gospel of the grace of God we are sure will be relished by many in Holland as they are elsewhere.
Increase of Worldliness.
—The following paragraph is from a recent issue of the Life of Faith (9th August): “From the reports that reach us, and from observations we have made, it would seem that worldliness in all forms is greatly on the increase among professing Christian people. There is a reluctance to come out from the world and be separate from its works and ways. Much of this is due to the fear of being thought peculiar or narrow-minded; but we do well to remind ourselves and our fellow-believers that we are a peculiar people who have been called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light, in order that we may show forth His excellency. Furthermore, the way we are called upon to tread is a narrow way which is guarded by a strait gate. Compromise very soon develops into disloyalty, so that in a very short time those vital and imperative lines of demarcation between the Church and the world are obscured, if not wholly obliterated. The grave protest of the Northern Presbytery deserves to be upheld by all those who are persuaded that the life of full consecration involves a total separation from all those things which are doubtful and which cannot be said to be of good report.”
Parables Performed by the Children.
—The Glasgow Herald (17th August) had a paragraph under the above heading. The Parables in question were those of the Labourers in the Vineyard and the Ten Virgins. The first was entirely rendered by boys and the second by boys and girls. The production was under the supervision of Mr. Joseph S. Richie, New College, Edinburgh, the leader of the children’s work in the Church of Scotland Sea-side Campaign at Millport. This is the beginning of a bad practice which is sure to grow in popularity. What harm some may ask in little children innocently enjoying themselves in this manner with a spice of religion thrown in? All we have to say is this that the solemn impressions fitted to be produced by these parables of the Lord Jesus Christ will be obliterated in the minds of the little ones by the excitement and bustle incident to the preparation for the acting and the performance by the children. If the Church of Scotland was what she should be, she would straightway prohibit these sea-side performances sponsored as they are by those connected with her. The stock question of Satan, what harm is there in it? will, of course, come too readily to the lips of thousands of professing religious people in Scotland. This is the modern method of training up a child in the way he should go but it is not the good old way which did not give one the impression that religion was play.
Youth’s Societies connected with Churches.
—A writer in one of the Glasgow evening papers commenting on the need of the forthcoming report on the above subject to the Glasgow Presbytery says that “An inquest on the Youth Societies connected with the Church is long overdue.” He then makes the following comments:—
“Do the Youth Societies as presently conducted, and with their present aims, help the Church, or do they not? A direct answer can be evaded in a score of ways. Experience and results, however, both indicate that the benefit is wholly inadequate compared with the amount of labour and money expended.
Actually it is the generation which received this devoted and enthusiastic fostering that now plays the prodigal son and departs for the far country every ‘Sunday’ by train, ‘bus or steamer. The many Youth activities of the Church have been, by this standard, a failure.” We have all along condemned such Societies as Boys’ Brigades, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, etc., connected with Churches but all this may be set down to Free Presbyterian narrow-mindedness and as the outcome of a spirit of fault-finding with Churches other than their own. To those who have such views it may, however, appear more on the lines of sane criticism when the criticism is printed in a secular paper.
Respect for Courage.
—The above writer further adds:— “The whole Youth work of the past thirty years has indeed betrayed a complete absence of respect both for Youth and for the Church’s own convictions. There is, of course, the well-founded suspicion that the Church is not quite certain what its convictions are, if any. Undoubtedly they have been made so suitable to all palates that Youth, which illogically ranks courage before convictions, fights shy of ultimate Church membership. At the moment, I believe, the youth of Britain are more intrigued by the courage of the Free Presbyterian Church, daring to be old fashioned, and to be laughed at, than they are influenced by Churches which will yield any point to get them.”
Larger Catechism on Dancing.
—An attempt has been made by a few critics in the press to set aside the point of our Note in last issue by saying that it is “lascivious” danceings the Larger Catechism condemns. We were quite well aware of the fact as also (of which our critics were evidently ignorant) that such expositors of the Catechisms (Larger and Shorter) as Ridgeley, Watson, Fisher, Willison, John Brown (Haddington), Boston, Ralph Erskine, etc., regarded “promiscuous dancing” (and let it be remembered it is promiscuous dancing that is to the fore in this controversy) as coming under this category and it was with the backing of these we made our comment. The appeal to grammar and punctuation was quite unnecessary as it does not in any way help the critics. In the correct interpretation of theological documents much more than the knowledge possessed by a schoolboy (a favourite word with the critics) of grammar and punctuation is required. If the critics had the wisdom to sit down and acquaint themselves with the attitude of the Puritans (and the Westminster Divines were out-and-out Puritans) to dancing and stage-plays they would have known that promiscuous dancing and all stage-plays were regarded by them as “lascivious” and treated as such where they had the power to deal with them. Into that terra incognita the critics have probably never entered. A dip into the Larger Catechism is not sufficient to establish them as such authorities on its interpretation that every one must accept their verdict as final. If they can produce anything from the writings of the Westminster Divines which indicates that they regarded promiscuous dancing as an innocent pastime they will have done more to establish their contention than appealing to punctuation.
Sabbath Excursions Protest.
—Criticism of the advertising of Sabbath railway excursions at the village of Brightons, near Falkirk, was made at a meeting of the Church of Scotland Presbytery of Linlithgow and Falkirk held last month (September). Rev. A. B. Robb, Laurieston, Convener of the Presbytery’s Social Problems Committee, drew attention to what he called the outrage of sandwichmen parading the main streets of the village with posters advertising these excursions. He considered this was contrary to Sabbath observance. Mr. D. Watt, Polmont, blamed such excursions as the reason for the churches being nearly empty on Sabbath evenings. There was no saying where it would end. But why should the Presbytery limit its protest to what is taking place at the above village? If the Presbyteries of the Church of Scotland had done their duty in the past the present serious condition of things would not have come to pass. But the country is now reaping what was sown by the Enemy while the Church was dosing or even fast asleep. It is something to know that in some districts ministers of the Church of Scotland are awakening to realise that the advancing tides of Sabbath desecration mean among other things, empty churches and unconcern for the means of grace.