The Remarkable Jew: His Wonderful Future by Dr. S. Sale-Harrison. Glasgow: Pickering & Inglis, Bothwell Street. Price, 2/6.
This most interesting and informative book on the Jew begins badly. The first chapter is unadulterated Dispensational Truth teaching and this is bad whether it appear at the beginning or middle or end of a book. But notwithstanding this, Dr. Sale-Harrison has brought within the compass of the volume a mass of most interesting and informative material in connection with this wonderful race and the land they once inhabited by divine right, and which enters at present so largely into the high politics of the East. He tells of 150,000 black Jews in Abyssinia and many other interesting facts about this remarkable race which we do not remember to have come across in our reading before. Dr. Sale-Harrison is a pre-millenarian and a strong pro-Zionist, positions with which we do not agree. We find ourselves in open disagreement also with some of his prophetic interpretations of Scripture but notwithstanding all this, the book is in many ways as remarkable as the people it describes. It is now in its eleventh edition. Dr. Sale-Harrison exposes the insidious workings of the emissaries of the Roman Church in Palestine.
The New Testament and the Laws of Evidence by Harry Rimmer, D.D., Sc.D. Glasgow: Pickering and Inglis, Bothwell Street.
In this volume Dr. Rimmer has pointed his guns at the so-called “assured results” of the Higher Criticism and given their citadel a broadside that must surely cause these self-confident scholars to feel that it is time to vacate the citadel which is now lying in ruins at their feet. Dr. Rimmer has adopted a new line of attack in making use of the recognised Laws of Evidence and applies them in defence of the Gospels and for the exposure of the higher critical positions. It is a valuable book breaking new ground, for its applications are far-reaching, in the field of Christian apologetics. We heartily recommend it to all, but specially to ministers, teachers, and students. While Dr. Rimmer fully recognises and accepts the New Testament teaching that the natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God, yet, in the concluding paragraph of his very interesting book he says that one with average intelligence if he reads the Gospel narrative his interest and desire will impel him to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. There is more, however, required than the reception of the indisputable facts of logic before a sinner can receive Christ. It is omnipotent work, and no one will ever come to Christ except the Father draw him. The indisputable facts of logic and the appeal that the laws of evidence make may not leave the unbeliever a leg to stand on but it requires more than all this to make him lean alone on Christ for salvation. The supernatural nature of this work must be conserved at all costs.
The Menace of the New Psychology by the Rev. J. C. M. Conn, M.A., Ph.D. London: Intervarsity Fellowship, 39 Bedford Street, W.C.1. Price, 1/-; post free, 1/2.
Dr. Conn recalls to the mind of his readers Bunyan’s account of Christian’s meeting with the foul fiend, Apollyon, and he has no hesitation in saying that the New Psychology is the Apollyon of the twentieth century. Anyone who, through his general reading or through his studies at College, has been confronted with the teaching of the New Psychology, especially the stark sensualism of the Freudian school, will have no hesitation in agreeing with Dr. Conn. In an article in the Evangelical Quarterly, while accepting what is useful in the new teaching, he has described this modern phase of philosophy run mad as a menace to religion. One has only to remember what Behaviourism stands for and the teaching of Freud, Jung, Adler, etc., to accept Dr. Conn’s characterisation. The insidious poison instilled into the receptive mind by this new teaching is already bearing its harvest of sorrow, and will do so more and more in the future, if not checked. Dr. Conn attacks the New Psychology from the standpoint of Religion and not so much from the standpoint of Philosophy. His little booklet is worth reading by all ministers, teachers, and students, and others interested in the subject. When the New Psychology daringly and unshame-facedly enters the sphere where the Holy Spirit is working and reduces that work by a process of reasoning to pure rationalism it is time to call: “Hands off the work of the Holy Ghost!” This new teaching strikes at the very existence of a divine revelation.
Donald Munro of Ferintosh and Rogart: A Memorial Volume. Edited by Principal Macleod. Inverness: Northern Chronicle Office. Price, 2/6; post free, 2/9.
Principal Macleod has given us in this memorial volume a brief biographical sketch of his friend, the well-known Free Church minister of Ferintosh. Dr. Munro, though associated with the students who afterwards became ministers of the Free Presbyterian Church, did not see his way to follow them in the step they took in 1892, but he ever maintained the attitude of a friend to them up to the time of his death. He did not hesitate to indicate that he was opposed to what may be termed the “advance” party within the Free Church. He was a preacher of the old school as his sermons in this memorial volume indicate. It appears from what Dr. Macleod says in this biographical sketch that the material, Dr. Munro was gathering for years, is in such a ravelled state that it will take some time before it can be arranged for the printer. We have, however, in the very interesting sketch of Rev. John Graham, Ardelach, a specimen of what may be expected when that material is arranged and published. The sketch of this remarkable youth, his outstanding piety, his bitter disappointments, his sufferings through satanic malice, etc., are told with a fulness that would of itself commend this volume to all those who are interested in the lives of the good men of old. There are five sermons of Dr. Munro’s included in the volume.