Roman Catholic Exhibition—Kelvin Hall.
In last month’s issue we drew attention to the Roman Catholic Exhibition in the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. During the two weeks over which the Exhibition extended the hall was open to the public, Protestant as well as Roman Catholic. Among the large crowds, priests and nuns were prominent, and young people were busy distributing Roman Catholic tracts. To some ardent young ladies of the Protestant faith the idea of tract distributing suggested a method of usefulness which could not be neglected. A kind friend furnished them with over 20/- worth of Protestant tracts. It was easy to mingle with the crowds—priests and nuns notwithstanding—and no time was lost in getting rid of as much good sound Scriptural literature as possible. For a time the very audacity of the venture secured success, and much good seed was sown. But it was not to continue. One young lady suddenly felt herself gripped by the shoulders between two angry nuns, and she was hurried to the Bishop, who informed her that what she was doing could not be permitted, and she was shown the way out. We trust that some of the seed sown “even where Satan’s seat is,” may have fallen on good ground and may yet bear fruit.
“The Christian’s Great Interest.”
Congregations throughout the Church have received supplies of the above interesting and instructive book. A notice recommending the publication appears in this issue. Along with the Christian’s Great Interest, a supply of that interesting tract The Highland Kitchen Maid has been sent out. These are available at:—Christian’s Great Interest, 4/- per copy (4/4 post free); The Highland Kitchen Maid, 2d per copy (2/- per dozen post free).
Copies may be obtained direct from Mr. J. Grant, 4 Millburn Road, Inverness. Also from the Publishers: Messrs. N. Adshead & Son, 34-36 Cadogan Street, Glasgow.
The Covenanters Misrepresented.
In his article on “Apostolic Simplicity” in this issue Mr. MacQueen refers to the modern fashion of disparaging the early Reformers and white-washing their persecutors. This was the general line taken by Sir Walter Scott in Old Mortality, a book written by him and dealing with the Covenanters and Covenanting times in Scotland. The danger arising from this book is that it has long been recognised as a literary classic and is frequently and extensively used in the teaching of English. This year it has been prescribed by the Education Authority for the English paper in the Preliminary Examination for entrance to the Scottish Universities. Consequently hundreds of young students are required to read and study the book carefully.
Now, whatever merits Old Mortality may have as literature, the historical picture it gives of men and events of the period covered is utterly false and distorted. The Covenanters are represented as ignorant bigots and fanatics, while their persecutors are surrounded by a halo of heroism and patriotism. The principles contended for are also distorted and convey a false impression. That this is so has been conclusively proved and exposed in Dr. McCrie’s Review of Tales of My Landlord, Dr. McCrie is the historian of John Knox and Andrew Melville. His Review runs into over 100 pages of close print and cannot be given in full here. We reprint extracts from the concluding paragraph.
Dr. McCrie’s Review.
We flatter ourselves that we have established the two positions advanced at the beginning of the Review—the gross partiality which the author has shown to the persecutors and the injustice he has done to the persecuted. We have produced proofs of the former, in his withholding a just view of the severities and cruelties which they perpetrated, and exhibiting the character of some of the chief oppressors in such a light as to recommend them to the admiration of his readers. We have examined his representations of the Covenanters, and have found it in numerous instances to be unfair, false and grossly exaggerated. Instead of being the ignorant, foolish and violent fanatics which he has held them out to be, we have shown that information was extensively diffused among them; that they were a sober and religious people; that their contentions were directed to the support of the kindred cause of religion and liberty; and that the instances of extravagances and violence really committed, were confined to a few, and extorted by grievous and insufferable oppression . . . These faults we have exposed with freedom, and sometimes with feelings of indignation, but we trust without passion or irritation . . . We look on the work which we have reviewed as calculated to produce mischievous effects, by circulating erroneous views of the history of our country, and by instilling bad principles into the minds of ignorant and unwary.
We trust, however, that the good sense of our countrymen, the information which they possess, and the regard which they still cherish to the cause of religion and freedom will counteract the poison; and we are not without hopes that this attempt may ultimately benefit the cause which it threatened to injure, by exciting more general attention to the subject, and by inducing persons to inquire more accurately into the facts of one of the most interesting portions of our national history.