The Men of Skye, by Roderick MacCowan, published by the Scottish Reformation Society, paperback, 256 pages, £9.95.
This book begins with a brief survey of religion in Scotland leading up to 1805, when the lay preacher John Farquharson visited Skye. Among those converted was Donald Munro, who was to be much used as a catechist and preacher on the island. Another was Donald Martin, minister of Kilmuir in
1All the books reviewed here may be obtained from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom.
the north of the island. Including Munro, the book contains 49 biographies of the men (that is, who were not ministers) of Skye; some are very brief but others are much more extensive.
However little education some of them had, they were men of genuine piety who knew their way to the throne of grace. The author stresses the sincerity of Hector MacLean’s profession of religion: “By a holy life and conversation, he proved the reality of his conversion. He was ever after a man of consistent conduct.” He once said in prayer: “Where Thou beginnest the good work, Thou wilt bring it forward; but where man begins it, it will rot”. After Angus Munro, who lived near Portree, began to live a new life, an ungodly man commented, “No one need despair of mercy, since Angus was converted”. One would hope that the ungodly man sought mercy for himself, but there is certainly no guarantee that he did.
The Word was much blessed in Skye in the first half of the nineteenth century, which was much later than in many other parts of the Highlands. Charles Calder MacIntosh was preaching in Skye and “contrasted the eager attention of the congregation and the warmth and freshness and simplicity of faith there” with those who had been hearing the pure gospel for much longer. Many of the men here were firstfruits of the gospel in Skye.
The author was a Free Presbyterian divinity student but left for the Free Church in 1906, a few years after this book was first published. In his Preface he apologises that “the work was not more competently done”. One assumes that this comment flows from a regret, which he expresses, that a book of this kind was not written long before. If that had been done, no doubt much more material could have been gathered. Yet one is glad that the memory of these godly men has been preserved for future generations. The evidence of God’s work presented here should encourage us to pray that He would again pour out His Spirit abundantly, not only in Skye, but throughout Scotland – and indeed do a work of grace in all parts of the world.
Men of Sutherland, by George Macdonald, published by William Murray, paperback, 172 pages, £4.00.
The memory of the just is blessed, and therefore anything that brings to mind the degree of godliness attained by some of the worthies of the past is to be valued. That is certainly the case with this work which has been recently re-published. Although neither as extensive nor as full as Rev Donald Munro’s Records of Grace in Sutherland, this book contains a good number of biographical sketches of godly men, and a few godly women, from Sutherland who lived largely in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
George Macdonald (1846-1930), who originally compiled and published
the work, was an elder in the Free Church of Scotland in Lairg. One of the most interesting accounts features his own father, Donald Macdonald (1805-1884), himself a worthy elder in Lairg. While we might wish for more personal or experimental matter in some of the sketches, this is no doubt due to the lack of information available on particular individuals. There is, naturally enough, some duplication of material with Records of Grace; nevertheless Men of Sutherland is a pleasure to read and makes one long for days of gospel prosperity once again, not only in Sutherland, but in every land “north, south, east and west”.
(Rev) A W MacColl
Selected Writings of Benjamin Morgan Palmer, edited by C N Wilborn, published by the Banner of Truth Trust, hardback, 225 pages, £9.50.
This book comes highly recommended. It contains short articles written for the Southwestern Presbyterian by B M Palmer (1818-1902), one of the most eminent ministers in the Southern Presbyterian Church in the United States when that body was widely respected for orthodoxy and godliness. There is a considerable variety of subject material within this work, including expositions of the Beatitudes, discussion of foreign mission work, and some helpful thoughts on aspects of Christian experience.
The first section contains fascinating accounts of personal encounters and conversations in which Palmer was involved at a pastoral level and is reminiscent of Ichabod Spencer’s Pastor’s Sketches. There are interesting cases of atheists and sceptics being wisely dealt with and of alcoholics being recovered by grace to a life of sobriety. It is therefore of much practical and apologetic value.
One of the profoundest insights in the book is how Palmer deals with those under the gospel who feel they have not had sufficient depth of conviction before coming to Christ and cannot accept their experience as genuine unless it involves “exceedingly pungent convictions rising even into anguish which will then suddenly yield to a brilliant and overpowering sense of forgiveness and acceptance with God”. This type of thinking, he holds, can often be a subtle working of the carnal mind to take refuge in something wrought in oneself, rather than to flee to Christ’s righteousness for acceptance and consolation. “Just because he can detect these amazing contrasts between now and then, he is exposed to the fearful hazard of making a saviour out of his own fancies, to the disparagement of Him who has bought us with His own blood.”
It must be said that Palmer’s language is somewhat involved in places but, notwithstanding, the chapters are arresting, brief and stimulating and well worthy of reading.
(Rev) A W MacColl
Protestant ViewRome and Family Values
One of the deadly characteristics of the kingdom of darkness is dissimulation, or speaking with a forked tongue. It seems that mixed messages are being sent from the Vatican relating to family life and moral issues, in an attempt to present a more acceptable face to the wicked and adulterous generation in which we live. Rome’s endeavour to occupy the moral high ground was always deceitful but she has, until recently, sought to portray herself as a strong supporter of traditional family values.
At a Synod which met in St Peter’s Square in October, an interim report was presented which used conciliatory language toward same-sex unions and other non-marital relationships. This is in line with a previous statement of Pope Francis which appeared to seek to soften Roman Catholic attitudes towards the sin of Sodom. The report was amended and redrafted and, in the end, did not meet with acceptance from two-thirds of the bishops at the Synod; but it seems likely to be a straw in the wind since a much larger Synod is due to meet next year in Rome to discuss these matters.
Some conservative figures have questioned this apparent change of tone, to such an extent that Cardinal Raymond L Burke, an American who formerly held a prominent position in the Vatican, has been removed from office without any explanation being given in public. Whatever the machinations which lie behind Rome’s current forked-tongue approach to such issues, Scripture tells us that “if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mk 3:25). May the Lord hasten the fall of Babylon in His own time.
AWM