JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 241, 4 July 1908, Page 12

JOTTINGS.

The formula of subscription to tho Confession of Faith,, suggestions for which have been asked for by tho General Assembly of tho : Church of Scotland/ is still causing trouble (says a contemporary) in Presbyteries. Professor Reid, of the University, has caused a scone at Glasgow by declaring that no man in tho room believed the wbolo Confession of Faith., Thereupon a certain layman sprang to his feet, and exclaimed emphatically, "Mr. Moderator,'-1 do I" This unexpected interruption was.' received with npplausoj ; somewhat to the discomfiture ;*of the Professor. ;■ The Rev.-,~P. 'Anton volunteered'; the remaik -that Professor Reid'astatement was "perfectly scandalous."

.. The. Right Rev. Dr, Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin, ]Now Zealand, left , Rome on uloy G, after a few weeks' sojourn in the Eternal City, whither he had come on his ad limina visit. He stayed at tho Irish College, of ,which he was at ono time a student and later on vice-rector. During hk period of vice-rectorship (states ,tho "Catholic Times") he elfected - numerous improvements at considerable personal trouble and expense, and the works which ho, left after ' him are a standing memorial. of his solicitude for tho welfare of the.Collego. His Lordship intends | to visit ; England aad Ireland.

The London correspondent of. the Auckland "Herald" writes:—At King's College, London, bofore tho Christian Evidence Society, tho Bishop' of Auckland mado a reference to Christian Soience. He believed tha.t to people who wore capable of grasping it, who wore capable of Btudying the subject from the point of view of tho sacramental system, from tho point of view of tho Incarnation, there was truth in it. But the ;truth was being obscured. , It was only men and womon who had : a grip upon tho doctrine of the Incarnation as> it was taught in the Nicene, Creed who wero ever 'going to save from the lunatic asylum hundreds of people who wero following Christian Science to-day. He had come across this in many cases, and he was absolutely certain that the trouble lay. in that: the doetririo' of tho Incarnation had been lost sight of. If that doctrine wore taken hold of there was no difficulty whatever, that 'ho'could see in believing that a loving, holy, gentlo, and tendor Father was ablo to take up : his creatures upon' this earth so closely that by belief in Him miracles of healing that Christ onco performed were oapable to-day of being performed upon ; earth—within certain limits. ) "

, The Presbyterian Assemblies held their sittings iii Edinburgh last month. On tha questions of union or co-operation and _tho introduction of individual Communion cups (states a correspondent of the ."Christian World"), the Church of ' Scotland appears ,to be divided. Dr. Cooper and others; declare; surely with much good sense,' that the first duty of the Church is to move-to-wards Presbyterian reunion. And certainly if union or reunion is not possible between the Presbyterian denominations, how can it ever be hoped for between Presbyterian and Independent? Only a handful, however, of the many, Presbyteries throughout Scotland declare that the timo is, not ripe for any forward movement for co-spcration. As to the recommendation that the use of. the individual Communion cup receiveofficial recognition, Dr. Cooper and his party oppose tho innovation as unscripturaL ' It should bo quite apparent even to. Dr. Cooper, howover, that tho force of public opinion and common-sense is ever and anon more powerful than tho argument from tho "unscriptural."

Mr. Edward Smith, J.P., of, Eewdloy,. ia back homo from Australasia, where, with the Rev. A. N. Johnson, he has been engaged on deputation work for the Ldndon Missionary Society. Mr.' Smith's opmisns of tho Australian people (states the 7 "Christian World") is. that their good living, ease, and comfort tend to' enervation, ana thst tho presont gonoration have no notion of what strugglo is." Tlioy say they work hard, but their nours are short, and they' speak • very contemptuously of tho American' and - his "hustling." Ho quotes a minister in tho West who remarked that nothing will- savo thi) people of Australia but a baptism of blood. Ho found that tho prevailing comfort and ' easo does not help tho religious sentiment. _Tho churches are almost empty of tho working classes. Thia highest ideal of many of the people is to make this woTld as pleasant as they can for themselves.,