JOTTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 9

JOTTINGS.

Ihe Council of Mansfield Collcgo has.im. vited 11 nv. W. Boothby Selbie, M.A. (Oxon ),i M.A. (Cantab), to succeod Dr. A. M. Fairbairn 011 his retirement from tho principal"' ship at Easter. Tho invitation lias 110 ele< ment of surprise (says tho Christian World), as it is well known that Mr. Selbio's namol (with those of Professor George Adam) Smith, Dr. Douglas Mackenxio and Dr. E. C„ Moore, of Cambridge, Mass.) has been lio-i fore tho committee for some months past. As it is unlikely that Mr. Selbio would liavo allowed his qualifications to ho considered! unless ho was, prepared to accept the responsibility it may almost be assumed that ho will reply favourably to the invitation. Mr. 1 Selbio has been a denominational figure iiii Congregationalism for nearly twenty years,/ and lio has earned a place among tho ablest' theologians in tlioi denomination.

The centenary of Dr. Horatius Bonar has been celebrated by a .great and representa-j tivo" meeting 111 tho Chalmers Memorial) Church, Granges lload, Edinburgh, where ( he ministered for many years. Lord Ardwall presided, and Lord Folwarth, tho Modorators of the two Presbyterian Assemblies, Dean Wilson, tho Hqv Hobert Poynder (who accompanied Dr. Bonar in the journey through tho desert of Sinai in ISSS-uG), and two of Dr. Dollar's pons-in-law gavo addresses. Not only is Dr. Bonar tho hymnwriter of Scotland, but ho and his brothers and predecessors in the family gavo to tho: two great Churches of Scotland services which lasted continuously over ,3., poriodi.of , 363 years. Several new editions of Dr. i. Bonar's hyniiis have been published to mark' tho centenary.

Referring to tho Mission of Help to Now Zealand, tho "Guardian" says: "A little while hgo there was overy probability that one of our most eloquent statesnien-llishops would have visited tho Now . World this year in the, interests of tho Church of England Men's Society. Circumstances havo prevented tho realisation of that but negotiations are proceeding which will almost certainly result, in somo leading Churchman of England being present at tho Perth Congress of next October. And tho inter-connection of Anglican Dioceses will bo strengthened when Australians hear at first-handi how great is the desire in this country to share tho life and experience of' our great daughter Churches. Any temporary delay or difficulty about final arrange-' ments will be a thinly disguised blessing, if only it makes moro manifest the widespread demand for sympathy and help, and tho hearty desire of England to give it." Tho Rev. Dr. Arthur Guinness Rogers, Pastor of South Cliff Congregational Church. Scarborough, has received a unanimous call from tho Carver Memorial Church; Windermere, to become its pastor. Dr. Rogers is very popular in Scarborough. A feature of his pastorate in tho Yorkshire Coast resort has been special services for the benefit of the Scottish herring lishers, who, to the number of many thousands, use tho port during tho herring fishing season. General llooth, the head of tho Salvation Army, drove to Marlborough House recently, and was received by the Prince and Princess of Wales, tho interview occupying an hour and twenty minutes. Their Royal Highnesses expressed themselves much gratified by the reports given them of the. progress of Salvation Army work in the United Kingdom anil other parts of the world, and at' tho termination of tho interview desired that the General should convey to tho officers and soldiers of the Army their congratulations on its success and ■ cordial wishes for its still greater advance. Dr. Francis E. Clark, the founder of the Christian Endeavour movement, writes from lioston in glowing terms of the success of the Chapman-Alexander mission there, lioston, 0110 of tho hardest cities in America to be so moved, has been stirred as never before. Forty to fifty simultaneous meetings were held nearly every day for a week, and thousands of people were unable to get into the meeting places. Dr. Clark says: "Dr. Chapman is sane and quiet in 1113 presentation of the truth, lie is immensely effective. He docs not rasp the people as somo evangelists do, but wins them by tho power of love. 1 am especially anxious that the Endeavoured in Australia should receive the ; blessing as they arc receiving it hero in lioston. I am suro that if tho Australian brethren enter heartily into this work, tho same blessing will coino to you as has como to us."

"Is Young Scotland on the Down-grade?" asks Jiv. Cuthbert Hadden, in "Young Men," and lie is inclined to reply in tlio affirmative. No longer is Sunday' tlio day it onco was. Even the ministers are scon boarding the Sunday cars, and "as for the people, tlio young people especially, judging by tlio empty pows in many of the churches, tlio ono Scriptural injunction which they would most seem to ignore is that which commands tlio 'assembling.of yourselves to-/ gethcr' for worship and prayer. . Tho weekend habit has touched Scotland as acutely as it has touched England, and tho country roads on a summer Sunday aro often as crowdcd with wheelmen and pedestrians as is tho road to. tlio Derby 011 tlio annual raceday." It is a debatable point, says Mr. Haddeli, whether Mr. Carnegio has not mado things too easy for tho old typo of struggling student. Tho student' of tho period "smokes his cigarettes and"flirts with barmaids and makes .fauiiliai; 7 with stago girls when his predecessor was 'toiling upwards in tlio u'ight.' Tho result is that ho does nothing with his lil'o which of old would have been regarded as tlio crcditablo characteristic of tlio Soot. Where, to-dav, is tlio working Scottish mason who will become a Hugh Miller? Is there any policeman walking tho streets of Edinburgh or Glasgow, or Abordeou who will bccomo a Dr. John Mackintosh, tho historian of his country? Where, to-day, is tho blacksmith who, liko tbo la to James Amiand, will oxchango tho anvil for tho editor's chair and a scat in Pailiamont?"