RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1025, 14 January 1911, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

OBITUARY. DR. MACGRECOR. On tho same day—Friday; November 25—tho Church of Scotland lost by death (says tlio "Christian World" of comber 1), one of its outstanding figures. Dr. James MacGregor, of ■ St". Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, who was oneof tho greatest pulpit orators <j{ tho nineteenth century in Scotland, was known throughout tho land and in many other quarters of tlio globe, and had a placo second to none in the- affections of tho people. Ho was slight and insignificant of stature, but any deficiencies on this scoro were lost sight, of in the man's all-coimering personality and power. He occupied pastorates at Paisley and Monimail before going to tho Tron Church, Glasgow, as colleaguo and successor to tlio father of the lato Dr. A. K. 11. Boyd. After four years of a telling ministry in Glasgow, Dr. MacGrogor was called to tho Tron Church, in Edinburgh, and there, in ono of the "blackest" slum districts of tho capital, ho instituted a remarkable visiting organisation, consisting of members of all tho professions. Then in 1873 ho was eallcd to tho charge of. St. Cuthbert's, which ho.held till the last year of his long life, and'which ho raised to a position of pro-eminence among all tlio parishes of Edinburgh. In 1892 tho Marquis of Twecddale opened the' now St. Cuthbert's, probably the most costly Scottish church of its day. Dr. MacGregor was made Moderator of the Assembly in ISOI, aiid signalised his term of.office by an address which is remembered and remarked up to this day by those who were fortunate enough to hear it. In .1900 Dr. MacGregor preached his last sdrmon before Queen Victoria, which .was also the last which Her Majesty heard on Scottish soil. Dr.. MacGrogor possessed the pen of a ready writer and the eye of a keen observer, and it was natural that he should be a popular and charming Iccturor. Ho consistently refused, however, to-allow his sermons to be printed, and ho never wrote a book. PROFESSOR FLINT. Emeritus-Professor Robert Flint died suddenly j at Edinburgh on . November 25... Ho was born in' 1837 near Dumfries, but his parents ; 'removed - to Moffat where, at tlio age of five, ho learnt -the 119 th Psalm between Friday and Monday. Tliero was a further removal to Glasgow where,, at twentyone, ho had completed - his Divinity course. As a lay missionary for-, -tho Elders' Association, he worked for .a year in the slums, and did much'.of the same kind of work when ho became assistant to Norman Macleod at tho Barony Church. Short- pastorates at Aberdeen and Ivilcnnquhar. preceded his "finding himself" as Professor -of Moral' Philosophy and . Political Economy at St. Andrews. At St. Andrews and Edinburgh, whither ho was transferred in_ 1574, ho put in forty years of professorial work and arduous study., The bent of his mind was towards tho logical demonstration of tho. being of God, , and his books ill defence of Theism won him a world reputation. He published books on "The Philosophy of in Eraiico : and Germany," and "Historical Philosophy jn France." His Theistie books had their origin in Baird, Stono (Princctown, U.S.A.), Croall and Gilford Lectures. ' • He believed that the rigorous" use of reason was compotcnt to justify the. main positions of ' evangelical 'theology against all the attacks from ,tlio. side of science and. philosophy. His book' on '-'Socialism" (1894) is ono the. ablest criticisms of Socialist theories that have appeared. His. detached scholar's lifo kept him out of touch with most ,of tho burning questions of' their day, but his single-hearted devotion to his special subject,-won him'tlio high respect of his students and fellow-scholars. As an occasional preacher, •he paid congregations the compliment of ■ giving them tho toughest matter at a length .that put the heaviest- strain on their power of . attention. -.

MR, HENRY-MILLER. Mr. .Henry Miller,- whoso, name has long'''been, familiar as secretary of the Church Association, and as a stout public defender of Protestantism,, died on November 29, after a serious operation, at tho ago of sixty-two. Hp had been closely and prominently, identified with the Church Association throughout'tho whulo forty-five 'years of its existence, and in his evideuco. before the' Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Discipline stated that the association had some 17,000 members—all Churchmen. Mr. Miller took part in all tho ecclesiastical disputes of his time, and'was instrumental in raising largo sums for legal actions, including that against Rev. C. Voysey,' as well ■as ■ thoso against Ritualists.- Mr. Miller was in harness up to tlio very end. . ■ TWO DISTINGUISHED ROMAN CATHOLICS. Two prominent ; . Roman Catholic churchmen died this' week (writes the "Tablet" of 'December 3): Mgr. do Montcl and Cardinal . Sanminiatclli Zabarella.' Tho Cardinal's death reduces the number' in tho Sacred College to fifty-one, ; an(l the Cardinals of tho Curia to twenty-two. .'Cardinal Sogna and Cardinal,'Puzyna aro both Seriously ill, and Cardinal Lorcnzelli and Cardinal Coiillio aro only con-, valescent from severo attacks. Mgr. de Montcl was Dean of the Rota until tlio reconstitiition of that tribunal two years ago by tho Constitution "Sapionti consilio," when ho retired under the' new ago limit •of seventy-four.'' It -is said that on two occasions, lie refused tho Cardinalato under Leo XIII, and it is certain that he had much influence with tho .Emperor Francis Joseph. Ho was also first chaulainf.of. the ordor of tho Knights of Malta," and Eccesiastical Adviser to' the • Austro-llungarian Embassy in Rome.