THE REV. JAMES ORR.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1901, 8 November 1913, Page 9

THE REV. JAMES ORR.

A v THBOLOGIAN FROM THE [ WOKKKKS. ! "By tie death. of tho Rev. James Oi r, D.D., Professor of Apologetics and Theology at tho United l'Vee Church College, Glasgow, the United Free: Church has lost a distinguished thealov gian. Ho was one of tho leaders of tho United Presbyterian Clmrcli, who took a prominent part in tlio negotiations for the union between that Church and tho Free Chnre'h, and was joi-nt-eouvener of the Committee on the Union," says the ''Glasgow Herald." " Professor James Orr, like ma-hy distinguished Scotsmen, roso out of tho ranks of the working class and fought ■ his way up through sheer ability, determination, and linrd work. No small measure of his success and his amazing productiveness/was duq to the fund of physical strength Iho possessed,' tho great, inheritance with which the sons of the labouring class start tie race. From first to last neithe? in bis thought nor in. his sympathies did 'he even leave tlio ranks of those that labour, llio virtues of the Scottish religious democracy appeared conspicuously in him, a rugged honesty and a passion for righteousness behind'which lay, though' often hidden in his writings, a kindly, tender, and benignant heart, a coitii* dent and independent selfoeliaiico blent with a- deep humility, an intense radicalism, in the social and political sphere, combined with an equally intense conservatism in religion.,., "Apprenticed to a" bookbinder, but destined to write books for -others to bind, ho soon aspired to bo moro than a mechanic, hut ,lio was compelled to : work to maintain himself, while he pursued the studies which prepared him for a higher calling. , "Though his bent was towards ph-ilo-suphy and his aptitude for metaphysics j most decided, life was to him a battle to be fought as well as a problem to be thought out. He knew the joys of the hard life. Ho not only submitted to ! tlio call to live laborious days, but rejoiced in it. "A student who took life so seriously, with all his playfulness, iuid was ■ so determined to conquer, was hound to himself at the University and' -still more afterwards. He ; graduated at the University of- Glasgow with first class honours in philosophy, and was already a marked man when ho entered tho Theological Hall of the United Presbyterian Clmrcli, to be- ■ eomss one of her most distinguished sons.

"Ho was tho favourite student of Professor Edward Caird, wlra pronounced his prize essay on David Hunro published iu 1903 ill tho Epoch-Makers series, tlio best work written oil tlie subject. "His position was that unless j.ou believe in tho Deity of Christ you not bclievo in ,k revelation' of God in Christ, ITo did an inestimable service in clearing .up the issues and compelling tlioso who rested in a, vague borderland of nebulous thought to define iiieir position more exactly. But lie had not an original mind hot ad.cquniio sympathy with tlio real difficulties of tlio modern mind, and tho habit of beiHg a defender ■ of ilia faith; grew on liiiii and mado his mind in- ' hospitable to iww interpretations of Clirist. 1-lis later books'mark no Teal advance- in t-houglrt urjpn l»is first. His view indeed was that tlio dogmatic positions had all boon marked out. in tli© battles of tlie past, that so far as tlioy wore concerned, all that was loft n as to hold tiro fart against nil comers. It was not in dogma that- he looked for all advance, but' in tlio othicrtl aiul social application of tho dogmatic positions already won. in tlio course of the Christian ages. j , "Ono could liavo wished that bo iiatl mado a resolute attempt to draw out tlio oiiiical and social truth involved in the Christian dogmas; but bo spent bis strength in stating and restating the dcwmaliie positions and repairing tlie fences wliorevor they seemed to bo broken down. In sttch work 3)0 excelled. , , , . " In philosophy niul theology no was a master; aiul however lio loved to arauo and hit- hard, it was tlio theory and not tlie man lie smote wttti all his might."