The excitement in Scotland over the recent decision of the House of Lords in regard to the United Free Church can scarcely be understood on this side of the Atlantic. This body, acting as the supreme ecclesiastical court of the British empire, on August 1st declared that the Free Church, by changing its original creed and uniting with the United Presbyterian Church, had thereby forfeited its title and all property belonging to it. Everywhere, in the home, the field, the shops, in the streets, in the pulpit, and at all public gatherings, this one subject is discussed, and the whole country is aroused, as in the days of the Covenanters and the Disruption. The Church is awakened out of its apathy, and we cannot doubt that a great conflict for civil and religious liberty is at hand.

In 1843 the Free Church of Scotland was formed. Led by Dr. Chalmers, 470 ministers with their.congregations, separated from the Established Kirk, giving up churches and manses, because it had been decided that a church supported by the government must accept any minister whom the civil authorities should appoint as pastor. Since that time property valued at $50,000,000, besides a sustentation ministerial fund of $5,000,000, has been accumulated, and the success of the Free Church, materially and spiritually, has been marvellous.

On the other hand, the United Pres

them.

church had departed from the original faith, and claiming that they constituted the Free Church of Scotland, and were entitled to all the property. This claim was considered so absurd that at first it met with only ridicule and contempt, but they carried their case into the Scottish courts, where all decisions were against. At last they appealed to the House of Lords, and a court of its members, sitting at Edinburgh, on August 1st, decided against the verdict of the Scotch courts by a vote of 5 to 3. There was only one Scottish judge among them, and he voted in favor of the United Free Church. If it had not been for the death of Lord Shaud, and the appointment of an English judge in his place, the vote would have been a tie, and the decision of the Scotch courts would have been upheld. The effect of the vote is to make the twenty-four protestants, with about 5,000 followers, the lawful possessors of 1,100 churches and their manses, the three great theological schools at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and all the mission property both home and foreign. Besides having the right to the use of all the Free Church endowments, it is as if a rabbit were about to take possession of a whole

bear's den.

The British Weekly gives a vivid description of the condition in some of the leading cities of Scotland. In Edinburgh and Leith only one congregation remained outside the union, as against fifty-five which entered it. Yet the effect of the decision is to deprive these fifty-five congregations of their churches and manses, thereby leaving upward of 23,000 worshippers without a church to meet in and fifty-five ministers without a home. If the churches are not to be shut up ordinances must be supplied by a "Free Church Presbytery," consisting of four ministers, not one of whom re

sides in Edinburgh, or within a radius. of twenty miles. In Glasgow only two congregations declined to enter the union, as against 103 that did so. Yet these 103 congregations, representing a membership of over 70,000, are spiritually houseless, while their pulpits have to be supplied by a Presbytery consisting of two ministers resident in Glasgow. In Dundee and Aberdeen there are no ministers of the Free Church within a radius of many miles. The divinity colleges have fifteen professors, and now the Free Church of twenty-eight ministers must replace them, and must find students to listen to them.

The decision of the House of Lords has done one thing. It has solidified the ministers and people of the United Free Church. All have discerned that a church constituted according to the judgment of the Lord Chancellor has parted with essential liberty. It is tied and bound to a dead and hopeless past, tied to doctrines which we venture to say not even the minority themselves believe in, for we have yet to hear of any one among them who does not believe that a free offer of the Gospel must be made to all men. The judgment has not dampened, but on the contrary greatly inflamed the ardor for liberty. That great word has quickened and reanimated the United Free Church in a crisis when to the faithless it has seemed that the day of the church is over, and that weeds are wrapt about her head.

The spirit shown by the leaders of the Commission of the United Free Church is excellent, notwithstanding the injustice which they keenly feel; it is a spirit. breathing liberty, union and brotherly love. We quote from Dr. Raimy's speech before the Commission on August 10th:

"We have to maintain, as of old, spiritual views of the Church of Christ, and

of the liberty and independence which belongs to the Church of Christ-the liberty and independence which are valued because they are necessary to obedience. We cannot obey our Master unless we keep ourselves free to obey Him. We claim for churches, as well as for individuals, to have a conscience, and we ask that we may have leave not to go against our conscience in managing our own affairs committed to us by the Lord. "We think we are entitled to hold up to the whole country and the rulers of it the fact of this injustice. What they will find it expedient to do, or incumbent to do, I do not say. I do not ask any one to entertain an opinion on that subject. But I say we are entitled to claim that we are suffering a serious injustice, and we are entitled to assure our people that any reasonable efforts that can be made to procure a remedy will not be wanting. But I think mainly we should. call upon our people in the circumstances in which they are placed, the full extent of which we cannot yet foresee; we should call upon our people boldly and courageously to face the sacrifice that may be necessary, in order to carry on the work of the church, and to abound in prayer for the blessing of God. All is not lost. Nothing is lost.

If as a

Church, a Church spread over this country of Scotland of ours-this historic ground of Scotland with which we are proud and thankful to be connected-if our Church spread over this land of ours is enabled to be true to its God, true to the Saviour, and true to His service, and if God, notwithstanding our great unworthiness, for He might rebuke us and forsake us-if, notwithstanding our great unworthiness, in answer to the prayers which I know are ascending everywhere, is pleased to give us fresh spiritual life and devoutness, then everything is gained and nothing is lost."

This spirit is in marked contrast to that of the victorious minority, as shown in the sermons by the Rev. Murdo McQueen, Moderator of the Free Church, which he preached at Kiltean, after hearing of the decision of the House of Lords. We give extracts from this ser

mon:

"In his college days, he had heard Dr. Begg say, 'Thank God for the House of Lords.'

"It was wasting pity to extend it to these men who, if they had the power, would crush them under their heel. The millions had been restored to the Free Church, and the verdict of the House of Lords could not be reversed, notwithstanding all the bellowing and roaring and shrieking of the U. F. body. Are you willing to give us a share? they asked. Were the U. F. Church willing to give them a share? Had they not shut the Free Church out? He said no, they could not give them a share. The Free Church could not part with one shilling of its funds, or a stick or stone of its property, because it had been given to the Free Church, and it was to be expended and used for Free Church purposes, and it would be stealing to give away those funds to the body that had left the Free Church. He did not call the majority a church. It was a political ecclesiastical caucus. A Noah's Ark full of clean and unclean animals, with the unclean element predominating, with the lower animals sinking low in the water and about to disappear in the waves."

Yet Dr. Begg, whom Mr. McQueen quotes, at the time of the separation of the Free Church from the Established Church had very decided views in regard to the seizure by the Established Church of churches built by people who belonged to the Free Church. Dr. Begg said that whatever claim the Establish

ment might have in law, they have no claim in equity to take and keep the whole of the churches, and he held, moreover, that in every sense of the word it was most unrighteous to turn these congregations out of their churches. Dr. Begg even proposed that they should go to Parliament and ask for its interference to put an end to the harassing litigation that was going on.

An effort "to put out a fire by adding fuel" is the way a member of the Anti-Saloon League stigmatizes the effort to decrease drunkenness in New York City by opening a new kind of The new drinking place. resort, known as "The Subway Tavern," is located at the junction of Bleecker and Mulberry streets, and is intended to be a clean and wholesome place where a man who drinks will feel impelled to drink little rather than much, where the beverages will be the best of their kind at moderate price, and where every influence will discourage rather than induce drunkenness. The tavern ran quietly during July, but was brought under the full glare of publicity in August, when it was "dedicated" by Bishop Potter, who made an address and led the audience in singing "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." The bar is located in the rear part of the tavern, while the front is occupied by a soda water fountain, where beer is also served.

The tavern is an attempt to carry out in this country an idea already

"Into the large question of public and private ownership of drinking places I do not wish to enter. Earl Grey's society holds one idea, however, which was the gift of genius. Under the Gottenburg system, which prevails in Norway and Sweden, all liquors are sold by the State, and the employees get a percentage of the profits. In the English taverns established under the Earl Grey system the manager also gets a percentage, but only on the tea, coffee or milk which he sells. If he sells you brandy, he gets no percentage. There you have. the most potential motive of personal profit, which leads the manager to dis