Professor Marcus Dods, the new Divinity Professor of the Scotch
Free Church, has unfortunately prejudiced his position as the representative of those in the Free Church who think. that the Westminster Confession needs some enlargement,-by. getting into an angry correspondence with the Rev. M. Ma.caskill, of Dingwall, who had charged him with heresy. We read Professor Dods's introductory lecture with respect both for its moderation of tone and its considerable learning, and greatly regret to find him so easily incensed by the accusa- tions of the narrow party, which he should clearly have expected, and have borne with magnanimity. This, however, has not been' the case; and we 'fear that he will lose influence; in the Free Chirch by the intemperate tone of his letters,) we speak of them as they are briefly summarised in the Tinnii of Wedneiday, for we have not read the whole. It seems to us that those who try to enlarge the, drift of any fundamental Church creed should endeavour to 'prepare their own minds for that duty by very fay: realising bow certain their effort' is to be misinterpreted by all good men of the stricter type of orthodoxy who have been brought up to identify Christian faith -witlr the terms of one particular creed-, and how great is the obligation to bear those misinterpretations with' equanimity, and More than equanimity, in a spirit of hearty charity. So far as Professor Dods's moderation went, we thought it perhaps, judging by his inaugural lecture, even too guarded. We only wish that his disposition to endure' patiently and genially, inevitable reproach had been equal_ to his moderation. There are none who are entitled to more forbearance than theologians brought up in rigid subjection to theological symbols, when they find themselves on their, defence against innovators whom they regard as unfaithful to their Church.
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