CHURCH PROPERTY.
Church Property. By the Rev. Thomas Burns. (G. A. Morton, Edinburgh. 68. net.)—Mr. Burns discourses in these lectures on records, the benefice, Sacramental vessels, and church furniture. It is a sad story that he has to tell. The Church of Scotland is, in one way, richer in records than is the Anglican,—perhaps we ought to say, should be richer. The organisation of General Assemblies, Synods, Presbyteries, and Kirk Sessions necessitates much recording. Here we have the Bishops' registers and the paroehiaL Unfortunately, the documents have been ill-kept. In a great many cases they have been mixed up with the private property of the custodian, and so practically lost. (It is almost incredible that persons in possession of such documents should refuse to surrender them, and yet Mr. Burns regards this as no uncommon experience.) Strangely enough, in not a few cases they have been recovered with no little labour and expense, and then lost again. The General Assembly of 1739-42, for instance, purchased some valuable records ; but these are not now to be found. The benefice has not suffered in the same way ; rights may be obscured and suspended, but they can be reclaimed and recovered. As to church furniture, it has fared even worse in Scotland than here. Ignorance is responsible for much loss, care- lessness for more, and dishonesty, it is to be feared, for some- thing. Meanwhile, Mr. Burns has done good service in the way of preventing such abuse in the future.
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