It was but natural, with Dr. Finlayson's firm belief in abstract principles, that, though always most willing to co-operate with others in all good works, he should be a strong supporter of the policy of Disestablishment. The considerations drawn from historical development, which still hinder some, though probably a diminishing number, of Nonconformists from accepting it, carried little weight to one whose intellectual tendencies were logical rather than historical and aesthetic, and those derived from expediency influenced him still less. Indeed, no man was ever less inclined to give expediency a place in any of his thoughts. That which was just and right was the thing to be done, whatever the immediate results. But he was no slave to party cries; and one of his most forcible letters was that written to the local committee of the Liberation Society, in protest against a resolution which had been passed in favour of allowing Mr. Bradlaugh to go through the form of taking an oath in the House of Commons.

As a pastor Dr. Finlayson did not possess the aptitudes which distinguished such men as his old friend and neighbour, Dr. Macfadyen. He had no special gift for organization; his nervous sensitiveness made him shrink from those social engagements which may be made to add so much to a minister's influence; nor do I think that he had the faculty of discovering the work which each member of his church had the capacity of doing, and setting him at once to do it. But he was never without interest in the various activities of the church. In his addresses at its meetings he was always genial and happy, and in the Literary Society his presence was greatly valued.

d

There he gave free play to a sense of humour that was usually confined to his intimate associates, and a series of papers which he wrote for this society were very delightful of their kind. "The Troubles of a Translator," "Tithenasmatiosophy," Tithenasmatiosophy," "An Interesting Album," and "My Comedy," are brimming over with a sense of fun and a sportive wit which probably came as a surprise to many of his hearers. Of the duty of hospitality he had a very strong conviction, and frequent friendly gatherings offered a bright welcome and a pleasant hour to such visitors especially as were strangers and friendless in the great city. And however reluctant he was to intrude uninvited on the privacies of family life, the call of duty was always strong enough to break through the barrier of reserve. Whenever he was aware of the presence of trouble or bereavement, no one could have been more assiduous in his visits, more genuine or more tender in his sympathy. It was on such occasions that many first learnt to know their minister, and to understand the power of those eternal realities in the presence of which he habitually lived.

As a student, he was acute and scholarly rather than learned, and his interests lay in the direction of poetry and philosophy, not of erudition. He never seemed to read, as so many do, to accumulate knowledge, still less for the sake of fashion or ostentation. Of much ephemeral literature he was well content to be ignorant; but books of value he studied carefully and critically, and it was always a great delight to hear his suggestive and outspoken opinions upon them. He attached much importance to the systematic exposition of books of Scripture, and always kept this well abreast

of the best and most recent authorities, without sacrificing his own independence of judgment. A good but by no means unique specimen of his work in this direction is furnished by the volume which he was induced to publish on Koheleth. But perhaps he was most at home in the region where the results of science or philosophical speculation seem to touch upon religion. Hence he was peculiarly fitted to deal the coup de grace as I think all qualified critics admitted that he did-to Professor Drummond's fascinating but fantastic theories of Natural Law in the Spiritual World. The very title of his essay, "Biological Religion," struck at the heart of the fallacy, pointing out, as it did, the dangerous delusion of "making God's action in the world of matter the measure of His action on and towards the spirits who are made in His own image." The discussion is conducted with perfect courtesy, and Dr. Finlayson fully recognises the vigour, freshness, and eloquence of the writer. But it was simply impossible for him to acquiesce in a method which ignored those facts and teachings in which from the first he had found the only solution for the riddles of the world. 'In considering the dealings of God with men, we may prefer to follow the analysis of parental affection and discipline rather than the analysis of mere natural selection. In contemplating the possible issues of God's dealings with our race, we decline to limit ourselves to the study of pollen and seeds, pigeons and vultures, tigers and apes. We think we can learn something from Gethsemane and Calvary." The Incarnation, as interpreted by St. John, would have been a puzzle to him if its only result had been the perfecting of a few

chosen souls in the highest quality of life.

His acute intellect could not fail to see the essential inconsistency between Prof. Drummond's teaching on spiritual growth and and his teaching on spiritual degeneration. Nor would his sense of truthfulness allow the cardinal principle of Prof. Drummond's theory, that a life of moral goodness and virtue is to the life of worship towards God precisely as a nonliving mineral is to a living plant. In fact, there is hardly a page in this most valuable little book which does not expose some dangerous fallacy of the brilliant. essayist. The nature of the subject hardly lends itself to the poetic eloquence to which Dr. Finlayson elsewhere rises; but there is no better example of the lucidity of his thinking, the clear-cut precision of his style, and the classical self-restraint of his expression. His own creed even to the last had changed but little from that which he had formed in early manhood. The doctrines, which had then been regarded as so heretical, had come to be classified as moderately orthodox; and the width of his theological views had left ample room and verge enough to include within their compass all that the growing thought of men had added "in the process of the suns." What was changed was only the way in which such teaching was welcomed. It is perhaps worth adding that his published sermons found much acceptance far beyond the limits of his own body, and that the use which others made of them was not always quite legitimate.

Dr. Finlayson's love for poetry was very genuine ; he was an excellent reader and reciter, and his memory was well stored with favourite passages; but perhaps the attraction lay more in the substance of the thought

than in the literary form. Tennyson always seemed to be for him rather the interpretive thinker of the generation than the consummate artist in words; and Browning's rough-hewn massive thought had a charm for him never present in the purer poetry of Swinburne or Wm. Morris. Sometimes in lectures, and more than once in a sermon, he expounded with much force and clearness the results of his sympathetic study of a poem, not a little to the delight of his audience.

But after all it was not Dr. Finlayson's varied culture and intellectual gifts which gave him his essential power and his place in the hearts of his people. His sermons were so impressive because of the life out of which they so naturally sprung. He preached, as he

had said when first he came that a minister must preach, more by his character than by his words. His life was one of rare disinterestedness and forgetfulness of self. How much this contributed to the peace and harmony of his church it is impossible to estimate; but many examples could be given of the way in which he habitually put his own interests absolutely out of the question. At one time an important change was made in the method of raising the necessary funds for the church. Dr. Finlayson was in hearty sympathy with the plan which the deacons adopted, that of free-will weekly offerings in the place of pew-rents; but he never expressed his own opinion so long as it could bias the judgment of others. It was a slight but characteristic illustration of this that he never would accept a fee for marriage or funeral duties; his services were always freely put at the command of any of his people who desired them. The same unselfishness lent a singular charm to his intercourse with others in