THE MEDIAEVAL CHURCH IN SCOTLAND.
The Medieval Church in Scotland. By Bishop Dowden. (J. MacLehose and Sons, Glasgow. 15s. net.)—This book, which Dr. Dowden left ready for the press at his sudden death in January, 1910, is prefaced with an interesting account of the author's life and work. A native of Cork, and a distinguished student of Trinity College, Dublin, he held various preferments in Ireland, migrated to preside over a Theological College of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and was elected Bishop of Edinburgh in 1886, Canon Liddon having first refused the See when offered to him. The book is a work of great research. Much of it is common to the mediaeval Church generally, but not a little specially concerns the ecclesiastical order in Scotland. It is probable that no European country suffered so much from the abuses of the mediaeval system. The prohibition of marriage within certain degrees of consanguinity and affinity pressed severely on a poor and scattered population in which the tribal feeling was so strong. Dispensations had to be purchased, and the means for paying the price demanded were scanty. Generally, all the evils of the time were seen in an aggravated form. It would be possible to find a match for the scandalous spectacle of a child Archbishop such as Alexander Stewart, who fell at Flodden, but not at so late a period. Dr. Dowden does not insist on these things, but he does not conceal them. Then the Papal taxes must have pressed heavily on Scottish revenues. An appointment to a bishopric cost from 450 gold florins (Dunkeld) to 3,300 (St. Andrews). This was the commune servitium, and there were five minute servitia which went to minor officials. The headships of the Religions Houses were taxed in the same way. There are many other notable things in 'this volume,—among them an account of the right of sanctuary, a practice for which there is something to be said in view of the very uncertain administration of justice.
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