THE following are a few notes on some matters of general interest which came before the three Assemblies:—
ESTABLISHED CHURCH.
The retiring Moderator of this Assembly (Rev. Dr. Paul, Edinburgh) said some true things in a sermon prior to the opening of the Assembly. He remarked that they were not insensible to the events of the situation which existed before the War—the prevalence of ostentatious luxury side by side with crushing poverty, and the indifference and social wickedness that abounded in so many quarters, and in so many forms. Men required to be stirred out of their complacency, and taught to think of other things than their commerce and their comforts. It was through adversity that the souls of nations were purged and refined. This sanguinary struggle might yet be seen to be the beginning of a better time.
The new Moderator was the Rev. Dr. Brown of Bellahouston, Glasgow.
German Influences in West Africa.—Among the deputies from other Churches were the Rev. C. E. Greenfield, Buluwayo, and the Rev. D. Iverach, King Williamstown, of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa. Mr. Iverach in an address said that when the Union forces occupied a certain German town in West Africa they found a great mass of literature which had been left behind by the Germans. It was of a most immoral character. Fortunately, many of the Union men could not read German, but they could all see the horrible prints. A Captain, one of his own congregation, had written that one could hardly conceive the depths of degradation to which the people there had sunk. The whole of the literature was taken out and sunk in the bay.
German South-West Africa would not be allowed again to be a hotbed of immorality and a menace to their peace.
Deputation from U.F. Assembly.—Sir George Adam Smith, the Moderator of the United Free Assembly, and others of the Court paid a friendly visit. Dr. Wallace Williamson welcomed the deputation and spoke in high terms of Sir G. A. Smith as a personality greatly beloved and honoured both as a scholar and a devout Scotsman. The Moderator also expressed his appreciation of the appointment of Sir G. A. Smith to the U.F. Assembly’s moderatorialship. It may thus be seen that the leaders of the Church of Scotland see no danger in the Higher Critical scholarship, of which Sir G. A. Smith is one of the most outstanding exponents and advocates in Scotland.
“Call to Penitence.”—There was an overture from the Presbytery of Edinburgh asking the Assembly to take steps with a view to stir up the people to a more devout attitude at the present crisis, and with a view to secure the appointment of a national day of prayer. The Assembly resolved to appoint a Commission which would circulate literature, and take steps along with the representatives of other Churches to secure the objects of the petition.
The Use of Creeds in Worship.—Mr. A. B. Graham, St. Andrews, appeared in support of an appeal he had given against a decision of the Synod of Fife. He had complained that in a St. Andrews church the innovation was introduced of asking the people to stand and repeat the creed after the elements were placed on the Communion table. He objected to the innovation, and could not take the Communion. Professor Cooper of Glasgow and Dr. W. Williamson spoke and said they saw nothing wrong in the practice. Professor Reid moved that a Committee be appointed to make enquiry. The appeal was dismissed.
Decline in the Birth-Rate.—Professor Milligan, Glasgow, in submitting the Report of the Committee on the Religious Instruction of Youth, said there appeared to be a growing lack of religious instruction in the home, yet they never had greater need of the religious education of the young than existed to-day. Lord Balfour of Burleigh said that the situation was one calling for the very earnest consideration of the Church. Professor W. P. Paterson said that all the splendid results of medical science in the saving of human life were being nullified by the diminution of births. The birth-rate was seriously declining among the upper classes. This country had an important claim on the assistance of the Church in checking and combating this evil. A committee was appointed to ascertain what steps should be taken. The Assembly also received an overture calling attention to the serious declension in the numbers of children attending Sabbath schools and Bible classes.
Social Crime—Picture Houses.—Dr. D. Watson, Glasgow, gave in the Report of the Committee on Social Work. He said that there was an evil influence on the minds of the young from
sensational and objectionable films at picture houses, and he was convinced that there was needed here a strong censorship. He was glad the Home Office had resolved to institute a censorship, which had not come a day too soon.
This Assembly was closed by an address from the Moderator bearing upon the prospective changes after the War.
UNITED FREE CHURCH.
The Rev. Dr. Young (in the absence of Professor MacEwen, Retiring Moderator, through illness) “conducted the public worship which preceded the formal constitution of the Assembly.” Like Dr. Paul of the Established Church, he also said some true things on this occasion, among which were the following:—”Had the pulpit been as clear and explicit as it ought to have been in its declaration and application of the great spiritual truths of sin and salvation, of God and the soul, of righteousness and mercy, of the Cross and the throne, of our Redeemer, whose right it was to reign over the nations, the King of all the earth? Surely the need of the hour was a humble, penitent, praying Church.” Very true indeed, but where is the consistency when Dr. Young and others of his brethren acclaim to office the new Moderator, Sir George Adam Smith, one of the strongest advocates of the rationalistic Higher Criticism in Scotland? The United Free Church has exalted to the highest honour in her power one who has done great harm to sound Scriptural thought by his expository books on Isaiah, the Minor Prophets, etc. This is no sign for good, or presage of the end of the War; rather an ominous forerunner of severe strokes. Sir G. A. Smith delivered an eloquent address on “The Church and the National Crisis,” but it gave no evidence of a grasp of the real, deep causes of God’s controversy with the nations, or of any return on his own part to more satisfactory views of truth.
Sabbath Observance, etc.—Provost Thomson, Montrose, submitted the Report of the Committee on Church Life and Work. The Committee had under consideration the question of cinematograph entertainments. In some respects these entertainments had an educational value, but there was a tendency in certain places to lower the standard of films until they had a demoralising influence. Rev. James Barr, Govan, referring to the question of Sabbath observance, said that under the first Munitions Act a man could be penalised for refusing to work on the Sabbath Day, but this was no longer the case under the amended Act if a man, on conscientious grounds, refused to work. The great ship-building firms and controlled establishments had found that they were losing by Sabbath labour. The observance of the Sabbath went hand-in-hand with the liberties of the working-classes.
Decline in the Birth-Rate.—Rev. J. D. Robertson, Leith, presented the Report of the Committee on Social Problems. He
alluded to the decline in the birth-rate, and quoted figures, showing how the births had declined, and how, along with that, there had been an alarming rise in infant mortality. The empty cradles accounted in large measure for the declining Sabbath schools. It was time the Church should sound the alarm.
Women’s Place in the Church.—There was a proposal before the Assembly to the effect that women who are in full communion with the Church be considered eligible to be appointed to the office of deacon, or as members of congregational boards, or managers. Rev. Dr. Henderson, Crieff, submitted an adverse motion, which was seconded by the Rev. Dr. Young. Rev. Robert Forgan, Aberdeen, moved that there should be sent down to Presbyteries, under the Barrier Act, an overture on the lines of the said proposal. Mr. Forgan’s motion was carried by 163 to 125. Rev. James Barr, Govan, said that he was in favour of opening up all offices whatsoever in the Church to women on the same conditions as to men. Such departure from Scripture example and precept needs no comment.
National Day of Humiliation.—Dr. Jerdan intimated that overtures had been received from nine Synods and thirty-six Presbyteries in favour of holding a public day of humiliation and prayer. Rev. G. W. Taylor, Leith, in supporting the overtures, pointed out that among the thirty-six Presbyteries, which represented all parts of the country, were those of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee. Rev. J. Barr said such a movement should be in the hands of the Church, and should be spontaneous and free. He could conceive the working people pointing out that they would have to lose a day’s pay or to make it up on Sabbaths or by other overtime. Rev. Dr. Ross, Kilmarnock, said the working men would not be opposed to the proposal, and that the loss of a day’s wages would not appeal to them at all. Rev. Dr. Henderson suggested that they should avoid a vote, as it would be unfortunate if they appeared to be divided upon the question. It was agreed, at his suggestion, that the matter should be remitted to a Committee to consider, along with representatives of other Churches, what steps could be taken with a view to the observance of a national day.
This Assembly was closed by an address from the Moderator (Principal Sir G. A. Smith) on the Future of the Empire.
FREE CHURCH.
The retiring Moderator of this Assembly (Rev. John Macdonald, Rosskeen) opened proceedings with a sermon on 1 Peter v. 6: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.” The new Moderator was the Rev. Angus Mackay, Kingussie, who was stated to have been thirty-four years in the ministry (twenty-two in Canada, and the remainder in the Free Church). Mr. Mackay delivered an address on “The Need for Humiliation.”
Refusal to take part in Joint Prayer Meeting.—The Clerk (Prof. J. K. Cameron) intimated that a letter had been received from the Clerk to the Church of Scotland Assembly, stating that the members had arranged for a joint prayer meeting in the United Free Church Assembly Hall, and asking that Assembly to join with them as last year. The Committee differed somewhat in opinion, but ultimately he was instructed to write declining to take part in the joint meeting. Of course it was open to members of Assembly as individuals to go over and join with them. Several members might take up very important grounds, very specially the relation in which their Church stood in testimony to the Word of God, and also that the main source through which this trouble had arisen amongst the civilised nations of the world was largely due to the influence of the Higher Criticism that arose in Germany. There was no hiding the fact that a great many members of that House were influenced by the fact that the United Free Church, in the appointment of her Moderator, had manifested before the world her approval of the attitude of that Church in connection with that Higher Criticism. Therefore, if they as an Assembly were to take part in that meeting, they would require to take some means to show that they were not to be regarded as compromising their position in the least in regard to their testimony, which was a clear and outspoken one, without any bias whatever; that they disapproved of the position taken up by that Church; and that their testimony was one for the divine authority and inspiration of the Word of God.
The Rev. James Henry, Burghead, thought it was a harsh thing if they could not join in intercessory prayer with brethren of other Churches in the present terrible crisis. He would not compromise his brethren one bit, but he would like to join with other brethren in intercessory prayer. He thought they should make a mistake if they did not do so. The Clerk said it was for the House to say so. Without further comment the Report was approved.
Mission to be Started in South America.—The Assembly, in the course of a deliberation on Foreign Missions, directed that a Mission would be established in Peru, South America, with Lima as its centre, and appointed Mr. John A. Mackay, B.D., as Missionary. It was also directed that a Medical Mission be established in the Peruvian Sierra, and that after the necessary preparations were made, Dr. Helen Macdougall be appointed as Medical Missionary. Rev. John Macneill, Bower, objected to this enterprise principally on the ground that as a Church they had failed to carry through their programme at home in the matter of the supply of vacant congregations, nearly one half of their Churches being without ministers.
Report of Committee on Claim of Right.—The Rev. Professor M’Leod, Inverness, submitted the Report of the Committee on the Claim of Right, exhorting ministers and people to exercise great vigilance in regard to measures brought forward in the
Legislature as to their bearing on the welfare of the Church and her testimony.
Mr. Archibald Macneilage complained of the paucity of the attendance of the members of the House when such a question as the Claim of Right was being discussed. It personally awakened in his mind grave thoughts regarding the future of the Free Church when he found the younger men—not all of them, thank God—were absent when Professor M’Leod was delivering his address, an address which every young minister of the Church should have heard, since it bore on the reason why they were there that day as a Free Church, and showed that their testimony had not been merged and sunk in the diluted testimony of the United Free Church. He did think they were becoming blind to the fact that the Free Church testimony to begin with was a testimony against the Established Church of Scotland as presently constituted. They were going on the assumption in private—it was not expressed—that theirs was a testimony against the United Free Church, which came into being in 1900, and against it only. It was not. The testimony of the Church of 1843 was a public testimony against the Church of Scotland as constituted in its relation to the State in 1843, and questions that arose in connection with what was known as the Stewarton case were as alive to-day as a ground for maintaining a protest against the constitution of the Church of Scotland as they were in 1843. And since the Disruption grounds against the Church of Scotland and her practices had grown and increased in a marvellous degree. Corruptions in worship were the inevitable forerunners of corruptions in doctrine.
Lochranza Window Case.—The Report of the Glasgow Presbytery as to their diligence in this case was submitted. The Presbytery had appointed a Committee consisting of the Rev. A. Ross, Partick, and Messrs. W. Rounsfell Brown, Glasgow, and D. M’Leod, Dunoon, elders, to confer with the Lochranza people. The Committee carried out their remit, and the result to which they were led was embodied in a finding which Mr. W. Rounsfell Brown proposed to the Assembly. The substance of this finding was to the effect that the Assembly had no desire to hurt the feelings of the donor of the window or to depreciate the services of the late Mr. Kerr in whose memory it was erected, but that they were under the necessity of protesting against “the vain practice of attempting to portray in material form the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in His risen glory.” They recommitted the matter to the Presbytery with instructions to labour for such a settlement as will ensure harmony in the congregation and conserve the weighty principle for which the Presbytery contended. Several members, including Mr. Robert Reid, elder, Campbelltown, and Revs. D. Munro, Ferintosh, and M. Mackay, Kilmuir, were not satisfied with this resolution, which suggested some alteration only on the window—they desired it removed altogether.
The finding, however, was adopted with the addition that the proposed adjustment of the business be submitted to the decision of next Assembly.
This Court was closed with an address by the Moderator, in the course of which he made reference to his own past work in Canada, and his joining the present Free Church in Scotland. He said that he had ceased to regard uninspired hymns and instrumental music as matters of indifference in the Church, and that he heartily held the Establishment principle and all other Disruption principles.
— DAY OF HUMILIATION AND PRAYER.
A Joint Meeting of ministers and elders of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church was held in the New College, Edinburgh, in furtherance of the proposal to hold a day of humiliation and prayer. The Rev. Dr. George Wilson, St. Michael’s, Edinburgh, who presided, said a day of humiliation and prayer seemed to be the clamant need of the present moment. The Rev. Dr. Norman Maclean, St. Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, said that what seemed to stick in people’s minds was the unsuitableness of the word “humiliation.” To his mind there was no use having a day such as was proposed if they left out the word “humiliation.” He did not see how any Christian could object to the word. They had individual prayer, family prayer, and church prayer, but the nation had not yet in the spirit of humiliation called upon God. The Rev. G. W. Taylor, South Leith United Free Church, said that 1,360 ministers throughout Scotland had indicated their unconditional approval of this movement. Fifty-nine in addition said they were favourable to the appointment of a week day, but most of the fifty-nine objected to the word “humiliation.” Only fifty-four postcards were received indicating opposition to the movement. After an informal discussion the meeting broke up.
YE that are young men and women, “What think ye of Christ?” Ye are now in the flower of your age. Oh! shall not Christ have the flower of your thoughts, that, according to the Father’s promise to Him, He may have the “dew of his youth,” by your dedicating to Him the dew of your youth, and fleeing all youthful lusts!—R. Erskine.
GUARD against the excursions of the heart into the fields of folly and vice, the vain and defiling fashions of a world lying in wickedness; for the case, in this respect, resembles that of Israel in Egypt—within the doors sprinkled with paschal blood, there was neither crying nor death; without them, destruction rode in triumph.—Rev. James Baine.