In the September issue of the Free Church Monthly Record there appears a letter signed by M. M. MacLeod. He states that according to the F.P. Magazine we find that not only is the Free Church allowing the Church of Scotland Moderator to address her Assembly, but that union between the two Churches is “high up on the Free Church agenda.” He states that this appeared in our June issue; and asks the Free Church Editor to let his readers know the truth of this matter. The Editor in a Note, declares that he was not present when Principal Duncan made his visit and had not delegated anyone to make a note of the proceedings. And how did the Free Presbyterian Magazine get a note of the proceedings? Let M. M. MacLeod ask this. In reply to the other matter regarding union of the two Churches, his words are, “We can only characterise it as a piece of malicious misrepresentation, characteristic of the Free Presbyterian Magazine . . . .”
The fore-mentioned irresponsible writing calls for immediate correction and comment by a simple statement of facts. We did write a report of the Church of Scotland and Free Church Assemblies, in our July F.P. Magazine and not in the June issue as stated by M. M. MacLeod. And when he makes that blunder, passed by the Free Church Editor, then others may be expected. In our survey, we referred to the Bishop of Lichfield’s address to the Church of Scotland Assembly on “The Vital Need for Church Unity”; to the Report by Prof. Manson, of the Church of Scotland, from the Inter-Church Relations Committee, which states, “The first charge which was laid upon the Committee . . . was to watch over and to promote to every good effect their relations with the separated brethren of the Free Church and other Churches. During this year they have taken soundings again regarding co-operation . . .” (The italics are ours); and then we dealt with the Church of Scotland Moderator’s visit to the Free Church Assembly. We summed up these items as follows:—”In the light of all this . . . A link up between the Church of England, the Church of Scotland and the Free Church seems to be high up on the programme of those zealous for the union of Churches.” Thus is will be seen that the F.P. Magazine did not mention Union between the Church of Scotland and the Free Church, but a seeming “link up” between the three Churches; and did not refer to the agenda of any Church and certainly not the Free Church agenda, but to the “programme” of those zealous for the union of Churches. How unguarded and unwise the Free Church Monthly Record is, in referring to “malicious misrepresentation” by us, on the basis of M. M. MacLeod’s erroneous letter! The statement that malicious misrepresentation is characteristic of the Free Presbyterian Magazine, if not provable, is perilously near the line where a publication renders itself liable to serious action. And how does all this square with the Editor’s own former and recent observations in the Free Church Monthly Record, on our Reports of the Assemblies of the Church of Scotland and the Free Church? He wrote that the Free Presbyterian Magazine, in each case, commented “fully and on the whole intelligently and fairly” on the proceedings. Need we write more than to record that maybe some Free Church people are now turning to the Free Presbyterian Magazine to obtain a reliable report of ecclesiastical matters which it would be well for them to know.