The Union Vote in the Presbyteries.
In Dingwall Presbytery the Anti-Union Party were an overwhelming majority; the Union motion was supported by only two votes, these being given by Rev. Messrs. M’Caskill and Mackenzie (Maryburgh). In Skye Presbytery the voting was 9 to 5 against Union; Tain, 11 to 5 against; Inverness, 10 to 9 against; Lewis, 10 to 5 for Union (in this Presbytery Rev. Hector Cameron proved rather troublesome to the unionists); Abertarff (Fort-William), 7 to 4 for Union. The southern Presbyteries, with few exceptions, are voting solidly for Union.
“At what time ye hear the sound of the sackbut, dulcimer, &c.”
“There is,” says The British Weekly, “an Orchestral Society in connection with St. Matthew’s Free Church, Glasgow (Dr. Stalker), which is surely unique in Presbyterian Scotland—an orchestra which is part of a church organisation. It is not yet, indeed, permitted to take part in the services of the sanctuary, but, the organ being granted, it is believed that this innovation will be brought about in the near future.”
Mr. M’Caskill and the Union Movement.
Mr. M’Caskill’s experiences during the present crisis are not pleasant. His former associates of the Constitutional Party are rounding on him, and attacking him by letters in the papers and speeches in the presbytery. They cannot, it is true, extract the mote out of their own eye, but they have little difficulty in showing the bigness of the beam which darkens Mr. M’Caskill’s vision. His former speeches provide the assailants with many weapons of offence, a circumstance which makes the situation all the more awkward for this deserter from the Constitutional camp. Mr. M’Caskill is not silent under these provocations. His epistles and speeches are both lengthy and vehement; but, in our opinion, it would be far better for him to remain silent, or candidly to own that he has changed his mind. In conducting his defence, he makes a great deal of the Relieving Act of 1894. But the situation created by that Act is immoral, inasmuch as while it suffers Mr. M’Caskill to retain his Calvinism it binds him over to a disloyal toleration of Arminianism in his fellow worshipper. We fear the result of such a vicious scheme of church fellowship will be to kill the things that remain, which are ready to die, and to sell the rising generation into the hands of the spoiler.
“Free Church” Movements.
The “Free Churches” of England, as they term themselves, are showing great activity just now. The Wesleyan Methodists have undertaken to raise a million guineas for aggressive work at the beginning of the twentieth century. A committee of Methodists, Presbyterians, Independents, &c., have also constructed another catechism called the “Free Church Catechism” for the instruction of youth. Also, they have launched a weekly paper called the Free Churchman, and they will shortly publish a magazine called the Puritan. We are afraid, however, that most of these projects will end in smoke.
The Death of Pastor Chiniquy.
The report has reached this country of the decease of the Rev. Charles Chiniquy, D.D., the eminent champion of Protestantism in Canada. Dr. Chiniquy would have been 90 years of age if spared to July. A long eventful life, and a remarkable career of usefulness have come to an end. Dr. Chiniquy’s chief literary work is his “Fifty Years in the Church of Rome,” in which he gives an account of his life up to the time of his becoming a Protestant. This is a book of rare interest and power, and leaves an impression upon the mind of the reader that a lifetime cannot erase. No one really knows the Church of Rome, as it lives, and moves, and works, that hasn’t read this book. We understand that Dr. Chiniquy has been recently engaged upon another work, entitled, “Forty years in the Church of Christ,” which takes up the story of his life during the years in which he has stood forth as the leading champion in the army of Protestantism throughout the world.
Items.
Rev. Alexander Robinson, the deposed minister of Kilmun Parish, author of the “Saviour in the Newer Light,” has been elected minister of Crief Congregational Church. . . . Rev. J. R. Mackay, Gairloch, has been chosen for the pastorate of the Free Presbyterian Church of Inverness.
. . . Rev. Mr. Macintosh, r.c. minister of Fort-William, is very sanguine about the impending Union. He says, “The United Church will be the strongest, most active, and most evangelical church in Scotland.”