Appeal by St. Jude’s, Glasgow.
The following appeal has been issued in connection with the St. Jude’s Building Fund:—
“This Congregation is comparatively large, and is composed mostly of people belonging to the working-classes. For the last seven years we have occupied the present building, first as yearly, and latterly as monthly tenants. We were notified recently that the property had been transferred into the hands of Trustees, and that it may be offered for sale. The building and its situation are the most suitable we can have in the city. Therefore we are very anxious to buy it.
“Five years ago we started a Building Fund—the whole Deacon’s Court forming itself into a Building Committee—but we find that unless sympathising friends will help us, we will not succeed, in the time at our disposal, to raise the sum required—last upset price being £5,500.
“We appeal, therefore, to your Christian liberality for help.
“ARCHD. M’COLL, Elder.
ANGUS FRASER, Deacon.
NEIL CAMERON, Minister.”
The Presbytery cordially endorse this appeal and recommend it to sympathising friends of Christ’s cause.
JAMES S. SINCLAIR, Clerk.
NEIL CAMERON, Moderator.
Meeting of Northern Presbytery.
On Tuesday, the 21st January, a meeting of the Northern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church was held in Inverness. Rev. Mr. Macfarlane, Raasay, was Moderator, and there were also present Rev. J. R. Mackay, Inverness, clerk to the Presbytery, and Mr. Lachlan Maclean, elder. Rev. Neil Cameron, Glasgow, was associated with the Presbytery. Rev. Mr. Mackay moved that the Presbytery recommend the Synod to divide the Northern Presbytery into two Presbyteries, the Northern Presbytery to include the district from Wick to Inverness, and the Western Presbytery to embrace the West Coast and the Islands. The Presbytery unanimously resolved to adopt the motion, and it was further agreed to forward it to the Synod. The Presbytery next took up consideration of the proposal from the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church that a day of humiliation and prayer be recommended by His Majesty in view of the long continuance of the war in South Africa. It was stated that a communication had been forwarded to Lord Salisbury, and that a reply had been received from his lordship to the effect that he did not see his way to make such a recommendation to His Majesty, but stated that the Synod might of its own accord observe such a day. The Presbytery, in these circumstances, resolved to recommend that Thursday, the 20th of February, be observed by the congregations of the Northern and Southern Presbyteries as a day of humiliation and prayer.
Day of Humiliation.
Thursday, the 20th inst., will (D.V.) be observed in the congregations of the Free Presbyterian Church as a day of humiliation and prayer in view of our national sins, and the long continuance of the war in South Africa.
Tribute to late Rev. Mr. Macdonald, Shieldaig.
The following tribute has been recorded in the Minutes of the Southern Presbytery:—”This Presbytery desire to record their deep sorrow at the decease of the Rev. Donald Macdonald, the venerable and beloved minister of Shieldaig, and their keen sense of the great loss sustained by the Shieldaig congregation and the Church at large by his removal. They recall with much thankfulness the fact that Mr. Macdonald was enabled by grace, along with the Rev. Donald Macfarlane, Raasay, to lift up a testimony in 1893 for the truth of God as embodied in the constitution of the Church of Scotland Free, that constitution having been violated by the passing of the well-known Declaratory Act in 1892; and that thus he became one of the founders of the Free Presbyterian Church. They also note with gratitude to God the many graces that adorned Mr. Macdonald’s personal and ministerial character, and that made him a highly useful and honoured ambassador for Christ in his day and generation. While they deeply mourn his departure, they rejoice that the Lord favoured the Church for so many years with so eminent a servant of Christ, whose whole life was a convincing testimony to the power of vital godliness, and to the preciousness of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” They sympathise with the Northern Presbytery in the loss of one of their most esteemed members; and also express their tenderest sympathies with Mr. Macdonald’s widow in her great bereavement. They instruct the clerk to transmit a copy of this minute to the clerk of the Northern Presbytery and to Mrs. Macdonald.”
A Correction.
It has been reported in several newspapers that the Rev. Mr. Macfarlane, Raasay, assisted at the recent Free Church Communion at Aultbea, Ross-shire. Mr. Macfarlane asks us to state that this report is not correct.
Tract on Principal Story and the Sabbath.
Mr. Murdo Mackay, Edinburgh, has published a leaflet entitled “Principal Story’s Twelve Errors on Sabbath Law.” Principal Story’s views are well known to be very loose on the subject of Sabbath observance, and the above tract is a good popular confutation of his errors. It may be had (price one penny) from H. W. Marshall, 28 Morningside Road, Edinburgh.