THE summer meeting of Synod took place at Inverness on July the 5th. All the ministers were present but three, while there were present only two representative elders, both from the Northern Presbytery. At the mid-day diet Mr. Stewart, of Edinburgh, moderator, preached from Mat. xvi. 18, and after worship was over constituted the Synod with prayer. After the usual formal business of the first meeting, Mr. Macfarlane moved, and Mr. John R. Mackay seconded, that the moderator shall be asked to give his sermon to be published in the Magazine. This was unanimously agreed to, and the Synod adjourned, to meet again in the evening.
When the Court met again, the order of business agreed upon in Committee was adopted, and the examiners of records reported favourably on the minute books of the Northern and the Southern Presbyteries. The Synod took note of the absence of the book of the Western Presbytery, and expressed their desire to have it before them at their November meeting. The report of the Southern Presbytery, who had been appointed a Committee to watch developments of the education question, was then submitted by Mr. J. S. Sinclair, clerk of Presbytery. He reported the steps that the Committee had taken to oppose the framing of a new catechism intended to supersede the Shorter Catechism, and to please all the branches of the Reformed Church in Scotland. The Synod approved of the Committee’s action in this matter. Mr. Sinclair also reported the resolution drawn up by the Southern Presbytery anent the clause in the Scottish Education Bill at present before Parliament, dealing with voluntary schools and the rates. A similar resolution was unanimously agreed to as the Synod’s finding in this matter, which runs in the following terms:—”This Synod declares its strong disapproval of the clause in the Scottish Education Bill now before Parliament, wherein it is proposed that School Boards shall have power to help out of the public rates voluntary schools over which they have no control, such as the
Roman Catholic and the Scottish Episcopalian ; protests that such use of the rates would infringe upon the conscientious convictions of many of the Protestant and Presbyterian community, who would thus be compelled to support institutions many of which they regard as teaching idolatry and superstition, as well as principles of disloyalty to the Protestant throne ; and warns the Government that if the clause referred to be retained in the Bill its provisions will undoubtedly give rise to trouble in Scotland similar to that which has arisen in connection with the Education Act for England and Wales.” Mr. Beaton and the clerk were asked to see to it that copies of the resolution should be sent to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Secretary for Scotland, and the members of Parliament representing constituencies in which the Free Presbyterian Church is strong. The Southern Presbytery, or any three of its members acting as a quorum, were appointed a Committee to act in connection with the proposed introduction of a new catechism. This Committee was instructed to enlighten the people with regard to the excellencies of the Shorter Catechism, and to warn them of the danger of introducing into schools a modified catechism. The ministers were instructed to inform their people in these matters.
When remits from Presbyteries came up for consideration, it was agreed, owing to special circumstances in the case of the Harris and the Dingwall congregations, to make an appeal on their behalf in connection with the usual Building collection, and whenever the first charges on that collection were provided for, that the residue should be, for the year, equally divided between these two congregations.
The action of the Northern Presbytery with regard to Mr. Murdo Mackay, missionary, was confirmed, and that of Mr. Macintyre in connection with the supply of Raasay. The financial condition of this congregation was remitted to the Western Presbytery to consider, act, and report on to next meeting of Synod.
Mr. John R. Mackay reported on his work as Theological tutor, and indicated generally matters that called for immediate settlement in the training of our students. The Synod entrusted the oversight of the divinity students next winter to Mr. Beaton and the clerk, to act as their tutors in New Testament Exegesis and Church History. It was decided that Messrs. Donald Macleod and Murdo Morrison, students, should finish their University course next winter, and that Mr. John Sinclair should take the subjects of Exegesis and Church History, and that Mr. Radasi should continue two months still with Mr. Beaton at Wick, that his examination papers should be set by his tutors on the work he had gone over, and examined by the ordinary examiners in the various subjects. A Committee, consisting of Rev. Messrs. Sinclair (convener), N. Cameron, and John R. Mackay, were chosen to arrange about Mr. Radasi’s field of work and instructions. The subjects for students’ final examination in Hebrew and Systematic
Theology were set, and examiners appointed. The examination was appointed to take place on the first day of the coming winter classes.
The Clerk read the reply he got from one of the secretaries of the National Bible Society of Scotland anent the attitude of the directors towards the circulation of Romish and other corrupt versions of the scriptures, indicating that they did not prohibit their agents from selling copies of translations from the Vulgate New Testament, without notes, to Roman Catholics who were willing to buy them. The secretary, in reply to a further question about metrical psalters in the native language of South Africa, said he was sure that no Bible Society published any such thing, nor was he aware of any such publication. It was remitted to Mr. Sinclair, as convener of the Committee who are to arrange about Mr. Radasi’s work, to make further inquiry about translations of the Psalms into the languages in which Mr. Radasi is likely to labour.
The annual Financial report was then read and approved of, and the treasurer and the auditors thanked, and the Synod ordered the publication of the abstract and report at large in the August number of the Magazine. The Synod’s collections for the year were then appointed—that for missionaries and catechists in August, for students in October, for Church and Manse Building in December, for missionaries and catechists in February, and for Foreign and Jewish missions in April. A new Financial Committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. J. R. Mackay (convener), Macfarlane, and Clunas. In view of the fact that the Jewish and Foreign Mission Fund was collected not exclusively for Foreign, but also for Jewish missions, and that some of its contributions were expressly given for Jewish missions, it was decided to give £10 to the Trinitarian Bible Society in aid of its work among the Jews.
The report of the Committee on the Scriptures and Creed Subscription was submitted by Mr. N. Cameron, and was generally approved, and remitted to a Committee of the whole Synod, appointed to meet at Inverness on Friday evening, September 13th. It was agreed that copies of the draft report should be sent to each member of Synod, and that those unable to be present at the Committee meeting should send in writing their suggestions, and that Messrs. N. Cameron and Sinclair should act as an interim Committee to mature the business, travelling expenses to be paid. Three allotments of small sums to stations and agents were made, and in connection with the congregation of Lochbroom it was agreed to send Mr. Donald Macleod, student, to labour there for some time, and that Mr. N. Matheson, who is there at present, should, for some time, be transferred to Oban.
The Synod agreed to meet again on Tuesday after the second Sabbath of November, in Glasgow, at twelve o’clock noon.
The last verses of the 122nd Psalm were sung, and the Synod closed with prayer.