UNITED FREE MISREPRESENTATION.
IV WE have just been reading the authorised report of “The Free Church of Scotland Appeals,” edited by Mr. R. L. Orr, M.A., LL.B., advocate, and among other things have come across a passage between the Lord Chancellor and Mr. Haldane, K.C. (U.F. counsel), in which the latter gives an absolutely misleading and untruthful statement of events that transpired after the passing of the Declaratory Act of 1892, a statement that affects the ministers and people of the Free Presbyterian Church. We called attention to it when it first appeared in the press report of the Scotsman, in a letter published on June 27th, but no notice was taken of the matter. It is still more necessary to refer to it again, as it is now reproduced in complete, and what may be, final form in the authorised report of the whole case.
We may quote the passage. “The Lord Chancellor—The Declaratory Act of 1892 put in very plain form what the views of those who were framing it meant. Has that ever been acted upon in the Church? I mean if there were persons who were disposed to refuse the authority of the Church to change its doctrine; has that question ever risen? Mr. Haldane—I think not, my Lord. The Lord Chancellor—If so, have the people been turned out of their manses for holding it? Mr. Haldane—I want to give your Lordship the accurate answer to that, and, if I may, I will consult my client. (After consultation.) Not under the Declaratory Act, my Lord. There have been people turned out for heresy, but it has nothing to do with the Declaratory Act.”
Our readers will see at a glance that there is a practical denial in Mr. Haldane’s statement that any were turned out of churches and manses in 1893. The facts are notoriously otherwise, and we are not sure but the Lord Chancellor had them before him when he put the questions quoted above. At any rate let us briefly recount the facts. The Rev. D. Macfarlane, Dingwall, then of Raasay, in 1893, refused “the authority of the Church to change its doctrine,” tabled a protest in the Assembly against the Declaratory Act of 1892 as ultra vires of the Free Church, and claimed his rights both sacred and civil, as a minister of the Free Church, adhering to its constitution as settled in 1843. The Assembly declined to receive his protest. Shortly thereafter he was joined by the late Rev. Donald Macdonald, Shieldaig. The case of these ministers was taken up by the August Commission of Assembly of that year, and it was decided that legal steps should be taken to dispossess them of their churches and manses. Though fully convinced of the justice of their cause, and the validity of their rights, Messrs. Macfarlane and Macdonald did not feel prepared to involve themselves in the trouble of a legal contest, and so their cases were undefended in the Court of Session. Thus it came about that they were turned out of both churches and manses about two months after the F.C. Commission met. They were followed (as our readers are aware) by a considerable number of students, office-bearers and people in various parts of the country, and the Free Presbyterian Church, which was then formed, claimed and still claims to be the direct representative of the Free Church of Scotland as settled in 1843.
It is difficult to understand, in the light of these well-known facts, how Mr. Haldane’s “client” could instruct him to say that none were “turned out” under the Declaratory Act. In the Scotsman report the Lord Chancellor’s question includes churches as well as manses, and such, on the face of it, seems the more likely version of the matter. But it is still more bewildering to learn that “there have been people turned out for heresy.” It is the first time we have heard of any person in connection with the Free Church being turned out for heresy during the last twenty years. Surely, they do not mean to fasten the absurd stigma of heresy upon Messrs. Macfarlane and Macdonald? Who can they possibly refer to? Even Mr. Macdougall, Coatbridge, who was dealt with under the Inefficiency Act, was not turned out for heresy. Some explanation from the United Free authorities is very much needed.
It will appear more and more marvellous that Mr. Haldane was not supplied with the proper facts about the ejection of our ministers, when it is known that the United Free defenders in their formal statement of their case make reference to them and their supporters. For example, they say, “Certain ministers and members left the Church in consequence of the passing of said Act, and set up separate congregations, but they did not—as they might have done—raise any question as to their civil rights being affected by the passing of said Act.” Again, the Dean of Faculty, in his speech on the U.F. side, said, “There were certain gentlemen in the Church in 1892 who disapproved of what was done, and they left the Church. They now exist; they are a small body—they are called, I believe, the Free Presbyterian Church.” In view of all this, there is a clear demand for an explanation and rectification of the absolutely misleading and incorrect answer of Mr. Haldane to the Lord Chancellor’s questions. There is too much reason to think that the truth was suppressed for a purpose. Time will show whether the United Free authorities will in any way rectify this wrong. A satisfactory foot-note in a second edition of the volume containing the authorised report of the case would so far repair the injury to truth. J. S. S.
[The substance of the foregoing appeared in the correspondence columns of the Scotsman on August 27th.]
A Communion Table Service.
By the late Rev. JOHN DUNCAN, LL.D.[^3]
MOUNT SINAI AND MOUNT ZION.
(Before Table.)
JEHOVAH He is the God. He is a wonderful God, He is a wonder-working God. God quickens the dead, God opens the blind eyes and unstops the deaf ears; and the quickened soul has a voice wherewith to respond to the call—”Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not;” and the opened ear can hear the voice which says, “Look;” and the opened eye can look.
I have been lately, and methinks I still am, at the foot of MOUNT SINAI; and I heard a voice, and the voice spake of wrath; the wrath of God, which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. God thundered with His voice—who thundereth with a voice like Him? I heard the sound of a trumpet; and the voice of words, concerning which the Scriptures saith, “So terrible was the sight, that Moses said, ‘I exceedingly fear and quake.'”
And the Lord showed me a biography; a biography written defectively in the memory, which at the best is ever treacherous, but written perfectly in the book of God’s remembrance. And the voice said, “Come and read this biography.” I said, O Lord, how can I read it? “I have read it,” said God, “and you must, you must.” And when I had looked, still the voice came, “Turn thee yet again, and I will show thee greater abominations than these.”
And not a biography only—He showed me a heart. “There are seven abominations in a man’s heart”—seven being the scripture number for completeness. And my eye was fixed on that with horror. I speak not now of godly sorrow and repentance, but of horror; and with something that is surely worse, with shame. For it was not simply my eye fixed on the heart, but God showing me His own eye looking on it. “See thy sin under my eye; see my eye sees that.” God be merciful to me a sinner!
Now, I heard a voice, at first distant and mysterious; but it came nearer, a still small voice publishing peace, proclaiming salvation. A voice which came from ZION, the city of our solemnities, the city of our God. A voice publishing peace, proclaiming the salvation, which came from Zion. A voice proclaiming, as salvation, so also a Saviour. “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you is born in the city of David, a Saviour.” And not merely a Saviour, and a Saviour on earth—Emmanuel, God with us, God among us, God for us—but a Saviour slain.
Methought, then, I stood on Calvary, and heard these words, “It is finished.” God said, “Look into the heart of Christ, and behold him in his vicarious death. Behold him, and know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” The greatest depth of this poverty being not in His incarnation—though that was a wondrous depth—look at it in His death.
Then methought also that God said, Come by the blood to the mercy-seat. And I heard a voice speak from the mercy-seat, from between the cherubims. And what voice was that? “This is my beloved Son (not merely with whom, but) in whom I am well pleased, hear him!” said He from the mercy-seat, from between the cherubims. “The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake,” said He from the mercy-seat, from between the cherubims. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, and will not remember thy sins,” saith the Lord from the mercy-seat, from between the cherubims. “Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee,” said He from the mercy seat, from between the cherubims. Sweet invitation to me, a departer, “Return unto me,” God assigning to the sinner the saving cause, “for I have redeemed thee.”
Then methought the Lord said, “I know heart secrets.” And I said—Lord, show me a heart which Thou knowest. And methought the Lord showed me a heart. Whose it was He did not say, and I do not know; but a heart which God knows: He showed me something of it.
It was a heart into which he had put a new song. The soul was making melody, attempting to make melody to the Lord. Where it was I do not know; but I heard it singing about the middle of its song. It had been singing other songs before this. It had been singing, “What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit?” It had been singing the 51st Psalm, and Jehovah had put a new song into its mouth; He had done it, and it was trying to sing, and I heard it in the middle of its song. It had been reading Rev. v., and trying to sing some of its numbers, and now it was at these words, “For thou wast slain.” And O, how it was sobbing and breaking; how it was melting and breaking with a joyous grief and a grievous joy! It could not get its song sung, though it would have liked it. O how it faltered when it tried to sing, “And hast redeemed us to God by thy blood!”
It was the song of a soul known to God, and many such there are. It was the song of one to whom much had been forgiven, and who therefore loved much; and many such there are. But it was the song of the chief of sinners, of the one to whom most had been forgiven, and who loved most.
Yet it fallerd and made wrong music; it jarred, and there was discord; and it grated on its own ear and pained it. And God was listening to it; the omniscient God, who knows all things. But the song was presented through and by the Mediator of the new covenant; and if there was discord, it was removed by grace in atoning blood, by the sweet accents of intercession ; for it came up as music in Jehovah’s ear, melody to the Lord. It was not discord in heaven.
I would know, O God, what soul that is ! O God, let that soul be mine ! Why tell me of it ? Let it be mine ! Put a new song into my mouth ; teach me to sing it. Teach me to sing it on earth, and to sing it when earth shall be no more.
THE BRIDE, THE LAMB’S WIFE.
(After Table)
John in Patmos, being in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, heard a voice ; and when he had looked he beheld the Son of God, and fell at His feet. He saw visions ; and among other visions he saw this :—an angel came and said to him, ” Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” O when the eye has seen the Lamb, it has seen the best sight ; but next to that is the sight of the bride, THE LAMB’S WIFE. ” I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife,” the espoused one. I have espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
As Richard Weaver said in London lately, in a sermon on the text ” The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs,” all the Lord’s people are ” a singing people, and their way is a singing way.” But also the Lord’s people are a weeping people, and their way is a weeping way ; they shall come with weeping and with ” supplications will I lead them.” It is a mixed way ; sweet music, plaintive notes and joyful notes, penitential notes, and eucharistic notes.
” I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Next to the sight of the Lamb, that is the sight I would like to see. I would like to see the Lamb ; I would like to see the Father of the Lamb ; I would like to see the Spirit of the Lamb ; but next to that I would like to see the Bride, the Lamb’s wife. I would like to see her ; I would like to be her.
I bless God for Paul. Blessed be God for all His holy prophets and apostles. I bless God for Paul, who said, ” I have espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Blessed match-maker ! And blessed be God for Paul, who, by his words since his death, has espoused far more than all they whom he espoused in his life.
” I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife ;” a fretting, captious, quarrelsome bride ! We speak of lovers’ quarrels. O how many quarrels before this match is completed !—how much off and on ! Yet the Lord bears with it in His long suffering. May He make it, and make me to account it, salvation, and to employ it unto salvation !
” I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife ;” a singing people, and a weeping people ; a people receiving and retaining the word of the gospel ” in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.”
Now may the Lord show you the Lamb more and more, and show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife! And may He carry on in you the objects of His espousals until the full consummation of the marriage. “I have espoused you,” yea, married you; yet awaiting the marriage supper of the Lamb.
The apostle in holy prophetic vision saw the end—”The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready;” for “these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” That in vision; but meanwhile the Bride is making herself ready, washing her robes and making them white; working out the bestowed salvation until its final accomplishment with fear and trembling, under the promise and experience of this, that “it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
[^3]: These notes were taken by a hearer in Free St. Luke’s, Edinburgh, on 27th January, 1861.—ED.