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Home » Publications » Free Presbyterian Magazine » 1905 » March 1905 » Royal Church Commission

Royal Church Commission

This Commission, consisting of the Earl of Elgin, Lord Kinnear, and Sir Ralph Anstruther, has been sitting at the Merchant Company’s Hall, Edinburgh, for several days during the past month. It was appointed by the King to make inquiry in connection with the property recently decided by the House of Lords to belong to the Free Church as against the United Free Church, and in view of the fact that the Free Church had acknowledged inability to utilise all the property thus adjudicated. Evidence has been led on both sides—Principal Rainy, Dr. Ross Taylor, Dr. Howie, Lord Overtoun, Mr. Lee, and a number of others representing the United Free Church, and Rev. J. Kennedy Cameron, Rev. D. M. Macalister, Mr. Archibald MacNeillage, Mr. J. Hay Thorburn, and others representing the Free Church. The Commissioners refused to take any evidence from the United Frees on the subject of “donors’ intentions” as outwith the scope of their commission. Lord Elgin also reprimanded some of the United Free witnesses for re-inserting in their evidence, which they were allowed to revise in proof form, certain passages which the Commission had excised, but which had appeared in the newspapers. In the evidence by Rev. J. Kennedy Cameron a passage appeared touching the Free Church and the Free Presbyterians, which certainly had no authority from the latter. It ran thus:—”There was no small probability of the Free Presbyterians and themselves entering into an incorporating union at a very early date.” The Southern Presbytery sent a brief disclaimer to the Commission to the effect that “there was no authority from the courts of this Church for the aforesaid statement.” Lord Elgin acknowledged receipt, and stated that the communication would be laid before the Commission. Church unions, we may be permitted to observe, are very delicate matters to handle, and it is desirable that men should be scrupulously careful not to say more than is fully warranted on such subjects.

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Rev K D Macleod BSc
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