Communions.
Oban and Dumbarton, first Sabbath of month; St. Jude’s (Glasgow), and Tarbert (Loch Fyne), second; Edinburgh, Dornoch, and Helmsdale, third; John Knox’s, Glasgow (Christian Institute, Bothwell Street), Ullapool, and Halkirk, Caithness, fourth.
Meeting of Synod.
—The Synod will (D.V.) meet in St. Jude’s Hall, on Tuesday, the 13th November. The retiring Moderator, Rev. D. Beaton, Wick, will preach at 12 noon.
Call to Probationer.
—The combined charge of Halkirk and Helmsdale has addressed a call to the Rev. Norman Matheson, probationer.
Free Presbyterians and the Churches Commissioners’ Local Inquiries.
—Unfortunately for themselves, some Free Presbyterian office-bearers have been cited as witnesses by the United Free Church to these Inquiries. According to the Churches’ (Scotland) Act no one could be a claimant of church property unless he or she was in connection with the Free Church up to the Union in 1900; and also either in the Free Church or United Free Church at 11th August, 1905. This of course excluded Free Presbyterians completely. Nevertheless some Free Presbyterians signed Free Church lists, while a great number of those who joined us after the Union also signed the lists, but according to the reading of the Churches’ Act they too were excluded as not being in connection either with the United Free or Free Church at 11th August, 1905. The United Free Church was, of course, determined to disqualify these, and cited Free Presbyterian office-bearers to prove that the disputed persons were adherents or communicants of the Free Presbyterian Church. To reasonable men it is unnecessary to say that Free Presbyterians have no sympathy with the United Free Church, and the appearance before the Assistant Commissioners was not such a savoury business that any office-bearer might long to put in an appearance.
Financial Matters.
—Recently, readers of the northern press have had their attention called to the alleged shortcomings of the Free Presbyterians in financial matters. Meantime, we pass by the charges made against the Magazine Committee by the former publisher of this Magazine—the Committee are quite capable of defending themselves. But reference may be allowed to a spiteful letter which has appeared the other week in the columns of the Oban Times and Northern Chronicle. The writer, in carefully-chosen phrases, dilates on the great crime of transferring the money at the credit of the Foreign and Jewish Mission Fund to meet the law expenses in the Munro v. Macrae case. The simple explanation of the matter is, that the money was transferred only for the time being, as there was not sufficient at the credit of our Organisation Fund to meet the expense incurred in the lawsuit, and the Synod has, of course, the fullest intention of refunding the money. The writer of this letter, who, it is scarcely necessary to say, is no longer with us, knew sufficient about the above case to keep him from making an uncalled-for attack on Rev. A. Macrae. These excursions into the field of finance are not fitted to add lustre to the fame of the writers, and it is to be sincerely regretted that they have demeaned themselves so far as to speak of their old friends as they now do.
An interesting and encouraging letter from Rev. John B. Radasi may be looked for in next issue. It has come too late for the present.
Shirking Responsibility.
—In last issue of the Free Church Monthly, the editor, in a brief note written in a kindly enough tone, makes reference to some remarks made by the Rev. Murdo Mackenzie at a recent meeting of the Inverness Free Church Presbytery. It is to the editor’s credit that he quietly ignored the remarks made by another member of that Presbytery on the same occasion. But it is not with the intention of reviewing the Presbytery proceedings, but to join issues with our friend, the editor, on a simple question of ethics, that this note is written. If a speech dealing with a subject of vital importance is reported in a prominent journal like the Scotsman, and no contradiction comes from the speaker, the public are entitled to believe that the report is a fair account of what was said. It may not be as full as the speaker could wish, but, if it is misleading, the interests of truth demand that the speaker correct the report, provided always, of course, that he has seen such report. We take for granted Rev. Murdo Mackenzie saw the report of his Assembly speech in the Scotsman, and if it was unfair or untrue it should have been corrected. Mr. Mackenzie assured his brethren at Inverness that he was quite serious when he spoke of Demonic Possession in such scathing terms as he did; the editor of the Free Church Monthly holds that he dealt with certain matters in a humorous vein, and the Scotsman reporter was evidently of the same opinion. But, in the very nature of things, it is only just to acknowledge that Mr. Mackenzie knew his own mind much better than either the editor of the Free Church Monthly or the Scotsman reporter.
The Late Roderick Mackenzie, Lochbroom.
—We are very sorry to learn the death of Mr. Roderick Mackenzie, Missionary, Achmore, Lochbroom. The deceased was an excellent man, and his removal is a loss to the Church. We hope to have a brief account of him in an early issue.