THE Half-yearly Meeting of Synod was held in the Free Presbyterian Church, Inverness, on Tuesday the 9th day of July. The Rev. Ewen Macqueen, Bonar, conducted public worship at 12 noon, and preached from Luke xix. 13: “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” After public worship was ended, the Moderator constituted the Synod with prayer, and the roll was called. There were present:—From the Northern Presbytery—Revs. D. Macfarlane, Dingwall; J. R. Mackay, Inverness; E. Macqueen, Bonar (Moderator); and Norman Matheson, Halkirk, ministers; with Messrs. Lachlan Maclean (for Dingwall), and Angus Clunas, Inverness, elders. From the Southern Presbytery—Revs. Neil Cameron, St. Jude’s, and James S. Sinclair, John Knox’s, Glasgow (Clerk), ministers; with Mr. Donald Kelly, St. Jude’s, elder. From the Western Presbytery—Rev. Neil Macintyre, Glendale, minister.
Mr. William Fraser was appointed officer of Court, and the minutes of last Synod were read and approved of. The Clerk read a resolution in favour of the abolition of the Indo-Chinese Opium traffic, which was drawn up by a small Committee appointed at last Synod, and forwarded to the Prime Minister, Mr. John Morley and others. The resolution has been already published in the Magazine. Rev. D. Macfarlane moved that the Moderator be asked to publish his sermon. This was seconded by the Rev. J. R. Mackay, and unanimously agreed to.
Examiners of Presbytery Records were then appointed—Revs. Neil Cameron and J. R. Mackay for the Records of the Western Presbytery; Rev. J. S. Sinclair and Mr. Donald Kelly for those of the Northern; and Rev. Neil Macintyre and Mr. Angus Clunas for the Records of the Southern Presbytery. It was unanimously agreed that all the members of Synod meet as a Committee on Bills and Overtures at 4 p.m., at the F.P. Manse.
The Court adjourned, to meet again (God willing) at half-past six in the evening. The meeting was closed with prayer.
The Synod met in the evening at the hour appointed, and was
constituted with devotional exercises by the Moderator, Rev. Ewen Macqueen. There were present: From the Southern Presbytery—Revs. Neil Cameron and J. S. Sinclair (Clerk), ministers; with Mr. Donald Kelly, elder. From the Western Presbytery—Revs. Alexander Macrae, Portree; Neil Macintyre, Glendale; Dun. M’Kenzie, Gairloch; and Donald Graham, Shieldaig, ministers. From the Northern Presbytery—Revs. D. Macfarlane, J. R. Mackay, E. Macqueen (Moderator), and N. Matheson, ministers; with Messrs. Lachlan Maclean and Angus Clunas, elders. The minutes of the former sederunt were read and approved of.
The Clerk read the Report of Committee on Bills and Overtures as to the order of business, which was adopted. The examiners of Presbytery records then briefly delivered their reports, which were united in commending the manner in which the various records were kept. Rev. J. R. Mackay spoke on a motion, of which the Rev. D. Beaton gave notice at last Synod, to the effect that the Synod meet in future only once a year instead of twice as at present. Mr. Mackay moved that the motion be passed from until next meeting, when Mr. Beaton might be able to be present and have an opportunity of speaking to the motion himself. This was agreed to.
Mr. Clunas, treasurer, submitted his annual financial statement, which is printed in another part of the Magazine. He stated that the Sustentation Fund was very satisfactory, and also reported that he had received a few days before a donation of £10 from “One Interested,” to be applied to any fund the Synod might direct. Rev. D. Macfarlane moved the adoption of the report in the following motion: “The Synod approves of and adopts the Financial Statement for the year ending 31st March, 1907, now read by the treasurer; acknowledges the Divine goodness in supplying the material necessities of the Church’s ministers and missionaries; thanks the treasurer and auditors for their pains, and orders that the Financial Statement be published as in former years in the August number of the Church’s Magazine.” Mr. Macfarlane spoke briefly to each point in his motion, dwelling chiefly on the Divine goodness as manifested in the temporal support of the Church, and expressing the confidence that the Lord will provide in the future as He has done in the past, for those who endeavoured to lift up a testimony for His truth against error, without respect to any material advantage. Mr. Lachlan Maclean, elder, seconded the motion. The report was unanimously adopted, and it was also agreed that the donation of £10 be added to the Sustentation Fund. Rev. J. R. Mackay moved that the same gentlemen be appointed as auditors for another year—Messrs. Charles Maclean, Finlay Maciver, and Angus Fraser. Rev. Neil Cameron seconded, and the motion was agreed to. Messrs. Maclean, Maciver and Fraser, being present, kindly expressed their willingness to act again in this capacity.
The Clerk read a letter he had received from Mr. James
Mackenzie, Cliff House, Poolewe, intimating that he had decided not to ask repayment of the loan of £200 he had given in July, 1898, to help the Raasay Congregation to build a Church and Manse. Rev. D. Macfarlane spoke to the circumstances of the Raasay Congregation in this connection, and concluded by moving that the Synod express their hearty thanks to Mr. Mackenzie for his generosity in not asking repayment of the loan of £200, and instruct the clerk to communicate the same to Mr. Mackenzie. Rev. Neil Cameron said he had great pleasure in seconding the motion, which was cordially agreed to.
The next business was the appointment of the annual collections. Rev. J. R. Mackay moved that the Collections be the same as last year, and be taken at the same dates, with the exception that a special collection be taken with a view to clear off the remaining debt on the Raasay Church Buildings on the first Sabbath of April, 1908, and that some other arrangement be adopted for the maintenance of the Foreign Mission Fund than the present annual public collection, which would ordinarily fall to be made on the said date. Mr. Donald Kelly seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The order of collections is on the first Sabbath of each month mentioned, as follows:—
- Organisation Fund—August.
- Missionaries’ and Catechists’—October.
- Students’ Aid—December.
- Church Building—February.
- Raasay Church Debt Collection—April.
- Aged and Infirm Ministers’, and Ministers’ Widows and Orphans—June.
The next subject was the Foreign Mission Report. As the collection for Foreign Missions was the last thing spoken of under the preceding topic, Rev. Neil Cameron moved that the Synod resolve that, instead of the annual public collection for Foreign Missions, the Foreign Mission collection be made next year by books, and that collectors be appointed by the several congregations for this purpose. This was agreed to.
Rev. Neil Cameron then read a very interesting letter from Rev. John B. Radasi, Matabeleland, which is printed elsewhere in this number, and which contains encouraging news as to the advance of the Mission under Mr. Radasi’s supervision, and reports the addition of several natives to the Church, who were formerly members of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa, some of whom have been long known as good men by Mr. Radasi, and are able to conduct services and speak to the people. The Synod admired the wisdom and care with which Mr. Radasi instructed them in the doctrine and worship of the Free Presbyterian Church, and the clear and definite terms on which they were admitted and which they accepted. Mr. Cameron made some remarks on this encouraging advance in the Mission, and also on the prospect of having a number of the Psalms in
metre in the native tongue printed in a separate book for the use of the Mission, which Mr. Radasi earnestly desired. Mr. Cameron concluded by moving that the Synod record its satisfaction and thankfulness at Mr. Radasi’s report of his labours, and instruct the clerk to direct him to make a suitable collection of the Psalms out of the Wesleyan and Presbyterian Hymn Books, and to communicate with the authorities in, if necessary, both cases, for permission to publish the same in a separate book, the Synod taking responsibility for the printing and publishing of the said book of Psalms. The motion was seconded by the Rev. Alexander Macrae, and unanimously agreed to. It was also moved by the Rev. J. R. Mackay that Mr. Radasi’s salary be raised from £100 to £110, Mr. Mackay remarking that the providence of God seemed to be about Mr. Radasi’s whole connection with the Free Presbyterian Church from the beginning until now. The motion was seconded by the Rev. Duncan Mackenzie, and cordially agreed to.
Rev. J. S. Sinclair, as editor and treasurer of the Magazine, gave a statement of the intromissions for the past year. He stated that the circulation still continued at about the same number of nearly 2000 per month. There were some decreases in parcels, but the single copies were increasing. Subscriptions were, on the whole, very promptly paid. At the end of April there was a balance due for the year of £26 odds, but there were £40 or so pre-payments. Since the above date he had received in over £11 of the balance due which brought it down to £14 odds, the greater part of which sum was entirely good. Pre-payments were also coming in week by week. He had received £8 3s. 4d. in donations. The statement of accounts showed that if the full value of the Magazine for the year was realised, apart from donations and stock in hand, there would be a very satisfactory balance to credit. The Magazine was therefore quite solvent, and able to maintain itself. Rev. Duncan Mackenzie moved that the thanks of the Synod be given to the editor and treasurer for his services. Mr. Mackenzie, in the course of some remarks, earnestly appealed for an increase in the circulation of the Magazine, which, he said, was fitted to be an instrument of spiritual good to many. He recommended that subscribers, if at all able, should buy more than one copy, and make a point of sending it to friends at home or abroad. In this way they might even be instrumental in the conversion of souls to Christ through the diffusion of the Gospel truth published in the pages of the Magazine. Mr. Mackenzie’s motion was seconded by Mr. Clunas, and adopted. Rev. Mr. Macrae moved that any balance to credit be given to the treasurer for his labours. This was seconded by Mr. Donald Kelly, and agreed to. Rev. Neil Cameron also spoke in approval of what had been said, and made some remarks on the state of the funds and the work of the Magazine Committee. It was agreed that arrangements for auditing the Magazine accounts be left with the Committee.
In the absence of the Rev. D. Beaton, who was theological tutor for last session, Rev. J. R. Mackay read Mr. Beaton’s report, which ran as follows:—
REPORT ON THE THEOLOGICAL CLASSES FOR SESSION 1906-1907.
During the past session we studied some of the subjects usually embraced under Ecclesiastical History and Biblical Criticism. In Church history, two periods were gone over: (1) General Church History from the beginning of the Christian era to the Reformation in 1517; (2) Scottish Church History from early times until the Revolution Settlement. The method of tuition was by text books with occasional lectures. Unfortunately the time is too short to cover much ground in Church history, and it would be a commendable thing to have an extra session for the work of the class, so that our students might get a thorough grounding in Scottish Church History at least. Near the end of the session our students were introduced to the subject of Church Government and they were examined daily in MacPherson’s Presbyterianism. Here again, if there was a longer period of study the subject of Procedure in Church Courts might be touched on, and the broad outlines of this intricate but useful branch of theological equipment could be brought before our students.
The other subjects studied during the session were those usually embraced under Biblical Criticism. These were as follows:—(1) Reading and translation of the Gospel according to John; (2) Exposition and translation of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Questions relating to the date, destination, theology and authorship of the Epistle were discussed. And if I may be allowed to say so, it was no small pleasure to be brought in this way to study so minutely this precious portion of the Word of God on which the Holy Spirit so evidently has set His seal. (3) Our students were also introduced to the study of the difficult science of New Testament Textual Criticism, and in connection with this they studied the historical part of Nestle’s Textual Criticism of the New Testament; but for the praxis of the science we turned to another guide, using Miller’s little handbook on this subject. This subject, in view of the questions raised by the Revised Version, is peculiarly important, and it is necessary that our students should have some idea of the first principles of the science. During certain days of the week I gave lectures on the Canon and dealt with such questions as the test of canonicity, the right of a book to be regarded as canonical, and briefly touched on the historical evidence for the books of the New Testament to their place in the Canon. Here again I am impressed more than ever of the necessity of adding an extra year to the curriculum. In church history, knowledge of the Church’s triumphs, struggles, progress, or backsliding may be acquired afterwards, but most of the subjects under biblical criticism are not industriously studied after the
theological curriculum is at an end. I need scarcely remind the members of Synod of the vast importance of these subjects and the necessity of bringing before our students questions dealing with the date and authorship of the New Testament books. Besides, in recent times, New Testament Greek has become now a well defined separate branch of study from classical Greek, but owing to the shortness of our curriculum we cannot devote but a very short part of our time to the study of the grammar and language of the New Testament; and as for what is termed Introduction, little or no attention can be given to it, except the particular book we may be studying for the session. While I bring these matters before the Synod, it is not my desire that the Synod at its present session should pass any opinion on my proposals, but that members might take it into consideration. Our Church all along has laid peculiar stress on the necessity of our students being spiritually taught men, and while I trust this will always be recognised as of paramount importance among us, and the day never come for us as a Church when theological discipline will be considered of more importance than grace, yet at the same time, provided human learning take its true place as a handmaiden to Christ and lay all its treasure at His feet, it is an attainment not only useful but highly commendable and to be sought after.
It gives me pleasure to report that the students showed commendable diligence in their classwork, and in the written examinations the results were highly satisfactory. I have also to acknowledge the Synod’s great kindness in the grant of money they made to Rev. J. R. Mackay and myself for the purchase of books, and also of the arrangement whereby the Wick pulpit was supplied during the session, and in connection with this latter arrangement I feel my sincere thanks are due to our students who so willingly and kindly supplied the pulpit any time I asked them. This arrangement has eased considerably the heavy strain which teaching and preaching entailed in former sessions.
The next topic in order of business was “Remits from Presbyteries.” Northern Presbytery.—There were two remits. The first related to the supply of Gaelic services at Wick. The Clerk was instructed to write Mr. A. Macleod, missionary, Dunbeath, to see if he could supply for some Sabbaths. The second was the case of Mr. James Cameron, Dingwall, and the supply of Beauly. It was left with Rev. J. R. Mackay to communicate with Mr. Cameron, and to arrange. Western Presbytery.—There were two remits from this Presbytery. The first had reference to supply for Laide in room of the late Mr. Roderick Mackenzie, missionary. The Synod were asked to approve the appointment of Mr. John Mackenzie to attend at Laide every third Sabbath, and to fix his salary. Mr. Macintyre spoke to the remit, and moved that the Synod approve and fix the salary at £10 per annum. This was agreed to. The second remit was the appointment of Mr. John Macaulay at Plockton, in
room of the late Mr. John Macrae, and the fixing of his salary. The appointment was approved, and the salary was fixed at £7 10s. per quarter.
On the topic of the Canadian Mission, it was intimated that communications had been received from Canada with regard to the appointment of trustees there on the residue of the estate of the late Mr. Alexander Mackenzie, Lucknow, Ontario, which residue had been left to the Free Presbyterian Church in Canada in connection with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Rev. Neil Cameron submitted a motion as to the appointment of Mr. George Forrest and others, which was approved. Rev. J. R. Mackay stated the steps that had been taken in Committee in connection with the sending out of the deputy for the present year. It had been proposed to send out at once an ordained missionary, but circumstances this year, which he explained, did not permit, and so it was decided to send out a deputy in the usual way, who was directed to include Winnipeg, Manitoba, as part of the mission.
Under the head of “Competent Business,” Rev. A. Macrae, Portree, reported as to a meeting with the Raasay congregation on the subject of calling a minister. He said that Raasay and Broadford had been constituted by the Synod one charge but that Raasay now wanted to be disjoined from Broadford. Rev. Neil Cameron moved, and Rev. Neil Macintyre seconded a motion to the effect that the former arrangement of Raasay and Broadford as one charge must be adhered to.
The subject of the new “School Catechism” was next taken up, and a committee, consisting of Revs. J. R. Mackay, N. Cameron, and J. S. Sinclair, was appointed to draw up a statement in disapproval of the Catechism.
Attention was also called to the Bill by Mr. T. L. Corbett, presently before Parliament, asking for a Commission to enquire into the need for the inspection of Monastic and Conventual Institutions. The Clerk remarked that it was a disgrace that out of 22 Scottish members who voted on the first reading of the Bill, which was carried by a small majority, 12 should have voted against the Bill. It was agreed that the Rev. Messrs. Mackay, Cameron, and Sinclair, also draft a resolution on this subject and forward it to Mr. Corbett, and others.
Rev. J. R. Mackay said that it was desirable there should be a larger attendance of their lay members at meetings of Synod, and moved that it be a recognised rule that all members of Synod should attend at least once a year. Rev. Neil Cameron seconded, and the motion was unanimously agreed to. It was also moved by the Rev. Neil Macintyre, and agreed to, that moderators of mission stations shall be expected to visit their stations once a year.
The Court adjourned to meet again (God willing) at Glasgow, on Tuesday after the second Sabbath of November, at eleven o’clock forenoon.
The meeting was closed with praise and prayer.