THE Half-Yearly Meeting of the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland was held in the Hall of St. Jude’s Church, Glasgow, on Tuesday the 16th day of November. The retiring Moderator, Rev. Neil Cameron, St. Jude’s, conducted public worship at eleven in the forenoon and preached from Psalm cx., 2-3—”The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” After public worship was ended, the Moderator constituted the Synod with prayer, and the roll was called. There were present:—From the Northern Presbytery—Mr. Alexander Gray, Lairg, elder. From the Southern Presbytery—Revs. Neil Cameron (Moderator), and James S. Sinclair, John Knox’s (Clerk), ministers. From the Western Presbytery—Revs. Alexander Macrae, Portree; Neil Macintyre, Stornoway; Duncan Mackenzie, Gairloch; and Murdo Morrison, Glendale, ministers; with Messrs. John M’Donald, Gairloch, and John Stewart, Lochcarron, elders.
It was moved, seconded, and agreed to, that Mr. Angus Fraser be appointed officer of court. The minutes of last meeting of Synod were read, and approved of.
Rev. A. Macrae moved, and Rev. D. Mackenzie seconded, that the Moderator be asked to publish his sermon in the Magazine.
At this stage, the Moderator stated that his term of office had expired, and thanked the Synod for the kindness and courtesy he had received while he occupied the chair. He added that it now fell to the Synod to appoint his successor. Therefore, the Rev. Duncan Mackenzie, Gairloch, moved that the Rev. Alexander Macrae, Portree, be appointed Moderator for the ensuing year. Rev. Murdo Morrison, Glendale, seconded the motion. Rev. A. Macrae rose and moved that the Rev. D. Mackenzie be appointed Moderator. This motion was seconded by the Rev. Neil Macintyre. Mr. Mackenzie, however, refused to undertake the
office, and it was agreed that Mr. Macrae be requested to undertake it. This he consented to do. Rev. Neil Cameron then vacated the chair, which was taken by the new Moderator. Mr. Macrae thanked the Synod for their kindness in conferring this honour upon him, and said that he looked for their indulgence and prayers during the time of his occupancy of the chair.
It was agreed that all the members of Synod meet as a Committee on Bills and Overtures at the Manse at 4 p.m.
The Synod adjourned to meet again (God willing) at 6.30 p.m.
The meeting was closed with singing the last four stanzas of the 132nd Psalm and prayer.
The Synod met in the evening at the hour appointed, and was constituted with devotional exercises by the Moderator, Rev. Alexander Macrae. There were present:—From the Southern Presbytery—Revs. Neil Cameron and James S. Sinclair, ministers; with Messrs. James Nicol, St. Jude’s, John Auld, John Knox’s, Duncan Crawford, Oban, and Donald M’Callum, Kames, elders. From the Western Presbytery—Revs. A. Macrae, Portree (Moderator), Neil Macintyre, Duncan Mackenzie, and Murdo Morrison, ministers; with Messrs. John M’Donald and John Stewart, elders. From the Northern Presbytery—Mr. Alexander Gray, elder. The Clerk reported apologies for absence from the Rev. D. Beaton, Wick, member of Northern Presbytery, and the Rev. D. Graham, Shieldaig, member of Western Presbytery. The Clerk stated that the Rev. Walter Scott, from Brushgrove, New South Wales, was present, and he moved that Mr. Scott be associated with the Synod. Rev. Neil Macintyre seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Mr. Scott then rose and thanked the Synod for the privilege, and took his seat along with the other members. The minutes of the former sederunt were read and approved of.
The Clerk read the Report of the Committee on Bills and Overtures as to the order of business, which was adopted. The following was the order:—(1) Report of Committee on Bills, etc.; (2) Half-yearly Financial Report; (3) Canadian Mission Report; (4) Foreign Mission Report; (5) Remits from Presbyteries; (6) Competent Business.
The Clerk read the half-yearly financial report of the various Funds, forwarded by Mr. Clunas, General Treasurer, Inverness. Mr. Clunas called attention to a deficit of £58 15s. 9d. in the Sustentation Fund (supplemented by the Missionaries’ and Catechists’ Collection), for the payment of ministers and missionaries at Martinmas. He observed that several places, which might be expected to do so, had not, up to date, forwarded contributions to the Sustentation Fund. Rev. Neil Macintyre moved that the financial report be adopted, and that the Treasurer be instructed to pay the ministers and missionaries at the usual rate. He said that they had reason to thank the Giver of all good that the funds, all things considered, were in as satisfactory a condition as they
were. There had been a pretty good response to the appeal for the Missionaries’ and Catechists’ Collection, and some of the congregations had done better than usual in the matter of the Sustentation Fund. He believed that the balance needed would come in the course of a fortnight, and that one or two of the ministers were willing to defer the payment of their salaries for a little. The motion was seconded, and unanimously agreed to. The Clerk said that the Interim-Convener of the Sustentation Fund (Mr. Cameron), would write any of those places which were behind. Mr. Macintyre gave notice that he would move at next meeting of Synod that the date of the Missionaries’ and Catechists’ Collection be left to the convenience of congregations within the half-year ending with October, as the same date was not suitable for all parties.
The Clerk read the “Canadian Mission Report” which he had received from the Rev. Donald Macleod, missionary, who had returned on 24th October, and who was at home in Skye. The report—a long and interesting one—is printed elsewhere. It was listened to with much interest and appreciation. At the conclusion, the Clerk moved that the thanks of the Synod be tendered to Mr. Macleod for his excellent report, and for his labours on the Canadian Mission Field. The motion was seconded by Rev. D. Mackenzie, and cordially agreed to. As to Mr. M’Leod’s recommendation that someone be sent out as soon as convenient to the field, it was moved by the Rev. Neil Macintyre, and seconded by the Rev. M. Morrison, that this be left with the Foreign Mission Committee for their earnest consideration.
Rev. Neil Cameron (who had occasion to leave the meeting for half an hour to fulfil an engagement during the previous business) now returned, and delivered the “Foreign Mission Report.” He first read an interesting letter from the Rev. John B. Radasi, which he had received on 25th October, and then a valuable, illuminating, and encouraging report from the Rev. John R. Mackay, deputy to the South African Mission, which had come to hand the day before the Synod met. Both these documents are printed elsewhere. They were listened to with intense interest and pleasure by the meeting. Mr. Cameron pointed out that, they were much indebted to the British and Foreign Bible Society for forwarding books to the Mission carriage free, as the carriage was very expensive. He also called attention to Mr. Mackay’s suggestion, that friends at home should send out second hand clothing for the natives. He (Mr. Cameron) thought the home clothing would be too heavy for the hot climate, and suggested that friends might send contributions whereby lighter materials could be bought and sent out. These contributions might be forwarded to Mr. Clunas, the Clerk, or himself. Mr. John M’Donald, elder, moved, and Mr. Duncan Crawford, elder, Oban, seconded, the adoption of the report. Mr. Crawford said that
there was great reason to thank the Most High, that He had raised up a man like Mr. Radasi, and had sent him to their Church in a mysterious way. He had proved himself to be a steadfast, trustworthy, and successful missionary. The report from Mr. Mackay they had just listened to, was fitted to impress upon their hearts the duty of taking a deeper and more prayerful interest in the work of the Mission. The case of the poor, persecuted woman, in whose heart a work of grace seemed to be begun, was one that should make them take shame to themselves in a Christian country. He corroborated Mr. Cameron’s suggestion as to the matter of clothing. Rev. Neil Cameron also moved, that Mr. Mackay’s recommendation, that £12, which Mr. Radasi had spent out of his own pocket in building four huts, should be refunded. The motion was seconded and unanimously agreed to.
Under the head of “Remits from Presbyteries,” it was reported by the Clerk from the Southern Presbytery, that the Rev. Neil Cameron and himself had arranged that Mr. Thomas Cameron, student, who had been supplying the London Mission during the summer months, should continue to do so during the winter, and that he should take classes there in Latin and Greek, instead of at Glasgow University, where he had been hitherto studying, this being also the last session of his University course. The present case was similar to that of Mr. Alexander Mackay, student, who had officiated in London during the preceding winter, and had taken his classes there. The Clerk further stated, that the arrangement had been approved by the Southern Presbytery, but while the Presbytery had charge of the supply of the Mission, it belonged to the Synod to supervise the studies of their students, and it therefore lay with them to say if they approved of the arrangement that had been made. It was moved by the Rev. Neil Macintyre, and unanimously agreed to, that the Synod approve of the arrangements that had been made in connection with the supply of the London Mission, and the studies of Mr. Thomas Cameron, student.
The sixth head was “Competent Business.”—At this point, the Rev. Neil Cameron made a statement in regard to an ecclesiastical matter which had been discussed in Committee. The statement was as follows:—
The Rev. Neil Cameron said,—”Moderator and brethren, there have been ideas in the minds of some in our Church that we intend to change our constitution as a Church, and that we contemplate becoming Covenants by formally signing the Covenants. There are none known to me in the Church who have had any such thoughts. What we have thought of is simply to issue a declaration setting forth our firm adherence to the great and fundamental doctrines of the Reformation, and our appreciation of the fidelity and fortitude of the men who were the instruments used by the Lord for the achievement of such a blessed deliverance in our land. In doing this, as I will endeavour to show, we will add nothing to our constitution as a Church.
The Free Church of Scotland held for many years the doctrine of the infallibility and absolute inerrancy of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, but she abandoned publicly that fundamental doctrine and raised to the highest positions men who taught that the Bible was fallible. Other Churches in this land followed her pernicious example. Thus the Bible became in the opinion of many not much better than an old almanac. No Church raised her protest publicly against this sacrilege. We realised it to be our bounden duty before God to issue our protest and declaration as a Church against it. We declared our firm and unwavering belief in the divine Authorship of the Bible, and that none holding the views of such as are called higher critics could even be a member of our Church. We held this doctrine ourselves as firmly before that declaration was made as we have done since. Why, then, did we make it at all? The circumstances in which we found ourselves placed demanded at our hands to raise our voice publicly in defence of God’s Word as we had vowed to do. Did we add anything to our constitution by making such a declaration? Nothing. We only expressed what was already in our constitution as the true Free Church of Scotland.
At that time we made another declaration, also in order to set forth the binding obligations of ordination vows. The Formula of the Free Church of Scotland is a promissory oath, which every office-bearer in accepting office makes. In it he binds himself to assert, maintain, and defend the whole doctrine of the Confession of Faith; but things came to such a sinful and disgraceful pass in that Church, that men who had taken these vows looked upon them as a matter of no importance, and held up to ridicule the very doctrines which they had vowed to assert, maintain, and defend. This brought vows into contempt and the men who took them under the awful charge of perjury.
We, on these accounts, declared that these vows were equal to an oath, and ought to be made with the same religious fear of God before one’s eyes. We did this in order to conserve the sanctity of such vows, and because profane men had made them a laughing-stock. We bound ourselves as office-bearers in this Church, should we change our mind about anything contained in the matter of these vows, we shall immediately make the thing known to the Church-court, under whose jurisdiction we may be; but should we begin to teach error, we have put the power into the hands of our members or adherents to report such erroneous doctrines to the proper court, in order that the thing may be dealt with in accordance with the law of this Church. In having done this, have we added anything to our constitution as a Church? No; we have only declared what we held before, as honest and trustworthy men, as our obligations towards God and our fellow-men.
The effect of these two declarations has been that men have
ceased to make such drastic statements against the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible, and also against the binding obligations of ordination vows. In fact, they were compelled to do so, because many who remained in church-fellowship with them were thankful to us for these declarations, and should they go on making charges against the Bible and its doctrines, as formerly they did, they were afraid that some of their followers would leave them. Thus a check, so far, has been put upon their tongues and pens.
Another serious matter still demands our attention, viz., whether the Reformation was a mistake, or not, and whether the godly men who were instrumental in bringing about the deliverance in civil and religious matters at that time in this land were fanatics or something worse. These charges have been repeatedly made against the Reformation and the Reformers, both in England and Scotland. This year, the public prints of both have been flooded with invectives against these men and the work which they achieved. No Church has made any public declaration setting before the world that the Reformation was clearly a work of God. Do we look upon the work of these noble and God-fearing men, the faithful manner in which they strove for the faith once delivered to the saints, and the great deliverance the Lord wrought by them from the thraldom of the Papacy and Prelacy, as the work of fanatics? I throw not. Do we not believe that the work was of God, and that these men were His faithful servants? ‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’
The Free Church made a public declaration in 1851 in which she set forth her appreciation of the contendings of the Reformers. The following quotation will show her mind then:—’We would grievously err and sin were we not to recognise, in the substance of what was then done, the hand and Spirit of God; and were we not to discern in it such an adaptation to the exigencies of the times, and such an amount of conformity to the divine mind and will, as must ever be held to give to the attainments then made by this Church and nation a peculiar force of obligation, and to aggravate not a little the guilt of subsequent shortcomings and defections.’ This is a part of the Constitution of the Church to which we all belong, but it has, like the inerrancy of the Bible and the binding obligation of ordination vows, fallen into abeyance, and I think a declaration by our Church relative to that period of her history would serve a very good purpose at this time. Should we proceed to define our relation to the work of God in this land at and from the second Reformation, we would be only raising out of the ashes in which it has been buried, the testimony borne by the Free Church in 1851. Therefore, I think that a statement, in the form of a deliverance by our Church, setting forth how we view and stand related to the period of the second Reformation and its contendings, would help to stop the mouths of God’s enemies, to strengthen our own position as a Church, and to expose the hypocrisy of such as garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous, but have taken away the key of knowledge and closed the kingdom of heaven against themselves, and keep others from entering into it.
In Old Testament times, we have recorded several times at which the people entered into a covenant with God; but on every occasion known to me, it was at such critical periods in their history as caused them to realize that unless the Lord would interpose, their liberty, both civil and religious, was gone. During the real times of covenanting in Scotland, I find the same principle followed. This caused me to conclude that to sign a covenant, or swear to it, was not followed by any good results, except when entered into by men who looked to God alone as their only help against their enemies and His own. The history of covenanting in Scotland before and after the Revolution Settlement will bear this conclusion. At the same time, to say that one does not hold the Covenants, because he has not signed them, is not true; it would be just as true to say, that none hold the doctrines and principles of the Confession of Faith, but such as have taken vows by signing the Church’s Formula. It is notoriously patent that the contrary is more like the truth.
I am very much under the impression, however, that the time will come, and that much sooner than most expect, when we shall have to bind ourselves in a covenant to God, and to one another, in a bloody struggle—the last—against the Papacy. May the Lord give us grace to endure unto the end, when the time of Jacob’s trouble will actually come!”
Rev. Neil Macintyre moved, that the Synod thank Mr. Cameron for the statement he had made on a matter that had caused some agitation in the Church, and that the question of a “Declaration” in regard to the Reformation attainments be remitted to next meeting of Synod, as there were so few members present on this occasion. Mr. Alexander Gray, elder, seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
Rev. Neil Macintyre read a request from Mr. Andrew Tallach, missionary, to be transferred from Lochinver to Raasay. Rev. Neil Macintyre moved, that power be given to the Western Presbytery to transfer Mr. Tallach not later than May. The motion was seconded by Mr. John Stewart, elder, and agreed to.
A petition was also presented from Applecross craving the services of Mr. Murdo Mackay, missionary, Strathy, for a few months. Rev. N. Macintyre moved, and Rev. N. Cameron seconded, that Mr. Murdo Mackay be sent for two months to Applecross, beginning with January.
At this stage, the Rev. Walter Scott from Australia gave some account of his work on the Clarence River and the difficulties that attended it. He spoke of the isolation that he experienced, and said that the only minister that he had found a stay and comfort to him was the Rev. Arthur Paul of St. Kilda, Victoria, who was a venerable divine, the author of several publications in defence
of the truth, and a man well read in the history of the Church. Mr. Scott expressed the pleasure he had had in meeting with friends in Scotland since his return, and said that he had done his best to secure closer relations between the Brushgrove-Grafton Congregation and the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, but that the latest word from Australia was indefinite. (Mr. Scott’s address in full, from his own notes, is held over till next issue.)
The Rev. Neil Cameron moved to the effect that the Synod thank the Rev. Walter Scott for his excellent and touching address, and offer Mr. Scott and the congregation over which he had been placed in Australia their deepest sympathy in the trying and isolated position in which they were placed in the providence of God. He said that since Mr. Scott was in this country on his former visit, he was sure the members of this Synod had been following, with real interest, the struggles of their friend and his congregation in their efforts to maintain God’s truth and worship in that far distant land. He could not conceive of any greater loss that could befall their friends there and their families than that they should lose God’s Word, with its saving doctrines, and the Scriptural form of worship, government, and discipline, as these were set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith. He hoped the Lord would strengthen them by His grace to hold fast that which they had lest another take their crown. The motion was unanimously agreed to. The Moderator then, in the name of the Synod, thanked Mr. Scott for his address.
The Synod adjourned to meet again (God willing) at Inverness, at 11 a.m., on Tuesday after the first Sabbath of July, 1910.
The meeting was closed at about 9.10 p.m. with the singing of the last three verses of the 122nd Psalm and prayer.
Services in London.—The Free Presbyterian Mission services in the great metropolis are regularly held at Conference Hall, Eccleston Place, Buckingham Palace Road, S.W. It is arranged that the Rev. Neil Cameron, of St. Jude’s, Glasgow, will (d.v.) preach there on the second Sabbath of December at the usual hours—English at 11 a.m., Gaelic at 3 p.m., and English at 7 p.m. It has also been arranged that the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper will (d.v.) be dispensed in said Conference Hall on the third Sabbath, the 19th day of December, and that the Rev. Neil Cameron, Glasgow, and the Rev. John R. Mackay, M.A., Inverness, will conduct the services on the Sabbath and week-days in connection therewith. Mr. Mackay has written from South Africa, stating that he expects, if well, to be then in London, on his return journey from the foreign mission field. It may be stated that Mr. Thomas Cameron, student, is presently conducting the London services, and it is hoped that friends will make known to all acquaintances in London, these arrangements for the Communion and other services. We trust there will be large attendances.