Rev. J. R. Mackay, as Theological Tutor, delivered his report as follows:—
“MODERATOR AND BRETHREN,—I beg to submit to you a report of my work as Theological Tutor for the past session. We commenced work on the first Tuesday of January, and, except for a fortnight’s break in March, continued steadily at work up to the last Friday of May. I had four students, Donald M. Macdonald, Donald A. Macfarlane, Alexander Mackay, John A. Mackay. The second and fourth of these—for I have named them in alphabetical order—are graduates. Alexander Mackay had already finished his Theological Course in New Testament Greek and Church History under Mr. Beaton. The other three students were Theological Students of the first year. I have reason to acknowledge the Lord’s goodness both to myself and to the students in the matter of health, for except that one of the students was, through ill-health, absent for a day and a half, not an hour was lost in the whole course of the session. As usual, we met only on four days of the week, these being Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and, as usual, each day’s opening exercise included a passage of the Greek New Testament, which we read with a devotional aim. As the Court knows, the subjects committed to me are Old Testament Hebrew and Systematic Theology, and in both subjects the Church ordains a course of two sessions. This last, then, had been the first year’s course in these two subjects for all the students mentioned. So far as concerns Old Testament Hebrew, the best part of an hour was each day devoted to Hebrew grammar. Davidson’s Hebrew Grammar was gone over very thoroughly, all the students doing practically every exercise in the grammar used. We commenced reading Genesis in Hebrew about the middle of the session, but as in this first year’s course we take up the portion read not only for exposition and syntax, but also with a view to explain all the phenomena of the Massoretic text, not much ground can be overtaken within the hour given to the subject in this first session. Four written examinations were held in the course of the session, and for most part the results were very satisfactory, and in every case I had ample proof that the students gave the class work their best attention.
“A second hour was each day given to Theology. In connection with this subject, I delivered throughout the session written lectures on two days of the week. In these lectures I find it necessary, by way of introduction to Systematic Theology, to take up the themes usually discussed in a class of Apologetics, the subject being treated as Philosophical,
Psychological, Historical, and Bibliological Apologetics, for in the name of those four substantive disciplines referred to, of the second possibly most of all at the present moment, the Christian faith is assaulted by its many opponents, whereas they ought to be regarded as confirmatory of Christian truth. These themes occupy so much time that in this first year’s course I have done little more than cross the threshold of Systematic Theology in the strict sense when the session closes. But in that remark I refer only to part of the week’s work. On the third day I examined the students orally on the lectures of the two previous days, and also examined on a text-book supplementing our work in Apologetics. In this last session our text-book for the first half of the session was Paley’s Natural Theology, and that classical treatise was carefully gone over so far as Paley bases his Theistic argumentation on the marks of design in the human body, that is, over the first eleven chapters. Our supplementary text-book for the second half of the session on this third day of our week’s work was the Analogy of Joseph Butler, a writer of whom Dr. Chalmers said that he ‘derived greater aid from his reasonings than he was able to find in the whole range of our extant authorship besides.’
“On the fourth day an hour was invariably devoted to a careful reading of Turretine’s De Satisfactione in Latin. I adopt this course with Turretine for several reasons. It helps our young men to remember their Latin all the better. It brings them in contact with one of the very first theologians of the Reformed Church, and finally, it helps to keep us all near the centre of Gospel truth during the whole course of the session. In Theology two written examinations were held in the course of the session, and these examinations covered all the subjects already referred to. A high percentage was gained by our students in this department. Over and above the regular work of the session, two essays on Theological themes were given in by each of the students. I also heard each of the students preach at least twice in the course of the session, and I had thus ample opportunities of giving them such suggestions as I thought were called for. The conduct of the students was in all respects very pleasing and exemplary, and the Church I reckon has reason to take courage from the character, abilities, and piety of its rising ministry.
“I have gone into details of our work in this connection, inasmuch as I suppose it not an unlikely thing that many, even of our own people, should imagine that our Divinity students have not, on account of the paucity and lack of opportunities of our teachers, a training in Theology equal to that enjoyed at other centres. I humbly think that for practical purposes we may claim that a too deprecatory estimate is not warranted.
The Lord willing, our next session will commence at Inverness on the first Tuesday of December. So far as concerns Old Testament Hebrew, the first hour of next session will be devoted to a written examination covering the whole of Dr. Davidson’s
Hebrew Grammar, and the second hour to a written examination covering the first twenty chapters of Genesis in Hebrew. The Court should see to it that subjects be at once prescribed for finals in Old Testament Hebrew and in Systematic Theology, and that examiners in those subjects be appointed.”
Rev. D. Beaton moved the adoption of the report, and said that it was a matter of much thankfulness that the teaching given by Mr. Mackay was in the variety of the subjects treated and in the manner handled, equal, and perhaps superior to, that given in many theological seminaries. Rev. A. Sutherland seconded the motion, which was adopted. The Clerk moved that £10 per annum be given as a small grant to the Theological Tutors for their services, the money to be taken meantime out of the Organisation Fund, but hereafter out of what shall be known as “The College Fund.” The motion was seconded by the Rev. A. Sutherland, supported by the Rev. D. Macfarlane, and unanimously agreed to. Revs. J. R. Mackay and D. Beaton expressed their sincere thanks for the Synod’s kindness. Rev. W. Scott suggested that the Synod should allow a short period of rest to the Tutors at the end of their respective sessions. It was agreed that this be granted, and that the Synod provide congregational supply in view of their absence. Mr. Mackay suggested that the Theological Committee prepare a list of subjects for the first and also for the final Theological Examinations.
The next business was “Remits from Presbyteries”:—
(1) Northern Presbytery.—The following remit was tabled with regard to fishing on the Lord’s Day:—”This Presbytery, in view of an attempt at present being made by capitalists to introduce fishing on the Lord’s Day, and thus to set aside the hallowed observances of this day for the fishermen, desire the Synod to seriously impress upon our people engaged in the fishing industry their duty of resisting to the utmost any such movement, and to call upon our ministers to give their countenance to the efforts made by the fishermen to resist this God-dishonouring scheme.” The remit was cordially received, and instructions given accordingly.
A second remit from the same Court was a petition from Lochinver and Stoer craving that this congregation be transferred from the Northern to the Western Presbytery. The petition was granted. The interim moderatorship of the congregation was left, according to Church procedure, to the Presbytery to appoint. A third had reference to the supply of Tain, Beauly, Daviot, and Stratherrick, and the Presbytery’s arrangements were approved of. Rev. J. R. Mackay also read an application for admission to the Free Presbyterian Church which he had received from a West Coast missionary. Rev. D. Beaton moved that the matter be remitted to a Committee consisting of the Revs. D. Macfarlane, J. R. Mackay, and Neil Cameron, to make further inquiry. The motion was agreed to.
(2) Southern Presbytery.—This Court sent a remit to the Synod suggesting that a Day of Humiliation and Prayer should be held with respect to the religious condition of the country and the dangers of Romish aggression. The Synod received the remit, and agreed to observe such a day in the autumn, the exact date to be arranged by the Southern Presbytery in correspondence with the other Courts.
(3) Western Presbytery.—Rev. A. Macrae, as interim Moderator for Stornoway, in the absence of Rev. Neil Macintyre in Canada, sent proposals of supply—Mr. Peter M. Chisholm, student, to the end of August, and Mr. D. M. Macdonald from the beginning of September. The proposals were agreed to.
The last head was “Any Competent Business.” The first business taken up was the question of the Papal Marriage Law, called Ne Temere, and it was agreed, on the motion of the Rev. D. Mackenzie, that a Committee, consisting of the Revs. J. R. Mackay, Neil Cameron, J. S. Sinclair, and D. Beaton, be appointed to draw up a resolution against it. It was also remitted to the same Committee that it draw up a resolution against the provisions of the present Parliament Bill as they affect the Protestant succession to the Throne.
The Clerk brought before the Synod papers that had been received by the Moderator from Sir Andrew Fraser, President of a new Lord’s Day Alliance of Scotland. The papers were remitted for consideration to a Committee consisting of the Moderator, Revs. J. R. Mackay and Neil Cameron, and the Clerk.
Rev. J. R. Mackay suggested that the Synod petition the King and Houses of Parliament that the running of trains on Sabbath days shall be made illegal. The motion was seconded by the Clerk, and cordially agreed to.
Rev. A. Sutherland moved that any applicant for the missionaryship of this Church shall be examined as to his qualifications by the Presbytery within whose bounds he is, and that a report be given by the Presbytery to the Synod for its final decision. The motion was seconded by the Rev. D. Beaton, and agreed to.
Rev. J. R. Mackay took up the subject of Psalmody or Singing in congregations, referred to at last Synod, and suggested that steps should be taken to improve the same. Rev. D. Mackenzie moved that Mr. Mackay be entrusted with the work of communicating before next Synod with congregations throughout the Church to ascertain what was being done, if anything, in the way of teaching Psalmody. The motion was seconded by the Rev. D. Macfarlane, and agreed to.
On the motion of the Rev. J. R. Mackay, seconded by Mr. John Campbell, elder, the Synod agreed to meet again (God willing) in the Hall of St. Jude’s Church, Glasgow, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday after the second Sabbath of November, 1911.
The meeting was closed with the singing of the last three verses of the 122nd Psalm and prayer.