(9) The Editor and Treasurer (Rev. J. S. Sinclair) gave the following report:—”The Free Presbyterian Magazine and Monthly Record completed the sixteenth year of its existence at the end of April last. Though its circulation is not as large or extensive as it might be, yet, in the kindness of Providence, a respectable number of copies have been issued every month all along from the beginning, and of late years, with a distinct tendency to increase. These copies, as may be observed from the Magazine columns, are finding their way to many parts of the world, and it is our earnest desire that some spiritual blessing may, by the grace of God, attend its perusal to our readers from time to time.
“The total value of the Magazine accounts for the past year amounted to £240 odds. Of this sum, almost £200 were paid at the end of April, leaving a balance due of about £41. Since that date, upwards of £14 have come in, leaving a balance due at the present moment for the past year of £25 odds. There are some arrears also further back, but not a large sum. Perhaps those in this position will kindly take note. We have received during the past year donations to the amount of £5 7s. 8d., and sums for the Free Circulation Fund, amounting to £2 16s. 7d.,
for all which we are much indebted to our kind contributors. We received in April and since a substantial number of prepayments for the coming year. The Magazine is entirely self-sustaining.
“The average issue of Magazines per month was something like 2,370, and the actual sale (we give an approximation) about 2,340. Readers may have observed that on three different occasions, four additional pages were printed—44 instead of 40—which involved a little extra expenditure. The Editor would impress upon readers who change their addresses, or who desire the Magazine discontinued, the desirability of sending word to him immediately. He would esteem this a favour, as the lack of attention to this particular sometimes involves needless trouble and loss. We do not at once stop a Magazine though it is not prepaid.
“The Editor would earnestly impress upon the ministers of the Church anew the advisability of contributing sermons and other matter to the Magazine. Many of the people are well acquainted with the old divines, and however valuable the sermons of some of these may be, and suitable for publication, yet readers, especially at a distance, would, no doubt, like to see some samples of what living ministers among ourselves are preaching. Not, indeed, that we have heard many complaints of any kind on this head from home or abroad. It is a matter of much thankfulness that the Magazine is received with so much generous appreciation by its readers.”
Rev. Ewen Macqueen moved that the Synod receive the report and thank the Editor and Treasurer very sincerely for his services. He said that he quite agreed with the suggestion that more of their own ministers’ sermons should appear in the Magazine, but he believed it was a sense of the unworthiness of their sermons for publication that made them keep them back. At the same time, he hoped that in future they might make an effort to help more than they had done. The Rev. D. Macfarlane seconded the motion in a very few kind remarks, which were supported by Mr. Finlay Macdonald, Shieldaig. The motion was unanimously agreed to.
THEOLOGICAL TUTOR’S REPORT, SESSION 1911-12.
(10) The Rev. John R. Mackay, M.A., Theological Tutor, presented the following report of last session:—”Our last session opened on the 17th day of December, 1911, and closed on the 7th day of June, 1912. We had a fortnight’s vacation at the beginning of March, and a three weeks’ vacation on account of my attending the Princeton Centenary at the beginning of May. I had three divinity students under my charge—Mr. Alex. Mackay, who has just finished his Theological curriculum, and Messrs. Donald M. MacDonald, and Donald A. Macfarlane, M.A., who have finished in Old Testament Hebrew, and in Systematic Theology. Mr. John A. Mackay, M.A., one of our divinity students who was with me in the previous winter, this last winter
went in for an extra session in Philosophy at Aberdeen University, where I am pleased to add he has met with eminent success.
“As usual, we met four days a week, and for about two and a half hours each day. As usual also, preliminarily to engaging in the work that properly belongs to this department, we daily read for devotional purposes a portion of the Greek New Testament. In this way we, in the course of the session, went carefully over the whole of the Epistle to the Hebrews in Greek, and I feel bound to add that I deemed it to have been a very profitable exercise for us all. Thereafter, on each of the four days of our week, an hour, say from 11 to 12, was devoted to Systematic Theology. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at this hour I delivered a course of lectures in Systematic Theology, it being always my aim to make the lectures serve as, so far, a commentary on our Confession of Faith, for I reckon that a Church whose ministry only tolerate her Confession is not in a healthy state. The healthy state is only realised when the Church’s ministry intelligently love their Church’s Confession.
“This hour was on every Friday of the session devoted to that section of Systematic Theology which is conversant with the ‘Means of Grace’ (i.e., with the word, the sacraments, and prayer), and with Eschatology, or ‘the Last Things.’ For this part of our work we made use of text books, that is to say, of Turretine’s ‘Theologia Elenctica’ for the sacraments in general, and of Hodge’s Systematic Theology for both the word, sacraments, and prayer, and for Eschatology.
“The second hour, that is, the hour from one to two p.m., was each day devoted to Old Testament studies. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, we read the Old Testament in Hebrew. During this last session we had for reading: Exodus, Judges, Psalms, and Daniel. We attempted considerably more than mere translation, it being indeed our aim to make our reading in Hebrew properly exegetical studies. A portion of Daniel was read in order to introduce our students to the study of Aramaic, a branch of learning which it is being realised is of increasingly great importance for New Testament studies also.
“On Fridays at this hour, throughout the session, I gave lectures bearing on the Text of the Hebrew Old Testament, on the Old Testament Canon, on the destructive higher criticism as it bears on the Old Testament, on Old Testament Introduction, and on the idea and scope of Old Testament Theology.
“Let me explain that as the four essential disciplines of a Theological course are Exegetics, Historics, Systematics, and Practics, so in our Church to Mr. Beaton fall New Testament Exegesis and Historics, whilst to me fall Old Testament Exegesis and Systematics. What we do in respect of Practics, then, is this:—Mr. Beaton instructs our students in Church Government and in Church Court Practice. To the extent of examining our students in Dr. Shedd’s ‘Homiletics and Pastoral Theology,’ our
students have tuition given them by me in Homiletics and Pastoral Theology. Over and above this, as relating to Pracrics, one or other of our students preaches a sermon on every Sabbath of the session in the Tutor’s hearing. Opportunities are thus afforded of making any suggestions that may occur to us, with a view to rendering our students abler and more acceptable ministers of the Gospel.
“Four written examinations, namely, two in Systematic Theology and two in Old Testament Hebrew, were held in the course of last session, and in all of them our students acquitted themselves creditably. I have great pleasure in certifying that all our students work with great enthusiasm in all our subjects. That makes a Tutor’s work very pleasant. But the Church should unceasingly plead for a rising ministry at the throne of grace.”
The Clerk (Rev. J. S. Sinclair) moved that the Synod tender their cordial thanks to Mr. Mackay for his valuable and arduous services as Theological Tutor and for the interesting report he had given of the work accomplished during the past session. Among other things, the Clerk said that it was a matter of great thankfulness that their students were receiving such thorough and efficient instruction in theological subjects in a time when they needed so much equipment to cope with and resist the inroads which error was presently making at so many points. He expressed the hope that Mr. Mackay would endeavour to abstain from too prolonged and severe application to his theological preparations, lest he should seriously endanger his health. Rev. Norman Matheson seconded the motion. Rev. E. Macqueen heartily supported it, and said he would never forget his indebtedness to Mr. Mackay and Mr. Beaton, their Theological Tutors, during the time he was under their instructions. The motion was cordially agreed to. Mr. Mackay rose and thanked the Synod for their kind appreciation of his services, and said as to his health that he felt greatly benefitted by his recent journey across the Atlantic during the vacation time.
Rev. A. Sutherland, as Examiner of the divinity students in Hebrew, gave in his report. He had set a paper in Hebrew Translation, Exegesis, Parsing, etc., and the results were very satisfactory on the whole, the highest percentage of marks being eighty-seven and the lowest sixty-nine. The Synod received the report, and recorded their thanks to Mr. Sutherland for his services.
REMITS FROM PRESBYTERIES.
(11) There was one remit from The Northern Presbytery, consisting of a petition from the congregations of Scourie and Kinlochbervie, begging to be transferred from the Northern to the Western Presbytery, on the ground that these congregations could be more easily worked by members of the Western Presbytery than by those of the Northern. After some discussion, it was decided to allow the petition to lie on the table for further consideration, until next Meeting of Synod in November.
The Western Presbytery.—Rev. A. Sutherland submitted a remit from this Court with reference to an application from the district of Coigach (under his charge) for the help of a missionary. The petition was signed by Messrs. Roderick M’Leod and Kenneth M’Leod, elders, Mr. Kenneth Graham, member, and Messrs. William M’Kee, John M’Kenzie, Dugald Matheson, and Hugh Morrison, adherents. Rev. J. R. Mackay moved, and Rev. N. Matheson seconded, that the petition be granted, and that it be left with the Western Presbytery to take steps to secure a missionary. The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Sutherland submitted another remit with regard to a petition from the Applecross congregation, craving that steps be taken to secure Mr. Charles Mackinnon, Portree, as missionary to the congregation, Rev. E. Macqueen moved that the Synod appoint Mr. Charles Mackinnon, Portree, as missionary in Applecross at the usual salary, the congregation to pay the cost of his lodgings but not board. Mr. Finlay Macdonald seconded the motion, which was agreed to.
A third remit from the Western Presbytery was a request for the increase of the salary of Mr. Donald Maclean, missionary, Finabay, Harris. Mr. Sutherland submitted a letter on the subject from the Rev. D. Macleod to the Rev. Neil Macintyre, clerk of the Western Presbytery. On the motion of Mr. Macqueen, seconded by Mr. Sutherland, the Synod agreed to make an addition to the salary of Mr. Maclean.
A fourth and last appeal from the west was that Mr. John Macdonald, missionary, Sand, Gairloch, be asked to give his services to the Melvaig district, as there was no one there to hold meetings. On the motion of Mr. Sutherland, seconded by Mr. Macqueen, the petition was granted.