IF one is to judge of the prosperity of the Free Church by the June number of its Record, then the only possible conclusion that can be come to is that said Church is in a very critical condition indeed. The Editor in his “Current Topics” declares that between several Churches in Scotland and the Free Church there are no differences which warrant separation, and among these Churches he classes the Free Presbyterian Church. We are not speaking for the other Churches mentioned by the Editor of the Record, but as far as we are concerned it has been made clear in this Magazine, and in the public prints, that there are differences between ourselves and the Free Church which do warrant separation. If there are some in the Free Church—and it seems there are—who think the contrary, their own June Record ought to disillusion them, and also confirm Free Presbyterians that they were fully justified in holding aloof from the Free Church and keeping their own honest, scriptural, uncompromising testimony for doctrine and purity of worship in its integrity.
We were glad to see that the Free Church Assembly refused this year to join as they did last year, in a Joint Prayer Meeting with the U.F. Assembly. The reason given was the ample one, namely, that the U.F. Assembly had placed Principal George Adam Smith, the notorious higher critic, in the Moderator’s Chair. Perhaps the Free Church Assembly forgot that they had themselves equally honoured a few years ago the higher critic, Professor Alexander, by placing him in their Moderator’s Chair. We consider the action of the Free Church in honouring and defending Professor Alexander worse than that of the U.F. Church in the case of Sir George Adam Smith, for the U.F. Church is professedly a house of refuge purposely provided for higher critics.
But to come back to the Record revelations, we find Rev. William MacKinnon, Gairloch, one of the fathers of the Free Church, declaring in a letter to the Editor that he came away one day from the Assembly “with disgust and surprise and indignation,” on account of the freedom with which the Assembly admitted “place seekers from other Churches or from no Church,” while their own “most loyal men are being cast aside.” We presume that by their own “most loyal men” he means their Missionaries. He then adds that he has very “gloomy views” regarding the success of his Church, for to all appearance “the young bursary-making ministry” differ radically “from their predecessors.” If this is how matters stand in the Free Church, and Mr. MacKinnon ought surely to know, then the breach between ourselves and the Free Church is only becoming wider. There are, however, other utterances in the Record coming from equally reliable sources which confirm this view of the situation.
The Rev. John M’Neilage, Bower, in another letter to the Editor, writes as follows:—”I am one of those who think that the Free Church crisis is not yet over. The similitude used by Professor Macleod at the Commission in March seems to me quite proper. He likened the Free Church to a sorely-smitten man engaged in the process of staggering to his feet.” Mr. M’Neilage’s conviction that the “crisis” is not yet over, and Professor Macleod’s similitude are truly astonishing, and taken together with Mr. MacKinnon’s pessimistic statements, they form a sad commentary on the condition of the Free Church. In the light of these statements alone we ask the Editor of the F.C. Record if he is honest in maintaining that there are no differences between the Free Church and the Free Presbyterian Church which warrant separation. There are other items in the June Record which we cannot refer to now, but we cannot close these remarks without alluding to the fact that there has been another exodus of ministers from the Free Church—two at least have joined the Established Church. There can be no doubt but the Free Church had from the beginning more regard for property and worldly honour than for the Word of God, and now the Most High in His providence is showing the people of the Free Church His abhorrence of such a spirit by giving the Free Church to reap what has been sown.
A. M’K.
Acknowledgment of Donations.
MR. ALEXANDER MACGILLIVRAY, General Treasurer, Woodbine Cottage, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, acknowledges, with grateful thanks, the following donations up to 28th June:—
SUSTENTATION FUND.
Inverness postmark, 2/; J. M. (Berwick-on-Tweed postmark), £5; Mr. A. Macpherson, Strontian, 10/; Per Rev. J. S. Sinclair—Mrs. Miller, Port Dover, Ontario, 17/6, Mrs. A. Munro, Simcoe, Ontario, 9/4, Mr. T. Finlayson, Forsinard, 4/, and Mrs. Fraser, Youngtown, U.S.A., 4/6; Per Rev. J. R. Mackay—Mr. H. Mackay, Vancouver, £1; From a Soldier, in appreciation of Rev. A. Sutherland’s services at Ripon, £2; H. R., £2; From “A Friend,” £40.
JEWISH AND FOREIGN MISSION FUND.
Mr. R. Fraser, Kinlochbervie, 5/; Per Rev. N. Cameron—Mrs. D., Edinburgh, 5/, and Mr. Hugh Grant and people, Woodford Leigh, Clarence River, New South Wales, £5; Helmsdale postmark (Radasi Mission), £1; Legacy—The late Mr. George Urquhart, Langwell, Achany Road, Dingwall, £500; “Queensland,” 5/; Mr. J. Murray, Balloan, Dornoch, £1.
ORGANISATION FUND.
Per Rev. J. R. Mackay—Mr. H. Mackay, Vancouver, 10/.
MISSION TO FORCES FUND.
Per Rev. J. S. Sinclair—Mr. R. Matheson, Lonbain, Shieldaig, 3/2; Pte. D. MacRae, Ripon, 3/; Mrs. MacLeod, Kishorn, 5/; Mrs. Fraser, Youngtown, U.S.A., 4/6; Miss J. Macadie, Brawlbin, Caithness, 10/.
Per Rev. N. Cameron—Mr. A. MacSwan, Dover, 5/; Per Mr. William Grant—Mrs. Macpherson, Kingussie, 10/; Helmsdale postmark, 5/; “Queensland,” 5/. Per Rev. J. R. Mackay—Lochcarron, 6/.
Mr. A. MacGillivray, General Treasurer, Inverness, acknowledges following additional donations, received per Rev. J. S. Sinclair:—For Mission to Forces—Mr. A. M’Lennan, Glasgow, 3/; Mr. J. Campbell, 1/; Grace M. Chaplin, Liverpool, 5/; Mrs. Campbell, Porterhall, 3/6; J. R. Campbell, Esq., Shiness, 7/. For Sustentation Fund—J. R. Campbell, Esq., Shiness, 10/; Miss M’Phail, Stronchullin, Ardrishaig, 7/6. For Mr. Radasi’s Mission—Mrs. M’Bean, Newtonmore, 5/. For Organisation Fund—”Anti-Popery,” 5/.
The Rev. E. Macqueen desires to acknowledge, with thanks, from Mrs. W. and Miss M., Greenock, 10/ and 2/6 respectively; Mrs. U., Ontario, 5/; Bible Class, Boston, 65 francs, per R. Macleod; Broadford, Skye, £5 1/, per Rev. Mr. Maclean.
Rev. N. Cameron desires to acknowledge, with thanks:—In aid of Bibles, etc., to Soldiers and Marines—Nurse Murray, 4/; J. Gillies, 3/; Mrs. D., Edinburgh, 5/; Mrs. U., Ontario, 5/8; “Anonymous,” Glasgow, 5/6. In aid of St. Jude’s Sustentation Fund—Miss M., Aberdeen, £1; Mrs. M’B., Lochcarron, £1. In aid of Foreign Missions—”Lady Friend,” Cathcart, £1.
Rev. J. R. Mackay, Inverness, acknowledges, with thanks, £1 12s. 10d. received from a “Friend” in Detroit, U.S.A., of which £1 is for Inverness Congregation, and 12/10 for Comforts for Troops to whom Mr. Macqueen is ministering. We regret this acknowledgment did not appear in April Magazine.
Rev. A. Sutherland, C.F., 1/8 Res. Batt. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, North Camp, Ripon, acknowledges, with thanks, gift of 750 Cigarettes and one pound of Tobacco, from Nurse M—, Denmark-Hill, London, for distribution among Soldiers; £1 from Mr. G. Ross, Shore Street, Ullapool; £1 from “A Friend,” Glasgow (per Rev. Neil Cameron); 5/ from Misses Stewart, Isle Martin, for Bibles; and £1 from Mr. Alexander Mackenzie, Jun. (per Mr. A. Mackenzie, elder, Scorraig), for Lochbroom Manse Building Fund.
Mr. John Morrison, Finsbay, South Harris, acknowledges with thanks for Finsbay-Harris Church Building Fund, 10/- from D. F., Gairloch, and 10/- from “Friend,” Gairloch, per Rev. D. N. Macleod, Tarbert.
Mr. W. Grant (late Chelsea, London, S.W.), acknowledges with thanks the following donations:—London Church Building Fund—7/, Miss Macdonald, Wickford Lodge, Essex; Bibles, for Soldiers, Miss Cox, Ventnor, Isle of Wight; and Mission to Forces Fund, 10s. from Mrs. M’Pherson, Insh, Kincaig.
Mr. Donald Sutherland, 201 Lavender Hill, London, S.W., acknowledges with many thanks the following donations to London Church Building Fund:—Capt. K. K. Macleod and family, Elmbank House, Inverness, £2; also £1 6/, being second amount collected by Miss A. Macsween, Wetherby Gardens, London, S.W.; 10/ from Petty Officer D. Macdonald, H.M.S. Itonian, and 10/ from Mrs. D. Macdonald.
Rev. J. S. Sinclair acknowledges with thanks 38/- from Magazine Reader, for Mr. Radasi; £1 from “Anon,” for Bibles to Mr. Radasi; £2 from Two Friends, and £1 from “Magazine” for John Knox’s Sustentation Fund; 10/- from “July,” for Bibles, etc., to Mr. Macqueen; and 4/, from “Magazine Reader,” Water-nish, for Mr. Radasi.
COMFORTS FOR THE FRONT FUND.
Rev. J. S. Sinclair acknowledges, with sincere thanks, the following donations to above Fund:—Mrs. Cameron, Glennan, Fort-William, 10/; F. P., Kincaig, £1; D. Macrae, Isle Ewe, Aultbea, 10/; J. Shaw, Kincaig (Bibles), 7/; A. M’Kenzie, Ardindreen, Lochbroom, 11/; “Anon,” Beauly, 1/6; T. Finlayson, Forsinard, 3/; “A Friend,” Edinburgh, 5/; Per General Treasurer, Inverness—Mrs. A. Livingstone and Miss A. Livingstone, Fernabeg, Arrina, 5/ each; Mrs. Campbell, Porterhall, 3/6; Mrs Macbean, Newtonmore, 5/, and Bibles, 4/; Per General Treasurer, Inverness—”Anon,” Helmsdale, 5/, and Bibles and Books, 5/; D. Mackay, Saval, Lairg, Bibles, 5/; Per General Treasurer, Inverness—”Queensland,” Bibles, 5/. Mr. Macqueen’s address is at present as follows:—Rev. E. Macqueen, C.F., c/o Mrs. Melton, Street Farm, Costessey, Norwich, England.
THINK, my soul, what a charming path, a glorious prospect, Jesus cut through the shades of death, of hell, for me; in His death I see the price, in His life I see the path, in His ascension I see the proof, of my eternal bliss. Truly His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace.—John Brown.
WE should pray for a blessing upon the design of preaching the Gospel unto a pagan and a heathen world. We wish that you would mind them that are called to preach the Gospel to the heathens. O pray that the Lord may be with them.—R. Erskine.
O, LIGHT, light! How art thou contemned in this land? How is it that no man stands in awe to sin in the face of this light? Well, desolate land, the day shall come that thou shalt say, O! if we had the light we once had, we should be loath to contemn it; and this shall be the doom of this land, even the contempt of this light.—Welch.