Communions.
London Mission and Stoer (Sutherland), first Sabbath of April; Lochgilphead (Lochfyné), second; St. Jude’s, Glasgow (Jane Street, Blythswood Square), and Wick (Caithness), fourth. Kames (Kyles of Bute), and Oban, first Sabbath of May; Dumbarton, second.
Communion at London Mission.
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper will (d.v.) be dispensed in the London Congregation on the first Sabbath of April, and, in connection therewith, the services will be as follows: Thursday, 1st April, 7.30 p.m.; Friday, 2nd, 7.30 p.m.; Saturday, 3rd, 3.30 p.m.; Sabbath, 4th, 11 a.m., 3.45 p.m. (Gaelic), and 7.30 p.m.; Monday, 5th, 7.30 p.m. The Rev. Alexander Mackay, Oban, is expected to officiate. The meeting place is the usual one, St. Philip’s Hall, Eccleston Street, Buckingham Palace Road, near Victoria, London, S.W.
Services in Manchester.
It has been arranged that the Rev. Alexander Mackay, Oban, will (d.v.) conduct services in Manchester on the second Sabbath of April. These services will be held at the Co-operative Halls, 51 Downing Street, Ardwick. English, 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.; Gaelic, 3 p.m.
Mission in Western Canada.
[This note came too late for last month’s issue.]—Mr. D. Matheson sailed from Glasgow on 21st February, and is to supply Winnipeg for some time. The Canadian Mission Committee have received intimations both from Vancouver and Winnipeg, that our people there intend proceeding with the building of places of worship immediately, and they appeal to interested friends in this country to lend a helping hand, either by contributing to their respective building funds or granting them loans at a reasonable rate of interest. The Committee is anxious to do all in its power to encourage our people in these important centres of Western Canada, but the rate of exchange is so adverse against British money at present that the loss entailed thereby would be worse than even the high interest demanded for money in Canada. The Committee would therefore appeal to wellwishers of the cause in Canada or the States to come to the help of our people in these western cities.
Northern Presbytery.
We regret that the following note from the Clerk of the Northern Presbytery came too late for last month’s issue:—At a meeting of the Northern Presbytery, held at Dingwall on the 30th January, a letter was read from Rev. Norman Matheson, resigning the charge of his congregation at Halkirk and Helmsdale. The Presbytery called Mr. Matheson’s attention to the Resolution of Synod, passed in 1904, on Creed Subscription (vide Free Presbyterian Magazine, vol. ix., p. 283). It will be remembered that Mr. Matheson voted for Rev. J. R. Mackay’s motion last year, but when Messrs. Mackay, Macrae, and Sutherland joined the Free Church, for some reason or other, Mr. Matheson did not receive any intimation of their intention. Now he has decided to follow their example.
The Presbytery also vigorously protested against the Scottish Education Act, in asking Protestant ratepayers to support Roman Catholic and Episcopalian transferred schools, and also against the Government in still maintaining the envoy to the Vatican.
Change of Time on Lord’s Day.
The following resolution was adopted by the Southern Presbytery on 25th February, and forwarded to the Home Secretary:—”The Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland have noticed the statement of the Home Secretary in the House of Commons, that ‘it was proposed that summer time should begin on 28th March,’ which falls on the Lord’s Day. The Presbytery repeat their protest most earnestly against this persistent and unnecessary form of desecration of the Lord’s Day on the part of the Government, would warn them of the national guilt incurred thereby, and appeal to them to have the change introduced on an ordinary week-day instead, and thus refrain from hurting the consciences of a large number of His Majesty’s loyal subjects.”
Protest against Sultan in Constantinople, and Armenian Massacres.
At a meeting of the Southern Presbytery, on 25th February, it was agreed to send the following Protest by wire to the Prime Minister next morning, as the subject was coming up in the House of Commons:—”The Southern Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland would enter its earnest protest against the retention of the Sultan in Constantinople, and would call upon the British Government to grant to Armenia and other small Christian nations in Asia the freedom so often promised to such during the period of the late terrible War. The Presbytery would also demand that Turkish Cabinet Ministers and Army Officers who are responsible for terrible murders in Armenia and elsewhere shall be brought to trial and punished, according to the crimes of which they are guilty.”