THE Clerk of Synod has received the following invitation addressed to the Free Presbyterian Church: “The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church request the honour of the presence of a Delegate from the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland at the Union of the Churches, which will be consummated at Edinburgh on Wednesday, 2nd October, 1929.—(Signed) Joseph Mitchell, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; Alex. Martin, Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Free Church of Scotland.” The Clerks of the respective Assemblies, Dr. J. T. Cox and Dr James Harvey, in more effusive wording, also send an invitation, promising to provide hospitality for delegates, if required, and add: “If it is not convenient for your Church to send an official delegate bearing an address of goodwill, we would welcome a letter of fraternal greeting from your Church on the occasion of this important and historic event in the history of the Scottish Church.” We do not wish to appear rude to those sending these invitations, but the remembrance of past events and honesty demand of us to say that a delegate or letter of fraternal greeting from the Free Presbyterian Church to the Uniting Churches would be an act of hypocrisy in view of our attitude to the Union. Reasons have already been given why we disapprove of this Union, and in our next issue we hope to re-state these. Besides, we cannot forget that we are in the position of the man who was turned out of house and home by his brethren, and allowed to shift for himself as best he could, while they retained full possession of all that belonged to their father—money, property, and all. After many years these brethren, without one word of regret for their unbrotherly conduct, now greatly enriched, having a mind to enter into a big business deal, invite the brother so wrongfully treated to be present with an address of goodwill, or if not, that a letter of fraternal greeting should be sent them. As Principal Rainy once said: “There must be something wrong somewhere” when such an invitation was sent to the Free Presbyterian Church.
Communication From Ontario Kirk-Session
THE following communication has been received by the Clerk of Synod, and is authorised to be printed in the Magazine by the Synod’s Business Committee:— “At Lochalsh and in the Church there on Saturday, June 29th, 1929, the Kirk-Session of the Ontario congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in Canada met and was constituted. Sederunt with Rev. Wm. Matheson, Moderator; Messrs Hugh Scott, Ailsa Craig, Clerk; Alex. Macfarlane, Chelsey; and Murdo Matheson, Lochalsh, ruling elders.
Inter alia: A communication from Rev. D. Beaton, as Clerk of Synod, dated 31st May 1929, conveying the “finding of last Synod re communication from your Kirk-Session” was then adverted to, and it was moved, seconded, and unanimously agreed to forward an acknowledgment of the receipt thereof in the following terms: This Kirk-Session wishes respectfully to acknowledge receipt from Rev. D. Beaton, Wick, of the recent finding of Synod respecting this Kirk-Session’s resolution of September 19th, 1928, and also of the Synod’s intimation thereanent. It recognises gladly and to the full, as it has hitherto sought scrupulously to do, the lawfully constituted authority of the Synod, as of all Courts of the Church, but desires simply to intimate to the Synod its re-affirmation of the aforesaid resolution of September 19th, 1928, with a cordial expression of gratitude to the Great Head of the Church for the whole-hearted loyalty of our people in this vital issue. This Kirk-Session also desires to intimate to the Synod that, while the Synod’s will for “putting away” arouses the deepest grief and pain, it is determined to maintain, at all costs, the testimony of His Word and of the subordinate standards of our Church to the sole lordship of God over the conscience, according to ordination vows. This being all the business, the Session was closed with prayer. Extracted from the Minutes of Session.— (Signed) HUGH SCOTT, Clerk of Session.
The above-mentioned resolution of the Kirk-Session, dated September 19th, 1928, was freely circulated amongst our people since last September. It was first read and explained briefly to the congregation at the regular Annual Congregational Meeting on Monday, July 1st, 1929, at the close of Communion services at Lochalsh, and then the Synod’s finding above referred to was read and explained, and a free and full opportunity was given
for questions and for expression of individual opinion. In like manner the Kirk-Session’s resolution of acknowledgment of June 29th, 1929, was read and freely discussed, and at the close of discussion it was cordially endorsed by uplifted hand, without one dissenting note, as a simple statement of the only position consistent with a pure conscience.—WILLIAM MATHESON, Chairman; A. R. FINLAYSON, Clerk.”