THE Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church met in Glasgow, on the 22nd day of May, 1947, having considered the communication received through the Free Church, from the “Committee on Co-operation among the smaller Presbyterian Churches in Scotland,” reply as follows:—
The Synod cannot but deplore the present all-too-evident declension in godliness. The Free Presbyterian Church since its inception has borne clear and unequivocal testimony to its whole-hearted sympathy with any movement which would further the interests of the Cause of Christ in face of such declension. While we would be prepared to welcome any suggestion of this nature, we are unable to assure ourselves that the professed co-operation envisaged in your communication would promote this desirable end. Rather are we persuaded that the opposite effect would follow; and that it would be a compromise of our distinctive position as a Church.
We are not forgetful of previous approaches on similar lines, which have repeatedly received a reasoned reply from us, in which we clearly stated the barriers to such co-operation, and the then failure on the part of the Free Church to remove these barriers.
Moreover, we recall recent statements which appeared in the official organ of the Free Church in reference to the Free Presbyterian Church, such as the following, which we quote:—
“Reference in these columns to the more recent internal dissension that bids fair to rend the Free Presbyterian Church into fragments.”
“The Free Presbyterian Magazine has driven us to the conclusion that it is not chastisement that is being meted out to that body, but fearful judgment from the hand of the Most High.”
“… savours so much of the judicial blindness and hardness of heart which are the precursors of destruction, that we agree with many who regard the Free Presbyterian body as passing out of existence in the Nemesis of fearful retribution.”
“Spurious as have been its official pretensions and misguided its leadership . . . .”
As far as is known to us, these irresponsible statements have not yet been repudiated, nor have they even been objected to in any official way by those responsible for them.
For these and many other reasons, we cannot consistently entertain any suggestion of the co-operation which you propose. It gives us much grief to have to send you this reply.