By REV. D. A. MACFARLANE, M.A.
Moderator and Brethren,—In 1923, thirty years ago, the late Rev. D. Macfarlane said, in his Synod motion, that while we were penniless at the time when he, and those supporting him, took the stand which they did in 1893, to keep intact the testimony of the Church of 1843, yet the Lord in His loving kindness and goodness provided for them. For this he gave thanks to the Lord for himself and for those on whose behalf he spoke. The late Rev. Neil Cameron, and others of his brethren, now at their eternal rest, voiced, from time to time, the same views. The late Rev. N. Cameron stated, probably more than once, that when our people saw ministers inclining to depart from the testimony of the Church, then the contributions manifestly dropped, but as long as they saw our ministers and other office-bearers faithful, they willingly supported the funds of the Church, as the Lord enabled them.
We to-day recommend the several funds of the Church to our people at home and abroad. We respectfully request our people in far-off lands to remember the F.P. Church, to keep in touch with it by getting its monthly magazines. We pray that they may seek first the Kingdom
* This address was given after Synod Finance Report on 21st May, 1953.
—Editor.
of God and His righteousness, for, at the longest, they are soon to leave this world for ever. When the Lord blesses our people in the homeland with a measure of bodily health, and temporal mercies, it is due to them to help, as the Lord enables them, what we unfeignedly believe to be God’s cause. The Sustentation Fund is most needful, as also the fund for the upkeep of Missionaries, and the Foreign Mission Fund. If any who happen to read these words are able, in the kind providence of the Lord, to give special contributions to the above funds, apart from their ordinary ones, they may be assured that such will be deeply welcomed by us as a Church. It should be most clear to us all that all these funds need substantial contributions; over and above ordinary ones, from those in a position to give such help. The Foreign Mission Fund, in particular, requires all assistance which can possibly be given it.
The other funds are also deserving of all help which can be given. We cannot press the claims of one as being in advance of another. The Organisation Fund may deserve a word by itself as the working expenses of our Church depend on it.
We anew point out to our people at home and abroad that the F.P. Church holds the truth of God, by divine grace, in love. This Church seeks to witness first and foremost to the truth that the carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can be. No mere man since Adam fell believes properly the truth of law or Gospel, unless divinely taught and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, no mere man can of himself discern the Godhead of Christ, nor the reality and infinite sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death, of which His resurrection is the evidence of the eternal acceptance of His sacrifice. We deny utterly that the doctrine of the substitution and holy suretyship of Christ has been, in the history of the Church, from Augustine to Anselm and so to the present day, disastrous to the good of the Church. We still believe that the word “propitiation” is a suitable, carefully-chosen, and adequate word to use in the translation of Romans iii. 25: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.” We deny that the use of the word should be dropped. We deny that it is well or proper to aver that those who hold the confessional doctrine on the subject of the Atonement understand that the propitiatory life and work and holy satisfaction of Christ was meant by Christ to cause the Father, as Judge within the Godhead, to relent. We hold with—we believe—the Apostolic Church and with the Reformed Faith as set forth by its best expositors, and in its best symbols, that the Father provided the atonement that eternal and infinite mercy and redeeming love might be bestowed on the flock given to Christ, in a way consistent with the essential righteousness and justice of the unchangeable God of eternity. For such holy doctrines of the faith, without referring to the internal work of the Holy Spirit in the souls of all regenerated, and His keeping them by the power of God through faith, we still stand.
Now it is sixty years since these witnesses referred to counted all but loss and dung that they might keep the faith for themselves, and hand it on, as far as in them lay, to the race which was to come. We stand for the doctrine, worship, government and discipline of the Church, albeit we fail daily in thought, word, and deed. The Lord raise up of young and old—all classes—who will be blessed with eternal life—the power of godliness! “The knowledge of the holy is understanding.” We ask our people to pray for all labouring in the vineyard—to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy—however reckless others are—to attend, as far as able upon the public means of God’s grace, to worship God in their families. The latter end of those who fear God is peace.
I now second the adoption of this Financial Report. Thanksgiving is due to the Lord for His loving kindness. We, as a Synod, hereby thank most sincerely the Treasurer for all his labours, when he is not now so strong as he once was. Also we thank cordially the auditors for their labours in auditing once more the Financial Statement of the Free Presbyterian Church in this the sixtieth year of its existence.