Tuesday, 25th May 1993
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS by Rev. D. MacLean, Moderator of Synod
I wish to extend to you all a very warm welcome to this historic occasion in this historic building. It was in this building that the voices of Dr Begg, Professor Smeaton, Dr Kennedy and many others, were raised in the attempt to stem the flood of backsliding and apostasy that took place in the Free Church of the Disruption, which began with such promise but so early began to show defections from the faith. It was in this building that Principal Rainy used his powers of eloquence and organisation to sway the Free Church Assembly of that date according to his will. We are not gathered here today to remember those who sincerely and strongly endeavoured to stem the tide of apostasy, and failed so badly. We are here to remember an event that took place involving one minister of the Gospel. One hundred years ago Dr Kennedy’s place was empty. Dr Begg’s place was empty. Their successors were not worthy of the place they had. The Declaratory Act had been passed in the previous year, and the foundations of the Free Church of the Disruption were destroyed. Appeals were made to have that Act repealed and these all failed. One hundred years ago there were between five hundred and six hundred ministers and elders gathered in this hall. There are about seven hundred and fifty of us here today. We can well imagine, if we cast our minds back, how it must have appeared to the one man who we are to mention, when he was surrounded by hostility on the right hand and on the left. The disciples of Rainy on the one side and on the other those who were no longer consistent in their opposition to the Declaratory Act. He was alone — surrounded as I am just now by you all here today. How intimidating must it have been to flesh and blood to be faced with such an issue. Yet the Reverend Donald MacFarlane received grace to come forward to this table in front of me here, to protest, and to lay his Protest on the table, and so to separate from the Declaratory Act Free Church, taking the first and most essential step to set up the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. We are here today to give thanks for the grace that was bestowed upon him, to give thanks that, in his case, the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the promise He gave to the great Apostle of the Gentiles many centuries ago, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”1 We are here to give thanks for the grace bestowed upon him. How clear it was, and how clear it is, that grace was indeed bestowed upon him. Therefore, I welcome you all from our congregations in Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe, and our friends from Holland. We are glad to see you all here to join with us in rendering praise and thanks to the God of Eternity, Who is “from everlasting to everlasting” God, for that event which took place here one hundred years ago today, as well as to give thanks for the fact that we are here today, to hold this commemoration of one hundred years of preservation of the Cause of Christ connected with us, which is bound up with the testimony for Divine Truth that remains with us. We hope that the “Holy Spirit of promise” will be present here today and that He will give us a true spirit of thankfulness. That will mean a true spirit of unworthiness — reflected in the mind and the heart and the language of Jacob when he declared and acknowledged in the presence of God, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou has shewed unto Thy servant.”2
Before I begin the public worship I would like to read a letter from Mr Duncan Mackay, Flashadder, an old elder in the Church who regrets exceedingly that he is not able to be with us today, but wishes us every success and liberty in speaking about the testimony raised by Mr MacFarlane and Mr MacDonald in 1893 — “I hope the testimony will be kept up till the glory of the last days, and that it will be kept for posterity.” There is also a letter from Adelaide, from a Presbyterian church there, noting with interest the life and testimony of the Free Presbyterian Church and saying, “It is true of us that we remember with gratitude to God that your testimony has been a blessing to our souls. May the Lord give strength to you all to preserve it for a further hundred years until the Lord will come.” A lady, two or three days ago, who is the last communicant of Mr Cameron’s congregation said to me, “I am very sorry that circumstances prevent me from being present with you on Tuesday, but though I will not be there in body I will be there in spirit following every step,” and I believe that is true of every genuine Free Presbyterian who cannot be here today. We are glad that in the holy providence of God we have all been brought together. Let us now proceed to worship God.
1 — 2 Cor., 12, 9
2 — Genesis, 32, 10
Let no name of reproach for religion’s sake seem hard to us, when our Master was Himself called a Nazarene, as a name of reproach and contempt.
Matthew Henry