PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1892, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

THE ANNUAL , MEETING

ADDRESS BY THE REV. DR. ELMSLIE, D.D.

The Presbyterian Assembly met ab St. Andrew's Church last evening. There was a large attendance of tho ministry and a fair attendance of church members. Divine service was conducted by the Very Rev. Charles Simeon Ogg, Moderator of the last General Assembly, who preached from Acts, 15th chapter and 28th verse, "For ib seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us." The dispensing of the Lord's Supper followed, and thereafter the Assembly was formally constituted. The names of the Commission of Assembly were read over and the roll of Assembly made up as follows :—Presbytery of Auckland : Revs. A. Carrick, R. F. Macnicol, G. B. Monro, T.F. Robertson, R.S.West, R.Sommerville, C. Worboys, W. Evans, J. Hill, R. McKinnoy, D. J. Steele, J. Gow, T. Norrie, W F. Finlay, S. J. Neill, Griffith Jone.s, G. Brown, A. M. McCallum (ministers), and Messrs Hugh Kerr, Alex Algie Gilmour, James Bell, George Herd, John Buchanan, Andrew Bell, James McGregor, Alexander Whyte, W. P. Hunter, Arthur Ramsay (elders). Presbytery of Hawke's Bay : Revs. D. Sidey, R. M, Ryburn, and R. Sbewart (ministers), Messrs Beswick and Peacock (elders). Presbytery of Wellington : Revs. J. H. Hope, R. Wood, J. Patereon, C. S. Ogg (ministers). Messrs M. Atkinson, W. M. Hannay, James Wilson (elders). Wanganui : Revs. J. Doull, R. McGregor, D. Gordon, J. Tredwell (miniatere), Mr W. Yorke (elder). Presbytery of Nelson : Rev. W. McAra, and Mr Charles Fulton (elder). Presbytery of Christchurch : Revs. J. Elmslie, D,D., W.R.Campbell, J. Maxwell, A. Blake, H. Irwin, J. W. Gow (ministers), Messrs Smart, Orr, Young, Gavin (elders). Presbytery of Timaru : Revs. W. Gillies, J. Clarke, A. B. Todd (ministers), Messrs P. H. Hutton, D. Shaw, J. Angus (elders). Presbytery of VVostland : Rev. A. Barclay (minister), and Messrs I). D. Anderson and King (elders). A commission wu« read from bhe Synod of Otago and Southland appointing the Rev. Dun lop deputy to Assembly. He was cordially welcomed, and took his eeat as an associated minister. THE MODERATOR'S ADDRESS. The retiring Moderator, Rev. C. S. Ogg, moved thab the Rev. Dr. Elmslie, D.D., minister of St. Paul's, Christohurch, be Moderator for the current year. Tho Rev. A. Carrick seconded bbo motion, which was carried unanimously.

Dr. Elmslio having been formully welcomed to the chair, vacated by the Rev. Mr Ogg, addressed the Assembly. He said :—I have chosen b eubjecb of address which hae a special claim, I humbly think, upon the attention of all Christian churchea ab the preeent day, and very specially upon the attention ot the Presbyterian churches. I refer to the attitude ib behoves the Church to maintain with regard to the new and bhe old in Christian theology—or shall I say the new and the old in Biblical learning and in other departments of study which have a very direct bearing on Biblical questions. Ib can hardly have escaped the notice of any here thab in the world of Christian thought we are passing through a period of unrest —a period in which speculation ia rife on all subjects, even the most eacred, and in which beliefs the most ancient and fondly--oherieihad are readily called in question. Wβ live in an age, indeed, when religious opjnjpne are shifting, and "changing, a nape very mucTT'hße 'the colours' in' aPklileidoscope. And in many cases doubtless they ard a9-.- v thii>gs transient and evanescent only deserve. Bub such an attitude would not in all instances be either wise or becoming. Indifference to the investigations of real science, whether Biblical, natural, or historic, would be altogether unworthy of a Christian qhurch. And from all these departments of scientific study questions are now coming that demand consideration. The Higher Criticism, as it is now called, threatens to revolutionise our beliefs regarding the ago and theaubhorship, the structure and transmission of tho Books of Holy Scripture, and to raise many questions that are of vital importance, us atiecfcing directly or indirectly the fundamental doctrine of inspiration. In like, manner the student of natural science has been throwing much light on the structure and development of our material cosmos, and although his facts may not, in inosb cases, be so startling as his conjectures, still it behoves us as wise men to give due consideration to the facts. Then there ici at the present moment coming into existence the science of comparative religion—a science which demands that wo institute a comparison between the religion of the Bible and the religions of the ancient world ; and ib is all the more important thab we should keep a watchful eye on this investigation, because ibis being conducted for the most part by men who, to say the least, are nob friendly to the religion of Jesus Christ. Speaking of true Biblical science, of the new fields of inquiry that are everyday opening up,and of the eagerness with which they are being explored— sometimes by bhe friends and somotimes by the enemies of evangelical truth—what, let us ask, is the attitude which, as a Church, we ought to maintain towards the old and towarde the new ? Here moat assuredly the Presbyterian Church restsunder a grave responsibility. If she has any special function assigned her among the churches of Evangelical Christendom, ib is thab of guarding the strongholds of the faith in their very deepest foundations. Should the day of battle soon come, and danger threaten, the eyes of many will be upon her. Never, therefore, was there greater need than at the present moment that the ministry of the Presbyterian Church should bo more capable, through a heavenly baptism and a consecrated learning, of distinguishing between the right hand and the left. In so far, then, as learned research in Biblical and other fields of inquiry may involve tho claims of truth, the attitude ib becomes us to assume, I numbly think, is one of generous loyalty. Loyalty to trubh we know is loyalty to God. For truth, we may say, is the harmony of the Divine ; and in this grand harmony there are no jarring notes. In the very nature of things one truth can never be ab variance with any other truth, And dangeroue truths, therefore, have no existence. So that it becomes the Church, with a friendly aud generous loyalty to welcome all truth, and every truth, from whatever sphere of knowledge' ib may come. Partial truths may be dangerous, and truth carrying in ib an intermixture of error may be more fraught with peril than bhe mosb palpable untruth.' Bub in offering a generous welcome to all trubh, wo require in these days to maintain a very cautious reeerve. 1. In the first place, we need to be upon our guard against imposition, We must learn to distinguish between the genuine metal and the glittering trinket. We must not rashly exalt into the place of truth mere fads, whims, or notions thab may have nothing bub novelty and notorieby to recommend them. This, let me say, wibh all respecb, is a mistake enthusiastic young preachers nob unfrequently commit. Especially hae this been so in the case of those who have nob been much within the veil, who have not drunk very deep of the Pierian spring, and have had little experimental knowledge of those mysteries of redemption into which the angels of God desire to look. The present generation has witnessed some earnest young men feeding their own souls on such pabulum as novel writers, shallow expositors, and third-class scientists are wont to provide, and then vexing the Church of

God, scattering their congregations, and blighting their own prospects of usefulness in tho service of our blessed Master. And with such experiences in our memory we need sorely to be upon our guard against rushing to the conclusion thab everything new is true, and that everything old is out of date. There is a sense, indeed, in which we may well ponder the meaning of the old adage, "That which is new is not true, and that which is true is nob new." 2. In the next place we need to be upon our guard againsb presenting shallow and defective views of truth in defence of truth. The restlessness and combativenese of the present age aro sure now and then to bring us into collision with the enemy. And when in honourable conflict we are face to face with him, one of the worst things we can do is to do injustice to the truth, or to confront error with unscriptural views of Scripture, or with unchristian conceptions of Christianity. Of this two recenb examples have come under my notice. In a recenb famous address Mr Frederic Harrison, champion of Positivism, haa repudiated Christianity, because, forsooth, in this Gentile age Christianity has not done what it never undertook to do. To meet Mr Harrison's unfavourable verdict Mr Hugh Price Hughes has given to the world his "Social Christianity " —a volume of discourses which for versatility of thought, earnestness of purpose, and" fervour of spirit, are beyond all praise. And yeb, if we make allowance for the difference that must needs exisb bebween an honoured Christian minister and a clear-headed unbeliever, the conceptions and expectations of the one regarding Christianity are about as unecriptural as those of the other. And nob much more successful in his last publication that has reached us, is our own Professor Drummond ; though in fairness ib must be noted thab in his "Programme of Christianity " he is not combating any particular form of error. Whilst, however, wo recognise the beauty, freshness, and crispness of almost all this writer sonde us, wo lament the narrowness and defectiveness of this production as an exposition given under tho all-embracing title, "The Programme of Christianity," and I mention it in this connection, because I am humbly of opinion that Chrietianity as it presents itself to the minds of those two good men is a much poorer and narrower thing than is the Chrietianity of Jesus Christ, the programme of which is presented to us in Mr Drummond's text, or in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament taken as a whole. And I have ventured to take this object lesson from two men whose fame is in all the churches, because I would fain emphasie, the danger to ivhich we are all exposed in these days, of confronting error with unscriptural views of Scripture. 3. But in striving to keep ourselves in touch with the times, and in fullest) sympathy with all real progress in Biblical research, we need. above all things to be upon our guard againsb tho baneful influences of a disguised and modified rationalism. The danger that lien in this direction is by no means imaginary. Tho history of the churchea in Franco, Holland, and Germany shines through the darkness like a danger signal. And we are not without examples equally humbling among our English-eooaking peoples. Not greater was the blight that fell upon the seven Churches of Asia than that which has fallen upon some Protestant Churches of the last 200 years. And even within our own memory we can mark this process of decadence, sometimes in whole communions and sometimes in individual congregations ; churches thot wero once strong and vigorous—mighty to the pulling down of strongholds—have in process of time become like Samson shorn of his locks, and thus reft of all spiritual; power- in the roal work of the Gospel. And thia evening it becomes us seriously to inquiro—What was. the Delilah Lhut led to this downfall? Wo have spoken of progress in Bible fetudy, of largo accesaiona to our knowledge of Bible truth. But in themselves these things are good, and could naver do anything but good. Increase of knowledge and clearer views of truth will never rob the Church of that spiritual power which hor living LorJ dolighte to sea her wield. How, then, aro we to account for the loss of thia power, as the too common experionco of the pulpits of our own time? It may be traced, wo know right well, to world'inessof mind, unbelief, or lack of poreonal holiness on tl:e part of the preacher. But not infrequently it must be traced, we know, to thatsemi-rationalietn which so often connects itself with Biblical research, and iv which so much of the religious literature of our time is steeped. This, I humbly think, is the great Delilah of our day. Coquetting with this enchantress, the prenclier soon basins to trilio with the supernatural, to make little of inspiration, to eliminate the miraculous from the Divine Word, to rationalise the doctrine of the atonement, and to treat the conversion of the soul as a notion fit only for sentimental enthusiasts. And when any preacher gets fairly upon this declivity he ia as completely reft of spiritual power as was the voriest moderate in the days of Robertson and Blair, or the disguised Socinian that rocked our Presbyterianisih asleep in the England of 100 years ago. In bidding Godspeed, then, to every earnest inquirer after sacred truth, and in bidding a joyous welcome to every real accession research can bring to our knowledge of tho grand old Book, we need grace from God (let us pray for it) to guard us against bhe inninuations, and encroachments and secret but powerfully seductive influences of a current rationalism. As much as the disciples on the day of Pentecost wo in New Zealand need to be endued with power from on high ; and anything that would involve the sacrifice of this power would not bo.-a,gain, bub a positive and incalculable loss. Let us pray for it, brethren. It will come to us not through any imaginary apostolic succession, nob through any clerical or ecclesiastical freemasonry. It will come to us, aa ib haa come to tho servants of God in every age. It will come as it came to holy men of old, through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, sent down in answer to earnest, importunate, believing prayer. And coming thus it will constitute us men of tho true evr.ngoUc succession—men strong in tho Lord and in the power of His might, to preach the Gospel to the poor ; to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sighb to the blind ; to eet at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and tho day of vengeance of our God." MINISTERIAL CHANGES. The 'following ministerial changes were reported to have been made since last Assembly :—Auckland : Rev. W. J. Comiio hae been translated frr.m. Waiuku to Kelso (Otago); Rev Thos..\ •*!« hae resigned the charge of Onehunjy.. uu Mangere; the Rev. Alex. McLennan iias been translated from Tauranga to Manaia ; Rev. Peter Mason has died; th 6 Rev. D. W. Runciman has resigned the status of a minister of tho Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. VVanganui : The Rev. Robert McGregor has been inducted into the charge of Hawera, tho Roy. A. McLennan has been translated from the charge of Tauranga to that of Manaia, the Rev. Charles McDonald, licentiate of the Free Church of Scotland, has been ordained and inducted into the charge of New Plymouth. The Rev. A. M. Wright has been translated from the charge of Palmeretou North to that of Lincoln and Prebbleton. Presbytery of Christchurch : The Rev. P. R. Munro has been translated from Sydenham to Rangiora. The Rev. W. Finlayeon resigned the charge of Methven and Rangitata. The Rev. W. Grant has been inducted into the charge of Kaiapoi. The Rev. J. M. Simpson has been ordained and inducted into the charge of Sydenham, The Rev. W. Adamsoti has

resigned the charge of Lincoln and Prebbleton. The Rev. J. Maekellar has resigned the charge of Waikari Presbytery of Nelson. The Ilev. P. Calder has resigned the charge of Nelson. The Clerk stated that there had been some changes in Wesbland, but the particulars had nob yeb come to hand. SESSIONAL COMMITTEES. The following Committees were set up :— Committee on bills and business : Revs. w. Gillioe, A. B. Todd, A. Barclay, J. Maxwell, A. Blake, D. Sidey, R. Stewart, J. Doull, J. Tredwell, J. Paterson, G. b. Ugg. W. McArd. R. Sommerville, J. HiH, Messrs Peacock. Gilmour, Gavin, Rev. 0. Hill (convener). Committee on commission and records: Revß. h. -c • Macnicol, A. Carrick, G. B. Monro, R. M. Ryburn, R. Wood, J. «> Hope, D. Gordon, R. McGregor, W. K. Campbell, J. Clarke, U. D. Anderson, £. H. Hutton, D. Shaw and Beswick, Rev. K. F. Macnicol convener. Committee on standing order and collections, Rev. VV. Gillies (convener), D. Sidey, R. Sommerville, J. Doull and J. Clarke. ASSEMBLY ARRANGEMENTS. Ib was resolved thab bhe Assembly meeb during bho sittings in St. James's Hall, and tho Assembly adjourned to meet in fat. James's Hall ab 10 a.m. to-day (Wednesday). .