Presbyterian Synod.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 28, 21 January 1875, Page 5

Presbyterian Synod.

* — p The annual session of the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland opened at Dunedin on the evening of Wednesday the 15 h inst. The retiring Moderator (the Rev. J. H. M'Nanghton) preached from P.-alms Ixxxvii, 3. '• he Svnod having been constituted the. clerk (the Rev. W. Bannerman) read the roll. The retiring Moderator, in nominating as hi* successor the Rev. John Allen, of Fnch-Clutha and Kai?angata, said Mr Allen ua* one of six who a&ived in this Province. ahout the same time. Two of the six have alreadv acred as Moderators of Synod, and he is the third. He had enjoyed — what few of them had done — the privilege of being transl .ted from one congregation to anoiher, and the further privilege of being the second minister from the same congregation cal'ed to Moderate over onr Synod. The present Moderator and *llex-Moder. atora were quite unanimous in this choice. THE MODERATERS ADDRESS. The Moderator elect in address-ing the Synoi said — " 1$ is but once a year that we assemble together — that we become visible as a body — and the < hurch and the "forld 1' ok on. * It is too much to expect that it is throuah 'he ministry of ihe Church thiit God will pour his shower of blessing on onr land, an it is for you to consider and inquire whether the principles of piety are fairly embodied in the spirit that prevails among you. There is not one of us- who will not. admit that there is need for a fresh bspMsm of the Holy Spirit, and I tru«t there w 11 be time for waiting on God for it. Give me a ministtr who lives, a» it were, in the pre-ence of God — who dili eemly watches to conform the whole man f o the law of life in Christ Jesus — who is transformed, and being trnn«lormed 'o the image of God, and I confess no fear or alarm of the apoosirion of natural sci»nce or scientists. Bat let there be a minister highly orthodox, or Evangelical if you will in creed, highly religions in the puljic, or mourning like a very Jeremiah over the eins of the land out of it, but who suffers sins in him-elf.refined and cultivated, but not the less deadly fur all that, to continue, whether unknown or unheeded, whb only readd th* Word of God proteasi: na ly, and who net ks its own honor ; and give me a memberthip of the Church that even contrasts unfavorably in morality with the «ober portion of the world. And I affirm there are more than a Tyndall, or a Huxley, or a Spencer, who moo 1 a not vtry dignified origin to our sp-cies. Is it wrong to look nt the present a-ptct of science and scientists in the light of adf served rebuke by God himsdf to Hi* Church, whose members act and live, as it Cnristianity held only a ■econd place in importance fo their own temporal gains and present enjoyment?, but who, for all that, would not like to lose >ts Bta\s and supports? That the discoveries of the world of nature will ever belie the truths of revelation, we have not the shadow of suspicion. When scientists have waded through the secrets of matter, that matter itself will bear witness to its Creator. Let those who prods? faith in the Lord Je.^us Christ, and who put themselves amongst his rrofessed people, show something that those tfid at the first flush of Christianity on earth — 'see how these Chiistianj love one another* — U:t Christiana shew themselves to be a peculiar people, who are not as greedy,, if some'ia.es not greedur, than those a^e who are ignor »nt of thv truth ; let tlem denv self lor Christ's Rake ; let them shire as luminaries in the world, and scientists may propound what they plea-e, Christianity will always be owned by humanity as the only healer and hope of the world." THE CLUTHA PRESBYTERY. The following; business from thi< Pte-sbytery was disposed of. The sanction of the Svnod was given to a meeting oi 'he Ciutha Presbytery, held at Tuturau, Mataura, on .« pril 15, to moderate a call to Mataura. Tnis step was necessitated by there not having b^en a quorum at Tutursu. The c^se of Mr A. G. B>yd wps brought under notice of the v > nod by the i!)iiih-i Preshtcry, with the object of hi.« being allowed to. prosecute, at. least for a t»me< . his tfruole;ial stu'ies under the Presb} terj', t-o to enable him to occupy the charge at Alexandra, the necessities of which require that it bp continuously occupied, und whe f e Mr B^3 - d proved him 9lf bis^.ly Accep'ah.'e. The adonuon of the - Presbytfry's recommendaiion wa-' moved by Mr Binnermati and, opposed by Dr S'uafr, who moved as art amendment tint Mr Bo>d ehould ifoseeute his studies rwa'divuiity siu-'lent u" r id*r such araa ge men's for theolo.'ical students as the Si nod miiht make. The. voting was. t qua), 16 votingr f or and 16 agairist the amendmenf. The Moderator gave T bis casting vote in favor of the motion, which was accordingly declared carried. . . ... CHURCH COUNCIL; ■ -: Dr ; Stuart moved— ' That the Synod cordially approve of the proposal submits d - to; the ' Cburcbee by President M'Coph; of the collfge of New Jersey, and of. the committee of whir-b he is chairman, t • form a general council btthe PrV sby^erian Chirche* 1 in various lands, : as fitted t exhibit before the world their, substantial i.nity, and thus to raise a powerful^ testimony on behalf of. the, Go-pel of the King: dom, • to. demonstrate to the : Christian worlir ench ,iacts as these r—That the Presbyteriap syptefn,' by its' reasonable : po'ity, cbfifists with eviry :fo"rm:: ot civil, JRoverri'nVhT; that' by the simpHcity of ita^ usages it is adapted to all the varying con. -'^ r-.^i^.-.r:::'.o l?.c. t -;r. z?.{.i *+<+y.

ditions of tiie Church upon the.earth .: anu that, by its equal distance from license and* arrogance, it is' best prepared to recognise the kinsship of all between,, to, manifest the proportions and powers 6i the Presby-' terian 1 ChU'-ches and further to bn'ng tbe members of the Chur.Jies into' fellowship with the Saviour into deeper aff.ctibn for »he brethren, and into more entire conservation of thernpel yes to the noble end of our divine religion ; and that the Moderator be authorised to transmit and extract minute of the resolution to President M'Cosh." Motion put arid carried. TEACEiER OF MUSIC. • Revv Mr Waters moved that a teacher of music be appointed to go through the various districts instructing the diff rent congrepati ins, with a view to improving the psalmody of the Church— The following were appointed a commit tee 1 "' to inquire fully into the -subject :— Clergy : The Moderator, Messrs Blake, . Mackie, R.ley, Srobo, Todd, and Waters, Elders.: Messrs King, Clarke and Captain Thomson. REPORT OP THEOLOGICIAL COLLECT. Dr Stuart read and moved the adoption of this report, *bich stated that D r Cairns and Professor Rainy had undertaken to select a Theological Professor. Also that three competitors offered themselves for th» schola« ships, and that Messrs Will and Hill were awarded the Tokomairiro and Invercargill scholarships (25 each). The report also recommended three scholarship* he offered for competition this year.— Mr King thought, and moved as an amendment, that ••instead of obtaining a professor from Home, one should be chosen from their own clergy. — The Moderator pointed out that the matter had been fully discussed last year, aud therefore it was a question if the amendment could be now received, as it would be going over the old grounri again. It was for the Synod to decide if it shoul.l be re- opened. —The Rev. Mr I Mackie thought eventually a second Prof<essr>r would be r« quired, and that he might be chosen from their own ranks, but that the first should be faken from outside. The report w«»s fln'onWl.