PRESBYTERY OF DUNEDIN.

Evening Star, Issue 5610, 2 March 1881, Page 2

PRESBYTERY OF DUNEDIN.

of ae ad od. „ j Tho ordinary meeting of tho j r ! Presbytery was hnld in she ball of the First ig i Church to-day. There w*re present Revs, ol i J. Niven (Moderator), Dr Stuart, Dr CopJa | land, W. Will, L. Maokte, M. Watt, Proa | feeaor Salmond, W, Kirkland, J. M. Suther,a I land, A. Greig, Finlayson, R. R, M. {g Sutherland, J. S. Ross, and J. Wood; to j elder?, Messrs J. Maekay and W. Wood. rjf j A letter m road from the Sesaloa of Knox rj Church appointing Mr Robert Chisholm rjl their ranresentatfve in tha Pxosbytwy, and ' ;a in the Synod of Otago and Southland,— 0 . C&mmiEaion euctaioed, r r The Rava. J. Clark (of PoI-nsrstoE) Tq a»id Christie '/ore associated whh the Prosm bytary. ~j Oa the motion «f the R.tv, Mr Will, ff esoonded by Dr Stuart, a ooasmittoo ware iy appointed to consider the autjsot c! Proabyia u-r’i&n expenses, such committee to consist ; of li l o R?vs, Niven (convener), Fm'ayson, :a j and Johnson, • a | The Ecv. Mr Will read a letter from Mr g> S .tensas Will, r-f 13-f‘nburgh, requesting a ** I certificate, and stating that ha ‘f | k&d taken reach a oourso of study es would “I I in the Presbyterian Theological Hal), Edin- : burgh.—On tho motion of the Itev. Dr I St start It was agreed to endorse the applib c*tion, a ; A roqtrest by Mr Hutson, etudsnt mis'r fiionary at tho’ Arrow, to bo received as a theological student of tho first year, was agreed to. The following wore appointed ps s . n committee of Presbytery to axamine him and to grant the usual certificate:—Rava. 19 Macbio, Kirkland, and R. R, M, Sutherland. a An application for a cottage manse at j Brighton, signed by John Graham, William 3 jl Braaofa, juu., and Robsrt Westwood, was lu I laid on the table, and supported by Mr l 0 Watt. —A committee, composed of the Rav«, I s j Watt, Maokle, Will, and Wood, were 8 j appointed to visit the district and confer r ’ j with the people as to the selection of a site, j tho Committee to have powsr to aot in tho . matter, —It was also agreed to refer the question of the purchase of the site on which I the Saddle Hill Baptist Church is built to 8 the same Committee, with power to act. 15 The Session of the Caversbara congregation at a mooting hald on February iG, agreed to request tho Presbytery to fix a date for the moderation of a call,—The Rev. R. ’ R, M, Sutherland was to preach and preside 10 r,t a meeting cf the congregation to be held 0 j on the 10th iust. 0 j It was agreed that tho Moderator be ap- ** j pointed to preach at North Dunedin on the * j 6th Inst., to intimate tho resignation oi Dr I’ ! Copland, and to gammon the congregation to 3 | appear for their interests; the Moderator to j preside over such meeting, i A letter was read from the convener of the | Mission Committee requesting collections i from tho congregations of the Presbytery in | favor of minion buildings in Tongoa, New j Hebrides; said collection to be made in • connection with tho harvest thanksgiving • services soon to be held.—Tho request having | been considered, the Presbytery came to the | conclusion that they could not see their way to appoint special collections for that object, lb was decided to consider fit tho first ordinary meeting in May the remit in connection with the aged and infirm ministers’ fund.

rev. dr Copland's resignation,

The Rsv. Dr Copland said : Mr Mode, rator, —I rltie for the purpose of pkoing In the bands of the Presbytery my resignation of the pastorate of North Dimediu congregation. Although this is formally announced to you to-day for the first time, I have no doubt that individually you have bean before this aware that I bad oonie to this determination. My action, therefore, vriil not be & caujo of surprise. In resigning my charge, it may be cxpeoted that I should say something bearing on the subject, and In doing 60 I shall be very brief. 1 may Bt&te that I have not come to this resolution without much and aaxfoai thoughtj nor have I done so beforo tho path of duty has been olearly marked out to rao. Tasre ia no woik I would prefsr to the Christian ministry ; and it ia with a deep feeling of regret that I contemplate leaving the active work of preaohlug tho Gospel. Nevertheless, there are tlnU'S when in God's providence ©ae must aefc contrary to his inclinations, however strong ; arid a number of circum.statoes hj«ve combined to poiafi out clearly that It ia my | duty to tako this and to do |po now. I have been, as some of you \ know, frequently solicited to devoto my ( attention wholly to the practice of medicine, I hut have hitherto resisted each solicitation?. j Now, however, for the reasons referred to, I which I do not think It necessary to enter s fato, I hava concluded to do so. I m%y gay, j however, thai! my intercut in fcVie Church ij will not;, I firust, abate through the stop I (am tak'ug. It ia my purpose to remain in ■ f Dunedin, unci although engaged in. medical ] practice, I cherish the hope of «jtil! reudoriiig service to tho cause of religion, and, porhap3, of taking gome part aa heretofore in tho buefnees of the Church, It ia not needful for mo, I believe, to say more, especially as I am neither leaving the Church nor the "City, nor breaking up entirely the fraternal associations which I hava had with members of Presbytery. I therefore placo my resignation in your hands, and request that you will take the requ site steps to release mo from my preoent chargi without unnecessary delay." i he Rev. Mr Will said that he was sure that it was with feelings of anything but general satisfaction he lifltened to this announcement, Dr Copland had been so long associated with their Church, and had

clone s (naich very valuable vctk in connection v. T i?fo the Church, that they had been accustomed to look upon him as one of the pillars, aad as planted in their midut all hiri ckyu, Ho waß glad to find that Dr Copland contemplated still remaining in their midat, and he hoped that; they would tnjoy the beueHt of his preconce and of his services isi many ways in the future, although n<,t ."-3 one of thGir regular niiiistora. Ho fait anything but Batiafacticn at the thought of accepting Dr Copland's resignation ; and was euro that tb'jy all i'olt that, whilo they, could not do otherwise than acqnicseo In his request, They could not but regret that cuoh a state of matters should have resulted. It would b-8 desirable probably to appohifc a Conunittoo to express the fooling or. the Presbytery regarding Dr Copland's long and valuable eerviceo to the Church ; but in tho moautiino Lo E-uppoaod it was neoowary to do nothing mere thwi take tho utiul stops to give notice to tho oongrcgation, and to appoint a meeting to oonsluer thio matter formally. Ho proposed that tho uaual ateps bo talron to summon tho oangregation to appear beforo tho Procbytsry for i»H intoreste at a day to bo fixed.

The Rev Mr Wood wag sure it must be a matter of deep regret with tho North Dunedin congregation, and with the Presbytery, that auoh a stop had been deoidwd on by Dr Copland.

The Rev. Dr Stuart Baid : I rise to second the motion. I ooaour very much in what Mr Will has said, I havo had opportunities of knowing, psrhapa as well as any member of the Presbytery, the very remarkable services that Dr Copland rendered tho Church <-f old. Ho waa tho first ministor of North Dunodin, and he went there when other pieces were open, took the most difficult field within the Church, and roncsered tho raogfc admirable services tboro. I have, always boon of opinion, and I have expressed it again as.d again to Dr Copland, that while* ho was an able minister, he should in thia now country fallow Ida vacation aa a doctor. 1 believe, and have always believed, that frotn hia sagacity in that line he would oxoel, and 1>? able to render great pervioo to the Churoh at tho same tima. I have always held that opinion, and I am not surprised that he has nerer coased to st\idy the profession, but h*B always kept up hin oonn«o£icn with the medical profession, The thought f/f losing him as a minister is very muoh modified by the statement he has m*do that he is to remain in Duaedin, and will tako an sotlvo part in tho govsrnmont and work of tho Church. I recocd Mr Will's motion,