DEPARTURE OF THE REV. ANDREW MACKAY.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 14, Issue 992, 1 July 1890, Page 5

DEPARTURE OF THE REV. ANDREW MACKAY.

" The Presbyterian Church, Gordon, was crowded last qighfc by friends of th(j Rev. . AndwVflqd Isra Mackay, who are leaving .fir another colony, Although a double row .Of chairs bad been placed along the aisle, a \ lew who came late had tq be content with * 'standing robin in the parch. Fully an hour 1 was 'occupied in discussing tea, biscuit?, \^}blilep,.'&e., and then, after some singing from \ lhe 1 choir, ( The Bey. P. Bamsay, who was in the chair, said he. hadbeen deputed to state the objects of the jilting, but he preferred th*t they shda&'^eral&p 'thenttelv'eß- "gradually 'in qmihary course. -Th«l"principal object waj TJ^rSay-^TewsiU to Mr Mackay, Jus, wife and fa'mUyi and, the chairman explained that yjJtbGugb be objected to meetings on Mondays not retuse to. being present on this occasion. Hespoke of Mr, Mackay's kindness $'t6>ito*ud ttift Willingness to give him help ;*-#fienyvhr'"he wanted it. i*Br;ioulaily too he * r t^rStti'd'the departure of Mr Mackay at the pteaent time fcxau^e just now men with tougd, fiawi Vf we much needed, aad Mt

Mackiywap one of the ablest preacbe.-s and one of'the best educated a"d mo^studiouß ministers in tbe Church. After speaking further 61 his wgard for the minister and|hia wife tue chairman s^id he understood some tangible proofa of affection were to be presented to Mr and Mrs Mackay ; but he would first call upon Mr Gardner ,to say a few werds. Mr Robert Gardner first testified to the hirh eateemin which both the minister and bis wife were held in hia estimation and | that of all adherents of the Churob. They Stood upon the highest rung of the ladder, and to his knowledge Mrs Mackay had oltm gone out beth by day and night to pray over the sick. (Applause). The statement which he had to make waa with regard to the j.ocition of the church. Six years ago when 3Cr Mackay was inducted there were 62 on the communion roll ; since then 164 new names had been added. (Applause). That showed an annual addition of 28 or a quarterly increase of 7. The number admitted by certific te waa 85, and there had been 79 young communicants. The _ tot U number of new members who had joined was 60, taking off the losses by death, defection and other cautes. So the increase had J been about 10 m each year, and now the j uamba on the roll stood at 16+, That result would compaie favorably with the , work of any other church, and it showed j I the progress made rinue the seitleme.'it of , Mr Mackay in their midst. He had always ! found Mr Mackay ready to help him in his | I church work, aud similarly be would miss I ,Mrs Mnckay'a kindly assistance. He prayed j ithat God'B blesßing would go w.tu them | botu and. prosper them in the land they had j chosen to go. .to. (Applauße). • The Rev Panton Brown aaid that six years' ago he moderated iv a call to Mr iMackay, and from long acquaintance with that gentleman he spoke feelingly of turn as :a-wafcm-heartbdf kindly man and one of the 'most able minis'.eia of the church. He hoped to hear grand things of his future career. Mr Brown also testified to the worth of Mra Mackay, Mr James Beattie, oh behalf of the congregation J presented to Mi Mackay an adurtsi and a puise of sovereigns. Tbe former had b r en prepared by Air King, and was a Iworkof art/; and Mr Beatie intheoourse of his speech mentioned that the thanks of j the congregation were due to the designer, iHeexpruoed h?8 regret at their minister's departure and tid they were losing a '. colonist whr could not er.sdy be replaced. i: The pr an tat ion was made amid loud applause. . , . Mr deattie also presented an address irom residents of Croydon, who expressed their regret at the 1ol; of Mr and ; Mrs Mackay. Mr Mackay said he had never anticioated anything of this sort when a few Sundays ndo be notified hia intention of going away. He bad had the honor of being the first Presbyterian minister in Gorej and he looked on that as a great honor, because there were now truths engrafted on the heaits of the people that no amount of new-fangled ideas would ever be able to obliterate. (Applause.) He referred to what' had beeu done far him in th-j erection of a houae ; the purchase of an organ, etc.. and Baid that, thank God, they owed no man anything. The next man who came would no doubt bave 'smoother times, for although as firbt minister of Gore.he had received a great honor he had aleo under* < taken a great responsibility. As a new comer he had had to deal -with peeple who had never been in harness before, and it was difficult to get them in proper control. Aleo, although the poßt was oue o» honor, it wa9 one of danger, but he had ihe courage of his opinions and did not know that he had done anything that he would not do again. He bad preached the truth, and left men in office behind him who knew the rules by which thd church was" guided and understood wbat was the proper course tJ pursue in any emergency. He was glad of their express nof kindly feeling, though it was cot needed to convince him that he left behind a true and faithful and loyal people. Had he stayed for another six years amongst them he was sure the expreesion of good will would bave been as cordial, because, as had been remarked, the longer they knew him and his jtite, the better they liked them. He might or might not be going away altogether— he could not say— but this much he could say, tbat if they could not find another minister to please,them they would always kaow where be W3s; and if they wanted him to come back —well, he would take it into consideration.. He might tell them, for it was no recret, that he had been bespoke for a new church at Gore, but he would not dwell upon that. Since he had told them the previous day that he felt very sorry to say good-bye, some had tsked him why, if it was so painful to leave, he went away at all? There were doubtless things in their experience as in. his that no amount of argument could demonstrate. They must believe him that he had reasons to take the step he had taken, but even if he went fully into the matter and showed them everything they nrght not think his reasons sufficient,. though they, might; be satisfactory to him. He thanked them again for the ; .r kind words and their gift, though no such thing was needei to assure him of their good feeling towards him. He exhorted them to remain true to God, to one another, and tn their trust, and hoped they would stand Bhoulder to shoulder. He hoped they would use every effort to get another man to fill his place quickly, and trusted that with their prayers and his the good work would be conti mcd. He thanked the office-bearers for tbeir support, and especially mentioned Messrs Beattie and Gardner, with whom he had naturally been brought closely iv contact. Mr Mackay concluded by pronouncing a ble:sin^ upon u'l, and resumed his seat amid loud applause. Dr Copland waa entrusted with making a presentatian ij Mra Mackay on behalf of tha ladies of the congregation, and expressed hi 8 great regret at the loss of Mr Maokay, a man of high aud bold character and great theological learning, at this juncture of the church's history; aod referred to Mr Mavkay'a support of the Bible-in-echoola question. He then made mention of Mrs Mackay'a labors in the district, and presented to her a silver cp.sket, bearing an inscription thowing the occasion of its presentation, and he added that its contents would further prove the eateem in which Mrs Mackuy waa held, (Applause,) A further presentation to Mrs Mackay from the Bible class of an album was made by Mr James Nichol in suitable terma. Also, ou behalf of the choir, Mr Gilkison presented to Mrs Mackay a sealskin bag. Mr Mackay returned thanks on bebalf of his wife, and spoke of the work Bhe had done and tbe benefit she herself felt she had derived from performing it. He especially refvrrtd to the harmonious manner iv which Mr Gardiner had worked with Mrs Mackay. The Rev. Mr Potter, of Pukerau, spoke feelingly of the regret he felt at Mr Mackay's departure^ ■ .., . ' Mr Andrew Martin made a presentation to Mr Mackay on behalf of the membeis of the Orange Lodge, and explained that they had baen permitted to make tbe presentation that night because there had been no opportunity of making it in the Lodge. He had received from the Grand Lodge a clearing certificate for their Grand wbaplain, which would admit him to any lodge iv the universe, and that was the firat presentation be had to make, He spoke of Mr Mackay's services to the Lodge and of his worth as h man. ahd re, fened also, to thp Orangeman's ptiaciplea and gu ding rules which might be summai. ised aa— " Do unto otbeia as you would they should do unto you." They wore never to give ofi.-nce to any petson, and no Roman Catholic need fear offence from an Orangeman. If any member so off euded, be would soon find a place outside of the Lodge door. He presented. Mr Mackay further with a purse of sovereigns. (Loud app'ause.) Mr Mackay regretted that he h*d notbee^ able to preach again from v he pulpit with gash on which he'then wore ou Orangemen a principles. Hn spoke of the difficulties they I had contended with and \he mis/epreaentav tiona and miscalling to which they had bean subjected ; but they had not retorted. .Every Oran^ r <> n was pledged to do his utmost to support the reading of the Bible in public 1 Bchools. One of the candidates who stood &t ' tbe last election bid said that he w«uld favor the introduction of the Bible into tne ' schools if it wa& the wish of the people tbat .tibia should be done; bat when asked recently

\ if he had done this he said "Nj " ; and when asked why he had arrived at the conclusion that the people did not want the Rible in schools be said •* By ordinary conversation with people." Had he (Mr Mackay) remained here and that man had stood again, he would have followed bim wherever he went and told the people not to auppoit him because he bad not kept his word, (Applause.) He urgedthem to go on persisting until they saw the Bible iv the hands of every child iv the colony. (Applause.) He contended that representations which had reoently been made at lectures in Go ,'c concerning the oppreesed condition of the Irish people were incorrect, ahd denied thai Orangemen were opposed to the true interests of the Irish people. It was said that the Orangemen's sashes excited the fighting sensibilities of the paople, but had ie been a figbtable man he would have been incensed at a sight he 6aw recently in Gore —that was a green flag erected with tbe harp on it and not the crown. Nevertheless no O.angeman mode a disturbance about that. Mr Mackay conclude! with an expression of thanks for the recognition of the good feeling displayed towards him. The Chairman stated that i letter of apology for absence had taen received from the Rev. Mr Spence, who had not received novice in time to b 3 present. Mr Ramsay also announced that there would be a meeting of the Kirk L - ion in the vestry after the meeting. The choir, who hai rendered many enjoyable items during the evening, then eang a farewell hymn anl Atter pronouncing the benediction, and a formal farewell ou behalf of the congregation to Mr and Mm Mackay having been tendered by Mr Beatt ; e, The meeting closed.