SOUTHILAND PRESBYTERY.

Mataura Ensign, 7 November 1890, Page 3

SOUTHILAND PRESBYTERY.

-*. _ The members of the Southland Presbytery met in the Gore Town Hall yes'erd*y afternoon, when the Gore congregation was cited to appear to give reasons for and against the call to the Key Mr Asher. There were present the Revs Ke:ly (moderator), Ferguson, Stobo, Johnston, Oonuor, JXeave, Ramsay, " and Df Copland. The congregation was represented to the number of about 50. After the meeting bad been opened by prayer, / The moderator asked those who had / finned the dissent to coma forwtrJ and state their reasons. Mr Btattie, a 9 one who hal signed the di«sen r >, Buicl he thought the action of the Presbjtery had not left thing 9as he con> Sidered best fpr the interests of this church. Most of the trouble had arisen through Something that had occurred at a meeting of that .body when n petition was before them aeking-t'.J' m 10-mr derate in a call sigtol by 66 mrra''e-. He ihought if that had been „, granted, ,«ven though, it would probably have '■'•TCsuVea ih nothiog, it Would have lift an impression of fairuessjon the minds of the members of the Gore church, and he was confident, tpo, that had , the Presbytery eustaiSedi their potion 'then that call, would have bfccJ quite aj largely signed as the dne t .now before them.: One. of the fmt principlec ..iqf^the.Frte Church of Scotland win tbe tight "'"Tot 4h&. cougregAtioii (o choose their own | ' intnistttrii, had the first rock tbey h-.d V Wpmbjed on vi.ai paUouace,. ami this liecon'tendod was what the action of the Presby- ! tery amounted to in ug.ud tothiac.ll. H.^ Still alheted to tiie dissent a* put before utbem, but being one of a stnall minority on'l as a Presby terian, ho would not lake part in fac ive opposition a^Binat thiir church. Mr Coutts said he still udh.red to the objjctionß ho had signed in the di-seut. Things Had not Hen gone about right »t the begii> niDgi'ubr 'according to the rules of the Church. He thought the Presbytery should *;-have delayed theic action till the congrega- .. tion was ripe for a cill. They wanted a * man of some experienc} here, and this he - did not think Mr. Asher possessed. But if I they decided to placa him here he did not think he would work against him. : The only other dissentient who had any* thiagr'tttsKy on the ma ter was ,Mr, B'dlconer, woo eaid his objections were tdlhe position' the Presbytery had tpken up. He thought a great many ot those who had $igned the colt, had done so "for quietness aoke, 1 ' an^ he contended that the congregatiofeJafio'fibl have bad a little more time. The #97 Stobo .explained, thftt he had - ri3efi- jn the Byn jd &ud , esk^d.-tho^ ti validaievthfl actiofl of the' Presbytery in this matter v aad ha had donef s<i 60 that sny oolion that x might ba taken at that meeting : y Would tjjsrcfOM be, le^l, and th.t any ■'•'•' appeal arising oat ojf that day'a proc'elinga on account pfp.^Wa.infortn^ity could not ■■■> pfwtotorfi l^m^^^mp9

with the Presbyiery wbo^e actions, if they ware - open , to grave question, were yet t tkeri with th 6 best intentions. There was a great difficulty in having their laws carried out just to the letter, and if there had been an informality in this matter it wsjb merely of a technical nature. The Synod had validated their previous actions so their proc. ediDgs now were quite legal. The moderator then invited any of those who had signed the call to give their views. Mr Gardiner being appealed to said he did not think it necessary to say anything in supports of the call. It had been largely signed, and every signature was genuine and honest. .Mr Dunlap said he was pleased to find that the principal fault the dissent ents had was with the Presbytery and not Mr Asher. As TCgaids want of experience the members of the Southlmd Presbytery knew ; that ministers with just as little' experience as Mr Aiher had taken charge of churches and got on very well with their congregations. Mr W A McCaw eaid hia . views had already besn pretty well explained in the matter. The eail a 9 it at present stood was remarkably unanimous for Gore. Parties were then removed from the bar, aad Dr Copland said he presumed the next proceeding w uld be to consider the reasons o£ dissent, nnd. give a judgment upon them, and the call in the light of that meeting. Before doing so he would submit a motion which he thought would allay some degree of irritation. He moved '.'That the Ires* bytery records its regret at having proceeded .to appoint a moderator, for, Gore congregation when it. had ( bpfore it^ only information supplied by an' irifo'rrnal 'meeting of the congregation to one of the candidM;ep," and iv doing so gave reasons why such a motion should be passed before proceeding further.— Seconded by the Rev P. Hatmay, who said there, had been a series of informalities. . 'i'kj dissentients at aDy rate had reason to complain, , The_3ev Mr Stobo said they had already pleaded gniliy before the higher court, and the motion seemed to him out of keeping. Mr Lindsay also thought they had expressed their regret in the Synod, but Dr Copland maintained that the Synod bad not before it the detailed facts, and what that body had done was simply to legalise futuro proceedings. There was no recoid of regret on the part of the Presbyi« tery in the ay nod's meeting. \ '" Mr Connor said he was inclined to agree with Dr Copland's motion on the ground that it was calculated to please the did* uenticnts and produce harmony. , Mr Neave said he had no idea of the strength of the dissentients, but considering the condition of the church at Gore hp thought if the dissentients or their representatives would express their willingness to fall in witii the majority it would facilitate matters. ' The moderator ruled f the motion out of order, but , Dr Copland refused to have the motion thrust out in that manner, and asked that the competency of. the motion be decided by vote. Tbiß was done, and the members hav - (- iog decided that the motion was competent, it was then put to the metting and lost on the casting vole of the moderator. , Dr Copland and those who voted for the motion then de.sented from the decision of the Presbytery On the following grounds : —1. Because the informal congregational meeting was summoned on one day's notice,, and for the purpose of eliciting the mind of those present only regarding the three candidates who had been heard, and only with the deolared purpose of communicating the information ascertained to one regarding them, to one of the candidates for his use and not for the Presbytery's use. 2. Because the Presbytery's action in appointing a moderation in a- call on such information, after having shortly before refused a request from a a regular congregational meeting at which 56 declared their . desire to call a minister named, is fitted to produce irritation and a feeliDg that the Presbytery had acted hastily and dictatorially towards the congregation. Mr Lindsay moved, ihat having heard the dissentients, the Presbytery see no cause why they should not proceed to a call, and he moved that the call be sustained and that the dissentients be asked in the interest of Christ's Kingdom, to fall in with the others. The motion was seconded by Mr Kelly and carried. Mr Beattie, having been asked if he was willing to fall in with the others, said he had no wish to delay the proceedings in the matter and would put notning in the way of the Presbytery to having the ; vacancy settled and would offer no active opposition in the event of tho call being accepted. Mr Ferguson, on behalf of Mr Asher, accepted the call, and it was iniimated that the ordination vjpould probably take place on Wednesday, 26 La inst. , Toe' meeting 'concluded with the bene« diction.