"CALLING JACOB A SNEAK."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9307, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

"CALLING JACOB A SNEAK."

STRANGE PULPIT UTTERANCES, j The Free Presbytery of Fordoun have lately made a "pastoral visitation " of the Stonehaven congregation to inquire into certain matters affecting the junior minister. The D. Simpson, Laurencekirk, was Moderator. The Moderator, in opening the proceedings, said Mr. Robertson would, in the first place, have an opportunity to give a full and effective reply, so far as he could, to anything that had been advauced against him. Rev. Mr. Robertson said:— "My position is this. I have appealed to the Synod against the unconstitutional proceedings of this Presbytery. However, because it- is my earnest desire thai; the fullest investigation and inquiry should be made into the alleged charges of the petitioners, and because I wish in every possible way to help in the investigation, I shall now make some reference to the petition on the table of the Presbytery and the charges therein contained. The petitioners have nob condescended on detailed proof. I have been obliged to collect from newspaper reports and such like resources the tew alleged facts they have given in support. The petition says : —' In particular, your petitioners feel constrained to call attention to (first) the painful lack of reverence and propriety manifested in many of the public utterances of the Rev. John Robert-son both in the pulpit and by printed sermons, in which the most sacred themes have been treated in a style closely bordering upon profanity and blasphemy, fitted to bring the pulpit and its ministrations into contempt. So far is I have been able to gather, the alleged utterances are these Mr. Bur ness says, I called Jacob a sneak. (Laughter.) I still think he was. He ' spread his double fives behind his mother's back,' and here the newspaper adds, 'suiting the action to the word. (Laughter.) I deny that I ever made any such nose-tipping, double-lived action, as members of my congregation who are preserit can testify. The quotation from 'Tarn o' Shanter ' was given as an illustration of the bygone conception of God as taking pleasure in the death of the wicked, and the illustration answered its legitimate purpose. The next utterance is in the case of little faith that)' God would put His spectacles on to see it." Mr. Silver has missed out a little preceding phrase that 1 uttered namely, 'as it were;' and the utterance itself without that preface I hope to be quite legitimate. Ab any rate, some of my congregation afterwards referred to the comfort derived by them from that very conception of God's attitude to the feeble in faith. I submit such an expression is simply bringing down the great I Am to the level ot our human capacity, as the prophet speaks of God ' weighing the mountain in scales and the hills in a balance.' Then the titles of my sermons as advertised have been en evidence. I beg to remind the Court that they dealt, with me already about this misdemeanour—if misdemeanour it can be called—nearly a year ago. I received admonition about "them, and in deference to the views of my bretaern these advertisements in connection with the regular church services have ceased several months ago. Still, with your permission, I will explain how I came to make use of them at lirsc. Having explained that it was with the view of drawing non-church-goers to the services," Mr. Robertson continued, "Several of theso titles have been specified, such as ' God ■with His cant, off/ Surely an anthropomorphism like this the Presbytery will allow to pass as legitimate when I find Isaiah referring to God thus :—' He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with seal as a cloak.' If the prophet says, ' on' I might be allowed to conceive of it as 'off.' (Laughter.) The second was 'Al at the Devil's.' Here I referred to the classification of vessels at Lloyd's office, and I specified unbelief as the chief invention of Satan for the voyage of the soul to destruction. If I sin in this title I sin, in company with Mr. Spureeon who, in fact, has applied the very same term to the very same thing, and says, It i≤ the Al sin, the masterpiece of Satan, the chief work of the Devil.' Third, ' Praying to-day, and Drunk to-morrow.' Is it not true that Noah built his altar one morning and was incapable the next ? (Laughter.) Fourth, ' A damned Fool.' Although not the wisest title, as a title, this is the correct Scriptural term expressing the state of the soul for whom the demons were waiting. The Greek is, ' This night do they wait for thy soul,' and I am not responsible for the expression of the Word of God. I must and will speak as I find in the Bible. ' The foundation of God' is 'guaranteed concrete,' and the Trinity aro ' the Blessed firm.' If profanity or blasphemy be anywhere, it must be in the minds of those who could object to legitimate Scriptural conceptions." The chairman having asked if any member of the Presbytery had any question to put. Rev. G. Anderson, St. Cyrus', said he wished to ask Mr. Robertson this question : "Did you repeatedly, in the course of a sermon, describe Noah as dead drunk and spewing V Mr. Allan objected to tho question, as it was not mentioned in the petition. The Moderator, however, allowed the question, bub no answer was given. Mr. Anderson next asked, " Did you describe Christ as having cast himself into hell and allowed the devil to gnaw him ?" Mr. Allan again rose to order on the same ground as before, but his objection was overruled. As in the former case, no answer was given by Mr. Robertson.