PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4027, 14 January 1875, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND.

The annual session of the Presbyterian Synod of Ota»o and Southland was commenced last evening at the First Church, with the customiry ceremonies. The retiring Moderator (Key. J. H. M'JSaughtou) preached a thoroughly interesting sermon from Psalm lxxxvii. 3— " Glorious things are spoken of thee, thou city of God." The Synod having been constituted, the Clerk (Rev. W. Bannermau) read the following ROLL OK MEMBERS. Ministers: Presbytery of Duuedin—Revs. W Will W. Johnstone, D. M. Stuart. J. H. M'Nau"-hton v' Watt, W. Gillies, Alex. Greig, J. Cop and, J° Gow A I Blake, J. butherlaud, L. Maekie. Clutha Revs ■' W Banueruian, J. SI. Allan, J. Waters, R. Telford Chas" Connor, J. Uhisholm, A. Bett, J. M'Ara, J. H. Came' ron, Jas. Skinner, Jas. Henry. Southland—Revs A. H. Stobo, Thos. Alexauder, Andrew Stevens A. Ross Robert Monison, C. S. Ross, J. H. Thomson. Oamaru —Revs. A. B. Todd, John Ryley, John Christie James Clark, J. Jl'Cosh Smith, James Baird. Eldera: Presbytery of Dunedin—Messrs Jas Ross (East Taicri), Jas. M'Doniild (Port Chiliners) Robert Ualjrleish (Knox Church), James Kmgr(Aiiders6n's Bay) ahomas King (Green Island), David Bhmie (West Tuieri), R. Dick (I'ortobelio), John Duncan (North Duuedin), W. Stewart (St. Andrew's Church) P Souness (Kaikond), R. S. Nicholson (First Church)' Clutha—Messrs. Jas. Johnstane, \V. Patersou (luch Clutha), John Johustone (Warepa), H. Clark (Tokomairirol R Hmvliston (BalclutUa), Andrew Watson | (Waihola). Southland—Messrs Thos. Watson (Inveri car-ill), Jas. M'Donald (Riverton). Oamaru-Messrs i James Mi]]jgan(Oamaru), JamesSmHh(Waikouaiti') E |B. CarjfilliNiseby), Capt. Thomson (Hampden) ' THE ELECTION OF MODERATOR. The retiring Moderator, read the following address | which, was received with loud applause :— ° ' " Fathers and Brethren—ln opening the ntwmt meeting of Synod, 1 have again toPthank you Forihe high honour conferred upon me by raising" me to the position ot Moderator; i have also to thank you for your forbearance aud kindness towards me while-in omce. If I have erred, it has been from my overanxiety to see things done decently and in order. 1 am happy to learn from various quarte;s that our last meeting of Synod was regarded by many as the best we have yet had. Let us hope and pray that the present may be still better—that it may prove to each aud all of us a time of refreshing- from the Lord's own presence. v " I beg to nominate as my successor one who is wellknown to most of you—the Rev. John Allan, of Inch Clutha and Kaitangata. Mr Allan was one of six who arrived in this Province about the same time. Two of the six have already acted as Moderators of Synod and he is the third. He has enjoyed—what few of us have done—the privilege—if privilege it may be called —of being translated from one congregation to another, and the further privilege of beinjr the second minister from the same congregation called to Moderate over our Synod. I may state that the present Moderator and all the ex-Mod?rators are quite unanimous in this choice. I have therefore j?reat Pleasure in proposing that the Key. John Allan do now take the Chair as Moderator of this Synod." THE MODERATOR'S ADDRESS. The: Key. Joiix Allan delivered the following adFathors and Brethren—l need not coucfal from you the muiirled emotions I have by your entrusting to me the omce of presiding over yoj at this meeting of our Synod. One of these is gratefulness for this your act —gratefulness which 1 hope to prove to you is genuine by my endeavouring to fill the office well. Another one is a feeling of unworthiness, if not of unfitness, to preside over you, and I throw myself on your indulgence, sympathy, and assistance, believing that these shall not be lacking to me in time of need, and I crave for your prayers of Divine assistance to discharge ibis

duty to which you now have called ma We meet flbls? yearunder auspicious circumstances. The Roodnes* of God has been great towards us. Death has made no inroads on our riumhers this last year, and our lac* of labourere has been gracionsJy supplied. There have oeen four pastoral charges filled up durinethe year, and supply obtained for filling up other* sun vacant. Besides, we have younc men -who give prorate of great usefuloess to our portion of the Tineyard. The country, meantime, is unusually prorperous, and the civil schemes and funds of oar churches continue to show progress. There is abundant cause for thankfulness for our manifoH mercies—enough to spur us on to stOl greater things. Our Church must extend as populated districts extend, and provision made for that extension. Our missionary liberality must be fostered and increased ; a staff for the training of young men in theological requirements must be set apart, together with other matters concerning the internal workings and administration of our affairs, to the consideration of which, and to the determining of "which, we pray that the Lord of His own Zion may giant unto you wisdom which will manifest its own heavenly origin, and that what you do majr tend much to lengthen the cords and strengthen the stakes of His own kingdom in our land ; and may yott never forget that you are pioneers in a young- chnrcb. in a new country, and that your deliberations ami enactments will give character to it in the generatiog that are to come; and, while tins is an honour belonging to few, it ought to deepen your sense of responsibility, and lead you the more ardently to seek Divine guidance in all things: to eschew, on the one hand, being heady or high-minded, or, on the other, being morbidly timid or great in little things in the adniniistr tion of the things of the kingdom. Father* and Brethren we cauuot, as belonging to the brotherhood of Christ Jesus in the world,the inscn- ?£?. to what is taking place .in other parts eS Christendom, and especially to what has been* and is Mall going on in our beloved native land The accounts that have been circulated among us of th* work of the Lord there, as weilas in a great mamother countries, are fitted to excite our faith and effort* in our spheres of labour. It is not for me to enlarge onthe nature and extent of that work as described by the Press and religious periodicals of t!;e home country, nor to plead the genuinenes of it. There has been: more of the breathings of God in the community sawing ' Receive ye the Holy Ghost," than everweoroMT fathers have experienced. There has been such a conflaence of intercourse between theThroae of Grace and the | hearts of the people met to worship as (certainly notto exceed our warrant to expect) to exceed anything tje have been acquainted with. All classes and allprafessions—the rich and poor, the learnedand cultivated: and unlearned have been drinking at the same fountain—all confessing their common humanity an*, the only healing power to deliver from deep-rooted diseases, all shaking off their stupor and indolence- * put forth their power, gifts, and graces into active service for the glory of God and the extension of Hbe Kingdom in this world. Separa c denominations forget, or at least have no remembrance of their peculiar dinereuces, and unite in rejoicing in what God is v or >in», and give expression to the utterancesof their Uearts in simple hymns that are heard everywhere— not only in the public meeting, but in the private d«el ing, the workshop, the factory, and the streets ef the cities. There seems never to have been a -wort «t the .kind so genera, ly acknowledged by all classes as genuine as the work of the Lord and marvellous 5« men s eyes. Even the portion of the Press unfriendly to anything of that' nature is sHenft. and the new-born life and energy are ieclaring that the work is of God. The hope cfc and the means to attain a portion of the same hlesi? mgs in our land is a subject, I trust, which will seeme a large place among the subjects for consideration that come hefore you. When the News of the Churches make known that times of refreshing are visiting them; when God, according to his abundant mercy, is begetting again so mauy to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the deadwhen we, descending down the stream of time, ore c .me upon latter days that are "big with mercies.** ii not also great with judgments; when God. fewfusing to be so silent hi the world as in former times^is it not our duty, is it not our privilege to- V Lift in our eyes to heaven, and look upon the earth beneath™ for it is written "My salvation shall be for ever,, aiid my righteousness shall not be abolished!* \\e have had fraternal evidence-by the periodicals they have sent us that our brethren at home in the midst of their own blessings, have not forgotten V«g here—that we have a place in then- hearts and also in their prayers—which ought to be an encouragemen& to. us to hope and to pray that God may aim quicken and revive us. I 'cannot entertain the thought that we shall meet together and »>"" separate to leave each brother to rise or droop as'besfc he may. We have entered-into a union as close-as any society can be united—that union placing us -very much in each other's power. Where the strength. e£ one member adds to thestrength of the whole body and where weaknessinonememberweakensby so mods the whole body. We have entered into that union wftfii good faith in each other, and on the common basis of love to God and obedience to Him,- and is which is included love to one another. Ido not knowhow that love may be, better proved to be reaJ genuine, and also increased, than-by a united and. grave deliberation upon the means likely to attain* true, a, great, and an accredited revival of life in oar Church and land. It is, I believe, true that mercy, as well as judgment, begins at the house of God, arid if the abundant showers of blessings that are falling upon so many places of the world may reac& unto us, may we not" expect the first raindrops upon ourselves. It is in accordance with the divine procedure that he precedes blessings given with.* spirit of longing prayer for them; and where can we look for the spirit of prayer, but from the hearts oE those who are already partakers in some measure of Christ's spirit? and what more likely means are there of awakening such a spirit as a discovery of our own siu and shortcomings, with confession of them anft answering to,new efforts in the way ot purifying-our own hearts? • It does not at all meet the case to say that this is a work for each of the brethrea individually. No doubt, each is entrusted with a. particular work, and each can never lose a sense of his mdividua lty and concern for the purity of his life seel conduct; but it appears to me that more is demanded. We are to agree on earth to ask in Christ's name and to ask in the state of agreement. Nor eanwedirosfc ourselves of a, one body, composed of the several members, the responsibilities of a collective body—a unity—are greater than of. the several membeis. llus is seen in every legislative enactment in the adminisrraion of its affairs, the sins and errors of the corporate body are greater too. A real or apparent wrong done by an individual member is nothing compared to that of the corporate body, that wronjr crushes and has a tendency to make what God holds in honour, viz., a lawful authority, to be lightly; esteemed. There maybe things in and concerning the corporate body which an individual - membe*may gneve over and make confession' ot to God, and yet, without the co-operation ■- c* the body, with which he is united, and of whicl» he is but a part, he cannot get over nor feel that God. will pardon. The errors of a corporate body requite the confession of them by that body, and the necessities and wants of that body require that bojyk miking them known to God.—{Phil. iv.. 6.) -The union is too real—our dependence" upon each other to constitute a healthy body is too real—net to deal witEl the means of attaining times of refreshing as a corporate unity, Though the time does not permit meto address you at atay length on the subject, it is a matter worthy of some consideration, viz., what:effect ministerial character has upon ministerial success, and howfar the influence of one reaches towards the other. It has been said that a minister's life is the life of his ministry, and most certainly there is an increase ef power when the truth which he sets forth a illustrated in his own life. It- is the mimster who makes use of the -Word to feed and nourish his own soul, who is thereby skilful in applieA Theology to self-culture; who seeks to know him^lf aud have all brought under the constraining power*! God's authority and- love, and who seeks to model ail his activities after the law-of jife in- Christ Jeso*v that says with any real success '.'Come uphither?* Godliness or religious zeal can 'never be put on with.out its being extremely offensive.- But if it is the outgrowth of a heart holding communion with God ia union with Christ Jesus, not with a, one-sided discmline, but a modeling the whole man, there is nothißjj more attractive, aud there is nothing that.& minister can less afford to be without. Intellectual powers may not be great: his emotional nature may be wr uudeveloped, aud he may be very successful, but be cannot afford to have his conscience impugned, or to be without a high sense of his obligations to attain & holy life. No one would prefer the portrait of a frien<S to the flesh and blood companionship of the friewit himself. So the living embodiment of Christian'trota m the life of a minister himself is always preferable to" the abstract truths hepreaches, howevergood thej maar be. The moral andspiritual nature must not only be these out it must be trained, it must be growing, and if. this is not the case it is a question for,grare 'enquiry howfar that minister maybe restraining the hand a Go&io bless the people under him. Men iv general will net trouble themselves about the abstract doc-trim* of «... word of God. They observe what godliness'is like ia. the life of its professors, and are led to lo>e God tac his workmanship as it appears in the human character^ or their prejudices become all but irradicable fronTSe hy pocricies that ai c permitted under the garb of chrirttamty. I may be thrilled and subdued by the aspect of Godset forth in the pulpit, and the same preacher mawtreat me to a piece of the coolest selfishness, or place his feet ou my shoulders to let others see how bisr'neuE. I nevercouldlove that man or the workmanship of God as seen in him, and it is a question how far that man has preju iced me against God and his Christ. The counter-irritant applied by man has a. powerful influence to drawVout the healiu~ influence provided by God. .A" silliness of character or a selfish: conceit that stretches out feelers.in every society an 4 in every place into which it enters ;fo draw nutriment for its own greatness, is insufferable in an ambassador of God to men, beseeching them to be-recdncifei to God. Humility is the clothing that best becomes the minister of.. Christ. But I am aH dressing a body-a unity with a real Blindingin the Church-as, we.allege (and I,believe waS. rantably), and !t may be a matter of enquiry how fe* that body in unity may stand in the way of God's hte£ sing descending, or how far it may be the means of drawing that blessing down. I should love the body less than I do were it to exercise the sweets of authority over me without compensating me with its bless:ii«s. My whole feelings would be revolutionise* were suspicious to arise that instead of beiug a mountain to attract the heavenly showers it werea barrier to prevent the blessings descending. It is but once st year that we assemble together—that webeeome visible as a body-aid the Church 1 and the world lobbonv It is too much to expect that it is throogh the ministry of the Church that God wffi pour his shower of blessing on our laud, and it is for you to consider an* enquire whether the principles of piety are fairly embodied iv the spirit that prevails among you There is not one of us who will licit "admit that there is neeit of a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I trust there will be time for waiting oh God for it. Give me a minister who lives, as it were, in the presence ot God—who diligently watches to couforni the whole man to the law of life in Christ Jesus-who is transformed, and beingtransfonned to the image of God an* I confess no fear or alarm to the opposition of natural science or scientists. But let-there be a ministry highly orthodox, or. Evangelical if you will, i n creedt highly religious in the pulpit, or mourning like a. venr Jeremiah over the sins of the land out of, it, but who suffers sins in himself, refined aud cultivated but not the less deadly for all that, to continue, whether unknown or unheeded, who only reads the Word of Go<X professionally, and who seeks its own honour- and rise me a membership of the Church that even 'contrasts unfavourably in morality with the sober portion of the world. And I affirm there.are more than a Tynd&le «r Huxley or a Spencer, who moot a not very dignified origin to our species. Is it wrong. to look at the present aspect of science and scientists in the light of a. deserved rebuke by God himself to his Church whose members act and live, as Christianity held'only a. second place in importance to their own temporal gains and present enjoyments, bat who, for all that would not like to lose its stays and support? That the discoveries of the world of nature will ever belie the truths of revelation, we nave nob the shadow of a suspicion. When scientists havts waded through the secrets of matter, that matter itself will bear witness to its Creator. Let those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and who put themselves iinwng his professed people, show somet'Jing that those did at the first flush of Christianity oat earth, " see how these Christians love one another"— let Christians sh >w themselves to be a peculiar people, who are not as greedy, if sometimes not greedier, thata those ate wao are ignorant of the truth—let tbeniden^ self for Christ's sake—let them shine as luminaries in. the world, and Scientists may propound what thevplease, Christianity will always be owned by humanity as the ouly healer aud hope of the world. Fathers as*

"brethren, I have again to thank you for the honour yon have shown me in calling me to preside over you, and •it is my sincere prayer to God that you may fully realise your position as a corporate body of Christ's •house, and, when you separate, each one may return refreshed to his respective work and pastorate. DEPUTIES FROM TIIK GENERAL /SSEMBLY. The Key. Dr Stuart said that the Rev. Messrs -James Paterson and John Boss (Ministers), and Mr ■ James Smith (Elder) were appointed deputies from the Cieneral Assembly, Wellington, to the Synod of Otago and Southland intended to meet in January, 1875. Mr Paterson being present, he (Dr Stuart)moved that ■he be requested to take his seat. That, perhaps, was not the time for making a general statement of what he (Dr Stuart) saw in Wellington. Another time would do for that. He introduced the Key. Mr Paterson to the Moderator, beside whom he was accommodated with a seat. CO.MMITTEES. Several committees were appointed, and other formal business disposed of. THE ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING. The Clerk said that arrangements were made for holding the annual public meeting in the Temperance Hall instead of the First Church. Religious, educational, and other questions would then be discussed. 'One of the subjects meutioned would be given to the Rev. Mr Paterson, or he might choose another. TIME OF .MEETING. It was resolved that the Synod should meet from 11 ttiU 3 and from 7 till 11, after which no new business Will be discussed. MR R. GILLIES's CHARGE OF SLANDER AGAINST THE REV. W. BAXNERMAN. The Rev. Mr Waters called attention to a statement ■of the case, brought from the Clutha Presbytery, between Mr R. Gillies and the Rev. W. Bannerman. It seemed to him that, the document produced was placed (in the hands of the adjudicators before the case was heard. He presumed that it was Hie appellant who placed the document in his (Mr Waters's) hands. He would ask that the matter be enquired into to-merrow. The Synod might say that it was quite right or otherwise. He might say that it was but fair to the Clutha Presbytery to mention the matter at present. We may -a.sk Mr Gillies about it to-morrow. The Rev. Dr Stuart : Oh, no. The Rev. W. Bannerman : I would put it this way —that it is exceptionably desirable that Mr Gillies may be requested to attend here, so that he could ■show by what authority this document has been put into the hands of our members. I think this should be agreed to. The Rev. Mr Todd had seen the document. The Rev. Mr Waters thought it should be found •out who had the document circulated. The Rev. Dr Stuart saw no good to be gained by drawing attention to this matter. It might be simply a transcript of the documents that appeared in tiie public papers, or only part of them. A Committee -should be appointed to examine the document. The matter should be left over till it came tefore the •Synod. The Rev. Mr Stop.o thought it would be a bad prece•dent to have a document of this nature put into the hands of the Court beforehand. It was a breach of the usual observance in a case submitted to the Court ©f Appeal. It might be very desirable to have the document* published. However, it seemed to be very anuch like a breach of propriety, perhaps done entirely with the view of getting the members to know the case as much as possible. The appellant in this case had been distributing those documents to memiers, and he (Mr Stobo) thought it should be made known that this was improper. The Rev. W. Baxxkrman : Mr Waters simply means that tins document should be laid before the Synod tomorrow, and that Mr Gillies be requested to attend on the occasion. The Rev. W. Will did not see why fault should be found with this matter. Any information that appeared in the public papers might be sent to any part of the earth. What harm was done in making extracts from the paj»ers ? The Rev. Dr Copland culled Mr Will to order. _ The Rev. W. Will supposed that he was perfectly in order to argue against discussing this subject tomorrow. They should have some fair idea as to what they were doing. He had received a copy of the documents referred to, and there was nothing in them after what had been circulated all over the country. What right had the Synod to interfere? The Rev. W. Bannerman called Mr Will to order. If Mr Will was gcing into the subject of the document he (Mr Bannerman) was in a position to bring further ■evidence of an opposite character. The Moderator understood that Mr Waters gave notice for consideration of the document to-morrow, and Mr Will gave a notice of a contrary motion. The Rev. W. Will held that the Synod should not commit themselves to a discussion of this matter, which they would do if they accepted Mr Waters's notice. The Rev. Mr Waters called Mr Will to order. He oid not know what was in the documents, but they contained matter of great importance. Tbe Rev. Dr Stuart thought that the documents should be first considered by the Committee of Business before going to the Synod. The Rev. J. Gow argued that Mr Waters was in order. To-morrow was the time for consideration whether the document was of such a character to be considered by the Synod. It was the privilege of every member of the Synod to give these notices of motion. The Rev. W. Will was willing to accept Dr Stuart's suggestion. The matter should go to the Business Committee. If this matter were commenced, where would it end ? The Rev. W. Banxerman called Mr Will to order. Sir Waters simply referred to the document that had had been circulated to the members of that Court. He had the right to give notice of this motion, as on any other tubject to be brought before the Church. _ The Rev. W. Will was arguing upon the same subject as Mr Bannerman, who was taking the opposite side. The Rev. W. Baxxerma.v : No, I did not. The Rev. W. Will : I am sure you did The Rev. Mr Waters explained that he simply read the title of the document. The Moderator : Notice has been giver, that attention will be called to this document to-morrow, and reference has been made to the Committee of Bills and Overtures. Does anyone second that? The Rev. Dr Stuart seconded Mr Will's motion. As on former occasions, the document should be remitted to the Committee of Bills and Overtures. They could form a judgment upon it and sent it up to the Synod. • The Rev. W. Baxnerman regardsd Mr Will's motion as an infringement upon the right of any member of the Synod to bring any matter connected with the Church before the Synod. They would find that this l had been the practice in former times to give these l notices of motion, which were never submitted to the r Committee of Bills and Overtures. Having read the r document, he must say that it was very important, t and reflected upon the character of the Synod. He t trusted that no attempt would be made to prevent * its coming before the Synod. The fact of those docu- ( ments being circulated to members, and an indepen- c dent member bringing the matter forward, deserved < consideration. The character of the Synod was at 1 stake, and no object should De put in the way of Mr a Waters, as a member of that Synod, drawing attention * to those documents. He (Mr Bannerman) would say ' uo more. 1 The Rev. Mr Waters :If I give notice of motion, it - js my privilege to bring such motion on to-morrow. < The Rev. W. Baxxerman : You have a perfect right to do that. I think that Mr Will's motion is incoin- * petent. j Mr E. B. Cakgill thought the question of privilege should be made more clear. It was a very cxl rente measure to have the Synod to say to any member, > " You shall not give notice of motion to-morrow." 1 The Moderator :It has been customary, so far as < my knowledge goes, for any member of the Synod to * give notice of motion, aud to have it put on the '• Tecords. < The Rev. W. Will did not take that view of the '' matter, but would not discuss it now. He had no < objection to "withdraw his motion. i The Rev. W. Bannkrman said the talk was all nonsense. . : The Rev. W. Gillifs said it was qute competent for ' Mr Waters to^jive notice of calling attention to this document. No one could make objection to Mr > Waters or any other member doing that. Before Mr Waters cou r<l.call attention to the document, however, it must be read from beginning to end.—{Hear, hear. N0.n0.) How were the members of Synod to know that Mr Waters would make unfair criticism of ■ that document? It:mu>t be read throughout first. ' (Hear, hear.) Mr Waters had not given notice of motion at all on the matter. They did not know < •what that document contained. The Committee ' of the Synod should first see what it was. ' —(Hear, hear.) He called attention to the law < of the matter, Showing that business not of a routine ■character should be prepared by the Committee of '. Overturesund Returns before being considered by the Synod. If rejected'by the Committee, another course lay open—they could then appeal to the Synod itself. The Rev. W. Baxnerman said the rule quoted by Mr ■ <sillies only applied to business coming from an inferior to the Supreme Courts. After tome further discussion, Mr Waters's motion was carried. DF.VOTIOXAL EXERCISES. The Synod resolved to meet at 11 a.m. to-day for de- \ YOtional Oiercises.