THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE SCOTTISH CHURCHES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17105, 10 September 1917, Page 6

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE SCOTTISH CHURCHES.

— «» (Feom Oub Own Coeeespondent.) GLASGOW, Juno 5. The General Assemblies of the three Presbyterian Churches in Scotland have concluded their sittings. There was almost an entire absence of the pomp which was characteristic of the opening ceremony of the Established Church in pre-war days. While not lacking in dignity, there was a subdued tone throughout the proceedings, and an impressive earnestness befitting the circumstances of the times. His Grace the Duke of Montrose represented the King as Lord High Commissioner, and the venerable Professor Cooper, of Glasgow University, was tho Moderator. The usual exchange of courtesies took place between the Established and United Free Churches. In the Moderator's chair of the latter Church', was tho learned and Rev. Principal Mackichan, of the Wilson College, Bombay. The European conflict bulked largely in the discussions of all the Assemblies, and, following the precedent of past years, and to which attached a epecial signifiance in view of the overtures towards. union, a joint devotional service was .held in the afternoon of the second day of the Assemblies in the United Free HalL the participating bodies being the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church. They were joined by the ' Original Secession Church, which wae also meeting in Edinburgh. The Legal Frees did not see their way to bo associated with the other ohurohes in intercessory prayer on behalf of their country. The Moderator of the United Free Church Assembly presided, and th-5 leaders of tho various churches sat side by side on the platform, as did the members of the Assemblies in the body of the spacious hall. Those taking part were Professor Cooper (Moderator of the Church of Scotland Assembly), Sir H. L. Fraser (United Free Church), Sir Christopher N. Johnston, K.C., M.P. (Procurator of the Church of Scotland), and the Rev. Dr Smollie (Moderator of the Original Secession Synod). Resolutions were passed in the name of the churches on' the various aspects of the war, and forwarded to tho King, Sir Douglas Haig, Admiral Beattic, and the Presbyterian Assembly at Boston, United States of America.

Both the great Assemblies have given expression to the satisfaction felt in Sootland at the United States of America participating in the present struggle for justice and freedom. In speaking v to the motion in the Established Church Assembljr, Sir C. N. Johnston, the Procurator, said he believed " that that which most inflamed the heart of millions of Americans was the thought that now in a just cause Amerioa could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Old Land, which was the home of their race, the cradle in which they were nurtured. We had called our 6one from far, and to-day we could thank God that all our sons were coming." : A note of alarm was sounded in file Established as well as the United Free Assembly regarding the decline in the birthrate. Professor Milligan, in referring to the decrease of 6665 scholars at the Sunday schools of the Church of Scotland, said the falling off had begun to a great extent before the war. They could not, _he declared, dissociate this question with the decline in the birth-rate. Having tehen expert advice they were convinced that the cause of the decline in' attendance was attributable to the extent of two-thirds to the fall of the national birth-fate. That, said the Professor, could be fairly called an alarming state of affairs. The very existence of the Church seemed to be threatened at its source, and there was surely a meet imperative call upon the Church to bring home in every way possible to parents throughout the country the privilege and responsibility of Christian baptism. The Rev. A. N. Bogle, in submitting the report of the Statistics Oommitteee to the United Free Assembly, 6aid the vital pari; was the decrease in the young life of the Church. The decrease was beginning at the cradle. Last year they had only 15,705 baptisms— a decrease of 666 on the previous year's total. They were not less than 7208 down— a decrease of over 30 per cent, compared with 20 years ago. The fact of the matter was that the children were not there. The birth-rate had fallen in an extraordinary degree in the past generation, and it seemed to be the case, though lie could not prove it from figures, that the birth-rale had fallen in an accentuated degree just among those classes of the community' from whom the membership of the Church was largely drawn. No duty was clearer or more insistent urjon the Church than to_ try and deliver their people from the views and ideas which had brought about this deplorable result. The Established and United Free Churches have demanded in no half-hearted manner the prohibition of the drink traffic In moving the deliverance at the United Free Assembly, the_ Rev. James Barr, of Govan, who now wields a large amount of influence in the Church, as well as among the people of Scotland generally, said the time had come when, by his own lips, the Prime Minister should tell them where they stood in regard to prohibition. It was not the liquor traffic that ■ was on

trial Sentence had gone out against it. Its doom was writ. It was the Government that wai on trial now. Unless it acted, and acted quickly, its doom also would be writ. One of the most remarkable utterances during the sittings of the supreme courts of tho Scottish Churches was that of the Rev. George Douglas, M.A., Manchuria, at the reception given to missionaries of tho United Free Church homo on furlough. Ho described the magnitude of the work in the Far East, where, he said, a glad, new day had dawned. China had begun to mov.> with irresistible force, and where Japan was in she comity of nations to-day China would be to-morrow, with manifold greater force, not so much because of her colossal proportions or because of her indomitable stamina, but because of the forces that had brought that mighty move- ■ ment about. The lever that brought about that movement was the preaching of the Gospel. Their descendants 100 years hence, looking back, would regard the revolution in Russia as secondary in importance and far-reaching effects to tho revolution that took place in China six years ago. One heard about a greater conflict between East and West after tho present war was over. China hated war, and China would ere long bo in a position, even commercially, to prevent it. The fear of the "Yellow Peril" coming from the Far East was only a figment of tho Kaiser's brain. The mam significance of the revolution in China was this: that it was admitted by the leaders of the revolution who brought it about that it was mainly due to the, steady working of the leaven of Christianity in the land. There could be no mistaking the genuineness of tho utterances of the leaders of the Churches in relation to the war. We could not be too clear or too strong, in our grasp of what was the central issue involved in this gigantic struggle, declared the. Rev. Dr Wallace Williamson in presenting the report of the Commission on the War. If tho struggle were bewildering from the material point of view, it was even more bewildering from the spiritual point of view; but this stood clear: it was no mere war of physical forces. It was a war of spiritual ideals —a war with an enemy who discarded the moral sanctions of national conduct, and made might the only guide in national policy. The policy of our chief enemy in this war was a direct challenge to those spiritual convictions which must remain the basis of all human government. We had to thank God in this hour that as a nation in regard to this conflict we rested in peace of soul. Car national co:iscience was satisfied, and, with one heart and one soul, our noblest youth leading the way even unto death, we had gone into tho struggle, and God would help us win through. Tho Committee of the United Free Church devoted port of their inqttirj to

ascertaining as far as possible the attitude and relations of men in the Scottish regiments of the New Army to religion and to the Church. There was a general agreement, they found, that a large measure of indifference prevailed, as at home, but that there wae not much definite and pronounced hostility. A respectful attitude was general, sympathetic in a considerable degree. The sense of the need of religion and its comfort had been quickened. It would appear that, in Scottish battalions, the percentage in actual church membership wae much greater than in the army as a whole; but the large proportion without a real church connection ought to cause the Church serious concern. The facts which were before the committee brought the Church face to face with a great task and a great opportunity. When the question of union came up ft was found in both Assemblies that a division had to be taken before approval was given to the proposed deliverances. The difference of opinion in the Church of Scotland was not on the merits of union but on the procedure proposed to be followed by the committee between now and the next Assembly. The proposal of the committee was to give further consideration to the form of the draft articles in the light of any suggestions that may be received up to March 1 next, either from Presbyteries or from the United Free Church. Exception was taken to this proposal on the ground that controversy should be avoided ,m these times. The Assembly by a large majority supported the committee. The venerable Dr Henderson, of Crieff, presented the report on union in the United Free Church Assembly. He explained how the war batl arrested progress; but the Church of Scotland's request for a reopening of the conference was approved bv the United Free Committee. The Rev. Walter Brown, Edinburgh, one of the old United Presbyterian ministers, expressed the opinion that there was a very strong drift which might in the end carry the courts [ok the United Free Church into the Established Church; but he insisted that it would not carry very many members of the Church with it. There would be ministers who would remain immovable on the rock of the principles of the United Free Church, Dr Henderson's proposal was carried.