Ecclesiastical Feuds and Sects of Scotland.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 15

Ecclesiastical Feuds and Sects of Scotland.

A lecture was delivered upon the above subject in the First Church Hall on Friday evening by the. Rev. Dr Salmond. The Rev. Mr Gibb presided. The lecturer dealt exhaustively with his subject, commencing with a glance at " that venerable relic," the Solemn League and Covenant. After tracing the history of the most important dissensions, he concluded as follows: — "The issue of the long eventful story is that the Presbyterian Church of Scotland finds itself existing as three rival powerful bodies — the Established, the Free, and the United Presbyterian Church. We are manifestly on the eve of new events and new formations ; and although I have no wish to act as proDhet, I will none the less venture to utter my expectation of the future. I believe that Disestablishment has become a practical necessity, and that after passions have a little cooled down we shall see a reconstruction of a new Presbyterian Church on broader lines, with a larger and more generous spirit, fairly entitled to be viewed as the common home of the national religious life of Scotland. It is very curious that while in one respect the Presbyterian Church has been more than any other addicted to splitting and schism, it has in another respect been the most firm and coherent. Their schism did not arise from any conscious disloyalty and aefeotion from the government, doctrine, and discipline of the Church ; their quarrels with eacn other'was a rivalry which could adhere most firmly— all protesting that they adhered, and reproaching others for not adhering enough. Consequently the questions over which they wrangled, and which led to divisions, were never the vital elements of Cbristanity, but subordinate details about church organisation, or political relations of the church, 'or forms of worship.^ This is both well and ill! ,It is well that all the parties have • been fundamentally

sound and of one mind ; it is ill that, being so, they should have split on matters relatively so small. It has, however, wrought its own cure, and I believe that this sort of thing could not possibly be repeated again. An inevitable reaction has set in in favour of a wider comprehension. Within the one undivided body we oan afford to do without so much uniformity both of opinion and of practice as used to be thought necessary A church should be like a ship well anchoredjwhichmoves round themore freely the firmer the anchor holds ; whose elasticity of movement proves the firmness of the anchorage. There is something singularly curious in the part which the Solemn League and Covenant has played in history. Although breathing forth fire and sword, it has been one of the most important factors in quenching the fire of persecution and putting the sword in its scabbard ; and although meant to commit the Empire to absolute intolerance of everything but Calvinism and Presbyterianism, it has been one of the most potent agencies in affirming the doctrine of universal toleration. This contradiction is, however, capable of explanation. We must distinguish between the letter and spirit of every such'document. The letter was detestable but the spirit which animated its framers was a righteous abhorrence of tyranny, a vehement enthusiasm in favour of the liberty of conscience and of reason; and their spirit triumphed while their letter perished. We might adopt the Apostle's words and say, " The letter killed, but the spirit gave life." Mr K. Ramsay moved a vote of thanks to the lecturer, which was heartily accorded.