PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1875, 28 October 1887, Page 22

PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

The annual meeting of the Presbyterian Synod of Otago and Southland was held in the First Church last evening. There was a moderate attendance ot the general public. After devotional exercises, the Rev. J. M'Cosh Smith, the retiring moderator, preached from Ist Timothy, chap. 11, verse 2 :— " The Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God." The Clerk then read the roll of members of synod, which was as follows : — Presbytery of Dunedin; Ministers— Revs. William Will, East Taieri; D. M. Stuart, D.D., Knox Church; Professor Watt, M.A., Green stand; Alexander Greig, M.A., North-East Harbour and Portobello ; James Kirkland, West ; J. M. Sutherland, M.A., North Taieri. M. Finlayson, Blueskin and Merton ; R. R. Sutherland, Kaikorai ; It. Waddell, M.A.,

Andrew's; John Ryley, Porb Chalmers; William Campbell, South Dunediu ; J. Fraser, Hurst, 8.A., Caversham ; John Christie, Waikouniti; David Borrie, North-Bint Valley; Andrew Cameron, 8. A., Anderson's Bay; Jas. Gibb, First Church; J. M. M'Kerrow, M.A., Mosgiel ; R. J. Porter, Mornington ; Professor Dunlop, M.A., D.D., Chalmers Church. Elders — Messrs William Kirkland, East Taieri ; J. M,

Fraser, Knox Church; J. Ruuciinan, Green

Island; James ßarton, North-Easb Harbour and Portobello; Gilbert Buchanan, West Taieri ; John Fiudlay, North Taiisri; A. Oafchonvood, Blueskm and Merfcon ; D. Hood, Kaikorai ; J. Patersou, St. Andrew'^ ; Captain Thoinsou, Port Chalmers ; A. G. Rutherford, South Dunediu; William Alexander, Caversham; John Muir, Waikouaiti ; William Hutton, North-East Valley ; J. S. Hadden, Anderson's Bay ; Keith Ramsay, First Church ; Robert Edmiston, fllosgiel; Alexander Watson, Mornington; James Gillies, Chalmers Church.

Presbytery of Clutha : Ministers — Revs. W. Bannerman, Clutha ; J. M. Allan, Inch Clutha and Kaitangata; Jas. Chisholm, Tokomairiro ; Jas. Skinner, M.A., Waifcahuua, George B. Inglis, Warepa and Knihiku; J. U. Spence, Popotuaoa; George Hall, 8.A., Waihola; J. M. Fraser, Lawrence ; S. W. Currie, M.A., Balclutha; W. G. M'Laren, Catlins; A. M. Dalrymple, MA., Clutha; William Scorgie, Tapanui ; Alexander Dow, (Jhineso Missionary ; William Finlayson, Pukerau. Elders — Muisrs Robert M'Ketizie, Inch-Clutha and KaitangfiLa; John Johnston, Tokomairiro ; Malcolm M'Corkitidale, Waifcahuua; John Sandilandtf, Warepa and Kaihiku; James Fyfe, Popotuuoa; Thomas Adam, Waihola; James Taylor, Lawrence; William Dallas, Balulutha ; Professor Salmond, Catlhis; Messrs Jameb Steven, Clntha; Guorgu Moir, Tupituui ; A. C. Begg, Pukfrau.

Presbytery of Southland: Ministers— Revs. A. H. fcjtobo, First Church, Invercargill ; T. Alexander, Longbush; D. Ross, Queenstown; J. M. Davidson, Mataura North ; R. Ewen, M.A., Lime&tone Plains ; J. Baird, Wuiton; John Ferguson, First Church, Invercargill ; W. P. Brown, Waikaiu; Andrew Stevens, J. 11. JVlackeuzie, Wallacetown ; William Wright, Ktiapdale; Andrew Maukay, Gore; David Gordon, St. Paul's, Invercavgill ; Robert Wood, Mntaura Lower; James Blaekie, Taringatura ; Daniel Dutton, Longbush; Isaac Jolly, M.A., Waikiwi. Elders — Rev. James Niven, Queenstown ;Dr Hislop, Winton ; Messrs T. M. Macdonald, First Church, Invercargill ; Robert Heaney, Wallacetown ; J. A. Torrance, Knapdale; J. T. Mackerras, St. Paul's, luvercargill; Robert Heaney, Mataura Lower; Thomas Coull, Longbush.

Presbytery of Oarnaru: Ministers — Revs. A. B. Todd, St. Paul's, Oainaru; James Clark, Palmeraton ; John Steven, Papakaio ; P. S. Hay, M.A., Upper Waitaki ; James Macgregor, D.D., Columba ; George Lindsay, Otepopo ; J. A, Will, Waiareka; A- Bruce Todd, Macraes and Strath-Taieri. Elders — Messrs Thomas Morris, St. Paul's, Oamaru; Duncan Wright, Palmerstou; James Taylor, Upper Waitaki; James Rodger, Oolumba; Thomas Robertson, Otepopo; John Jackson, Waiareka.

Presbytery of Dunstan: Minister* — Keys. H. Telford, Teviot; J. M'Costi {Smith, M.A., 8.D., Naseby; J. Lothian, Alexandra; J. Henry, M.A., Lauder; R. C. Morrison, Pembroke. Elders— Messrs E. B. Cargill, Teviot ; Alex. Reunie, Naseby; W. S. Fitzgerald, Alexandra.

MODERATORS ADDBESS.

After the roll had b«eu read the newlyelected moderator (the Rev. James Davidson) delivered the following address ; —

Fathers and Brethren, — My first duty obviously is to thank yon for the honour you have couferred upon me in placing me in the moderator's chair. While duly appreciating

this high mark of your respect, I have to confess a deep sense of unfitness for the duties it

My slight acquaintance with the

forms of procedure in church courts will render it needful for me to look amch to the more experienced fathers and brethren for assiptaueu in maintaining order, and iv seeing

that the business of this court is conducted anil exf-cuted in a proper manner. Allow me, there-

fore, fathers and brethren, to be>peak nfc this early stage your assistance, and, it may bo, your

'orbcarance.

Since we last met in synod — little more than nine months ago— there have been breaches made in our ranks. The Rev. Mr Todd, of ETanipden — a devoted, much esteemed, and accomplished minister of Christ,— has been removciJ to the upper sanctuary; and Jutnes Macandrew, Esq. — a member, and for years an office-bearer of the church, and of whom, perhaps, it may not be too much to say that he laboured in season and out of season for the welfare of church and State,— was suddenly removed from our midnt by a sad accident. These, and possibly some o f hers of whose removal by death I may not lw a ware, are persons whom we shall miss, ami I f<-el sure that this synod will readily accord its bympalhy to the members of the bereaved families. It is usual ou such au occasion as this for one

in my position to address the synod on some specific bUbject, and to this rule I desir« to be no exception. But what shall the subject be? For me to answer this question was no easy mattf r. First I thought of one thing, then of another, and then of another, and it was not until a great deal of anxious reflection that I at

length resolved to say a few words on the subject of " The Christian Ministry "—on which subject, accordingly, I shall now make a few remarks. This I shall do with no thought of conveying anything new to the members of this syuoii, but simply for the purpose of complying with use and wont ; and my won}*, jf uot well ordered, will have at least the merit of being few in number What is the subject of the Christian ministry? It, is the God-man, Christ Jesus, is it not ? Paul, speaking of himself and his fellow-labourers in the .Gospel, says: "We preach not ourselves, hut Christ Jesus, the Lord." "We are ambassadors ou behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us, we. brseech you on behalf of Ghrisr, be ye reconciled to God." That intelligenr. moral creatures at enmity with God must be reconciled to God before God and tliey can meet in peace, is a proposition which belongs to self-evident truth. It is truth which needb no demonstration, which stands revealed iv

its own light, and which everyone capable of thinking must admit to be truth. Of course reconciliation to God implies knowledge of God on meirs part. This knowledge Christ supplies;

hence his words : u No man knoweth who tbe Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal him." Nay, says Christ : " I aud the Father are one — he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" ; and Paul, speaking of Christ, says: "He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of His person." In Christ, indeed, we not only see God, bufc the way to God. "I am the way, the truth, and the life ; ao man cometh unto the Father but by Me." In Christ also we see ideal man, in Him we see what men should be, nay, what they shall be if they are His. Like Christ, they are to be holy, harmless, and undefiled. They are to be living epistles of Christ. They are to be conformed to the image of Christ, and to the end they who minister in the church are to preach Christ. They are to see Christ before men. that men " reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, may be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as from the Lord the Spirit." In the constitution of his person, Christ 13 beyond human understanding, great and glorious. As the God-mau — as perfect God and perfect man — he is beyond expression grand and true, and rich and beautiful, and gracious. To present Him fully — to present Him to men as He ought to be presented — to present Him even as scripture supplies us with the means of presenting Him, transcends and over must transcend our highest skill. Around the person of Christ men in every age have gathered, and gazed, and wondered, with a profound wonderment In the history of our race Christ stands by Himself — unique — without a fellow, peerless and solitary in His grandeur, glory and beneficence. Even sacred scripture in its effort to unveil Him to the eyes of men seems to labour as if conscious of inability to do Him justice ; using for this purpose endless variety of metaphors and figures, similes and similitudes, reminding one, by the multitudinous and ever varying images of Christ which it everywhere presents, of a kaleidoscope — a toy with which you are all familiar — to disclose the riches that are in Christ, to meet the woes and wants of our sinful and suffering humanity, the Bible lays this whole mundane frame of things under contribution. Things seen aud temporal are used to represent and symbolise the benefits which Christ stands ready to bestow, and of which men stand sorely in need. He is not only God, but "the way " to God; not the light of the world, but tbe life of the world ; not only the bread of lif>, but the water of life. His, indeed, is a fulness that "fillethall in all," a fulness that is literally infinite. The world we inhabit is, through all its phenomena, ever speaking of Christ to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. " The heavens declare the jrlory of Christ, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." So Paul's words to the Philippiaus — " Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things we honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever thingh are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever tilings are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." To set Christ truly and fully, without addition and without subtraction, before the eyes of men, is doubtless to preach Christ. But who ia sufficient for this ? Neither man nor angel is equal to ,the task ; yet it is nowhere hinted that we are deputed to do less than this. But can we do it ? Not in its entirety, not as it should be done, not, perhaps, aa it might be done. Our best attempts are only caricatures; our best representations are only blurred likenesses. This much — as fiuite creatures — we need not hesitate to own. On the god ward side of His nature there is much iv Christ that transcends the human understanding. " A God understood," says someone, " would be no God at all." The finite may apprehend but not comprehend tbe infinite. "We know in part," "we prophes}' in part," " we see through a glass darkly." That we do not understand Christ in all Hi? length and breadth and height and depth is sometimes the reason which men assign for rejecting Christ. They fault us and tbe Christ we preach because we cannot do what they dmnselves cannot do. Such conduct is pot only unreasonable, but very pitiable to behold, and is probably due more to a corrupt heart than to an ill-sirrangod or ill-turnishecl head. Yet the right way to meet such cases is uot, I presume, to load with hard names the persons of those who so act ; it is not to pelt them with sticks aud stones, but to ascertain their difficulties, and remove them, if possible. It is to make sure that their rejection of Christ is due to no unreasonable shortcoming in us who preach Christ, and to make sure of this means, on our part, high spiritual culture, deep and intimate acquaintance with tbe truth. It does not mean that we are to explain everything — for there are things, not a few, that transcend reason, — but it means that wo are to set Christ as fully and truly before such persons as mortal men can set Him. And what theu ? We can only pray : " Come from the four winds, 0 breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live."

In this world we see many branches of truth, and these branches not infrequently in seeming conflict. But sure am I that tbey shall all in the end come out one ; and what shall that one be ? What, indeed, but the truth as it is in Christ, the Lord. In Christ all lines of truth, like all rays of light iv the sun, converge. Truth is one, and Chribtis the truth— all truth is His — and addressing \ou, His people, H« says: — "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Let us rejoice that, in i.ur day Christ is becoming widely known, that Christendom is extending her borders, tbat tue church is lengthening her cords and htrengihuning her stakes. The Christian church, it may be, is not in all respects in all ht-r branches what we could desire ; yefc let us rejoice tbat Christ is every year preached ou a wider area of our globe. Mauy are running to and fro, and knowledge of Christ is increasing. The conception, indeed, which many persons have of the Christ iv whom tbey prof gss to believe may be very poor. Their faith may be implicit rather than explicit. This, of course, is much to be regretted, because their conception of Christ determines the quality of their religion and indicates the point toward which they are striving. It measures the Christian stature into which they are growing, and explains the reason why they are sometimes whirled — it may be in a night's time— out of one section of the church into another, like chaff b'.fore the wind. Christ's name in tho case of many may be little more than a word to conjure by ; yet let us hope that they understand the process of believing, that they are real believers in Christ, and that their knowledge of Him will grow in fulness and accuracy. Let us remember that Christ is the light as well as the life of the world.

It is sometimes remarked that the changes that are taking place iv our day on our socialmstitutions are. in point of rapidity and magnitude, unprecedented in history. It may be so. The forces now at work are not oply immensely nun»e*ouß but intensely aotive, and^ may, in some directions, work mischief. Yet if only thiugs that are useless, and things that are false, and things that are devilish go to the wall, we shall not waste our tears over their demise. I am not much of an iconoclast, and flatter myself that I am very tender of people's religious feelings—l was nearly about to say of their religious superstitions. Yet there are some types of Christianity in the world over which I would not

sorrow much though they were dead and decently interred, provided they are immediately succeeded by something better. Some are almost profane, and others are simply childish types of Christianity adopted by fullgrown men and women. Childhood in itself i 3i 3 beautiful ; but it is not at all beautiful to see men and women with apparently only a child's understanding. In secular things it is often remarked that an old head cannot be set on young shoulders, and I sometimes wish that in religious matters it were equally impossible to set a young head ©n old shoulders. "When I was a child," says Paul, " I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things." In preaching Christ, ritualism has been, and is still being used in many and very opposite quarters, and some are baying that it has wrought much mischief to religion in the past and will, if not speedily arrested, work much mischief to it in the future. However that may be, ritualism in the shape of vestments, pro. cessions, candles, &c., still exists, and is viudj. cated on the ground of the widespread ignorance of humanity. Sometimes we find men labouring to reproduce literally the specific acts which Christ did in His own and His apostles' day— evidently imagining that if they can but succeed in clothing themselves with the clothing j u which Christ's spirit expressed itself in His own and His apostles' clay, thai; then they shall bo Christians indeed ; tor instance, we find men mimicking the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In the matter of religiou, indeed, these seems to be no depth of weakness too deep for some people to reach. For instance,l am told that in Russia there are two religious denominations whose whole point of difference turns on the mode in which the hands are held as the benediction is pronounced; and some time ago I came upon a newspaper paragraph in which was announced tho birth in America of a religious sect which had taken its stand on the words — " Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not cuter into the Kingdom of Heaven," and interpret inp the words literallj', its members, in tho fchapo of old men and women, had consequeutly returned to the prattle andtimple acts of childhood. Some sensible persons tried to reason with them about thoir absurd conduct ; but in vain. The deluded or demented people merely pointed to the words—" Except ye be converted, and become as little children," &c,, and then resumed their childish vernacular. I mention thesethings withextremesorrow,audnot for the purpose of judging and condemning the persons who produce them. Indeed, I feel illqualified for the exercise of such a f unction, anil remember that Christ, on one occasion, said to His first disciples—" He that is not agaiust us is tor us." To-day, as in the past, it would seem that many have yet to learn that true religion consists not in literally copying Christ's specific acts aud wordo, but in breathing the spirit which Christ breathed. Many have yet to understand that the letter killeth — thafe it is the spirit that giveth life, and that "if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Many have need to ponder deeply Paul's words when he says— H I have laid the foundation, and another buildetb thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yea, so as by fire." The foundation in such a case will remain, but the superstructure will be consumed.

The church of Christ is made up not only of many sections, but of very many members, [ possessing various degrees of culture, and U> miiiKter Christ suitably to the varying conditions of those who compose our respective congregations requires that we be able at once to reach down to the lowest and up to the highest. Able at once to minister food to babes and strong meat to full-grown men. A difficult, indeed, an impossible feat. Yet for our comfort be it known that we have on the one hand such men as Professors Dunlop and Watt, and, od the other, the office-bearers of the church, to assist us in its accomplishment. Every member of the church, indeed, should labour in some department or other for the edification of the congregation of which he is a member. This, in truth, is essential not only to the spiritual health of the entire congregation to which he belongs, but to his owu spiritual health. Were the ministers and officebearers and members— not of one denomination only, but of all denominations — to minister Christ according to the measure of their ability in their respective spheres, we should soon not only sco the universal church maintained in good health, but what is more : we should sooa see the kingdoms of this world bf come the kingdoms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It is not easy determining, but I often thiDk that the brightest day our world has ever seen was the day Christ entered it, heralded by angels singing " Glory to God ! peace on earth and goodwill to men ! " On that day these words received a newer and fuller meaning—" Arise, shine ; for thy light is come and the glory of tbe Lord is risen upon thee ! " On that day the God-man came down to earth noc only reveah'Dg in His person the heart of God, but revealing and bringing in His person the riches of God to man's needs. In Christ there is a balm for every human wound and a cordial for every human fear. There is not a human want, there is not a human woe, there is not a human sorrow that finds not its solace in Christ. Iv Him a'l fulness dwells. He is not enly the life but the bread of life. Hence His own words : "He that cometh to Me shall never hunger ; he tbat believeth on Me shall never thirst." And 0, fathers and brethren, if the section of the church to whioh we belong ceases to be a power for Christian good in the world, it will just be because we do not preach Christ, or preaoh Bio badly. But this shall not be. What do we not owe to Christ? To Him we owe everythingOur high civilisation of to-day and oar proud pre-eminence among the nations are Christ s gifts. Nay, our very pre-eminence arooDg Christian nations is perhaps due to the fact that we have laboured more than they to set Christ fully and intelligently before the eyes of men, And as in the past, so in the future, we shal I preach Christ— preach Him as truly and fullyas we can. Our motto shall be : the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as it is in Jesus, We shall preach Christ throughout the length and breadth of the new laud. Preach him not only to bring men to Him, but to build men up the knowledge of Him. We shall labour no« only to fill every heart with Christ's love, but to imprint on every bone Christ's ta a &B; , ln season and oat of season we shall preach CnrutBy night and by day we shall point the weak ana the weary, the burdened and the backsliding, w Christ. We ehall prophesy— prophesy to tw dry bones, in the faith that we : shall see them come bone to His bone — in the faith that ye shall see them become coveted with flesb aiw skin, ana in the faith that we shall see them, «»

TTtlift nraver, " Come from the four biSthfS breathe on these slain that SS D v may live; arise and stand upon their leet * Leeding great army to the praise and glory B f Sod Jesus Christ." ° uwasdedded that the hours of meeting of J^od should be from 10 to 1 o'clock m the SoS and from 7 to 10,30 in the evening.