PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 42

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

The Free Clmrch of Scotland and its Jubilee.

Last May the jubilee of one of the great historical events that happen only once in a lifetime was celebrated in the Free Church Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, and as I read the other day an outline of the Disruption movement, I thought that perhaps a few of my youDg readers might not be unwilling to read a brief account of what caused the D.sruption, and of the miseries of those who " came out " for conscience fake. THE HEADSHIP OP CHBIST. If you read history, say from the time of Henry VIII, you will see that in religious matters the English and Scottish national forms of religion are built up on entirely different bases. The Cnurcb of England is the work of sovereigns and statesmen, divines taking a very subordinate part. Its constitution grew gradually into shape and form as part oE the civil constitution of the realm. It was a Henry, a Burleigb, an Elizabeth who, mainly on political grounds, created the Church and caused the people to acknowledge the headship of the sovereign, ie stead of Christ. This is shown by the acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. In England I thiuk it is still an axiom that the ecclesiastical courts are subservient to the civil courts. But Scottish religious history, at any rate from the time of Knox, rests on, a different basis. It is built up not politically, but religiously; not by statesmen, but by the people. The Church of R)ni ! 3 was overturned from base to turret, and in bu'ldiug up ths Scottish National Ctiurch, divines, backed up by a deep religious fervour permeating the nation at large, were tho main instruments Kuox, Melville, Henderson were very different personages from tho3e politic and temporising prelates who showed a courti^rlike subserviency to Henry, or trembled lest Elizabeth should unfrock them. As churchmen they vindicated the doctrine of the headshio of Christ by refu3irg to have an act of Supremacy inscribed in the Statute Book of Scotland. The determination to uphold this doctrine caused the Disruption 50 years ago. PATRONAGE AND SECEDERS. I dcirosay you kaow that in Gi>at Britain landholders hiva practically the privilege of bestowing Lviuga en any minister taey fcLink fit, as if po3session of land indicated ability to choose a minister. In Scotland, ho-.vt.ver, from ths timo o? Kqox until ths reign of Anne, ministers ware appointed, or c nild be, as in tho ProsbvtorJau churches in New Zealand, by tho voif!B of the congiegations. Bat in Anne's reign a Patronage Act was smuggled through Parliament in direct violation of the

Treaty of Union, with the result jthat some seceded and formed churches supported entirely by voluntary subscriptions arid having ministers elected by the congregations. These ministers are known as the oiiginal secession ministers, and it seems to me tbat they have not had that notice taken of their action that their self-denial deserved. At this time it will be seen that Presbyterians consisted of secessionists electing their own ministers supported by voluntary contributions; and the Presbyterians belonging to the Eitablishod Church supported by a tax levied by the Government, basing ministers appointed by patrons, and having the civil law superior to ecclesiastical law. EVANGELS AND MODERATES But the ministers of the Established Church soon divided into two parties, known in 1833 and before as the " Evangelicals " and the " Moderates." The former were in favour of home and foreign mission?, the latter not; the former resented State interfence, tha latter justified it — because the Church was endowed by the State and must therefore be answerable to it ; and, as I have said, the former objected to a man being forced on a congregation agaicst its wish, while the latter did not object to patronage. THE VETO LAW. In 1834 the Evangelic il ministers became sufficiently strong in number to pass the veto law, which stated that; no coDgregation was to have a minister forced upon it. This was a relief, but not enough ; for while it gave congregations power to refuse to receive a minister nominated by a patron, it did not give them the right to make a free choice. The Evacgelical party had also built somewhere about 200 churches by subscription, and the ministers of these congregations attended the synods of the Established Church, and voted the same as the ministers paid from Church rates and endow ments. But the civil courts decided that the Church was exceeding its power both in passing the veto law and in allowing the ministers of the Evangelical party supported by voluntary contributions and not State endowments to take part in Church legislation. These decisions were the culmieatiog point. THIS DISRUPTION' DAY. From 1833 to 1843 the line of cleavage became more and more marked. On May 18, 1813, ths Lord H'gh Commissioner of Scotland, attended by his retinue and with a guard of honour, marched from Holyrood Palace to the Assembly Hall, and sat himself on his lofty throne beneath a purple canopy. Hi 3 presence marked the civil supremacy. Baneath him sat the moderator, Dr Welsh, who after reading the " Protest " signed by a large number of minist;r,s and elders, handed it to the clerk, bowed to thecornmidsioner (who returned the farewell with marked courtesy and emotion"), quitted the moderator's chair, and amid perftcfc silence walked down the passage. How many would follow ? Their opponents had boasted that only a handful would give up social position, their manses, their glebes, and good stipends. One undertook to eat all over 40 who " came out," but the most practised South Sea cannibal was incapable of that, for 474 ministers in all and 192 probationers chose Scriptural freedom without State support in preference to State support without Scriptural freedom. The event was of course anticipated. The streets were filled with a eea of faces, and the windows, balconies, outside stairs, and coigns of vantage wore crowded everywhere. As the ministers and supporters filed out, the hushed spectators parted and allowed the procession, three or four deep, to form and to march to the valley of the Water of Leith, where a large storeroom, capable of accommodating 3000 people, had been hastily fitted. The procession commenced in silence, but along the line of route a whirlwind of enthusiasm took poe session of the people, and deafeniDg cheers and forests of waving handkerchiefs told the tale that the Disruption was an accomplished fact, and that the Evangelical party possessed the sympathies of the masses. And no wonder, for, headed by Chalmers and Guthrie, and men of a similar stamp, this party had put up churches in the poorest parts of the towns and in the scantily-populated parts of both the Highlands and Lowlands, while the Moderates eitherjdiscouraged their efforts or looked on with coldness. In all, the Evangelicals put up about 250 churches and manses purely by voluntaryism, though it was hoped that at least £100 a year would be paid to the ministers out of the State endowments and rates; but not only was no puppcrb given, but when the Disruption tool: place the Established Clmrch sezod all the churches and manses, schools and mission houses, built by subscriptions, for its own uss, cr disuse, for in many instances they were shut up for years. Among them was a Gaelic church erected by subscriptions ga f hered by a touring blind man. I didn't intend to write so much when I started, but I find I have still a little m^rc to say, though I have left out much that seems to me very interesting, so I'll leave t.'e rest until next week, whea I'll refer to one or two of the leaders, and to the persecutions the ITree Caurchmen were subjected to. If any of you wish to read up on the subject there is a happily written accouac called a " Jubilee Scry for the Young," and published by O iphant, Anderson, and Ferrier, thit I can recommtnd. Then there is the Jubilee Number, with supplement, of the Frse Cburch of Scotland monthly, which contains an interesting outline of the Disruption and what has happened in the 50 years since passed. There are several other books, and among them is the " Headship of Christ," by Hugh Miller. The introduction to this book and Hugh Miller's letter to Lord Brougham are especially fine. Correspondence. — I have received a couple of letters which I'll find room for in the next issue but one.

— Gourock is supposed to bo the first place wfere red herring were cured.