PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1538, 29 July 1886, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

" A "congregational meeting was held last ’ Monday evening in the Presbyterian Chubby *Terouka, the Rev. Mr Gillies occnpying the chair. After a hymn was sang, a portion of the Scriptures read, ' and pffered up, the Rev. Chairman ■aid ne was present owing t® the resignation p£ the. Rev. Mr. Mackintosh. The Presbytery had called the rneeting to allow the congregation to express their opinion with regard to his resignation. It was now their privilege to offer any expression of opinion they desired, and, .. slss, to- appoint a Committee to wait on •'the Presbytery on the subject. Mr Bussell said he . had never altered bis opinion of Mr Mackintosh. He was one of the most consistent Christians in Hatv' Zealand. His worst enemies could not say that he was not a thoroughly Christian man. The only objection to him was shout baptism. Several children in the parish were not baptised, and many Of the congregation were standing "ou|i against him; When j;he congregation stood ontagainst Minister, painful as it might be to say i£, it was better that they should part. ’. Mr John Anderson said be could not tenet himself to say much, and moved—- ’ That this meeting record Ha deep reSet at the causes which have led to Mr aokintosh sending in his resignation, ; tnd only on the ground of the state of fats health acquiesce in the step he has ... taken. At the same time they express tiheir warm appreciation of the earnest , faithful character of his ministry, and

, bop© that his health maybe speedily restored, and a suitable sphere opened up to him.” Mr Norton seconded the moMon.” Mr Stewart bad great pleasure in also :' ;. : peooadiDg the resolution. He regretted y Ur Mackintosh’s health sq bad, and ; ||is folly belieired t(te conduct of thecon- ‘ gregetioi had a great deal to do With his illness. 'fbere wap an element in the congragatioo. that would bare to be wiped out, l or itwoold ruin the Church, If Mr Mackintosh’s health had not been so bad he would hare thought it his duty to remain and fight it out. The resolution was carried unanimously. Some discussion followed, resitting in : Messrs Guild, Gray, Shaw, and Darroeh |ging appointed a Pop(ifiiU|ee Jo wait upbiithe presbytery in reference to the Rer. Mr Mackintosh’s resignation. Adispufsiph also took^plabe on the financial position of the Church owing to ;somo -> jnemberf making inquiries about Uptp ip the bu|aßce\aheet., 'These , mattefs wefg eip’sjneii satisfactorily by r ‘ine Secrpfiary apd the mat|er dropped. The Kev, Mr Gillies said it woold be the duly of the deputation to settle about a moderator, and some other matters. To him the meeting was the most painful

/ j^d,humiliftting iie Imd ever held, Hs 'had been''a long time connected with ■ Tepiuka, and had done bis best to get a ’minister, H& had hoped the best apd brightest thfogs for Temuka from the appoinWeot of the Reti Mr Mackintosh; Me jm not disappointed with the

> | minister, for no one could find fault wit > i his character or his ability. He coul ■ scarcely trust himself to speak on th »:[ matter. There was an elsment in th | Church which circulated matters cor i coming himself and Mr Mackintosh. I i was circulated that he (Mr Gillies) abuse bis position aa moderator, and stood be i tween the congregation and the miniate , of their choice. He knew the quarto this came from, and it bad gone Ibe lengtl and breadth of New Zealand. He wa also accused of trying to get for Ploasan Point a Scotchman. Such things wit calculated to do great harm, and he fel very ranch pained at what had occurred and he believed the health of M Mackintosh had suffered through (hi treptment he had been subjected to. H< would never again subject himself to the humiliation of being misrepresented as he had been and would not act again at moderator of the congregation, Witl regard to baptism Mr Mackintosh hud acted in accordance with the doctrine oi the Church which he vowed to obey. He believed in such ordinances being strictly adhered to. There was nothing worse than to administer ordinances loosely, and use them as a bribe to keep people in the Church. Aa regards children being unbaptiaed, he would like to know tow many of their parents had gone to the minister and spoken to him on the subject. As for Mr Russell’s statement, be did not agree with the doctrine that because the congregation and minister did not agree, the minister should leave. It depended on who was right. If the minister was right then he ought not to leave, and if the funds suffered there would bo people found to assist. As regards the resolution passed by the Committee, they ought to have submitted the matter to tha congregation. Mr Gray said they had done so. After some conversation the resolution was read, and Mr Gillies said the Committee bad no right to pass such a resoluwithout having consulted the congregatiootion. It was no part of a Committee’s duty to be the censors of the minister, and they were no*, to bo the judges. As a responsible minister and member of the Presbytery he was bound to point this out. Every minister has a right to be tried by his peers, and they were the ministers and elders of the Church. He felt grieved at having to say what he had said, and he would not act as moderator again. Some discussion ensued, in the course of which the Rev. Mr Cecil spoke very warmly in favor of the Rev. Mr Mackintosh, and bore testimony) to the excellence of his character in private life as well as in his ministerial capacity. The congregation appeared not to have treated him fairly. They ought not to forget that anything he (the speaker) had done for them ought to be put to the credit of the Rev. Mr Mackintosh, yet it appeared that people did not do so. He had not taken sides in thematter, and did not wishto do so, but would now say that Mr Mackintosh had his deepest sympathy. A little rift had been widened to a great chasm, a mole-hill had been magnified to a mountain, and so far as he could judge (here was no great necessity for it. Mr Mackintosh had always treated the congregation with the greatest consideration and kindness, and be felt bound to say he had the greatest sympathy for him. Mr Cain wished to say a word with regard to wh«t the Chairman had said about a Scotchman. It was not the Irishmen nor the Englishmen who were opposed to Mr Mackintosh, but nine out of every ten of the Scotchmen were opposed to him. ' The Rev. Mr Gillies said he did not by any means wish it to be understood that he meant to make any national distinction, and after some further discussion the meeting terminated with the Benediction.

A meeting of the Presbytery was held on the following day, in Temuka, when the deputation above named was present. The call of the congregation was accepted by the Presbytery, and the Rev. Mr White was appointed moderator.