PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH

OF SCOTLAND.

THURSDAY, 20TH MAY 1852.

Sermon by Dr Duff-Assembly constituted-Dr Makellar chosen Moderator-His address-Address to the Queen-Committees appointed.

THE General Assembly met in Canonmills Hall at twelve o'clock, when public worship was conducted by the Rev. Dr Duff, Moderator of the last Assembly, who preached from Psalm ii. 6, "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion." After sermon the Assembly was constituted with prayer, and the roll of members having been read by the Clerk

Dr DUFF rose and said-Venerable Fathers and Brethren,―The General Assembly having now been duly constituted in the name of Zion's anointed King, the sole and supreme Head of the Church,—the time has come for me to abdicate the chair of presidency in this House. It is, however, impossible for me to do so without first tendering to you, Venerable Fathers and Brethren, my most grateful acknowledgments for all the generous indulgence manifested towards me, and for the multiplied proofs and tokens of undeserved favour and loving-kindness experienced at your hands. May the Lord recompense you a hundredfold! If spared to revisit those

realms

"Where Satan sits

Encamped, and o'er the subject kingdoms throws

Perpetual night,"

vivid remembrances of the unanimity and fervent zeal in the Redeemer's cause, with the exhilarating interchanges of brotherly kindness and charity which signalised the Assembly of 1851, cannot fail to operate with somewhat of the mellowing effect of some distant strain of heavenly melody, when the spirit is jaded and tumultuated, as it must often be, amid the din and discord, and all other horrid ebullitions of a rampant heathenism. For the present Assembly, my fervent prayer has been, and is, that the Lord may graciously "rend the heavens," and pour down upon it a pentecostal effusion of His Holy Spirit, that its deliberations may be characterised by the breathings of devout aspiration, and the meekness of godly wisdom, and its leading decisions distinguished by all the energy of apostolic zeal, and all the breadth and intrepidity of apostolic enterprise.

B

Agreeably to long established usage, it has been deemed proper to point to some individual who might be safely recommended to your acceptance as a worthy occupant of this chair,-the most exalted post of honour and responsibility to which any minister of this Church can be raised. In attempting to discharge this part of wonted duty, attention has, not unnaturally, been directed to the Presbyteroi, or real "elders" in the ministry,—those aged patriarchs who began, as leaders in the army of Immanuel, to "fight the good fight" long ere many of us saw the light of day; and whose hoary heads are unto them a crown of glory,-pointing significantly to the near approach of the time when, transferred like our already glorified Elijahs, to a more genial soil and a kindlier atmosphere, they shall bloom and flourish in immortal youth in the climes of immortality. Of these, alas! comparatively few have now been left to us. Of late years death has been more than ordinarily busy in felling the veteran chieftains in our ranks,-the excitements and anxieties, exposures and fatigues, trials and sufferings, of Disruption times, have doubtless helped, in many instances, to give sharper edge to the scythe of the king of terrors.

Among the few surviving veterans of threescore years and ten that still grace and adorn our Church with their sage-like experience and ripened piety, there is one who stands out very conspicuously in the foremost rank, -one whose public services in times past have been neither few nor unimportant, while his private virtues have endeared him to a wide and everwidening circle; one who combines in rare and harmonious proportions a certain stoutness and robust hardihood of character, with a winning amiableness of temper and disposition-a certain fearless and uncompromising firmness in the maintenance of principle, with a glowing kindliness and gentleness of personal demeanour the most soothing and conciliatory; above all, one who, to a thorough acquaintance with our Church's history, constitution, laws, and forms of procedure, has all along united a uniformly consistent and singularly decided attachment to the great and distinctive principles, alike scriptural and constitutional, for which she so long and heroically contended, in a righteous, though unequal, warfare with "the powers that be." Of this attachment the proofs on record are not only redundant, but interwoven with the very frame and texture of our Church's history. To specify one or two instances:In asserting our spiritual independence, a Commission of the General Assembly in August 1838, by a unanimous decision, had ordered the Presbytery of Dunkeld to take a certain presentee on trials for ordination. For dutifully implementing that decision, the Presbytery, summoned to the bar of the Court of Session, was rebuked by the civil judges of the land for obedience to their ecclesiastical superiors in a purely ecclesiastical affair. On that trying occasion, the venerable father now in view nobly and honourably volunteered to stand by their side; and there, to quote the expressive language of Dr Chalmers, "there he lifted his calm and intrepid front before the scowl of our offended judges, and amid the hisses of an Erastian crowd, -yet not his the port and attitude of insolent defiance, but of one who, mild in spirit, and strong only in principle, knew how to meet both the displeasure of the Court and the insolence of the crowd with the respectful and manly bearing of a Christian minister and of a gentleman." Again, at one of the stormiest and most critical periods of our Church's great contendings,-a period of extraordinary excitement, and division, and party strife,-in the Assembly of 1840, our friend allowed himself to be nominated as a candidate for the Moderator's chair, in opposition to the nominee of the old Moderators, a man who, however distinguished in his general standing, character,

"

and attainments, was confessedly unsound on the great principle of non-intrusion and spiritual independence. On that occasion his very antagonists eulogised our friend as "an excellent man, pious and fervent as a Christian, and an honour to the Church to which he belonged." His election to the chair being carried by a majority, it was unanimously agreed on all hands, alike by friends and foes, that amid scenes, at times the most perplexing, he discharged his official duties throughout with an uncommon mixture of firmness, kindness, dignity, impartiality, ability, and fidelity." To his wise and saintly suggestion in the Assembly of 1842 we are indebted for the very great improvement in conducting our daily devotional services, namely, by the introduction of the reading of a portion of Scripture and the singing of a Psalm. Instead," said he, " of this being a waste of time, it will, by the blessing of God, save much, and dispose our hearts to the exercise of those feelings of brotherly kindness and mutual forbearance which we might otherwise overlook." In the Glasgow Assembly of 1843, when Mr Dunlop resigned his chairmanship of the Board of Missions and Education,-an office, the duties of which he had so long and so ably fulfilled, the venerated father now in view, was unanimously chosen as his worthy successor. And the addresses which, in this new capacity, he was wont annually to deliver at the opening of subsequent Assemblies, can never be forgotten, addresses abounding with large and comprehensive views of the gospel, as the sole panacea for fallen humanity, in all its endlessly varied developments of corruption,-addresses, pervaded throughout with the unctiousness of sanctified. experience, and redolent with the balmy fragrance of devoted piety.

Altogether, Venerable Fathers and Brethren, it is with sincere and heartfelt pleasure, and not without an humble, yet confident, hope of securing your cordial and unanimous suffrages in his favour, that I venture to propose the Rev. Dr Angus Makellar as a man eminently fitted to occupy and adorn the honourable and important office which, with renewed expressions of gratitude for all your manifold kindnesses, I now resign into your hands. The Rev. A. STUART of Blair-Atholl expressed his concern lest the election of a reverend father who had previously been Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, should give occasion to any to say that, since it was not the practice of the National Church to elect the same Moderator twice, the Free Church was by implication confessing that she was not the national and historical Church of Scotland. (Laughter.) Dr DUFF reminded Mr Stewart that the very first Assembly of the Free Church inaugurated into the Moderator's chair Dr Chalmers, who had previously been a Moderator-(applause)-and, afterwards, Dr Macfarlan of Greenock, who had also been Moderator on a former occasion. (Renewed applause.)

Dr MAKELLAR was then introduced to the chair, and was greeted with cordial applause. The reverend Doctor addressed the Assembly as follows:-Fathers and Brethren-By the good hand of our God upon us, we are again brought together in General Assembly, that we may engage in such proceedings as pertain to the glory of his name and to the good of his Church. These objects are the very highest that can engage the interest or call forth the efforts of the children of men while they sojourn here below. To the right performance of the duties connected with them, it is indispensable that there should be grace and guidance from above; and therefore we have well done in presenting ourselves before the Lord, humbly beseeching him to be merciful unto us, and to supply all our need from his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.

But if it be a first principle of the doctrine of Christ that our sufficiency is of God, it is also true that, to the successful performance of such duties, it is of the greatest moment we should love as brethren, and be of one heart and of one mind in the things of God.

Our usual mode of expression in reference to these things accords with this view, and proclaims the conviction that it is our privilege, as well as our duty, to realise and cultivate such a union. The Lord Jesus assures us that our cordial agreement as brethren contributes much to the success of our prayers before God; and of ourselves we may judge that which is right in regard to the discussion of any subject that may come before us in this Assembly, that it should be characterised by the calmness, and meekness, and candour, and forbearance, and love, which belong to the Christian character and to the endearing relation of brethren. While the right of private judgment is the privilege of each one,--and it may be expected that differences of opinion should arise,-yet care ought to be taken in giving expression to these, that there be not a word or sentiment to stumble the generations of God's children, or give the adversary occasion to speak reproachfully of us.

It is for us, Fathers and Brethren, to inquire whether we have realised this condition. If we would judge ourselves we should not be judged. I hope you will bear with me and suffer the word of exhortation.

You are now about to enter on the proceedings of another Assembly, and it is of vital importance that you should do so in a frame of spirit suitable to your character and duties. These duties are of the greatest importance in themselves, and, in many respects, of a peculiar character.

God, in his mercy, has enabled us to bear a decided testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus, and to the great doctrine of his supreme authority as Head of his Church and Prince of the kings of the earth.

We

It is a distinction of no ordinary importance that belongs to us as the Free Church of Scotland, that we have obtained deliverance from the incompetent interference of civil authority with our spiritual functions. long contended for this freedom as our birthright. Rather than be deprived of it we became willing to pay a great price, and we have paid it. Shall we, then, not strive to secure that which is no less precious, the mastery over our own spirit, exemption from the influence of prejudice and passion of ill-regulated tempers, and the use of unguarded terms. While we claim. the privilege of freely speaking the truth in all things, and the weightiest considerations of duty and advantage render it proper that we should do so as the occasion may require, yet care must be taken that we speak the truth in love and in the spirit of meekness, without any infusion or influence of selfishness, or bitterness, or anger.

It is good to have the term "brethren" on our lips; and yet what is it but a mere fallacy unless we cherish in our hearts and maintain in our whole behaviour towards one another the confidence and kindness, the forbearance and love of brethren? Unless there be right affections and dispositions within, and corresponding utterances and actings without, the most studied phraseology, and the smoothest and most seemly language, would be little better than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

I would not have it to be thought that I bring a charge or accusation against my brethren in reference to this matter; and yet I owe it to truth and faithfulness to say that, while from various causes I have mingled but little with the ecclesiastical proceedings of the Church since the Disruption, yet I have understood that serious apprehensions were entertained some

times lest the discussion of certain subjects in our General Assembly should have given rise to unbrotherly strivings and debatings. The Lord forbid that we should even approach to anything of so objectionable a character. Instead of yielding to such a temptation, our earnest desire and prayer to God should be, that we may have in us the mind of Him who was meek and lowly in heart, and may be enabled to walk even as He also walked. Our principle or rule of action should be, to honour all men and love the brotherhood-a brotherhood united to Him of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,-of which God is the father, the Lord Jesus Christ the elder brother, and the Holy Ghost the preserver and sanctifier, -a brotherhood of which brotherly kindness and charity must ever be the bond and the blessedness.

We stand up in the midst of our own land, and in the sight of all men, not in the attitude of presumptuous confidence, but of adoring gratitude and wonder, that the God of our fathers, in his abounding mercy and goodness, should have visited us in our low estate, and revealed to us how much we had fallen away from the spirituality and efficiency of the noblest national Church Establishment that the world has ever seen, that He should have inspired us with the desire to ask for the old paths, that we might walk therein, and made us willing to submit to many privations and sufferings, in order to build up the old wastes and to repair the desolations of many generations. By taking to ourselves the name of the Free Church of Scotland, we intimate to the Churches of the Reformation that we are the sons and successors of those distinguished and devoted men who, in the days of old, joined with their forefathers in raising up the tabernacle of David that was fallen. By assuming this title, we virtually say to them,-" Come now, draw near, and we will tell you what God hath done for our Church. He hath enabled the captive daughter of Zion to shake herself from the dust, and to put on her beautiful garments. He has restored to us the most precious portion of the heritage of our fathers, and caused the light of His truth to shine forth in the midst of us with greater purity than before; and we trust that, like the fire on the Divine altar of old, it shall never go out."

We feel that the position which we occupy is one of high privilege and great responsibility. We are brought somewhat into a state of separation from others, yet not so as to sever the ties of attachment and obligation by which we are bound to them. It is our duty now more than ever to love our neighbour as ourselves,—to exercise all the courtesies, and kindnesses, and charities of life,-to abound in the amenities of right-thinking men, and in all the sanctities of the true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the spirit of these principles and obligations we desire to do good unto all men as we have opportunity, but especially unto them that are of the household

of faith.

In regard to our own country, we can truly say that its interests are dear to us. We love its people, we admire its history, we honour its laws, we revere its institutions. Whatever others do, it shall be our constant endeavour to promote its well-being and to seek its good always. With respect to ourselves we cannot cease to claim that we are the true Church of Scotland. Our forefathers served God with a pure conscience, and our desire is to be followers of them as they were of Jesus Christ. But while such is our claim and our object, it would be doing us great injustice to infer that we count ourselves to have reached the full measure of spirituality and efficiency implied in our own testimony, and which belong to the Church of the living God. Instead of cherishing such arrogant views, we deeply lament