DUNSTAN PRESBYTERY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1117, 28 September 1883, Page 3

DUNSTAN P RESBYTERY.

The ordinary September meeting of this Court wai holii at Opllir nil the 19th. I Seilcni.it: Mews 'l'elf-wl (Moderator), ( McCosh Smith, 8.D., I! lokle, a id Lothian (Clerk). Ministers; M.ssis Will'am Tho.q- , aim an I .1 mws Paterson,, Killer?. Mr Telford was rffieiootod’Moderator for The next six months. j LAUDER —CALL TO AIR BORIIIE The Clerk read a letter from the Rev. i David Borrie, declining the cull lately ad- i Orossed to him by the people of Lander Dia- i trict. A long and animated discussion fol— i lowed on the subject, in the course ■ f which i Mr Lothian said that bethought seme strong i expression of opinion ought to be made as to i the advisability of not aubjectia; sueh newly ] erected and remote charges as Lander to all i the formalities of our Presbyterian proce i dure, and that the matter required the con- < sideration of the Church. Within tbe last i few years three cases of this kiml, inolnd- i inn Lauder, had occurred among the parishes ; now forming this Presbytery, where the t people, after giving hearty and unanimous i calls to certain ministers, were neglected, to i the no small injury of these congregations, i and the effects of which were felt to this 1 day. ’ Cases like these might occur in populous places, near the centres without much ] injury, because the congregations there had i facilities for picking and choosing, and their i Presbyteries had many more facilities for s meeting and for expediting calls than such i a Presbytery as that of Dnnstan. It would | he well if some plan could be devised that 1 would bo more expeditious and have fewer i formalities than the present in the cases of < such outlying and newly erected charges. Probably, if powers analogous to t'mse of the old “ superintendents’ of John Knox’s ( day, ware vested in the convener and mem- . hers of the C mrch "Extension Committee, the difficulty might be met. Or the piactice s of some other denominations, such as that of t the Wesleyan Church for example, might be , followed with alvautage in such cases. ( Anyway it wo dd not do to follow out our ( Presbyteri nism rigidly among a mixed } population, where many have no bigoted attachment to any particular denomination so 1 long as tke G ispel is> faithfully preached. 1 Ami, as the Cnurch aud’tlle population ins ci ease, i, might be to the advantage of both, if our Presbyterianism underwent some J modifications in this and other respects, In ' the present instance he felt inclined to move a very strong resolution on the subject ; but in deference to iho wishes of brethern, and in consideration for the feelings of parties concerned, and as he had no wish that reflections on any parties should he permanently recorded, he would simply submit the following morion for the consideration of the Presbytery : ‘'That this Piesbytery exceedingly regret that Mr Borrie is ‘ constrained’ not to accept the call to Lauder on ac omit of the state of his health, which precludes him from undertaking the. work in that district ; and further that all their labours a"d i Sorts to settle a minister in the district at this time have been so fruit. 1 ss. Nevertheless the Presbytery sinceri ly hj >pe that sei tlement will be made speedily and that the people of Lauder will shortly he prepared to give a unanimous call to a minister willing to accept the same and settle amongst them to lab mr for their good. And, therefore, the Presbytery earnestly request the people of L in fer to exercise patience, and lo bo not discouraged By their recent disappointment, and to consider the difficulties which have to be overcome >n getting a widely soatte r e 1 an i remote district smta dy settled. Tbe Pe briery further exhort them :o have Lath that the Lord will overrule this du-a; pointnient for their future good ; and they a-snro the people that they are heartily willing and ready lo assist them to-a speedy settle-iiie-n.” d’ho motion having been seconded by Mr Mi’C ,sli Smith, woo ncknowle iged the difficulties of such cases, was after consideration put and carried u- aiiimously. WANAr.A AXD..HAWEA Report of Committee appoiu-od to visit this district Whs given in by Mr Ivackie, and was fully c msidore 1 ; after which tbe toth'-wing deliverance was adopted on the motion of Mr MoCosh Smith : “ ! hat the Presbytery am greatly pleased with the repot t of Messrs Blackio and Lothian res g.riling the Wanaka and Hawea district, and again commit tb.e matter to them with instruct! -ns lo m ike arrangements with the people of these districts as soon as they can for the settlement of a missionary anion rat them during the summer months ; and also to continue their endeavours to procure suitable sites for Church purposes.” HYDE, MACRAES, WATTIC'IO, ETC. It was unanimously agi eed that the dork be instructed to correspond wLh the Presbytery of Oimaru on the desirability of taking united action towards visiting the above wide districts, with the view of ascertaining the opinions of the necessity and practicability of having a mission,-! -y or minister located amongst them som-where ; and that the clerk also request the Presbytery of Oamaru to act with tins Presbytery in getting their boundary defined. DEPUTATION I’KOAI SYNOD ON SUSTENTATION FUND. A letter from the above deputation was | laid on the table by Mr Smith, whereupon, after consideration, the following motion was agreed lo; “ That Mr McCosh Smit.li b; instnicted to communicate with Messrs Chile and Lindsay (the deputation appointed to visit tbe Dnnstan Presbytery by last Synod) regarding the Ru»tentatinn Fimd ; and to make arrangements for tluir visit, a id a ’vise congregations of tire same. CONSTITUTION OF SYNOD’S STANDING COMMITTEES. The Presbytery the l ' took up consideration of remit on the o -ns itution of the Synod’s Stan ling Committees, when it wi a. resolved unanimously • ho approve of tinorifleiple that* Presbyteries be represented on such’ committees by their own members, and that the fares of such representatives to paid. I'TEiml ACT REGULATIONS ON CHURCH AND MASSE EUILTH V G. Consiueratiou of ibis Art was then enterod upon, when several minor amendments were agreed to, and the following two new clauses suggested to the Synod : (n./ In the case of a Presbytery or tlie Synod’s Church Extension Committee desiring to erect temporary mission chapels, a ■irant not exceeding' 1.2t)0 may be voted by the Synod for such buildings, which grant shall also cover purchase of chapel site, povidel that in all such cases sites ami plan« shall be aoproved by the Presbytery of the bounds and tiro erection recommended to the Syno ' in writing for its sanction. Provided, also, that the' original cost of such sites, together with the fair value of ! Church building thereon at the time when such mission districts shall kayo become 1 fully sanctioned, charges shall be reckoned [ as a portion of the total grant to which they shall ho entitled in terms of Synod’s regulations, (hj ) That these regulations ( shall not prnjiul'ce existing rights or claims already sanctioned and in process of being coniplolcd at the time of the final adoption [ of this Act. I CONFERENCE ON THE STATE OF REUOION, 3 I STATISTICS, AND TEMPERANCE. I 1 The Presbytery, having gone into confer- , ence on the above subjects, after deiibera- • tion adopted the following resolutions : i “ 1. That congregations bs instructed to

■bo regular and punctual in iunlishi -g their annual statistical returns to the Synod.” . “2. That the visit of Missis Clark and Lind a/ ho utilised as far apo ■ bihl■ t - wards hj riding e'-au-ro istio in otiugb in the various districts and p wishes.” “3. That Messrs Smith and Telford ho appointed a committee lo arrange, if pos aihl-j, for obtaining the services of Mr Duncan Wright for a series of evangelistic me. tings, after the rising of the Synod.” The following overture having been submitted to the P. ediytery by Mr Ldhiauin reference to the temperance question, it was resolved that the same lie on the table dll a subsequent meeting Whereas it is expedient and in harmony with the princip cs of Chiistianity to abstain from things in themselves lawfn l , when we can ■ hereby promote the well-being of our neighbour ; and whereas the use of intoxicating liquors, su_ prevalent in this land, is one of the chief causes of dim;, poverty, disease, and of the physical, mental, and mm al deterioration of large numbers of tho community, and is at tile Maine time a serious obstacle to the progress of the gospel ; and whereas intemperance arises in a great measure from the free and general observance of the • Hanking customs of society- it is therefore humbly overture! by the Presbytery of Dnnstan to the Synod of Otago and Southland, that they take these premises into their most seiious consideration, and to reco d their deliverance that the circumstances are such at the present time as to call for a strong approval of tho general principles and practice of total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks ; and also that it is expedient to discourage the prevailing drinking customs of society ” OVERTURE ON BOOK OP PRAYERS The Presbytery having called for overture on Book of Prayers for the use of readers an I for services at baptisms, marriages, and burials, it was agreed that as there is at present a measure of individual liberty allowed to each minister to select such a bonk, and as there is a prospect of this matter being considered at the conterenceof the Churches of Australas'a, the overture be nod transmitted to tho Synod. OVERTURE ON CHURCH EXTENSION ENDOWI ‘ MENU-FUND. The Presbytery then took np Mr Lothian’s overture regarding the Endowment Fund for Church extension purposes, and the same having been fullv considered, it was unanimously resolved that it be transmitted to the Synod as follows : “ Whereas the settlement of the Province is extending in many directions, in consequence of which communities are often found in small and scattered numbers beyond the reacli of existing churches and ministers ; and vvhereas in some oases these s it: lemeuts are quite unable to comply with tho Synod’s regulations to euti lo them to assistance, and are therefore obliged to do without churches or minis tern or a regularly preached gospel, and so may become indifferent lo relkiou and fall away from habits of Church attendance ; and whereas a modest endov meat fund of £ISOO or £2 :00 far purely Chinch extension purposes would greatly help, to carry the Gospel to such i- calioies—it. is therefore hum dy overtn e i by the Presbytery of Dnnstan to the Synod of Otago and Scabland, tint they .seriously take these premises into consideration with the view of originating and raising such a special endowment fun,i for extending Gi spel ministration.) to new Sparsely-peopled and outlying settlements . APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS Applications fiom Cromwell, i> acks, and Clyde, with regard to silos fore men purposes ha-vipj been fully con-ilered, ,\ere sane lone i in terms of regulations. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC—ROXBURGH. Mr Te.ford hunt on the table an applies- , dim from the congregation of Roxburgh asking the Prfcsbvn-ry to sanction the use of an organ in < onduefing public avnrsliip. The Presbytery having mar i Mr Telford, and considered the application, it was unanimously agreed that as the Presbytery has every reason to. bedev.e that there is substantial unanimity in the coogre.-ation regarding this application, they heartily ng''oe to sanction the use of an organ iu public worship, as desired by this applicat on. SUSTENTION FUND. The Presbytery resolve I that the atten tion of congregations oe drawn to new regulations passed at last Synod whinh requires each congie.'.ation to contribute a miiimum of £175 per annum to entitle their minister to participate in the equal dividen !s. REPORT ON LAUDER. Mr McCosh Smith (Moderator of Lander Congregation), rave in a brief report from the llev Mr Currie, who is now labouring there, regarding the work. And Mr James Patterson gave the financial report, from which it appeared that some of .ast quarters contributions had yet to he collected, and that there were several s nail acioun's to pay The Presbytery rccwved Iho reports, and requested Mr Palte son meantime to forward coniiibntions m hand (o Dr Stuart, convener of the Church Extension Committee, towards meeting the expenses of the probationers sent to supply tlie vreanov, and also requested the Moderator f Lauder (Mr Smith) to cause intimation to be made to the people that in i r.ler to secure a spec y settlement of a minister, it is liignly desirable that the contributions should continue as regular and as liberal as possible A vote of i hanks was given to the Warden for the convenience of '.he use of the Court House for holding the meeting, and thereafter the Presbytery adjourned to meet at Alexandra ou tho third Wedmsday of .vlarch at noon.