THE PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Evening Star, Issue 3093, 17 January 1873, Page 2

THE PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Yesterday Evening’s Sederunt. The Synod resumed at seven o’clock. UN versity committee It was resolved that the committee proposed anent the training of theological students should be the University Commit.ee. FUNERAL SERVICES It was overtured from the Presbytery of Southland that there was a practice existing of bolding services or reading prayers bver graves, that such practice was not provided for in the Directory, and that, therefore, the Synod take the matter into consideration, with the view to declare the practice the Church ought to adopt on such oc asions. The Rev. Mr Stobo explained that such a practice did not exist in the old church of Scotland, that it was a source of great inconvenience and loss of time to ministers, and frequently interfered with the ni-charge of more important duties. He there!ore would move—“ That whereas it has not been usual to have religious services at graves among Presbyterians n the mother country, and the practme is discountenanced by the Directory for Public v\ orsbip ; and whereas if the practice of having such services both at the house and the grave are to become customary, ministers might be subjected to great inconvenience, and run the risk of neglecting more important duties, this Synod declares that it is not desirable that this should become the ordinary practice of this Church, but leaves it free to ministers to have a religious service at the house or the grave as they may deem it most expedient, o- at both the house and the grave, if any special circumstances should seem to render this advisable in any particular case.” The Rev. Dr. (. opland seconded the motion. The Rev. Mr Will read that portion of the Directory regulating the practice under such circumstances. The Revs. Messrs Todd and Watt opposed the motion. The Rev, Mr Gillies moved, as an amend? ment “That this Synod do not adopt the overture and that the matter be left to ministers to exercise their own judgment therein.” The amendment was carried. deputations. The Rev. Charles Frazer, of Christchurch, and the Rev. Mr Eraslie, of Wanganui, were introduced as deputations from their respective Presbyteries. form of baptism. Overtures from the Presbytery of Dunedin and .Southland were read. They were to the effect that the standards of the Church authorise the administration of baptism only to those who profess the faith in Christ, and are members of the visible Church. That the Directory for public worship states that baptism is not to be administered in private places or privately, but in the pLce of public worship and in the face of the congregation ; that there is reason to believe that the present arrangements are not carried into practice throughout the Church, and that therefore the Synod takes the premises into consideration and gives such deliverance anent as shall secure uniformity of practice in the administration of baptism throughout the Church. The Rev. Tr. Copland, in a somewhat lengthened speech, supported the overture from the Dunedin Presbytery, and proposed the following resolution: —“That the Synod having considered the overtures anent the administration of baptism, declares that the Jaw of the Church authorises the administrat on of bapti m only to those and the children of those who believe in Christ, and enjoins that any who, after due examination, may be judged lit to receive this privilege for their children, but who have not joined the t hurch as members in full communion shall be placed on the roll of catechumens, or members on trial—that they shall lie subject to the same jurisdiction, and disciplined as members in full communion, but shall in no case have any voice in the management qf tRe spiritual aff nrs of the Church until they shall have been admitted as members in fill! communion j that in the event of their leaving one congregation to connect themselves with another, they shall receive a certificate showing that they are catechumens or members on trial, and that their conduct has been consistent with such profession, and that the minister to w'hom they may apply be required to receive such certificate before admitting them to the privilege of baptism for their children. Farther the Synod declares that the law of the Church requires that baptism shall in all ordinary cases be dispensed in public before the congregation, and enjoins that where from special circum* stances a minister deems it right to dispense baptism m private or in other places than the ordinary place of public worship, the rea-on why it was so administered shall be recorded in the minutes of the session.” .Afier some discussion, the Rev. Mr Gillies moved that, having considered the overtures anent bapli m declare that tbe principles ot Hus Church, are opposed to in. d scriminate baptism, both as to subject and place and n quire that those receiving baptism for themselves or their children make credible profession of their faith in Christ and obedi- nee to him; that the ordinance, when practicable, be administered in public, and that the Synod enjoin the ministers of tbe Church to carry out these principles in their practice. The Rev. Mr Will thought that the Synod was scarcely prepared to legislate on the matter ; that the other Pres l yfrjes had nut considered the matter, and that therefore it was advisable that the Synod simply remit the resolutions under notice t© the several Presbyteries to consider and report upon to next session of the Synod. He would, therefore, move a resolution to that effect. The Rev. Mr Gillies submitted that the motion just proposed was not a c rapetsut amendment to either of the preceding motions, the; efor-, he would ask the Moderate): to rule in the matter, 'i he Moderator said it was uot the usual practice of the Synod to send down to the Presbyteries resolutions, or 'overtures, antagonistic one to the oth r; but it was the practice to an interim law for consideration, and to be finally dealt with - at some subsequent period. He did not think, therefore, that the motions could be sent down to the Presbyteries in ; their present form, and that, consequently, it w-as incompetent for the Synod to receive the Amendment. He only gave this as his opinion, because he had not considered the matter, aud } therefore, was not in a position to rule,

The question was then discussed, and it was suggested that the motions should be embodied in an overture from the feyuocl to the Presbyteries, The Rev. n r , Copland said he was inclined to think that it would be advisable to afford the Presbyteries an opportunity of considering the subject before the Synod proceeded to legislate on ’he ma ter. He had no objection to Mr Gibus's motion being coupled with that submitted by him. The Rev. Mr Will withdrew his amendment, and moved instead that the two resolutions be embodied in an overture and sent down to the Presbyteries. In opposition to this, the Rev Mr Johnston moved that the two orginil overtures bo sent down to tne Presbyteries. (>n the quesTons being put. it was resolved that the resolution proposed by Dr Copland be embodied in an overture, and forwarded to the Presbyteries for consi leration, and report before next session of Synod. ADDRESS FROM DEPUTATION, It was stated that the the Rev. Mr Nish from Victoria, and the Revs. C. Frazer and Emalie, from the Northern Church, would address the Synod during this evening’s sitting. The Synod adjourned at 12; 10 until 11 o’clock this morning.

This Day,

PROPOSED NEW CHARGES. The Committee on sanct : oning charges reported that there were two applications for sanctioning this year ; t he one was from the district of the Lower Mataura, at present under the pastorated care of the Rev. Chas. Connor, but distant thirty, and in some parts sixty miles from Popotunna, which is the centre of Mr Connor’s proper ministerial charge. The application was accompanied by a subscription list showing LISB Is per annum. It was believed that the district would soon be in a po-iion to ra>s_- very much more towards the support of a minister, and in those circumstances tbe Committ e thought it advisable that the re ornmenda tions of the Clutha Pre bytery be given effect to, and the distiict be sanctioned as a minis terial charge. The other application was from the suburb of t aversham, came up in the form of a peti ion from residents in that district to the Piesbytry of Dunedin, and accompanied by a subscri tion JLt showing L 152 16s promised in the dis riot. The ■ resbytery of Dunedin had strongly recommended thatC i vershain lie sanctioned In that recommendation the i ommitUe di 1 not con nr. They were of opinion that ii charges far b-low the self-sustainin > point were sanctioned, it should be in districts spiritually neglected and far removed from ordinances, and not in the immediate neighborhood of Dunedin, but recommended that it be fostered by the Presbyt ry in order to be sanctioned as soon as possible A paotion for the adopt!>n of the report was met by an amendme t by the Rev Mr Gow that both applicat ons be sanctioned. Aftet discus-don, the adoption of the report was carried by 33 to 13, the voting being For Clergy: Revs. Will. M ‘Naughton, Watt, Davidson, Greig. \llan, Waters, Connor, Chisholm, Bett, M‘Ara, *tol o, Alex >nder, Todd, Kyley, Christie, Clark, Smith, Baird. Elders: Messrs Wa'es, Marlin, Mackay, Millar. John Duncan, D, Fergus' >n, J. Patrick, A. Rennie, W. Adam, Sutherland, Henderson, Lindsay, Hassell, J. t'eid, and H. B own. Againsi—Clergy : Rev. Messrs Johnston, Dr Stuart, Gillies, Copland, Gow, Blake. Telfor I, Cameron, D. Ross. Elders : Messrs J. Allan, G. Hepburn, and J. Steahouse. AGED AND INFIRM MINISTERS’ FUND. The Rev. Mr Rvlf.y, in supporting an overt re from tbe Presbytery ot Cliuha re commending that steps should be taken towards establishing an aged and infirm ministers’ tund, said the means by which the de ir d object could be attained were—first, by the ministers themselves, as being directly interested, subscribing, and so setting an example to the members of the Church. It had been sugges’ed to him that they should make an appial to the Church generally 'or the funds to originate the scheme : and he thought it that appeal wasto .be successful or meet with sympathy, the ministers themmust put their hands into their own pockets. Their legacies were another source fiom which the pr posed fund might be increased. The Free Church Fund was largely supported in the tame way ; and it is to he • oped that there was sufficient sympathy ant Christianity in their C mrch here to call forth the liberality of their wealthier members. Thirdly, it might be supported by an annual or bi-annual collection throughout their congregation- ; and he thought most congregations would heartily respond to the call. Another thing was to fix the capital sum before any fundj could be drawn for the suppoit of any minister, Mr Nish had suggested that the sum should be LSOOO ; aud that five years should expire before any minister won d bo entitled to draw from the fund He concluded by moving the adoption of the report and the appointment of a committee to consider the who'e matter (such committee to repot t at a future sederunt), both of which were carried. HYMNS. The Rev. Mr Allan submitted the following overture—“ Whereas the ."■'ynod, in discussing and determining the pr nciple of the use of hymns in the public worship of God, passed a resolution to the effect ‘That use qf hymns is neither ipiscriptural nor dbntrary to the stan lards of our Church ;’ and whereas the said resolution is defective, and felt 1 1 be by some a departure from the principle ‘ that nothing is lawful to he introduced into the wor.-hip of God hut what he hath appointed in His word,’ it is hj mbly Ove'tured by tbe Presbytery of Clutha to the Synod of Gtago and Southland that th-y would take the foregoing premises into their serious consideration, and devise such mea sures thereanent as may tend to promote the glory of God and of the’Church ’’—and moved a motion declaring that the-ynod, in passing its res dution of 1870, held the view that the use of hymns was wan an ed by Scripture. Mr Stob > moved that the overture be not received. The Synod should not countenance tbe sending up of overtures which were neither more nor less than quibbles on a question of grammar. Any one conversant with grammar knew that two negatives were equal to an affirmative, and he held that the saying the use of'hymns was ’■ neither unscnptural,” was equal to saying that it was Scriptural. Mr Ryley had opposed tbe resolution of 1870, and then understood that once and for all the principle had been affirmed. He, therefore, thought it was wroni to come up with an overture asking the Synod to do in 187-5 what it did in lfc7o The Moderator said if the amendment were adopted an insult would be thrown on the Clutha Presbytery. On being put to the vote, the amendment was rejected by 22 to 17. The following report by fhe Church Extension Committee has been circulated amongst members of Synod Yotu Committee jjave pleasure in reporting that early in the year 1 the following Ministers were settled, with every prospect of comfort and usefulness, viz—l. Rev. Andrew Bett, in Tapanui; 2 Rev. Alexander Blake, M A., in Kaikorai; 3. R ev . James Cameron, in Lawrence ; 4. Rev. John Macara, in Balclutha ; 5. Rev. Jamet M. 'ihomson, in Winton and Forest Hill; 6. Rev. Charles S. Ross, m c^ar S es still vacant are —l. first Church, Dunedin, through the resigna o ol r u A* 16 ev ’ fieorgo Sutherland; g Clutha, through the translation ~~ •'“®. Kev. Rev. James Kirkland to Hokitika; 3 Alexan Ira and Clyde; 4 Lower Waitaki; 5. Waitahuua. Your Committee regret that they have not been able to give regular supply to the vacant charges, owing to various causes, as the co iturned illness of the Rev. VV m . Alves, kto 0 !£ a *k ora *} the acceptance by the Uev. Mr Cosh of a call from Balmain Church, New Wales j and tbe anointment of

Fleming, a student of Divinity, under the care of the Dunedin Presbytery, and who was ready for Uceuso, to tlie Uectorstlp of Invercargill Grammar School. On the scarcty of ministerial supply becoming known, the Pre-hytery of Dune Hu proposed that the t hurch Extension Committee should be requested to sud Home for two preachers with as little delay as possible, provid d the other Piesbyteries of the Church concurred with tbe proposal. The Pn-sby' cries of Smithland and Oamaru did so ; the Clutha Presbytery, however, while appr viug of the object, recommended its attainment through the Synod, ami for this purpose suggest'd the c dliog of a pro re nata meeting of the Court. Your Committee, in view of the dei ty which the Clutha suggestion would occasion, decided to send for two ministers, feeling sure that their action in this emergency would be condoned hy the ynod. It affords your Committee much satisfaction to report that several young men of I'Sir ability and good character are now attending the undergraduate course at the Otago University, with a view to the Christian Ministiy in our Church. But this fact, so gratifying to the lovers of our Zion, imp ses o:i the Synod the necessity of making immediate provision for their training in theology and kindred subjec s. In view of the large additions recently made to our population, and likely to continue to be made for some time, the supply of vacant charges and stations, and the taking up of new ground requiringordiuanct s as Stewart’s Islam), Martin’s Bay, Upper Waitaki, etc., your Committee request authority to sent for two preachers in addition to the two tend for in November. There is no doubt that, with a largely ii creased staff ot Ministers, there are several Helds within our bounds now lying waste where ordinances would be valued. The Kir»t Church and luch Clutha congre gallons Lave laid the Church under obliga ion, by prov ding pulpit supply for themselves—thus relieving their Presbyteries and your Committee. " aitahuna, since its sanction, has borne the entire expense oi ordinances, The Rev, A. B, Arnotfr, M.A.. has ministered there for six months with acceptance. The Committee regret ihat such important fields as Alexandra and Clyde, and the Lower Waitaki, should be so long without regular supply. It is the earnest prayer of your * ommitteo that God may lead our nod to devise liberal things for the immediate evangelisation of such parts oi our country a- are to this day without the preached Gospel.