LATE REV. J. URQUHART.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 25, 16 September 1914, Page 7

LATE REV. J. URQUHART.

A Tribute. The Rev. J. Urquhart passed away quietly at the residence of his, son, Mr Murry Urquhart, at Gordon Road, Toko, last Thursday. The rev. gentleman had been ailing for some time, and the end was not unexpected. At the memorial service, held in the Presbyterian Church, Toko, on Sunday, the Rev. J. Pattison spoke of Mr Urquhart's life and work as follows: The deceased clergyman was born in Edinburgh on the 3rd of February, 1837. He was educated at Glasgow University, and received his theological training in Scotland. He entered the ministry of the Baptist Church ; his first., church was in St. Andrews, Scotland. . He was pastor for a period in Leith. Thence he went to India, where' for some time he had charge of a congregation in Bombay. Returning to Scotland he became minister of a church in Kirkcaldie, and afterwards of the Frederick St. Baptist Church in Glasgow. About eight years ago, Mr Urquhart came out with his family to New Zealand, landing in Toko. After residing for a time in this district ho left for Melbourne where he resided about" six years, being engaged continuously in literary work. Some months ago he returned broken in health, accompanied by his wife, to Toko, where lie has just peacefully passed to his reward at the of 77, leaving his wife and family to lament his loss. Mr Urquhart was one of the most distinguished ministers who had visited New Zealand. The people of Toko knew something of his gifts as a lecturer, and knew of his extensive library, but few, if any, knew of his great ability and learning. He was a man of profound .scholarship. One could not converse with him five ■ninutes without finding out how extensive was his reading, how keen his powers of observation, how wide his knowledge. The- last visit I paid him when his intellect was clear, ho brought down a Polyglot version of the Bible, and seemed to be perfectly at homo in the various languages, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, etc., into which the Scriptures were translated. He was the author of a work called the "Bible Guide," in six volumes, expounding and defending the Bible, from the standpoint of archaeology, science, and history, besides other works written in defence of the faith. He edited up till recently a monthly magazine called the "Bible Investigator," a valuable paper whoso aim was to set forth and defend the Divine authority and teaching of the scriptures. These products of his pen show careful thought, close reasoning, and masterly treatment of the subjects dealt with. Mr Urquhart bolonged to the conservative school of Theology. Ho had no sympathy with the new-fangled notions that the Old Testament is made up of separate jdocuments woven together. He did not like the rationalistic theories made in Germany, which would rob the Bible of the supernatural element. He believed that the Bible was the Word of God, that its message was of Divine authority. Ho was evangelical in his belief and teaching. With all his heart he could subscribe to the three R r s in theology—Ruin fry the fall, Redemption by the blood, and Regeneration by the spirit. Ho was convincod that the great need of the church to-day was to search and study and know the scriptures. Mr Urquhart was a champion of the Faith. His Biblical Guide is largely apologetic. It is written to relieve doubt, and strengthen faith. He defends against sceptical assault the Mosaic account of creation, the Noachian deluge, and other events of Bible story. Ho 'smites hip and thigh so-eallcd higher critics who would eliminate the miraculous from the scripturos and reduce thorn to a purely human level. Hi;< family had reason to rejoice that God had' given the church one who possessed suclj rare giftjj, ans rendered. su.ch.

signal service in the proclamation and defence of Christian truth. It was an honor to Toko to have resident in it, even for a time, a man of such learning and ability and usefulness. While he would now rest from his labors, his works would follow him. He would live on and speak to us in his memory and his writings. It gave him great satisfaction before the end came that the Rev. P. B. Fraser, M.A.j Presbyterian minister, in Feilding, had agreed to take over the editorship of his monthly magazine. He (the preacher) was sure the sympathies of the people of Toko would go out to the family in their sad bereavement.