The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-03

Tho Free Church OF sooti.nd--A Cali upon
tho Free Churches OF America.
The Rev. DR.. Cunningham, one of the leaders
in the late fiery discussions in Scotland, which
have issued in the separation Of large body OF the
clergy and the people Of that country from the
church thereof, as established by law, is now iii
this country endeavoring to procure pecnniary aid
towards erecting number OF churches. He made
his first appearance last evening before large con-
regauon, in the Presbyterian Church, Wall street.
to whom he stated the objects OF his mission, and
the grounds upon which he is delegated to ask for
assistance.
Dr. CuSsrsap.m commenced By remarking that he felt
the circumstances under which he called upon to adj
dress the meeting somewhat Interesting and pecu-
liar, somewhat solemn and impressive He had the honor
10 be delegate FROM and representative OF the Free
Church of Scotland and he had come to solctthe sym.
pahy and the prayers the advice and the assistance OF
the Free Church OF Scotandwas now in Gods provi-
dence placed in circumstances somewhat similar in many
respects to those occupied by the Free Churches OF this
country, depending entirely upon the free will offerings
Of her members for the maintenance Of gospel ordnan
tor the erection of places of worship for the educa'
ton and training Of young for the ministry and the
support of ministers for the administration of divine
dinances throughout her borders. Scotland had, in
Gods providence, great and arduous work before
her The circumstances in which she placed, and
the work she called upon to perform we're, to
a large extent new to her. but those circumstances
substance and that work in its general character
not to the churches in this land. was work in
fact similar to that In which this country had been long
engaged; and since we had been long engaged in it, he
expected to derive important assistance from examining
the plans and schemes had adopted for the accomplish
in his gracious providence had laid upon the Shout
ders Of the people Of Scotland From the great cordially
and kindness with which he had been received here by
the ministers Of every denomination. and especially by
all the branches OF the great Presbyterian family he felt
quite and confident OF having abundant access to all
the sourc Of information and advice power
n z
in the American churches; he, therefore, need not
cnpy their time and attention with adyerting further
to this subject. but take the liberty of OF
stating the grounds upon which he invited Their
sympathy, their prayers and their assistance in
the difficulties in which the Free Church OF Scotland
involved for the accomplishment the work TO which
she had been called lis felt he had much matter to de-
tail before the meeting, connected with the exposition OF
their principles and with the views and doctrines they
terained the circumstances in which they placed
and with the encouragement God was aaording them in
the difficulties and perpexities in which they were in
vOlved that he had really time for advertng many
collateral topics that might be interesting. He should
therefore proceed without preface apology to plain
statement ofthe great which he wished to
lay before the American churches The substance Of the
leading truths which he anxious te impress upon
their attention and sympathy just these First.
The Free Church of Scotland had been called upon,
under Providence to contend for the same true and
great principles for which Covenanting ancestors
suffered principally and directly affecting the sole head
ship OF Christ and the naenable rights and liberties Of
his church and people. Second-That the undeniabe
result Of her honest contendings for these principles
has been driven from her connection with the State
and forced for conscience sake to abandon all the civil
privileges emouments and endowments which she enjoy
ed in virtue Of that connection, and is in condition
which she is fairly entted to the she has assumed
of the Free Church Of Scotland the Church OF Scotland
free ThrdIn her present position and in consequence OF
what she has done and suffered she has the most advana
geous and most encouraging facilities for promoting the
interests oe religion and the Of evangelical truth
and righteousness the length and breadth Of Scotland
FourthThat she had to struggle with great difficulty in
the OF her enterprise in erecting SO many
churches at once and providing for the education and
training OF minister's and that these dhcuities are great
y aggravated by the hostility and prosecutions to which
she exposed especially upon the part OF the arocracy
the patrons and the landowners These the great lead
ing truths he anxious to upon public attention
here he thought he might confidently entertain the
pee tatons if he could succeed in convincing the meeting
of the truth Of these various positions and in bringing
them home to their understanding and consoiences
they would feel called to give him the benefit oftheir
sympahes and their prayers with such assistance the
circumstances Of the Free Church Of Scotland required
and as their circumstances enabled them to render
He felt however very much at loss how to proceed in
the exposition Of these views because he could without
and corporeal exeron spend least hour upon the
exposition Of any of the tour positions he had enumer
aed Upon the whole, under existing circumstances, it
would not be very needul or desirable to spend much
time the way of explaining and illustrating the princ
pies which the Free Church of Scotland held and by the
honest practical declaration Of which they had been d
from the State connection and forced for conscience
sake to abandon all the civil privileges and emouments
which connection with the State involved, because, he
presumed, with these principles already familiar
The only difficulty he met with upon this point not
the truth Of the substantial and fundamental prnc
whether she had carried out those principles in all their
extent and in all the fulness OF their application Ho9t
ever ne might at least .ake ,or granted .na whem xas
Providence to contend for the right Of Christian congs
cations a real and effective voice in the choice and set
Element ofther pastors and their Office bearers
that she had been led to contend for the still wider and
comprehensive privilege OF the sole Headhp Of the
Lord Jesus Christ-for His exclusive right to reign in his
own kingdom and rule in his house-a truth involv
ing when practically applied, these two important
positions That the word of God is the only sta
only standard by which the affairs of the Church
of Christ, in every OF its branches are reg
ulaed and next, that ecclesiastical office bearers are
Offices by the people, and not by civil unctonares, as
well the experimenting authority which is necessary 70
the transaction of the ordinary business OF Chrsts vs
bic church and kingdom upon earthWhen he said the
Free Church Of Scotland told these had been the prR
cpes for which she had been called upon to contend
should at that they the true principles
principles based upon the standard OF God and such the
Church of Christ bound to assert and maintain
principles which Church Of Christ could be at
liberty to compromise abandon And IL II we're in
deed true that her ministers and people had in Gods
alternative presented to her was either to abandon and
compromise those principles or to abandon their
ton with the State with all ITS civil rights privileges and
emolumensthen, beyond all question, they right
in adhesrng to the former and in abandoning all State
connection and emoluments were constran-
cd by the principles, fully carried out among
selves approve Of the step which the Free Church OF
Scotland has taen bid her God speed" in the
upon which she had catered and to give her the benefit
sympathy and as far as practicable OF assist
ance In advertng the first position that the members
of the Free Church of Scotland had been called upon
under Providence to contend for those great prin.
| ciples for which their forefathers suffered
might he right he should take the liberty ofmpressing
upon the meeting general consideration of no small
Importance II thisthat the circumstance OF the
controversy in which for some years past they he Free
church, had been engaged in Scotland, and which ended
in the entire disruption of the establishment, and in the
sece sson of large number of its ministers and OF still
larger number of its elders and people just thstha
after long and melancholy period ofall and declenson
Of unseadness in doctrine and ungodlness and nsince
y in characters which during the last century especi
ally the latter half of had to aarge extent overspreat
the established church Of scotand-asystem which the,
were there accustomed to call by the of moderation
After long period characterised by every thing which
| a Christian church ought to want and by the NIB
sence Of every thing which Christian church ough
! 10 possess, God In his mercy was pleased to gran
a revival of true religion and evangelical princi
pie At length through the prevalence of sonnde
| views Of Christian doctrine and a higher stand
influencing derrn