The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1865-12-21
LESSONS 5ERODd THE EARLY HIS
TORY OF THE FREE CHURCH
OF SCOTLAND.

with comfortable houses into which they could
pass from the parsonages Of the established
Church, there would still have been many Sc
we're trials attending the disruption, in the dis
solution Of all those tender ties which bound
them to the old fold But when they gave up
their loved places of abode and the people
among whom they had labored and prayed,
they went forth not knowing whittier they
went.
Old homes old churches, old friends were
forsaken, the tolls of an oyerburdened ministry
had to be undergone and the front of most
determined opposition to be faced by unshel-
tered and penniless men. One venerable MIN
lister had to send his wife and children away to
distance Of seventy miles-nOt house nor a
hut nearer being open for their accommoda
tion-and he had TO take a room in an inn, the
only one which the village afforded.
Another asked his widowed daughterto give
him share of the cottageinwhich sheresided,
but the proprietor, nobleman, interfered.-
She was warned that if she harbored her own
parent in her dwelling, she would forfeit her
right to it. as it was not desired that any house
on this estate should be "a lodging place for
disSenters.
A third, driven from one of the loveiest
homes, compelled to study in a wretched gar
ret, and to sleep often with nothing between
him and the open heavens but the cold slate,
covered with hoar frost, his very breath frozen
to the bed-clothes sunk into the embrace Of
death
From the parish Of Tongue, the patriarchal
clergyman and his son, who was his assistant
and successor, separating themselves from their
families, retired to very humble abode. The
exposure and privation were too much for
them; they both caught fever and died. L
shall never forget, to my dying day, said Dr.
Guthrie, the scene which l witnessed, at the
Mause Of Tongue, or rather-I forget myself
in a mean, at least humble cottage to which
that father and son had retired. was never
so unnamed by any sight l ever saw-H l
may call it being unnamed, for l am not
ashamed of being affcc.ed by such sight.
shall not venture to describe what l saw.
shall only say, in the words of Scripture, they
were lonely and pleasant in their lives and IN
their death, they were not divided. L rise to
bear my testimony to the worth Of these mem
/ should rather say the worth of these martyrs
to those great principles for which we aban-
doned our earthly ALL Never shall | forget
the sight Of that venerable Old mana man
who would have adorned any church, who
would have adorned any society-never shall l
forget seeing him in his mean cottage-nature
exhausted buried in the sleep which he had
not tasted the live Ions night, his venerable
locks streaming over the chair where he was
sitting asleep Invent up to him and intended
to awake him, but l thought it cruelty to do
So / passed by him again and again in the
room, but still he slept on; and after seeing
his son lying in an adjoining closet, on fever
bed, a son that had never closed his eyes all
the night long either, for his fathers groans
were like daggers to his heart, l left the house
and the last words heard that sonsay on earth
were Mr. Guthrie, this is hard enough; but
/ thank God l don't lie here renegade. My
fathers conscience and mine are at peace.
Yes, they are both at peace now They have
both gone to the place where the wicked cease
from troubling, and the weary are at rest -
Such are the single leaves Of record which,
if ever the history Of the first plantation of
the Free Church be fully written, will be book
Of many and strangely-colored pages.
But toll came as well as trouble, To meet the
wants of those who adhered tO'the Free Church
upwards Of six hundred congregations had to be
regularly supplied with all the means Of grace,
and as many churches had to be erected. New
err in the history of the Christian Church, IS it
probable, that so many sermons were deliver
cd, 50 many prayer-meetings held so many ad
dresses delivered, by the same number Of clar
gymen, within the same period of time, as by
the outgoing ministers during the twelve
months which elapsed from the day of Disrup-
ton till the General Assembly Of 1874; and
never over the same surface Of country, or
within so short q time, were so many church
es built. In towns the kindness Of their dis
senting brethren afforded many facilities for
ministers meeting with their people on the
Sabbath days. In the country 1t was different
Here and there the hand tyranny Was stretched
out. andGrom the Church and ehurch-yard, and
then from the bare hillside and the public high
way. on all of which they sought to assemble
driven, till they took their station within high
water mark on the lone sea beach-their feet
upon the damp and tangled seaweed-the roll
Of those breakers, whose spray Che breeze drove
over them, keeping time to their solemn psalm
odv. 1t was summer in which there was
scarcely a rainy or an inclement Sabbath, and
very generally in the rural districts, even where
no opposition of any kind was encountered,
there was preaching in the openar. When this
was impracticable or inexpedient strange shifts
and expedients were frequently employed. At
Morningside DR.. Chalmers opened his own
dwelling house, and converted it into a church:
and perhaps he never occupied more pic
turesque position than when, planted midway
up the staircase, he preached to a diSjonted
congregation all of whom could hear, but not
half of whom could see the clergyman.
Tradition to the increased amount of purely
pastoral labor deyolved upon them, the leading
ministers Of the Free Church had large
draughts made upon their time and strength
BY the lively interest Of other countries |
which demanded Populations to be sent to
them to explain the principles and plans Of the
Free Church, and to solicit contributions which |
many were ready to give. In the Presbyterian
Districts of Ireland, the large towns of Eng
land, and in distant America, pulpits were
placed at the disposal Of these gentlemen, and |
public meetings were held, which resulted in