The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-01

Uoeu olSuouesuy hmpere0 VIII. MI WOOu
instructive letter will repay an attentive pc
rusal by every merchant OF this metropolis
who 10 engaged in foreign commerce.
A New Eceles1astical Dimculty in
Scotland.
Since the days Of John Knox Scotland has
been famous for ecclesiastical strife and
division. No people on the face of tho earth
discuss church questions with SO much keen
ness and with 30 little disposition to compro-
mise In no country did the doctrines of the
Reformation take so deep and firm o hold of
the popular mind nor among any people
has there been so general an agreement as to
what are called the essentials of belief, as to
forms Of worship and as to church govern
ment Strange to say, in spite Of this unity
of sentiment, no people are so split up into
ecclesiastical scots and parties. There is the
Church as by law established, which is Pres
byterian there is the Free Church, which is
Presbyterian, and whose existence dates from
the famous disruption Of 1913 there is the
United Presbyterian Church, much older
OVoys oou WAAOA4 ID y COMUludtlOu u tu0
Church of the Seceders, founded by the
Erskines and their associates, and Of the
Church of Relief founded by Thomas Giles
pie; and there is the Church of the Cove
nanters, or Reformed Presbyterian Church,
whose existence dates almost from Reforma-
ton times. All these churches are Presby-
terrain in their form of government. and in all
of them the tenets of belief and the
forms of worship are the same. Where
there is SO much Of agreement as to
essentials it is not wonderful that attempts at
incorporate union have often been made;
but these attempts have uniformly failed, and
a general union, which would be great gain
to the people as well as an honor to the Pres
byterian cause seems as remote as ever.
1t is only within the last two years that
movement contemplating the union of the
non-endowed churches-a movement which
for time seemed full of promise-was given
up in despair. 1t was hoped that the Free
Church, the United Presbyterian Church and
the Reformed Presbyterian Church, as they
we're oil of them unendowed and dependent
for support on the voluntary principle, would
see their way to incorporate union but ex-
treme views held by some on the voluntary
principle. and extreme views held by others
on the duty of the civil magistrate in matters
religious, made agreement impossible. Such
a union, had it been effected, would have in
cluded at least two-thirds of the Scottish
people, and would have placed the Estab-
lished Church in hopeless and helpless
minority. The failure of the movement was,
of course, hailed with JOY by the friends Of
the Establishment H cd the union been
effected nothing could have saved the Church
Of Scotland from sharing the fate of the Irish
Establishment. How to strengthen their
position has been the great object of the lead
ers of the Establishment in the interval,
and by the abolition Of patronage
they have stolen o march upon their
adversaries and made powerful bid for pop
ular support. The Scottish people have
always claimed the right to elect their own
pastors. For many generations, however, the
right to present to vacant livings has been
vested in the lords of the soil, in town councils
and in the Crown. When church became
vacant, as they call it, by the death or removal
OF the pastor, the new minister was appointed
by the patron; and although of late years
form of election has been observed the
people had really no choice in the matter.
The law of patronage has been the fruitful
source of ecclesiastical strife and division.
But for what was known as "forced settle
ments' in the ecclesiastical history of Scot
land, the result of this Patronage law, the
Scottish Church might have remained unit
10 this day. 1t was the working of this law
which forced into existence the Secession
Church, and later the Church of Relief; and
to the same cause may be traced the disrup-
ton of 1843, which rent the Established
Church in twain. In the last session of Par
lament this law was abolished and the right
formerly vested in the patron is now vested in
the actual communicates attending the
Church In other words, the people have now
the right to elect their own ministers This,
step on the part of the leaders of
the Established Church. The Church retains
its endowments and all its other privileges as
the national Church, and the people have the
free choice of their pastors. Fifty years ago
such measure might have given complete
unity to Presbyterianism in Scotland. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether the concession does
not now come too late.
1t is not at all unnatural, in the circum-
stances, that the members and adherents Of
the non-endowed churches should feel in
dignant. They feel that a march has been
stolen upon them. They claim that the bill
was hurried through Parliament with indecent
haste, and that it could not have been passed
without the votes Of English members who
sought to serve their own Church by propping.
up the sister establishment in Scotland. The
universal feeling is that they have been be-
k,ox Tbov boy he &u1 e.