The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-03-15

meH WIZ put III no claim TO leadership,
and now L rejoice to record my convic-
ton that, notwithstanding small and
somewhat influential broad" party
within the Church, who swear by the
negative theology of the Scottish Ser
mons, the Presbyterian Church of Vic
torla is soundly evangelical to the CORE
with this superadded virtue that its or
thodoxy is welded neither with narrow
ness ignorance, nor intolerance. Out of
l54 ministers, only five or six occupy the
Broad Church platform. OF these one,
at least, is on most points evangelical,
and another is a very young man who.
has not yet received ordination as a min
lister of the Church. Whereas on the
side of orthodoxy is seen ranged a pha-
lanx of able men, such as Mr.. M'Eachran.
Mr.. Rentoul, DR.. Nish, Messrs. S. Rob
inson, A. Yule, Murdoch Macdonald, A.
j. Campbell, and others Of heavy calibre,
backed up by strong array of able and
influential elders. Whatever else may
have resulted from the late doctrinal con-
troversy in the Melbourne Presbyterv,
this great gain without doubt has ac-
crued, that number of scholars, men
trained IN different schools of thought
and theology, and at different periods,
have been drawn together to fight TOR
evangelical religion with the strength of
united action; and believe further, that
the insinuating flow of broad church the
ology has received a very marked check.
If the Presbyterian Church in Victoria
settles down now to practical work in the
way OF church consolidation and extern
sion, she cannot fail of grand future,
and existing animosities will speedily die
and be forgotten. This is a good oppor-
tunity to say that the view Of the Pres
byterian Church Courts given in the
pages OF the most widely circulated Mel
bourne paper, the Argus, is never to be
relied upon, as, having decided obiec
ton to evangelical Christianity, it has
no kindly feelings for the Presbyterian
Church-always excepting the broad
church portion of it. l am glad, how
ever, to extract the following from lead
ing article in new paper, TIE World,
which IN a recent issue says -" One of
the great ecclesiastical parliaments of the
colony has just finished its yearly ses-
sion, and its proceedings are of such gen
eral interest that even a secular paper
hnds itself compelled to notice them.
The Presbyterian Assembly has this
somewhat dubious merritt provokes
more attention than any other Church
gathering of the year. Yet the seas
OF angry ink expended on it neither ruff
tie Its temper nor arrest its progress. A
robust and strong fbred body, with
will and policy of its own, an abundant
stock OF our Scotch courage, and an al
most heroic Indifference to newspaper as
saults, such is the Presbyterian Assem-
bly, of Victoria. And certainly, NAV
say, although New South Welshman. I
was very proud of the sister colonys Su-
preme Court as [ sat in it. Not that it
was model Assembly, by any means, or
that no time was wasted, or unnecessary
or unpleasant things said or done; but
on the whole there was robustness
about Its tone, masculineness and abil-
lty shown in the discussion of knottv
subjects which | have seldom seen an
preached IN any of our annual gather
lngs IN st. Stephens, Sydney. In this
| would notice that the most
important debates were left to be carried
on almost entirely by the master-speak-
ers and natural leaders of the House
though during the whole sittings of the
Assembly, the voices Of about a third of
the ministers on the roll were heard. II
was particularly pleased with the active,
intelligent, and interested share taken in
all the business Of the Court by several
elders, and specially the Hon. James Bal
tour, the Hon. James McBain, Mr.. Rob- |
ert Harper, and DR.. Morrison. That the |
Victorian Church has such men as these
among Its active elders, along with others
like Francis Ormond the Messrs. Officer,
the Messrs. Scott, Sir James McCulloch,
I. j. Finlay, M. H. Davie president of
the Melbourne Y M. @. A., and Duncan
Love, speaks loudly of the present
strength of the Church, and augurs we'll
for the future. In drawing my notes to
a conclusion, / must allude to the prince
lly munifcence of Mr. Francis Ormond
in giving a college to his Church, which,
when completed, will it is estimated, !
cost him 100000 or 100000; and would
ask the rich Presbyterians of New South !
Wales can they discover no way in which |
to follow his noble example. The ar
engagements for the theological training of
students for the ministry are in New |
South Wales ridiculously primitive, and
otter but slight inducement to students
% enter upon the study of divinity in
sydney. We want theological hall |
Professorships, and more theo-