Church Patronage In Scotl...
The Times, 1824-12-29T00:00:00

On Fiday a . tFrom thbe Sotsmean, On Fida, ameeting was held within the' Waterloo Hotel, for tbe Purpos'e Of' establishing' a Seeiety for improving the systemi of Churith;Patrolna0ein Scotland. The room fixed on for thermeeting tras. found insuflledient-for Its accommodation ; and it was therefore rndicarned to the great room. .On thle Motion of the Rev. 1Dr. Diavid Dicksion, WihIiAm-Hlawl non Craiford, o'f Crav6ordlaftd, Esq.., was called to the chair; and hoiitsving stated that 1t'vosild' be unneceslary in him to explain the Purpoe Of' the' meecting, as that~ had been -suificiently advertised in nonG 'SNcLAss-of' Ulbster, Esq. ro'te to address the meet- ing. The reluctance wAhi5h he. felt' at ell times to public speaking weeh considerably enhancedt on this occasion by a sense of the im. Pore'tictn of the subject. No, discussion can be more interesting, or of more colenin consequencep, than one'which relates to a -proposed chainge or improvement in the-religious establishment of tue eoun- try;. at the same time,' their objects had-been confined Writhi1i suchi strict and judicious rules, that the subject had heedi much' narrbwv- ed and rnde tnore cormprehensible. It was not his puylpase to) bring the great question of patronage under their view, or to start disputes with those who conscientiously difTer from them'-upon the main principle. Their object should be to reconcile, if possiblo, even those to their ver7 limited scheme ; 'and he hoped, that in this particular they svere all of one heart-and one mtnd. Hle would not enter into city long details, as to tite origin, progress, end perni- cious efFects of pa6ttwnagc.- Suffice iLt to sLY ,that it was abolished by' law in 1649 4 restored In the reign of Charlea lI-a reign mark- eda with blo,odshted craft, and oppression, in their worst forms ; again aobtaihed in 1l699, when the tght of freediom once more shone upon the: land ~ andl finally re-established in the reign of Queen Aruie. Elver sitice' which time patronage han been considered by a large and worthy portion of tilie clsuretb as inconsistent with the civil' e nd ecclesiastical constitution ; and it has of'ten been rlemonstrated against in the General Assemnbly. Its pernicious la,Fects have been felt in a number of districts ;'and both Synodea and Presbyteries have raised' their voicen against It. It vies his wish to see in every parish an able and efficient minister, unec- culer in his aims, and consecrated both in mind cuad body, to the cervice of religion, devoting his whole time to instructing and con- nolinig his; flockl, and calling them to repentance; but unider the petsent system it would be almost vain to look for such a clergyman. we maight advert to the eimphatic deacription of a trite pastor to be found in the Scripurs and the exempliflenations of she character to b-e found'in the lie f sonmc of oui clergymen;, and wvith regard to doctrine, fie might refer to that beautiful summarY of It con- taized in the Confession of Faith-that imperishable monument of the learninig and piety of our ancetors. So far as external morality Is concerned, he musgt confess tiet few of our divines brirng discredit upon their duies; but he must say, that many of them, in the mnore active duties of their ojfce, such as praying, catechisinF, visiting the nick and afflicted, are very defective. He would divide the clergy into four class-es; the first being teachers of stranige doctrines ; en- other, indifferent to the truth of doctrines, end remiss both in their public and private miniotration; a third, who, believing that cer-. tain do-stiines were not calcuiated for general circulation, malke slight and superficia allusions to them, and a fourth, who, with hearts inspiredi with the sacred naturte of their duties, proclaim the great truths of religion ailoud, e-nd labour In slngle-heitrtedness, cliaritY, and love, to advance the cause of religion In every hbart to confirm the waverinp, and rendairn the erring; and who, untdismayed by the ucoynfuil asTnles of fashion andl the friowns of power, choose to obey God rather then man. These men may expect to enciounter great trias-to be accused of praeahing extravra'ant dOctivnes, and Tm.. claimed as the officouriiFs of their iirofesston, by %he safcr."- t these are the men I admire, in vwhom the pleasure of the L-ord is mnade perfect, who cull sianera to repentance; and' whos glories will %lourish when the laurels of the hero are decayed." (Great applause.) To obtain such nilnisters it is necessary that the aippointment of them be in men of corrckpondent- frames of mind, prilnciplea and af'fections ; and the question is, whether. such meni are to ge?ound among the hig her, or the mniddle and lower classes of soclety ? It is ;the opinion of a great author, that religion is the only branch of edu- cation whi1ch people of rankc thinki may be car-ried too far. Their children canniot be to deeply versed in philosophy, or science, or li- terature ; and sonie general directions may be given to mnake themn 'acquainted with the outlines of their faith ; but any anxioua inquiry into the grounids of that faith, or sy-mptom of a fervid devotion, is de- miounced as being hostile to the siuccess of their civil purstilts. Among -she lowier classes, the Semi tue are regarded as the most valuable 'legncy bequeathe thm~teraceistors. With them 'we fled 'that viben faiBc docrnsaepece nterprs church, they -are at no loss to dectte;adwl,isieofpery infirmrity, ~anil every temporail,otogetdsacswreheaes of life :are supplied to the Inprt.Tee are the rmen who In their' ,choice of a ministr wol a oeatention to the fundaentalsof faith, than patrons;edwudnt like them, be influenced to be- atow a church by moie ffinsi, or be actuated by a regard -to family connexions; or sw7aydbth recommendation of a friend unqulifid t jnde, o a ish o pomoe some political view; nor oul the gie thir vtesas achep -method of -requitinig a favour. Patrns a ini .reae na hosileto the interests of our national chuch;bu ths cn eve hesad o abody of parishioners Mr. Sincairconludd, midgret aplase,by moving the first twelve The Rev. ANDitzw THomso', Fafter complim enting Air. Sin- 'clcir upon his very able sipeech, begged leave to notice one instance of the way in which patronage was abused, in addition to thoie al- ready noticed. A gentlerann gets a tutor into his family, aind, ,;-ithoutkinowirng any thing at all about his theological acquirements, or spiritual giftg, promises him a church. The youth dis'chasgea -the dutfleaof a tutor, and demands the fuilfilment of the promise-. It is knowan what parih he aispir-es to; but it is nething to either -that the people dislikVe hsim and threaten to dissent. TIhe gentle-: man goes to the patroni, and after telling him of the promise, says, "1Give rue that church, and I will give youi so many votes at next -election." The patron's consceience mnay feel uneasy at the thought --or' forcing a disagreeable miknister upon the parish; but as he must -retain his steat In Parliament, he is glad to consent. There is an- oher wa fcreeping into the church. Sweet experience has taught the lesson, tnat patronage is property;' and the patron often looks about him for the canadidate who is to offer hio1 the most money. It Is true there are laws against simony, and It is true those laws have been executed, hut not once in a thousand instances. There mray he proof enough of the commission of the offence to. satisfy 'an,y one, but not enough for a court of law, still less for the Eccle- siastical Court (a loud laugh), -which is compoued of men who are inclined to uphold the system. Thereis still another way by which a man may get hold of a cliurch. The friend of a young preseher goe to a ptron aend saysl, "Sir!" or "M Ay Lord!t you know you 'are obilgdto me; give me this church, and I will maintain your interet in there burghs."' The patron is swayed by counter mo- tives; bhe has already promised the church to a friend, but- the burghs are a painful sacrifice. Hec is like the ass between twro bundle, of hey ; but having 'more intellect than the thonky, he takies uij a hal nny to decide whiich of thie candlidates Is to have the chiurch. aThat this mode of proceeding has been resorted to, he averrd as a fact ; and in this way were the immottrtal and spIritual interests of the ublic disposed of by the heads anti tailsj of a half- ~ptnny. The Mefet of the entire system tupon dile religious Interests ,of the peenle was painful to conitemnplate. That it had created a large body of dissenters, he did not regret ; he rejoiced that it had ,done so, and he rejoiced that those di!tsenters were under the "uidance of most le-arned, pious, end diligent pastors. (Loud cheers.) 'While the law of patronage exists, dearly as he loved the Church of Scotland, he wished the dissenters to make additions to their on-in ber. goe believed there is not aitother establishedI church better calculated than our own to antswer the purposes of religion ; and. though he did not regret that there were dissenters, he did regret that -the state of the law was each as to create dissension. Even where it. had not this effect, It never failed to paralyse religious feeling, aiid -to produce lukewarmness and apathy.. Some clergymen faithfully discharged their duties; and within their bounds religion flourished: but elsewhere, though the clergvmaen has hearers, they hear him as if they heard him not. M11any, therefore, seem to he connected twith the establi!khment, whio are not connected as they ouglht to be; and the con tinisie their loose adhierence under circumsitances which are both indicative and productive of indifT'erence. fle had often beeni told by the friends of patronage that some still remain with the Church ; hut hdw many of these are regardless of its practice and interests ? Their cociety could not do a great deal ; but it -was their -duty to do all in their power. The rev, gentlemani concluded by cecondinjg Mr. Siticlair's motiojii After which, the resolations m~oved by Mr. Sinclair were'put, and carried by naclamation. - Air. 0. LYON, W. S., rose to move the 13thi resolution. There must have been a kind of feelinig, though not assuming a dlstiiict form that their apparatus of directors, secretaries, &c., was ridicu- lous beore thie society had taken root; and, that the whole scheme -Tas impracticable. He was awzare they were like a mustard-seed.., the least of 411 seeds; but if their principle was geod, they might, like that seed, becomne a preat tree, under the,branches of which the f'owls of the air mipht find shelter. Air'thinga mus't have a begin- sng - and the beiritimiiig of the miost flourishing. institutions hasR ge- -nemniy been small. He might instance thte Bible Society, and the -Society for thie Abolition of the Slave Trade, the noble achiievements of which could not have been anticipateEd at Its fOrmnation by the most sanguine ofits supporters. As a farthier illustration of hits argu- ment lie mji~ht notice a structure, not an hundred miles from the llacec v,hcri he was speaking-he nieant the Flarth'en Mlound.' That hllDundhd its origin in a decent trade-sman la~ying a few stepplng stones acro3asthie North Loch, for hiis own convenlence' in passing; but by constailt accession it became thie stunendous read which It now isq. He %-ished foyr such steppinlg stonesi to comimlence their good work wiith one in one parish, another-in another; aiid ultiaeyhy go jdto it become a broad enTd go.-dly' Whiswty. Wewihnhhq to purcaese their own patrogacs;n and that tb'people might have It in their power to say, " There is the Alinister whom vie purchased with a penny per'week I' (A lNugh.) This alone would establish a right fceling between the pastor and hig flock, and add incalculably to the usefulness of tho former, Hie concluded- by mneving thel3th resolution and his motion. having been seconded, by the PRev6 Dr. DAvrI DIKsomN, was ananintously carried. The Rev. HE Nity GstEY reterred. to the pure days of the chureh when the people were called upon to do -mere than witness the so- lemn ceremony of tbe induction of thaeir minister-when they had also a voice inhis naomination. Thisday Wouldbeaproudand new era In the history ofthei nationalcbur%l.' j,e had no anxiety to bring back Dissenters to the crlireh - butOI he wished to see the ground of differer- b&tween them and the church removed by a restgation to the I thlit:rlgls. It was curious to. re, hnat the changes of imo ion n-rtain subjects. Whenthepeople haa, tb;e choosmgx. o their minister, they uere thought calable of discrtetly-exerdisink if; 'but'know, whe-they have nolonzer the right, their. capacity ij disputgd, There maybe zome trutli'in the observatotWotheir unfitness, fot the possession o'f a igllt inay be a- necessarv sfiinilus to a man to qualify himself for. the dae exercise of it. The.dJ'rrteora lutt unite muBh zeal with, much wisdom.; there were difflcttlties-to overcomnes- bbt the Soiety' would do good at least by the diffision of" right principles. They'had' not yet tixed- upon an individual to fill 'the office of President; but they viould tind a gentleman of rank and character to accept it. He then moved the last resolution ; and old Bailie BRo w, hatving seconded the motion. it was unanirmously carried. - hMr. Lvow moved that Air. James Brydges, W.S., be appointed Secretary to the Society. They were all under the greatest -obliga- tions to that gentleman, but fior whose unwearied exertions they would not have beer. assembled. So deeply did he feel tho value of his services, that he would also propose the thanks of the ineetintg lo l hirm. This doublo motion wnas unanimously earrled. IMr. Bnyioues returned thanks, and read a communication from Aberdeen, from which it appeared that a meeting had taken place there, preparatory to a general'meetirig, for the p'urpose of forming a cociety auxiliary to the present one. In other parts a spirit was rising, which assured him that the society would experience the most hearty and general co-operation. There was a letter from the famous clergyman, Mr. Boston, written after the passing of the act of Queen Anne, which had remained private until it was lately published in The Christiat AMonito'. lie read this letter which contained sevtral strong reasons for the writers disapproval of the law of patronage. Mr. MALCOLM M'DOSrALD WaS elected treasurer to the society. On the motion of the- Rev. MiIr. TAIr,thanks to the Chairnan for his conduct In the chair were carried by acclamafion. RESOLUTIO2fS. 1. That the meeting do form themselves Into a society to be celled, " The Society in Scotland for improving the system of Church Patronae," ith auxiliaries in -other towns and parishes; the object of' which shall be, to acquire rights of patronage, and to ceetre the nomination of acceptable ininistera, bysettling them on a popular principle, ns well as by every means to excite at. tentlon to the importance of thin-branch ofi ecceisss6tfd& 'polity, so as t.4 ameliorate the exercise of patronage ia those instances where tbe zight csnnot be acquired. 2. Thdt, 'without proposing any very erteaided right of suffrage, it shail rcordingly be the object of this institution to iettle the nominiation in aU nghts of patronage acquired by it, on trustees who shall exercise the eame according to the opinions of the male heads of families in parishes who have been in full'coommunion with the church for a certain time previous to any vacancies ;- being a lass of perrons, compared to the whole population, necessalily limitea in number, while they are, of all otherrs the most deeply interested in, and the most likely to make, a proper choice of a pastor. 3. That, ia order to secure the successful commencement of the ngstem, it sheil be in the power of the directors, where they shaU see cause, on occasion of the' first election taktng place, after acquiring a patronage, to submit a list of names, not fewer than six, from among which such first election shall be made; and to repeat this course, should new vacancies occur within 10 years from the first appoint. ment; the right thenceforward in all cases to become popular. The 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th resolutions, prescribing the constitution of the society, need not be particularly stated. Tt is suflicient to sav, that it is -to be managedl by a President, Vice-Presidents, and Directors; one manager of every auxiliary so. ctetv being a director of the parent one. 13. That the object of this institution is more easily attainable than may at first appear; for every single parish can easily collect funds for the purchase of its own patronage: and where that- is not saleable, the efforts made in other quarters, and the general interest there excited, will reflect a good influence in patrons, leading everv. where to results nearly as satisfactory. That, therefore, it be earnestly recommended to parishes general. Iv throughout Scotland, forthwith to put themselves in cornrsunica- tion with this Society, who will aid with all its power in the esta- blishment, in every quarter, of funds to be applied to the good pur- pose, wihenever, in the course of Providence, suitable opportunity may occur. CVHURCFT PATpAR1 SCOTLAND.