Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic]

of John MacIntosh, accountant, who was a daughter of D. Bent, carpenter and contractor, partner of Isaac Shay—the Miss Bent of whom Alexander Workman speaks in his reminiscences of St. Gabriel Street Church.

Among others signing the memorial to the Presbytery of Quebec, invoking its intervention to see that the Synod's injunction as to opening the church should be obeyed, were William and Robert Watson. William and his brother Robert, father of the Robert signing the memorial, began life as bakers. Robert, senior, had been appointed flour inspector for the city. One evening, in the Spring of 1827, as the Rev. Dr. Mathieson, of St. Andrew's Church and he were sitting quietly chatting in his house, in Joseph Street, some miscreant fired a pistol through the window, with deadly aim, and fatally wounded Mr. Watson. He died a few hours afterwards. This event has remained shrouded in mystery till this day. The effects on Dr. Mathieson's nervous system, so great was the shock he sustained, remained with him all his life—affecting his utterance, as well as his powers of recollection. Young Robert died about the time he reached his majority. William afterwards became flonr inspector, and died a rich man. He left St. Gabriel Street Church during the Esson-Black dissensions and joined St. Andrew's Church. A beautiful clock in that noble edifice commemorates his connection with St. Andrew's congregation. He was the uncle of the Ogilvies, who inherited his wealth, William Watson Ogilvie being named after him.

[graphic]

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Free Church Controversy—Resolutions Of The Synod In 1841, 1842 And 1843-MEANT TO AVERT A DISRUPTION HERE-INFLUENCES BROUGHT TO BEAR IN THE MEANTIME-POINTS OF AGREEMENT IN 1844-FINAL CATASTROPHEA DIVIDED CHURCH-MR. ESSON'S ADDRESS TO HIS CONGREGATION-RESOLUTIONS OF CONGREGATION AND SESSION-PROTEST SERVED BY MINORITY.

We come now to the most serious crisis of all in the history of the old church in St. Gabriel Street,—the "Disruption." There were secessions before, not only of numerous individuals, for such reasons as have always influenced individuals, and still influence them in exchanging one church for another,—reasons good, bad and indifferent, but also of large sections of the congregation, moved by some common view or feeling. Those secessions were, however, occasioned chiefly by local considerations; and after a while things went on as before, and new people came in to fill the places vacated by those who went out. This event was farther reaching in its import and effects. It was going to change the relations of the church and congregation to its own past attitude on important questions, as well as toward many churches and congregations throughout Canada.

I shall not attempt to discuss the "Free Church" question. Time and space forbid. But I venture to make a general remark or two on the subject.

There met in the parent Church of Scotland, as well as in its off-shoot in these provinces, two currents of view and sentiment, in the controversy regarding the practical

[graphic]

relations of the church to the civil magistrate. One view was based on an acceptance of things as they are, making the most of them,—working them to the best advantage; the other upon the attainment of a state of things ideally and logically perfect. The two views correspond, in a general sense, with the two systems of philosophy, the inductive and deductive. The inductive, or Baconian method proceeds to gather the facts involved and build upon them. The deductive method begins with assuming what institutions ought to be, and, from that lofty point of view, would work downwards into the realm of facts. These two streams of tendency are known in political discussions as Conservatism and Liberalism, or, their extremes, toryism and radicalism. So far as the Church of Scotland was concerned, the one party known, as the constitutionalists, took the order of things as they resulted in Scotland, from the past—the facts as they were, the outgrowth of a reformation of the middle ages. They wished to preserve the church on the same general lines, as suited to the genius of the country, and they disliked changes, even though such changes might be logically defensible, and might have been well enough embodied in the constitution of a church that was only starting out on its career. The other party were idealists, men of enthusiasm, too, restless and unsatisfied until they saw reduced to fact, the high notions of which their minds were enamoured.

The "Non-intrusionists" belonged to the latter class; the "Moderates" to the former. No person belonging to either party would probably admit that he was under the dominion of any particular law of thought. Every man regarded himself as an independent investigator and actor, obeying his reason and conscience, and the law of God, in the course which he took. Nevertheless, there was a tendency apparent in his position which we choose to call a law.

The Rev. Henry Esson might be expected to be found in the school of theorists. Speculative Philosophy had a charm for him. He was a worshipper of the ideal. Every fact and institution that did not correspond with his ideal, he had always denounced. Other men were governed more by the matters of fact with which they had to do. With them the question was, what can we hold and maintain, of the things that are, consistently with a good conscience and loyalty to the word of God.

Having premised these few remarks, as generally explanatory of the views and courses taken by the several individuals and communities in "the disruption " controversy, I proceed to place before my readers a brief narrative of the facts relating to the movement, so far as St. Gabriel Street Church was concerned.

As early as 1841, the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland, had pnt on record its views on the subject of the relations that Bhonld subsist between the Church and the State. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted :—

"I. That this Synod, in view of the trials through which the Established Church of Scotland is passing, and the eventful crisis at which these have arrived, do record our most affectionate sympathy with her, and our earnest prayer for her success in her struggle against every encroachment of the civil power on her spiritual independence and jurisdiction, and that she may be a faithful witness to all Christian nations of the true principles according to which the civil magistrate should support the visible kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ."

"II. That this Synod, enjoying as we do, peculiar opportunities for witnessing the great evils that befall a nation when the true religion is not duly countenanced and maintained by the civil authorities, evils which have long, in the divine goodness, been averted from Scotland, regard it as a great calamity, that collision has occurred between the ecclesiastical and civil tribunals in Scotland, and record our fervent hope that such steps may be taken as shall restore the interrupted harmony, so that the church may be supported in her labours in her own sphere, and the state, as heretofore, may have increasing evidence that the church is the best bulwark of order, improvement and happiness among the people."

[graphic]

III. "That this synod experience the highest gratification in observing the enlightened and holy spirit that animates the Parent Church, her advancing internal purity and zeal, the removal of hindrances which stood in the way of the return of such of her children as had seceded from her communion; and we do sincerely trust that the Scottish National Church, adhering to her primitive and scriptural standards, will, ere long, exhibit to Christendom such a spectacle of unity in the faith, and such an example of scriptural connexion with the state, as shall give assurance that the Lord Jesus Christ, for whose Crown and Sovereignty she is contending will make the land an heritage that the Lord has blessed."

IV. "That this synod petition Her Majesty the Queen, and the Imperial Parliament, in support of all the just rights and claims of the Church of Scotland, and, in particular, that the wishes of the people be duly regarded in the settlement of their ministers, and that the secular courts be prevented from all interference with the spiritual concerns of the Church."

It may seem surprising to the people of Canada, in this generation, that the members and ministers of the church in this country, forty-five years ago, should have been so much moved by what was happening in Scotland, while little interest, comparatively, is taken to-day in the events occurring in that land. But it should be remembered that in those days, the ministers and the members of the church in Canada alike, came from across the sea, and so were familiar with what was going on, on the other side, and interested in it; while now a large proportion of both the ministers and members of the church were born in Canada, and have only a traditional connection with the British churches.

The Synod, in 1842, also uttered its voice respecting the non-intrusion controversy in Scotland :—

"That the Synod, continuing to cherish the sentiments recorded by them during the last session, respecting the struggle which the parent church is at present maintaining against the encroachments of the civil power, and cordially concurring in the great principles asserted in the resolutions of the General Assembly, at their meeting held on the 25th of August, 1841, and communicated to this Synod, instruct the Committee of Correspondence to give unequivocal expression to the views of the Synod in this respect in the letter which is now to be transmitted to the Colonial Committtee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland."

« AnteriorContinuar »