CHURCH PROGRESS.
James Dodson
CHAPTER II.
WHEN the Presbytery, on 19th October, 1761, resolved to delay the division of the community into separate Congregations, Mr John Thorburn had been labouring as a preacher for more than two years, and his labours had proved so acceptable, that a general desire was expressed that he should be ordained. The Presbytery accordingly resolved, “in the consideration of the above mentioned delay, that a call be moderate at Crawford-John, the second Monday of October, O.S., by the Rev. Mr M‘Millan.”
At a Meeting of Presbytery, at Quarrelwood, on 9th March, 1762, Mr M‘Millan reported that, “according to appointment, he preacht at last General Meeting, and moderated a call for Mr John Thorburn, which, being delivered to the Presbytery, and by the moderator presented
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to the candidate, was accepted by him.” The usual trials were appointed, and these having been given and sustained, Mr Thorburn was ordained at Crawford-John on the 6th day of May, O.S., 1762. There were now three ordained ministers of the community.
The desire for a more settled ministry now grew apace, and on the 14th June, 1764, the Presbytery “appoint Thursday, July first, as a day of private humiliation and prayer, to be observed by all the ministers and people, of their concern for Divine light, and direction from the Lord, anent the confusion wherein they are presently involved anent the disjunctions.”
On 1st November, 1762, the Presbytery resumed consideration of the particular settlements; and understanding, from the voices of the Commissioners from the different Correspondences, that a division of the whole into two “colleagued” charges would be likely to produce more harmony among the people than a division into three Congregations as had at first been proposed, they agreed to have an extra judicial conference with the Commissioners, in order to ripen this proposal for the Presbytery’s consideration.
That conference was held, the matter was again taken into consideration by the Correspon-
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dences, and the Presbytery on 7th March, 1763, resuming consideration of the overture anent the collegiate charges, “find that the overture is generally agreed to.”
Mr M‘Millan was “designed” one of the fixed pastors of the Northern Congregation, his place of residence being left for arrangement by himself and the people of his Congregation.
Mr Courtass was at the same time appointed one of the pastors of the Southern Congregation. On the 14th June, 1763, the Presbytery granted a moderation to the Southern Congregation that a colleague to Mr Courtass might be called; and at a meeting of the Congregation at Quarrelwood, on July 11th, a call was given to Mr John Fairley. This call was presented to Mr Fairley on the first Monday of August following, and he was ordained at Leadhills on the 21st December of that year. At the same time Mr John Thorburn, formerly ordained, was settled as colleague to Mr M‘Millan in the Northern Congregation.
Going back a little in the history, we find that, in 1761, Mr Fairley was sent to Ireland to preach to the Societies in Ulster. He remained among them for several months, and at a meeting of Presbytery held at Ballysavage, August, 1761, a call to him from the Congrega-
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tion of Londonderry, Donegal, and Tyrone was sustained, presented and accepted. From some cause or other, great delay occurred in his ordination, and on the 14th June, 1762, Mr Fairley, with consent of the Presbytery, returned the call to the Congregation.
Although the Church had for a considerable time been constituted in a regular manner, we find that the General Meeting continued to exercise considerable authority; and from the entire absence of any reference in the minutes of Presbytery in the earlier years of its existence to the support of the ministry, it may be presumed that this and other matters of a secular kind were still regulated by the older organization. But the Presbytery was gradually superseding the General Meeting, and this not altogether to the satisfaction of some members of the Church. On 12th August, 1765, a petition was received from the General Meeting, praying that the Presbytery would fall upon some method to engage the people to attend the General Meeting more punctually; in answer to which the Presbytery agree to recommend to the people to be punctual in their attendance, and for their encouragement undertook, if the meetings are appointed to be held on Monday, to give them sermon at the place the Sabbath before.
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The Presbytery was no less particular in requiring regular attendance of members at their own meetings. On the 20th April, 1768, they minuted, “The Rev. Mr M‘Millan being absent at this meeting, but having sent his excuse, the Presbytery sustain it at this time, though not satisfied that he should be absent, lest it should be an evil example for the future in the said practice.”
The increased number of ministers and probationers enabled them to give the different Societies a more regular supply of ordinances, and particularly to dispense the Lord’s Supper more frequently than heretofore. In the year 1770, and in subsequent years, it appears to have been dispensed at least twice. The people assembled on these occasions in very great numbers, and the services were very protracted. In arranging for the dispensation of the Sacrament at Griefs Castle—probably Gryffe Castle, Bridge of Weir—in June, 1772, Mr M‘Millan is appointed to preach the action sermon, and Mr Thorburn on Sabbath evening; Mr M‘Millan and Mr Courtass on Thursday; Mr Fairley and Mr Thorburn on Saturday; and Mr M‘Millan and Mr Fairley on Monday.
The places appointed for the dispensation of the Sacrament rather surprise one at first. The
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larger towns were always avoided, and sometimes the places selected were such that the members attending must have found it very difficult to obtain lodging, if they remained in attendance during the whole of the services.
We find that in 1768, the mid-summer Communion was dispensed at “Buchlive,” and on other occasions it was dispensed at Quarrelwood, Pentland, Forrest, Mortonmill, Hallhill, in Old Monkland, &c. In 1769 the Presbytery appointed the Communion to be dispensed at Sandhills, but at a subsequent meeting “the Presbytery appoint the Sacrament, intended to be held at Glasgow, to be held instead at Foulburn, in the parish of Shotts, as the place intended is not convenient, it being too near the town of Glasgow.”
At this time, and for long afterwards, the Presbytery appointed annually one of their number to draw up causes of fasting. These were submitted to the Presbytery, printed for circulation, and a day of humiliation and prayer appointed. The causes of fasting are not engrossed in the minutes, but on fly leaves of a copy of the Testimony of 1761, in the possession of the writer. Those submitted to the Presbytery at Pentland on 30th January, 1765, are copied at length. One or two things are very noteworthy
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in this document. Written at a time of extreme sectarian bitterness, it does not contain one word regarding the defections of other Churches; references to national and public sins do not bulk unduly; and very special and minute reference is made to the sins of those who are called to fasting and prayer. It forms a very pleasant contrast to the words of many, who, on days of humiliation, will confess and lament every person’s sins but their own.
On 7th March, 1763, two students applied to be taken under the inspection of the Presbytery. The one, William James, came from Ireland, being recommended by the people there; the other, Daniel M‘Clelland, came from America, recommended by Mr Cuthbertson. Both being present, and having given their assent to the principles of the Church, and promised submission to the Presbytery, were received, and at once taken under trials for license. At meetings of Presbytery on the 2nd Wednesday of April, 13th June, 1st Monday of August, 7th November and 21st December of the same year, these students delivered the various “pieces of trial” assigned to them, and these being sustained, the candidates were licensed to preach the Gospel on the last mentioned date. Their trials consisted of a
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Latin discourse, a sermon, an expository lecture, and a lecture on Church history. They were also examined in Greek and Hebrew.
After preaching for some time in Scotland and Ireland, Mr M‘Clelland having been ordained in Ireland, returned to America in 1766. Mr James was ordained over one of the Congregations in Ireland.
The future history of Mr M‘Clelland was not satisfactory. At the meeting of Presbytery on 12th July, 1769, a representation from the people of America was given in to the Presbytery, and publicly read, bearing “that Mr Daniel M‘Clelland, who had formerly been sent over for license &c., and who accordingly, after trials, was licensed here, and afterwards ordained by the Presbytery in Ireland, for the behoof of the people in America, upon which he was sent over to them, and laboured among them for some time. But that the said Mr M‘Clelland had gone into such loose opinions and practices, as had obliged them, in conjunction with their Rev. pastor and eldership, after all habile methods for satisfaction and redress of grievances from him had proven abortive, took protest against him, and declined his ministry—the ground and reasons of which protest and declinature are at large expressed in their papers
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above said. The Presbytery, after consideration of that matter, and some conversation anent it, came to enquire whether they found yᵉ people’s conduct was such as they could approve. They unanimously found the same approvable, wherefore the Presbytery did, and hereby do upon the foresaid grounds, as particularly specified in the said papers, approve and sustain the conduct of the said people toward the said Daniel M‘Clelland; and further also, the Presbytery find and declare any relation subsisting between the said Mr M‘Clelland, and the people under their inspection in America, to be null and void, and they agree that this minute be transmitted to their brethren in Ireland, and being approven by the Presbytery there, be from them communicated to the Petitioners in America, together with a letter to be wrote by them to the foresaid Daniel M‘Clelland respecting his scandalous and offensive behaviour.”
The members in America had another difficulty over which they appear to have been much exercised, and in regard to which they, in 1769, sent a petition to the Presbytery. This difficulty was as to the proper manner of beginning public worship. The Presbytery, after consideration, resolved to recommend “unto the people in America, the ancient way used in the Church,
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which is beginning the worship of God in public by singing before prayer.”
In 1769, there were several young men attending college with a view to the ministry in the Church, and at a meeting of Presbytery on 12th June of that year, it was represented to the Presbytery by a member, “that William Turnbull, tenant in Blantyre Parish, had bestowed eight pounds sterling for the behoof of young students intending the ministry if they needed it, and which he proposed as the beginning of a fund for such purposes, and desired that it should be under the management and directions of the Presbytery. The Presbytery having received said sum, and accepted the care hereof, appointed ____ to give it out for interest, on legal security, for the behoof of the above intended account.”
The admirable design of good William Turnbull was not fulfilled; there never was established such a permanent fund as he desired to see; but in subsequent years he had many worthy imitators, who more or less privately aided aspirants to the ministry; and we do not believe that any really deserving young man connected with the Church, was ever left without the help he needed to enable him to pursue his studies. But many of them endured great hardship
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rather than accept of the aid which would most willingly have been extended to them.
On 3rd August, 1772, the Presbytery appointed the Moderator, Mr Fairley, and Mr Thorburn, to assign some suitable texts of Scripture to the young men, students who are reading Divinity, to write discourses upon. On 12th June, 1773, the young men attended the Presbytery, and were given trials for license; they were Messrs William Steven, John M‘Millan the third, and Walter Grieve. These candidates for the ministry attended almost every meeting of Presbytery, delivering various trials, till 4th January, 1775, when “the Presbytery, after having interrogated the candidates severally of their experience of the Lord’s work upon their own spirits, did, after prayer, license them to preach the Gospel.”
The three licentiates received regular appointments from the Presbytery, and a member having proposed “that it is expedient that some part of the daily collection should be used for the behoof of the probationers while going through and preaching among the people, the Presbytery agree that if public intimation is properly made, part thereof may warrantably be applied for that purpose.” Up to this date the whole of the public collections had been given for the support of the poor.
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The preaching stations gradually extended more widely as the number of preachers increased. We find appointments made to Water of Endrick, Perth, Inverkeithing, in the Forest, Linlithgow, Dunbar, Pentland, Carnwath, Greenock, Edinburgh, Annanholm, Stranraer, and even Wigton in Cumberland.