SIR,—One of the mistakes being made in England in judging
the Scottish Church case is that of supposing that the union of the Free and United Presbyterian Churches had the full consent of the congregations. In an article in the Spectator of August 6th on the subject the writer says : " The Free Church of Scotland in the year 1900 agreed to a junction with the Church of the United Presbyterians," &c. It should have been : "The clergy of these Churches, obeying the lead of Dr. Rainy, agreed to a junction." Had the Churches—i.e., ministers and congregations—agreed there is little doubt this calamity would never have been permitted of losing the property. Were the Scotsman read generally in England, the English would learn that the greatest disaffection existed within the United Church, as even those members of the Churches who approved of union disapproved most strongly of the high- handed manner in which the union had been carried out, inas- much as the congregations were never consulted on the subject. Writer after writer to the Scotsman has proved that. Added to this there were many in each congregation who very strongly disapproved of the union at all. It will thus be seen that the union was by no means the unanimous thing represented by some to be; indeed, there are many in the Church who look upon this loss of property as a judgment on the leaders for their high-handed contempt of the members of congregations. To give you a general idea of the mind of the Scotch people on the subject, I beg to enclose for your perusal the letters of a recent issue of the Scotsman, which are merely reiterations of what have been appearing every day since Dr. Rainy began his campaign in the North. The one general opinion is that the verdict of the House of Lords was in strict equity, and that Dr. Rainy is going the way to make a peaceful settle- ment impossible. Dr. Rainy and the leaders believe in an overruling Power, without Whose permission this decision could not have been given ; they should therefore submit with humility, and a spirit of humility would gain them sym- pathy now being alienated, and it would also make possible
some terms with the minority.—I am, Sir, &c., X.
[TO THE EDITOR. OP THE "SPECTATOR."]
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