Report of the discussion on the late disruption in the Presbyterian church, which took place in St. Andrew's church, Galt, on Tuesday, May 27, 1845.

No event in the ecclesiastical history of modern times has excited more intense interest than the Disruption in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.For two centuries that Church had been a model of Christian unanimity ; and the influence it had obtained over the conduct, and feelings of the people, conjoined with the admirable system of its Schools, elevated the national character to the highest point, with those who thought that^virtue ami rational piety, conjoined with forethought, diligence, and integrity, were the highest attributes of the human mind.The circumstances which led to the schism in the Church of Scotland, and to the secession from that Church of a body of its clergy and people, admit, as usual, of being viewed in various ways ; and while they are held, on the one hand, to be sufficient to induce a large party to leave the Establishment, are deemed, on the other, rather the consequences of imprudent proceedings and misdirected zeal, than as reasons for disengaging themselves from the Church into whieh they had been baptised.These conflicting views have had a powerful influence in Canada, where many of the, people reside in remote settlements, and seldom hear the particulars of auy case detailed except through prejudiced channels ; and the desire for more authentic details, and to hear the best reasons, from the mouth ? of the most eminent of their teachers, led to the following Discussion.The Rev. Principal Liddell being on a visit to Gait, and having conducted Divine Worship in St. Andrew's Church, in that place, on Sabbath, the ICth of May, took occasion to deliver a short history of the events which had led to the disruption in the Synod.The congregation, which included some of the most eminent public characters in the Province, comprised also a number of those who had deemed it their duty to abandon the National Establishment and attach themselves to the Presbyterian Church in Canada.During the succeeding days, the reasons and evidence adduced by Dr. Liddell became the subjects of animated controversy ; and as most of theso controversialists had only their own memories and judgments to fall back upon, either as to the precise course of reasoning and evidence Dr Liddell adopted, or for the fittest arguments and facts wherewith to combat them, they led rather to an increase of confusion than to the elucidation of the truth.Under these circumstances it was suggested, that if Dr. Liddell and the Rev. John Bayne (formerly Minister of St. Andrew's Church, Gait, and now of the P/esbyterian Church of Canada in the same place) would meet the people, and give a detail of the principal facts bearing on each side the question, such detail i?4IV. might lead to greater peace among the people, and betterjuiow- Jedge of thereal motives under which They had acted.Some of the inhabitants waited upon '.he Reverend Gentlemen, solicit- ing their attendance, to which they assented, and the meeting was advertised to be held on Tuesday the 2Gth of May, in St. Andrew's Church, Gait, under the presidency of the Rev. James Strang, the venerated Minister of the Secession Church, in the same place.Long before the hour of meeting, the ground around the Church was crowded with u mass of people from all parts, even from very 'distant places in the Province ; and the interest was intense.A small 6iiin was intended to be demanded from each person on entering the Church ; but when the doors were opened, the rush was so excessive that all previous arrangements were sor aside, and the Church was instantly crowded in every corner, with upwards of twelve hundred people, forming a most intelligent prayer.The Reverend Gentleman then put up a solemn and affecting petition that the Almighty would vouchsafe his blessing on toeir meeting, and make it advantigeou* to all for the lucidtitia;i of B truth, and the increase of piety.He then called on the speakers to proceed.The Rev. Mr BAYNE commenced the discussion.Mr.Chairman and Brethren, he said, the occasion of our meeting, as you have just heard announced, has been the expressed desire by many of you to hear full explanations, from the mouths of persons deeply interested, of the causes which led to the late disrup- tion in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, in connexion with the Church of Scotland, to hear the reasons v\ hich induced me to sepa- rate from that Church, and my reverend opponent, Dr. Liddell, to remain in its communion.It has been said, that some persons among us, from ignorame as to the true nature and grounds of the dispute, are unable to make up their minds with which party to ally themselves ; and that others, from a like cause, have adopted their parly without any true knowledge of the funda- mental points on which they have differed.Under these circumstances, the learned Doctor and himself had agreed to appear before them that day, and endeavour to lay as calm, succinct, and intelligible a statement before them, as would enable each man clearly to make up his mind, and render a reason for the impor- tant step of adhesion or separation which he had adopted or might i hereafter sdopt.If any one had come there for a different purpose- if any one was present with the expectation of witnessing a mere display of intellectual gladiatorship, he would depart miserably dis- appointed.If any one expected a display of angry feelings, or the tngry collision of warm partizans, he a'so would be disappointed ; for such outbursts of feeling or heat were entirely opposed to what he and his brother Dr. Liddell intended, which was, as he had already stated, to enable all who took an interest in the question to make up their minds fully, intelligibly, and aj right-thinking and prudent men, and to adopt their course with a sufficient warrant that it was most agreeable to sound sense, the Word of God, and the Doctrines and precepts of the pure Presbyterian Church.The subject of their discussion was one of the deepest impor- tance.It involved the honour of Christ, and the welfare, purity, and utility of his Church in the Province.It was manifest to all, that both parties, being opposed to each other on essential points* cuuld not be right.One of them must be doing the will of tha Baviour, and the other fighting against him ; and that they might discover which of the parties was right, and which in error, he entreated his auditors to purge their minds from prejudice, and come to the discussion with the single-minded object of hearing the truth, and acknowledging its power.Tht que*tion to be discusted is, Was the late disruptien in ti> Preibyt-srian Church called for by a dug regard to the honoor of Christ, and the duty they owed to their feiiow men.He (Mr Bayne) took the affirmative of that proposition, and said it was ; and his reasons for so saying, and acting in conformity thereto were these : -1st.

Récupéré en direct depuis OpenAlex et désinversé. Les résumés ne sont pas conservés dans cette base de données : les index inversés représentent 8,6 Go des 9,3 Go de texte de la base, et le serveur dispose de 13 Go libres.