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CHAPTER XI.

REV. JOHN TELFER-Manse and School Building-Parish Notes -Church and State-Carlyle and Hill Burton-PatronageEbenezer Erskine-Thomas Gillespie - The Relief Church Formed―James Graham—Allan Cornfoot—James Dun--John Anderson-Robert Anderson-John S. Goodall-DR. WILLIAM ANDERSON-Early Life-Influence of Chalmers--Using The Paper-The Organ Question-Various Controversies-His Preaching-LL.D.-Estimate.

CLOSE to the stone of James Robe there is another of a similar design-a grey freestone, with a marble tabletbearing the words:-" IN MEMORY OF THE REV. JOHN TELFER, WHO DIED MARCH 31ST, 1789, IN THE 64TH YEAR OF HIS AGE AND THE 35TH OF HIS MINISTRY IN THIS PARISH. ERECTED BY A FEW FRIENDS IN THIS PARISH, 25 Oct., 1828."

He was

John Telfer was the successor of Robe. licensed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh, 7th March, 1750. Having been for three years a probationer of the Church, he was presented to Kilsyth by George II., October, 1753. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Glasgow, 21st March, 1754. His ministry extended over the long period of thirty-six years, and evidences are not wanting that it was marked by progress in certain departments, and much quiet faithfulness and diligence. During his incumbency the manse was built on the site it now occupies. He was instrumental in opening a school for the people of the town. He carried out the

necessary negotiations between the heritors and parishioners. On the 7th November, 1760, the session "appointed a committee for the purpose of forming measures for building a sufficient school-house and dwelling-house for the benefit of the schoolmaster and scholars, and the

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meeting further empowers them to determine on what spot of ground the said school-house is to stand." Alexander Stewart, "from Colinton," was the first teacher appointed. The meetings of session were held as frequently as in the days of Robe, and the parochial super

vision was equally close and watchful. The Sabbath was carefully preserved from desecration. Farmers were rebuked "for selling their grass to the Highland drovers at the August tryst on the Sabbath day." "Elders were appointed to go through the town, and challenge and reprove all persons in public-houses and wandering idly about the fields." Collections greatly improved in amount, and were reckoned in sterling money. The proclamation fees were five shillings for three Sundays, and seven and sixpence for two. The baptism fee was sixpence. There was a graduated scale for the use of the mortcloths. "The best mortcloth, five shillings; the second best, three shillings; the plush one, two and six ; the boys' one, two shillings; the child's one, one and six; the worst one, one shilling." The bell was rung at funerals, and the bellman was paid a shilling for discharging this duty. Testimonials were rigorously exacted from all persons taking up residence in the parish. If any employer hired a servant who had not produced a testimonial, and he or she afterwards fell into indigent circumstances, the employer was held liable for his provision. "The Session unanimously agreed," 22nd Nov., 1754, "that persons taking up residence in the parish, whether servants or others, produce testimonials to the elders of their respective quarters within fourteen days after the intimation, otherwise the Session will be at due. pains to proceed against those persons that can give no satisfactory account of their moral character to get them removed out of the parish."

The difficulties in Scotland connected with teinds have been considerable, but there have been no sécessions from the Scottish Church on their account. The views held of the intimacy of the connection that should exist between the Church and State have been various,

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but on the unrighteousness or unscripturalness of that connection there has never been a secession from the Church of Scotland. As respects purity of doctrine, the same has also to be said. It was correctly observed by Hill Burton, and the statement has been repeated by Carlyle, "that Scots' dissent never was a protest against the principles of the Church, but always tended to preserve the old principles of the Church, whence the Establishment-by the progress of enlightenment as some said, by deterioration according to others-was lapsing."

The chief cause of secession has had its root in Patronage. Yet a close observer might well be astonished how Patronage could ever have caused a single secession from the Church. To bring about discord in her borders was the very purpose for which Patronage was imposed on the Church. To secede from the Church on that account was to work the work of the Episcopalian enemies of both the Scottish Church and State. Patronage was thrown amongst the people of the North with the very intention of producing discord; it was the last wily device of a beaten enemy, and every patriot should have been careful that the plot hatched in the Senate should have been rendered innocuous by that shoulder-to-shoulder firmness which was triumphant on sterner fields. The closer the history of Patronage is examined the more is this view established. When the Covenanters abolished Episcopacy in 1638, they abolished Patronage along with it. In 1662, when Charles II. came into power, Patronage was re-imposed. With the Revolution Settlement of 1688, the Church of Scotland again got quit of Patronage. As long ago as 1690, when Patronage was abolished, there was passed a Patronage Compensation Act. After the Revolution the re-imposition of Patronage in 1711 was a political move by the

Jacobites, who intended by it "to weaken and undermine" the Church of Scotland, which favoured the House of Hanover. But history repeats itself often, Patronage has again been abolished, and again has been passed a Patronage Compensation Act.

The year after the re-imposition, the General Assembly presented a petition to Queen Anne to use proper means for preventing an encroachment so evidently prejudicial to the work of the Gospel and the peace of the Church. The enemies of Scotland, however, succeeded but only too well. The people they could not fight, they put by the ears. Ebenezer Erskine was the first fruit of the Patronage Act, the first who lent himself unconsciously to working the work of the enemies of his Church and country. It was of no avail they called themselves Seceders and not Dissenters, that it might be understood they had no disagreement with the doctrines of the Church. But the Secession party themselves soon became the prey of secession. They split into Burghers and Anti-Burghers. The former split again into Old Light Burghers, and Old Light Anti-Burghers. The latter into the New Light Burghers, and the New Light Anti-Burghers, and I know not what.

The next secession, in 1761, was also a Patronage affair, and was occasioned by the deposition of Thomas Gillespie for disobedience on the occasion of the settlement of a minister at Inverkeithing. The result was the formation of another new sect called "The Relief Church." On his death-bed, Gillespie recommended, without avail, his people to return to the Church of Scotland. The various branches which rose out of the Secession and Relief movements were amalgamated in May, 1847, into what is now the United Presbyterian Church.

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