Professor Cartwright Leaves
Many of us were saddened by the news that the Rev. Professor Hugh Cartwright intends to resign from his positions as Professor of Church History and Church Principles in the Free Church College and as Assistant Assembly Clerk, at the forthcoming General Assembly. He has announced his intention to apply to the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church for admission as a minister. He has many friends in our Church who love and appreciate him and they are deeply grieved to hear of his departure. The Free Church is the Church in which he grew up, in which he found the Saviour and in which he has served faithfully for almost thirty years. He will be giving up a salary of £25,000 a year and joining a Church where he may receive a salary of £10,000. But he is a man of principle and feels he must act according to his conscience.
His Past
One of our senior ministers once told me of how he had asked Hugh Cartwright, while he was still a school boy, what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without a moments hesitation he replied, "A Free Church minister". He did not say simply "a minister", so great was his affection for the Free Church even at that early age -- an affection which has marked his whole life ever since. Having done well in history at Aberdeen University he was encouraged to remain to do further study but his heart was set on the ministry. He was ordained to Urquhart Free Church in 1969. There he had a happy and fruitful ministry and was a much loved pastor. For many years he served as the Clerk of the Presbytery of Ross and his understanding and appreciation of Church law led to his appointment as Assistant Clerk of Assembly. With his interest in and grasp of Church history he was an obvious choice for that chair when Professor MacMillan resigned. Many young ministers over the last eight years have benefitted from his diligent teaching and pastoral interest in them.
Why is he leaving?
It was rather strange to read in The Monthly Record (April 98): "To date the reasons for Prof. Cartwright's resignation are unknown". Surely the reason is obvious to the Editor as it is to the rest of us. Professor Cartwright loves the Free Church and its Constitution and believes strongly that the Church should always act according to this Constitution. Unconstitutional acts, even if supported by a majority at any given Assembly, are wrong. He sees the disciplinary decisions of the 1995 Assembly, the October 31st 1996 Commission and the 1997 Assembly as contavening that Constitution. What is the point of having a Constitution if it is simply ignored? This was the reason for his leaving. He has been mocked in the press as the "arch-Constitutionalist" but he rightly sees biblical principles, along with wonderful protection for the rights of all, in the Free Church's Constitution.
Treated Badly
This faithful man has been treated badly by his Church. Right at the beginning of last year's Assembly he was publicly slighted. He had been proposed as Convenor of the Millennium Committee but in an unusual move the Assembly rejected the proposal and appointed someone else. Later this same Assembly in an unprecedented fashion "censured" this godly man. He was condemned without a trial and was not allowed to answer for himself. He was removed from the Training of the Ministry Committee as one not fit for the job and yet was expected to continue to train men for the ministry. This was done as he lay upon his sick bed. He has been subjected to constant pressure from some who talk loudly about love. Yet being a strong and humble Christian he bore all this.
Ordination Vows
Professor Cartwright believes that ordination vows like marriage vows, are taken by two parties. He must keep his vows and submit to the courts of the Church but only as the Church keeps her vows and holds to her constitution, (doctrine, worship, discipline and government). And this, he believes, has not been done. He feels the 1995 Assembly, the October 31st 1996 Commission, and the 1997 Assembly, rejected the Church's proper procedures in discipline so that devices were used to ensure that obvious disciplinary cases were never discussed in the courts of the Church. This he sees as a rejection of church discipline which is one of the marks of a true Reformed church. He had the problem of continuing to work with those whom he saw attacking and undermining the original testimony of the Free Church.
A Hard Decision
Professor Cartwright has not found his decision to leave the Free Church an easy one. He has spoken to friends of the agony through which he has gone in these last months before coming to a settled decision. That so godly and faithful a man should now find it necessary to resign from the Free Church which he loved and in which he held so prominent a role raises very searching questions for all of us. We feel a sense of shame at the way our Church has treated this good man but an even greater shame at the sad deccline which has necessitated his leaving. Some perhaps will rejoice in his departure but we believe the Free Church will be very much poorer without him.
Any comments or questions please E-Mail me or Rev William Macleod the editor.
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