The Real Issue facing the Free Church
The General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland this year will be, as far as one can see, one of the most serious events in the Church's life this century. By the end of the Assembly it should be clear what the Church's attitude is to the subject of the discipline of its ministers. The Church can insist on the present widespread rumours about one of its prominent ministers being investigated or it may decide that it does not wish this. The Church can insist on having the Private Libels brought against one of its ministers being heard in a Church Trial, either now, or at some future date following technical adjustments, or else it can reject these libels altogether and insist that this matter must never be put to trial in a formal process.
If the Free Church does the former, documentary evidence and the testimony of living witnesses will be heard by the Church. Then a decision will have to be arrived at as to whether the conduct and teaching of one of the Church's leading ministers is worthy of censure (rebuke and suitable chastisement) or not. If the Church rejects these libels the evidence will not be heard and possibly never will be in this life.
The bringing of a libel against a minister does not assume that he is guilty. It is a fair method of having suspicious rumours brought to an end by bringing matters out into the open before a Court of the Church. If the evidence of documents and witnesses is not satisfactory, it will not be accepted. On the other hand, it is impossible to lay a rumour aside till such evidence as exists is both heard and tried. Many Free Church people rightly feel that evidence has not been adequately examined in the past.
The purpose of these libels is to have the evidence examined now in a formal church trial. If the Free Church's General Assembly decides by a majority not to have the libels brought to trial by the Church, people will start to drift away and go to other churches. In some cases this has happened already. This is perfectly understandable because if people feel that there is no fairness and no justice in a Church, they will not be able in good conscience to worship God there any longer. God is a God of truth and He requires His worshippers to have a conscientious attitude to the truth. That does not mean that people should leave a church lightly. But it does mean that, if their sense of justice is outraged, they must obey God rather than men. Any church which is without biblical discipline lacks one of the great 'marks' of a church. A church without discipline, like a car without brakes, is heading for a crash.
The great issue facing the Free Church is whether it will take these libels to trial or not. To put this another way, we could say that the real issue facing the Church is whether or not it is intending to insist on discipline. We shall know, in all probability, by the time the Assembly rises on May 14 -- in just a few days' time.
It is true that there are lesser issues vexing the Free Church. We hear a lot about 'hardliners', 'ultra-conservatives' and 'liberals'. We have read in the press of a 'campaign' or even a 'conspiracy'. We hear talk of 'modernising' the Free Church. All these are important issues undoubtedly. Each of these issues, however, is related to one big question: 'What is the truth? Are the rumours which are circulating false or correct? Will the Free Church bring these things now to a trial or not?'. It is surely the duty of every one who loves the Free Church to pray that the l999 General Assembly will do what is right and bring this matter to a trial once and for all.
Any comments or questions please E-Mail me or Rev William Macleod the editor.
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