The Presbyterian Church

ALTHOUGH the territory now included in New Brunswick was a part of Nova Scotia until the year 1784, there was but a slight connection between the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, in the early days, and that of New Brunswick. A considerable number of the inhabitants of Nova Scotia, prior to the time of the Loyalists, came direct from Scotland and founded churches there, while in New Brunswick, among the Loyalists, although there were many Presbyterians, there was no considerable body of them in the country districts sufficient to form congregations. The result was that even in St. John, where there were many Presbyterians, some of them wealthy, there was no Presbyterian Church built, and no settled minister until the year 1817, when the Reverend Dr. Burns became minister of St. Andrew's Church. A few years later, in 1824, the Rev. Alexander McLean was settled as minister at St. Andrews. In the following year, the Glasgow Colonial Society was formed. Its object was to promote the moral and religious interests of the Scottish settlers in British North America. Under the auspices of this Society, ministers connected with the Established Church of Scotland, were sent out to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as well as to Ontario. Prior to this time, all the Presbyterian

Churches in Nova Scotia had been formed into a Synod of three Presbyteries, numbering nineteen ministers. The name of this body was the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, and it was formed by ministers, nearly all of whom had been connected with the Secession churches. The Church of Scotland had been remarkable for its secessions, which mainly have arisen in consequence of its connection with the Government as an Established Church. The first secession occurred early in the eighteenth century, but in 1747, the Secession Synod in Scotland, divided into two churches which took the name of Burghers and Anti-Burghers. The cause of this split was the differences of opinion respecting the oath required to be taken by Burghers or citizens of corporate towns. One party understood the oath as simply an abjuration of Romanism, and not a recognition of the Church of Scotland. The opposite party regarded the oath as an approval of the Church of Scotland. Then there was another body called the Reformed Presbyterians or Covenantors, who abjured all connection with the Government, even to the extent of refusing to vote at elections.

The Synod of Nova Scotia objected to the Glasgow Colonial Society sending out ministers connected with the Established Church, and a memorial to this effect was presented to the Society by the Rev. Dr. McCulloch, who had been a minister of a Secession church in Scotland, and had come to Nova Scotia in 1803. The members of the Colonial Society, however, adhered to their own views as to what was right and expedient, and devoted themselves with great energy to the collection of funds, and the sending out of Missionaries, both to the Eastern and Western Provinces. Within ten years the Society sent to the British North American Colonies, upwards of forty ordained clergymen of the Church of Scotland. This Society continued in existence for fifteen years. Colonial Missions were afterwards carried on under the superintendence of a committee directly appointed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

In the beginning of the year 1833, there were in the Province of New Brunswick five ministers of the Church of Scotland. These, considering that it would be of advantage to the Church to form themselves into a Presbytery, met at Fredericton on the 30th of January, of that year, and constituted themselves as the Presbytery of New Brunswick, in connection with the Church of Scotland. A proposal was made to them by the Synod of Nova Scotia, in the same connection, which was organized a few months afterwards, to form one of its Presbyteries, but the proposal was declined. In 1835, when the number of ministers on its roll was doubled, the Presbytery constituted itself as a Synod, divided into the two Presbyteries of St. John and Miramichi. It was a serious hindrance to the progress of the Synod that it had no college for the training of a native ministry. Kings College, in Fredericton, established (1828) by Royal charter, was so much under the control of Episcopalians, and so sectarian in its character, that it was almost useless to the Presbyterian Church. Nor was it easy to sustain in the Province a Presbyterian college by private contributions. Presbyterian students were therefore compelled to repair to Scotland, or other distant places, in order to be trained in theology. On this account, and also on account of the small number of missionaries who came to the Province, the Synod had but a scanty supply of laborers for the growing congregations and stations, which might look to it for the ordinances of religion. During the ten years after the Synod was organized, the number of its ministers was increased only from ten to thirteen.

In 1842, the year before the disruption in Scotland, the Synod of New Brunswick of the Established Church of Scotland, comprised two Presbyteries, the Presbytery of St. John and the Presbytery of Miramichi. The former included eight churches and nine clergymen, the latter nine churches and the same number of clergymen. The following is a list of them:

ESTABLISHED CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

Synod of New Brunswick.

Moderator—Rev. Robert Wilson, A.M., St. John.

Clerk — Rev. John Birkmyre, D.D., Fredericton.

Presbytery of St. John.

City of St. John — St. Andrew's Church — Rev. Robert Wilson, A.M. St. Stephen's Church — Rev. W. T. Wishart.

Fredericton — Rev. John Birkmyre, D.D.

St. Andrews — Rev. Alexander McLean.

St. Patrick's — Rev. John Cassils.

St. James — Rev. John Reicl.

Sussexvale and Springfield — Rev. A. Stevens.

Moncton, Salisbury, and Shediac — Rev. William Henderson, A.M.

Richmond — (vacant).

St. George — (vacant).

Licentiate of the Church, resident in St. John — Rev. J. G. Macgregor.

Presbytery of Miramichi.

Newcastle — Rev. James Souter, A.M.

Chatham — Rev. Robert Archibald.

Richibucto — Rev. James Hannay.

South West Miramichi — Rev. James Turnbull.

Restigouche — Rev. James Steven.

New Richmond — Rev. John M. Brooke.

Bathurst — Rev. George M'Donnell.

Tabusintac — Rev. J. McBean.

Glenelg — Rev. Simon Fraser.

There were two other Presbyterian clergymen in the Province, the Reverend Alex. McLeod Stavely, whose church was at St. John, and the Reverend John McCurdy, Minister of Chatham, a member of the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia. The name of this clergyman recalls a very good story in connection with the introduction of instrumental music into the Presbyterian Church. The Reverend John McCurdy's Presbytery was stationed in Pictou, Nova Scotia, so that he was to a large extent free from the influence of the other members of the Presbytery. Being a man of taste, and thinking that the services of his church might be improved thereby, he introduced a small organ into his church, the first, it is understood, that was in any Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick.

His brethren of the Pictou Presbytery heard of this, and determined to put and end to it. At that time instrumental music was not favored by the Presbyterian Church, unless it might be "David's harp " which was not available for use in New Brunswick. It was resolved to call a meeting of the Presbytery at Chatham, and Reverend members embarked at Pictou for that purpose. At that time the steamer from Pictou called at Chatham, went up to Newcastle, discharged its freight there and returned to Chatham in the course of a few hours, going immediately back to Pictou. The ministers of the Pictou Presbytery convened the meeting at Chatham as soon as the steamer arrived, and imagined they would have plenty of time to do the business required, and return in the steamer when she got back from Newcastle. The charge was brought up and Mr. McCurdy was on the point of being condemned for his action in regard to the organ, when he suggested that he ought to be heard in his own defence before being so dealt with. He took up the subject in so thorough a manner that the steamer had got back from Newcastle to Chatham before he was done speaking and the members of the Pictou Presbytery had to gather up their coats and hats in a great hurry, to get to the steamer without having done anything to suppress the organ.

In 1843 the Church of Scotland was rent in twain by what is called the Disruption, which had its origin in the patronage question, the same difficulty which had caused former secessions from the church. As patronage did not exist in New Brunswick, it might have been supposed that the Disruption would have had no effect on the church of this Province, but the extreme zeal of the Free Church party would not admit of the Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick remaining undisturbed. Delegates were sent out by the Free Church of Scotland to the British North America Provinces for the purpose of breaking up the Established Churches here, and they did their work so well that, in 1844, three of the members of the Established Church deserted it, and formed themselves into a Presbytery under the title of the Free Church of Scotland. These deserters were the Rev. John Turnbull, of the Presbytery of Miramichi, and Rev. Andrew Stevens, and Rev. Andrew Donald of the Presbytery of St. John, and they were afterwards joined by the Rev. J. G. McGregor. The result of this movement was very disastrous to the interest of Presbyterianism in New Brunswick, for in 1849 there were only fourteen settled ministers of the Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, eight belonging to the!Established Church, and six to the Free Church.

In 1855, the number of ministers of the Church of Scotland was nine in the two Presbyteries, and of the Free Church, fifteen, divided into three Presbyteries, St. John, St. Stephen and Miramichi. In 1861 the Church of Scotland had thirteen ministers and the Free Church twenty-four. About this time it was felt that the separation of the Presbyterian body into two churches, in whose theology there was no difference of opinion, was a mistake and Union began to be thought of. A Union between the Free Church Synod and the Secession Church was consummated in Nova Scotia in 1860, the united body forming themselves into the Synod of the Lower Provinces. In the year 1866 the Synod of the Lower Provinces entered Union with the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of New Brunswick. This is the body which had seceded from the Church of Scotland in 1844. At this time it had eighteen ministers, about one third from the Free Church of Scotland, about one-third from the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, and the others of ministers who had been trained in Divinity Hall, Halifax. The union was consummated in St. David's church, St. John, New Brunswick, on the 2nd of July, 1866. Then and there the two Synods met in their constituted capacity, their respective moderators occupying chairs placed side by side on a common platform, in the presence of a large congregation. After the singing of the One Hundredth Psalm, the minute of the Synod of the Lower Provinces, agreeing to complete the Union was read by the Rev. P. G. McGregor, the clerk of that body. A similar resolution of the Synod of New Brunswick, was read by its clerk, the Rev. James Bennet. The rolls of the two Synods were then called, and the basis of Union, engrossed upon a parchment roll, was read. Dr. James Bayne, the moderator of the Synod of the Lower Provinces, and the Rev. James Gray, moderator of the Synod of New Brunswick, then subscribed the basis, and declared the two Synods to he now merged into one, to be known by the designation of the Presbyterian church of the Lower Provinces of British North America. The moderators then gave each other the right hand of fellowship, in which action they were followed by the ministers and elders present, while the congregation joined in singing the One Hundred and Thirty-Third Psalm, which describes how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. On the roll of the united Synod, which was divided into seven Presbyteries, were the names of one hundred and thirteen ministers, of whom eighteen had been members of the Synod of New Brunswick, and ninety-five of the Synod of the Lower Provinces.

On July 1st, 1868, a union was consummated between the two Synods in connection with the Church of Scotland in the Maritime Provinces, the Synod of New Brunswick and the Synod of Nova Scotia. The united bodies assumed the name of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Maritime Provinces in connection with the Church Scotland. The Synod was divided into five Presbyteries, on the rolls of which there were the names of 29 ministers and four missionaries ; there were 16 ministers in Nova Scotia, two ministers and three missionaries in Prince Edward Island, and 11 ministers and one missionary in New Brunswick. The next Union in order was one of all the Presbyterian Churches in Canada. This was brought about on the 15th June, 1875, with appropriate ceremonies. On the roll of the Assembly thus created by this Union, there were altogether the names of 623 ministers. At the present time there are upwards of 60 ministers in New Brunswick of the Presbyterian Church, forming a part of the Synod of the Maritime Provinces.

In the year 1835 a serious situation arose in connection with the arrival of a minister from Scotland, who was sent out by the Colonial Church Society. It appears that this young man, whose name was the Rev. David Syme, was paying attention to a young woman in Glasgow, who became very much attached to him. When she discovered that he was coming out to America she dressed herself in boy's clothes and took passage in the same vessel. This presented a very great difficulty to the young divine, for, naturally, his inclination would be to shield her from any remarks to her prejudice. When she arrived in St. John he introduced her to some persons who met him, as Mr. Miller, and procured board for her at a boarding house. After a time she removed from that place and appeared in her proper character as a young woman. Mr. Syme still continued to keep her under his protection and finally married her. The Rev. Robert Wilson, Minister of St. Andrew's Church, became aware of the circumstances of the case, and had Mr. Syme brought up before the Presbytery and suspended. At this very time he had received a call from the Church at Sussex. The Presbytery showed a decided animus against the unfortunate minister, and Mr. Wilson went so far, for the purpose of procuring evidence against him, as to open a letter which his wife had addressed to him, and which had fallen into his hands. Mr. Syme, however, was not without friends who stuck by him and a war of pamphlets ensued. Dr. William Livingstone wrote an appeal to the Presbyterians of New Brunswick on the trial and suspension of the Rev. David Syme, and the Rev. Robert Wilson wrote a pamphlet to which Dr. Livingstone responded with a second pamphlet, in which he handled the Rev. Robert Wilson very severely. The result of this controversy was very unfavorable to the minister of St. Andrews Church, who in the year 1842 resigned his charge and went back to Scotland. Here he joined the Free Church, and was sent by that body to one of the most remote islands in the Hebrides, North Ronaldsv, where there was already an Established church and a population of only 481.