To all human appearance the Free Church could do nothing for them,—certainly could guarantee nothing. However willing their spirit might he, their flesh seemed in this matter helplessly weak. Moreover, the “Non-Intrusion” matter was a home question, and did not directly affect the missionaries, and the Established Church had still great wealth and power without any such extra call on her resources.
The decision of the missionaries was unanimously and resolutely in favour of the Free Church. When this fact was announced to the Assembly at its meeting in Glasgow in the autumn of 1843, it created intense excitement. The enthusiasm was indescribable. For some minutes the meeting was a Babel of cheering, and shouts of joy, and mutual congratulations, friend rushing to friend to relieve their feelings by violent shakings of hands; and every now and again during the meeting the pent-up gladness exploded vociferously.
The Free Church had already undertaken enormous responsibilities. Would they assume this additional one? Dared they? Was it not a question of the certain king who had ten thousand soldiers to meet twenty thousand? Had they a clear call to go forward? It was a solemn question. Yes required strong—very strong faith. Would they say Yes? No was the loud answer of sight,—clearly, unquestionably, No.
FROM POLE TO POLE.
The foundation of the Home Church had been laid in a way that was wonderful in their eyes. Was the building ready for this grand cope-stone?
“It will crush it to atoms,” said the adversary.
“Never!” was the triumphant reply. “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it!” And the support of the missionaries and mission stations was undertaken with enthusiasm.
All the funds collected for the mission cause were of course in the hands of the Church of Scotland, and retained by it, although these had been largely supplied by those who now formed the Free Church. The mission premises abroad were also kept by them, and even the mission libraries and educational appliances, although these had been mostly brought together by the personal efforts or friends of the missionaries, so that the Free Church got the living men only.
This was according to the letter of the law, but many of the best men in the Established Church strongly insisted on the funds, etc. being partly apportioned to the Free Church, and that the property should go with the missionaries, as equity and consistency alike indicated, even in the things that were Cæsar’s. A reverend father of the Established Church thus expressed himself on this subject:
“The question yet to be settled is, are they ours? Did I say yet to be settled? That depends on the court in which the question is tried. In the highest court, the decision of the greater than Solomon would be in this matter in favour of the Free Church. ‘Give her the living child, she is the mother thereof;’ this has already been done, and it is a mean thing to send her empty away.”