CHAPTER XVIII.

1859, DR BRUCE ATTENDS SYNOD AT EDINBURGH-LETTER TO HIS ELDEST SON ON HIS CALL TO THE BAR-1863, AGAIN ATTENDS SYNOD AT EDINBURGH —1881, ELECTED MODERATOR OF THE SYNOD OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ENGLAND-ADDRESSES THE EVANGELICAL SOCIETY OF GENEVA - 1882, APPOINTED WITH MR FRASER TO VISIT THE CHURCHES IN THE BRISTOL PRESBYTERY.

On the 9th of May 1859 Dr Bruce, as a representative elder, attended the meeting of the Synod of the United Presbyterian Church at Edinburgh, but took no active part in the proceedings.

On his return from Edinburgh he had a visit from Dr Merivale, afterwards Dean of Ely, and they went along the Roman Wall together, and afterwards paid a visit to the Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick. The following letters relate to the events above mentioned:

(To his Wife.)

"EDINBURGH, 10th May 1859.

"We had a pleasant journey yesterday. We all of us went up in the evening to hear Dr Peddie's sermon and to see the opening of the Synod. I was very cordially received by those who knew me. I have not seen Dr Peddie since he was in the Hall. He is greyer than I am. On looking round upon the old men whom I

knew when young, and thinking of those who had been already called to their account, I felt the shortness of life very strongly, and as if I ought to retire from the world altogether and try to prepare for my own long journey. The sermon was good, clear, sensible, scriptural, but, like the weather just now, lacking in warmth.”

Writing on the 23rd of May a birthday letter to his son Gainsford, he says:

"I had a pleasant week in Edinburgh, but I did not do much. I found living out of town a great disadvantage, as I lost many discussions that I should like to have heard, and one or two that I should have liked to engage in. I met Dr (Sir James) Simpson at a party, and was glad to see him, as he had just come from a visit to the Wall. I have had a very pleasant run with Mr Merivale to the Wall and Alnwick Castle, but he is rather taciturn. The Duke and Duchess were very kind. I am pressed for copy for the Geography. I wish I could get my Wall book out. I have only 300 copies of the hand-book of History left. The last edition was 1000 copies.

"Your mind will naturally be much occupied with your future prospects: still, it is of vast importance that you should look a little beyond your professional career; think of the close of life, and of that eternity of which life is the preparation. May God give you grace to be faithful unto death, then the day of your departure from this world will be the best birthday you ever had."

ATTENDS SYNOD AT EDINBURGH.

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In June 1859 Dr Bruce's eldest son, Gainsford, was called to the Bar, and the following letter from his father was addressed to him on this occasion:

"NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, 9th June 1859.

"For five-and-twenty years past you have been preparing for the business of life. Now you are called to enter upon it. May God bless you. It is the earnest prayer of your mother, myself, and praying friends that you may be enabled with a good degree of consistency to fulfil your sacramental oath, and so to discharge the duties of the calling on which you now enter, and for which you have been so long preparing, as to redound to your own honour and advantage, to the welfare of your fellow-men, and, above all, to the glory of your God and Redeemer. You will have your own difficulties and struggles and discouragements, but, with diligence and probity and God's blessing, you will, I doubt not, earn a sufficient livelihood and be the means of doing much good."

In May 1863 Dr Bruce again went to Edinburgh to attend the United Presbyterian Synod as representative elder. He was appointed one of the committee of twenty-five to inquire into charges which had been brought against persons of high character and respectability. The following extract from a letter to his son Gainsford refers to the proceedings of the committee:

"EDINBURGH, 13th May 1863.

"We are sitting just now, and I avail myself of a pause to write. You need not be afraid of

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the committee acting carelessly. They are most of them very clear-headed men, and make clean work as they proceed, minuting everything.

"P.S., Thursday morning.-We sat till past 11 o'clock last night, and have had an hour of it this morning. We have heard Mr — at great length. I wish you could have been present at this Synod. With great freedom of utterance, there is much ability, sterling integrity, and great wisdom displayed."

(To his Wife.)

"EDINBURGH, 14th May 1863.

"I was so closely occupied yesterday I could not write to you. We finished our anxious labours last night, exculpating Dr This morning there has been a long conference upon mission work in England. I spoke early in the debate for about twenty minutes. The debate upon union is going forward just now. I came

out to write this after Dr Cairns had finished a most admirable speech."

The union between the congregations in England of the United Presbyterian Church and the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in England was carried out at Liverpool on the 13th of June 1876, when the Moderator of the United Presbyterian Church and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in England sat side by side, and each in turn read a declaration affirming that the congregations of the United Presbyterian Church in England uniting with the Presbyterian Church in England are to be no longer under the jurisdiction of the Synod of the

APPOINTED MODERATOR OF SYNOD.

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United Presbyterian Church, but to form part of the united body now to be constituted and hereafter to be known as the Presbyterian Church of England.

The body thus constituted formed an important and powerful organisation, having churches in all the great centres in England.

In September 1880 the Rev. Donald Fraser, D.D., the retiring Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of England and Chairman of the Board of Nomination, wrote to Dr Bruce in the following terms:

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"I have much pleasure in informing you that the Board of Nomination has, after full consideration, unanimously agreed that shall be proposed for the Moderator's chair at the coming Synod in April. I have no shadow of doubt that the Synod will with equal cordiality make the appointment, and I trust that, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will have strength for, and comfort in, the chair."

Dr Bruce, in answer to this letter, expressed his willingness, if elected by the Synod to the office of Moderator, to discharge its duties to the best of his ability.

On the 25th April 1881, when the Synod met at Newcastle, the Rev. Dr Fraser stated that

the Board of Nomination had thought right to consult the Presbytery of Newcastle upon the nomination of a Moderator, and that that Presbytery had unanimously resolved to recommend the name of a rev. Father who had long resided in Newcastle and who had attained the confidence and esteem of the community, and that the Board of Nomination had adopted their recommendation.