CHAPTER LVI. ARCHIBALD MACLAINE, JUNIOR, M. A., MINISTER OF BANBRIDGE. A Sermon occasioned by the death of the Rev. Mr. Robert Rainey, preached at Newry, September the 19th, 1736, and published at the desire of the Congregation. 12mo, pp. 38. Belfast, M. C. D. 1736. THE father of the subject of this sketch was the Rev. Archibald Maclaine, senior, minister of Markethill, in the Co. Armagh (1703–1734). Three of his sons entered the ministry. His son Thomas was minister of Monaghan (1718-1740), and father of Dr. Maclaine, the translator of Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. Another son, Alexander, became successively minister of Ballynahinch and Antrim. A third son is the subject of this notice. The people of Banbridge had originally formed a part of the congregation of Magherally, but in 1717 they formed themselves into a separate congregation, built a church, and chose a minister of their own. That minister was Mr. ARCHIBALD MACLAINE, junior. He was ordained at Banbridge on the 26th of April, 1720. His only publication is his funeral sermon for the Rev. Robert Rainey of Newry (1706-1736). The text is Acts xiii. 36, "David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep," &c. On such a hackneyed subject it is difficult to say anything that is not familiar, and Maclaine does not attempt it. The discourse is plain, the thoughts trite, the style mediocre; but it is a fair specimen of the sober and moderate preaching of the Synod of Ulster, in that dull period between the exit of the Non-subscribers and the advent of the Secession. Mr. Maclaine died early, after a ministry of sixteen years, on the 23d of February, 1740. His own funeral sermon was preached by his friend, the Rev. James Moody of Newry, and is noticed in connection with our account of that minister (see ch. lviii.). He speaks of Maclaine as "distinguished for manly and unaffected piety," and as "remarkable for candour and sincerity" as any man he ever knew. He describes him as "an affectionate husband, a tender parent, a gentle master, and an obliging neighbour." He says that he was a man of good abilities, which he carefully cultivated, and of intellectual accomplishments; and that as he allowed no man to judge for him in matters of religion, he was always willing to extend to others the same privileges which he claimed for himself. These were the usual terms of encomium in which, at that day, one minister who felt hampered by a creed usually spoke of another who entertained similar sentiments. I infer, therefore, that Mr. Maclaine's sympathies were with the non-evangelical school in the Synod. For it must not be supposed, that the Presbytery of Antrim carried with it out of the Synod everything that was cold and rationalistic and sceptical. From this time forward evidence of the contrary is appearing constantly. Against the non-evangelical spirit, which throughout the whole century and down till 1829 had its representatives and friends in the Synod, the formation of the Secession Church was a protest and a reaction. No doubt, in the very darkest hour of this mediæval period friends were never wanting to the truth and the Gospel, but still the tide ran in the other direction, and for a whole century the tone and spirit which the Presbytery left behind after its departure were working an amount of mischief, which the Seceders, even when they had put forth their utmost efforts, were scarcely able to counteract. A child can do more harm in a few minutes than a giant could repair in a century.* CHARACTER OF MR. RAINEY OF NEWRY. His sentiments concerning the nature, design, and tendency of the Christian religion, were exceeding just. For he well understood that it was calculated to increase our knowledge and to enlarge our love and charity, and by them to raise our nature to such degrees of happiness and glory as we are capable of. And I can appeal to yourselves whether, in the whole course of his public ministrations, he did not chiefly insist upon the great and important subjects in religion, love to God and love to our neighbour -whether that faith in Christ which works by love, and that repentance toward God which is productive of a good life, were not the ordinary, the principal subjects of his discourses. These he looked upon as of the greatest importance to the peace and comfort and happiness of you, his hearers. He did not amuse you with vain and airy speculations about matters too high for us, too high for the human mind in this state of imperfection to understand. On the contrary, he always made a distinction between those things that are of the greatest moment in religion, which all Christians are bound to regard, and those lesser points with respect to which we are commended to bear with one another in a diversity of sentiments. And in consequence hereof, though he discovered a commendable Christian zeal for the faith "as it was once delivered to the saints," yet he had too much goodness in his temper to carry it with shyness and reserve to those who might happen to differ with him in matters that do not affect the vitals of religion. His generous soul was far above that stiffness and bigotry, which always tarnish the reputation of men that are otherwise deserving of our esteem. He knew too well the weakness of the human nature and the prejudices it is subject to, to judge hastily with respect to those who differed from him, either as to their sincerity in their searches after truth, or as to their title to the favour of God. Indeed, he loved all those who made a credible profession of their loving the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, notwithstanding their differing from him in opinion or in modes of worship. This made him greatly bewail some animosities that happened among his brethren about matters of doubtful disputation. Not so much because there was a diversity of opinion; for this he *MS. Minutes of Synod: Reid's MS. Catalogue: Moody's Funeral Sermon for Maclaine. knew was not to be avoided in a state in which we know but in part, but chiefly because of the manner in which these differences were managed. And he would often, of late, comfort himself with the hopes of being soon in a better place, where the blessed inhabitants never look upon one another with a jealous or envious eye, never give way to suspicion or mistrust, to peevish contentions or angry debates. Indeed, he appeared to be in a particular manner fitted for such society.-Funeral Sermon, pp. 31-33. CHAPTER LVII. SAMUEL DELAP, M.A. (1707-1762), MINISTER OF LETTERKENNY. 1. Synodical Sermon at Antrim, June 21st, 1737, from Romans xiv. 1, and Titus iii. 10, 11. pp. 36, 12mo. Belfast, 1737. M. C. D. 2. The Scriptural doctrine of Original Sin asserted and explained. [Isaiah viii. 20.] A Sermon preached the second Lord's Day of July, A.D. 1740. 12mo, pp. 26. Londonderry, 1741. M. C. D. 3. The Sin and Folly of making a New Captain to return to Rome. A Sermon preached on the Public Fast, December 18, 1745. [Numb. xiv. 4, 9.] 18mo, pp. 24. Dublin, 1746. A. C. B. 4. The Deliverance of Great Britain and Ireland from Popery, Slavery, and the Pretender. A Sermon preached on October 9th, 1746, being the Thanksgiving Day for our deliverance from the late wicked and unnatural rebellion. [Judges xx. 18-35.] 12mo, pp. 23. Dublin, 1746. M. C. D. 5. Remarks on some Articles of the Seceders' New Covenant and their Act of Presbytery making it the term of Ministerial and Christian Communion. 1st Ed. pp. 42; 2d Ed. pp. 40. Belfast, 1749. M. C. D. 6. A_Dissertation on the important subject of Atonement. [Lev. i. 4, and Eph. v. 2.] 12mo, pp. 51. Dublin, 1758. M. C. D. THE great-grandfather of SAMUEL DELAP was Allen Delap of Irvine, in Ayrshire. He married a Miss Montgomery, by whom he had six daughters and one son, named Hugh. This Hugh Delap appears to have been the first of the family who settled in Ireland. He married a Miss Aikin, and after his marriage he left Scotland, made his |