The Scottish Reformation: Its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders, and Distinctive CharacteristicsMitchell, Alexander F. (Alexander Ferrier)
History
The Scottish Reformation: Its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders, and Distinctive Characteristics
Mitchell, Alexander F. (Alexander Ferrier)
Reformation -- Scotland
I have often spoken of the pleasure I have
had in superintending the work of my students, and my gratification at
the zest with which they took to the study both of Hebrew and Church
History. The circumstances which led to my resignation are already well
known to you all, and I need only say that it was to me a very regretful
necessity. I leave in each of the three other Divinity Faculties at
least one distinguished pupil, and in St Mary's College two who, with
their younger colleagues, I trust will strive to make it more than ever
a School of the Prophets, a nursery for earnest, faithful, scholarly,
and devoted ministers, who shall set high above all passing isms Christ
the personal Saviour, and those great truths as to His divine nature,
incarnation, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, to which the
historic Church of Christ through so many centuries has clung as her
life and strength and joy. Christ before, Christ behind,--according to
St Patrick's prayer,--Christ above, Christ beneath, Christ in the
heart, Christ in the home. I heartily thank you all for your great
kindness, and especially Principal Stewart and Mr Wenley, and one who
once said I had been as a father to him, and of whom I may truly say
that he has been as a son to me."
In 1852 the Professor married the eldest daughter of the late Mr Michael
Johnstone of Archbank, near Moffat, who belonged to an influential
yeoman family that has been connected with Annandale for the last two
hundred years. The late Mr Peter Johnstone, brother of Mrs Mitchell's
father, who was a proprietor as well as a large farmer, is still
remembered as having done a great deal to promote the cause of education
in the district where he resided; and her brother, the late Mr James
Johnstone, was tenant of Bodsbeck farm, which is the scene of the
Ettrick Shepherd's well-known Covenanting story--"The Brownie of
Bodsbeck." How much Mrs Mitchell did to brighten the life and to
minister to the happiness of the Professor can be known only to those
who have had the privilege of being admitted into the inner circle of
their friends, and there are not a few who have very pleasant
reminiscences of delightful intercourse with them in their house at 56
South Street, where the duty of entertaining strangers seemed never to
be forgotten. Their family of four sons and two daughters all survive,
with the exception of the eldest son, Robert Haldane, who died several
years ago in Australia, to which he had emigrated along with his brother
Johnstone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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