In a spirit of celebration for the centenary of St Columba's being established as the chaplaincy to Presbyterian students in Oxford (1908), two documents are presented below.
One: A booklet St. Columba’s Oxford: An historical outline (in portable document format, 10 Mo), published 1921. Thanks to Bob Purdie for locating the material, Bryan Patrick for digitizing it, and Wilson Sutherland for obtaining the permissions. Further thanks to Blackwell’s and A&C Black for granting permissions for such presentation until 2015.
Two: The transcript of a document handwritten by the Reverend Donald Matheson. Thanks to Bob Purdie for locating the material, and to Bryan Patrick for transcribing it.
Report on beginnings of work in OXFORD
Read to the Oxford & Cambridge Committee
18 November 1908
Report on Beginnings of work in Oxford by the Rev Donald Matheson
18 November 1908
15, The Turl, Oxford
I have thought it better to give a somewhat full account of our beginnings in Oxford and of the circumstances of our work there, and to save time I have written out what I want to say.
My commission was "to come into touch with the Presbyterians in the University and to find out the best way of extending to them such spiritual help as our Church can give".
The Committee sent to the press a carefully drawn letter asking for names of students from Parents and from Ministers. I am sorry to say that it brought me the names of only two men, both of them Canadians and both from readers of the "British Weekly". It is fair to add that one of these came from 3 different sources.
I happened to be detained in Edinburgh for some days in July and August and used the time to see Dr Scott, leader of the Church of Scotland Assembly, Dr Fisher, editor of "Life & Work" (C of Scot), Rev J Gillan, Prof W P Paterson DD. Also of the U F Church I saw Prof Martin who has a son at Balliol, Prof MacEwen formerly of Balliol, Rev R S Simpson, Rev W Macgregor DD, Rev John Kelman DD, Rev J Harry Millar and some others. The last named a great friend of boys gave me introductions to the chief Headmasters whom I interviewed (Merchiston, Academy, George Watson's) and who were very cordial and gave me names of former pupils. I also corresponded with the Head of Fettes. Not one of these Headmasters is a Presbyterian.
. . . [some text missing] . . .
. . . [some text missing] . . . most kindly put up my wife and myself for several days and helped me greatly in house-hunting.
Oxford consists of an academic part mostly within the old city walls or nearly so, and a long modern extension stretching for nearly 2 miles to the North and consisting of villas in gardens. Everyone who knows anything of the subject said: "Stick to the old academic part and to the centre of that." Only one friend advised differently. The houses in the centre are so much in demand that they are often sold or let before they get into any agents' hands. Also rents are high. We are paying £103 a year. Fortunately rates are lower than in London. There was no other house really available. If you take a map of the . . . [some text missing] . . .
. . . [some text missing] . . . that it needed time for the men and myself to get to know one another. Everyone approved the lines suggested in the Committee's letter to the press. So I called on the men whose names I had, found a few of them at home and got on the whole a very encouraging reception, and invited to my house by letter those I failed to find. The Freshmen for the most part took my presence for granted. They had not conceived of a town without a Presbyterian minister. They were mostly very cordial. The Rhodes Scholars were greatly surprised at finding no church, one had spent most of his first Sunday hunting for one. The older men at first seemed inclined to resent being looked after so much, but many of them are among my best friends now.
A very interesting point is that a pastorate without a church is quite a regular and recognised method in the University. For instance, Pusey House has five so called "Librarians" who do nothing but get into touch with students inviting 5 freshmen to lunch every day in the October Term.
The Wesleyans who have about 60 members in the University have one minister [?] off for them who except for preaching once each Sunday has his whole time taken up with class meetings and visiting etc among University men.
The Evangelical Anglicans have for some years had 2 "Evangelical Pastorates" as they are called, Bp[?] Chevasse of Liverpool having held one of these before he became the head of Wycliffe House. There are now to be four evangelical pastorates.
The Congregationalists at Mansfield College have one of their Tutors mostly employed at the same kind of work. Mr Lenwood after several years of it is now going to India as a missionary, and Mr R K Evans who had succeeded him tells me that he has on his visiting list about 250 men, a certain number of these of course Presbyterians.
My own list of men has gone on growing and stands now at about 122 besides 15 dons most of these last being still unvisited. All the younger men have been visited and all but 22 seen. I have had men, 2 at a time to lunch on most days, and a good many to tea on Sundays.
I have ventured to announce our first service for Sunday next November 22 at 8.15 pm in the Lecture room of Lincoln College next door hired for the evening at a cost of 5/–.
. . . [some text missing] . . . most profitable privileges and delights in coming from Scotland to Oxford. A man comes to Oxford to see the world. Let him do it. You can scarcely hinder him if you want to. What we wish to secure for men is:–
- Some touch with their home religion, sufficient to prevent them from forgetting that they are Protestants and Presbyterians.
- A friend at hand sufficiently trusted (even sufficiently loved) to be available for help in those difficulties which beset most of us at a period of life when we reconstruct the bases of most of our beliefs. It is in that stress that a young Presbyterian is so easily turned over by a small amount of help or even sympathy either to Anglicanism, or to Romanism, or to Unitarianism.
When once you put it that way, you find quite a hearty reception from almost all of them.
A few words on the Present religious situation
We are going to Oxford on a rising wave. Mr Mott has been addressing enormous audiences of University men, 1150 one night. I have not the figures for the other 4 nights. The origin of that success in numbers is to be sought in the new attitude of the High Church men to the Students Christian Union. Three years ago the leaders of Pusey House were nonplussed by the effects of Student Conferences on particular individuals, especially on some whom they had themselves failed to help. They had the honesty and courage to recognise that the work, though not Anglican, was Christian. The head of Pusey House attended Conishead Camp last year and Baslow this year and has been urging his men to attend instead of (as formerly) dissuading them. He said to me in words that came like a miracle from the lips of one who has been hearing Confessions for 24 years in Oxford: "The position I take is for me a new one. I see that Jesus Christ is at work in this place along channels that I once failed to recognise. If I can put my 24 years of experience at your service, I shall be very pleased to do so."
I have never since quite got over the elation which that remarkable confession caused me. I pray God often that the new spirit may spread. The Oxford men at Baslow this year were pretty numerous. This term's meetings have shown signs of movement. By the way, the President McClure is a Presbyterian, nephew of Lord Overtoun, and the Secretary W S Armour is a Presbyterian, son of an Irish Presbyterian Minister.
The Authorities of the University have been taking the Chair at Mr Mott's Meetings, the Vice Chancellor, the Warden of Keble, Prof Sauday[?] and others. The new leavers[?] may work in unexpected ways, but I think we shall find the work even more interesting than we expected. There ought to be no difficulty in getting funds for it.
As to future developments, we must not use undue haste, but I should like to see a session of 3 dons of high standing as Christian leaders, who could admit men to full Communion. I should like to hold a Bible Class which for one of the 3 terms could be directed specially to the needs of intending communicants. I should like one or perhaps even two services a term, one of them perhaps with the Lord's Supper.
I should like a Compact with Mansfield College that they on their side should invite to their Sunday morning United Free Church service a good proportion of Presbyterians and should improve their lamentable singing and that we on our side should beat up[?] vigorously for that valuable service which is at present attended by very few (perhaps 20) of our men except when well-known Presbyterians like Dr Kelman or Dr G A Smith are preaching. I should like the session to be our voice to Mansfield College, and it might deal with college Authorities about attendance at College Chapels, which in many colleges is practically compulsory for Presbyterians.
Donald Matheson
17.xi.[19]08
