True meaning of a traditionalist is misunderstood in Church of Scotland today

I HAVE for long thought the words catholic, evangelical and liberal are the most misused words in the ecclesiastical vocabulary. I now find it necessary to add the word traditionalist to that list (“Kirk traditionalists confident in debate over gay ministers”, The Herald, May 20).

Specifically, in a Church of Scotland context, a traditionalist is surely a minister, elder or other worshipper who does not dress for public worship as if he or she were going to a picnic. A traditionalist congregation is surely one in which a version of the Bible and a hymn book – such as the Revised English Bible and the Church Hymnary – originating in a Church of Scotland context, are used in public worship rather than publications originating furth of Scotland and often not of a good and true translation or liturgically and historically unacceptable.

A traditionalist minister or elder is surely one who, being committed by ordination to the Presbyterian system of church government, has necessarily to concur therewith and submit thereto.

Further, being also committed by ordination to the Scottish Reformation, he or she must surely follow the guidance for the interpretation of Scripture in the Scots Confession of 1560 in that we dare not admit any interpretation which is contrary to any principal point of our faith, or to any other plain text of scripture or to the rule of love.

The “broad church” approach is all very well but, to the extent that it ignores the First Article Declaratory of the Constitution of The Church of Scotland on Matters Spiritual (on which we in The Church of Scotland do not have liberty of opinion), such an approach must be set aside in the interests of doctrinal unity and discipline. IF David Adam is looking for proof of the veracity of his comments on the drift towards secularisation, he need look no further than his own letter (May 20).

Two words are noticeable by their absence: “Jesus” and “Christ”.

Their place is taken of course by much more important words such as “scripture”, “confession”, “Bible” and “Presbyterianism.” THOSE like Richard Holloway who feel Cardinal Keith O’Brien is being wronged by being ordered to leave Scotland by the Vatican rather miss the point (“Cardinal’s victims need all our sympathy”, The Herald, May 21).

On taking his red hat, the Cardinal took a vow of “constant obedience” to the Catholic Church and to the Pope, the head of a foreign state. That was his choice.

Few will see his position as any different from that of a multinational company ordering one of its employees to take up a position in a different country.

If the employee doesn’t want to go, he or she always has the option to resign and stay where they are.

That would of course mean moving out of any property the multinational owns and pays for, and seeking gainful employment elsewhere.