Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland is presented through two contrasting functions: Harry Astley treats it as a support for political stability, while the account of Archibald McCandless and Bella Baxter’s wedding places Scottish religious custom within a private ceremony. Together, these references give the church a practical rather than doctrinal emphasis in the narrative.

Religion and Political Stability

Astley explains that he supports the established or locally dominant religion wherever he is: the Church of England in England and the Church of Scotland in Scotland. He extends the same reasoning to religions in India and Egypt, arguing that the British Empire would have difficulty governing a quarter of the globe if it opposed local faiths. In this account, the Church of Scotland matters as part of a broader political arrangement: religious institutions help maintain stability and facilitate rule.

Dr. H responds by calling Astley a timeserver without firm belief. Astley rejects the charge that he is entirely faithless, identifying himself instead as a believer in Malthus. The exchange makes his support for the Church of Scotland explicitly pragmatic, rather than evidence of personal religious conviction.

Wedding Custom and Religious Practice

The church also enters the narrative through McCandless’s description of his wedding to Bella. After learning that Bella was free from disease, he arranged a simple Presbyterian service, regarding it as a harmless, traditional way to solemnize their vows. The couple chose Lansdowne United Presbyterian Church rather than the nearer Park church because McCandless wanted to avoid children scrambling at the door. The account identifies the wedding venue specifically as Lansdowne United Presbyterian; it does not present the ceremony as taking place at the Church of Scotland itself.

The wedding was scheduled for nine in the morning on December 25, the earliest date available. McCandless explains that, according to the Scottish Church as he describes it, Christmas Day is not considered holier than other days unless it falls on the Sabbath. The choice of date thus sits alongside a notably unexceptional view of the holiday: the service marks a personal vow, but the church custom does not make Christmas sacred in itself.

Narrative Significance

These brief references place the Church of Scotland at the intersection of public authority and private observance. Astley’s argument makes religion useful to governance; McCandless’s account makes Presbyterian practice a traditional means of solemnizing marriage, shaped by local customs and practical choices. The institution is not developed through its internal structure or doctrine, but through the ways characters invoke its political usefulness and its place in everyday Scottish life.