The annual meeting of the Free Presbyterian Church of Victoria, took place in John Knox's Church, Melbourne, on Tuesday, the 14th December 1852. The retiring moderator, the Rev John Tait, of Geelong, preached from Colossians, 1st chapter and 24th verse;
"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church," after which the Synod was constituted.

The Rev William Miller was chosen moderator, and the Rev. Duncan MacDiarmid Sinclair, clerk, for the current year. The members in attendance during the sessions of the court were, the Moderator, minister of Knox's, Melbourne, Rev. John Tait, of Geelong, Rev. Thomas Hastie, of Buninyong, Rev. John Hamilton McLachlan, of Hopkins River, Rev. John Hume, of Kilmore, Rev. Duncan MacDiarmid Sinclair, of Melbourne, ministers; and Archibald Bonar, Esq., Melbourne and John Armstrong, Esq., Geelong, elders.

Besides some ordinary routine business, the subjects which chiefly occupied the attention of the Synod were the necessity of renewed efforts in behalf of the Colonial mission funds of the Free Church of Scotland; a fund for ministers' widows; the examination of the Melbourne academy; a pastoral aid and church extension fund; spirit destitution in the interior; and state support to religion. The moderator reported that upwards of £250, being the past year's collection in aid of the fund for bringing out ministers from Scotland had been transmitted some months ago to the Colonial committee of the Free Church; and the Synod, having resolved on renewing the efforts previously made directed that a collection should be raised in the several congregations of the church during the current year.

The importance of a fund for the widows and orphans of deceased ministers was urged on the attention of the Synod by Mr. Armstrong, who generously presented £100 as a nucleus towards its formation. A committee was appointed to procure information as to the best mode of instituting such a fund, and to report to next Synod.

The greater part of Thursday, the 16th, was occupied in the examination of the Melbourne Academy. The Synod agreed to record their great satisfaction with the state of efficiency in which they found the institution, and their thankfulness for the success that has attended this endeavour to impart a high style of secular education along with sound religious teaching, and to communicate to the Rector, Robert Lawson, Esq, their cordial approval of the manner in which he had discharged his arduous duties.

At a subsequent sederunt, it was proposed by the Moderator, seconded by the Rev. Thomas Hastie and unanimously agreed to, that a fund should be instituted, to be called 'the Pastoral Aid and Church Extension Fund,' with the view of preparing for extending the church in localities without ministers, and in assisting weak congregations, and that each minister be instructed to make two collections in his congregation during the year, and to receive contributions privately for the same object. A committee of ministers and elders was appointed to mature this scheme and bring it into practical operation as soon as possible. The Rev. D. M. Sinclair was appointed to visit, for a few weeks, the numerous Gaelic-speaking population scattered throughout the country, taking the Gold Fields of Ballarat and Mount Alexander in his route, and preaching the Gospel to all as he may find opportunity.

With reference to the subject of State support to religion, it was moved by the Rev. John Tait, seconded by the Rev. Thomas Hastie, and unanimously agreed to:-

"That considering the ignorance and misapprehension of the views and principles of this Church as to the duty of the civil government in reference to religion that prevail in the community generally, and among some of her own members and adherents in particular, and the recent efforts that have been made to do away with the practice that at present obtains of supporting all sects and creeds in this colony, irrespective of their conformity ot the Word of God, and the requirements of His law, and with a special reference to the proposal now made greatly to increase the amount of the public money hitherto devoted to this purpose, it is incumbent on the Synod to renew at once their testimony in behalf of the great principles involved in this matter, and their protest against the pernicious perversion of them by our Colonial Government, and that for this purpose the following resolutions be adopted and published.

1. That this Synod holds, in common with the parent Church and her numerous branches throughout the world, that the civil magistrate is bound to use his official power and influence to protect, support, and extend the truth of God revealed in the Holy Scriptures, both from a regard to the authority of Him whose minister he is, and to the highest interests of those over whom he rules and that it is lawful and right in the church to receive and make use of this support, not only for its own sake, but from its being a practical and national acknowledgement of the Supreme Sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Head over all things to His Church, and equally to be recognized and honored as king of Zion and the Prince of the kings of the earth.

2. That there is an equally fixed and certain line of distinction between what is true and false in religion as between what is true and false in science, and right and wrong in morality; and that for those in civil authority to have no reference to this distinction in legislating and acting in reference to religion, and to be guided entirely by the varying opinions and errors of the people, is at once unreasonable and absurd in itself highly sinful in the sight of God, and most mischievous in its effects upon the community, being an attempt to uphold and perpetuate systems that are contrary to, and destructive of, each other, calculated to provoke the displeasure of Him who has given us His own sure word to be our guide, and tending to confuse and mislead the popular mind, to produce an indifference to, and contempt for, distinctions that are of eternal moment, and to encourage and confirm men in those erroneous views of the divine character and law, which lead to crime.

3. That while the rulers of a community or state may be placed in circumstances in which it would be inexpedient to appropriate any portion of the public funds for the maintenance and support of the true religion, from such a course being calculated to excite prejudice and produce disaffection and animosity in those hostile to the truth, and thus retard rather than further its progress, they cannot be placed in circumstances in which it is either lawful or expedient to give equal countenance and support to the false and the true - a thing unreasonable in itself, displeasing and dishonoring to Him who is Governor among the nations and injurious to the highest interests of those over whom they rule.

4. That while this Church could lawfully and consistently with her own principles claim and receive support from the Colonial Government, yet, as this would be a falling in with a system which they cannot but condemn, weaken and protest which they feel called upon to maintain against it, and tend to encourage and perpetuate it, they adhere to the determination that they have formerly come to, to stand out and be separate from it altogether, and resolve to use all lawful endeavours to have it abolished.

5. That this Synod rejoices in the efforts that have been lately made to have the support given to different religions by the Colonial Legislature withdrawn, though, in some cases proceeding on grounds somewhat different to those which are in accordance with the principles of this Church, and resolve that a petition in confermety with these principles be drawn up to be presented to the Legislative Council, signed by the Moderator in the name of the Synod, in opposition to the proposed increase to the amount hitherto granted for this purpose.

6. That while this Synod feels thus called upon to protest against the Colonial Government supporting out of the public funds different, and sometimes opposite systems of religion, and decline to receive any portion of them to which they may be entitled, they view with much satisfaction the liberal grants which have been made by the Legislature for the education of the children of all classes and sects in the community; and distinguishing between the secular and the spiritual, the ordinary branches of education and the religious instruction that may be communicated along with them, and considering that the Government are not involved in the inconsistency and sin already protested against, in contributing to the encouragement and support of the former, while they leave to natural guardians and religious instructors of the children to give along with it, on their own responsibility, such religious teaching as accords with their own creed, hold that this Colonial Free Church can, ought, and does, like the Free Church of Scotland herself, consistently with her own principles, claim and receive assistance from the Government on behalf of her schools."

The different members having expressed their high satisfaction at the manner in which the resolutions had been drawn up by Mr. Tait, resolved that they be printed, and widely circulated, as expressive of the views of this Church on the subject.

The Synod adjourned on Friday, the 17th December, to meet again at such time and place as the interests of the Church may require.