Veto Act is the popular designation of the cele- brated act on calls passed by the (Jeneral Assembly of tlie Cluirch of Scotland, May 31, 1834, and whicli, being afterwanls declared by the courts of law and the Su- preme Legislature to be illegal and beyond the powers of the Church to enact, gave rise to a collision between tiie Church and State, and led to the formation, in 1843, as a separate denomination, of the Free Church of Scot- land. The act originated in the tiiotion of Dr. Chal- mers, which was seconded by lord Jloncrieff. This mo- tion is given in full untler the article Non-Intkusion- I.STS (q. v.). The act runs as follows:
"The Genera! Assembly declare that it is a fundamen- tal law of this Church that no i)astor shall be hit'Uded on any congregation contrary to the will of the peoiile; and, in order that this piinciple may be carried into full effect, the General Assembly, with the consent of a majority ol the presbyteries of this Church, do declare, enact, and or- dain. That it shall be au ii;strnction to presbyteries that if in the moderating in a call to a vacant pastoral charge, tlie major part of the male heads of families, members of the vacant conaregation and in full coinrannii)u with the Church, shall disapiiruve of the person in whose favor the call is to be moderated in, such disapproval shall be deem- ed sufflcieut ground for the presbytery rejecting such pei- son, and that he shall be rejected accordingly, and due notice thereof forthwith given to all concerned; bur that if the major part of the said heads of families shall not disapprove of such person to be their pastor, the presby- tery shall proceed with the settlement according to the rules of the Church. And they further declare that uo per- son shall be held to be entitled to disapprove as aforesaid, who shall refuse, if required, solemnly to declare, in pres- ence of the presbytery, that he is actuated by no factiinis or malicious motive, but solely by a conscientious regard to the spiritual interests of liimself or the congregation."
See Patijonage; RiniNG Committees; Settlements, Violent.
Vevers, William, an English Wesleyan minister, commenced his itinerancy in 1813 on the Gateshead Circuit. He travelled some of the principal circuits, such as Glasgow (1821), Halifax (18-24), York (1827), Deptford (1832), Leeds (1835), Liverpool (1840), Derby (1842), Hull (1845), etc. He had an active and vigor- ous mind, and often evinced great skill in circuit finance. He died at the Wesleyan Tiieological Institution (of which he was governor and chaplain) at Taunton, Sept. 8, 1850, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. He wrote, An Appeal to the Wesley an Societies on the Attempt noio made to Subvert their Constitution (referring to the War- ren agitation) (Lond. 1834, 8vo) : — A Second Appeal, Contaiuinrj a Reply to a Pamphlet entitled An Affection- ate Address of the United Wesleyan Methodist Associa- tion (1835, 8vo) -.—A Letter to the Rev. Waller F. Hook, X.— C c c
D.D., Vicar of Leeds, on his Inaugiirnl Discourse (2(1 cd. 1836, 8vo): — An L'ssay on the National Lnportance of Met/todism (1831, 8vo). See Minutes of Wesleyan Conference, 1851; Stevenson, Wesleyan Hymn-book and its A ssociatio7iS, p. 365.
Vex is used in the A. V. only in the old Lat. accep- tation (I'rom veho, to carry, hence to toss about), as a rendering of many Heb. and (ireek words, in the sense of aijitate or disturb greatly, especially to torment or afflict.
Vexilla Regis, a hymn which takes its name from the first wortls, Vexilla Regis proderunt ("The kingly banners forward go"), sung in procession on Good- Friday before the jMass of the Presanctified. It was composed by Venantius I'ortunatus (q. v.) on the oc- casion of the reception of certain relics of St. Gregory of Tours ami St. Kadegnnd, prior to the consecration of a new church at Tours. It is strictly a processional hymn, but was afterwards adapted for use in the West- ern Church during Passion-tide, and is now used, in au English version, very generally in the Cluirch of Eng- land.
Vexillum {n bannei-) is the cru- cifix carried before the pope, with the figure towards him, to remind liim that he shoidd have Christ crucified ever before his eyes.
The word vexillum also denotes a flag or pennon of silk or linen at- tached to the upper part of a bish- op's pastoral staff by a cord. This pennon is then folded roiind the staff, so as to avoid the inconvenience which might arise from the moist- ure of the hand staining the metal of which the staff is made. Many examples of the vexillum are repre- sented in illuminated MSS., and some are to be found on memorial brasses and incised slabs.
Vezelay, Council of {Concili- um Vezdiacum), was held in 1146, after the capture of Edessa by the Saracens. Louis VII, the archbish- op, bishops, abbots, and many of the nobility of France, attended. .St. Bernard, who was present, urged the king, with great eloquence, to succor the Christians against the Turks. The monarcli was among the first to assume the cross, together with his wife, Eleanor. After them Alphon- so, count of St. Gilles; Thierry, count of Flanders ; count Guido, and many others of the nobility, took the vow. See Mansi, Concil. x, 1100. — Landon, Manual of Coun- cils, p. 677.