Deed of
Separation of 14th August 1893, by which the Free Presbyterian
Church of Scotland was formed
Deed of Separation by
Ministers and Elders From the Church Calling Herself the Free Church of
Scotland
WE, the
undersigned Ministers and Elders of the Free Church of Scotland, considering
that the constitution of said Church as settled in 1843 is contained in the
Westminster Confession of Faith, as approved by the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland in 1647, the First and Second Books of Discipline, the
Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Claim Declaration and Protest of 1842, the
Protest of 1843, the Act of Separation and Deed of Demission executed in the
last mentioned year, the Formula appointed to be subscribed by probationers
before receiving license, and by all office-bearers at the time of their
admission, together with the Questions appointed to be put to the same parties
at Ordination and Admission, and the Acts of Assembly of the Church of Scotland
prior to 1843; and, further considering that the Establishment Principle—that
is the national recognition and encouragement of religion and the Church of
Christ by the State as such—is part of the Constitution of the Free Church of
Scotland as settled in 1843, and since repeatedly affirmed in Acts and
Proceedings of her General Assemblies, and that the maintenance of said
Principle is binding and obligatory on all Ministers and Office-bearers of said
Church; and now seeing
(1st)
That the present subsisting Church now calling herself the Free Church of
Scotland, through majorities of her Commissioners in General Assembly met, has,
in violation of one of the fundamental principles embodied in the Constitution
of the Free Church of Scotland, of late years repeatedly passed resolutions
having for their object the separation of Church and State, and the abandonment
of the distinctive testimony of the Free Church of Scotland in favour of a
national recognition of religion, and that without any declaration in favour of
any Scheme for the Reconstruction of a National Church on the basis claimed by
the Church of Scotland in 1842;
(2nd)
That the present subsisting Church, calling herself the Free Church of
Scotland, by sanctioning the use of uninspired hymns, has departed from the
original Standards of the Free Church of Scotland; and by the authorisation of
instrumental music in the public worship of God has altered the ancient and
universal practice of the Church of Scotland, and violated the purity of
worship as understood by the Free Church of Scotland in 1846;
(3rd)
That the said present subsisting Church, calling herself the Free Church of
Scotland, through judgments of her General Assemblies, now not only tolerates
but supports office-bearers who do not hold the “whole doctrine” of the
Confession of Faith—especially the doctrine of the Divine Authorship and entire
perfection of all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which “whole
doctrine” by their ordination vows said office-bearers vowed and declared to be
the true doctrine which they would constantly adhere to;
(4th)
That by passing the Declaratory Act of (1892) the said present subsisting
Church, calling herself the Free Church of Scotland, through her General
Assemblies, has, in so far as said Church is concerned, destroyed the integrity
of the Confession of Faith as understood and accepted by the Disruption Fathers
and their predecessors, and instead of the Westminster Confession of Faith as
the recognised Standard of orthodoxy in the Church, in all its heads and
articles, has substituted what is called “the Substance of the Reformed Faith
therein set forth,” the Church, through the majorities of the Members of her
Courts, being by the said Declaratory Act made the sole judge of the particular
points that are to be included under this category of doctrines—a provision
which overthrows the fixed Doctrinal Constitution of the Free Church of
Scotland, and lays its Creed at the feet of an irresponsible majority to
determine the same as it will; and
(5th)
That the majority of the Ministers and Elders who for the present rule and
guide the said present subsisting Church, calling herself the Free Church of
Scotland have, in the instances above set forth, abandoned one of the most
vital principles of the Free Church of Scotland; have practically embraced
Voluntaryism; and have passed Acts and Resolutions under which the Standards of
the Free Church of Scotland can be, and are violated; whereby they have ceased
to represent the Church of Scotland as settled in 1843.
In
consequence whereof we resolved to separate from the said present subsisting
Church calling herself the Free Church of Scotland; therefore, and in order the
more formally and effectually to carry out said resolution, we, the Ministers
and Elders, hereto subscribing for ourselves and all who may now or hereafter
adhere to us—under the solemn declaration that we and they now adhere as we and
they have heretofore done to the Constitution and Standards of the Free Church
of Scotland as settled in 1843, and set forth in the several documents above
named and to the whole principles therein embodied—and in humble dependence on
the Grace of God, the help of our Lord and Saviour and the presence and
blessing of the Holy Spirit have separated, as we do hereby separate, from the
present subsisting Church, calling herself the Free Church of Scotland;
declaring, however, as we hereby specially provide and declare that we for
ourselves, and all who may now or hereafter adhere to us in no degree abandon
or impair the rights belonging to us as Ministers of Christ’s Gospel and
Pastors and Elders of particular congregations, to perform freely and fully the
functions of our offices towards our respective congregations or such portion
thereof as may adhere to us;
That
signature or adherence to this Deed of Separation shall in no way prejudice our
right to maintain the Doctrines and Principles of the Free Church of Scotland
as set forth in her Authorised Standards and authoritative documents as
recognised and understood in 1843, and to take all steps that may be necessary
to vindicate said Doctrines and Principles;
That we
are and shall be free to exercise government and discipline in our several
judicatories separate from the said Church, according to God’s Word and the
Constitution and Standards of the Free Church of Scotland as understood in
1843; that henceforth we are not and shall not be subject in any respect to the
ecclesiastical judicatories of the said present subsisting Church calling
herself the Free Church of Scotland;
That the
rights and benefits accruing to the Ministers subscribing or who may hereafter
adhere hereto in connection with the Free Church of Scotland Ministers’ and
Missionaries’ Widows’ and Orphans’ Fund are hereby reserved;
That this
Deed of Separation shall no ways be held as a renunciation on the part of such
of said Ministers as are Ministers of Churches or occupants of Manses built by
private contribution, or of any rights which may be found to belong to such
Ministers or to their congregations or to the office-bearers of such congregations,
or to existing or future Trustees on behalf of such congregations or their
Kirk-Sessions in regard to the same, by virtue of the intentions and
destination of the contributors to the erection of said Churches or Manses, and
to the acquisition of any lands thereto attached or otherwise according to law;
and that there is hereby specially reserved to us, the subscribers hereto, and
to all who may now or hereafter adhere to us, power and authority to take all
steps that may be necessary to vindicate our or their status, and all
advantages, rights and privileges, both sacred and civil, of whatever nature
and description whatsoever, which may righteously be found to belong to us and
to those who, by adhering to her Constitution and Standards as settled in 1843,
claim to represent the Free Church of Scotland, and we consent to the
registration hereof for preservation.
In
testimony whereof, these presents, written on stamped paper by Æneas Fraser,
Clerk to Innes & Mackay, Solicitors, Inverness, are subscribed by Mr Donald
MacFarlane, Minister at Raasay; Mr Donald MacDonald, Minister at Shieldaig, and
Alex. MacFarlane, Teacher of the Public School at Raasay, Elder, all at Portree
on the fourteenth day of August, 1893, before these witnesses—John Robertson MacKay,
Preacher of the Gospel at Gairloch, and Allan MacKenzie, Student of Divinity,
residing at Inverness.
