The Covenants renewed at Auchensaugh

Preparing the work

Reid writes that the renewal had been “projected ever since the Societies obtained an ordained minister”, and that it arose “out of the longing to have a celebration of the Lord’s Supper”: since 1690 there had been none among them. Hutchison: “The matter had been under consideration for some time”, and an “Acknowledgement of Sins” and an “Engagement to Duties”, “adapted to existing circumstances, were drawn up”.¹

From the Conclusions, Reid gives the steps. The final resolution was taken on 26 May 1712, and a committee met on 3 July to provide the Communion elements, tokens (stamped pieces given to communicants as their admission) and vessels. The place was to be “the common betwixt Douglas and Crawfordjohn”. The time was to be Thursday 24 July, with a “humiliation day” on the Wednesday before. The Societies’ own narrative adds that “there was public intimation made of the design, a competent space of time before, upon a day of humiliation; and likewise upon the Lord’s day immediately preceding the work.”²

The place lay, Hutchison writes, “in the parish of Crawfordjohn, in the moorland region of Upper Clydesdale; it was far enough removed from any great centre of population, but was convenient for the scattered Societies.” The printed title calls it “Auchensaugh, near Douglas”.³

Wednesday 23 July: the day of humiliation

The Societies’ narrative begins: “Upon Wednesday, July 23d, these that had the work in design, being met together, the minister began the day’s work with prayer”. Macmillan then explained to the people “the nature of the work in general, its lawfulness, expediency and necessity”, and that the day “was a day of fasting and supplication, with preaching of the word, in order to preparation for the solemnities intended, both of renewing the covenants and celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.”⁴

“Mr John M’Niel preacher of the gospel” then preached on Jeremiah 50:4–5: “In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.” The Covenants and the Acknowledgment of Sins were read, and Macmillan dismissed the people, “reproving them for their unconcerned carriage and behaviour during the reading of the acknowledgment of the breaches of these covenants”.⁵

Thursday 24 July: the Covenants sworn

“Upon Thursday, July 24th,” the narrative goes on, “after singing a part of the 105th Psalm, from the 6th to the 12th verse and prayer, Mr John M’Millan preached upon Isaiah xliv. 5. ‘One shall say I am the Lord’s: and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.’” Reid, from Wodrow, gives the crowd as “variously estimated at from 1000 to 1700 persons”.⁶

After the Acknowledgment of Sins and the Engagement to Duties were read, Macmillan warned “the mixed multitude to beware of entering into the covenant, unless they were duly resolved concerning the performing of the same”. Then, “commanding those who were to renew their covenant to stand upright, and hold up their right-hands, he proceeded to the administration of the oath, causing the people to elevate their hands at the end of each article.” He told them afterwards: “covenanting is relative to performing”.⁷

The Covenants were sworn with changes in the margin, so that the Societies need not own the Queen’s government. Hutchison: “in all places where, in the original document, mention is made of the king, on the margin it is corrected by such words as these, — ‘The lawful supreme magistrate,’ ‘The lawful supreme magistrate when obtained.’” The Engagement to Duties bound them not to “corroborate their unjust authority, by paying them cess and supply [taxes], for upholding their corrupt courts and armies employed in an unjust and antichristian quarrel”.⁸

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper was dispensed on the Sabbath following. Hutchison writes that “this was the first occasion on which the ordinance had been observed since the Cameronians became a separate Community”, and that it “was not enjoyed again for more than thirty years”. Reid dates it Sunday 27 July, with Macneil preaching on the Saturday and Macmillan serving all the tables; from Wodrow he gives “eight tables, about sixty at a table”, about a thousand communicants.⁹

In fencing [guarding] the tables Macmillan used words that, the Societies wrote, raised “no small clamour”. They printed them “without any alteration”: “I debar and excommunicate from this holy table of the Lord, all devisers, commanders, users or approvers of any religious worship not instituted by God in his word, and all toleraters and countenancers thereof; And by consequence, I debar and excommunicate from this holy table of the Lord, Queen and Parliament, and all under them, who spread and propagate, or tolerate a false superstitious worship, ay and until they repent.” [spelling modernised] They answered that he had only followed the sins forbidden in the second commandment “as they are enumerated by the very Reverend the Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster” in the Larger Catechism.¹⁰

Reid writes that the occasion closed with a sermon on Monday 28 July; that on 29 July a business meeting at Crawfordjohn ordered the Covenants to be written “upon parchment” for signature by “all the men who had sworn them at Auchensaugh”, and an official account to be printed; and that 17 August was kept as a day of thanksgiving for the Communion.¹¹

Afterwards

Hutchison: “The Auchinsaugh Renovation was long regarded by the Cameronians as a memorable event; approbation of it was required of all who joined the Societies”. The two histories date the end of that rule differently: the Covenants as renewed there were a term of communion “till 1822” (Hutchison), or “up to the year 1820” (Reid).¹²

In 1761 the Reformed Presbytery declared its adherence “to the covenants national and solemn league, sworn at Auchensaugh, near Douglas, in the year 1712, at Crawford-John 1745; with the additional acknowledgments of sins, and engagements to duties at these times”. The second renewal, of 1745, came after the Presbytery was formed (see 1743).¹³

The date

The Societies’ own narrative dates the two days Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 July 1712, and the printed Covenants are headed “as they were renewed at Auchensaugh, near Douglas, 24th July 1712”. Reid, from the Societies’ minutes, and M’Crie give the same month. Hutchison and MacPherson give “August, 1712”. Naismith gives the year only.¹⁴