The Original Seceders join the Free Church

The Synod of United Original Seceders

The Synod descended from the Anti-Burghers who stayed out of the union of 1820, and from the Old Light Burghers who joined them in 1842. MacPherson writes that after the Free Church Assembly of 1851 adopted “an Act and Declaration which identified their church with the historic Church of Scotland of the Reformation period, the majority of the Original Seceders found themselves in a position to welcome and promote a union with that body.” The historian of Knox and Melville, Thomas M’Crie, had died in 1835, “but the denomination was now headed by his son of the same name.”¹

The Synod divides, April 1852

Scott writes that the annual meeting of the Synod “took place on Monday, the 26th April 1852, in East Campbell Street Church, Glasgow”, where David Burn of Thurso was elected Moderator. Next day Dr M’Crie moved an overture for union, signed by nineteen ministers and dated “this twenty-seventh day of April”. It asked the Synod to “recognise the Free Church of Scotland as being constitutionally, both by divine and human right, the Church of Scotland, to which our Fathers appealed”, and to propose union “on the basis of the Westminster Standards, held in integrity, and suitably applied, in the way of prosecuting the ends of our National Covenants”.²

James Anderson of Carluke moved resolutions against it. The debate resumed on Wednesday 28 April, and Scott gives the vote: “Thirty-two voted in favour of Dr M’Crie’s motion, viz. [namely], 18 ministers and 14 elders; and 31 voted in favour of Mr Anderson’s amendment, viz., 13 ministers and 18 elders.” MacPherson dates the meeting to 24 April and agrees that the Synod “by a majority of one, agreed to union with the Free Church”.³

The minority protested, in a paper dated “At Glasgow, and within Campbell Street Church, this twenty-ninth day of April”, against uniting “on the grounds stated in their overture” and claimed “to be constitutionally the Synod of United Original Seceders”. Scott writes that, counting those absent, “some twenty-two or twenty-three ministers acceded to the Free Church, whilst thirteen chose to remain in a state of secession”. MacPherson counts twenty-three and thirteen.⁴

The Representation and Appeal

The Synod sent a Representation and Appeal “To the Reverend the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, to meet at Edinburgh, May 20, 1852”, signed by David Burn, Moderator, and Robert Shaw, Synod Clerk. It begins: “As the representatives of the Original Seceders from the Church of Scotland in the year 1733 … and recognising in you the representatives of that Church from the prevailing party in whose judicatories our fathers declared a Secession, we consider ourselves called upon, in the adorable providence of God, to seek a re-union with the Church of our fathers.”⁵

It said that “all the grounds of secession as originally stated have been removed”, and that “we freely accede to all the principles of the Free Church as ours” while desiring “to be received as adhering to the original standards and constitution of the Church of Scotland, not merely as asserted and vindicated in any of the acts or declarations of the Free Church, but also as asserted and vindicated in our own Testimony”.⁶

Scott records that the Synod held its last meeting “on Monday, 24th May 1852, in Davie Street Church, Edinburgh”, with Dr M’Crie as Moderator, while committees of the Assembly and the Synod prepared a basis of union.⁷

The Free Church’s Acts of 1 June 1852

The Assembly’s Act anent the Representation and Appeal reads: “Whereas, 1mo [first], the Synod of United Original Seceders profess to represent the Brethren who, upwards of a century ago, protested against the course of defection pursued, and tyrannical procedure adopted, by the party then prevailing in this Church, and seceded from the said party on the ground thereof; appealing, at the same time, against the censures pronounced upon them ‘unto the first free, faithful, and reforming General Assembly of the Church of Scotland’”.⁸

It goes on that “the General Assembly recognise the said Synod as representing the said seceding brethren, and not only condemn and deplore the course of defection, and tyrannical procedure which led to their original separation, but disapprove of, and disown, the censures against which they felt themselves constrained to appeal”, and that the Representation “is in no respect inconsistent with the Standards of this Church”.⁹

Then: “The General Assembly cordially agree to the proposal of re-union made in the said Representation and Appeal, and fully consent that their brethren continue free to hold the views therein set forth, and to enjoy the liberty therein claimed, in subordination to the discipline and government of this Church.”¹⁰

The Act acknowledges “the services rendered by the Brethren of the Secession to the cause of evangelical religion in this land, in the capacity of witnesses for the truth as it is in Jesus, and earnest contenders for their country’s hereditary faith and church polity”, and says that the Assembly “fully and unreservedly acknowledge[s] the obligation to prosecute the ends of the Covenants”. It orders the Representation and Appeal “to be recorded as craved, and to be inserted along with this Act in the printed Acts of the General Assembly.”¹¹

A second Act, “anent the Union with the Synod of United Original Seceders”, provided for “an incorporating union”: the pastors “who have subscribed or who shall subscribe the said Representation and Appeal, and the congregations adhering to the said pastors, along with the kirk-sessions [boards of elders] thereof, shall be received and admitted by the Presbyteries of the bounds respectively, as pastors, congregations, and kirk-sessions, of the Free Church of Scotland.”¹²

The evening of 1 June

Scott prints an account of the evening: “This auspicious event took place on the evening of Tuesday, the 1st day of June 1852. The capacious hall of the Assembly was filled in every part long before the hour of meeting”.¹³

In Scott’s account the Synod’s deputation, “consisting of the Rev. Dr M’Crie, Moderator of the Synod; Dr Shaw of Whitburn, Clerk of the Synod; Mr White, Haddington; Mr Black, Kirkcaldy; and Mr E. A. Thomson, Dundee; with Mr William Bremner and Mr George Shirra Gibb, elders”, entered and was received with applause. Dr Makellar, the Moderator, presided; Psalm 133 was sung, and Dr Candlish moved the two Acts.¹⁴

Scott writes that the deputation “proceeded to Tanfield Hall” to consummate the union. MacPherson places it “in the Free Assembly Hall on the evening of Tuesday, 1st June, 1852.”¹⁵