by the late Rev. John Colquhoun, Glendale
In 1706 the General Assembly passed an Act appointing a national fast for the purpose of supplicating the Divine direction respecting the Treaty of Union which the nation was about to consider, “that all might be done to the glory of God and the good of the Church”. . . The Presbyterians were afraid, and it was not a groundless fear, that a union with England would expose the National Church of Scotland to the danger of being subverted or altered in its constitution and worship by an alliance with the larger and more powerful Church of England and in the Act consenting to negotiate about Union the General Assembly insisted the following condition: “Providing also, that the said Commissioners should not treat of, or concerning any alteration of the worship, discipline and government of the Church of this kingdom, as now by law established.
At last an Act of Security was passed in the Scottish Parliament in which the Acts confirming the Confession of Faith and the Presbyterian form of church government were ratified and established, “to continue without any alteration to the people of this land in all succeeding generations;” and it was further declared that this Act of Security, with the Establishment therein contained shall be held and observed in all time coming, as a fundamental and essential condition of any Treaty of Union to be concluded betwixt the two kingdoms, without any alteration thereof, or derogation thereto, in any sort, for ever.” On this matter, Dr Hetherington says:—
“It would be very difficult, if not impossible, for language to convey more clearly and strongly the idea, that the Church of Scotland was thus intentionally placed beyond the power of the British parliament, and any infringement of which was necessarily equivalent to a virtual dissolution of that great international treaty.” (History of the Church of Scotland, 6th ed; p.191).
The Act of Security, which was embodied in the Treaty of Union, and thus became an essential condition of it, ensured for the Church of Scotland, government by Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies, and that this government shall continue unalterable and be the only government of the Church within the kingdom of Scotland . . . The Commission of Assembly in presenting its “humble Address and Petition” to the Duke of Queensberry, Her Majesty’s High Commissioner, and the Estates of Parliament was the means of procuring the Act of Security. The Commission supplicated that there be a ratifying and confirming of previous Acts of Parliament bearing upon the Confession of Faith and the “purity of worship presently in use in this Church.” The result may best be given in the lucid language of C. S. McCrie, D.D.:—
“To the desire of the Presbyterians in Scotland thus expressed the Scottish Parliament gave courteous and satisfying effect. For before the Treaty of Union was brought up for ratification there was passed a separate enactment in which the ingenuity of draftsmen and the resources of the English language were alike taxed to convey an assurance of security to the upholders of the Protestant religion and the Presbyterian polity. After recapitulating what had already been secured by Act of Parliament, this important legislative measure provided ‘that the Universities and Colleges of St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh . . . shall continue within this kingdom for ever,’ that all professors, principals, regents, masters and other officials, shall not only own and acknowledge the civil government, but also consent to the Confession of Faith ‘as the Confession of their Faith, and that they will practise and conform themselves to the Worship presently in use in this Church, and submit themselves to the Government and Discipline thereof, and never endeavour, directly or indirectly, the Prejudice or Subversion of the same.’ The measure also provided that every successor of Her Majesty, at his or her accession to the throne, shall ‘Swear and Subscribe, that they shall inviolably Maintain and Preserve the foresaid Settlement of the true Protestant Religion, with the Government, Worship, Discipline, Right and Privileges of this Church as above Established by the Laws of this Kingdom, in prosecution of the Claim of Right.’ (Public Worship of Presbyterian Scotland, p.262).
Benefit of the Union to the Church of Scotland.
By the Treaty of Union the Church of Scotland was continued in its worship, doctrine, government and discipline for all time, so as never, legally to suffer another change. This is its position, legally. Whatever changes men have brought about, in its worship was not done legally, but in direct violation of the contract by which England and Scotland were united as one State. This implies that various matters which are practised in the Church of Scotland today, and which have the sanction of the Acts of Assembly or of the civil legislature, have been illegally brought in and ought not to be binding on anyone in Scotland.
When efforts are put forth now to revoke the Treaty of Union itself the question arises, What ought the Church of Scotland to do in order to preserve its distinctive position as the Presbyterian Church of Scotland? Its duty is clear in the interests of self-preservation.
It ought, in the first place, in its General Assembly to re-affirm its adherence to the Treaty of Union with a special reference to the Act of Security, for if the Treaty of Union goes, its going will sound the death-knoll of Presbyterianism in Scotland, and of all the privileges which were gained in many a hard-fought battle for religious freedom . . . It is for the Church of Scotland, as the largest and most influential religious body in the land to take the lead in preserving, for the welfare of this nation, the Crown Rights of the Redeemer.
The second duty that the Church of Scotland ought to attend to is a return to the Westminster Standards. In doing so it is necessary that they should rescind the United Presbyterian Declaratory Act of 1879, and the Free Church Declaratory Act of 1892, which are in the Basis of Union of 1929, together with all other Acts which violate, or tone down, the said Westminster Standards; to exclude from its pulpits and professors’ chairs such as countenance Higher Critical views of the Bible. Along with these efforts they ought to pray constantly and earnestly for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit that quickens. Without that Spirit which turned thousands on the day of Pentecost from the traditions practice will avail nothing, however desirable it is in itself. It was the Spirit which turned thousands on the day of Pentecost from the traditions of the elders and the dead legalism in which they were immersed, and made them living followers of the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The Duty of the People.
A second question which arises is, What ought the people of Scotland to do? They ought to refuse to listen to such as would do away with the Treaty of Union of which the Act of Security is an integral part. That Treaty being “for all time coming” was meant to be for all generations to come for all time, to preserve them in peace and prosperity and to give a spiritual independence which is infinitely above all temporal place and prosperity, to hand down to them that testimony which God gave to Jacob and the law He gave to Israel, and which “He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: that the generations to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” Psalm LXXVIII: 5-7. With this end in view they should question all candidates for Parliament as to their attitude to the Treaty of Union, and watch narrowly the conduct of members of Parliament in connection with anything that might lead to the weakening or doing away with that Treaty.
Owing to the machinations of the Church of Rome and the apathy of professed Protestants, matters have already reached a critical condition and if the Treaty of Union is annulled and Scotland becomes an independent nation it will become the prey of both Romanists and Episcopalians, so that anyone who cares can write “Ichabod” on our high places in Church and State, for the glory will have departed. The Scripture command speaks loudly to us today, “Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Rev. III:11.
(The above extracts are from the February, March and April F.P. Magazines for 1963). W.M.