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Home / About Us / Who We Are / The Free Presbyterian Church Catechism / Appendix 5. Memorandum on the Church of Scotland Enabling Bill 1920

Appendix 5. Memorandum on the Church of Scotland Enabling Bill 1920

I. Statement re the Free Presbyterian Church, and its History and Constitution.

  1. This Church represents the Free Church of Scotland as settled in 1843.
  2. This Church represents said Free Church of Scotland in direct historical and constitutional continuity.
  3. This Church’s constitution is the same as that of said original Free Church of Scotland, embodying the Westminster Confession of Faith, the First and Second Books of Discipline, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Claim, Declaration and Protest of the Church of Scotland in 1842, the Protest of 1843, and the other recognised standard documents.
  4. This Church (the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland) entered upon its distinctive existence in 1893 by a Deed of Separation (herewith appended) from the then Church, calling herself the Free Church of Scotland.
  5. This Church entered upon said distinctive existence, not because its representatives had adopted any new belief or principle whatsoever, but because the majority of the then Free Church had adopted a new Declaratory Act (1892), which seriously altered the Church’s relation to the Confession of Faith and original standards, and which those who now form the Free Presbyterian Church strongly protested against.
  6. This Church, by its separation in 1893, continued the existence of the Free Church of Scotland, as settled in 1843, in a distinct, corporate body, without change in constitution or general practice.
  7. This Church holds the position enunciated in the Claim, Declaration and Protest of the Church of Scotland in 1842, and the Protest of 1843, and at the same time has always held, and continues to hold, in entire accordance with said documents, the principle of the National Recognition of Religion in opposition to what is known as Voluntaryism.
  8. This Church is the legitimate and consistent successor of the ancient Church of Scotland, which accepted the Confession of Faith as its Confession in 1647; a Confession which was acknowledged by the State as “the public and avowed Confession of this Church” in 1690 and at subsequent dates.
  9. This Church requires of all her office-bearers by her Formula and Questions, personal and unqualified adherence to the Confession of Faith, and the other  standards of the Church.

II. Statement re the proposed ‘Enabling Bill’ with regard to the Established Church of Scotland and the United Free Church.

The Free Presbyterian Church would point out:

  1. That the larger Presbyterian Churches, notably the present Established Church and the United Free Church, do not adhere to the Confession of Faith, and the standards of the Church of Scotland, according to the original terms, but by Declaratory Acts have altered to a grave extent the original relation, and have modified the Formula of subscription, so that ministerial and other subscribers stand in a very indefinite relation to said standards.
  2. That the Articles presently put forward to Parliament provide no definition of fundamental doctrines, and propose a basis of Union with the United Free Church of the most latitudinarian description, which makes it competent for the united body to depart almost completely from the Protestant and Presbyterian principles and doctrines of the true Church of Scotland.
  3. That there have been for years a considerable party in the Established Church who favour Episcopacy, and even wish for re-union with the Roman Catholic  Church, and that the United Free Church is not free from elements of this kind, so that, if the present proposal is adopted, it is hard to say what grave departures from “the faith” in connection with the united body may take place in the future.
  4. This Church therefore STRONGLY PROTESTS against the proposed “Enabling Bill” and the further serious loosening of the Established Church of Scotland from her subordinate standards, which is plainly involved therein.

III. Statement re the Ecclesiastical Endowments.

The Free Presbyterian Church would point out:

  1. That the Endowments now in possession of the Established Church are the common property of the Presbyterians of Scotland, and should not be considered as belonging to the present Established Church alone.
  2. That these Endowments cannot be consistently and legitimately held by any who do not adhere to the constitution and standards of the Church of Scotland, and that the present movement for relaxation of the standards with consent of the State, involves in all justice forfeiture of the Endowments.
  3. That if the Endowments are transferred to a united body (consisting of the Established Church and the United Free Church) on the proposed basis, they are given to parties who have forfeited all claim thereto, and the rightful heirs are kept out of their inheritance.
  4. That the proposed procedure is marked with extraordinary inconsistency in its relation to the United Free Church, inasmuch as the majority of the members of that body have been for many years professed ‘Voluntaries’, and have been protesting against Ecclesiastical Endowments as un-Scriptural.
  5. That the rightful heirs are those who assert and maintain the Creed and Principles of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in their integrity, and that such persons, especially in the Highlands, are chiefly to be found outside the larger Presbyterian bodies.
  6. That the Government is justly bound, if the new proposal is carried through, to consider the valid claims of the people in many parishes, who are outside the pale of the present Established Church.

IV. Presentation of the Claim of Right, etc.

This Church, in conclusion, submits to Parliament the Claim, Declaration and Protest of the Church of Scotland in 1842, and the Protest of 1843 (hereby appended), and humbly appeals to the Legislature to do justice to the claims of truth and righteousness in connection with the various interests involved.

[Two documents were appended – (1) The Claim of Right of 1843, and (2) The Deed of Separation of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 1893.] (Free Presbyterian
Magazine, vol. 25, pp. 175-7).

About Us

  • Who We Are
    • The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland – Why It Exists Today
    • The Free Presbyterian Church Catechism
      • A Catechism of the History and Principles of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland – PDF
      • 1. Origins of the Free Presbyterian Church (1-13)
      • 2. The Westminster Confession of Faith (14–22)
      • 3. The Declaratory Act and the Free Church (23–53)
      • 4. The Infallibility of Scripture (54-67)
      • 5. Erroneous Doctrines (68-77)
      • 6. Innovations in Worship (78-93)
      • 7. Church and State (94-104)
      • 8. Church office-bearers (105-130)
      • 9. Church Courts (131-140)
      • 10. Church Unity (141-149)
      • 11. Modern Religious Cults (150-159)
      • 12. Modern Errors (160-170)
      • 13. Evolution (171-175)
      • 14. Christ’s Second Coming (176-179)
      • Appendix 1. Deed of Separation 1893
      • Appendix 2. Free Church of Scotland Declaratory Act 1892
      • Appendix 3. FP Synod Resolutions
      • Appendix 4. Questions put to Office-bearers and Formula to be signed by them
      • Appendix 5. Memorandum on the Church of Scotland Enabling Bill 1920
    • The Declaratory Act Controversy
      • Declaratory Act – Reasons for Separation
      • How the Declaratory Act changed the Constitution of the Free Church
      • Explanatory Criticism of the Declaratory Act
      • The Consequences of the Declaratory Act
      • The Declaratory Act and Admission into Office in the Free Church
      • The Constitutional Aspects of the Declaratory Act
      • A Brief History of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
  • What We Contend For
    • Our Free Presbyterian Heritage
    • The Authorised Version
      • The Importance of the Authorised Version for the Church in Britain
      • 2015 Synod Resolution on Versions of the Bible
    • Evangelical or Reformed
    • A Protestant Witness
      • The Pope and the Constitution of the United Kingdom
      • The Pope as the Head of a False Religion
      • Papal Infallibility
      • The Pope in Scripture
    • The Five Points of Calvinism
      • The Canons of Dort
    • The Free Offer of the Gospel
    • Resolution on Creed Subscription
    • Church Discipline
      • The Purposes of Church Discipline
      • The Church’s responsibility to administer Biblical discipline faithfully
      • The benefits of exercising Church discipline
      • Accusations Levelled against a Church Exercising Discipline
    • Baptism
      • Subjects of Baptism – by Rev. William MacIntyre
      • Mode of Baptism – by Rev. William Macintyre
      • Should Infants be Baptised?
    • The Lord’s Supper
      • Why do the minister and elders interview intending communicants?
      • Restricted Communion
      • Fencing the Table
        • The Origins of Fencing the Table
    • Our Separate Stance
    • The Sabbath
      • Why the Sabbath should Still be Kept
      • How the Sabbath should be Kept
      • Sabbath or Lord’s Day – not “Sunday”
      • What about using Public Transport on the Sabbath?
        • Synod’s Statement in Reference to Church-going by Public Conveyances on the Sabbath
        • Historical Controversy over Using Public Transport on the Lord’s Day
    • Family worship
      • Family worship – a recent overview
      • Family worship – a recent address to young people
      • Family worship – a convicting appeal from C H Spurgeon
      • Family worship – a wartime appeal from more than a century ago
      • Family worship – a review
      • Family worship – another wartime appeal
      • Family worship – an illustration of its power
    • Distinctions between Male and Female
      • Men and Women Equal in Value
      • The Distinct Roles of Men and Women
      • Can women lead in public prayer?
      • Distinct Clothing for Men and Women
      • Long hair for women and short hair for men
        • If a Woman have Long Hair, it is a Glory to Her
  • What We Believe
  • How We Worship
    • Order of Service
    • The Right Way to Worship
      • Standing for Prayer
      • The Charismatic Movement – The Gifts have Ceased
    • The Regulative Principle of Worship
      • Does the Bible tell us how we are to Worship?
      • The Importance of the Regulative Principle for Today
      • The Regulative Principle as defined by the Scottish Reformers and others
    • Exclusive Psalmody
      • Does the Bible tell us What to Sing?
      • Why Psalms Only
    • No Musical Instruments
      • Musical Instruments in Worship
    • No Christian “Festivals”
      • Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
  • How We Are Organised
    • Church Courts
    • Scripture does teach the right form of Church Government
    • The Apostolic Church – Which Is It?
      • Statement of the Question
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      • Government of the Church
      • Apostolic Principles
      • The First Principle
      • The Second Principle
      • The Third Principle
      • The Fourth Principle
      • The Fifth Principle
      • The Sixth Principle
      • Application of the Test
      • Application of the Test to Prelacy
      • Application of the Test to Independency
      • Application of the Test to Presbytery
      • Application of the Test – Result
  • Important Documents
    • The Scots Confession
    • The First Book of Discipline
    • The Second Book of Discipline
    • The National Covenant
    • The Solemn League and Covenant
    • The Westminster Confession of Faith
    • The Larger Catechism
    • The Shorter Catechism
    • The Directory for Public Worship
    • The Form of Presbyterial Church Government
    • The Sum of Saving Knowledge
    • The Directory for Family Worship
    • The Claim Declaration and Protest
    • The Protest
    • The Deed of Separation 1893
  • Frequently Asked Questions

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