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Home / About Us / Who We Are / The Free Presbyterian Church Catechism / 1. Origins of the Free Presbyterian Church (1-13)

1. Origins of the Free Presbyterian Church (1-13)

1 Question. What is the name of your Church?
Answer. The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

2 Q. Can you tell anything about its history?
A. The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland was formed in 1893 when the Revs D. Macfarlane, Raasay, and D. Macdonald, Shieldaig, left the Declaratory Act Free Church of Scotland.

3 Q. Why did they leave that Church?
A. The founders of the Free Presbyterian Church separated from the Free Church because an Act regarding the Westminster Confession of Faith, called the Declaratory Act, was passed in 1892 by its General Assembly.

4 Q. What was purpose of the Declaratory Act?
A. The stated purpose of the Act was ‘to remove difficulties and scruples’ which some office-bearers had in relation to the solemn vow they had taken to uphold the doctrines of the Confession of Faith.

5 Q. Why did they leave because of the passing of this Act?
A. The Declaratory Act changed the Free Church’s relation to the Confession of Faith. In practice it allowed men to state dishonestly that they believed the whole doctrine of the Confession although in fact they did not.

6 Q. How did the Act change the Free Church’s relation to the Confession of Faith?
A. The Church’s relation to the Confession of Faith changed from entire acceptance to modified acceptance; moreover the Act declared that the Church maintained and held doctrines which were subversive of the Confession while it also disclaimed certain crucial confessional doctrines.

7 Q. Why did Revs D. Macfarlane and D. Macdonald not separate from the Free Church before 1893?
A. The constitution of the Free Church had not been impaired until 1892, though innovations which grieved the Lord’s people had been introduced into the Free Church before then. Mr Macfarlane and Mr Macdonald remained a year in the Church after the passing of the Declaratory Act in the hope that it would be repealed by the General Assembly of 1893.

8 Q. How did the Declaratory Act become law in the Free Church?
A. The Declaratory Act was passed under the Barrier Act of 1697, which ensured that no proposal of the Assembly could be passed as a binding law and constitution of the Church without the consent of the majority of Presbyteries.

9 Q. How did the Act being passed under the Barrier Act change the constitution of the Free Church?
A. The Declaratory Act itself added to and took from the Confession, and these changes became a binding law and constitution by virtue of the Barrier Act; thus the constitution was changed.

10 Q. What did Mr Macfarlane state in his protest in the Assembly of the Free Church in 1893 against the passing of the Declaratory Act?
A. Mr Macfarlane stated in his protest that since the Act was now retained in the constitution of the Free Church, the Church ‘ceases to be the true representative of the Free Church of Scotland’ and therefore he could no longer be a minister of the Declaratory Act Church.

11 Q. Was Mr Macfarlane’s protest accepted?
A. No, it was described by Principal Rainy as ‘an express repudiation of the authority and validity of the final act of the General Assembly in the matter’ and so was not received, showing that no individual was free from the operation of the Declaratory Act.

12 Q. Did Mr Macfarlane and Mr Macdonald publish any document setting forth their position?
A. Yes, the Church’s position is to be found in the Deed of Separation.

13 Q. What does the Deed of Separation say about the Declaratory Act?
A. The Deed of Separation affirms that the Declaratory Act destroyed the integrity of the Confession of Faith (see Deed of Separation sect. 4).[2]

[1] For the Deed of Separation, see Appendix I on page 39.

[2] For the Declaratory Act, see Appendix II on page 43. Rev J.S. Sinclair’s criticisms of the Declaratory Act were published in the Free Presbyterian Magazine, vol. 1 (1896) pp. 121-5, 161-7, and are available on the Free Presbyterian website. A fuller version is in History of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 1893-1970, Appendix IV pp. 385-427 [available here]. See also the Free Presbyterian Synod Resolution on Current Misrepresentations of Doctrine, Appendix III.3 on page 47.

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
      • Meaning of the word Church
      • 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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