FREE PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD’S STATEMENT OF DIFFERENCES, AND FREE CHURCH COMMISSION’S REPLY.
WE publish herewith our Synod’s “Statement of Differences,” adopted at Meeting held in May, 1917, and the Free Church Reply, received by the Clerk at the end of November of the same year. “The Statement of Differences” appeared already in our pages, but the Reply will be better understood by the publication of both together. The Reply, of course, will be dealt with at the approaching Synod.
F.P. SYNOD’S STATEMENT OF DIFFERENCES.
The Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland respectfully acknowledges receipt of a communication from the Free Church Commission of August, 1916, intimating that a Committee had been appointed to confer with representatives of the Free Presbyterian Church as to the removal of obstacles which may stand in the way of union between the two Churches.
The Synod, while not definitely committing itself to the opinion that the Free Church Commission acted wholly within its powers in originating this movement, desire to draw the attention of all concerned to the following statement of the Synod’s position and of some of the outstanding differences between the two bodies.
The Synod, while recognising the obligation that lies on Christian denominations to seek union in the truth, considers that meanwhile it would be futile to appoint a Committee to meet with the Free Church Committee, and is of opinion that the interests of the case are best served by a statement of differences as follows:—
(1) The Free Church has never explicitly condemned the views advocated by Dr. W. M. Alexander, one of her professors, in a book named “Demonic Possession,” views destructive of the inspiration and inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures, nor has she called upon Dr. Alexander to state publicly in distinct and unequivocal terms that he repudiates the book and sincerely regrets the anti-scriptural opinions expressed therein, and by her unfaithfulness in this respect, has called in question her own loyalty to the doctrines of the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God.
(2) The Free Church, in the Act of 1906, rescinding the Declaratory Act of 1892, inserted a clause in the preamble of the said rescinding Act, namely, “as she has always adhered,” which bears the construction that the Free Church in her corporate capacity had always adhered to the Confession of Faith and other subordinate standards as adopted by the Free Church in 1846, and which clause may be reasonably construed as a censure of the position of the Free Presbyterian Church relative to the Declaratory Act of 1892, the said Act having been the overt ground of its taking up a separate position in 1893. The representatives of the Free Presbyterian Church have always maintained that the adoption by the Free Church in 1892 of this Declaratory Act was a serious departure by the said Church from the Confession of Faith and other subordinate standards. The present Free Church, by the clause referred to, has raised a standing barrier between her and the Free Presbyterian Church.
(3) The Free Church, since 1900, has thrown open the door of admission to her ministry very indiscriminately to men out of a great variety of Churches, and this latitudinarianism has also raised a barrier between her and the Free Presbyterian Church.
(4) The Free Church has been lax in her general discipline and practice, and differs from the Free Presbyterian Church in such matters as Church bazaars and sales of work, Church soirees and social meetings, prayers at the grave, and to mention a particular case of discipline, the failure on the part of her Assembly to remove a Popish symbol from one of her Church buildings.
The Synod, in adopting this statement, declares that it does so with a sincere desire for the glory of Christ, the Head of the Church, the integrity of His Word both in profession and practice, a clear testimony for the truth as embodied in the Confession of Faith and other subordinate standards, and the general welfare of Christ’s cause in Scotland and throughout the world.
The Synod instructs its Clerk to forward a copy of this statement to the Clerk of the General Assembly of the Free Church.
Glasgow, 23rd May, 1917.
FREE CHURCH COMMISSION’S REPLY.
Covering Letter from Clerk (Rev. Prof. J. K. Cameron, M.A.), to Clerk of Free Presbyterian Synod.
Dear Mr. Sinclair,—Please find herewith enclosed the finding of our Commission of Assembly on the Report submitted to them by our Committee of negotiations with the Free Presbyterian Church anent Union. The General Assembly in May last empowered the Commission to receive and dispose of any Report on this question that might be submitted to them by its Committee—hence the action of the Commission in dealing with it.—Yours sincerely, (Signed) J. K. CAMERON.
OFFICES OF FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND,
EDINBURGH, 28th November, 1917.
At Edinburgh, the 21st day of November, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen years, which day the Commission of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland being met and constituted:
Inter alia.—The Committee of Assembly anent “Relations with the Free Presbyterian Church,” have taken into careful consideration the “Statement of Differences” submitted to them by the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church in May last, in response to the finding of the Commission of August, 1916, and thank the Synod for so frankly stating what it conceives to be the outstanding differences between the two Churches, whereby this Church is given the long-desired opportunity of sincerely addressing herself to the Christian duty of endeavouring to remove those differences. It appears to the Committee most convenient to express their view of the situation—now happily full of promise—by submitting the following statement with a recommendation that the Commission of Assembly adopt the same as their finding in the matter.
The Commission, in common with the Free Presbyterian Synod, recognising the “obligation that lies on Christian denomination, to seek union in the truth,” rejoice that the said “Statement of Differences” discloses nothing in the professed creed of either Church that should warrant their continued separation. Accordingly the Commission, desiring solely the glory of God and the spiritual well-being of our well-beloved land, and conscious of their solemn obligation to the great Head of the Church, deliberate and determine on the “differences” submitted to them seriatim as follows:—
(1) That the Church, through this Commission, points out that Dr. Alexander, on his admission to the Church as a minister in 1903, and on his appointment as Professor in 1904, avowed his whole-hearted endorsement of the Church’s unequivocal repudiation of anything and everything inconsistent with the infallibility of Scripture.
That in 1905 the Training of the Ministry Committee drew his attention to certain views in his book “Demonic Possession,” published in 1902, which were complained of as a departure from the Confessional doctrine of the Church on the infallibility of Scripture, and which, had they been maintained, would have had to be dealt with as a departure from the doctrine; that he thereupon frankly expressed his regret for any reflections which the book was fitted to cast on the infallibility of the Word of God, and withdrew it from circulation.
That the General Assembly, on receiving this report from their Committee, felt justified in bringing the proceedings initiated in connection with this matter to a close; that in 1906 he publicly re-affirmed his belief in the inerrancy of Scripture in the supremely emphatic words:—”I cherish as more precious than life itself the absolute infallibility of the Word of God”; and this teaching, ever since his entrance into the work of his Chair, in which he has the full confidence and goodwill of the Church, bears unimpeachable testimony to the sincerity of his personal belief in the absolute infallibility of the Scriptures.
The Commission (of which Dr. Alexander is a member), consistently with all this, regret whatever hurt was done to truth and the religious beliefs and feelings of God’s people within and without the Church by certain views expressed in the book referred to.
(2) That the Church admits that the Declaratory Act (1892) was de facto and de forma an Act of this Church, whose statements constituted a serious departure from the Confession of Faith and subordinate standards, as is evidenced by its unconditional repeal through the Rescinding Act of 1906; but the said Declaratory Act having become an Act of the Church ultra vires cannot be regarded as a de jure Act; that the Church reaffirms solemnly that the phrase in the said Rescinding Act—”as she has always adhered?”—does not, in the light of ascertainable data, imply, and was not intended to imply a censure on the Free Presbyterian Church, but was intended, and is hereby declared, to bear, only the construction of recording an historical fact that this Church did, under the above-named conditions, adhere, as she now does, under freer circumstances adhere, to her subordinate standards in terms of the unchanged Questions and Formula of 1846; but, in the event of union between the two Churches being consummated on the basis of 1843, this statement would consequently disappear, and the United Church would not in any way be held responsible for it.
(3) That it is admitted, and has to be regretted, that some ministers and students entered the Church through the previously existing avenue of the Mutual Eligibility Act (now repealed) and otherwise, who found themselves out of full sympathy with her testimony and consequently left her communion; but it is constantly affirmed that of recent years such vigilance has been observed in this important matter of admission to the ministry as can be claimed by any evangelical Church in the land, as is witnessed by the searching set of questions now put to all such aspirants.
(4) That this Church, like the Free Presbyterian Church, in loyalty to the Scripturally-defined functions of the Christian Church, regards the providing of amusements as incompatible with these, and, in fact, in the large majority of her congregations, does not differ in practice from the Free Presbyterian Church with respect to “Church bazaars, sales of work, Church soirees, and social meetings,” and where any such may obtain within her borders, she emphatically condemns these in so far as they are inconsistent with the solemnity and serious requirements of the Christian ministry and Christian life and conduct as, for example, raffling, excessive prices, and worldly recreations. In this she adheres to the views and the practice of revered evangelical leaders of the past. But to avoid excess or defect in all respects, the Church would welcome an opportunity through the Committees of the two Churches already suggested, to determine on these and any other matters which, if left undetermined, might be a source of irritation in a united body. Further, with regard to “Prayers at the Grave,” that this Church, in condemning everything and anything that savours of prayers for the dead, seeks to pay the same kind of respect to the Directory for Public Worship that was shown to it by our Evangelical Fathers; and, with respect to the alleged Popish symbol in one of her Churches, the Church was for a time impeded in the exercise of her disciplinary power by legal questions affecting proprietary rights, but this particular difficulty now ceases to exist.
The Commission, in adopting this Deliverance, while deploring the defections from sound doctrine and purity of worship in the Free Church since 1843, cherish the hope that it may help to bring together, on the position of 1843, as contended for by both Churches, separated Christian brethren, holding the same creed, form, worship, and discipline, for the glory of God in the maintenance and advancement of sound evangelical truth in their common field of service. The solemn circumstances of the times, and their loud call to Evangelical Churches, demand every legitimate effort for so desirable a consummation.
It was moved, seconded, and agreed to that: The Commission of Assembly, having considered a Report from a Committee anent Relations with the Free Presbyterian Church, adopt the same, and order it to be transmitted to the Clerk of the Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church.
(Signed) J. K. CAMERON, Clerk of Assembly.