SCOTTISH FREE CHURCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 4, 5 January 1910, Page 9

SCOTTISH FREE CHURCH.

It was stated in a London cablegram; published on Monday last, that the Scot: tish Churches Commission has allocated the .minority ,now known as the Free Church £466,000 out of a total of over a million.; - '. The Free Church' of Scotland originr ated in the claim made by a majority in the Established Church (commonly known as the Evangelical party) to be •free, of control by the State in determinher own affairs." The'conflict with the Civil Courts related to the right "to veto" a presentation to a. parish when, the majority of the people opposed it, and the right to admit other ministers than those, of the civil parishesl' to sit in Church- courts. On both points the courts of law decided against the Church, and the Government refused relief. The result was the Disruption on May 18th, 1843, when 474 ministers, headed by DrChalmers, left, the Establishment and formed the Free Church surrendering all State'support in order to -possess "spiritual independence." The Church was speedily organised, and supplied herself with churches,' manses, schools and colleges; In '52 the Synod of the United Original Seceders, and in '76 the Reformed Presbyterian Church, numbering 37 ministers, united with the' Free Church; This Church (popularly known as the Camefonian) traced its : descent to the Covenanters, who refused to conform to the State Church because at 'the Revolution of 1(588 the Covenant was not enforced: In '92 a Declaratory Act" was passed by the General Assembly, declaring'the sense "in which the Westminster Confession expressed - the faith -of the Church on certain points. The United Presbyterian Church had already in '79 passed a similar Aflt. In. consequence of this action on the part of- the Free Church, 4 of her ministers' and about 1000 members seceded and formed th« Free Presbyterian Church, which has ! now 18 charges, with ministers, threefourths- of them in the HighlandsThe minority of. the Free Church, who -to ; enter into the United Free; Church, claimed to'represent the original -Free Church, and appealed .to. the'law to declare to that effect and to assign' to it the property .vested in. the Free Church, to the" Scottish Courts all the judges, found in favour of the United Free Church. In the House of Lords, aftei two-hearings by 5 to % the final, judg. ment was given in favour of the non-. uniting remnant, which was thus found in law to be the Free Church of Scot-' .land, with the Establishment principle -fundamental in its constitution: It was also, pledged to rescind the Declaratory Act. The effect of the'decision was thai the whole of the funds and heritable property of the Free Church vested in tie non-uniting minority; and as they were 'clearly' unable to occupy all the churches or administer the funds-,, a Royal Commission was appointed, on December 17th, 1904, to inquire into the matter. The "Wee Free' Church, consisted of five' synods, 11 presbyteries, 51 ministers., and 180 congregations, representing about 80,000 people. " The funds the cOTßrnission was called upon to- allocate- consisted of the widows and orphans/ fundi amounting to £448,006, and. other general funds, amounting to £1,478000. The commission in 190& awarded oner third to the legal Free Church aud. bwen thirds to the United Free Chtirch. In addition there were bequests amounting to £476,000, which were divided between the Churches. The. cablegram evidently gives the final . allocation relating to funds not included in the allocation made in 1908.