The Free Church of Scotland.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 524, 23 April 1851, Page 3

The Free Church of Scotland.

At Edinburgh, and vviihin Free St. George's Church* the 20th day of November, 1850 years, Which day the Commission of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland being duly met and constituted. Inter alia. The Commission having received an interim report from the Committee on Popery, the adoption of the following reiolutions on the subject brought under the notice ot the Commission in the report was moved, seconded, and ununimously agreei to:— 1. That this Church, maintaining the doctrine of the sole and supreme authority of Christ over His own house, and holding that " the Church has no temporal head on earth but only Christ," is called upon to oppose whatever aggresiion may be made from any quarter upon the prerogatives o t the Redeemer. 2. That the Pope of Rome is not in any sense the head of the Church, hut is " that Antichrist, that man of sin, aud son of perdition, who exalteth himself in the Church against Christ, and all that is called God." 3. That the preteniions of the Papacy aie irreconcilable with the independence of nations and their rulers ; and that the prevalence of the Papal system in. any country is dangerous alike to the prerogatives of the sovereign and the civil and religious libertiei of the people. 4. That the recent procedure of the Pope, in setting up an ecclesiastical hierarchy with territorial dioceses, and intruding u caidiiul into this realm, is well fitted to awaken tlie alarm of all sound Proteitants nnd patriots; and thit this Commission will cordially rejoice in all constitutional cffirts that can be made by the Government and people of this country to meet this unprecedented and audacious aggression upon a fiee, independent, and, Protestant kingdom, 5. That, in the opinion of this Commission, the present outrage of the Unman Pontiff ought to bring the country to a sense of the Bin involved in the official support aud countenance given of late years to Popery, as well in the direct endowment of Popish institutions as in the recognition of Popish title* and dignities within the British empire; and that immediate measures ought to be adopted by the Government and Legislature with a view to the entire withdrawal of uli

such encouragement afforded to this anti-Christian system. 6. That this Church has for years beheld with pain the growing progress of Romish and Romanizing opinions and practices in the most powerful section of the Protestant Church within these realms, and still more the apathy with which these tendencies have been tolerated, in so much that recruits to the Church of Rome have been furnMied from the bosom of the English Church in a manner and to an extent unparalleled since the days of the Reformation ; and the Commission rejoice that a rpcent letter of the Prime Minister holds out the hope of tbis linger being fully considered by in Majesty's Government. 7. T!<at the Commission, however, deeply feel that what has recently occurred is chiefly alarming at an indication of the boldness with which deadly error may now show its front, and the lamentable indifference •with which its progress hus hiherto been regarded. And in this view the Commission consider it to be the indispensable duty of this Church to take steps foi diffusing information on the subject of the character and claims of Popeiy ; on which, along with the revived and extended pieadiing of the puie Gospel of the Lord Jesus Cbiist, this Church must ever place her chief reliance, under God, for saving the country from impending danger of having the Papacy again prevailing within its bordeis. 8. That a dutiful and loyal address, founded on the preceding resolutions, be preiented to her Majesty. 9. That it be an instruction to all ministers of the Church to preach on the subject of Popery on tbe second Sabbath of Derember next, orwheie ciicumstances prevent this, on the preceding or succeeding Sabbath, and that intimation thereof shall be giveu and the preceding resolutions read, on the Sabbath immediately before that on which the sermons arc to be preached. Fmther, that all the Presbyteries of the Church be instructed, at an early meeting, to take these resolutions into their consideration, with a special view to practical movements within their boundi. And the Committee on Popery are enjoined to give their esrnesc attention to ihe adoption of such measures at may be effectual for diffusing information and awakening a right state of feeling throughout the Church and country. Extracted from the Records of the Commission of tbe General Assembly of tbe Free Church ot Stotland, bv Thomas Pitcairn, Cl. Eccl. Scot. Lib.