Misplaced Pages

#369630

24-665: The Anti-Burghers were opponents of the Burgher Oath on theological grounds. In 1733, the First Secession from the Church of Scotland resulted in the creation of the "Associate Presbytery". The church split in 1747 over the issue of the Burgher Oath, which required holders of public offices to affirm approval of the religion "presently professed in this kingdom". The issue was civil compulsion in religious affairs,

48-594: A "new light" in their perspective on sin and atonement . Old Lights and New Lights generally referred to Congregationalists and Baptists in New England and Presbyterians in Pennsylvania and further south who took different positions on the Awakening from the traditional branches of their denominations. New Lights embraced the revivals that spread through the colonies, while Old Lights were suspicious of

72-547: A forerunner of later arguments over the separation of church and state . Opponents of the Burgher Oath on theological grounds became known as the Anti-Burgher and showed a distinctive independence of conviction and an unwillingness to compromise over sincerely held beliefs. The Burgher and the Anti-Burgher factions thus formed the rival independent synods: the General Associate Synod (Anti-Burghers) and

96-458: A person outside the church and consequently lost their jobs. They continued to preach independently and illegally, which led to armed rebellion and to The Killing Time in the 1680s. Patronage in Scotland was halted in the 1690s. A new Patronage Act was legislated in 1711. According to Dale Jorgenson, "The Patronage Act, enacted under the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714), gave lay patrons

120-800: The Free Kirk . Patronage was finally abolished by Parliament in 1874, after 300 years. 1. James Fisher (1749-1764) 2. John Swanston (1764-1767) 3. John Brown of Haddington (1768-1787) 4. George Lawson (1787-1800). 1. George Lawson (1787-1800). 2. John Dick (1820) 1. William Willis (1800-1803) 2. George Hill (1803-1819) 3. William Taylor (appointed interim Professor, 1818) (1819-1833) (died 1836) 4. Michael Willis (1835-1839) Citations Sources Old Lights The terms Old Lights and New Lights (among others) are used in Protestant Christian circles to distinguish between two groups that were initially

144-646: The "Old Lights," and the ones who changed are referred to as the "New Lights". The terms were first used during the First Great Awakening (1730s–40s), which expanded through the British North American colonies in the middle of the 18th century. In A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God (1737), Jonathan Edwards , a leader in the Awakening, describes his congregants' vivid experiences with grace as causing

168-747: The Church of Scotland in the 1790s, the "Old Lights" followed the principles of the Covenanters , and the "New Lights" were more focused on personal salvation and considered the strictures of the Covenants as less binding moral enormities. The terms were also used in 1833, when a debate over swearing allegiance to the US Constitution split the Reformed Presbyterians. The "Old Light" Reformed Presbyterians, in keeping with their Covenanter heritage, refused to swear allegiance to

192-849: The Old Light Burghers which had refused to merge with the Church of Scotland , to form the ' United Original Secession Church ', and the son became a member of that church. 6. In 1852 some of the members of the United Original Secession Church, including the son, joined the Free Church of Scotland formed by the Disruption of 1843 . 5. In 1856 the son became a professor in the Theological College of English Presbyterian Church . 6. The son resigned from that post in 1866. (Other than

216-700: The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland . The United Presbyterian Church united with most of the Free Church of Scotland in 1900 to create the United Free Church of Scotland , most of whom ultimately reunited with the Church of Scotland in 1929. The Anti-Burgher Auld Lichts formed the Constitutional Associate Presbytery. The four ministers who constituted it were James Aitken of Kirriemuir, Archibald Bruce , James Hog of Kelso and Thomas M'Crie

240-402: The "Constitutional Associate Presbytery". 3, The son was ordained in 1821 as a minister of the ' Old Light ' Anti-Burgher "Constitutional Associate Presbytery". The father and the son served together as ministers of that Presbytery for the remainder of its existence. 4. In 1827 the 'Old Light' Anti-Burgher Constitutional Associate Presbytery united with the 'Synod of Protesters' (which had left

264-676: The Associate Synod (Burghers). Eventually both the Burghers and Anti-Burghers had further splits: the Burghers in 1798 and the Anti-Burghers in 1806. Both factions formed their own, separate "Auld Licht" (old light) and "New Licht" factions. The more Calvinistic "Auld Lichts" held to the obligations of the Solemn League and Covenant , the "New Lichts" were more theologically liberal, a notable and continuing influence in

SECTION 10

#1732781076370

288-620: The New Licht' Anti-Burgher Synod in 1820-1) to form the 'Associate Synod of Original Seceders', also known as the Original Secession Church . The father and the son served together as ministers of this Church until the father's death in 1835, after which the son continued to serve as such for the remainder of the church's existence. 5. In 1842 the Original Secession Church united with the portion of

312-535: The apostolic church. When told of this development, Whitefield famously quipped that he was glad to hear about the fervent faith of his followers but regretted that "so many of his chickens had become ducks." In the Presbyterian Church those elements embracing the revivals of the Great Awakening were sometimes called " New Side ," and those opposed to the revivals were called "Old Side." In

336-473: The burgess, or oathgiver, to profess that the true religion was the one professed within the realm. The Burghers continued to meet as the Associate Synod, and the Anti-Burghers created the General Associate Synod. Both groups later had internal splits, with the Burghers splitting in 1798 into the "Auld Licht" Calvinist group, which held to the Solemn League and Covenant , and the "New Licht", which

360-617: The elder . The "Synod of Protesters" including George Paxton (minister) joined it in 1827 and it became the Original Secession Church . In 1842, the body united with the portion of the Old Light Burgher Synod which had not joined the Church of Scotland in 1839, to form the United Original Secession Church . The church split in 1852, with one party joining in the Free Church of Scotland and

384-599: The others finally reuniting with the Church of Scotland in 1956. The careers of the father and son Thomas M'Crie the Elder and Thomas M'Crie the Younger illustrate the history of various Scottish denominations. 1. The father was ordained in 1796 as a minister of the Anti-Burgher Secession Synod. 2. The father was one of the ' Old Lights ' who left the Anti-Burgher Secession Synod in 1806 to form

408-487: The parish's patron. Dissenting attendees to the General Assembly stated that church ministers should be chosen by church elders. That led to the creation of the Associate Synod in 1742, commonly called the "Secession Church". The "Secession Church" then split in 1747 into the Burghers and the Anti-Burghers over the lawfulness of the forms of the civil oath then current in Scotland. The contentious clause required

432-745: The post-1847 United Presbyterian Church of Scotland . In 1820, the majority of the New Licht Anti-Burghers united with the New Licht Burghers as the United Secession Church . "A conservative 'clique' led by Professor George Paxton and Dr Stevenson [George Stevenson of Ayr] forming the 'Synod of Protesters' in May 1821." The United Secession Church in turn united with the Relief Church in 1847 to create

456-502: The revivals (and their seeming threat to authority). The historian Richard Bushman credits the division between Old Lights and New Lights for the creation of political factionalism in Connecticut in the mid-eighteenth century. Often, many "new light" Congregationalists who had been converted under the preaching of George Whitefield left that connection to become "new light" Baptists when they found no evidence of infant baptism in

480-429: The right to present ministers to parishes. This act of patronage was an affront to classic Presbyterianism , and resulted in a division between Burghers who accepted the Burghers' Oath and its consequent patronage, and the Anti-Burghers who would not accept the oath". The First Secession occurred in 1731 and was triggered by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland giving priority in the appointment of minister to

504-465: The same but had come to a disagreement. The terms originated in the early 18th century from a split in theological approach among Calvinist denominations concerning the nature of conversion and salvation. Since then, they have been applied in a wide variety of ways, and the meaning must be determined from each context. Typically, if a denomination is changing, and some refuse to change, and the denomination splits, those who did not change are referred to as

SECTION 20

#1732781076370

528-475: The theological professors listed below) 1. Alexander Moncrieff (one of the 1733 seceders) (1747–1761) 2. William Moncrieff (1761–1786) 3. Archibald Bruce (1786–1806) 1. George Paxton (1807–1820) 1. Archibald Bruce (1806–1816) 2. George Paxton ( Original Secession Church – 1827–1836) 3. Thomas M'Crie the Younger ( Original Secession Church – 1836–1842) ( United Original Secession Church – 1842–1852) Burgher Oath The Burgher Oath

552-592: Was more liberal and influential. The Auld Lichts created the Original Associate Synod. In 1820, many of the Burgher and Anti-Burgher congregations united into one denominations. Some churches did not wish to unite and went on to form a separate church denomination. In 1842, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland wrote to the newly-crowned Queen Victoria and urged the end of patronage. That did not happen and several ministers went on to form

576-528: Was the oath that a town burgess was required to swear on taking office. The Burghers' position was in opposition to the Seceders and Anti-Burghers . The Rescissory Act 1661 stated that all ministers and preachers in Scotland needed to acquire a patron (usually a local laird who would choose which minister would preach in their area). A quarter of the clergy refused to hand over authority to

#369630