19 November 2010 – Special Edition

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[1] Free Church of Scotland Overturns 105 Years of Exclusive Unaccompanied Psalmody

Contrary to the earlier prediction in the 17 November 2010 Presbyterians Week, the Free Church of Scotland (FCS) General Assembly, in a plenary assembly on 19 November 2010, by a vote of 98 to 84, abandoned a 105-year legislative requirement for exclusive unaccompanied psalmody dating back to a 25 May 1905 act of the FCS General Assembly that recalled four late 19^th century resolutions authorizing and sanctioning the use of uninspired hymns and an 1883 resolution regarding instrumental music.

The following amendment offered the evening of 18 November 2010 by the Rev. Alex J. MacDonald, after debate, was passed 19 November 2010 by a show of hands voting 98-84 in favor:

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“That paragraphs 3 to 8 of the Deliverance be deleted and replaced with the following paragraphs (paragraph 9 in the Deliverance to become paragraph 11):

“3. The General Assembly, recognising that, after consideration of the Biblical and theological questions and widespread consultation throughout the Church on the question of the form of worship presently practised, there are equally conscientious and Biblically grounded but differing views on the subject, ordain and enact in the following terms.

“4. The General Assembly hereby repeal Act V, Class II, 1932; Act I, Class I, 1910; Act VI, Class II, 1910; Act V, Class II, 1905; Act of Assembly, of date 31st May 1883, entitled “VII. Act anent Instrumental Music (No. 4 of Class II)”; and resolutions authorising and sanctioning the use of uninspired hymns, of dates June 3, 1872; May 27, 1881 May 26, 1896; and May 24, 1897.

“5. The General Assembly declare that purity of worship requires that every aspect of worship services, including sung praise, be consistent with the Word of God and with the whole doctrine of the Confession of Faith approved by previous Assemblies of this Church.

“6. The General Assembly ordain that every service of congregational worship shall include the singing of Psalms.

“7. The General Assembly ordain that, with regard to the sung praise of congregations in worship, each Kirk Session shall have freedom, either to restrict the sung praise to the Psalms, or to include paraphrases of Scripture, and hymns and spiritual songs consistent with the doctrine of the Confession of Faith; that each Kirk Session shall have freedom whether to permit musical accompaniment to the sung praise in worship, or not.

“8. The General Assembly advise that, notwithstanding the foregoing, no Kirk Session should agree to a change in sung praise or musical accompaniment against the wishes of the minister of the congregation, and that a visiting minister, presiding at a service in a congregation where the aforementioned freedom to use uninspired materials of praise and musical instruments has been exercised, may exercise that freedom or not as he sees fit.

“9. The General Assembly ordain that in meetings of Church Courts the use of uninspired materials of praise and of instrumental music will be avoided.

“10. The General Assembly appoint a Special Committee (using consultants as required) to investigate the feasibility and desirability of producing a recommended list of paraphrases of Scripture and hymns and spiritual songs consistent with the Word of God and the whole doctrine of the Confession of Faith, and whether the Free Church ought to produce a praise resource supplementary to the Psalter, and to report to the 2011 General Assembly.”

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The following prior acts of the FCS General Assembly are instructive regarding the historical significance of today’s events:

“V. – Act anent Public Worship (No. 5 of Class II.). Edinburgh, 25th May 1905. Sess. 5.

“1. The General Assembly hereby recall resolutions authorising and sanctioning the use of uninspired hymns, of dates June 3, 1872; May 27, 1881 May 26, 1896; and May 24, 1897; and repeal Act of Assembly, of date 31st. May 1883, entitled “VII. Act anent Instrumental Music (No. 4 of Class II. ).

“2. The General Assembly reaffirm the Disruption position of 1843 in respect of doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, and enjoin all their congregations to adhere to purity of worship, as that was understood and practiced at that period, and so secure that the present practice of the Church be in accord with the terms of the Formula of 1846, “purity of worship presently authorised and practised in the Free Church of Scotland.”

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“I. – Act anent Public Worship (No. 1 of Class I.) Edinburgh 31st May 1910. Sess. 11.

“Whereas the maintenance in all respects by this Church of her historic position, as the Church of Scotland Free, ought to be made abundantly clear, and any misunderstanding regarding the same prevented; Whereas evil effects arose from the introduction of uninspired materials of praise at variance with the Scriptural principles and usage regulating her worship, as also of instrumental music, by the late prevailing party in her judicatures; and Whereas, on the secession of that party in October 1900, neither of these innovations remained within her borders, and they are now authoritatively proscribed by Act of Assembly, 1905, entitled, Act anent Public Worship (No. 5 of Class II.); and Whereas, further, the peace and harmony of this Church ought to be safeguarded against disturbance in all time coming from attempts to introduce these and similar innovations, the General Assembly (with the consent of Presbyteries) do, therefore, resolve to embody in this present Act, the Act XV. of Assembly 1707, entitled Act against Innovations in the Worship of God, that thereby the better knowledge and observance of the same may be secured, the terms whereof are these :- “ The General Assembly of this Church, taking into their serious consideration that the purity of religion, and particularly of Divine worship, and uniformity therein, is a signal blessing to the Church of God, and that it hath been the great happiness of this Church, ever since her reformation from Popery, to have enjoyed and maintained the same in a great measure, and that any attempts made for the introduction of innovations in the worship of God therein have been of fatal and dangerous consequence: Likeas, by the 5th Act of the Parliament, anno 1690, and 23rd Act of the Parliament, 1693 years [C. 22 in Claim, Declaration, and Protest, and 38 in the Record Edition of the Acts of Parliament], and the Act lately passed for security of the present Church Establishment, the foresaid purity and uniformity of worship are expressly provided for; and being well informed, by representations sent from several Presbyteries of this Church, that innovations, particularly in the Public Worship of God, are of late set up in some places in public assemblies within their respective bounds, and that endeavours are used to promote the same, by persons of known disaffection to the present establishment, both of Church and State, the introduction whereof was not so much as once attempted, even during the late Prelacy; and considering also that such innovations are dangerous to this Church, and manifestly contrary to our known principle, (which is, that nothing is to be admitted in the worship of God but what is prescribed in the Holy Scriptures), to the constant practice of this Church, and against the good and laudable laws made since the late happy Revolution for establishing and securing the same, in her doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, and that they tend to the fomenting of schism and division, to the disturbance of the peace and quiet both of Church and State: Therefore, the General Assembly being moved with zeal, for the glory of God, and the purity and uniformity of His worship, doth hereby discharge the practice of all such innovations in Divine worship within this Church, and does require and obtest all the ministers of this Church, especially those in whose bounds any such innovations are, or may happen to be, to represent to their people the evil thereof, and seriously to exhort them to beware of them, and to deal with all such as do practice the same, in order to their recovery and reformation; and do instruct and enjoin the Commission of this Assembly to use all proper means, by applying to the Government or otherwise, for suppressing and removing all such innovations, and preventing the evils and dangers that may ensue thereupon to this Church.” And the Assembly declare that they ratify and approve the said Act XV., 1707, thus hereinbefore expressed as setting forth the permanent principles regulating the purity of worship maintained by this Church, and asserting the fatal and dangerous consequence of attempts to innovate upon the said purity of worship, and that the historical references thereof are to be held as illustrative of the godly zeal of their forefathers in maintaining these principles, – not necessarily, however, with full approval of their methods, and the injunctions contained therein are to be implemented in accordance with the declarations contained in Act XII., 1846. Accordingly, the Assembly prohibit the practice of all such innovations in Divine worship within this Church, and require all the ministers of this Church, especially those whose congregations may happen to be in danger of being contaminated thereby, to represent to their people the evil thereof, and seriously to exhort them to beware of them. They enjoin Presbyteries, where innovations are represented as having taken place, in the order and form of Public Worship, confirmed by Acts of Assembly, and presently practiced in this Church, to adopt such course as seems best fitted for restoring uniformity within their bounds, and decree that orders of Presbytery, issued to that effect, are to be obeyed, until reversed or modified by the Superior Courts. Further, they instruct and enjoin the Commission of this Assembly to use all proper means for suppressing and removing all such innovations, should they appear in connection with any of the congregations, and for preventing the evils and dangers that may ensue thereupon to this Church.”

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“VI. – Act anent Reading Act I. Class I., 1910 (No. 5 of Class II.)

“The Assembly enact and ordain that the following portions, brevitatis causa, of the Act be publicly read before the Questions appointed by Act XII., 1846, at ordinations and inductions. Whereas the maintenance in all respects by this Church of her historic position, as the Church of Scotland Free, ought to be made abundantly clear, and any misunderstanding regarding the same prevented; Whereas evil effects arose from the introduction of uninspired materials of praise at variance with the Scriptural principles and usage regulating her worship, as also of instrumental music, by the late prevailing party in her judicatures ; and Whereas, on the secession of that party in October 1900, neither of these innovations remained within her borders, and they are now authoritatively proscribed by Act of Assembly, 1905, entitled, Act anent Public Worship (No. 5 of Class II.); and Whereas, further, the peace and harmony of this Church ought to be safeguarded against disturbance in all time coming from attempts to introduce these and similar innovations, the General Assembly (with the consent of Presbyteries), do, herefore, resolve to embody in this present Act, the Act XV. Of Assembly 1707, entitled Act against Innovations in the Worship of God, that thereby the better knowledge and observance of the same may be secured, the terms whereof are these :- “ The General Assembly of this Church, – taking into their serious consideration that the purity of religion, and particularly of Divine Worship, and uniformity therein, is a signal blessing to the Church of God, and that it hath been the great happiness of this Church, ever since her reformation from Popery, to have enjoyed and maintained the same in a great measure, and that any attempts made for the introduction of innovations in the worship of God therein have been of fatal and dangerous consequence Likeas, by the 5th Act of the Parliament, anno 1690, and 23rd Act of the Parliament, 1693 years [C. 22 in Claim, Declaration, and Protest, and 38 in the Record Edition of the Acts of Parliament], and the Act lately passed for security of the present Church Establishment the foresaid purity and uniformity of worship are expressly provided for; and being well informed, by representations sent from several Presbyteries of this Church, that innovations, particularly in the Public Worship of God, are of late set up in some places in public assemblies within their respective bounds, and that endeavours are used to promote the same, by persons of known disaffection to the present establishment, both of Church and State, the introduction whereof was not so much as once attempted, even during the late Prelacy; and considering also that such innovations are dangerous to this Church, and manifestly contrary to our known principle (which is, that nothing is to be admitted in the worship of God but what is prescribed in the Holy Scriptures), to the constant practice of this Church, and against the good and laudable laws made since the late happy Revolution for establishing and securing the same, in her doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, and that they tend to the fomenting of schism and division, to the disturbance of the peace and quiet both of Church and State . . . .” Accordingly, the Assembly (of the Free Church of Scotland) prohibit the practice of all such innovations in Divine worship within this Church, and require all the ministers of this Church, especially those whose congregations may happen to be in danger of being contaminated thereby, to represent to their people the evil thereof, and seriously to exhort them to beware of them. They enjoin Presbyteries, where innovations are represented as having taken place, in the order and form of Public Worship, confirmed by Acts of Assembly, and presently practiced in this Church, to adopt such course as seems best fitted for restoring uniformity within their bounds, and decree that orders of Presbytery, issued to that effect, are to be obeyed, until reversed or modified by the Superior Courts. Further, they instruct and enjoin the Commission of this Assembly to use all proper means for suppressing and removing all such innovations, should they appear in connection with any of the congregations, and for preventing the evils and dangers that may ensue thereupon to this Church.”

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“V. – Act anent Requirement at Ordinations and Inductions (No. 5 of Class II) Edinburgh, 30th May 1932. Sess. 10. (The date and session should be 31st. May Sess.11)

“The General Assembly enact and ordain that at Ordinations and Inductions the presiding Minister shall, prior to putting the appointed questions to the Ordinand, make the following intimation, namely :- It is my duty to explain to you, and also to the Congregation here present, with reference to that part of the question which will be put to you as to “ Purity of Worship as presently practised in this Church,” that, in 1910, the General Assembly reaffirmed the legislation of the Church as to uniformity in public worship going back to the year 1707; and that, in accordance with that legislation, it is the present practice of the Free Church to avoid the use in public worship of uninspired materials of praise as also of instrumental music. Such present practice determines the purity of worship to the maintenance of which the Ordinand pledges himself.

“The General Assembly repeal Act VI. 1910.”

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+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk
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