Original Burghers is the name of that body of secessionists from the Scotch Establishment who in" the schism of 1747 remained steadfast to the oath obliga- tion, and favored the National Establishment, though they did not form a part of it. See Antiburghers. In the agitation regarding the power of the civil magis- trate in matters of religion, and the binding obligation of the covenants upon posterity, towards the close of the 18th century, the Associate General (Antiburgher) Synod had deemed it necessary to remodel the whole of their testimony, a proceeding which led to the for- mation of the Original Antiburghers (q. v.). The As- sociate (Burgher) Synod, however, did not proceed so far as to remodel their Testimony, but simply prefixed to the formula of questions proposed to candidates for license or for ordination a problem or explanatory state- ment not requiring an approbation of compulsory meas- ures in matters of religion, and, in reference to the cov- enants, admitting their obligation on posterity, without dclining either the nature or extent of the obligation. The introduction of this preamble gave rise to a violent controversy in the Associate (Burgher) Synod, which commenced in 1795, and has usually been known by the name of the Formula Controversy. The utmost keen- ness and even violence characterized both parties in the contention, the opponents of the preamble declaring that it involved a manifest departure from the doctrines of the original standards of the secession, while its fa- vorers contended Avith equal vehemence that the same statements as those which were now objected to had already been given forth more than once by the Church courts of the secession. At several successive meet-
ings of the synod the adoption of the preamble was strenuously resisted, but at length, in 1799, it was agreed to in the following terms:
"That whereas some parts of the standard of this syn- od have been interpreted as favoring compulsory meas- ures in religion, the synod hereby declare that they do not require an approbation of any such principle from any candidate for license or ordination. And whereas a controversy has arisen among us respecting the nature and kind of the obligation of our solemn covenants on posterity — whether it be entirely of the same kind upon us as upon our ancestors who swore them — the synod hereby declare that, while they hold the obligation of our covenants upon posterity, they do not interfere with that controversy which has arisen respecting the nature and kind of it; and recommend it to all their members to suppress that controversy as tending to a general strife rather than godly edifying."
The adoption of this preamble having been decided upon by a large majority of the synod, Messrs. William Fletcher, William Taylor, and ^\■illiam Watson, minis- ters, with ten elders, dissented from this decision ; and Mr. Willis gave in the following protestation, to which Mr. Ebenezer Hyslop and two elders adhered :
" I protest in my own name, and in the name of all ministers, elders, and private Christians who adhere to this protest, that as the synod has obstinately refused to remove the preamble pretixed to the Formula, and declare their simple and unqualified adherence to our principles, I will no more acknowledge them as over me in the Lord until they return to their principles."'
Messrs. Willis and Hyslop having thus, in the verj' terras of their protest, declared themselves no longer in connection with the synod, their names were erased from the roll ; and those who adhered to them were declared to have cut themselves off from the communion of the Associate body. Accordingly, on Oct. 2, 1799, the two brethren who had thus renounced the authority of the synod met at Glasgow, along with William Watson, minister to Kilpatrick, and solemnly constituted them- selves into a presbytery, under the name of the Asso- ciate Presbyter}'. This was the commencement of that section of the secession formerly known b\' the name of " Old Light" or " Original Burghers." In the course of the following year the brethren who had thus sep- arated themselves from the Associate Burgher Synod were joined by several additional ministers, who sym- pathized with them in their views of the preamble as being an abandonment of secession principles. Grad- ually the new presbyterv' increased in numbers until, in 1805, they had risen by ordinations and accessions to fifteen. They now constituted themselves into a synod, under the name of the "Associate Synod;" but the name by which they have been usually known is the Original Burgher Synod. In vindication as well as ex- planation of tlieir principles, they republished the "Act, Declaration, and Testimony" of the Secession Church. They also published, in a separate pamphlet, an Ap- pendix of the Testimony, containing "A Narrative of the origin, progress, and consequences of late innova- tions of the Secession, with a Continuation of that Tes- timony to the present time."
In course of time a union was proposed to be effected between the Original Burgher and Original Antiburgher sections of the secession, and, with a view to accomplish- ing an object so desirable, a correspondence was en- tered into between the synods of the two denonnna- tions, committees were appointed, and conferences held to arrange the terms of union. But the negotiations, though continued for some time, were fruitless, and the project of union was abandoned. In 1837 a formal appli- cation was made by the Original Burgher Synod to be admitted to communion witli the Established Church of Scotland. The proposal was favorabh' entertained by the General Assembly, and a committee was appointed to confer with a committee of the Original Burgher Synod, and to discuss the terms of union. The negoti- ations were conducted in the most amicable manner; and a General Assembly having transtnitted an over- ture to presbyteries on the subject, the union was ap- proved, and in 18-iO the majority of the Original Burgher