3. Fbee Ciicp.ni OF Scotland. — This large and useful body of Christians, now numbering nearly a million of people, was organized into a separate relig- ious denomination in May. 1843. The circumstances which led to its formation as a Church distinct from the Establishment have already been detailed in a previous article. The conflict which at length termi- nated in the Disruption had its origin in the two re- forming acts passed by the General Assembly of 1834, the one of which, the Act on Calls, asserted the prin- ciple of non-intrusion, and the other, usually called the Chapel Act, asserted the right of the Church to deter- mine who should administer the government of Christ's house. Both of these acts gave rise to lawsuits before the civil tribunals, thus bringing into discussion the whole question as to the terms of the connection be- tween the Church and the Stale. As the various proc- nl forward in the courts of law. it became quite plain to many, both of the Scottish clergy and laity, that attempts were made by the civil courts to coerce the courts of the Church in matters spiritual. Every encroachment of this kind they were determined to re- sist, as being contrary to the laws and constitution of the Church of Scotland, as well as an infringement on the privileges secured to her by the Act of Security and Treaty of Union.
.Matters were evidently fast hastening onward to a crisis, and in the Assembly of 1842 a claim of Rights was agreed upon to be laid before the Legislature, Bet- ting forth the grievances of which the Church com- plained in consequence of the usurpations of the courts of law. and declaring the terms on which alone she would remain in connection with the Siate. This im- portant document was adopted by a majority of 131. 'I'he claim, however, which ii contained, was pronounced by government to be "unreasonable," and intimation w.i- di-iiucily made that the government "could not ad- vise her majesty to acquiesce in these demands." This reply on the part of the supreme branch of the legisla- ture was decisive, and put an end to ail hope ,,fa\ erting the impending catastrophe. At the next meeting of Assembly, accordingly, the moderator, instead oi con- stituting the court in the usual form, read a solemn pro- test. \\ Inch he laid upon the table, and withdrew, fol- lowed by all the clerical and lay members >•( Assembly by whom ii was subscribed. This document proie>t> against the then recent decisions of the conns of law on the following grounds:
" i. That the courts of Die church hv law established, and members thereof, are liable to be coerced by the civil courts iii the exercise of their spiritual function's; and in particular in the admission to the offli e of the holy min- istry, and the Constitution of the pastoral relation, and that they are subject to be compelled to intrude minis-
ters on reclaiming congregations in opposition to the fundamental principles of the Church, and their views of the Word of God, and to the liberties of Christ's peo- ple.
" 2. That the said civil courts have power to interfere with and interdict the preaching of the Gospel and ad- ministration of ordinance- as authorized and enjoined by the i ton rch courts of the Establishment.
'•:;. That the said civil courts have power to suspend spiritual censures pronounced by the Church courts of the Establishment against ministers and probationers of the Church, and to interdict their execution as to spiritual effects, functions, ami privileges.
•1. That the said civil courts have power to reduce and set aside the sentences ot the « lunch courts of the Estab- lishment deposing ministers from the office of the holy ministry and depriving probationers of their license to preach the Gospel, with reference to the spiritual slants, functions, and privileges of such ministers and probation- ers restoring them to the spiritual office and status of Which the Church courts had deprived them.
"5. That the said civil courts have power to determine on the right to sit as members of the supreme and other
judicatories of the church by law established, and to is- sue interdicts against siitiic_' and voting therein, irrespec- tive of the judgment and determination of the said judi- catories.
"6. That the said civil courts have power to supersede the majority of a i Ihurcb court of the Establishment, in re- gard to the exercise of its spiritual functions as a church court, and to authorize the minority to exercise the said functions, in opposition to the court itself, and to the su- perior judicatories of the Establishment
"7. That the said civil courts have power to stay proc- c-*es ofdiscipline pending before courts of the Church by law established, and to interdict such courts from pro- ceeding therein.
"8. That no pastor of a congregation can be admitted into the Church courts of the Establishment, and allowed to rule, as Well as to teach, agreeably to the institution of the office by the Head of the church, nor to sit iii any of the judicatories of the Church, inferior or supreme— and that no additional provision can he made for the ex- ercise of spiritual discipline among the members of the Church, though not affecting any patrimonial interests, and no alteration introduced in the stale of pastoral su- perintendence and spiritual discipline iu any parish, with- out the sanction of a civil court.