Another year rolled on, and the General Assembly again met; but it could
only meet for the final departure of such as still adhered to the protest of the
former year for the State had determined not to yield. All things were
therefore in readiness for the meditated disruption, and nothing remained but
to seize the proper moment to announce it. This was the trying duty of
Dr. Welsh, as moderator of the former Assembly; and to be performed while
he was labouring under the depression of that wasting disease which at no
distant period brought him to the grave. But calmly and with an unaltered
step he went through the preliminary duties of that great movement; and on
Wednesday, the day previous to the opening of the Assembly, he signed the
protest of his brethren, and afterwards dined, according to established rule, with
the commissioner, to whom he announced the purposes of the morrow. On
Thursday, he preached before the commissioner and a crowded auditory upon
the text, "Let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind;" and after this
solemn note of preparation, he repaired with the brilliant cortege and throng
of divines to St. Andrew's Church, and opened the Assembly with prayer. This
duty ended, the promised moment had come. While all were hushed with
painful expectation, the pale sickness-worn face of Dr. Welsh was for the last
time turned to the commissioner's throne, and in a voice that was soft and
slow, but firm and articulate, he thus announced the final purpose of his
brethren: "According to the usual form of procedure, this is the time for
making up the roll; but, in consequence of certain proceedings affecting our
rights and privileges proceedings which have been sanctioned by her Majesty's
government, and by the legislature of the country ; and more especially, in
respect that there has been an infringement on the liberties of our constitution,
so that we could not now constitute this court without a violation of the terms
of the union between church and state in this land, as now authoritatively
declared, I must protest against our proceeding .further. The reasons that have
led me to this conclusion, are fully set forth in the document which I hold in
my hand, and which, with permission of the house, I shall now proceed to read."
He then read the protest; and after bowing to the throne, he left the chair of
office, and proceeded to the door, followed by Dr. Chalmers, Dr. Gordon, and
the fathers of this momentous secession. Thus the departure commenced; a
long array succeeded; and the procession slowly wound its way to Tanfield,
where a large hall had been hastily fitted up in expectation of the emergency;
and there, a new General Assembly was constituted, by the new—or shall we say—by the old and long-forgotten, but now regenerated Church of Scotland.
Amidst the many sacrifices that were made on this occasion by the ministers of the newly constituted Free Church of Scotland—sacrifices which even their enemies will acknowledge were neither few nor trivial—those of Dr. Welsh were of no ordinary importance. In attaining to the professorship of church history in the university of Edinburgh, he had reached an office all but the highest to which a Scottish ecclesiastic could aspire. It was besides so admirably suited to all his past acquirements, and now matured intellectual habits, that perhaps no other could have been found over the whole range of Scotland so completely adapted to his likings. And yet, this he knew from the beginning that he must forego, as soon as he abandoned the state patronage of the Establishment. In addition to his chair, he held the office of Secretary to the Board for the publication of the Bible, an office that yielded him a revenue of £500 per annum; but this comfortable independence, so rare among the scanty
