FREE CHURCH steady increase in the gross amount of the fund ; but owing to an almost equally rapid increase of the number of new ministerial charges participating in its benefits, the stipend payable to each minister did not for many years reach the sum of 150 which had been aimed at as a minimum. Thus in 1844-45 the fund had risen to 76,180, but the ministers had also increased to G27, and the equal dividend therefore was only 122. During the first ten years the annual income averaged 84,057 ; during the next decade 108,643; and durin the third 130,246. The mini mum of 150 was reached at last in 1868; and since then the balance remaining after that minimum has been provided has been treated as a surplus fund, and distributed among those ministers whose congregations have contributed at certain specified rates per member. In 1878 the total amount received for this fund was up wards of 177,000; in this 1075 ministers participated. The full equal dividend of 157 was paid to 766 ministers ; and additional grants of 36 and 18 were paid out of the surplus fund to 632 and 129 ministers respectively. 1 To provide for the erection of the buildings which, it was foreseen, would be necessary, a general building fund, in which all should share alike, was also organized, and local building funds were as far as possible established in each parish, with the result that at the first Assembly a sum of 104,776 was reported as already available. By May 1844 a further sum of 123,060 had been collected, and 470 churches were reported as completed or nearly so. In the following year 131,737 was raised, and 60 additional churches were built. At the end of four years considerably more than 700 churches had been provided. During the winter session 1843-44 the divinity students who had joined the Free Church continued their studies under Dr Chalmers and Dr Welsh; and at the Assembly of 1844 arrangements were made for the erection of suitable collegiate buildings. The New College, Edinburgh, was built in 1847 at a cost of 46,506 ; and divinity halls have subsequently been set up also in Glasgow and Aberdeen. In 1878 there were 13 professors of theology, with an aggre gate of 230 students, the numbers at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen respectively being 129, 69, and 32. A somewhat unforeseen result of the Disruption was the necessity for a duplicate system of elementary schools. At the 1813 Assembly it was for the first time announced by Dr Welsh that " schools to a certain extent must be opened to afford a suitable sphere of occupation for parochial and s ill more for private teachers of schools, who are threatened with deprivation of their present office on account of their opinions upon the church question." The suggestion was taken up with very great energy, and with the result that in May 1845 280 schools had been set up, while in May 1847 this number had risen to 513, with an attendance of upwards of 44,000 scholars. In 1869 it was stated in an authoritative document laid before members of parliament that at that time there were connected with and supported by the Free Church 598 schools (including two normal schools), with 633 teachers and 64,115 scholars. The school buildings had been erected at a cost of 220,000, of which the committee of privy council had contributed 35,000, while the remainder had been raised by voluntary effort. Annual payments made to teachers, etc., as at 1869, amounted to 16,000. The total sum expended by the Free Church since the Disruption for educational purposes has beennotless than 600,000. In accordance with certain provisions of the Education Act of 1872 most of the schools of the Free Church were voluntarily transferred, without compensation, to the local school boards. 1 Congregations, it ought to be noted, are permitted, and indeed expected, by collections or otherwise, each to " supplement " the in come which its pastor derives from the general sustentation fund. It has been already seen that during the period of the Ten Years Conflict the non-intrusion party strenuously denied that in any one respect it was departing from ac knowledged principles of the National Church. It con tinued to do so after the Disruption. In 1846, however, it was found to have become necessary, " in consequence of the late change in the outward condition of the church," to amend the " questions and formula " to be used at the licens ing of probationers and the ordination of office-bearers. These were amended accordingly ; and at the same time it was declared that, " while the church firmly maintains the same scriptural principles as to the duties of nations and their rulers in reference to true religion and the Church of Christ for which she has hitherto contended, she disclaims intolerant or persecuting principles, and does not regard her Confession of Faith, or any portion thereof when fairly inter preted, as favouring intolerance or persecution, or consider that her office-bearers by subscribing it profess any princi ples inconsistent with liberty of conscience and the right of private judgment." The main difference between the "formula" of the Free Church and that of the Established Church is that the former refers to the Confession of Faith simply as "approven by General Assemblies of this Church," while the latter describes it as "approven by the General Assemblies of this National Church, ond ratified by law in the year 1690, and frequently confirmed by divers Acts of Parliament since that time." The former inserts an addi tional clause, " I also approve of the general principles respecting the jurisdiction of the church, and her subjection to Christ as her only Head, which are contained in the Claim of Right and in the Protest referred to in the questions already put to me ; " and also adds the words which are here distinguished by italics, " And I promise that through the grace of God I shall firmly and constantly adhere to the same, and to the utmost of my power shall in my station assert, maintain, and defend the said doctrine, worship, dis cipline, and government of this church by kirk-sessions, presbyteries, provincial synods, and general assemblies, to gether with the liberty and exclusive jurisdiction thereof ; and that I shall, in my practice, conform myself to the said worship and submit to the said discipline [and] government, and exclusive jurisdiction, and not endeavour directly or indirectly the prejudice or subversion of the same." 2 In the year 1851 an Act and Declaration anent the publication of the subordinate standards and other authoritative docu ments of the Free Church of Scotland was passed, in which the historical fact is recalled that the Church of Scotland had formally consented to adopt the Confession of Faith, catechisms, directory of public worship, and form of church government agreed upon by the Westminster Assembly ; and it is declared that these several formularies, as ratified, with certain explanations, by divers Acts of Assembly in the years 1645, 1646, and particularly in 1647, this church continues till this day to acknowledge as her subordinate standards of doctrine, worship, and government. 3 In 1858 circumstances arose which, in the opinion of many, seemed fitted to demonstrate to the Free Church that her freedom was an illusion, and that all her sacrifices had been made in vain. Mr John Macmillan, minister of Cardross, accused of immorality, had been tried and found guilty by the Free Presbytery of Dumbarton. Appeal having been taken to the synod, an attempt was there made to revive one particular charge, of which he had been finally
- It may be added that, while the Free Church requires elders to
subscribe the same formula as ministers, the Established Church re quires them to sign an older and shorter one. 3 By this formal recognition of the qualifications to the Confession of Faith made in 1647 the scruples of the majority of the Associate Synod of Original Seceders were removed, and 27 ministers, along with a considerable number of their people, joined the Free Church in tho following year. IX. - 94
