The principal acts of the general assembly, convened at Edinburgh, May 21, 1840.
I. Sess. 1, May 21, 1840.—The Queen's Commission to Lord Belhaven.
Victoria, &c.
II. Sess. 1, May 21, 1840.— Her Majesty's Letter to the General Assembly.
Victoria, R., &c.
III. Sess. 4, May 25, 1840.—The General Assembly's Answer to the Queen's most gracious
Letter.
May it please your Majesty, &c.
IV. Sess. 4, May 25, 1840.—The General Assembly's Congratulatory Address to the Queen
on her Majesty's Marriage.
May it please your Majesty,
We, your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the ministers and elders of the
Church of Scotland met in this General Assembly, gladly avail ourselves of this first
opportunity of congratulating your Majesty on the auspicious occasion of your nuptials with a Prince adorned by eminent personal qualities, and recommended to the
confidence of this Protestant nation, by his descent from a family signalized in the
history of Europe by early and stedfast attachment to the cause of the Reformation.
We humbly and heartily assure your Majesty of the affectionate interest with
which we and the people of whom we have the spiritual oversight, contemplate an
event, which is calculated to lighten the multiplied cares of royalty by the soothing
influence of domestic kindness, and which, at the same time, affords us the pleasing
prospect of the blessings which, through the favour of Divine Providence, we hope
will continue to be enjoyed by this nation, in living under the mild sway of a race of
princes descended from your Majesty, who, inheriting all the excellencies which have
endeared their illustrious ancestors to our fathers and to us, will find their own happiness and honour identified with the wisdom and worth, the peace and safety of
their subjects.
That it may please the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to guide and
to guard your Majesty—to prolong and to increase the felicities of the conjugal relation—to establish your throne in righteousness, and to uphold it by mercy—to satisfy your heart with the treasures of his grace, and the joy of his salvation—to confer on you the high privilege of being indeed the minister of God for good to the
Church, and at last to make you and your Royal Consort partakers of a crown of
life in the heavens, is the earnest prayer of,
May it please your Majesty, your Majesty's most faithful, most loyal, and
most obedient subjects, the Ministers and Elders of this General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Signed in our name, in our presence, and at our appointment, by
Angus Makellar, Moderator.
V. Sess. 4, May 25, 1840.—The General Assembly's Address to his Royal Highness
Prince Albert of Suxe Cobourg and Gotha.
May it please your Royal Highness,
We, her Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the ministers and elders of the Church
of Scotland met in this General Assembly, approving of the conduct of the Commission of the last Assembly, in the early and cordial welcome which they offered to
your Royal Highness, avail ourselves gladly of this opportunity of adding our heartfelt expressions of respectful attachment to a Prince descended from a family signalized by zeal for truth and liberty, personally distinguished by high endowments, and
most honourable character, and now peculiarly endeared to us as the husband of the
august and gracious Queen who wears the Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom.
We devoutly pray to the Supreme Governor among the nations that the conjugal
alliance which, to the universal joy of the nation, has been so felicitously formed,
may continue to yield pure and permanent comfort to her Majesty and your Royal
Highness;—that from this happy union may spring a line of princes trained up in
the fear of God, in the love of righteousness, peace, and truth, and in every excellence which can give lustre to greatness, so that, through the favour of God, they
may enjoy the distinguished happiness of transmitting the blessings of our unrivalled
constitution to many future generatious; and, finally, that you may, at the close of this
temporal life, be admitted to immortal felicity and glory in the world to come.
Given at Edinburgh, this 25th day of May 1840, by your Royal
Highness's most faithful, obedient, and devoted servants, the Ministers and Elders met in this General Assembly of the Church
of Scotland.
Signed in our name, in our presence, and at our appointment, by
Angue Makellar, Moderator.
VI. Sess. 4, May 25, 1840.—The General Assembly's Address to her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent.
May it please your Royal Highness,
We, her Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the ministers and elders met in the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, approving of the sentiments expressed
by the Commission of the last General Assembly, in addressing your Royal Highness
on her Majesty's nuptials, beg leave to add our warm congratulations on the same
happy occasion, so interesting to your maternal heart, and so universally gratifying
to the people throughout the whole extent of the British Empire.
We feel grateful to your Royal Highness for the assiduity and fidelity with which
you devoted your attention to the tuition of our youthful Sovereign during the
years of her minority, and it is our earnest hope that you will long live to enjoy the
abundant fulfilment of your heart's desire and prayers, while you have the satisfaction
of witnessing the growing graces, and the domestic felicity of a beloved daughter, sustaining the high functions of government with such dignity and wisdom as to advance
the national honour, and to conciliate and secure the devoted allegiance of a confiding people.
That Almighty God, the Father of mercies, may communicate to your Royal Highness the choicest gifts of Providence and grace;—that you may long observe the
happy results of your tender and skilful guardianship of our gracious Queen, in the
not less wise and affectionate care extended by her to the offspring which we hope
will be granted to her, as the heritage of the Lord;—and that, through the merits of
the Redeemer, you, and those who are dearest to you, may at last be gathered at the
right hand of the throne of the great Judge of heaven and earth, is the earnest
prayer of,
Your Royal Highness's most obedient, faithful, and devoted servants,
the Ministers and Elders of the General Assembly of the Church
of Scotland.
Signed in our name, in our presence, and at our appointment, by
Angus Makellar, Moderator.
VII. Sess. ult., June 1, 1840.—Commission of the General Assembly to certain Ministers and
Ruling Elders for discussing Affairs referred to them.
The General Assembly, &c.
(The instructions given by the General Assembly, 1717, to their Commission, and
annually renewed since that time, are added.)
VIII. Sess. ult., June 1, 1840.—Commission to some Ministers and Ruling Elders for the Reformation of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and for Managing her Majesty's
Royal Bounty.
The General Assembly, &c.
IX. Sess. 2, May 22, 1840.—Act on the Conversion of the Jews.
The General Assembly, having heard the Report of the Committee for Promoting
Christianity among the Jews, approve of the same; and having also heard two members of the deputation with reference to their Report, the Assembly unanimously express their gratitude to all the members of the deputation, through the Moderator,
and their sympathy in the present circumstances of Dr Black. The General Assembly appoint the following ministers and elders, viz., the ministers of the Presbyteries
of Edinburgh and Glasgow, &c.; to be a committee for the above mentioned object,
of which Dr Macgill shall be convener, with former powers, and especially with
power to adopt such measurers as to them may seem necessary; and, particularly, with
power to take steps for preparing and sending missionaries to the stations most promising; and the General Assembly recommend that collections be made throughout
the Church for this object, in the same way as for the other Schemes of the Church;
and renew their recommendation to ministers to remember the cause of God's ancient
people in the services of the sanctuary.
X. Sess. 4, May 25, 1840.—Act in favour of India Missions.
After hearing the Report, the General Assembly did, and hereby do, nominate and
appoint the ministers of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, and of the Presbytery of Glasgow, and the following members of Assembly, viz.:—Dr Mackay, &c.; to be a committee for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and for raising and
managing the funds contributed for that purpose; with power to appoint sub-committees for furthering the objects in view. The general committee shall hold stated
monthly meetings for dispatch of business, with power to meet on all necessary occasions. And the committee are enjoined to attend to the instructions approved of by
former Assemblies, with power to adopt and carry into effect such farther measures as
to them may seem beneficial. The General Assembly, deeply anxious that the funds
placed at the disposal of the committee should be increased in amount, to meet the
increasing expenditure, earnestly recommend the formation of parochial and district
associations, for the raising of funds and the dissemination of missionary intelligence.
And the Assembly renew their recommendation, that in every parish there may be
made an yearly public collection in the parish church on behalf of this cause, on the
day to be fixed by the Assembly in its arrangement regarding collections for the different Schemes of the Church. And the General Assembly earnestly recommend
that each minister, in his public prayers, implore the blessing of God on the exertions
of the committee, on the labours of the missionaries, and also on those who, through
their instrumentality, may be brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.
XI. Sess. ult., June 1, 1840.—Act Recommending Collections for the Five Schemes of the
General Assembly.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, considering the obligation
which lies on this Church to promote, to the utmost extent of the means with which
God hath entrusted them, the progress of the Gospel of Christ among their own
people, their brethren in the Colonies, and the heathen throughout the world; and
considering farther, how greatly their efforts have been impeded from a want of due
arrangements for properly collecting the contributions of their several congregations,
and confiding in their liberality and Christian zeal, were fit occasions regularly presented to them for contributing to the advancement of the five great Schemes now
prosecuted by the Church, earnestly recommend to all the ministers of this Church
to make collections every year on behalf of each of these objects, viz.—(1.) Foreign
Missions; (2.) Church Extension; (3.) Colonial Churches; (4.) Conversion of the
Jews; (5.) Education; upon the following Sabbaths, viz.—upon the second Sabbath
of July, the second Sabbath of October, the second Sabbath of January, the second
Sabbath of March, and the second Sabbath of May, commencing this present year
with the collection for Foreign Missions on the second Sabbath of July; the collections for the other Schemes following in the order above written, viz.—for Church
Extension on the second Sabbath of October; for Colonial Churches, on the second
Sabbath of January; for Conversion of the Jews, on the second Sabbath of March;
and for Education, on the second Sabbath of May; and in future years in the same
order, but commencing on the second Sabbath of July in each year, with the Scheme
next in order to that for which the collection had been made in the year preceding;
as, for instance, in the year 1841, with Church Extension, and so on through the
year, and from year to year; provided always, that whenever the celebration of the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper happens to fall on any of the said Sabbaths, the collection shall be made on the Sabbath immediately preceding: And the Assembly
direct that the committees of Assembly for the several Schemes shall make up a joint
state, &c. (The Act then proceeds in similar terms to that of last year.)
XII. Sess. ult., June 1, 1840.—Act appointing a Special Commission to co-operate with the
Presbytery of Strathbogie in providing for the Preaching of the Gospel, and the Administration of the Ordinances of Religion, and the Exercise of Discipline in the
Parishes of the Seven Suspended Ministers of that Presbytery.
The General Assembly, having taken into consideration the state of the Parishes of
the ministers of the Presbytery of Strathbogie, suspended by sentence of this date,
and the necessity of providing for the preaching of the Gospel, and the administration of the ordinances of religion, and the exercise of discipline therein, resolve to appoint a Special Commission to co-operate with the Presbytery of Strathbogie in providing the same; and they accordingly did, and hereby do, appoint the Moderator,
Dr Dickson, Mr John Paul, Mr James Thomson, Mr Bannerman, Mr Scott, (Dalmeny,) Dr Welsh, Dr Chalmers, Principal Dewar, Mr M'Lagan, Dr Paterson, Dr
Henderson, Mr Thorburn, Dr M'Farlan, Mr L. Balfour, Mr Grierson, R. Bruce,
Esq. of Kennet, the Procurator, George Buchan, Esq. of Kelloe, A. E. Monteith,
Esq., A. Dunlop, Esq., J. G. Wood, Esq., P. Dalmahoy, Esq., W. H. Craufurd,
Esq., Mr Duncan M'Farlane,—seven, of whom five shall be ministers, to be a
quorum,—commissioners for the purpose aforesaid; and they empower and instruct
the Presbytery of Strathbogie, with advice and consent of the said Special Commission, to appoint ministers or probationers to preach and administer the ordinances of
religion in the parishes of the said ministers during their suspension, and to give
special directions thereanent. And in the event of any circumstances occurring which
may appear to the said Special Commission to render it necessary, the General Assembly empower them, of themselves, to do and perform what the Presbytery is
hereby authorised to perform, with their advice and consent; Dr Dickson to be
convener.
XIII. Sess. ult., June 1, 1840.—Overture and Interim Act, with Regulations for carrying
into effect the Act of Assembly, May 29, 1835, on the Calling of Ministers. (fn. *)
(Re-transmitted.)
XIV. Sess. ult., June 1, 1840.—Act appointing the Diet of next General Assembly.
The next General Assembly of this National Church is appointed to be holden
at Edinburgh, on Thursday, the 20th of May 1841.
Extracted from the Records of the General Assembly of the Church
of Scotland, by
John Lee, Cl. Eccl. Scot.