No General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has ever met in circumstances of profounder solemnity, or with prospects more overclouded. Enemies determined and ferocious ; treacherous and heartless defection in the ranks of the professed upholders of the truth ; civil power glorying in its sacrilegious usurpation of spiritual authority, and eagerly rushing on to fresh invasions of ecclesiastical order; the Executive of the State in league with her enemies, and proclaiming its resolution to enforce what it calls existing law against her to the uttermost! No outlook could well be gloomier—no circumstances more solemn.

Yet never, perhaps, was any Assembly ushered in with more of external pageantry and brilliance. Whether to dazzle or to overawe is a question ; still such was the fact. The world seems to have summoned all its pomp to grace the train of the representative of royalty. It was a bright, though vain parade of splendour. And had the church no concern in it at all? None in one sense, and yet something in another. None, in so far as the mere glitter was concerned, yet much, in so far as it was a summoning of the nation’s attention to the deliberations that were to follow. It seemed as if the world were acting as the church’s herald, to call men’s eyes and ears to the noble position which was about to be occupied, and the glorious testimony which was to be lifted up, by a church, which of all the standard-bearers of the Reformation, had ever borne the fullest, clearest testimony to Christ’s gospel and Christ's government, and whose ancient banner, long soiled and hidden, was now again to be uplifted and unfolded, for the gaze, the admiration, the instruction, not of Scotland, nor of Europe, but of the world! Let us briefly turn up the testimony which this General Assembly has borne, that both friends and enemies may consider it—that the churches of Christ throughout the earth may ponder it. When, in any age or country, has a testimony so bold, so ample, so rich, so manifold, been lifted up by a church of Christ, as, during these ten short days, has been done by the Church of Scotland, in circumstances of no ordinary difficulty and peril? It is not easy to give a correct classification of the various points to which she has borne witness; we merely throw hastily together the following heads, as a summary or index of the proceedings which follow. It may cither be regarded as a brief table of contents, or as an analysis of the different heads of testimony set forth in the acts, proceedings, and declarations of the General Assembly of 1812.I. Christ the Head of his body the Church.—None may interfere between the head and the members.—Christ the only King and Lawgiver of his Church.—No appeal in matters spiritual or ecclesiastical to any civil tribunal upon earth.—All encroachment upon this jurisdiction to be protested against and resisted to the uttermost.—No possibility of compromise or concession on this point. (See Claim of Rights, Protests against the Civil Interdicts, Refusals to go into Court upon Spiritual Matters, Different Decisions pronounced in the face of Interdicts.)

I. Christ the Head of his body the Church.—None may interfere between the head and the members.—Christ the only King and Lawgiver of his Church.—No appeal in matters spiritual or ecclesiastical to any civil tribunal upon earth.—All encroachment upon this jurisdiction to be protested against and resisted to the uttermost.—No possibility of compromise or concession on this point. (See Claim of Rights, Protests against the Civil Interdicts, Refusals to go into Court upon Spiritual Matters, Different Decisions pronounced in the face of Interdicts.)

II. Laws of Christ’s Church.—These distinct from and beyond the control of civil laws.—No human judge may abrogate, alter, or interfere with them.—Not founded upon expediency, but on the word of God.—By these laws all courts ecclesiastical entirely regulated.—Erastianism condemned. (See Cases of Discipline— Cambusnethan—Stranraer.)

III. Rights of Christ’s people.—Right of a free voice in the choice of their pastors, (Anti-patronage.)—Right of free consent in the knitting of the pastoral bond, (Call).—Right of dissent from the intrusion of unacceptable pastors, (Non-intrusion.)— Right of deliverance from pastors that have been already thrust upon them, (Culsalmond, Glass.)—These rights not to be interfered with or usurped by patron, civil courts, or presbytery. (See Antipatronage, Strathbogie, and condemnation of the Liberum Arbitrium.)

IV. The Ministry.—(1.) Preparation for.—The souls of students, as well as their understandings, to be watched over by the church, so that their piety as well as their learning may be provided for. (See first Saturday’s proceedings.)—(2.) Probation for. Care to be had, not merely in the matter of license, but after license, to see that during the time when they are called to exercise and prove their gifts for the ministry, they be provided with special fields of labour, both for their own profit and for the cultivation of the waste places of the land. (Sec Scheme for Employment of Probationers.) 3. Entrance on.—Their motives must be holy, not carnal and worldly; taking the oversight of the flock, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; not from love to the hire, but from love to souls. (See cases of Fala, Ladykirk, Kettle.) 4. Appointment to the case of a particular flock.—This, the office of the Head of the Church,—“ I will give them pastors after mine own heart;” the mind of the Head to be ascertained through the free voice of the members, not through the Patron or Presbyteries; this voice not a mere negative one, saying who is unsuitable, but a direct and positive one, saying who is suitable. (See cases referred to in No. III.) 5. Ordination.—That it is wholly spiritual, depending neither for its bestowal nor removal upon any courts but those appointed by Christ for this end.—The sin and sacrilege of the civil magistrates attempting to interfere with any court of Christ in conferring or depriving of spiritual gifts.—Ordination must be true and scriptural, in order to be valid. (See cases of Culsamond and Glass.) 6. Ministerial walk and conversation.—That it be blameless, circumspect, &c. (See cases of Cambusnethan, Stranraer.)

V. Courts of Christ’s church.—That they are spiritual, independent of civil tribunals, subordinate to Christ alone, constituted in his name, guided by his laws. (Passim.) That they arc courts not simply for government and discipline, but also for strengthening the hands of the brethren in the work of the Lord—for recounting the doings of God, and the progress of the gospel, both at home and abroad—for mutual conference, praise, prayer, and reading the word ; and for united intercession in behalf of all men, and supplication for the outpouring of the Spirit and the coming of the kingdom. (Sec reports of different committees ; daily opening of the court with reading, praise, and prayer.)

VI. The Eldership,—A spiritual office of Christ’s appointment. —Election thereto by the free voice of Christ’s people.—Trial of gifts for this office by the session. (See Act anent Elders.)

VII. Missions. 1. The church’s care for her children at home. (Education—Church Extension—Employment of Probationers.) 2. Her care for her children that have gone from her to other lands. (Colonial Scheme.) 3. Her care for the Heathen. (India Mission ) 4. Her care for the Jews. (Jewish Scheme.) Her complete evangelistic character, beginning at her own children in Scotland, and then compassing the whole world in her zeal for Christ and love of souls.—Her testimony to the duty of contributing of our substance to the cause of Christ.—(Collections.)

VIII. Her care for the poor.—Inquiring into their condition, and providing both for their temporal and spiritual wants.

IX. Her zeal for the sanctity of the Sabbath, and her efforts for maintaining its sanctification.

X. Her desire for more frequent communion, seeking tq remember Christ’s death more frequently till he come.

XI. Her catholic spirit.—That the church is one body, one family, one temple, though called by many names, scattered over many regions of the earth, all being one in Christ, the Head.— (See Cancelling of the Schismatical Act of1799—Reception of Deputations from England, Ireland, America, Prussia, Switzerland.— Correspondence to be opened with all these churches, and several others who hold the head.—The Memorial for Prayer.)

XII. Her acknowledgment of God’s providences and chastisements, calling on her members, and upon the nation at large, to humble themselves under the afflicting hand of God.

Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1842 (pdf)