The Anti-Burghers were opponents of the

Burgher Oath In the Scottish church of the 18th and 19th centuries, a burgher was a member of that party amongst the seceders which asserted the lawfulness of the burgess oath. The burgess oath was that oath a town burgess was required to swear on taking off ...

on theological grounds.

History

First Secession

In 1733 the

First Secession The First Secession was an exodus of ministers and members from the Church of Scotland in 1733. Those who took part formed the Associate Presbytery and later the United Secession Church. They were often referred to as seceders. The underlying ...

from the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

resulted in the creation of the "Associate Presbytery". This church split in 1747 over the issue of the Burgher Oath, which required holders of public offices to affirm approval of the religion "presently professed in this kingdom". The issue was civil compulsion in religious affairs, a forerunner of later arguments over the separation of church and state. Opponents of the Burgher Oath on theological grounds became known as the Anti-Burghers — showing a distinctive independence of conviction and an unwillingness to compromise over sincerely held beliefs. The

Burgher Burgher may refer to: * Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn ** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain ** Grand Bu ...

and Anti-Burgher factions thus formed rival, independent synods – the General Associate Synod (Antiburghers) and the Associate Synod (Burghers)

"Auld Licht" and "New Licht"

Eventually both the Burghers and Anti-Burghers had further splits, the Burghers in 1798 and the Anti-Burghers in 1806. Both factions formed their own, separate "Auld Licht" ''(old light)'' and "New Licht" factions. The more Calvinistic "Auld Lichts" held to the obligations of the Solemn League and Covenant, the "New Lichts" were more theologically liberal — a notable and continuing influence in the post-1847

United Presbyterian Church of Scotland The United Presbyterian Church (1847–1900) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the Uni ...

New Licht Anti-Burghers

In 1820, the majority of the New Licht Anti-Burghers united with the New Licht Burghers as the

United Secession Church The United Secession Church (or properly the United Associate Synod of the Secession Church) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. The First Secession from the established Church of Scotland had been in 1732, and the resultant "Associate Pre ...

. "A conservative 'clique' led by Professor

George Paxton George Paxton (March 24, 1914 – April 19, 1989) was an American big band leader, saxophonist, arranger, and publisher during the 1930s and 1940s. He was president of Coed Records and a producer for the label. Early career He was born in Jacks ...

and Dr Stevenson eorge Stevenson of Ayrforming the 'Synod of Protesters' in May 1821." The United Secession Church in turn united with the

Relief Church The Relief Church (or Presbytery of Relief) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination founded in 1761. In 1847 it united with the United Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In relation to the history of the Church ...

in 1847 to create the

. The United Presbyterian Church united with most of the Free Church of Scotland in 1900 to create the

United Free Church of Scotland The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...

, most of whom ultimately reunited with the

in 1929.

Auld Licht Anti-Burghers

The Anti-Burgher Auld Lichts formed the Constitutional Associate Presbytery.McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia (1880) - Original Antiburghers
/ref> The four ministers who constituted it were James Aitken of Kirriemuir,

Archibald Bruce Archibald Bruce may refer to: * Archibald Bruce (writer), Scottish theological writer * Archibald Bruce (mineralogist) Archibald Bruce (February 1777 – February 22, 1818) was an American physician and mineralogist. Biography Bruce was bor ...

, James Hog of Kelso and Thomas M'Crie the elder. The "Synod of Protesters" including

George Paxton (minister) George Paxton (2 April 1762 – 9 April 1837) was a Scottish secession minister and poet. He was the professor of divinity of the 'New Licht' Anti-Burgher General Associate Synod. Life Background Paxton was born on 2 April 1762 at Dalgourie, ...

joined it in 1827 and it became the

Original Secession Church The Original Secession Church or United Original Secession Church was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1827 by the union of (1) the Anti-Burgher Old Lights, led by Thomas M'Crie the Elder and known as "the Constitutional Associa ...

. In 1842 this body united with the portion of the Old Light

Synod which had not joined the Church of Scotland in 1839, to form the

United Original Secession Church The Original Secession Church or United Original Secession Church was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1827 by the union of (1) the Anti-Burgher Old Lights, led by Thomas M'Crie the Elder and known as "the Constitutional Associa ...

. This church split in 1852, one party joining in the Free Church of Scotland, the others finally reuniting with the Church of Scotland in 1956. The careers of the father and son Thomas M'Crie the Elder and

Thomas M'Crie the Younger Thomas M'Crie (earlier spellings include McCree and Maccrie) (7 November 1797–9 May 1875) was a Presbyterian minister and church historian. He was a Scottish Secession minister who joined the Free Church of Scotland and served as the M ...

illustrate the history of various Scottish denominations. 1. The father was ordained in 1796 as a minister of the Anti-Burgher Secession Synod. 2. The father was one of the '

Old Lights The terms Old Lights and New Lights (among others) are used in Protestant Christian circles to distinguish between two groups who were initially the same, but have come to a disagreement. These terms originated in the early 18th century from a spl ...

' who left the Anti-Burgher Secession Synod in 1806 to form the "Constitutional Associate Presbytery". 3, The son was ordained in 1821 as a minister of the ' Old Light' Anti-Burgher "Constitutional Associate Presbytery". The father and the son served together as ministers of that Presbytery for the remainder of its existence. 4. In 1827 the 'Old Light' Anti-Burgher Constitutional Associate Presbytery united with the 'Synod of Protesters' (which had left the New Licht' Anti-Burgher Synod in 1820-1) to form the 'Associate Synod of Original Seceders', also known as the

. The father and the son served together as ministers of this Church until the father's death in 1835, after which the son continued to serve as such for the remainder of the church's existence. 5. In 1842 the Original Secession Church united with the portion of the Old Light Burghers which had refused to merge with the

, to form the '

', and the son became a member of that church. 6. In 1852 some of the members of the United Original Secession Church, including the son, joined the Free Church of Scotland formed by the

Disruption of 1843 The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland. The main conflict was over whether the Church of S ...

. 5. In 1856 the son became a professor in the Theological College of

English Presbyterian Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. Origins and history The United Reformed Church resulte ...

. 6. The son resigned from that post in 1866.

Notable Anti-Burghers

(Other than the theological professors listed below) *

Adam Gib Adam Gib (15 April 1714 – 14 June 1788) was a Scottish religious leader, head of the Antiburgher section of the Scottish Secession Church. He reportedly wrote his first covenant with God in the blood of his own veins. Gib was born in the ...

(died 1788, before the 'Auld Licht'/'New Licht' division) *

John Jamieson John Jamieson (3 March 1759 – 12 July 1838) was a Scottish minister of religion, lexicographer, philologist and antiquary. His most important work is the ''Dictionary of the Scottish Language''. Life He was born in Glasgow in March 1759 the ...

('New Licht') (died 1838) * Thomas M'Crie the elder ('Auld Licht') (died 1835) * Thomas Mair (seceded 1737 and died 1768, before the 'Auld Licht'/'New Licht' division)

Theological Professors

Before the 'Auld Licht'/'New Licht' division (1747-1806)

1. Alexander Moncrieff (one of the 1733 seceders) (1747-1761) 2. William Moncrieff (1761-1786) 3.

(1786-1806)

New Light (1806-1820)

(1807-1820)

Old Light (1806-1852)

(1806-1816) 2.

(

- 1827-1836) 3.

(

- 1836-1842) ( United Original Secession Church - 1842-1852)

References

Bibliography

* * {{Scottish religion Church of Scotland Presbyterianism in Scotland 18th century in Scotland 19th century in Scotland 18th-century Calvinism 19th-century Calvinism Christian denominations established in the 18th century 1747 establishments in Scotland