The Free Church of Scotland originated in a protest against civil patronage of the Church, the civil courts claiming not only the right to control the temporalities of the Church. but also the power to rule in spi4tual affairs. In 1834 the General Assembly passed the `Veto Act,' under which the Church courts might reject a 'presentee'of the State,if bythem deemed unfit for his office. This act was annulled by the civil courts and the House of Lords in 1839. The Assembly could not agree thus to surrender what it believed to be a right bestowed by the head of the Church. The collision between the civil and ecclesiastical courts was so direct that those who held to the independence of the Church saw only one way of relief, which was to leave the established Church. Therefore, in 1S43, 470 mem bers, under the lead of Chalmers, Candlish (qq.v.), and others, signed an "Act of Separa tion, and Deed of Demission," and the Free Church of Scotland was the result. It renounced all benefits of establishment, hut expressed its firm adherence to the doctrine and maintained the forms of worship and discipline of the Church of Scotland.
The United Free Church of Scotland was the result of a movement toward union between the two great bodies which had left the established Church. On October 31, 1900, a Uniting Act was formally adopted by the Free Church Assembly and the United Presbyterian Synod sitting in Edinburgh. On the following day the ministers of the two churehes, some 3000 in number, marched in procession from their respective halls to Waverley Market, where they convened as the first General Assembly of the United Free Church. Principal Rainy was the first moderator. The new Church received from the United Pres byterian Church 637 ministers and 199.089 com municants: from the Free Church, 1149 minis ters and 296,089 communicants. A minority of 27 ministers and 500 elders voted against the union, and resolved to continue the Free Church.
The Reformed rhureh of Scotland, descended from the Covenanted Church,„ glories in its ad herence to the principles fur which Cameron, Renwiek, and Cargill shed their blood. In 1660 the Act of Supremacy was passed, which con stituted the King supreme judge in all matters, civil or ecclesiastic; and the oath of allegiance, which declared it to be treason to deny the supremacy of the King in Church and State, was imposed. The Covenanters asserted their belief in the covenants, and renounced their allegiance to the King on the ground that he had broken his vow, made at his coronation, and had forfeited his right to rule. As a matter of course persecution followed, the leaders per ished on the scaffold, and the people were left without a head. They resolved themselves into societies for worship and mutual edification. This caused them to be called the 'Society People,' though they spoke of themselves as the 'Persecut ed Remnant.' Later the spirit of coin promise entered the Church, and in the desire to comply with the King's wish to include as many as possible of the prelatic clergy, the Church re ceived a large number of the very men who had been most earnest in its persecution under the old regime. The 'Society People' could not ap prove of the conduct of either .King or Church, and it was therefore impossible for them to identify themselves with the Established Church. For lack of sufficient number of ministers, the first presbytery of this people was not formed till August 1, 1743; but from this time the Re formed Presbyterian Church went steadily for ward, adhering to its peculiar principles with great firmness of purpose, increasing, indeed, with such rapidity that it was for a time beyond its power, to supply ministers sufficient for the needs of the people. Later, however, it gradually de clined, and nearly all its members joined either the Free or the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.