THE
AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION
OF THE
NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT;
WITH THE
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES,
AS THEY WERE
RENEWED AT AUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS,
JULY 24, 1712.
(COMPARED WITH THE EDITIONS OF PAISLEY, 1820, AND BELFAST,1835.)
ALSO, THE RENOVATION OF THESE PUBLIC FEDERAL DEEDS ORDAINED ATPHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880,
BY THE
REFORMED PRESBYTERY,
WITH ACCOMMODATION OF THE ORIGINAL COVENANTS, IN BOTHTRANSACTIONS, TO THEIR TIMES AND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY.
PHILADELPHIA 1880.
PREFACE.
The Reformed Presbytery, at a meeting in Philadelphia, October6th 1880, "Resolved, That another edition of the AuchensaughDeed be published," and appointed the undersigned a committee "toattend to this business with all convenient speed."
This Presbytery, after forty years' experience, during whichopportunities have been afforded for examining the opinions andpractices of all parties, professing any regard for the CovenantedReformation, is still deeply impressed with the conviction that thetransaction at Auchensaugh 1712, is the only faithful renovation ofour Covenants, National and Solemn League. The fidelity of ourfathers in that hazardous and heroic transaction, it is believed,has ever since been the occasion (not the cause) ofall opponents manifesting their hostility to the whole covenantedcause, by first assaults upon that detested Bond. And that this isthe real state of the case we proceed to prove by the followinghistorical facts. First.—In connection with remodelingthe Testimony; or rather by supplanting it in 1806, the Terms ofCommunion, without submitting an overture, were also changed toharmonize with Reformation Principles Exhibited, byexcluding the Auchensaugh Renovation from the fourth Term, where ithad stood for nearly a century. The same party have for yearsexcluded from their abstract of Terms the Covenantsthemselves. Second.—In Scotland this faithfuldocument was expunged in 1822, obviously to prepare the way for theadoption of a "New Testimony"(!), which appeared 1837-9. Themajority of the actors in that work who survive, are now in theFree Church! Third.—At the time when defection wasprogressing in the R.P. Synod of Scotland, the sister Synod ofIreland strenuously resisted an attempt to remove the foresaid Bondfrom its place in the Terms. The Rev. Messrs. Dick, Smith andHouston in 1837, were faithful and successful for the time inresisting that attempt. Mr. Houston "would ever resist anyalteration in respect of the Auchensaugh Bond, regarding theobjection laid against it as in reality aimed at the Covenantsthemselves." Yet as a sequel to their Renovation of the Covenantsat Dervock 1853, the Auchensaugh Bond was subsequently "shown tothe porch"—removed from the Terms! Fourth.—Atwhat was called covenant-renovation at Pittsburgh 1871, we believeno one spoke in behalf of their fathers' noble achievement in 1712.Indeed this could not be rationally expected in a body who couldtolerate members vilifying the very Covenants which they pretendedto renew. Fifth.—Other parties farther removed fromthe position of their reforming progenitors; but who still claimecclesiastical affinity with John Knox, and commonly prefix to thesymbols of their faith the historical word Westminster, givevery strong expression to their feelings of hostility—not tothe Auchensaugh Bond, of which probably they never heard, but tothe British Covenants expressly; yea, to the very ordinance of