Synod Resolution on Scottish Independence

Resolution on Scottish Independence

The Synod of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, met at Glasgow, on the 23^rd day of May, 2012, desires to place on record its deep concern at the proposed intention of the present Scottish Government to abrogate the Treaty of Union of 1707.

The Synod is of the view that the Treaty of Union is inviolable and cannot be lawfully overturned in all time coming and is a fundamental guarantee of the civil and religious liberties of the people of Scotland which cannot be tampered with except at great peril to our spiritual and temporal welfare.

·         The Treaty of Union expressly provides for the security of the Protestant religion and Presbyterian Church government;

·         The current proposed constitutional arrangements envisaged by the Scottish Government would lead to a secularisation of the nation’s constitution by neglecting to give the Christian Church its rightful place as the established and only religion of the realm;

·         The desire to change from a Protestant constitution to a secular one represents a great provocation of the God of glory, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the king of nations;

·         The influence of the Roman Catholic Church in particular and false religion in general is likely to be excessive in an independent Scotland where Protestantism is marginalised;

·         The breach of the Union would be a national manifestation of the sin of unthankfulness for the multitudes of blessings the people of the United Kingdom have known from the hand of the Lord in both spiritual and temporal matters since 1707;

·         The breaking of the Union would represent the sin of covenant-breaking before the Lord, in violation of the moral and spiritual obligations of the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643, in which the mutual welfare of all the parts of these islands became a sacred bond of trust between the three kingdoms down to the end of time,

The Synod warns the people of the Church, the Scottish Government, the British Government and the people of the United Kingdom, of the great dangers threatened in abrogating the Treaty of Union and solemnly remind them that the Lord will deal with the sins of unthankfulness, covenant-breaking and weakening the cause of Christ in the nation in His own time and way, ‘Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set’ (Proverbs 22:28).