Adopting Act
John Thomson is the primary author of the Adopting Act of 1729. This act requires that every candidate for the Presbyterian ministry subscribe to the Westminster Confession and Catechisms in all essential and necessary articles. Any scruples would be judged by the presbyteries to see if they were against essential and necessary articles. Rev. Thomson originally proposed requiring candidates subscribe to the Westminster Standards in 1727, but the Synod delayed acting on it. Not every minister was in favor of the adopting of the Westminster. Rev. Jonathon Dickenson published a work entitled, "Remarks on an Overture" where he criticized the idea of subscribing to man made standards and claimed it would not help protect that church from heresy. We know that other ministers such as Jedidiah Andrews also objected to the act. In 1729, Thomson's motion was brought up again and referred to a committee that included both Thomson and Dickenson. The Adopting Act was a compromise that required subscription to the Westminster, but allowed scruples to be judged by presbyteries. The Adopting Act was unanimously adopted and everyone then took an exception to the Westminster's teaching on the role of the civil magistrate. The decision was unanimously reaffirmed the next year in 1730.
Read more about this topic: John Thomson (Presbyterian Minister)
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