created considerable stir in the Church Courts, and ultimately led to
secession.
On December 11, 1716, Mr William Craig, student of divinity, appeared
before them for
license. The Presbytery being deeply impressed with "the errors of the

times," examined him strictly as to his soundness of faith.
Further consideration of the matter having been delayed for
about a month, Mr Craig was again
(January 15, 1717) before the Presbytery; was asked by them to sign
the answers formerly given by him, and though he "seemed to scruple a
little
at something of the wording" of some of them, he finally did so, and
was licensed. His signature still stands at that date in the
Presbytery's copy of the Confession of Faith. The most famous
statement signed by him was to

the following effect:--"And
further, I believe that it is not sound and orthodox to teach that we
must forsake sin in order to our coming to Christ and instating us in
covenant with God"--language capable of bearing an Antinomian meaning,
and soon to be known

as the "Auchterarder Creed." At next meeting of Presbytery (February
12, 1717) Mr Craig came back, representing that he was troubled with
scruples anent the paper he had subscribed, that he had done so
hastily, and that he now wished to explain his explanation. The
Presbytery, after hearing him, resolved
to declare his license null and void, and in the end he had to appeal
to the Assembly. The Assembly of
1717 was somewhat startled at the theological language of
Auchterarder, ordered the Presbytery to restore Mr Craig's license,
declared the chief article of the new creed to be "unsound and most
detestable," and asked them to explain its meaning to a meeting of the
Commission. The Presbytery was of course able to show that their
meaning was both
pious and orthodox, a