Cap outs Lifters and Perth congregationalists

Cap outs, Lifters and Perth congregationalists The Congregational Church in Perth has few written documents on its early history, yet their claim is that some thinking men became Congregationalists as early as 1794. They purchased Paul Street Chapel about that time. Having called the preacher James Garie to their Church in that year, they were forced into a situation which they would have preferred to avoid. Garie wished to make the Chapel a Place of Ease * for those in the Church of Scotland. This was not acceptable to the trustees of the building and, after 18 months, Garie left to take up ministry with the Church of Scotland. This, however, was also unsuccessful. The chapel was put up for sale and was then repurchased by some of the Church and was advertised for use with the "returned Mr Garie and the congregation of Christian people" in 1798. They and the proprietors of the building not Garie, were keen to have an independent church. Garie tried to be admitted to the Church of Scotland but was refused. Shortly before this, in 1790, a schism arose among other Seceders. It was based around the dispensing of the elements at the Lord's Supper. The new group were called "Cap outs" and they built a chapel at Thimblerow. Their numbers reduced quickly, and the building was offered to the Presbytery as a Chapel of Ease. This offer was rejected but the Missionaries (Congregationalists) bought it. (Who are they?) The next minister of the “Garie’s church “was James Colquhoun, minister of the Relief Church Campsie. He had been invited 9 years earlier to minister in Perth at the East (Relief) Church and had declined.  The Church had grown and on “the better of the break-up of the “lifters” in 1793”. This was in connection with the Communion where the lifters required the minister to lift the bread and wine before serving to the congregation. Colquhoun ministered till around October 1801 when he left to take up a dissenting Presbyterian congregation in North Shields. At some point some of the congregation of Colquhoun’s Church (Old friends of Garie!)invite Garie back to Perth. They bought Paul Street. We do not know much about the Congregational church post Garie indeed we do not know where they worshipped but Garie’s friends were able to buy their former building. 1798 the now Garie group worshipping in the former Congregational church now owned by “the friends” join the group in South Street at the tabernacle supported by Robert Haldane.

This period was one of growth for the Congregational Church with many new Churches developing from the work of the Haldane brothers. The Perth Congregational Church has a plate with the inscription "Perth Union Church, 1798", but whether this was the original name or not is unclear. (Uncertainty exists also regarding the matter of the parties who became the "Union"). The title Congregational Church, Perth, was the new name taken in that same year. Shortly before Garie's death he wrote to a prominent lady and in this letter, he stated that "within two weeks back, I have received 17 out of 21 applicants for Church membership. Mostly young people and recently awakened". He added "Last week a young man received his first impressions under a sermon preached by James Haldane, in the mill at Inver". Robert Haldane built a "tabernacle" in South Street, where the Congregational Church met after they sold the Paul Street building around 1799/1800. William Orme, along with two other pastors led the Church for some time until the Haldanes adopted Baptist principles around 1809. The two pastors followed in the way of the Haldanes. Orme and those who did not adopt this new principle on Believers Baptism were evicted by Robert Haldane. The evicted members of the Congregational Church spent a considerable time finding a suitable place in which to worship. By 1810 they were meeting in a hired hall but still wished to build a new chapel. The upper part of a tenement in Canal Crescent became home to them for some time and as numbers grew, they, by 1824, were worshipping in Mill Street. Many years later in 1851, the Mill Street congregation transferred to a new place of worship in Canal Crescent. It closed 21 years later. The year 1855 saw a Morisonian gathering, which at some time met in High Street where Perth Theatre is now situated. They were followers of James Morison of Kilmarnock who was deposed from his place in the United Secession Church by the Synod (New Lights). The reason for this action was that he taught the doctrine of "The Universal love of God" which was shunned by the Church. Unsolved questions 1 Where did the Congregational Church worship before they joined others in the “Union” and after the old friends bought their church? South Street? 2 Was the Congregational Church the same group that bought Thimblerow from Seceders? (the cap-outs) 3 What groups were joined in the Union of 1798? The church had a pewter plate inscribed “Perth Union Chapel 1798” and another “Perth Congregational Church 1798” 4 Is the Perth Union Chapel the Garie group? As we know that the new combined Church was called Perth Congregational Church from 1798.

* Places of Ease were commonplace throughout the country currently. By 1784 there were places in Perth. They were buildings designated for meetings by Christians from different Churches and were originally instigated through the Church of Scotland for the poor and needy. These buildings were used for accommodation as well as for worship.