THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

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"I protest before God and your lordships, that I profess and allow with my heart the true religion presently professed within this realm, and authorized by the laws thereof; I shall abide thereat, and defend the same to my life's end, renouncing the Roman religion called papistry." The Messrs. Erskine and others maintained there was no inconsistency in Seceders taking this oath, because the established religion was still the true religion, in spite of the faults attaching to it, and hence were called Burghers. Messrs. Moncrieff and others thought the swearing to the religion, as professed and authorized, was approving the corruptions, therefore the oath was inconsistent and not to be taken; hence Anti-burghers. The Seceders are strict Presbyterians, having their respective associate synods, and are to be found not only in Scotland, but also in Ireland and in the United States of America. Both classes have had among them ministers of considerable learning and piety.

There is also a species of Dissenters from the Church of Scotland called Relief, whose only difference from the Kirk is, the choosing of their own pastors. They arose in 1752, and are respectable as to numbers and ability. The Relief are Calvinists as well as Presbyterians, but liberal in their views, admitting to their communion pious Christians of every denomination. They revere the union of faith and charity.

THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

In 1835, an attempt was made by the Church of Scotland to place itself on a more popular basis, by giving to the heads of families, communicants, a veto upon the nomination of the patron; but, the ecclesiastical action by which this was sought to be effected, having been declared by the courts to be a civil act beyond the jurisdiction of the church and no disposition being manifested by the Parliament to aid in removing the difficulty, a number of its most distinguished members, in 1843, withdrew in a body, and formed the "Free Church of Scotland." The late eminent Doctors Chalmers, Candlish, Cunningham, and many others distin

guished for their learning and piety, took part in securing the division. No fewer than 474 ministers and professors completed their separation by the "deed of demission." The new church set to work bravely, erecting new houses of worship for their congregations, establishing a school in connection with each, founding high grade educational institutions, and entering upon a very active domestic and foreign missionary service. It was estimated in 1885 that her communion embraced about one-third of the whole population of the kingdom.

The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, organized at Edinburgh, May 13, 1847, consists of what were called the Seceders and Relief Churches. The Church of Scotland has always enjoyed a high reputation as a working denomination; and in this respect the various bodies that have sprung from it have worthily imitated the parent.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ENGLAND.

The first Presbyterian congregation in England was formed at Wandsworth, near London, in 1572. In the reign of Charles I., 1645, it was proposed in the treaty of Uxbridge, to make the Established Church of England Presbyterian, and the proposition was carried into effect, by way of trial in 1646. Three years later the Presbyterian discipline was sanctioned by Parliament, and the Established Church was Presbyterian until Episcopacy was revived with the restoration of Charles II. in 1660. The successors of the old Presbyterian congregations in England have in general become either Unitarians or Independents. The congregations which are at the present day adherents of the Presbyterian form of church government belong to, or maintain friendly relations with, the Presbyterian churches of Scotland. The Synod of English Presbyterians is a separate organization, and holds the principles of the Free Church of Scotland. There are also many United Presbyterians in England, who represent the union of the Seceder and Relief Churches, effected in 1847.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The Presbyterian Church in the United States-The "Old School" and "New School" Rupture-Withdrawal of Southern and Western Synods-Reunion of the Old and New School Churches - Statistics of the Church for 1885-'86.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE

THE Presbyterian Church in the United States is commonly regarded as the offspring of the Kirk of Scotland, although it has spread from three centres; for it was established by the Dutch in New York, by the Scotch-Irish in Virginia and New Jersey, and by the Huguenots in Carolina. The first Dutch church was organized in New Amsterdam in 1619; Scotch-Irish Presbyterians settled on the Elizabeth River, Va., between 1670 and 1680, and a church was organized at Snow Hill, Md., in 1684; the Huguenots were driven from France in 1685, and they began founding churches in this country shortly after that date. By the year 1700 the number of Presbyterians from these three sources had so scattered and increased that they began to take steps towards an organization similar to that in Scotland. The primary ecclesiastical union of the American Presbyterians occurred in 1705, when the Presbytery of Philadelphia was formed with seven ministers, representing Ireland, Scotland, and England. This Presbytery having become much enlarged, and, in consequence of the increasing migration of persons from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland,

having also become widely disseminated, it was decided at their meeting in September, 1716, to subdivide their body into four subordinate meetings or presbyteries, all of which were constituent members of the general body, thenceforward denominated the Synod of Philadelphia. The first meeting of this Synod was held on Sept. 17, 1717, and was composed of thirteen ministers and six elders.

While various acquisitions tended to enlarge the Presbyterian body, they, at the same time, greatly diminished its harmony. It soon became apparent that entire unity of sentiment did not prevail among them respecting the examination of candidates for the ministry on experimental religion, and also respecting strict adherence to presbyterial order, and the requisite amount of learning in those who sought the ministerial office. Frequent conflicts occurred in different Presbyteries. Parties were formed. Those who were most zealous for strict orthodoxy, for adherence to presbyterial order, and for a learned ministry were called the "Old Side," while those who laid a greater stress on vital piety than on any other qualification, were called the "New Side," or "New Lights."

The spirit of harmony was broken in 1727, but a partial compromise was effected two years later by the "adopting act." In 1739 party feeling again broke out in consequence of the Whitfield visit and revival. The "New Side" desired to introduce the celebrated revivalist into their pulpits, while the "Old Side" viewed him as heterodox in his principles, and refused to countenance his preaching. As a culmination of the troubles the Synod was rent asunder, and in 1741 the Synod of New York, composed of "New Side" men, was set up in opposition to that of Philadelphia, which retained the original name and comprehended all the "Old Side" men who belonged to the general body.

These Synods remained in a state of separation for seventeen years. At length, however, a plan of reunion was agreed upon. Several years were spent in negotiation. Mutual concessions were made, the articles of union in detail were happily adjusted, and the Synods were united

OLD AND NEW SCHOOL RUPTURE.

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under the title of the "Synod of New York and Philadelphia," in the year 1758.

After this time the Presbyterian body went on increasing in numbers, harmony, and general edification until the close of the Revolutionary War, when it could reckon about one hundred and seventy ministers and a few more churches. At the meeting of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia in May, 1785, finding the independence of the United States established, that judicatory began to take steps for revising the public standards of the Church. In 1788 the work of revising and arranging the standards was completed, and they were then ordered to be printed and distributed for the government of all the judicatories of the Church.

Under the new arrangement the body was divided into four Synods, viz.: the Synod of New York and New Jersey ; the Synod of Philadelphia; the Synod of Virginia; and the Synod of the Carolinas; and over these, as a bond of union, was constituted a "General Assembly," modeled in all its essential particulars after the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The next year (1789), the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States met in Philadelphia, and was opened with a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, who presided until the first moderator of that body (the Rev. Dr. Rogers) was chosen. At this time there were 188 ministers belonging to the whole Presbyterian body, and 419 churches. These were distributed into four Synods and seventeen Presbyteries, embracing a large number of vacant congregations.

THE OLD SCHOOL" AND "NEW SCHOOL" RUPTURE.

Affinities and a fraternal confidence between Presbyterians and Congregationalists had led to an admixture of Congregationalism in Presbyterian judicatories. The Old School insisted that this admixture, as unconstitutional, should cease. The New School contended for its toleration and extension. The Old School preferred strictly ecclesiastical