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Presbyterian Church

a name applied to those Christian denominations, who hold that there is no order in the Church as established by Christ and his apostles superior to that of presbyters (see PRESBYTER), and who vest church government in presbyteries, constituted of ministers and elders, possessed of equal powers thus without superiority among themselves. Presbyterianism does not recognize the term bishop as the superior of the presbytery, because these two names or titles in the New Testament, are used interchangeably of the same persons. Presbyterians hold that rived from the Holy Spirit, which is symbolized by the imposition of the hands of presbytery collectively. They affirm that all Christian ministers being ambassadors of Christ, are equal by their commission. The congregation elects its own minister and elders, and also its deacons and trustees-the former of the last two takes charge of the charities of the church, and the latter of its temporal or financial affairs. The session, consisting of the minister and elders, has the spiritual oversight of the church members. The Presbytery is constituted by ministers and elders in equal numbers.

A congregation for the time without a pastor, can be represented in the presbytery by an elder. An appeal may be PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 340 made by the presbytery from congregations or sessions. A synod consists of a number of presbyteries within defined boundaries. The General Assembly is the highest court of the church, and consists of representatives from all the presbyteries; each minister is accompanied by an elder from the same presbytery.

The church government by elders or presbyters was in existence among the children of Israel when in bondage in Egypt (Ex. iii: 10). They were rulers and also representatives of the people, and as such under varied conditions were recognized during the entire history of the Jewish Church, including the time between the close of the prophetic period and the coming of Christ. Then, as was natural, a similar order of rulers thus derived, passed, informally, over into the Jewish Christian Church at Jerusalem, and as such was adopted (Acts xi: 30).

The same order of church government was introduced by Paul and the other apostles into the churches composed of converted Gentiles. That order of church government in Old Testament times was recognized as of Divine authority, which character Presbyterians believe it did not lose when transferred and adopted by the primitive Church.

The Presbyterian polity is democraticrepublican, as the church members elect their own officials and are thus able to utilize their best men.

The first Presbyterian Church in modern times was founded in Geneva by John Calvin, about 1541; and the constitution and and doctrines were thence introduced, with some modifications, into Scotland by John Knox, about 1560, though the Presbyterian was not legally recognized as the national form of church government till 1592. For nearly a century after this date, there was a continual struggle in Scotland between Episcopacy and Presbyterianism; till ultimately by the Treaty of Union in 1707, it was agreed on the part of England and Scotland that that form of church government should be the national form of ecclesiastical government in Scotland, and that the Scotch Church should be supported as the only one established by law. Besides the Established Church of Scotland, there are other important religious bodies whose constitution is strictly Presbyterian, but who, from con- scientious scruples, decline being conscientious scruples, being nected with, or receiving any emoluments from the state. The chief of these are the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH tans preferring that system of government to episcopacy; but owing to the arbitrary measures of Cromwell, it subsequently declined in strength. There were in the British Isles, in 1640, three Confessions of Faith, the Scottish, the Irish, and the Thirty-nine articles of the Church of England-the English Presbyterians had not formed a confession. The sentiment began to prevail in Protestant circles, that there should be formulated for the whole kingdom a Confession of Faith in which all could unite, the Presbyterians taking the lead desired to have summoned "an assembly of divines and learned laymen under the protection of Parliament, who should be free in its action from the domination of the prelates." "A Grand Remonstrance" numerously signed by prominent men was presented to Charles I. (1641), asking him to summon such an assembly.

He refused the request. Soon after Parliament, on its own responsibility, issued directions for selecting the members of the proposed assembly. They were enjoined to meet in Westminster, on July 1, 1643. On the same day King Charles issued a proclamation forbidding the assembly to meet, which, however, it did. There in that place a session was held by the assembly which continued for three years, during which time long conferences and discussions were held at intervals. Thus was formulated the Westminster Confession of Faith around which Presbyterians have rallied for more than 250 years. The assembly consisted of 121 divines; 10 noblemen; 20 from the House of Commons-there were only 10 or 12 independents or Congregationalists in the assembly. The Scotch Presbyterian Church also sent commissioners.

Soon after the Restoration episcopacy, which had been displaced as the state church, was restored, and about 2,000 Presbyterian clergy were ejected from their cures in consequence of the Act of Uniformity, which came into force Aug. 24, 1662. Presbyterianism has ever since been simply one of the forms of dissent in England, and has held no prominent position, though many Presbyterian churches are scattered throughout England. Of these by far the greater number are united to form a single body, the Presbyterian Church of England. There sprang up in England a few congregations connected with the Church of Scotland and with what was formerly known as the "Secession Church," now the United Presbyterian Church. The num- Shortly after the Reformation Presby-ber of such afterward very much interianism was in considerable strength creased. At the time of the formation in England, a large number of the Puri- of the Free Church of Scotland the PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH greater number of the English Presbyterian churches connected with the Church of Scotland sympathized with the cause of the Free Church, and took the name of the Presbyterian Church in England. In 1876 a union, which had been long desired, was consummated between the synod more intimately related to the Free Church of Scotland and the congregations belonging to the United Presbyterian Church. The name assumed by the united church is the Presbyterian Church or England. At the time of the union the Presbyterian Church in England had about 150 churches, and the United Presbyterian Church more than 100. At the same date the Church of Scotland in England had about 20 congregations.

The first Presbyterians in America were emigrants from the British Isles, and the first Presbyterian church in America was founded in the colony of Massachusetts in 1629. It was the outgrowth of a Presbyterian congregation that landed there in 1625. This movement was projected by Presbyterian leaders in the S. of England and also in London. It was designed to be a colonization on a higher principle than the desire for gain. Rev. Samuel Skelton was its pastor. Rev. Francis Makemie, the father of the Presbyterian Church in the Middle Colonies, in 1699, 1699, founded a Presbyterian church at Snow Hill, Md.

The first Presbytery of which there remains a record was constituted in 1706 at Freehold, N. J. Tradition says Makemie was its moderator. In 1716 a synod was formed of the four presbyteries that had grown out of the first one.

Its title was: "The Synod of Philadelphia." Dissensions ensued, and one. Its title was: "The Synod of a division for 17 years; but in 1768 the American Presbyterian churches were reunited in one ecclesiastical body; and in 1788 a general assembly was instituted, the whole number of congregations being then 419, and of ministers 188.

The increase of the church was rapid, and in 1834 it contained 22 synods, 111 presbyteries, and about 1,900 ministers.

In 1801 a plan of union was adopted between Presbyterians and Congregationalists, under which hundreds of congregations were formed in the State of New York and elsewhere. The Cumberland Presbyterians separated from the main body_in 1814; and in 1838 the American Presbyterian Church was divided into two great sections, commonly known as Old School and New School Presbyterians. The portion of the Old School branch residing in the slave labor States withdrew in 1861 from their brethren in the other States and formed PRESCOTT "The Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States of America." Now it is known as "The Southern Presbyterian Church."

The Old and New School branches reunited in the assembly of 1870, and on the basis of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the catechisms to which standards of doctrine both schools had adhered during the 32 years of separation. Strictly speaking, questions of doctrine had little to do with the division .

At the time of this reunion the Old School Presbyterians counted 2,381 ministers, 2,749 churches, and 258,903 communicants; while the New School numbered 1,614 ministers, 1,479 churches, and 143,645 communicants. The United church had five theological seminaries .

A revision of the Confession was commenced in 1891 and is now in progress. It is also proposed to formulate a creed which shall express the doctrine of all the branches of the church. There are several branches which virtually hold the polity of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, each having its own theological seminaries and colleges, such as the Presbyterian Churches Northern and Southern, the Cumberland, the Reformed, the United Presbyterian, the Reformed Dutch and German, etc. The total of all 12 bodies of Presbyterians in the United States for 1919 was: Ministres, 11,029: churches, 13,016; members, 1,970,622. By the middle of the 18th century Prebyterian ministers were laboring in Nova Scotia and Qubec, the various divisions of the home churches being represented at an early stage; but most of the early ministers came from the Secession Church. A union between the sections representing the Free and United Presbyterian Churches took place in 1861.