Renwick
JAMES, the last of the martyrs of the Covenant; born in Mon- REORGANIZED CHURCH iaive, Scotland, Feb. 15, 1662. He attended Edinburgh University with a view to the ministry, but was denied his degree, as he refused the oath of allegiance. He was chosen by the "Societies," as the bands of men devoted to the Covenant were called, to proceed to Holland to complete his studies in 1682, was ordained in 1683, and returned to Scotland. His life was now exposed to great hazards, and often reduced to great destitution. In 1684 he published "Apologetic Declaration," for which he was outlawed. When James II. came to the throne in 1685 Renwick with 200 men went to Sanquhar, and published a declaration rejecting him. A reward was offered for his capture, he was hunted from place to place, and was at last captured in Edinburgh. in Edinburgh. He was condemned and executed Feb. 17, 1688.
REORGANIZED CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, an ecclesiastical organization claiming to be the church of Latter-Day Saints established by Joseph Smith and associates at Fayette, New York, on April 6, 1830.
Following the death of Smith the church left by him combined and fixed their headquarters at Zarahemla, Wis., in 1852, under the title given. They reenunciated the distinctive tenets enunciated by the founder and promulgated their creed in his words. The clause relating to marriage says that the church believes "that marriage is ordained of God and that the law of God provides for but one companion in wedlock, for either man or woman, except in cases of death or where the contract of marriage is broken by transgression." There has been much litigation between the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Mormons of Utah as to which organization is the true successor to the church founded by Joseph Smith and the courts have in every case sustained the former. It has now churches on almost every continent and a membership of about 75,000.