338 



REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CIU'RCII. 



perative or repressive of freedom in prayer." In its 



constitution it provides tliat tin- "Hook of Com- 

 IIIM Pnivcr . . . shall be used in this church, al such 

 times and with Midi liU-rty as the canon on tliis sub- 

 r.ill provide ; but no canon shall make its u.-e im- 

 perative on all occasions, nor forbid the use of 

 pore or other prayer at suitable times." Rejecting 

 the Prayer Hook of the I'rote.-tant Episcopal Cliurch, 

 that of I7X">, kimwn it* the Bishop \\'iiite I'rayer 

 Hook, was adopted, and has been so amended as to 

 suit present needs. 



Ministry. In its ministry it "adheres to Episco- 

 pacy, not HS of divine ri>rlit. but as a very ancient and 

 .le form of church polity." It holds to two or- 

 ders presbyters ami deacons. The bishopric is an 

 office, and tiie bishop is "primut inter ;/.;;..<" 



rnmnit. Its government rests in, 1. A Cen- 

 tral Council that at present includes all its bishop 

 and presbyters, with lay representatives who shall be 

 communicants and lucuibere of the congregation 

 they respectively represent. This body represents 

 and legislates for the churches in the I'liiled States 

 mid Canada. Its meetings are now biennial. ". >';/- 

 nmliciil CiiHiicib. The w^olc body is divided into 

 synods. Each synod is under the jurisdiction' of a 

 bishop with his standing committee. It has its an- 

 nual council, and legislates on matters that are purely 

 local 3. I'lirixk organization, which consists prima- 

 rily of the congregation. From them, by election. 

 come vestrymen, wardens, parish council, members of 

 the general and synodical councils, and, through the 

 vestry, the pastor. 



Church 1'iiioii. Bishop Cummins, in his address at 

 the organization of the church, said : "We regard our 

 movement only as a step towards the closer union of 

 all evangelical Christendom. For this we shall labor 

 and pray. We gladly acknowledge the validity of 

 the ministerial orders of our brethren whom (!od 

 has sent into his vineyard, and whose labors he has 

 accepted and blessed. We shall invite all ministers 

 of evangelical churches to occupy our pulpits, and to 

 take part in our services, and we shall rejoice to meet 

 them and their flocks as often as may be expedient 

 around the Lord's table, and acknowledge that we, 

 being many, are one body in Christ, and members one 

 of another. " 



The aim of the church has been in^ this direction. 

 It has broken down the barrier of Episcopacy " as 

 of divine right," and has placed it on the historic 

 basis, "as a very ancient and desirable form of church 

 polity." In adopting the XXXIX Articles of the 

 Church of England, it has so amended the XXIV th 

 that it reads: " The doctrine of 'apostolic succession.' 

 by which it is taught that theministry ol'the Christian 

 Church must be derived through a scries of uniiiter- 

 rupted ordinations whether by tactual succession or 

 otherwise, and that without the same there can be no 

 valid ministry, no Christian church, and no due minis- 

 tration ot baptism and the Lord's supper, is wholly re- 

 .. as imscriptural and productive of great mis- 

 chief. This church values its historic ministry, but 

 recognizes and honors as equally valid the ministry of 

 other churches, even as God the Holy Ghost has ac- 

 companied their work with demonstration and 

 power." In its canons it provides that " Any pres- 

 byter of another church may be received by a bishop 

 and standing committee as a presbyter of this c.hnrrh. 

 without reordination. " It reciprocates "fraternal 

 greetings" with other evangelical churches. It in- 

 vites to friendly interchange of pulpits. It receives 

 communicants by letter from other churches, and on 

 every communion occasion it invites " fellow-Chris- 

 tians of other branches of Christ's church" to the 

 Lord's table. 



Statalic*. The following report was made to the 

 General Council, May, 1HS7: Bisho|>s, 7 ; ministers. 

 92 ; communicants. 8407 ; Saikby-MMp) scholars. 1 1,- 

 bll , teachers, 6W; contribution*, $1 ..<.,( >J. Pio ; ..-ny 



unincmnbered, $1,083,361. These statistics include 

 the churches in the I'nited States and Canada. Tin-re 

 is a branch of this church in England, but without 

 organic connection with the General Council. Its 

 theological school has graduated r- tiist class of two 

 students. Its faculty consists of a dean and three 

 professors. It begins its second year with eight 

 students. The Lpacnptil Recorder, published in 

 Philadelphia, is tin- organ of the church. (B. B. L.) 



REKOi;Mi:i) PKKSUYTEKI \.N ClirKi 

 NOKTII AMKHICA. This is the formal title of the 

 body which is commonly termed the Covenanter 

 Church. The former name by its first part carries ua 

 back to the second reformation of I'.riii-h history, in 

 the seventeenth century. By its second part it indi- 

 cates the form of government. Presbyterian. The 

 familiar name. Covenanter, belongs to the history of 

 the Church of Scotland in the s< v. nteenth century. 



The restoration of Charles the Si ml in 10(10 marked 



the beginning of sore persecution, the " killing times " 

 lor those who held to the Covenants of Scotland, 

 and became known as Covenanters (see COVKNANTKIW, 

 in the ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA). It is from 

 this people the Covenanter Church in America orig- 

 inated, and correspondence is maintained by it with 

 the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in 

 Scotland. 



I. Early History. The persecuting times in Scot- 

 land were marked not only by the martyrdom of many 

 of the Covenanters, but also by the voluntary and 

 enforced exile ot'manv more. They were banished to 

 North America and .Jamaica, many sought an asylum 

 in the New World, many found refuge in l'1-ier, 

 win nee their children came to these shores. In 1684 

 thirty were banished to Carolina ; four, the same 

 year, to New Jersey; one hundred, twenty four of 

 them women, were transported to New Jersey. The 

 first emigrants oame mostly to IVlaware. Eastern Penn- 

 sylvania, New York, and South Carolina. In the early 

 part of the eighteenth century they were found in the 

 Cumberland Valley, forming "societies" as in Scot- 

 land that is, worshipping assemblies without a pastor, 

 along the tributaries MUM Susqucliamia. The prin- 

 cipal settlements were at Octorara and Paxtang, and 

 on the Conococheague in Pennsylvania. These kept 

 up correspondence, and in 1743 organized a " General 

 Meeting' to legislate for the Covenanter communi- 

 ties. The same year they covenanted at Octorara, re- 

 newing the Scottish Covenants, and vowing to " keep 

 thcirbodies, property, and conscience against all attacks; 

 to defend Christ's gospel and the purity of the church ; 

 to submit to no ruler who would not submit to Chii-t, 

 and to defend their liberty from fears without and 

 within." The first preaching they received W;LS from 

 Rev. Alexander Craighcad (17(17-00) in 1743. He 

 was ordained a Presbyterian, but acceded to the 

 Covenanters, and remained with them seven years, 

 and soon after leaving them migrated to North Cam 

 lina. The first Covenanter settlement in the State of 

 New York was on the Wallkill, in Orange co., N. Y. 

 In the year 174S Mr. .lames Haincy removed from 

 Philadelphia and settled here, and in 17o3 a society 

 was formed. The banishment of Covenanters to 

 Carolina has already been noted. Chester l>istrict. in 

 South Carolina, early became their centre, and after 

 Mr. Craighead had gone South some removed from 

 Pennsylvania, settling along Rocky Creek, and were 

 soon strengthened by emigration from Ireland. By 

 the middle of the eiirlitceii'h century there were socie- 

 ties of Covenanted from Connecticut to South Car.' 

 Una. The Pennsylvania societies earnestly desired 

 help from the mother church in Scotland, when left 

 by Mr. Craighoad in I74'.>. The (ir>t minister to come 

 was Rev. John Cuthbertson (I71S-'.H). who landed at 

 Newcastle, Del., Aug. 5, 17.1. He served the scat- 

 tered societies for -!_' years, making his home in Octo- 

 r.ira. His diary is extant, and we. have a full account 

 of his extended journeys taken on horseltack, in vi.Mt- 



