i> PKF.SP.YTF.KI \N nirncn. 



TioUte* the principle* of representation by l.estowing 

 upon the domestic tyrant wlio holds hundreds of lii.s 

 fellow creatures in bondage an intl'ience for making 

 laws fur tret-men proportioned to tin- number of his 

 own HJavet. This Constitution id, notwithstanding it* 

 numerous excellencies, in many instances incor. 

 oppressive, and impious." Covenanters dissented, 

 lint voting, or holding olhVe tindrr oath to tlic Const i- 

 Union, or serving on juries. This position proved 

 uncomfortable during the war of IM'J. Covenanter* 

 deemed the war justifiable and L'lilistt'd. Dr. M.-I..-...1 

 preached a scries of discourses on tin- war, vindicating 

 the nation, but " many of tin- people on the seaboard 

 were aliens, having conscientiously alwtained from tak- 

 ing the oath of naturalization, and tbe fOWMMOt liad 

 passed an order for all aliens to remove to a distance 

 into the interior" (Testimony, ed. 1S8I). After the 

 war an inclination to a luoru charitable view of the 

 Constitution began to appear. Rffnmvitiim /Vi; <////. .*, 

 I'.th c.|.. 1>71, say : " \\ i- liavc seen that the African 

 tilavc-trade was abolished and legally declared to be 

 piracy ; slave law* were repealed and slavery abolished 

 in the States where most of our people had their 

 abode ; new States were rapidly organized where 

 slavery never existed, and was now constitutionally 

 prohibited ; thus taking away the principal reason 

 Against serving on juries in our courts of law. In 

 several Suites the highest courts had declare 1 tin' 

 Cliri-.tian religion to be the religion of the State, anil 

 that t<i reproach it was a crime against public law, thus 

 correcting the idea of the government being infidel in 

 its character ; in the meantime the nature of the fed- 

 eral compact was more perfectly developed and the 

 character of the bond of union among the States 

 better understood." The differences between the 

 older and newer viewscanieto a head at a meeting of 

 the Kastcrn Subordinate Synod, New York, Apiil 

 JJ5., 1832. A draft of a pastoral letter came from a 

 committee before tho Synod. This argued against 

 charging infidelity and immorality upon the Constitu- 

 tion." This part of the letter was stricken out by the 

 synod. The minority published the original draft 

 with notes. This led to the exercise of discipline, 

 which resulted in the division of the church at the 

 meeting of the General Synodal Philadelphia. Aug. 

 7, 1833. The party holding the views enunciated in 

 1806 are known as the Reformed Presbyterian Church 

 (0. S.), and their highest court is the Synod. The 

 party holding the later views are known as the Re- 

 formed Presbyterian Church (\. S.), and their highest 

 court is the General Synod. The.se bodies differ in 

 the application of their testimony to the vivil institu- 

 tions of the 1'nited States. 



Ill 7V ll.'f:.r,n,:l /V,<.<V-/-/,m OhnrchW. S.). 

 In 1835 a mission was established at Saharani>ur. 

 Northern India, and Hev. James R. Camplicli an<l wife 

 Were gent out. In 1838 a presbytery W:L> const itute 1 

 there. In 1848 the Hook of Discipline was adopted 

 and published, and in 1S50 directions lor the worship 

 of (lo. I. secret, private, and public, together with 

 rules and forms of order, were adopted. It) IrtfiS the 

 General Synod was agitated by the exercise of disci- 

 pline in the case of Mr. (Jeorge II Stuart, of Philadel- 

 phia, for using uninspired compositions in the |<: 

 God, the Book of Psalms being taken by the church 

 as the exclusive manual of praise. Previous to this 

 the Philadelphia Presbytery had been divided into 

 the First and Second Presbyteries. The First, to which 

 .Mr. Stuart belonged, now suspended ita relations 

 with the General Synod, while the other approved 

 the synod's action. The former presbytery was rep 

 resented as an independent body in the alliance of 

 Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian sys- 

 tem, at the Philadelphia Council. IHSil, but went 

 into the Presbyterian Church in lf<sV Tic- relation 

 of the General Synod to the work in India 

 tcrfered with durinp the period from iHf.M to |.:{, 

 but wan renewed in KSs:i by the appointment of 



Rev. lie a native, who hail Wii 



by the 1'nited Probyterian Church of the I 

 States. The centre of work is Roorkee, with ont- 

 st.itioris. Tin; Theological Seminary of this church 

 is in Philadelphia. 



The terms of communion number six. The sec- 

 I ond names, as the sulionlinate standards, the \\ 

 minter Confes.sion of Faith, Catechisms Larger and 

 Shorter, and Reformation Principles, the Testimony 

 of the Church, as embodying according to the wmd 

 of God the great principles of the CoVeiianted 

 Presbyterian Reformation, to the maintenance of 

 which this church is obliged by solemn covenant en- 

 gagements 



The minute* of the General Synod, 1888, show 6 

 jireshyteries, 46 congregations, and 24 mil 

 Die numlHjr of communicants, is not given. 



iv. n>- i;,f, in ,i,,i i',;*!,,/!,-,-;,,,, <'/,,,/> >. s.). 



The arrangement of a (ieneral Synod and tw.> sub- 

 ordinate synods was abolished June lY.. |s-lo. The 

 synod composed of all the ministers of the cbnidi 

 and a ruling elder from each session was re.stored 

 Oct. ('., istl, and has met annually since I So I, as 

 the supreme judicatory. The office of the d 

 was long discussed in this church. Though 

 ni/..'il in (he form of church government and the 

 testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, it 

 had lallen into abeyance. The office was revived in 

 1K57. In 1SSS women were adjudgeil c'ligible to this 

 office. The year 1847 witnessed the entrance on lor 

 eiini mission vork. Choice was made of llayti 

 an i K.v. Joseph \V. Morton was sent out. Within 

 two years the work was abandoned, owing to his 

 change of church relation. In I s.'ii 1 ) Syria was chosen 

 and Rev. Robert J. Dodds and Rev. Joseph Heattie 

 were sent out. They labored first at Zahleh, but 

 finally settled at Latakiyeh on the coast, which is 

 I now the centre of a large work among the Nusair- 

 iych. This mission has charge of the wjrk at Suadca, 

 at the mouth of the Orontes, known as the William 

 Holt Yates Mission, from its founder, an English- 

 man, his widow contributing to its support. In ]:-; 

 Rev. David Metheny, M. D., removed from tho 

 l^itakiyeh field, and took up new work at Tarsus, 

 Adana. and Mersine in Cilicia, among the Arabic- 

 speaking population. This church sustains inissions 

 to the Freeumcn in Alabama and to the Chinese in 

 California. 



The Theological Seminar} 1 of this church is at Al- 

 legheny. Pa. The denominational college is at B.;i\.r 

 Falls in the same State, and is known as (ieiieva 

 College. A course on political philosophy and Chris- 

 tian politics forms a special feature. 



The terms of communion are six, and numlters 2, 

 3, 4, 6 specify, as accepted, the Westminster Con- 

 fe-sion of Faith, Catechisms Larger and Shorter, 

 Form of Church Government and Directory for Wor- 

 ship of the Westminster As-i-mbly. the Covenant of 

 1871, and the Testimony. The'Covenant of Is7l 

 was sworn and subscribed by the ministers and elders 

 at the synod of that year in Pitlsburg. Pa., and 

 was afterwards taken largely throughout the church 

 and is given in the last, edition of the Testimony. 

 The itatistics of 1888 show 11 presbyteries, 121 con- 

 gregations, lid ministers, and IO.'.MI communicants. 



I! tinned Presbyterians were one in the- 1'nioti 

 cause during the civil war, and many served in 

 the army as during the war of 1SI In IMHI it 

 was decided that "no slavehol ler should be allowed 

 the communion of the church ; " in IS-JH a testimony 

 was lifted against the oaths of Free Manonry. and 

 this was enlarged in the Covenant of 1>7! :is against 

 all secret oath bound associations ; in is.'id total ab- 

 slii.etice was recommended, and this was embodied in 

 -tiinony in the year 1883. 



].:trrlnrr. John Howie, fifolt \\':irl>ii'> ; Willinni M. 

 on, Utitoryojthc C/iurch af Xcutluiul ; K'jurma* 



