CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



The Relief Church was founded by Thomas 

 Gillespie, who, having signalised himself in re- 

 fusing to proceed with a settlement obnoxious 

 to the people, was, in consequence, deposed by 

 the General Assembly. Joined by Mr Thomas 

 Boston, son of the great Boston, in 1758, and by 

 the congregation of Colinsburgh in 1761, the 

 Relief body grew pretty much after the manner of 

 the Secession ; but holding the principle of ' free 

 communion,' the party was for a long time 

 fiercely assailed by the Seceders and Reformed 

 Presbyterians. 



At the union in 1847, the Relief numbered 113, 

 and the Secession 384 congregations. The United 

 Presbyterian Church, thus commencing with 497 

 churches and 140,000 members, has had a career 

 of great prosperity. It adheres to the West- 

 minster standards, with the modification 'it being 

 always understood, that we do not approve of 

 anything in these documents which teaches, or 

 may be supposed to teach, compulsory, or per- 

 secuting, and intolerant principles in religion.' 

 The supreme court is called a Synod ; and the 

 body has a Theological Hall and Library in 

 Edinburgh, and a staff of professors. The sys- 

 tem of training is, however, somewhat different 

 from that of the Established and Free Churches. 

 The distinguishing characteristic of the United 

 Presbyterian Church at present, as compared with 

 other Presbyterian Churches, is its voluntaryism, 

 according to which it is held that the interests 

 of Christianity are best subserved by the total 

 separation of the Church from the state. 



The United Presbyterian Church has upwards 

 of 6n churches and of 601 ministers. In the 

 year ending May 1873, the sum of ^3 2 5,000 was 

 raised by this body for its different religious pur- 

 poses. 



REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



This Church was formed after the Revolution by 

 a small party of Presbyterians who objected to 

 the settlement then made in church and state, and 

 holding to the binding obligation of the Solemn 

 League and Covenant, advocated the civil and 

 ecclesiastical polity that prevailed in Scotland 

 from 1638 to 1649, and became popularly known 

 as Cameronians, or followers of Richard Cameron. 

 For 16 years they remained without any minister ; 

 and it was not till 1743 that their first presbytery, 

 with three ministers, was formed. In 1712, the 

 members of the body renewed the Covenants ; a 

 mode of confirming their faith which they have 

 employed from time to time. In the recent union 

 negotiations, the Reformed Presbyterian Church 

 has shewn itself more liberal than was generally 

 imagined, having expressed its satisfaction with 

 the articles of union. 



The Reformed Presbyterian Church has 44 

 churches and 40 ministers in Scotland ; and under 

 a different jurisdiction, but with the same prin- 

 ciples, 32 churches and 32 ministers in Ireland. 



The Presbyterianism existing in England and 

 Ireland is also of Scottish origin, rather than 

 indigenous to either of the other countries The 

 successors of the numerous Presbyterians in Eng- 

 land at the time of the Westminster Assembly 

 adopted Unitarian sentiments. At present, there 

 are three Presbyterian Churches represented in 



408 



England, all of Scottish planting ; that branch, 

 numbering 20 churches, 20 ministers, and 10 

 chaplains, connected with the Established Church 

 of Scotland ; the Presbyterian Church in England, 

 having 132 churches and 130 ministers, which, 

 though possessed of self-government, formerly 

 stood in special relations to the Free Church of 

 Scotland ; and that branch, nearly as numerous, 

 connected with the United Presbyterian Church. 

 The Presbyterian Church in England has a 

 college in London, and 8 presbyteries, of which 

 those of Lancashire and London are the principal. 

 A union between this body and the portion of 

 the United Presbyterian Church in England, both 

 of which have made signal progress in England 

 (150 per cent.) during the last 20 years, was 

 attempted, but failed in consequence of an adverse 

 decision of the United Presbyterian Synod (1874). 



The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is a self- 

 governed body, entirely similar to the leading 

 Presbyterian Churches in Scotland, with 560 

 congregations, 628 ministers, and 123,000 com- 

 municants. Formerly in the possession of a grant 

 from the state, called the regium donum, it has 

 now a Sustentation Fund, and during the year 

 ending May 1873, raised for all purposes ,125,419. 



The whole number of Presbyterians throughout 

 the world, exclusive of the German Protestant 

 Churches, which are substantially Presbyterian, 

 is more than 14 millions, the United States alone 

 containing 3 millions ; while the number of Eng- 

 lish-speaking Presbyterian congregations over the 

 world is estimated at about 12,000, representing 

 10 million Presbyterians. 



EVANGELICAL UNION. 



This body, otherwise called Morisonians, was 

 constituted in Scotland in 1843, by the Rev. 

 James Morison of Kilmarnock and other ministers 

 (whose doctrinal views had been condemned by 

 the Secession Church, to which they belonged), 

 and by the congregations adhering to them. 

 They were soon afterwards joined by a number 

 of ministers and congregations, holding like 

 religious views, that previously belonged to the 

 Congregational Union. Their doctrinal opinions 

 are highly Pelagian and Arminian. They hold 

 that Christ died for all men equally, that all have 

 equal grace and ability to believe the gospel, &c. 

 Their church government is independent, and their 

 number is 10,000. 



GLASSITES. 



This sect arose in Scotland in 1730, when John 

 Glas, a minister near Dundee, was deposed by 

 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 

 on account of views contrary to the standards of 

 the Church. He maintained that all national 

 establishments of religion are inconsistent with 

 the true nature of the Church of Christ, and that 

 faith is ' a bare belief of the bare truth.' A 

 number of small congregations were soon formed 

 on Glassite principles, in Scotland, England, and 

 America, which were better known as Sande- 

 manians, from a follower of Glas, Robert Sande- 

 man. Their number has diminished greatly of 

 late years, although their religious views continue 

 to be disseminated under other names. In 1851, 

 there were only six Glassite churches in Scotland, 



