146 cnuRcn unity 



The General Assembly of the Church of 

 Scotland has formally approached every 

 Presbyterian Church in Scotland with the 

 expression of her " hearty Avillingness and 

 desire to take all possible steps, consistent 

 with the maintenance of an establishment 

 of religion, to promote the union of such 

 Churches." Her efforts have as yet proved 

 fruitless, but we must echo the words of 

 the Rev. Pearson McAdam Muir, in his 

 admirable brief history of the Church of 

 Scotland, that " it is hard to believe that it 

 is impossible to find a basis of agreement 

 on which, without abandonment of principle 

 or compromise of honor on either side, the 

 now opposing communions may take their 

 stand, and thus avert a long, unhappy, and 

 disgraceful strife." 1 



In speaking of Scotch Presbyterianism 

 we naturally think of the daughter on this 

 side of the water. In 1837 the Presby- 

 terian Church of the United States was 

 unfortunately broken into two divisions — 

 commonly called the Old School and the 

 New School. But it was impossible that 

 churches having the same creed and dis- 



i The Church of Scotland, Edinb. and N. Y. 1892, 

 p. 94. 



