Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-06-15
UNITED PRESBYTERIANIsM.

Al Sohiihoh Will IIic Otutr DrdncneS OF the
Presbyterian body the United Presbyterian
Church of the United States is a descendant
of the mother Churches of Scotland and Ir, :
land. Some of the elements which enter into
its composition can be traced back to the Sec
ond Reformation in Scotland, which COM
menced about the year 1888, and during the
progress of which the principles contended for
by the Church of Scotland were strenuously
maintained. But during the half century
which intervened between the period of the
Second Reformation and the Revolution Set
tlement of 1858, the Church of Scotland SADLY
declined and fell off greatly from her former
attainments She had to contend with oppo-
sltion from without, but suffered more from
the irregularities and instability of her mem
bers within. At length the Church generally,
though not universally, gave her assent to the
Revolution settlement, the terms of which
were by no means satisfactory because, it was
held, they compromised the independence of
Presbytery. The dissatisfaction which was
occasioned by the terms, gave origin to what
is known in ecclesiastical history as the 'sCam-
eronian" party.
Then the marrow controversy arose and
the Erskines. being unable any longer to up
hold their cherished principles against the
party in power in the Clsdrch, seeded in
1743. Those who agreed with them in the
doctrines they held organized themselves into
Presbytery the same year, and assumed the
the name of Associate Presbyterlans." Ten
years after this, the Reformed Presbytery of
Scotland was organized by Mcmillan and
Marine. The two bodies, however, differed
only in regard to matters pertaining to civil
institutions, but held the same views substan-
TALLY on theological questions.
1t was not very long after the organization
OF the Reformed Presbytery until representa-
tives, both of it and the Associate Presbytery,
made their appearance in the new world. As
early as 1736, three years after the Erskines
and those who sympathized with their notions
had organized themselves into Presbytery,
immigrants who were devoted to the cause of
Associate Presbyterianism sent an earnest re-
quest to Scotland for ministerial supplies. But
it was not until 1853, and after frequent and
earnest appeals had been made TO the Presby-
terry, that it was able to send out preacher
to America In the year last mentioned two
duly accredited ministers visited the colonies
by direction of the Presbytery, and shortly
after their arrival here organized what was
known as the Associate Presbytery of Penn
sylvania. 1t was small beginning, but the
feeble band was strengthened from time to
time by the arrival of other ministers, whom
the mother church failed not to send out
whenever the state of things warranted her
doing so.
The Church fourished so rapidly that in the
year 1776, just one hundred years ago, anoth-
er Presbytery was organized under the cor
porate title Of the Associate Presbytery of
New York. At tins time there were thirteen
ministers in the country who were connected
with the organization, ten of whom belonged
to the Presbytery of Pennsylvania, and the
remainder to that of New York. Having
gained considerable strength the Colonial
Church severed her connection with the
Church in Scotland, and henceforward main-
tanned an independent position as separate &C.
clesiastical organization, but adhered firmly to
the same doctrines, order and forms of wor-
ship which were held and observed by the
Church sat home.' The sou, we believe, of
one of the clergymen who were intimately as
sociated with the early history of the 'Seces-
sion Church" in this country is still living in
our sister city of Allegheny.
In the year 1774 the Reformed Presbytery
OF North America was organized and consisted
of three members. Three years afterwards it
entered in negotiations with the Associate
Presbytery with the view of effecting an or
ganic union between the two bodies. After
courtship Of about five years the union was
virtually eonsummsted, and ali the ministers
except two agreed to form one
ecclesiastical organization under the name and
title Of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian :