The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-16
Presbyter'n

in the Us. 2,2ss 6so.sisI AS 1886 s,sl2,l52
s Ne ,hssi.s lss 4.A5 u 1926 sss,s7s
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Presbyterians are holding to the Presby-
terrain polity, government by presbyters or
elders, and adhe1ing to the Calvinistic
system of doctrine. The several bodies in
| the United States bearing this name trace
| their origin back to the Reformation, in
which John Knox was the most promi-
nent figure. OF these bodies there are
| twelve, as follows:
Presbyterian church in the United States OF
America (Northern).
Cumberland Presbyterian.
Cumberland Presbyterian tcoloredI
Welsh Calvinistic Methodist
Presbvterian church in the United States
| (Southern).
| Associate Church of North America.
Associate Reformed synod OF the south.
| Reformed Presbyterian church in the United
| States (Synod).
| Reformed Presbyterian church in North
| America General Synodl.
Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanted,.
Reformed Presbyterian church in the United
| States and Canada
| These bodies all use the Presbyterian
| system and accept the Westminster Con-
| fession of Faith. except the Welsh Calvin
IL,
| own of very similar character. and the
| Cumberland Presbyterians, white and COL
ored, who have a distinct confession, de-
| scribed as via media between Calvinism
| and Arminianism.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
The earliest Presbyterian churches in
| this country were organized near the close
| of the seventeenth century. The elements
composing them were chiefly English
| Puritans and Scotch and Irish immi-
| grants. Rev. Francis Mackenzie, generally
| regarded as the founder of American
| Presbyterianism, came to this country in
| 1858 from Ireland. where he had been a
member of the Presbytery of Lag
| gan. He preached in Virginia, Barba-
| does and elsewhere and organized
| Presbyterian church at Snow Hill, Md,
| at the close of the century. In 1706 Fran
| els Mackenzie, with two ministers he had
| secured on a visit to London and brought
| to this country in 1905, John Hampton, an
Irishman. and George McNish, Scotch
| man, and four other ministers. Jedediah
| Andrews (Philadelphia), Nathaniel Taylor
| (Marylandl and Samuel Davis and John
| Wilson (Delaware), organized the first
| presbytery in America, the Presbytery Of
| Philadelphia. The last four were Puritan
| ministers who had come from New Eng
| lond, Mackenzie was Scotch-1rish. Hamp-
| ton Irish and McNish Scotch. The same
| year this presbytery ordained John Boyd
| at Freehold, n. J.
In 17l6. the number of ministers having
| increased to seventeen, and covering an
! extensive territory. synod, the synod of
| Philadelphia, was formed, and the presby-
| terry was divided into three "subordinate
| meetings or presbyteries." In 1741 there
| was division IN the synod in consequence
| of differences respecting subscription to
| the Confession of Faith and doctrines and
| practices which an extensive revival move
ment brought into prominence. Those
| contendIng for a strict subscription and
| opposing what they regarded as errors Of
| doctrine in the revival movement were
| known as Old Side. and the other party as
! New Side Presbyterians. The latter
| organized the synod of New York.
! In l15S the two bodies were re-
united as the Synod of New York
! and Philadelphia At the opening of the
| Revolutionary War in 1915 there were
in connection with the synod seventeen
| presbvteries and 10 ministers. The
| church suffered severely in the war for in
| dependence, but it became prosperous after
| peace was declared, and in 17SS the synod
| decided to organize general assembly
| with four synods. 1t revised and adopted
|
| Catechlsm, form of government, book of
| discipline and directory OF worship The
! first meeting of the general assembly was
| held in Philadelphia in 1889.
Early in the nineteenth century there
| was an extensive revival movement in the
| Cumberland valley. Tennessee Differ
! ences in doctrine and practice were de-
veoped bv this movement, and the Cum
| heriand Presbyterian church was organ
| lied
! In 1887. a little more than a century after
! the division in the synod OF Philadelphia
into Old Side and New Side Presbyterians,
! the church was again divided into Old
| School and New School Assembly, chiefly
as the result OF doctrlnal differences con-
| corning the atonement, whether il was
! general or for the elect only, and of differ
| ences concerning creed subscription and
| poiitv and discipline. In 1910 the Old
! School body had about 136.as3 communi-
| can's, and the New School l02.G60. In
l>oH the two ascend jies agreed To a re-
| union, which was consummatcd in the
/ same wear.
At the outbreak of the civil war. in 1861.
the churches IN The South separated from
| the churches IN the North adherinc to the
| Old School assembly. The Southern
| churches adherlng to the New School
assembly had also separated from the
| Northern churches belonging to the New
school assembly in ls.pS on the question of
! slavery. The two bodies created in the
| South by this division united in 1865. and
formed what IS popularity known as the
! Southern Freshly terrain church
The church IN the North has grown
| rapidly since the reunion in 1859 and has
extended lnto the South. where II has or
| ganized number Of presbyteries. chiefly
! OF eoi0red people Ii i represented IN all
the states except Mississippi, and in all
the territories including the District Of
! Columbia The largest number of COM
! munlcants reported from . single state -
l5t $50 ~ Pennsylvania, New \ rk comes
! second With i5i. us. ana ohio Is third with
| slit. Though there are more Communi-
| caats IN Pennsylvania 10y 1.31S than IN
! New York the value OF the church pro-
/ perty in the latter state Is much greater
than the value Of the church property IN
/ the former While the $50 edllces In
Pennsylvania report an aggregate vaIua.
/ ton OF SIS, 49l $50 the 90 ediIices in Nv
York return an aggregate OF So. 8}S 90
! Oaly tNenty-slx buildings other than
1 churches are occupied IN these two s.s-as
The total valuation for the whole chur7b
i 81 fa5. SO. indicating an average vafra
for each ediEce OF $ll.I- The aye-.~s
seating capacity Is ga
There are n al 81 pres bv;eries If With
eighteen are IN foreign LANDS. of r. 10
in this country. that of New YORK reno-,1
! the largest nuiat'eT ~ commandments 80 .
SIS. ~-'h Aiiy-. organizations ana 81.