Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-26
PRESBYTERIAN COUNCIL
Coming Conference in Washington of Gen.
eral Executive Committee.
Ten Branches of the Church to BE
Represented-Its Early Ameri-
can History.

The western section of the Pan-Presby
terrain executive committee, which includes
the United States and Canada, has been
called to meet in Washington in the near
future, for the consideration of matters of
interest to the several church bodies repre-
scented. This committee represents ten
branches of the Presbyterian faith
The Canadian Presbyterian Church, one
of those represented. dates from about
the middle of the eighteenth century, and
is the leading denomination of the domin-
ion. Its first minister was Rev. George
Henry, chaplain of a Scottish regiment
stationed at quebec in 1863, and its first
congT egation was organized in 1851 by Rev.
Alexander Spark, sent over from the Kirk
of Scotland. The first Presbyterian Church
in Montreal was erected in 1879 and in
ls1a the first Presbyterian congregation
was organized In 1851 the synod of the
Presbyterian Church of Canada" was
formed, and in, 1915 there was a general
union formed of the four great divisions
of the Presbyterian family in Canada. The
standards Of tire Canadian church are the
Westminster confession of faith and the
catechism- At present it has 80 churches,
l,eII ministers and a membeTshi of 49,
900.
FIRST Organization.
The first Presbyterian Church organized
III ANTI It'd according TO lle dutnOr1tlGS,
was that of the Reformed Dutch Church of
New Amsterdam. ". y, in 1928. Probably
the first Engish-speaking Presbyterian
church was that founded at Rehoboth, Nd,
by Rev. Francis Mackenzie in 1883 The first
presbytery was h5,d in Philadelphia in 1905,
and TIE first synod in HIS. The Presby-
terrain churches were united in 1I5S and
steps taken to extend the organization in
the United States.
The first general assembly met ~, DbiIa-
4slDhia IN May l1S9 at which time the
Westminster confession of faith was re-
adopted, with three slight alterations, and
the larger and shorter catechism with but
one change. This assembly included seven
teen presbyteries, 40 congregations and
$50 ministers. In 1884 the Associated Re-
formed Church was merged into the Pres
byterian Church. In 1888 this was divided
into the old and new school PreSbyterians,
but in 1871 they We're reunited. During the
separation both churches grew rapidly in
numbers and educational interest so that
their union constituted the strongest Pres
byterian organization in the United States,
having 1851 churches, 7.129 ministers and
membership of over $4,000.
The Presbyterian Church South, also rep
resented in the committee, was formally
organized December I, 1851, at Augusta,
Ca The occasion was the adoption of a
paper relative to the civil war by the old
school Presbyterian assembly at Philadel-
phia the May previous. A protest against
this action was made by the Rev. Charles
Hodge, D. D., of Princeton Theological Sem
mary, and concurred in by forty-fve other
members of the assembly. The action
caused the ministers of the southern
churches to secede. and ninety-two minis
tiers and ruling elders were present at the
formal organization of the General AS
sernbiy Of the Confederate States Of Amer
lea.
Change in Name.
At the close of the war the name was
changed to The Presbyterian Church of
the United States.' This body is second in
size to that of the Presbyterian Church,
L. s. A, its greatest strength being in the
south and southwest. 1t has 2,s16 churches,
1888 ministers and a membership of about
2l2GD. In common with the other
holds to the Westminster confession of
faith and catechism, and declares that
"synods and councils are to handle nothing
but that which is ecclesiastical.'
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church
a great revival which began in southwest
ern Kentucky in 1897, through the efforts
of Rev. James McGready. The rapid and
extended growth of the revival led the
Cumberland presbytery to ordain certain
men, who could not meet the theological
and educational requirements of the con-
fession of faith. This led to dssensions in
the synod of Kentucky, which eliminated
land presbytery. Thus sent adrift and I'M
willing to form an Independent organiza-
ton, the regular ministers Joined them
selves to the Pennsylvania presbytery and
formed council"
This council continued It's organization
until 1910. February of that year the
Cumberland presbytery was reorganized on
Independent basis. The new organiza-
ton asserted the following points: That
there are no eternal reprobates, and Christ
died, not for part only, but for all man.
kind, and for all in the same sense; that
infants dying in infancy are saved through
Christ and the sanctification of the spirit;
that the spirit of God operates on the
world as coextensive1y as Christ has made
atonement, in such manner as to leave
all men inexcusabie."
Formation of Synod.
The Cumberland synod was formed in
1919, and at it's session in 1916 adopted a
confession Of faith. catechism and system
of church order in conformity to the prin-
ciples announced by the first presbytery
The confession of faith adopted is slight
modification of the Westminster confession
Of faith and the catechism omits some
sections of Gods Eternal Decrees." The
form of government is strictly Presbyter-
ian, and the denomination has 2915
churches, 1,511 ministers and membership
of over 200. COO.
The United Presbyterian Church, another
of the branches is one of the Youngest
members OF the presbyterian family In the
United States. Its antecedents were the
Associate and Associate Reform churches
The former dates from 1853, when the AS
sociate presbytery of Pennsylvania was
formed, subordinate to the Associate Synod
of Scotland.
The latter was founded in TIA, when the
Reformed Presbyterian Church Of America
was organized. In May, 1853 these two
bodies united and formed THE United
Presbyterian Church of North America"
Both bodies holding to the Westminster
standards. they were readopted with the
following distinct notifications:
That slaveholding is a violation of the
law of God, and contrary both to the letter
and spirit of Christianity; that all associa-
tons. whether formed for political or be-
nevolent purposes, which impose upon their
members an oath of secrecy, or an obliga-
ton to obey a code of unknown laws are
inconsistent with the spirit and genius of
Christianity, and church members ought
not to have fellowship with such associa-
tons; that the church should not extend
communion in sealing ordinance to those
who refuse adherence to her profession or
SupJection TO her government and discip-
line; that 1t is the will of God that the
songs contained in the Book of Psalms he
sung IN His worship, both public and pri-