ASSOCIATE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

IN

NORTH AMERICA.

BY THE REV. W. I. CLELAND AND THE REV. JAMES P. MILLER, N. Y.

PRESENT CONDITION.

THIS association of professing Christians consists (1844) of one hundred and six ministers, settled and itinerating; and of two hundred and ten organized congregations; and, as nearly as can be ascertained from the statistical tables of the different Presbyteries, which are, however, somewhat defective, there are about 15,000 communicants. Allowing four to each communicant for children and other adherents, it will make about 75,000 persons as connected with this society.

The number of students in attendance at the Theological Seminary during the last term, was twenty-nine; but as for several years there has been a gradual increase, their number may be estimated at thirty for the ensuing term,-of which number, one-fourth is usually added every year to the list of ministers.

LOCATION.

This society is found chiefly in the Middle and Western States. Prior to the year 1832, there was a Presbytery in the Southern States called the Presbytery of the Carolinas, consisting of eight ministers, most of whom had large congregations. But in that year by an act of the supreme judicatory of that body, all slaveholders were excluded from the fellowship of the church; since that time all those ministers and most of the people, have either removed to the non-slaveholding States, or connected themselves with other societies. In the State of Vermont there are two small congregations, but none in any of the other New England States. There are three ministers and a few vacant congregations in Canada.

The judicatories of this body now consist of a Synod and thirteen

Presbyteries. The following summary of the statistical table will present some idea of the present condition of this society. The names 'of the Presbyteries generally indicate their locality.

The Synod, which is composed of all the ministers and one ruling elder from each congregation, meets annually on its own adjournment. Each Presbytery meets on its own adjournment, and as often as circumstances require.

The Theological Seminary is located at Cannonsburg, Pa. It has two professorships-one of didactic theology and Hebrew, at present filled by James Martin, D. D.; the other of church history, pastoral theology and biblical literature, at present filled by Thomas Beveridge, D. D. At this institution there is but one term each year, which continues from the first Monday of November until the last of March. The students are required to attend four terms to complete their course of study. The professors give lectures on their respective subjects. The text-book which is used in didactic theology is "JOHANNIS MARKIL CHRISTIANE THEOLOGIE MEDULLA."

DOCTRINE AND DISCIPLINE.

The Associate Presbyterian Church of North America, is a branch of the Church of Scotland; and holds the doctrines of the Reforma

*Those marked thus * are incomplete, there being no returns from several congregations, and some of these the largest in the Presbytery: 15,000 is the estimated number of communicants.

Several Presbyteries, though marked as located in a particular state, include also the care of congregations in neighbouring states, e. g. the Presbytery of Cambridge, New York, includes the congregations in Vermont and Canada East.

tion as set forth in the standards of the Westminster Assembly. Hence the Westminster Confession of Faith is her Confession of Faith; the Larger and Shorter Catechisms are her authorized systems of catechetical instruction. The Form of Presbyterial Church Government, and the Directory for public worship and for family worship, are received and acknowledged as of obligatory authority in this church. The xxiii. chapter of the Confession of Faith, respecting the concern of the civil magistrate with the church, is received with some explanations, which are given in the Declaration and Testimony which this church has adopted and published. These explanations deny to the civil magistrate any authority in or control over the church, as respects either doctrine or discipline, by virtue of his office. The church is regarded as a free and independent society, to be governed and regulated according to the rules laid down in the Word of God, and responsible for the faithful discharge of her duty to Christ her only king and head.

The doctrine of the Confession of Faith concerning public, social, religious vowing or covenanting, as set forth in the xxii, chapter of the Confession of Faith, and as formerly practised by the churches of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Reformed Church of Holland, is both held and practised by this church,-with this difference, that the civil part of the National Covenant of Scotland, and the Solemn League and Covenant of the kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland, or any mingling of civil with religious affairs, have not been regarded by this church as belonging to the religious and ecclesiastical part of this duty.

This church, both in doctrine and practice, has always adhered to the use of a literal poetic version of the inspired Book of Psalms in the praises of God, as that only appointed of God, and consequently the only proper one.

As other bodies of professing Christians, both in Great Britain and this country, profess adherence to the standards and doctrines of the Westminster Assembly, the Associate Church also, from an early period of her existence in this country, has published a “Declaration and Testimony," more particularly setting forth, explaining, and defending some of the doctrines of the Westminster standards, and stating the prevailing errors against which this church considers herself called upon to testify. To this Declaration and Testimony she has prefixed a narrative, briefly setting forth some of the leading facts in her history, and the reasons of her maintaining a separate communion from other existing denominations of the present day. These books, which constitute the publicly authorized subordinate standards,

together with her Book of Discipline, set forth all the distinctive principles and doctrines of this church. These books she calls her subordinate standards, because held in subordination to the Bible,—the supreme standard of the church of Christ.

The following formula of questions, proposed to private members on their admission to fellowship in the church, will give a brief but pretty distinct view of the principles and religious practices of this church:

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice?

2. Do you profess your adherence to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Form of Presbyterial Church Government, and Directory for the worship of God, as these are received and witnessed for by us, in our Declaration and Testimony, for the doctrine and order of the church of Christ?

3. Do you profess your resolution through grace to continue in the faith, according to the profession you now make of it, and to be subject to the order and discipline of the house of God; to be diligent in your attendance on public ordinances, teaching and sealing, according to your profession, on secret prayer, on family worship, as you may have opportunity, (to be used if the applicant be a head of a family,) in keeping up family worship daily, morning and evening, and to perform all other duties incumbent on you, according to this profession, in whatever station you may occupy in life; and that you will make conscience of promoting the knowledge of Christ, and his truths, as by other means, so more especially by a holy and spiritual conversation, consistent with your profession?

HISTORY.

The Associate Presbyterian Church in North America, is a branch of the Church of Scotland. The brief space to which this sketch is necessarily limited, forbids us to refer particularly to that eventful period in the history of the Church of Scotland, that intervenes between the years 1638 and 1688. Yet the causes which ultimately led to the Secession of 1733, may be distinctly found in the history of that period. During that reforming period the church complained of the law of patronage as an evil, and had obtained various acts against it, particularly an Act of Parliament passed at Edinburgh, March 9th, 1649, Charles I. and II. Parl. 2 Sess. Act 39, the patronage of kirks was abolished. That act had such an immediate connexion with the origin of the Associate Church, that we may transcribe at least a part of it, as follows-"Considering that patronage and presentation of

kirks is an evil and bondage, under which the Lord's people and the ministers of this land have long groaned; and that it hath no warrant in God's word, but is founded only on the common law, and is a custom popish, and brought into the kirk in time of ignorance and superstition; and that the same is contrary to the Second Book of Discipline, in which, upon solid and good ground, it is reckoned among the abuses that are desired to be reformed, and [contrary] unto several acts of General Assemblies; and that it is prejudicial to the liberty of the people and planting of kirks, and unto the free calling and entry of ministers unto their charge: and the said estates being willing and desirous to promote and advance the reformation foresaid, that every thing in the house of God may be ordered according to his word and commandment, do therefore, from a seuse of the former obligations, and upon the former grounds and reasons, discharge for ever hereafter, all patronages and presentation of kirks, whether belonging to the king or any laic patron, presbyteries, or others within this kingdom, as being unlawful and unwarrantable by God's word, and contrary to the doctrine and liberties of this Kirk; and do therefore rescind, make void, and annul all gifts and rights granted thereanent, and all former acts made in Parliament, or in any inferior judicatory, in favour of any patron or patrons whatsoever, so far as the same doth or may relate unto the presentation of kirks;" making it a penal offence, under any pretext, to give or receive such presentation. And Presbyteries were prohibited from admitting to trials for ordination any candidate upon any such presentation.

It may here be remarked, that this act was in full accordance with the doctrine of the Church of Scotland, from her first organization under the doctrines and principles of the Reformation from Popery. In the first Book of Discipline, drawn up by John Knox, we find the following rule: "No minister should be intruded on any particular kirk, without their consent." The same principle is asserted in the Second Book of Discipline, adopted in 1578, and in force until 1640. This principle is also repeatedly recognised in the Directory of the Westminster divines.

The above Act of Parliament continued in force in the Church of Scotland until the year 1712, or the 11th of Queen Anne, when the doctrine of patronage was again revived by Act of Parliament, in the Church of Scotland, to the great grief of at least most good men in her. Many of these not only opposed the reviving of patronage to the last, in the General Assembly, but entered their solemn protest against it in the Assembly. The exercise of the right of patronage, at this time restored to the patrons, was for some time used with