Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/838

 814 PRESBYTERIANISM years the former fell off, and in 1857 the latter, under the lead of commissioners who had at- tended the assembly at Cleveland, O., prepared to withdraw and constitute the united synod, whiten was organized at Knoxville, Tenn., April 2, 1858. In connection with the synod were over 100 ministers and somewhat fewer than 200 churches, widely scattered over the south- ern states. This body continued a separate organization until Aug. 27, 1864, when it was merged in the general assembly formed by southern ministers and churches previously in the Old School connection. The Old School after 1837, with greater homogeneousness as well as greater strength than the New School, made more rapid progress, especially in the south and southwest. It had all its machi- nery of ecclesiastical boards in full and harmo- nious operation, meeting wants for which the New School had to provide by substantially the same methods, when they found that vol- untary societies counterworked their policy. But in 1861, on the outbreak of the civil war, almost the entire body of the Old School southern churches, aggrieved by the assem- bly's resolution on the state of the country, withdrew their connection and united in the organization of a " General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America." This organizatiort was effected at Augusta, Ga., Dec. 4, 1861. The second as- sembly convened at Montgomery, Ala., May 1, 1862, since which time the meetings of the as- sembly have been annually held contempora- neously with those of the northern assemblies, and the church has perfected its organization for the work of ministerial education, home and foreign missions, publication, &c. The advance of the church, steady but not rapid, has been made in the face of great difficulties, and its present strength is represented by 11 synods, 55 presbyteries, over 900 ministers, and more than 1,500 churches, with a membership of about 90,000. The Old and New School bod- ies, retaining the same standards, and working more and more by analogous methods, were steadily approximating, while old alienations died away; and when the southern secession from the Old School brought it more into har- mony with the New School on one very im- portant issue, the way was prepared for those negotiations and conferences by committees initiated when, in 1866, the two assemblies met in St. Louis which resulted in the re- union of the two bodies, fully accomplished in 1871. The aggregate of synods and presby- teries was reduced when those occupying the same field were brought into the same organi- zation, but the latest annual report to the as- sembly (1875) shows that there are in connec- tion with it 36 synods, 173 presbyteries, 4,706 ministers, 4,999 churches, and 506,034 commu- nicants. The contributions to home and for- eign missions, education for the ministry, pub- lication, freedmen, sustentation, and ministe- rial relief, for the year 1874-'5, amounted to $1,464,971. Notwithstanding Presbyterianism has never prevailed extensively in New England, it has had a distinct and independent existence there from a very early period. The French church in Boston, formed of Huguenots about 1687, was the first church organized on a Presbyterian basis, but was continued no long- er than while its service was conducted in the French language. The first Presbyterian organization in New England of any perma- nence dates back to about the year 1718, when a large number of Presbyterians, with four ministers, emigrated to this country from the north of Ireland. For some time, in cases of difficulty, the ministers and elders were wont to assemble informally, and hold what might be called pro re nata meetings; and where they were unable to reach a satisfactory re- sult, they sometimes asked advice of the synod of Ireland. On April 16, 1745, the Rev. Messrs. John Morehead of Boston, David McGregor of Londonderry, N. II., and Ralph Abercrombie of Pelharn, with Messrs. James McKeen, Alex- ander Conkey, and James Hughes, met in Lon- donderry, and " constituted themselves into a presbytery, to act, as far as their present cir- cumstances will permit them, according to the word of God and the constitution of the Pres- byterian church of Scotland, agreeing to that perfect rule." The body was called the Bos- ton presbytery, and met, according to adjourn- ment, in that town, Aug. 13, 1745. From the close of the year 1754 till October, 1770, there is a chasm in the records ; but at the last men- tioned period the presbytery consisted of 12 congregations and as many ministers. At a meeting held in Seabrook, N. H., on May 31, 1775, the presbytery resolved to divide itself into three distinct bodies, viz., the presbyteries of Salem, of Londonderry, and of Palmer ; these were then formed into the synod of New England, which held its first meeting at Londonderry, Sept. 4, 1776. At Boothbay, Me., on June 27, 1771, a new presbytery was erected called the presbytery of the Eastward, consisting of three ministers and four ruling elders, representing four churches. It had no connection with the Boston presbytery, and its origin is said to have been in some way connected with the removal of the Rev. John Murray to Boothbay. It never exhibited on its roll more than eight ministers. Its last re- corded adjournment now known was to meet at New Boston, N. H., on the first Wednesday of October, 1792. The only relic of this presby- tery known to exist is a curious volume printed in 1783, with the following title: " Bath-Kol. A Voice from the Wilderness. Being an hum- ble Attempt to support the sinking Truths of God against some of the principal Errors ra- ging at this time. Or a joint Testimony to soim of the Grand Articles of the Christian Religioi judiciously delivered to the Churches und< their care. By the First Presbytery of th< Eastward." In September, 1782, the synod ol New England, finding their numbers considc