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Scotland, who bear this name, originated under two brothers, Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine, about the year 1730. The causes of the secession were many, differences both in doctrine and discipline. The Seceders accused the National Church of retaining in her bosom ministers who favoured the scheme of Arminius, and who were lax and defective in their parochial duties—of imposing upon the people pastors to whom they were totally averse—of directly supporting the system of patronage—and of tyrannical conduct to those who wished to revert to the primitive practice of the Scottish Church.
Through a difference as to civil matters, they divided into two parties, Burghers and Anti-burghers. These have again been united, and form one body, under the title of the United Associate Synod, consisting of twenty-two presbyteries, with upwards of three hundred congregations.
There are, besides these, two divisions of Seceders, who remain separate, chiefly differing from their brethren with regard to the power of the civil magistrate in religious matters, and the binding obligation of the covenants. The first style themselves the Associate Synod of Original Seceders, which consists of four Presbyteries, and has under its inspection thirty-three congregations; the other, the Original Burgher Associate Synod, six Presbyteries, with fifty-one congregations.
The Seceders adhere rigidly to the tenets of Calvin, and are rather austere in their manners and discipline.
RELIEF SYNOD.
This section of Presbyterians in Scotland owed its origin to the violent intrusion of ministers contrary to the inclinations of the people. In 1752, Mr. Thomas Gillespie, minister of Carnock, having absented himself from the induction of an obnoxious presentce to Inverkeithing, was deposed from the office of the holy ministry by the General Assembly. Some years afterwards, Mr. Gillespie was joined by Mr. Boston, minister of Oxnam, and in 1761, these two formed themselves into a Presbytery, under the name of Relief. They soon received an accession of numbers, and continued steadily to increase. They lately joined the Seceders, and both are called the United Presbyterian Church.
ENGLISH PRESBYTERIANS.
This appellation is appropriated to a large denomination of dissenters from Episcopacy, although they have no attachment to Presbytery as established in Scotland. Their mode of church government is the same as that of the Independents;
