[See page image]

Page 300

in 1892 adopted a declaratory act, defining more

closely their attitude, to the effect mainly of moder

ating ultra-Calvinistic points and not requiring total

subscription from candidates to clerical office. Ne

gotiations for union between the Free and United

Churches opened in 1863, broken off in 1873 and

resumed in 1896, resulted, Oct. 31, 1900, in the or

ganization of the United Free Church of Scotland

(see PRESBYTERIANS, I., 2). While this resolution

for union was carried in the general assembly of the

Free Church by a vote of 643 to 27, this small

minority now declared itself to be the only true and

legitimate Free Church and laid claim to all the prop

erty of the organization. For the resulting legal

complications and the settlement see PRESBYTE

RIANS, I., 2-3. For a detailed history of the Pres

byterian Church in Scotland in its several branches

and for the present situation see PRESBYTERIANS, I.

The time of worship is in the morning and evening

of the Sabbath. In the country, if the second serv

ice is held at all, it is usually in an adjoining chapel,

school, or hall. Prayer is voluntary and extempore,

8. Mode of no liturgy having been used from the

Worship. time of Archbishop Laud (see LAUD,

WILLIAM). Except in the Highlands

singing is usually accompanied by a musical in

strument, and the number of church organs is in

creasing rapidly in the cities. Some congregations

sing metrical versions of the Psalms of the seven

teenth century, but the great majority sing hymns

also. The Church Hymnary published (1898) by the

authority of the established church, the two parties

in the present United Free, and the Irish Presbyte

rian Churches, has been widely adopted. The

sermon, usually from twenty-five to thirty-five

minutes in length, is the chief part of the service.

Systematic exposition of the Scriptures, though still

prominent, especially in the morning service, is

on the wane. Baptism is performed in church as

part of the public service, or at home. Communion

is received by all at least twice a year; and by many,

four times. There is no confirmation in the proper

sense of the word, but the minister gives special

instruction to the young people before their first

communion. Weddings are usually at home, but

there is a tendency to transfer them to the church,

as in England. There is a service in the house of

mourning; and at the grave, including a short

prayer, but no address. The minister is expected

to visit not only the sick but all the members of his

congregation regularly. He is the superintendent of

the Sunday-school and usually leads the highest or,,

so-called, Bible class at a special hour. Of late

years there has been a very large growth of young

people's societies called "gilds," associated with

the church and especially of the Young People's

Society of Christian Endeavor. The organization of

Scotch Presbyterianism is essentially alike in all the

Churches. The church elders are chosen by all the

communicants and bound by the confession, and,

together with the minister, they constitute the

4. Coned- church session and have authority

tution. over matters of church discipline. A

number of congregations, varying be

tween 10 and 200, each represented by an elder

elected by the church session (one elder for every

400 communicants in the United Free Church), and the minister, constitute a presbytery, which has general oversight over the congregations. A group of presbyteries forms a synod to which the acts of the presbyteries may be appealed. The members of the general assembly are chosen annually by the presbyteries from the ministers and elders, and it is the court of final appeal (see PoLrTY, ECCLESIASTICAL; PRESBYTERIANS, X.). In the Established Church some of the members are chosen by the towns and the universities. Candidates for the ministry must have attended lectures on the classics, mathematics, and philosophy, at a university, for at least three semesters. Each candidate is then examined as to his moral and religious fitness by a presbytery, and then again on his university studies by a committee of the general assembly. Four more years of theological study follow.

2. Severally: The Established Church-officially, the Church of Scotland-is ideally independent neither in legislative nor administrative powers, since it did not decline the dispositions of the civil courts with which the decisions of the general assembly were in conflict prior to 1843. In addition, when the right of patronage was abolished and the privilege of creedal modification was obtained, these changes were not valid for the church before the approval of the State was given. Notwithstanding this Church is freest among the State churches. The king is in no sense its head. His representative, the lord high commissioner, has no vote in the general assembly. He may summon and dismiss it, in the name of the king, as may the moderator in the name of Jesus Christ. For the statistics and work of this church see PRESBYTERIANS, I., 1. The decision of the house of lords against the union of the Free and United Presbyterian Churches, instead of crushing the United Free Church, awoke an enthusiasm for it that had not previously existed. Clergy, missionaries, and students, with scarcely an exception, stood by it, and by 1904 the organization showed an actual increase in membership. As a consequence of the decree of the house of lords which pronounced the constitution of the Free Church unalterable, the committee representing the assembly between sessions raised, within ten days, the claim for the privilege of heeding the commands of Christ without the fear of legal consequences. This was reiterated by the general assembly of 1905 more formally and explicitly. The ancient Scotch doctrine of spiritual independence was restated, emphasizing that the Church and it alone possessed the right to alter its creed, and asserting the rule of majority in all church affairs, governing also the matter of property. For the statistics of this body see PRESBYTERIANS, I., 2. The Free and the United Presbyterian Churches had different methods for raising contributions for clerical support. In the Free Church contributions were made to a central fund which was proportionately divided among the ministers, each congregation usually having a parsonage and being allowed to add a bonus to its minister's compensation, after satisfying the central fund. In the United Church the congregations paid the ministers di-