UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (of Scotland). This Presbyterian organization, merged since 1900 in the United Free Church of Scotland (see above), was formed in 1847 by the union of the United SeCession and Relief Churches.
The general causes which led to the first great secession from the Church of Scotland, as by law established in 1688, are indicated in the article SCOTLAND, CHURCH OF. Its immediate occasion rose out of an act of assembly of 1732, which abolished the last remnant of popular election by enacting that, in cases where patrons might neglect or decline to exercise their right of presentation the minister was to be chosen, not by the congre gation, but only by the elders and Protestant heritors. The act itself had been passed by the assembly, although the presbyteries to which it had been previously submitted as an overture had dis approved of it by a large majority ; and in accordance with a pre vious act (173o), which had taken away even the right of complaint, the protests of the dissentient majority were rejected. The protests however were vigorously renewed by Ebenezer Erskine, minister of Stirling. He was soon joined by other ministers, who in December 1733 constituted themselves into a presbytery, disowning the authority of the general assembly. The members of the "Associate Presbytery" and its adherents steadily increased, until in 1745 there were forty-five congregations under its jurisdiction, and it was reconstituted into an "Associate Synod." A violent controversy respecting the religious clause of the oath taken by burgesses in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth ("I profess and allow with my heart the true religion presently professed within this realm and authorized by the laws thereof"), resulted in April of 1747 in a "breach," when two bodies were formed, each claiming to be the "Associate Synod"; those who condemned the swearing of the burgess oath as sinful came to be popularly known as "Anti-burghers," while the other party, who contended that abstinence from it should not be made a term of communion, were designated "Burghers." The Associate (Anti
burgher) Synod held its first meeting in Edinburgh on the loth of April 1747. It grew with considerable rapidity, and for purposes of organization was formed into four provincial synods, and took the name of "The General Associate Synod." The Associate (Burgher) Synod held its first meeting at Stirling on the 16th of June 1747. The number of congregations under its charge also increased; and in 1820 the General Associate or Anti-burgher Synod (to the number of 129 congregations) united with the congregations of the Associate or Burgher Synod. The body thus constituted, "The United Secession Church," had increased by 1847 to 400 congregations.
In 1847 a union was formed between all the congregations of the United Secession Church and 118 out of 136 of the Relief Churches, in what now became the United Presbyterian Church. Doctrinally there was little difference between the United Pres byterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland, and between 1863 and 1873 negotiations were carried on for a union, which however were fruitless. But in 1896 the United Presbyterian Church again made advances which were promptly met, and on the 31st of October 1900 the United Free Church of Scotland came into existence.