PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN 'UNITED STATES. The first Presbyterians in America were emigrants from Scotland and Ireland. The first Presbyterian congregations ":1 America were organized in Maryland before the clo:.;e of the 17th c.the oldest, that of Rehoboth, dating about 1690; and the first presbytery in Philadelphia in 1705. A synod, consisting of four presbyteries, was constituted in 1716. Dissensions ensued; but in 1758 the American Pr'esbyterian churches were united in one; and in 1788 a general assembly was instituted, the whole number of congregations being then 419, and of ministers 188. The increase of the church waa rapid, and in 1834 it contained 22 synods, 111 presbyteries, and about 1900 ministers. In 1801 a scheme of union was adopted between Presbyterians and Congregationabcts, under which hundreds of congregations were formed in the state of New York and elsewhere. About the beginning of the pres ent century the Cumberland Presbyterians (q v:) separated from the main body; and in 1838 the American Presbyterian church was divided into two great sections, commonly known as old school and new Nelwol Presbyterians; the former holding high Calvin istic doctrines; the latter, a somewhat modified Calvinism. Both of these churches are
extended over the whole of the Untred States, and both of?them have missions in differ ent parts of the heathen world, their collections for missions forming a large part of the contributions for that object from the UnitedStates of America. For some years they showed symptoms of a sincere desire to reunite; and this object they accomplished in 1869, notwithstanding the dissensions and new divisions caused by the struggles between the northern and southern states on the question of slavery. At the time of this union the old school Presbyterians counted 2,381 ministers. 2.740 churches, and 258,903 com municants; while the new school numbered 1848 ministers, 1631 churches, and 17,562 communicants. Tho former possessed at the same time the following theological semi a:110S: Princeton,'" the Western." "Union," "Danville," and "Chicago;" and the latter owned the ' Union," " Auburn." " Lane." " Blackburn," and " Lind." Besides the Cumberland Presbyterians there are other minor branches of the Presbyterian church in America, connected with different denominations in Scotland.