CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIANS had their origin in a revival of religion which commenced about the opening of the present century in the south-western part of Kentucky, under the preaching of Rev. James McGready, a Presbyterian of Scotch-Irish descent, who had been educated at Jefferson college in western Pennsylvania. The revival, at first, was of slow progress, but soon received a great impulse and became one of the most important religious movements in the United States, as it did much to estab lish faith iu Christianity among the people of the Mississippi valley. The number of congregations into which the converts were organized was so large that it was impossible to supply them with ministers educated in the thorough manner usually required by the Presbyterian church. Young men of good abilities and earnest piety were, therefore, selected, and advised to prepare themselves by a shorter course. 'When they applied for licensure to the presbytery- of Transylvania, exception was taken both to their limited education and their opinions concerning the doctrines of the atonement and the divine decrees. They were, however, licensed, and, soon after, were set off to the presbytery of Cumberland (formed by a division of the presbytery of Transylvania), and two of them were ordained by it. A commission was appointed by the synod to inquire into the action of the presbytery. -Its first demand was that those who had been licensed or ordained should submit to a re- examination. This they refused to do, and were, therefore, prohibited from exercising their ministry until they complied with the demand. They who had been thus proscribed, and the members of presbytery who supported them, organized themselves into a council for the management of their own church and revival work. They sent a Memorial to the general assembly, but that body sustained the synod, yet directed it to review its proceedings. On complying with the direction, the synod confirmed what had been done, and also dissolved the Cumberland presbytery, and reannexed its members to the presbytery of Transylvania. After a fruitless
attempt at reconciliation, the two ministers who had been silenced, with one member of the last-named presbytery, formed themselves into an independent body, which they called the Cumberland presbytery, after the presbytery that had been dissolved. From that time the progress of the movement was much more rapid than its originators looked for; and though the churches starting from it spread both east and west, the local name, Cumberland Presbyterians, continued to be applied to them. In 1814, an edition of the Westminster confession and catechisms was published, altered to suit their system, which tries, it is said, to steer between Calvinism and Arminianism. It. rejects the doctrines of eternal reprobation, limited atonement, and special grace, teaching that the operation of the Holy Spirit is co-extensive with the atonement. Other points of Cal vinism, as the necessity of the Holy Spirit's work in regeneration, and the perseverance of the saints, are retained. Revivals and camp-meetings are earnestly advocated., In May, 1878, 26 synods were reported to the general assembly, extending from the lakes to the gulf, and from the Appalachian mountains to the Pacific, and comprising 112 presbyteries. 1315 ministers, 256 licentiates, 187 candidates, 2,347 congregations, 8,217 elders, 2,324 deacons, 106,250 communicants. 57,200 persons in Sunday-schools; the value of church property reported was $1,750,000, and the amount of contributions for the year, $280,000. The chief Institutions of learning are the Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn. (founded in 1842, and having the leading law school of the south): college of 'West Tennessee; Waynesburg college, Pa.; Lincoln university, Ill. ; Trinity university, Texas; and Cane Hill college, Arkansas. A separate organization of colored members of the denomination has been formed.