PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, a name applied to those Christian denominations, who hold that there is no order in the Church as established by Christ and his apostles superior to that of presbyters (see PRESBYTER) , and who vest church government in presbyteries, constituted of ministers and elders, possessed of equal powers thus without superiority among themselves. Presbyterianism does not recognize the term bishop as the superior of the presbytery, because these two names or titles in the New Testa ment, are used interchangeably of the same persons. Presbyterians hold that the authority of their ministers, is de rived from the Holy Spirit, which is sym bolized by the imposition of the hands of presbytery collectively. They affirm that all Christian ministers being am bassadors of Christ, are equal by their commission. The congregation elects its own minister and elders, and also its deacons and trustees—the former of the last two takes charge of the charities of the church, and the latter of its temporal or financial affairs. The session, con sisting of the minister and elders, has the spiritual oversight of the church members. The Presbytery is constituted by ministers and elders in equal numbers. A congregation for the time without a pastor, can be represented in the presby tery by an elder. An appeal may be made by the presbytery from congrega tions or sessions. A synod consists of a number of presbyteries within defined boundaries. The General Assembly is the highest court of the church, and con sists of representatives from all the pres byteries; each minister is accompanied by an elder from the same presbytery.
The church government by elders or presbyters was in existence among the children of Israel when in bondage in Egypt (Ex. iii: 10). They were rulers and also representatives of the people, and as such under varied conditions were recognized during the entire history of the Jewish Church, including the time between the close of the prophetic period and the coming of Christ. Then, as was natural, a similar order of rulers thus derived, passed, informally, over into the Jewish Christian Church at Jerusalem, and as such was adopted (Acts xi: 30). The same order of church government was introduced by Paul and the other apostles into the churches composed of converted Gentiles. That order of church government in Old Testament times was recognized as of Divine au thority, which character Presbyterians believe it did not lose when transferred and adopted by the primitive Church. The Presbyterian polity is democratic— republican, as the church members elect their own officials and are thus able to utilize their best men.
The first Presbyterian Church in mod ern times was founded in Geneva by John Calvin, about 1541; and the consti tution and doctrines were thence intro duced, with some modifications, into Scot land by John Knox, about 1560, though the Presbyterian was not legally recog nized as the national form of church government till 1592. For nearly a
century after this date, there was a con tinual struggle in Scotland between Epis copacy and Presbyterianism; till ulti mately by the Treaty of Union in 1707, it was agreed on the part of England and Scotland that that form of church government should be the national form of ecclesiastical government in Scotland, and that the Scotch Church should be supported as the only one established by law. Besides the Established Church of Scotland, there are other important re ligious bodies whose constitution is strictly Presbyterian, but who, from con scientious scruples, decline being con nected with, or receiving any emoluments from the state. The chief of these are the Free Church and the United Presby terian Church.
Shortly after the Reformation Presby terianism was in considerable strength in England, a large number of the Puri tans preferring that system of govern ment to episcopacy; but owing to the arbitrary measures of Cromwell, it sub sequently declined in strength. There were in the British Isles, in 1640, three Confessions of Faith, the Scottish, the Irish, and the Thirty-nine articles of the Church of England—the English Pres byterians had not formed a confession. The sentiment began to prevail in Protes tant circles, that there should be formu lated for the whole kingdom a Confes sion of Faith in which all could unite, the Presbyterians taking the lead de sired to have summoned "an assembly of divines and learned laymen cinder the protection of Parliament, who should be free in its action from the domination of the prelates." "A Grand Remon strance" numerously signed by prominent men was presented to Charles I. (1641), asking him to summon such an assembly. He refused the request. Soon after Parliament, on its own responsibility, is sued directions for selecting the members of the proposed assembly. They were enjoined to meet in Westminster, on July 1, 1643. On the same day King Charles issued a proclamation forbidding the assembly to meet, which, it did. There in that place a session was held by the -.ssembly which con tinued for three years, during which time long conferences and discussions were held at intervals. Thus was for mulated the Westminster Confession of Faith around which Presbyterians have rallied for more than 250 years. The assembly consisted of 121 divines; 10 noblemen; 20 from the House of Com mons—there were only 10 or 12 inde pendents or Congregationalists in the assembly. The Scotch Presbyterian Church also sent commissioners.