The reformed doctrines were early introduced into Scotland. John Resby and Peter Craw suffered mar tyrdom at St. Andrews about the end of the 14th cen tury for exposing the absurdities of the Romish faith.
And the inhabitants of Ayrshire, including most of those of high rank, having embraced reformed doc trines, were so formidable to the popish religion, so early as 1416, that it was enacted by the university of St. Andrews, that no person should obtain the degree of master of arts, unless he swore to resist all adhe rents of the sect of Lollards, the name by which the reformers were designated. Patrick Hamilton was brought to the stake in 1528; and the new opinions continued to gain ground so rapidly that in 1559 the papal jurisdiction was abolished by act of parliament. A confession of faith drawn up by Knox and his bre thren was passed by the same parliament; and the Protestant religion ratified as that of the state. At this period the form of ecclesiastical government was not minutely determined; but the presbyterian pre vailed, as introduced by Knox from Geneva. In 1581, the presbytery of Edinburgh, the first in Scotland, was erected; and, in 1592, the presbyterian form of worship received the sanction of parliament. James VI. wishing to establish uniformity of religion in the northern and southern dominions, and disregarding the sentiments of his Scottish subjects, attempted to introduce episcopacy. But the modified species of episcopacy which he and his successor had establish ed, was overthrown by the decisions of the famous presbytery held in Glasgow in 1638; decisions which were in the subsequent year confirmed by the Scot tish parliament. Presbytery maintained its ground from this period to the restoration in 1660, when epis copacy again received the sanction of government; but after a violent and sanguinary struggle of twenty eight years, the blackest period in Scottish history, it was finally triumphant, and established as it now stands, in 1688, on the accession of William and Mary. The Westminster Confession of Faith was then re ceived as the standard of the national creed; which all ministers, and principals and professors in univer sities are obliged to subscribe as the confession of the faith before I d into office.
The church of Scotland is remarkable for its uncom mon simplicity of worship; it possesses no liturgy, no altar, no instrumental music, no surplice, no fixed ca nonical vestment of any kind. It condemns the wor
ship paid to saints, and it observes no festival days. Its ministers enjoy a parity of rank and of authority; it enforces that all ministers, being ambassadors of Christ, are equal in commission, that there is no order in the church as established by the Saviour, superior to presbyters, (n.g'ErsOvs-Ecot,) and that bishop (z7etaxo 'los) and presbyter, though different words, are of the same import. It acknowledges no earthly head: its judicatories are quite distinct from, and independent of, any civil judicatory; insomuch indeed that the de cisions of the one are often contrary to those of the other, yet both remain unaffected and unaltered. When, for example, a clergyman has been presented to a parish by a patron, and induction and ordination have followed on that presentation, if afterwards it be found that the patron who had given the presentation has not that right, and that it belongs to another, the clergyman may be ejected as to all the temporalities of the office; but quoad sacra, he may continue mi nister of the parish, and exercise all the sacred func tions: and though a new presentee may obtain a right to the civil endowments of the benefice, he can per form none of the sacred duties while the other chooses tokavail himself of this privilege.
There are four ecclesiastical judicatories, namely, the Kirk Session, the Presbytery, the Synod, and the General Assembly, from each of which there is a power of appeal to the other; but the decision of the General Assembly is supreme.
The lowest court is the Kirk Session, which is com posed of the minister of the parish, who is the mode rator or president of it, and a number of the most grave and respectable laymen, members of the con gregation. Their number varies in different parishes, five or six being about the average number, and their services are entirely gratuitous. They are something like church wardens in England, only they have a spi ritual jurisdiction, as it is a part of their duty to visit the sick, Zee. The Kirk Session, takes cognisance of cases of scandal, such as fornication, sabbath-break ing, profane swearing. It also manages the funds of the poor, a duty in which it formerly was assisted by deacons, a class of men inferior to elders, as they had no spiritual jurisdiction, but not being found neces sary, they are consequently disused.