CAMERON, REV. RICHARD, founder of the sect of Carneronians, tint acquired notice as one of those ministers of the Church of Scotland who most boldly opposed the measures of Charles Ii. and his advisers for enforcing the Episoopal form of worship on the Scottish people. The arbitrary measures adopted by the government thoroughly roused the spirit of the people, and among those who gave fullest expression to the popular sentiments was Richard Cameron. Not only wore his doctrines obnoxious to the government, but many of his brethren of the clergy dreaded Isis zeal, which they considered extreme, and at a meeting held in Edinburgh io 1677 they formally reproved him for his conduct. Cameron retired to Holland, but soon return's' to Scotland ; and on the 22nd of June 1630, in company with about twenty other persons of similar 'sentiments with himself, well armed, he entered the town of Sanqubar in Dumfriesshire, and at the market-cross them: proclaimed, in a ceremonious manner, a declaration, that Charles iitnart (meaning the king), although descended from the race of their ancient kings, had by hie perjuries in the breach of his covenanted rows, his tyrannical government, and his usurpation over their civil and religious liberties, dissolved their allegiance and forfeited all right and title to the crown. The party kept together in arms for a month in the mountainous district between Nitbulale and Ayrshire ; hut at length, on the 20th of July, while lying at Airdamoss in Kyle, they were surprised by a large body of horse and foot under the direction of the government, and in the short skirmish which followed, Cameron was killed, and his followers were dispersed or taken prisoners. A neat monument has been recently placed on the spot where Cameron fell, replacing an old and plainer structure.
Among the more earnest followers of Cameron was Cargill, who continued to preach the doctrines of the sect in the fields ; and in September following, at a conventicle held in the Torwood, between Falkirk and Stirling, pronounced a solemn exoommnnication against the king and his brother the Duke of York, the dukes of Monmouth, Lauderdale, end Rothos, the lord-advocate, and General Sir Thomas Dalzell of Binne, for their exertion. against the supremacy of the pure church of Scotland, their perjury in reference to the covenant, and their cruelty and oppression towards the people of God. To these sets of the royalists was soon afterwards added the Teat of HSI, against which the covenanters published their testimony at Lanark on the 12th of January 1682, adhering to and confirming the Sanqnhar declaration, and giving reasons at length for their disowning the king's authority. This they 'wain did, and declared their firm resolution of constant adherence to the covenant, in their Apologetic Declaration of the 28th of October 1684 ; and on tho accession of James duke of York to the throne, they published another declaration at Sauquhar on the 2StIr of May 1685, wherein they renewed their previous decla rations, and further protested against the accession of the Duke of York, as a professed and excommunicated papist, and against popery itself in all its heads, as abjured by the national covenant. In these
circumstances, it is plain the Revolution was an event which they would hail in common with the other Presbyterians, but the latter acquiesced in arrangements with the government into which the former refused to enter; and they have sines continued to testify against the Revolution settlement, as they now also do against the Articles of Union, the Toleration Acts, the conduct of the church, and generally, all association whether of church or state with those who do not adopt the priuciples of Scripture, the Reformation, and the covennut.
They have been most commonly known as Catncronians from Richard Cameron ; but they are otherwise called '31.31illans,' or '11‘3lillanitee,' from the name of the first minister who esporeeed their cause after the Revolution. But these, as well as the terms 'Whigs' and 'Mountain men,' which are also occasionally applied to them, they regard os accidental epithets. They are sometimes also called Covenautcrs; from their adherence to the national covenant of Scotland, and the solemn league and covenant of the three kiugdours. Their proper designation however, or that which they themselves adopt, is that of ' Reformed Presbyterians.' They hold the Holy Scriptures to be the absolute rule of faith and conduct, and to contain the standard of these both in church and state. Next to this they adopt the early standards of the Church of Scotland, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the larger and shorter catechisms of the church, the books of discipline, and the Westminster Directory for Public Worship. And lastly, they regard the national covenant of Scotland as a continuing obligation. To these are to be added the documents published by the body itself In explanation of their principles, namely, their 'Judicial Act and Testimony,' the 5th edition of which was published at Glasgow in 1818; ' A abort Account of the Old Presbyterian Dissenters,' published by authority of the presbytery in 1806; and an 'Explanation and Defence of the Terms of Communion adopted by the Reformed Presbyterian Church.' The religious body was formed Into a presbytery on the let of August 1743, under the title of the Reform Presbytery. They have now a synod, consisting of the Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmer. track, Dumfries, and Newton Stewart presbyteries. The number of churches is 41; their places of worship contain about 15,000 sittings. They have also several churches in Ireland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the United States; and they have missionaries in New Zealand and the New Hebrides, and one in London who labours among the Jews.