The Original Secession Synod dates its rise from 17:i;'.. and claims to represent tin first seceders who in their testimony published in 17:17 were careful to make it known that they were not dissenters from the Na- tional Church because of her civil establishment, but seceders from a corrupt and prevailing party in her ju- dicatories, who carried on a general course of di fection from the reformed and covenanting principles. The < Original Secession Testimony, published in 1N-J7. applies the principles of the Judicial Testimony to public events thai had occurred up to the date of it- publication, and like it was designed to he a declaration of the sense of
the -Ian. lards, ami of the way in which they were re-
ceived by the Reformed and Covenanted Church of
Scotland. It is a term of ministerial and Christian communion in the body— that is, office-bearers are re- quired to signify their approval of its principles, and members to accede to them, so far as they know and understand them.
The synod has from time to time been It -died by the separation of brethren. At present it consists of 11 congregations in Scotland. England, and Ireland; of these '-"•' (including one in England) are in connection with the sj 1 in Scotland, and 12 constitute the Seces- sion Sy I in Inland, in full communion with the Scot- tish Synod. The members and adherents an i timated at 6500. The income of the Scottish Synod last year amounted to about £5400.
The synod ha- several Home Mission stations, and also a prosperous Foreign Mission agency at Seoni, in India, under the immediate charge of ReV.Gi derson, who i- assisted by two catecbists. There is an orphanage in connection with the mission, having eleven
children, who are Wl 11 Utl I lad. and c.l.icati d, and it is
expected that the number will shortly he materially in- ert a- I. A bcI 1 i- also carried on, baring 170 scholars,
one for systematic theology, and the other for Biblical literature and Church history.
In the year 1830 the synod resolved to commence the prosecution of missionary operations. Their attention was first directed to the colonial field, particularly to Canada. Nor have they been unmindful of foreign missions, three missionaries in connection with i he syn- od being employed in New Hebrides. There has also been a missionary laboring since 184G among the Jews in London.
I in -i' Presbyterians have heen sometimes called Cam- eronians, from Richard Cameron ; but they are otherwise called " McMillans," or " M'Millauites," from the name
ol the first minister who espoused their cause alter the
Revolution. But these, as well as the terms -Whigs" and ••.Mountain Men." which are als ca-ionally ap- plied to t hem. i hey regard as accidental epithets. Tbey are sometimes also called " ( !ovenanters," from their ad- herent e to the National Covenant of Scotland, and to the Solemn League ami Covenant of the three kingdoms. Their proper designation, however, or that \\ hich they themselves adopt, is that of "Reformed Presbyterians."
They hold the Holy Scriptures to he the absolute rule of faith and conduct, and to contain the standard of these both in Church and Mate. Next to this they adopt the early standards of the Church of Scotland.
the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and
Shorter ( latechisms of the Church, the Books of Disci- pline, and the Westminster Directory for Public Wor- ship. 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 pub- lished at Glasgow in 1818; .1 Short Account of tin <>i,l Presbyterian Dissenters, published by authority of the Presbyteryin 1806; and an Explanation mi,/ Defend uf the Terms of Communion adopted by th Reformed Presbyterian Church. According to the statistical re- port made ai the Synod in Glasgow, March 13, 1876, the Church included 12 congregations with 7500 members, and its annual contributions were i.'l 1,000. The synod then, by a vote of 57 to 6, adopted a resolution in favor of union with the Free ('hurch. and such union was finally consummated in the General Assembly of that bodyi May 25, 1876.
The residuary Reformed Presbyterian Church mus- ter- in 1878 eight ministers who held back, anil are still contending about their Church property. Thus the Original Seceders, popularly known a- •• Auld Lichts" (Old Lights), are a more considerable body. Though most of these joined the Free Church (as the trif Church of Scotland free) in 1852, they have -till some thirty congregations of poor but very worthy people, who consider it, their mission to hold up the banner of the < iovenants, and to proti st against the all but universal defection of their time and country. At the union in 1852, Drs. Candlish and Thomson, of Edin- burgh, White, of Haddington, and the younger M'Crie
(whose father had been in former days the great pillar
Hd-Lighl community) were added to the Free Church. The present Old Lights are notably strict both in doctrine and practice. Unlike the New Lights, who ultimately went to form the United Presbyterian Church in I847,they .are stanch supporters of the Estab- lishment principle, w Inch the Free I hutch al-o upholds in theory, h is chiefly the faithlessness of the latter with respeel to the Covenants which prevents the resid- uary - \uld Lichts" from joining the communion. See •s .AND, < in i:< HES IN : also No-. L2 and 13 below.