The Presbyterians are for the most part Calvinistic in doctrine. They generally accept the Westminster Assembly's Confession of Faith as their symbol of belief, and every minister in the Presbyterian Church of the United States is required to declare his personal belief in it as an embodiment of the truths taught in the Scriptures. They do not agree, however, in their inter- pretation of that standard, and are divided into strict Calvinists and moderate Calvinists. See Calvimsts. This division in sentiment, combined with other cir- cumstances, divided the Presbyterian Church of the United States into two bodies for a time, as we have al- ready seen; but the division has been healed and a re- union effected, the theological differences having abated. See Presbyterian Churches. The chief Presbyterian Church in America not Calvinistic is the Cumberland Presbyterian. There was at one time, however, a serious defection in England, many of the churches becoming Socinian in doctrine; but the Unitarian churches in England at the present day are nearly all Congrega- tional in their polity. Calvin is generally regarded as the founder of Presbyterianism ; but it should be borne in mind that government by a board of elders was main- tained by certain bodies, as the Waldensians, from a very early age. Of course, we are ready to grant that he adopted the form known as Presbyterianism because he believed it to be " founded on and agreeable to the "Word of God." Calvin may be regarded as the founder of Presbyterianism in the sense that he was the first to organize the Reformed Church on a Presbyterian model, just as he was the first to frame the Reformed faith of Southern Europe in a clear, distinct, and affirmative form. Says Blaikie : " It is not correct to say that Cal- vin originated the Presbyterian system. But in con- nection with it he rendered very essential service both in theory and in practice ; he unfolded the idea more lucidly than it had been set forth before, and with much struggle he set it in actual operation in Geneva. What he thus established became the model on which the Re- formed Church in France and other countries was formed" (Report, p. 7).
The tables on the following page are from Blaikie's Report.
PRESBYTERIANS
552
PRESBYTERIANS
1.— Continent of Europe.
Germany (omitted, as not wholly
Presbyterian).
Switzerland
France—
Reformed Church
Union of Free Churches
Holland
Belgium
Christian Missionary church — Italy—
Vandois
Free Itnliau
Bungary (iuclndiug Transylvania).
Bohemia and .Moravia
Russia
Spaiu
2. — Gkeat Britain. Scotland—
Established Chnrch
United Presbyterian Church
Free Chnrch."
Reformed Presbyterian
United Original Secession
Ire! ind
Irish Presbyterian Church
Reformed Presbyterian church..
England— Presbyterian Church
Wales
3. — British Colonies.
Canada
Australia— Victoria
New South Wall's
Synod of Eastern Australia.
Queensland
Tasmania
South Australia
New Zealand
Otago
South Africa
Miscellaneous
1309
13 34
56
21107 6S 40
.Mi-.;
660
41
46
L583
15
18
5G 9
2017 67 40 12
6496
13S4 564
_ 622_ 4457
ill 68 9 20 13 11 61 45
113 77
1041 1291
4. — United
States.
Presb. church.
Northern .... Presb. Chinch.
Southern
United Presb... Reformed (Ger-
mau)
Reformed
(Dutch)
General Synod,
Refd Presb. 8ynod Reform'd
Presb
ite Refd
Synod of the
South
Associate Synod
of N.America. Welsh < lalvinis-
tic Methodist.
No rep.
5415
No rep.
. . . TO 9832 7876
1?
535,210 No rep.
112,183 No rep. 78,483 G985
143,609 No rep. 74.600
6,000 1,155
700
No rep.
970,134 7761
r.7.:;s-i 58,S39
8S.250 73,241
!i.n:;r. r>s,771
MISSION CHURCHES.
ASIA. Ordaim
aritf I '
Countries. Churches. i. icon)
Svria Presbyterian Church (U. S.) 13
Irish Presbyterian Ch. " 2
Reformed " " " 2
Free Chnrch of Scotland l
Pit: i \ Presbyterian Chnrch (U. 8.) s
India Presbyterian " " 36
(Dutch) Reformed Ch. " 15
i Presbyterian Chnrch (U. 8.)... —
Free Church ofScotlond 19
United Presbyterian < h. ofScotland.. in
Dish Presbyterian Church 10
Established Church of Scotland 7
Welsh Presbyterian Church 5
Presbyterian church of Canada 2
Original Secession Chnrch l
an:
,„_,. I B isli - iety 59
lNT>,A '(Go-ner's Mission 19
SvniA Chrischona Mission -
Semi-Presbyte,
.. .Presbyterian church (U.S.) 3
.. United Presbyterian Ch. of Scotland.. 8
(Dutch) Reformed Church (U.S.) 13
Presbyterian I hurch " 4
Irish Presbyt tan Church 1
...P esbyterian Chnrch (U.S.) 24
(Dutch) Reformed Ch. " 7
South a P • so. Ch. " 2
Established < hutch of Scotland —
Presbytei ian Chnrch 15
United Presbyterian < h. ol Scotland.. 3
Presbyterian Chnrch of Canada 'J
Irish Presbyterian Church —
Rhenish Missionary Society 4
Java and Neighboring 1-i \m>s:
Netherlands Association 9
" Reformed Miss. Assoc 3
" Missionary Society 4
Utrecht Missionary Association 8
Java Committee 4
Semi-Presbyterian:
Rhenish Missionary Society 22
New Guinea. .Utrecht .Missionary Society 2
AFRICA.
Algeria United Presbyterian Ch. of Scotland.. 1
Klin (Copts).. " " " (U. S.) 8
Cent. Africa... Free church of Scotland 3
Established Ch. " —
W. Africa Presbyterian Church (U. S.) 9
" (Ol.D C,\[ \l. M
United Presbyterian Ch. ofScotland... 4
" (Senegal)—
SocietCdes Missions Evan 3
S. Africa (Natal):
Free Church of Scotland 2
" (Kaffraria)—
Free Church " 14
United Presb. " 7
Societe des Missions Fvan 15
L'E^lise Libre du Canton de Vaud 2
N, ,;/''-/'(■( si, .ituriait :
\Y. Africa .
Egypt
AliVSSIMJ
Ba
N(
[Rhenish Missiom (Berlin Missionary . .Chrischona Missi