The Revival of the Presbyterians in England (Continued). PERIOD OF RE-ORGANIZATION, 1820-1876. I. PRESBYTERIAN INCREASE: ITS NATURE AND CAUSES. II. FAVOURABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. III.-THE RE-CONSTITUTED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ENGLAND, AND THE UNION OF 1876. CONCLUSION. The Revival of the Presbyterians in England (Continued). PERIOD OF RE-ORGANIZATION, 1820-1876. I. PRESBYTERIAN INCREASE: ITS NATURE AND CAUSES. THE renewal of Evangelical and re-organized Presbyterianism was originally from Scotland, though not unaffected by the general religious stirrings and movements of the time in England.1 1 Calvinistic Methodism, resulting from the labours of Whitefield, did good work in preparing an Evangelical soil, the chief benefits of which passed into the Independent body. We ought here to notice the influence of the Scottish element, along with Calvinistic Methodism, in moulding the lines of modern congregationalism. By the middle of last century the old Independency had sunk to the lowest ebb; Watts and Doddridge lamenting its decay, and High Church dignitaries anticipating its dissolution. The revival which issued in Methodism brought it new life, with cravings after some new departure. The want of some bond among the Churches had operated very disastrously-the oldest association, that of Hampshire, dating only from 1791. When, therefore, some new congregations were springing up in the great manufacturing districts, through the devoted zeal of a few earnestly Evangelizing ministers, there was formed, in 1806, on fresh lines, a Lancashire Union of Churches, thus anticipating by a quarter of a century the Congregational Union of England and Wales, in 1832. Into this Lancashire Union were gathered some of the Calvinistic Methodist chapels and some of the Presbyterian "meetings " which had remained orthodox, such as the old interests at St. Helens; Greenacres (Oldham); Darwen; Whitworth or Hallfold near Rochdale, which, having joined the Scottish Secession, again joined the congregationalists; Elswick and Tockholes. Others of these old Presbyterian interests, like Wharton, Risley, and Tunley, remain in connection with the Presbyterian Church of England. After long consideration, the moral influence of the increasing County Unions of Independent Churches was gathered up into "the Congregational Union of England and Wales" in 1832, when a statement of doctrine and the principles of Church order was issued, declaring the independent status of each congregation, and disavowing any right or power to interfere with any single Church's faith and discipline, "further than to separate from such as, in faith and practice, depart from the Gospel of Christ "-the Union thus reserving its own right to determine what is "the Gospel of Christ" for its own guidance in carrying out its disciplinary decisions. In the earlier part of the century a similar Union had been effected among the Congregational Churches of Scotland; but Dr. W. Lindsay Alexander thus freely comments on the inaugural discourse of Dr. Wardlaw in advocating such an arrangement :-"In the case of Independent Two impulses contributed most directly to its renaissance. One was the budding power and Evangelic zeal of the Scottish Secession Church, which led her to listen to appeals that came to her from over the border, untrammelled as she was by considerations of national limits or legal restriction, and "abjuring any territorial designation." Among prominent representatives of this branch of Presbyterianism may be mentioned Drs. Alexander Waugh and Thomas Archer, of London, Drs. Jack and Mc Kerrow, of Manchester, Drs. Stewart, Crichton, and William Graham, of Liverpool, and Dr. George Young, of Whitby, the Yorkshire topographer and geologist. The other impulse came from the National Church of Scotland, which was not unmindful of her own adherents in England; and this impulse was intimately connected with that swelling tide of new life which culminated in the great event of the DISRUPTION in 1843. Thus the movement advanced along two separate yet ultimately converging lines, both of them holding fast by the same Westminster scheme of doctrine and government; and each of them managing to rally to itself a number of the old orthodox English Presbyterian causes, that still existed. "Soon after 1812 began the Evangelical movement in the Church of Scotland, the influence of which was immediately felt by the orthodox English Presbyterians, who had for some time drawn their ministers increasingly, and latterly almost exclusively, from that Church. Already about 18 of the old English congregations had connected themselves, for the sake of an Evangelical ministry, with one or other of the branches of the Scottish Secession. Some 50 more, together with 20 congregations Churches this question (of the desirableness of an organized union) is further complicated by the question, whether such union of Churches be possible, saving the Independency of the Churches? Whether, in other words, to say that a society is independent and complete in itself, and yet is part of another and larger society, be not a contradiction in terms?" (Life of Wardlaw, p. 172.) Be this, however, as it may, a step was taken then, whose tendencies are toward a firmer and closer organization of its ecclesiastical life. Hence, in the Congregational Year-Book of 1871 we naturally find the avowal that "the Churches in apostolic days recognised their inter-dependence” (p. 68); and again (p. 119) the Union "has been able indirectly to command an influence over the weaker Churches in the election of their ministers," and has thereby "prevented many an imprudence." That such an association of Churches was a wise and invigorating step, seems to have been vindicated by the result, which holds out also a hope of possible convergence between itself and other more highly organized methods of Church administration. |