Religious Denominations of the World (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIANS. About the beginning of the present century there arose a remarkable revival of religion among a portion of the Presbyterian church in Kentucky. Meetings were held in the open air; and multitudes flocked together from the distance of fifty, and even in some instances, a hundred miles. This was the origin of camp-meetings. As the number of converts was great, and religion was extended into destitute and neglected regions, a strong necessity was felt for a more rapid multiplication of Christian ministers. This led the Cumberland Presbytery, in 1801, to encourage four laymen, without a classical education, to prepare written discourses with a view to the receiving of license to preach the gospel. In 1803 Mr. Alexander Anderson, and Mr. Finis Ewing, were ordained to the work of the ministry. Others were licensed as probationers, and several candidates were received under the care of the presbytery. In 1805, the Synod of Kentucky, in reviewing the book of records of the Cumberland Presbytery, took notice of their having introduced men into the sacred office who had not acquired a regular education, and who were understood to have taken exceptions to the doctrinal standards of the Church. This led to the appointment of a commission, with full powers to act in the place of the synod, both in holding a friendly conference with the presbytery, and in judicially terminating the case. The commission demanded that all those persons who had been ordained or licensed without an examination oa all the brunches of learning and doctrine required in the Cou/essiou of Faith, should appear before themselves, audsubmit to a full and regular examination. To this demand the presbytery declined to submit. The commission then passed a resolution that those who had been...