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Presbyterianism

(Encyclopedia)Presbyterianism, form of Christian church organization based on administration by a hierarchy of courts composed of clerical and lay presbyters. Holding a position between episcopacy (government by bi...

Makemie, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Makemie, Francis məkĕˈmē [key], c.1658–1708, American clergyman, considered the founder of Presbyterianism in America. Born in Ireland, he studied in Scotland and c.1682 was ordained a missionar...

United Presbyterian Church

(Encyclopedia)United Presbyterian Church, two denominations of Presbyterianism. 1 In Scotland, the United Presbyterian Church was formed by the union (1847) of the United Secession Church with the majority of the c...

Barnes, Albert

(Encyclopedia)Barnes, Albert, 1798–1870, American Presbyterian clergyman, b. Rome, N.Y. From 1830 he was pastor of the First Church in Philadelphia, mother church of the Presbyterian denomination in America. In t...

Cambridge Platform

(Encyclopedia)Cambridge Platform, declaration of principles of church government and discipline, forming in fact a constitution of the Congregational churches. It was adopted (1648) by a church synod at Cambridge, ...

Home of Polwarth, Sir Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Home of Polwarth, Sir Patrick, or Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth both: hyo͞om, pōlˈwərth [key], 1641–1724, Scottish statesman. Devoted to Presbyterianism, he opposed the policies of the duke of La...

Bishops' Wars

(Encyclopedia)Bishops' Wars, two brief campaigns (1639 and 1640) of the Scots against Charles I of England. When Charles attempted to strengthen episcopacy in Scotland by imposing (1637) the English Book of Common ...

Leighton, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Leighton, Robert, 1611–84, Scottish prelate and classical scholar. After several years in France, where he seems to have developed an admiration for the Jansenists, he became (1641) a Presbyterian m...

Spottiswoode, John

(Encyclopedia)Spottiswoode, John spŏtˈĭswo͝od [key], 1565–1639, Scottish prelate and church historian. Under James and Andrew Melville he studied for the ministry but later veered from strict Presbyterianism ...

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