THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTS

have a number of societies in this country, planted by emigrants from England. They have (1870) 2000 membeis, and 20 preachers.

CONGREGATIONAL, OR INDEPENDENT METHODISTS.

Churches having no connection with any ecclesiastical body exist in many places. A very respectable association of such might be formed, but at present they are not generally known beyond the localities in which they are found. It is believed there are several thousand members of this class.

Besides the above, there are several distinct associations of colored Methodists. In 1816, a number of colored persons finding their connection with the Methodist Episcopal Church subjected them to serious inconveniences, assembled in Philadelphia, and organized

THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

They copied after the Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Richard Allen being their first bishop. They have now 5 bishops, 4000 preachers, travelling and local, and a membership of 375,000 in the United States and Canada,

THE AFRICAN M. EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH

was organized by a body of seceders from the Methodist Episcopal Church in New York, October 25, 1820. This church is not strictly episcopal. Their bishops are styled superintendents, and elected quadrennially, and hold the office four years. They have 1500 travelling preachers, and 172,000 members.

Another small body called UNION METHODISTS, and several congregational churches of colored persons, amounting in all to several thousand members, exist; but of their peculiar views little is known.

KIRK OF SCOTLAND.*

THE conversion of the Scots to the Christian faith began through the ministry of Paladius, about the year 430, and from the first establishment of Christianity in that country till the Reformation in the reign of Mary, mother of James I. and of Mary I. of England, their church government was episcopacy; but the Presbyterian discipline was not finally established in Scotland, until the reign of King William and Mary, A. D. 1689, when episcopacy was totally abolished. The Westminster Confession of Faith was then received as the standard of the national creed; which all ministers, and principals and professors in universities, are obliged to subscribe as the confession of their faith, before receiving induction into office.

The Church of Scotland is remarkable for its uncommon simplicity of worship; it possesses no liturgy, no altar, no instrumental music, no surplice, no fixed canonical vestment of any kind. It condemns the worship paid to saints, and observes no festival days. Its ministers enjoy a parity of rank and of authority; it enforces that all ministers, being ambassadors of Christ, are equal in commission; that there is no order in the church, as established by the Saviour, superior to presbyters; and that bishop and presbyter, though different words, are of the same import. It acknowledges no earthly head: its judicatories are quite distinct from, and independent of, any civil judicatory; insomuch, indeed, that the decisions of the one are often contrary to those of the other, yet both remain unaffected and unal

*The word Kirk is of Saxon origin, and signifies Church; or, according to others, it is a contraction of the Greek word mean g the House of God.

tered. When, for example, a clergyman has been presented to a parish by a patron, and induction and ordination have followed on that presentation, if afterwards it be found that the patron, who had given the presentation, has not that right, and that it belongs to another, the clergyman may be ejected as to all the temporalities of the office; but quoad sacra, he may continue minister of the parish, and exercise all the sacred functions: and though a new presentee may obtain a right to the civil endowments of the benefice, he can perform none of the sacred duties, while the other chooses to avail himself of his privilege.

There are four ecclesiastical judicatories, namely, the Kirk Session, the Presbytery, the Synod, and the General Assembly, from each of which there is a power of appeal to the other; but the decision of the General Assembly is

supreme.

The lowest court is the Kirk Session, which is composed of the minister of the parish, who is the moderator or president of it, and a number of the most grave and respectable laymen, members of the congregation. Their number varies in different parishes, five or six being about the average number; and their services are entirely gratuitous. They are something like churchwardens in England, only they have a spiritual jurisdiction, as it is a part of their duty to visit the sick, &c. The Kirk Session takes cognisance of cases of scandal, such as fornication, Sabbathbreaking, profane swearing. It also manages the funds of the poor, a duty in which it formerly was assisted by deacons, a class of men inferior to elders, as they had no spiritual jurisdiction; but not being found necessary, they are consequently disused.

The Presbytery, which is the court next in dignity, is composed of the ministers of a certain district, with an elder from each parish. The number of presbyteries is

seventy-eight. Their chief duty consists in the manage ment of such matters as concern the church within their respective bounds. But they may originate any matter, and bring it under the view of the Synod or General As sembly. They have also the superintendence of education within their bounds, such as the induction of teachers, and the examination of schools.

The Synod is the next intermediate court. There are fifteen synods, each consisting of the clergymen of a certain number of presbyteries, with elders, as in presbyteries. Presbyteries meet generally once a month; synods twice a year, though some remote synods, such as that of Argyle, only once.

The General Assembly is the last and supreme court, and meets yearly in the month of May, in Edinburgh, and continues its sittings for twelve days. The king presides by his representative, who is always a nobleman, and is denominated the Lord High Commissioner. The General Assembly is a representative court, consisting of 200 members representing presbyteries, and 156 elders representing burghs or presbyteries, and five ministers or elders representing universities, making altogether 361 members. They choose a moderator or president, out of their own. number, distinct from the Royal Commissioner, the duty of the latter consisting merely in convening and dissolving the court, and in forming the medium of communication between it and the throne. The moderator is now always. a clergyman, though previously to 1688, laymen sometimes held that office.

The duties of the Scotch clergy are numerous and labo rious. They officiate regularly in the public worship of God; and in general, they must go through this duty twice every Sunday (exclusively of other occasional appearances), delivering every Sunday a lecture and a sermon, with

prayers. It is also expected, throughout Scotland, that the prayers and discourses shall be of the minister's own composition; and the prayers, in all cases, and the discourses, in most instances, are delivered without the use of papers. They are expected to perform the alternate duties of examining their people from the Scriptures and catechisms of the church, and of visiting them from house to house, with prayers and exhortations. This is done commonly once in the year, being omitted only in those cases in which the ministers deem it impracticable, or not acceptable, or at least not necessary. The charge of the poor devolves, in a very particular manner, on the clergy, and in them also is vested the superintendence of all schools within their bounds.

Baptism in this church is practised by none but ministers, who do it by sprinkling; and whether performed in private or in public, it is almost always preceded by a sermon.

The Lord's Supper is not administered so frequently in Scotland as in some other places. Some time before this sacrament is dispensed, it is announced from the pulpit. The week before, the Kirk Session meets, and draws up a list of all the communicants in the parish, according to the minister's examination-book, and the testimony of the elders and deacons. According to this list, tickets are delivered to each communicant, if desired, and the ministers and elders also give tickets to strangers who bring sufficient testimonials. None are allowed to communicate without such tickets, which are produced at the table. Those who never received are instructed by the minister, and by themselves in the nature of the sacraments, and taught what is the proper preparation thereunto. The Wednesday or Thursday before, there is a solemn fast, and on the Saturday there are two preparatory sermons. On Sunday morning, after singing and prayer as usual, the minister