It was in 1755, that the Presbytery of Newcastle made a movement towards disclaiming the Arian, Socinian and other heresies, but without proposing a Confession.  In 1784, the same Presbytery adopted a Formula accepting the Westminster Confession; in 1802, however, subscription to the Formula was rescinded.  Through Scottish influence, the return to the Westminster Confession was gradually brought about in the early part of the century.  That Confession was formally adopted by the Presbytery of Newcastle in 1824; and since 1836, all the ministers of the body have been required to accept it in the most unqualified manner.

The Calvinistic Methodists of Wales drew up, in 1823, a Confession consisting of forty-four articles, agreeing substantially with the Westminster Confession.  Subscription is not required:  but the clergy, prior to ordination, make a statement of their doctrinal views, which amounts to nearly the same thing.  Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodists depend upon discipline rather than upon Subscription.

The Congregational Churches take up almost the same attitude towards their clergy.  There is no subscription; but any great deviation from the prevailing views of the body leads to forfeiture of the position of brotherhood, and possibly also to severance from the charge of a congregation.  Still, the absence of a binding and penal test is favourable to freedom, from the present tendency of men’s minds in that direction.

As regards the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, we find that the first Presbytery was constituted in 1705.  No formal statement of doctrine was considered necessary till the lapse of about a quarter of a century, when the spread of Arianism in England urged the Synod of Philadelphia to pass what was called the “Adopting Act” in 1729, by which they hoped to exclude from American churches British ministers tainted with Arian views.  They agreed that all the ministers of this Synod, or that shall hereafter be admitted into this Synod, shall declare their agreement in and approbation of the Confession of Faith, with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, as being, in all the essential and necessary articles, good forms of sound words and systems of Christian doctrine, “and we do also adopt the said confession and the catechisms as the Confession of our faith “.

The formula subscribed by ministers at their ordination is, however, less stringent than that in use in the Churches of Scotland.

* * * * *

[French Protestant Churches.]

Turning next to the Continent we may refer, first, to the French
Protestant Church, now consisting of two divisions—­(1) The Reformed
Church united to the State, and (2) The Union of the Evangelical
Churches.