Essays on Christian Union Author:Thomas Chalmers General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1851 Original Publisher: Partridge and Oakley, and Hamilton, Adams Subjects: Christian union Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get... more » free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: ESSAY V. UNION AMONG CHRISTIANS VIEWED IN RELATION TO THE RELIGIOUS PARTIES OF SCOTLAND. PART I. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF RELIGIOUS PARTIES IN SCOTLAND. On a hasty survey of Scotland, we might pronounce it, beyond most countries, a prey to religious dissensions. Its ecclesiastical sects are very numerous; most of them have sprung from internal controversies, terminating in open separation; and though some of these associations are larger and more influential than others, there is none of them of such vast numerical superiority as to wield an ascendant and equalising power over the nation. The very names of the various ecclesiastical parties are indices and records of strife. The ' Established Church,' in being so called, reminds us of churches not established. The ' Free Church,' or ' Free Protesting Church of Scot- Note I. land, ' reflects, by its terminology, on another church as in a state of thraldom, and as chargeable with grievous errors to be protested against. ' The United Secession Church' tells, by its title, of a church from which it has seceded, and of divisions which arose among the Seceders themselves, but which have been happily concluded by a union of the belligerent forces. The ' Relief Church' proffers sympathy to a people suffering wrong, and promises to relieve them from their grievances by admitting them into its fellowship. The like remarks apply to almost the whole of our denominational appellations; such as, 'Reformed Presbyterian Church,' 'Primitive Seceders,' etc. ...« less