Relief Church
| Relief Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestantism |
| Theology | Calvinism |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | merged with the United Secession Church in 1847 to form United Presbyterian Church of Scotland |
| Founder | Thomas Gillespie |
| Origin | 1761 Colinsburgh, Fife |
| Separated from | Church of Scotland |
The Relief Church (or Presbytery of Relief) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination founded in 1761.[1] In 1847 it united with the United Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In relation to the history of the Church of Scotland it is known as the Second Secession, relating to the First Secession of 1733.
History
[edit]The church was founded by Thomas Gillespie, a former minister of the Church of Scotland. He had been deposed by the General Assembly in 1752 after he refused to participate in inducting a minister to the Inverkeithing parish since the parishioners opposed the appointment. Gillespie was joined by Thomas Boston of Oxnam and Thomas Colier of Westmoreland. They held the first meeting of the Presbytery of Relief at Colinsburgh in Fife in 1761. The name was chosen to mean relief from the patronage that was common in the Church of Scotland at the time.[2]
The Relief body was liberal, welcoming independents, Episcopalians and other devout men to join them.[2] In 1766, the distinguished minister James Baine resigned from his presbytery of Paisley and joined the Relief Church. In his letter of resignation Baine asserted that his faith and belief in his former creed was unchanged, but he was resigning due to abuses of church power.[3]
The number of congregations grew rapidly, and a Relief Synod was formed in 1773, which in 1847 had under its jurisdiction 136 congregations. The Relief Church issued no distinctive testimonies, and a certain breadth of view was shown in the formal declaration of their terms of communion, first made in 1773, which allowed occasional communion with those of the Episcopal and Independent persuasion.
In 1794, the Relief Church adopted as its hymn-book Patrick Hutchison's Sacred Songs and Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture, and it was Hutchison who established the first systematic definition of the Relief Church's beliefs.
A Relief theological hall was instituted in 1824. In 1847, a union was formed between all the congregations of the United Secession Church and 118 out of 136 of the Relief Churches, in what became the United Presbyterian Church.[4]
| ................Church............... | ..........Lifetime......... | ....Relief.... | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen: Belmont Street | 1778 | 1778-91 | Rejoined Church of Scotland as Belmont Street chapel of ease 1791. |
| Aberdeen: Shiprow | 1780-1840 (60 yrs) | 1780-1807 | Split from Belmont Street. Left Relief 1807, joined Secession 1823, closed c. 1840. |
| Aberdeen: St Paul's | 1802 | 1802-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Airdrie: South Bridge Street | 1833 | 1841-47 | Split from Newarthill. USC, joined Relief 1841. UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Annan | 1833-47 (14 yrs) | 1833-47 | Merged with Annan Burgher Church in 1847. |
| Arbroath: St Paul's | 1835-1908 (73 yrs) | 1835-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Absorbed into High Street UFC 1908. |
| Auchtermuchty: West | 1762-1873 (111 yrs) | 1762-1847 | UPC 1847. United with East to form Auchtermuchty South UPC 1873. |
| Balfron | 1793-1880 (87 yrs) | 1793-1847 | UPC 1847. United with Holm of Balfron to form Balfron and Holm UPC 1880. |
| Banff | 1772-1886 (114 yrs) | 1772-1808 | Left Relief 1808 for Congregationalists. Dissolved. |
| Bathgate: West | 1812-2023 (211 yrs) | 1812-47 | UPC 1847, St John's UFC 1900, CoS 1929. U/w High to form Bathgate PC 2023. |
| Bonhill: North | 1831 | 1831-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Brechin: Bank Street | 1830-1914 (84 yrs) | 1830-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with City Road 1914 to form St Ninian's UFC. |
| Burnhead or Penpont | 1799-1911 (112 yrs) | 1799-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with Penpont West to form Scaurbridge & Burnhead. |
| Castle Douglas (I) | 1800-17 (17 yrs) | 1800-17 | Dissolved. |
| Castle Douglas: Trinity | 1836-1923 (87 yrs) | 1836-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with Queen St & St George's to form Castle Douglas. |
| Ceres: East | 1795-1885 (90 yrs) | 1795-1847 | Split from Ceres Antiburgher Church. UPC 1847. United with Ceres West UPC 1885. |
| Coatbridge: Dunbeth | 1837 | 1837-47 | Began as preaching station 1836. UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Coldingham | 1793-1940 (147 yrs) | 1793-1805 | Became Burgher 1805. USC, UPC, UFC, Col. St Andrew's PC 1929. U/w Priory 1940. |
| Cupar: Westport/Boston | 1770-1918 (148 yrs) | 1770-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Dissolved. |
| Cupar: Provost Wynd | 1828-1848 (20 yrs) | 1828-48 | Split from Cupar Westport. Minister and majority joined CoS (not UPC) 1848. |
| Dalkeith: King's Park | 1765-1912 (147 yrs) | 1765-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with St John's to form St John's & King's Park UFC. |
| Dumbarton: Bridgend | 1792 | 1792-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Dundee: Chapelshade | 1789 | 1789-91 | Rejoined Church of Scotland as Chapelshade chapel of ease 1791. |
| Dundee: West Port | 1792-1810 (18 yrs) | 1792-99 | Left to become Independents 1799. United with Dundee Congreg. Church 1810. |
| Dundee: New Inn Entry | 1799-1818 (19 yrs) | 1799-1818 | Dissolved. |
| Dundee: Seagate | 1811-21 (10 yrs) | 1811-21 | Split from New Inn Entry. Dissolved. |
| Dundee: Dudhope Road | 1821-1909 (88 yrs) | 1821-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Dissolved. |
| Dundee: James' Church | 1837 | 1837-47 | Split f. Dudhope Rd. UPC '47, UFC '00. Named Clepington 1906. St James' PC 1929. |
| Dumfries: Townhead | 1787 | 1787-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Dunfermline: Gillespie | 1761-1847 (86 yrs) | 1761-1847 | United with Maygate USC 1847 to form Gillespie and Maygate UPC. |
| Duns: South | 1762-1976 (214 yrs) | 1762-1847 | UPC 1847. Abs. West 1895. UFC, CoS 1929. U/w Old & Boston to form Duns 1976. |
| Dunscore: Renwick | 1814-1918 (104 yrs) | 1814-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with East to form Dunscore UFC 1918. |
| Edinburgh: College Street | 1765-1910 (145 yrs) | 1765-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. U/w Cowgate and Pleasance to form Union UFC 1910. |
| Edinburgh: St James Place | 1796-1933 (137 yrs) | 1796-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. U/w Barony to form Barony & St James' Place. |
| Edinburgh: Roxburgh Place | 1800-56 (56 yrs) | 1800-21 | Became independent 1821, joined CoS 1833/34. Dissolved? |
| Edinburgh: Viewforth | 1818-1967 (149 yrs) | 1818-47 | UPC 1847. Bruntsfield UFC 1900. CoS 1929. U/w Barclay to form Barclay Bruntsfield. |
| Ed.: Roxburgh Terrace | 1824-42 (18 yrs) | 1824-42 | United with Arthur Street 1842. |
| Edinburgh: Arthur Street | 1825-42 (17 yrs) | 1825-42 | United with Roxburgh Terrace 1842. |
| Ed. Arth. St & Roxb. Terr. | 1842-1953 (111 yrs) | 1842-47 | UPC 1847, Arthur Street UFC 1900, Pleasance 1919. CoS 1929. U/w Charteris Mem. |
| Edinburgh: Stockbridge | 1825-28 (3 yrs) | 1825-28 | Dissolved. |
| Falkirk: West | 1767-1990 (223 yrs) | 1767-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. U/w St Andrew's to form St Andrew's West 1990. |
| Ford | 1782-1949 (167 yrs) | 1782-1815 | Left for Burgher Church 1815. USC, UPC, UFC, CoS. U/w Cranstoun & Crichton. |
| Glasgow: Kelvingrove | 1766-1908 (142 yrs) | 1766-1847 | Named at first Dovehill. UPC 1847, UFC 1900. U/w College to form C. & K. |
| Glasgow: Anderston | 1769 | 1769-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Anderston Old PC 1929. |
| Glasgow: East Campbell St | 1792-1926 (134 yrs) | 1792-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. U/w Sydney Place to form Syd. Pl. & E Campbell St 1926. |
| Glasgow: John Street | 1798 | 1798-1847 | Split from Dovehill. UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Glasgow: Hutchesontown | 1799-1926 (127 yrs) | 1799-1847 | Split from Dovehill. UPC 1847, UFC 1900. U/w Caledonia Road to form H&CR 1926. |
| Glasgow: Greenhead | 1805 | 1805-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Greenhead East PC 1929. |
| Glasgow: Tollcross | 1806 | 1806-47 | UPC 1847, Main St UFC 1900, Tollc. Central UFC 1921. |
| Glasgow: Calton | 1820 | 1820-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, Calton Relief PC 1929. |
| Glasgow: Blackfriars Street | 1830s-1841 (10 yrs) | 1836-41 | Independent church, joined Relief 1836. Dissolved. |
| Glasgow: Gillespie | 1844 | 1844-47 | Split from Calton. UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Haddington | 1791-1800 (9 yrs) | 1791-1800 | Dissolved. |
| Hightae | 1797-1807 (10 yrs) | 1797-1807 | Dissolved. |
| Kettle | 1780 | 1780-1847 | UPC 1847, Kingskettle UFC 1900, Kettle West PC 1929. |
| Kilmaronock | 1772 | 1772-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, Gartocharn PC 1929. |
| Kilsyth | 1768 | 1768-1847 | UPC 1847, Kilsyth Anderson UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Kirriemuir (I) | 1792-99 (7 yrs) | 1792-99 | Dissolved. |
| Kirriemuir: Bank Street | 1829-1914 (85 yrs) | 1829-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with West to form Kirriemuir First UFC 1914. |
| Langholm: South | 1800-1925 (125 yrs) | 1800-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. United with North to form Langholm Erskine UFC 1925. |
| Leith: Junction Road | 1822-1975 (153 yrs) | 1822-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. U/w St Thomas to form St Thomas Junction Road. |
| Mainsriddell | 1789-1893 (104 yrs) | 1789-1821 | Left Relief 1821 for United Secession. UPC 1847. Dissolved. |
| Musselburgh: Millhill | 1783-1960 (177 yrs) | 1783-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. U/w Bridge Street to form St Andrew's PC 1960. |
| Newburgh | 1841 | 1841-47 | Split from Newburgh Secession Church. Left for Ev. Union 1872, Cong. Union 1899. |
| Newlands | 1790-1910 (120 yrs) | 1790-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Absorbed into West Linton UFC 1910. |
| Newton Stewart | 1792-1924 (132 yrs) | 1792-1847 | UPC 1847. Newton Stewart York Road UFC 1900. U/w Trinity to form St John's 1924. |
| Old Kilpatrick: Bankside | 1793-1908 (115 yrs) | 1793-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Absorbed into Bowling UFC 1908. |
| Partick: Newton Place | 1823 | 1823-47 | Disjoined from Gl. Anderston. UPC 1847, UFC 1900, CoS 1929. |
| Peebles: West | 1827-1918 (91 yrs) | 1827-47 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900. Absorbed into Peebles St Andrew's UFC 1918. |
| Port William | 1832-1907 (75 yrs) | 1832-47 | UPC 1847, Port William Main Street UFC 1900. U/w High to form Port William 1907. |
| Portobello | 1834-43 (9 yrs) | 1834-43 | Dissolved. |
| Stranraer: Bridge Street | 1817-68 (51 yrs) | 1817-47 | UPC 1847. United with Bellevilla to form Stranraer West UPC 1868. |
| Strathkinnes | 1800-16 (16 yrs) | 1800-16 | Dissolved. |
| Wamphray | 1776-1871 (95 yrs) | 1776-1847 | UPC 1847. Reduced to a preaching station 1871. |
| Waterbeck | 1790 | 1790-1847 | UPC 1847, UFC 1900 |
| Wigtown | 1835-43 (8 yrs) | 1835-43 | Dissolved. |
References
[edit]- ^ Drummond, Robert J. (1944). "Traditions of the Relief Church". Scottish Church History Society: 43–54. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b Rankin 1879, p. 57.
- ^ Annals..., p. 313-314.
- ^ Mackelvie, William (1873). Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church. Oliphant & Elliot, Robertson. p. 41.
1847 United Secession Relief.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/historyofpresbyt01smaluoft/
Sources
[edit]- McCrie, C. G. (1893). The Free Church of Scotland : her ancestry, her claims, and her conflicts. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. pp. 60-62. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- Morren, Nathaniel (1840). Annals of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ... from the origin of the Relief in 1752 to the rejection of the overture on schism in 1766. John Johnstone.
- Rankin, James (1879). A handbook of the Church of Scotland. W. Blackwood. p. 57.
- Small, Robert (1904a). History of the congregations of the United Presbyterian Church, from 1733 to 1900. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: David M. Small. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- Small, Robert (1904b). History of the congregations of the United Presbyterian Church, from 1733 to 1900. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: David M. Small. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- Thomson, Andrew; Struthers, Gavin (1858). Historical sketch of the origin of the Secession Church and the History of the rise of the Relief Church. Edinburgh and London: A. Fullerton and Co. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
