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.

The Gallic Confession, styled "La Rochelle," the joint work of Calvin
and Chaudien, was adopted as the doctrinal standa