es, it asserted that:

"As Scripture Doxologies and the Divinely-approved petition of saints
may be warrantably adopted in our devotional exercises, both public and
personal, so may the Lord's Prayer be used by itself or in connection
with other supplications."

Other manifestos were published from time to time by different bodies
as separations or unions took place, for the early part of the past
century was a period of frequent divisions and of more happy unions.
But while differences existed with regard to the use of paraphrases and
human hymns in the service of praise, on the general subject of
simplicity of worship and absence of prescribed forms, the manifestos
previous to the middle of the century were a unit. As late indeed as
1872, in a deliverance of the United Presbyterian Church upon the
subject of instrumental music in public worship, this jealousy of
simplicity in worship hitherto enjoyed is evident. To a consideration
of that subject this Church had been led by the example of the
Established Church in securing to its congregations liberty of action
in the matter. The United Presbyterian Synod, in a deliverance in
which it declined to pronounce judgment upon the introduction of
instrumental music in Divine service, proceeded to urge upon the courts
of the Church, and upon individual ministers, the duty of guarding
anxiously the simplicity of worship in the sanctuary. Not until recent
years has any considerable section of the Presbyterian Church shown a
tendency to return to the bondage of a ritual.

The views of the bodies above referred to will be differently estimated
by different men. Some will be inclined to regard the Secessionists as
narrow in spirit and severe in their simplicity, and as often failing
to exhibit a due regard for the beauty of holiness that should
characterize Divine worship. It will surely, however, indicate on the
part of those who read their history a want of appreciation if they
fail to recognize the sturdy spiritual life which, forming, as it ever
does, the truest foundation for right views of religion, marked these
men of whom an eminent leader in the religious life of Scotland has
said "they stood for Truth and Light in days when the battle went sore
against them both; and as long as Truth and Light are maintained in
Scotland it will not be forgotten that a great share of the honor of
having carried them safe through some of our darkest days, was given by
God to t