Christian Brethren

Several of Francis and Janet (Kerr) Riddell's children married according to the forms of the Christian Brethren. The Brethren movement is a form of evangelical Protestantism and members of the movement referred to each other as 'brother' or 'sister.' Brethren was the name that stuck with them as a result. All forms of Brethren subscribe to four tenants of evangelicalism:

1. Conversionism -- the call to change one's life
2. Activism -- a vocal expression of faith
3. Biblicism -- tremendous regard for scription
4. Crucicentricism -- the importance of Christ's atoning death

The 19th century was a time of political and social change and upheaval in England, Ireland and Scotland. Many feared a revolution, similar to the French Revolution was brewing. The Industrial Revolution and the depression that followed brought unrest and economic hardship to many. People became dissatisfied with their religious life and Scotland's church hierarchy. They longed for a more personal and spiritual experience.

Several movements began around 1830 including the Brethren movement which started in Ireland and Plymouth, England. They wanted to provide an environment where like believers could worship together and study scriptures without being divided by denomination. From 1850 up until World War I the Brethren movement saw much growth. It is believed this occurred due to the community's increased commitment to evangelism.

The growth, though, led to division. There was a schism in 1890s, which led to the formation of the Church of God, which rejected the thought that each congregation should be autonomous. Just after World War I, the general evangelicalism movement became disillusioned and defensive. The Brethren offered a different path. They were ably led and their lay leadership had a strong grasp of the issues of the day among the working class.

This was the time when Francis and Janet (Kerr) Riddell's children were getting married. Only their oldest daughters, Jane Laidlaw Riddell and Martha Muir Riddell married according to the forms of the Established Church of Scotland. Most of their other children were married by Robert Struthers, Pastor, Christian Brethren, Hebron Hall in Larkhall.

I found an interesting book about the Brethren that mentioned Hebron Hall. Though the description is of a time a decade before most of Francis Riddell's children were born, he was alive and may have similar experiences:

"A visit in 1883 by William Montgomery, evangelist, was long remembered. Quite a revival took place when both saint and sinner received blessing. And not only were young converts seeking to be baptized but a few believers who had come into fellowship unbaptized were stirred up to the realization of a joy which up to that time had not been theirs. One Sunday afternoon fourteen brethren were baptized in the River Avon at Millheugh, when a vast crowd gathered on the bridge and along the banks of the river to witness this unique spectacle. People came from the neighboring villages, and it is estimated that about two thousand people were present. From that time considerable development has marked the forward movement of the testimony in this Lanarkshire stronghold, a pleasing feature being a progressive work among the young, where the register of the joint Sunday schools contains the names of nearly one thousand children. Today the Hebron Assembly in Larkhall with its many activities in the Gospel, is one of the largest in Scotland."

Avon River with Millheugh Bridge in the distance c1900; photograph
courtesy of Sorbie.net

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"A Brief History of the Brethren," Grace Magazine, Dr. Tim Grass, Spring 2008, 
Beattie, David J., Brethren: The Story of a Great Recovery, published on the Online Library of Brethren Writers, 2008

Congregational Church

Robert and Elizabeth (Riddell) Forsyth were married according to the forms of the Congregationalists. We may connect Congregationalists with the Pilgrims who sailed for the new world aboard the Mayflower and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but the religion's history in Scotland was more recent.

The first church to open in the Congregational model was the Circus in Edinburgh in 1798. It was funded by the Haldane brothers, who had attempted a form of evangelism not specific to any form of Protestantism. After they first opened non-denominational preaching stations, they realized some structure was necessary. The brothers became substantial funders of the rapidly spreading movement, which by 1807 had formed 85 churches on the congregational plan and trained nearly 300 men for the ministry.

James Haldane; image courtesy of Electric Scotland

The brothers began to question the validity of infant baptism and in 1808 they became Baptists. They foreclosed on all outstanding loans and repossessed all of the buildings they had funded. The Glasgow Theological Academy was founded in 1811 and replaced the patronage previously provided by the Haldane brothers. In 1812 the Congregation Union was formed with 55 churches. By 1824 the union included 72 member churches and soon after, nearly a hundred.

In 1843 the disruption within the Church of Scotland occurred. Several new "flavors" of Presbyterianism resulted. The Evangelical Union was one formed by those who had suffered for their theology and their consciences. The union espoused freedom of conscience and autonomy of local churches and away from hard-line Calvinism. The union was also at the forefront of the temperance movement and frequently prohibited anyone who worked in the spirits trade from membership.

From 1843 until 1896 Scotland had two unions of voluntary, independent churches -- the Congregational Union and the Evangelical Union. They had similar standards for membership and both had an aversion to creeds. Where they differed was over the issue of predestination. Over the decades the theology of both unions became more liberal. In 1867 the idea of a merger was broached informally. Negotiations began in 1892 and in 1896 the unions were united.

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"James Haldane," Electric Scotland, http://www.electricscotland.com/
A Scottish Congregationalism, by Alan Paterson

Evangelical Union Church

Elizabeth Muir Brodie and James Lively were married according to the forms of the Evangelical Union Church. This was a religious denomination that originated when Rev. James Morison, minister of a United Secession congregation was suspended for certain views regarding faith, the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation, and the extent of the atonement. His views were considered to be anti-Calvinistic and heretical by the church.

Rev. Morison was suspended in 1841 the year after publishing a pamphlet entitled The Answer to the Question "What Must I Do to be Saved."

Title page of Rev. Morison's pamphlet; image courtesy of
Internet Archive

His father and two other ministers were also suspended for similar opinions. They met on 16 May 1843 and formed an association under the name of Evangelical Union. Over time they became more anti-Calvinistic and began attracting sympathizers from the Congregationalists of Scotland. By 1889 there were 93 Evangelical Union churches. In 1896 the denomination was incorporated with the Congregation Union of Scotland.

Disruption of 1843

Only Robert and Henrietta Muir's daughter, Henrietta Muir, married outside the established Church of Scotland when she married James Williamson in the United Presbyterian Church in 1861. That church was formed in 1847 with the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church. Such was not the case for Robert and Henrietta's grandchildren. They married in accordance with the forms of many different religions and organizations. There were two reasons for that change:

• In 1855 civil registration of births, marriages and deaths was introduced
• The great disruption within the Church of Scotland in 1843

The post-1855 civil registration of births did not include information about baptism but marriage registrations did include information about how the couple was married. The schism within the Church of Scotland set the stage for many different religious denominations.

The Disruption Assembly, a painting by David Octavius Hill; image
courtesy of Wikipedia

The Great Disruption

The Acts of Parliament recognized the Church of Scotland as the national church and the church always claimed the right to exercise independent jurisdiction over its own affairs, but the right of patronage continued to be a contentious issue. Patronage was the right of a wealthy patron or landowner to install a minister of his choice.

The Disruption of the 1843 was a schism within the Church of Scotland, also known as the established Church of Scotland, which occurred after ten years of conflict over the issue of the church's independence and relationship with the state. About 450 ministers walked out of a General Assembly meeting and formed the Free Church of Scotland. The conflict was bitter and had a profound effect on civic life.

Those ministers who left forfeited livings, homes and pulpits. Without the aid of any establishment or organization, they had to found and finance their version of a national Church from scratch.  They were generally more conservative of doctrine, for example, organs were not permitted in the church buildings until 1883.

Most of the issues which caused the schism were conceded by Parliament by 1929, which cleared the way for the reunion of the church that same year. However, the Church of Scotland never fully regained its former position after the schism. There are still many Presbyterian denominations practiced in Scotland today.

Established Church of Scotland

At the time of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's marriage and birth of their older children, there was an established Church of Scotland, which is a branch of reformed Protestantism. When capitalized, "Presbyterian," refers to churches that trace their roots to the Scottish and English churches and political groups formed during the English Civil War in the 1640s.

Presbyterian theology emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures, and the necessity of grace through faith in Christ. The Presbyterian denominations hold to the theology of John Calvin and his successors.  Local congregations being governed by sessions made up of representatives of the congregation. Presbyterians use a "book of order" to regulate common practice and order.

The Burning Bush emblem above the entrance of the Church of
Scotland offices; photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

When the Scottish Church first broke with Rome in 1560, only psalms from the Bible could be sung a cappella; any other type of singing had to be done outside of church. Musical instruments, starting with the organ, made their appearance during the 1800s; and, eventually, the church adopted the singing of hymns in worship services in 1861.

Our ancestors generally believed there were only two sacraments:

• Baptism by Aspersion (sprinkling) or Affusion (pouring) as opposed to Immersion
• Communion, symbolizing Christ's presence in the bread and wine through the Holy Spirit rather than being locally present

In the 1700s controversy still surrounded the recently restored Church of Scotland's independence. There was interference from the civil courts with Church decisions, particularly over patronage, which was the landowner's right to appoint ministers to vacant pulpits. This unrest continued during Robert and Henrietta's family's lives and culminated in the Disruption of 1843. At that time a large portion of the Church broke away to form the Free Church of Scotland. These seceding groups tended to divide and reunite among themselves leading to several different Presbyterian denominations in Scotland.