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neral interests of the Presbyterian Church . George II ; followed tip the liberal and tolerant measures of his father . He repressed the vexations prosecutions respecting the validity of their marriagesto which the Presbyteritos
* had long been exposed by fch £ iligb- < Church party ; and in 1738 * an JLct was passed by the Irish Legislative , for giving' further ease fa Protesta » t Dissenters on this subject .
The Presbyteriaa ministers had always exercised the right of solemni * zing marriage ^ from their first settlement in Ireland ; and though latterly they were frequently prosecuted for it in the Ecclesiastical Courts , and some of them in Queen Anne ' s reign even
excommunicated , they nfever geaged asserting and exercising this right . At the accession of George IIL the favour mid protection they had enjoyed during the sway of his family , had given considerable stability to their cause 5 but they continued to labour under several restrictions : the Test
Act of Queen Aun £ wa& still in force $ ih 0 validity of their m&rria £ es was -faot yet explicitly ac&aoWledgefcl by the Legislature ; and the animal grant from Government had beedme totally inadequate to the support of the in * creased number of ministers .
The first act of relief they experienced * was the total repeal of the Test Act in 1780 $ so that Presbyterians can hold any office without being required to qualify for it * as heretofore , by taking the Sacrament iu the Established Church *
In 1782 , aa Adt Was passed which cjeclarejs all the marriages solemnized between Protestant Dissenters * ( or Protestant Diseenters and Roman Catholics *) by their &yftn ministers , to be good and Valid to all intents &nd purposea whatsoever ^ Tbis set a * rest all cloubts * and put aft end to all prosecutions on this subtext .
In this reigft the gti&nt from Government Wm increased at several times , but the principal kragi » entatT 6 ft took ptace ift 180 ^ hy w hich the congregations are divided into three classes , which respectively receive ^ 10 Q , ^ 5 , aild Mti annually . This arrangement by ho means adjects them to the ccmteoul € > f Govern * tncttt : the express terms of fhe grant l > eing these—that it catmot be wttfe-
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held from one minister except it be withdrawn ^^^ frcitn the whole body ; and that Government shall not interfere in the discipline or constitution of the Church * Including the Presbytery of Antrim *
there are at present 223 ministers , 85 licentiates , 201 congregations , and upwards of half a million of people connected tvith the General Synod of Ulster .
Besides the General Synod of Ulster , ttoere is a Synod of Secediiig ' Presbyterian miaiste * s , who introdu ^ ed themselves into Ulster about 1740 ; established congregations among the ieople previously ia connexion
witfc the Synod of Ulster ; ^^ nbw ^ through the favour of Government , enjoy the same ptfMteges as the metiv . ber ^ iff that body . Though by fat the smaller body , they have taken tb £ name of th £ * Presbyterian Synod of Iceland" There are also a few
Presbyterian settlements in the South m Ireland , eoixsticulSiigf the Synod of MunsCer ; and about Wenty congregations iti Ulster ^ kflotsm by tlte fi ^ me of Reformed Pre ^ yterians ^ € bve * nsmtets . l
It may be addm , th ^ t the General Synod of Ulster has atw&ys discovered a very laudable atixiety to ^ rdtiaote ; useful lewvhing in the Chiirch . Many exeeltent regulations have been Made , at different times , to secure a
sufficient knowledge of language ^ , science and divinity , in those designed for the sacred office y that the ministry niight be as respectable by its learning , as its piety and virtue . So Idng ago as the reign of diaries II ., the Rev . Thomas Gawan , a man of
great leafniftg and talents , taught phi-Idsophy and diviaity ^ t Antrim , with celebrity atfd success , for many years . AM Mr . John Hutchison ^ a man
of excellent aequiremetits in seieftee , taught philosophy for ^ everiii years at Newtownai'ds . At a atibseqU&Jifc ptridd , the Rc ^ V . James MaSeal ^ liie t ^ ti ^ ht a philosophy school at Killeteagft , bf licence from the Chancellor of the
dioee&e * The stiutehts afterwards attetid ^ d leetutes 6 n tfitinity at Belfast , delivered by tha Re ^ . Mr . M'Bride . At pf ^^ ttt ^ ie ^ ture ^ on various subjects me giv ^ n ilfc-thef-Belfast Academical Inistiiutiow , more particularly fat the irl ^ iiaietftm of candidates for the Preabyteiri&fl toitti&try .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1824, page 707, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2531/page/3/
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