Cumberland Presbyterians
Preserved but no longer current.
A sect found in Kentucky and Tennessee which was opposed to college-trained ministers. Cum grano sails (kum gra' no sa'lis) (Lat.). With a gram of salt; there is some truth in the statement, but we must use great caution in accepting it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cumberland Presbyterians” mean?
A sect found in Kentucky and Tennessee which was opposed to college-trained ministers. Cum grano sails (kum gra' no sa'lis) (Lat.). With a gram of salt; there is some truth in the statement, but we must use great caution in accepting it.
Is “Cumberland Presbyterians” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.