Presbyterian Church
Preserved but no longer current.
A Church governed by elders or presbyters (Gr. presbuteros, elder), and ministers, all of equal ecclesiastical rank; espe- cially the United Presbyterian Church of Scot- land, which was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession and Relief Churches, and which in 1900 united with the Free Church of Scotland.
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 “Presbyterian Church” mean?
A Church governed by elders or presbyters (Gr. presbuteros, elder), and ministers, all of equal ecclesiastical rank; espe- cially the United Presbyterian Church of Scot- land, which was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession and Relief Churches, and which in 1900 united with the Free Church of Scotland.
Is “Presbyterian Church” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.