Presbyterianism

====England====
{{Main|English Presbyterianism}}
In England, Presbyterianism was established in secret in 1592. [[Thomas Cartwright (Puritan)|Thomas Cartwright]] is thought to be the first Presbyterian in England. Cartwright's controversial lectures at [[Cambridge University]] condemning the [[episcopal polity|episcopal]] hierarchy of the [[Elizabethan era|Elizabethan]] Church led to his deprivation of his post by Archbishop [[John Whitgift]] and his emigration abroad. Between 1645 and 1648, a series of ordinances of the [[Long Parliament]] established Presbyterianism as the polity of the [[Church of England]]. Presbyterian government was established in London and Lancashire and in a few other places in England, although Presbyterian hostility to the [[Execution of Charles I|execution]] of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] and the establishment of the republican [[Commonwealth of England]] meant that Parliament never enforced the Presbyterian system in England. The [[Stuart Restoration|Restoration of the monarchy]] in 1660 brought the return of [[Episcopal polity|Episcopal church government]] in England (and in Scotland for a short time); but the Presbyterian church in England continued in Non-Conformity, outside of the established church. In 1719 a major split, the [[Thomas Bradbury (minister)|Salter's Hall controversy]], occurred; with the majority siding with [[nontrinitarian]] views. [[Thomas Bradbury (minister)|Thomas Bradbury]] published several sermons bearing on the controversy, and in 1719, "An answer to the reproaches cast on the [[dissenting minister]]s who subscribed their belief of the Eternal Trinity." By the 18th century many English Presbyterian congregations had become [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] in doctrine.

A number of new Presbyterian Churches were founded by [[Scottish people|Scottish]] immigrants to England in the 19th century and later. Following the 'Disruption' in 1843 many of those linked to the Church of Scotland eventually joined what became the Presbyterian Church of England in 1876. Some, such as Crown Court (Covent Garden, London), St Andrew's (Stepney, London) and [[Swallow Street]] (London), did not join the English denomination, which is why there are Church of Scotland congregations in England such as those at [[Crown Court Church|Crown Court]], and [[St Columba's Church, London|St Columba's]], Pont Street (Knightsbridge) in London. There is also a congregation in the heart of London's financial district called London City Presbyterian Church that is affiliated with the Free Church of Scotland.

In 1972, the Presbyterian Church of England (PCofE) united with the [[Congregational Church in England and Wales]] to form the [[United Reformed Church]] (URC). Among the congregations the PCofE brought to the URC were Tunley (Lancashire), [[Aston Tirrold]] (Oxfordshire) and John Knox Presbyterian Church, Stepney, London (now part of [[Stepney Meeting House]] URC) – these are among the sole survivors today of the English Presbyterian churches of the 17th century. The URC also has a presence in Scotland, mostly of former [[Congregational church|Congregationalist]] Churches. Two former Presbyterian congregations, [[Downing Place United Reformed Church, Cambridge#St Columba's Church|St Columba's, Cambridge]] (founded in 1879), and [[St Columba's United Reformed Church, Oxford|St Columba's, Oxford]] (founded as a chaplaincy by the PCofE and the [[Church of Scotland]] in 1908 and as a congregation of the PCofE in 1929), continue as congregations of the URC and university chaplaincies of the [[Church of Scotland]].

In recent years a number of smaller denominations adopting Presbyterian forms of church government have organised in England, including the [[International Presbyterian Church]] planted by evangelical theologian [[Francis Schaeffer]] of the [[L'Abri|L'Abri Fellowship]] in the 1970s, and the [[Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales]] founded in the North of England in the late 1980s.