*Presbyterianism* refers to a number of different Christian churches adhering to the *Calvinist <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism>* theological tradition within Protestantism <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism>. ... evolved primarily in Scotland <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland> before the Act of Union <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Union_1707> in 1707. Most of the few Presbyteries found in England can trace a Scottish connection. Although some adherents hold to the theology of Calvin and his immediate successors..... he first modern implementation of Presbyterianism was by the Geneva church under the leadership of John Calvin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin> in 1541. John Knox <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Knox> (1505-1572), a Scot <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_people> who had spent time studying under Calvin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin> in Geneva <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva>, returned to Scotland and led the Parliament of Scotland <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Scotland> to embrace the Reformation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Reformation> in 1560 /(see Scottish Reformation Parliament <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Reformation_Parliament>)/. The Church of Scotland <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Scotland> was eventually reformed along Presbyterian lines, to become the national, established Church of Scotland. In England <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England>, Presbyterianism was established in secret in 1572. Thomas Cartwright <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cartwright_%28Puritan%29> is thought to be the first Presbyterian in England. was brought by Scottish plantation settlers to Ulster who had been strongly encouraged to emigrate by James VI of Scotland, later James I of England. An estimated 100,000 Scottish Presbyterians moved to the northern counties of Ireland between 1607 and the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Presbytery of Ulster was formed in 1642 separately from the established Anglican Church. Presbyterians, along with Roman Catholics in Ulster and the rest of Ireland, suffered under the discriminatory Penal Laws until they were revoked in the early 19th century. Presbyterianism is represented in Ireland by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, the Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church --- Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Database (VPS): 090502-0, 05/02/2009 Tested on: 5/6/2009 10:22:37 AM (c) 1988-2009 ALWIL Software. http://www.avast.com