▁cities . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁saw ▁the ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁a ▁fragment ation ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Scotland . ▁These ▁f ract ures ▁were ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁issues ▁of ▁government ▁and ▁patron age , ▁but ▁reflected ▁a ▁wider ▁division ▁between ▁the ▁hard - line ▁Evangel ical s ▁and ▁the ▁the olog ically ▁more ▁toler ant ▁Mod er ate ▁Party . ▁The ▁battle ▁was ▁over ▁fear s ▁of ▁fan atic ism ▁by ▁the ▁former ▁and ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁En light en ment ▁ideas ▁by ▁the ▁latter . ▁The ▁Pat ron age ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 7 1 2 ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁blow ▁to ▁the ▁evangel ical s , ▁for ▁it ▁meant ▁that ▁local ▁land l ords ▁could ▁choose ▁the ▁minister , ▁not ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁con greg ation . ▁ ▁Sch isms ▁er upt ed ▁as ▁the ▁evangel ical s ▁left ▁the ▁main ▁body , ▁starting ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 3 ▁with ▁the ▁First ▁Sec ession ▁head ed ▁by ▁figures ▁including ▁Eb ene zer ▁Er sk ine . ▁The ▁second ▁sch ism ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 1 ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁independent ▁Rel ief ▁Church . ▁These ▁churches ▁gained ▁strength ▁in ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Rev ival ▁of ▁the ▁later ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁a ▁key ▁result ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁Pres by ter ian ▁church ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁Mod er ate ▁fa ction , ▁which ▁provided ▁critical ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁En light en ment ▁in ▁the ▁cities . ▁