704 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



conesses and the opening of city churches on 

 week days were approved. Satisfaction was 

 expressed at the results of the bill for the early 

 closing of liquor-saloons in Scotland ; and the 

 committee of the Assembly was authorized to 

 approach the Government with reference to 

 the drink-traffic among native races. 



VIII, Free Church of Swtland. The total con- 

 tributions of the year for the Sustentation 

 fund of this Church had been 168,657, show- 

 ing a decrease from the previous year of 3,- 

 476. In the report on colonial missions it was 

 claimed that some of the most prosperous set- 

 tlements in the colonies had originated through 

 the efforts of these missions. A favorable re- 

 port was made of the condition of the Jew- 

 ish missions. The financial statement of the 

 Foreign Mission Committee showed a charge 

 amounting to 51,908. The discharge showed 

 a balance in favor of the scheme of 8,674. 

 The increase in contributions from associations 

 had been higher than ever before in the his- 

 tory of the Church. It was reported that the 

 desire had spread among the Hindoo popula- 

 tion at Madras, India, for the foundation of a 

 national Hindoo college, in which religion 

 should be taught as an inseparable portion of 

 the curriculum. 



The General Assembly met at Inverness, 

 May 24. The Rev. Dr. Gustavus Aird, was 

 chosen moderator. The report on the state of 

 religion and morals, represented that while 

 peculiar hardships affected some of the High- 

 land ministers, in general adequate organization 

 existed among the churches. The belief was 

 expressed that intemperance was on the de- 

 crease; but in many places tourists were doing 

 much to lower the tone of Sabbath observance. 

 A congratulatory address was voted to the 

 Presbyterian Churches of the United States on 

 the occasion of their friendly meeting in Phila- 

 delphia, and of the centenary of Presbyterian- 

 ism in the United States. An active debate on 

 the question of disestablishment terminated in 

 the adoption of a resolution declaring that the 

 maintenance of a Church Establishment in 

 Scotland was unjust, inexpedient, and a hin- 

 derance to the welfare of the Presbyterian 

 churches of the land. A resolution was 

 adopted recognizing the grievances of the croft- 

 ers, and asking for suitable legislation for the 

 relief of their distress. An overture, concern- 

 ing federal relations with the Presbyterian 

 Church in England, having been approved by 

 a majority of the presbyteries, was passed into 

 a standing order of the Church. A petition to 

 Parliament was approved against the bill for 

 legalizing marriage with a deceased wife's sis- 

 ter, otherwise known as the marriage affinity 

 bill. A committee was directed to consider 

 whether the benefits of the Widow's fund may 

 not be extended to the widows and orphans of 

 missionaries. 



IX. United Presbyterian Church (Scotland). The 

 statistical reports of this Church, made to the 

 Synod in May, gave the following results: 



Number of congregations, 565; of members, 

 182,170, showing an increase during the year 

 of 107; number of baptisms, 9,374; of Sab- 

 bath-schools, 887, with 12,075 teachers and 97,- 

 475 pupils. The total congregational income 

 amounted to 320,698. 



The income for foreign-mission purposes had 

 been 56,534, the largest amount ever received 

 in one year. The eight mission fields returned 

 CO ordained European missionaries, with 56 

 other trained agents, 95 native evangelists, 301 

 native teachers, and 100 other native helpers. 

 The 87 congregations and 155 out-staticns 

 had an aggregate membership of 13,497, with 

 2,074 candidates for admission. The Sabbath- 

 schools, exclusive of those in China and Japan, 

 returned 11,418 pupils, and the day-schools 

 13,676 pupils. The Board of Missions was 

 empowered by the Synod to discontinue the 

 Spanish mission, and to take steps to form, 

 along with other Protestant agencies in Spain, 

 a native Spanish Protestant Church. 



X. Presbyterian Church in England. The entire 

 income of this Church for the year was re- 

 turned at 219,585. The Home Mission re- 

 ported that two congregations had been added. 

 The Jewish Mission reported concerning its 

 labors in London. The receipts for foreign 

 missions had been 15,800. The Synod hud in 

 China 15 European ordained missionaries, 6 

 medical missionaries, 13 women missionaries, 

 supported by the Women's Association, and 

 a number of native evangelists and pastors. 

 Some of the native churches were self-sup- 

 porting, and were themselves undertaking 

 mission work. The income of the Women's 

 Missionary Association had been 2.336, show- 

 ing an increase during the year of 600. Ad- 

 ditions having been made to the capital of the 

 Aged and Infirm Ministers fund, the minimum 

 annuity had been raised from 45 to 50. 

 The minimum ministerial dividend had been 

 retained at 200 a year. 



The Synod met in Newcastle-on-Tyne, April 

 30. The Rev. Dr. Oswald Dykes was chosen 

 moderator. The Committee on the Church's 

 Relations to the Confession of Faith, which had 

 been engaged for three years in the revision of 

 the creed, reported; the declaratory statement, 

 setting forth the sense in which the Church 

 received the Westminster Catechism, was held 

 in abeyance, as legal difficulties might arise in 

 view of certain clauses in the trust-deeds, were 

 it adopted. The new articles were to be re- 

 garded in the light of a summary of the Con- 

 fession in which the language of that docu- 

 ment was simplified, while the Confession itself 

 would remain the standard by which they held 

 their respective properties. To the new creed 

 as reported was appended a list of illustrative 

 passages in support of the various clauses, 

 drawn from the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, 

 and various confessions of the Reformation 

 period. The creed consists of twenty-three 

 articles, of which the article on the creation 

 declares : 



