REFORMED CHURCHES. 



RHODE ISLAND. 



713 



each body of its own standard ; or, 3, on the 

 busis of a common formula in which both 

 Churches could unite. The Conference ex- 

 pressed its judgment that " a closer union be- 

 tween these two bodies, the only ecclesiastical 

 organizations of the Reformed Church, of 

 Continental origin, in America, is desirable, 

 and at this juncture of the religious issues of 

 our land specially important and, if the object 

 is pursued in Christian wisdom and love, un- 

 doubtedly practicable. Besides, there is good 

 reason for the opinion that, if judicious efforts 

 in behalf of a closer union be conducted by 

 the two committees, present obstacles will 

 gradually disappear, and the end in some form 

 just and acceptable to both branches may, 

 without much delay, be attained." The min- 

 isters of the two organizations were advised to 

 intorm themselves more fully on the history 

 of the Reformed Churches in Europe and in 

 this country, " particularly in its bearing on 

 the present movement, and, as occasion may 

 arise, to promote, by preaching and otherwise, 

 among all our congregations better knowledge 

 of the Christian propriety and practical worth 

 of the proposed union.'' Whatever action may 

 be taken on the subject will have to wait for 

 ratification by the General Synod of the He- 

 formed Church in the United States, which 

 will not meet till 1890. 



A committee was appointed to make such 

 additions to the liturgy of the Church "as 

 may make it more available and comprehen- 

 sive for service and worship," and report at 

 the next meeting of the General Synod. A 

 resolution protesting against the toleration of 

 the traffic in intoxicating liquors on the Congo 

 was passed and telegraphed by cable to the 

 International Missionary Conference sitting in 

 London. The Synod also recorded its pleas '.ire 

 at the growing public interest in efforts that 

 are being made to diminish the evils growing 

 out of the liquor-traffic, and declared that these 

 evils constitute one of the greatest obstacles 

 to the religious progress of the nation, and 

 should be "energetically opposed" by all who 

 love the Lord Jesus Christ. The Committee 

 on Systematic Benevolence recommended the 

 substitution of the term "offering" for "col- 

 lection " in ordinary usage, and the revival of 

 the idea of worship in making offerings of 

 money to the Church. A minute was adopted 

 recognizing the efforts of the Evangelical Alli- 

 ance, particularly as they are directed to the 

 preservation of the public schools in their in- 

 tegrity, and against efforts to divert public 

 moneys to the advantage of particular denomi- 

 nations. The committee appointed to prepare 

 a manual of instruction tor young children pre- 

 sented a catechism whi?h. after examination, 

 was recommitted to a committee enlarged by 

 the appointment of two women upon it. 



HI. Reformed Churrhes in the .Netherlands. 

 The Christian Reformed Church of the Neth- 

 erlands originated in a secession in 1835 from 

 the state Church as established by the law of 



1815. It consists of eleven provincial synods, 

 each of which sends four delegates to the Gen- 

 eral Synod meeting every three years. 



A more recent movement within the state 

 Church has resulted in the organization of an 

 orthodox or conservative party, strictly adher- 

 ing to the old ways and faith, as distinct from 

 the other parties which are more ready to fol- 

 low the modern tendencies of criticism and 

 questioning thought, under the lead of Dr. A. 

 Kuyper, of the Free University of Amsterdam. 

 This party came to an issue with the authori- 

 ties of the state Church in 1886, on a question 

 of the admission of persons denying the divinity 

 of Christ to full membership in the Church at 

 Amsterdam. The Consistory refusing to con- 

 sent to their admission, the orthodox majority 

 being eighty in number, and including Dr. 

 Kuyper were suspended, and afterward de- 

 posed. After this exclusion, a correspondence 

 was begun with reference to a union with the 

 Christian Reformed Church, and two meetings 

 of a satisfactory character were held between 

 representatives of the two parties. The Gen- 

 eral Synod of the Christian Reformed Church, 

 at its meeting held at Assen in August, took 

 action demanding that the orthodox party rec- 

 ognize that Church as the real Church of the 

 Netherlands, and declare more openly than it 

 had done that it had broken with the estab- 

 lished Church and its representative bodies. 



The first synodical meeting of the orthodox 

 body was also held in August at Utrecht, when 

 180 churches, forming twelve classes, were 

 represented by twenty-four delegates, besides 

 five general advisers of the Synod. 



BHOOE ISLAND. State Government The fol- 

 lowing were the State officers during the year: 

 Governor, John W. Davis, Democrat, succeed- 

 ed by Royal C. Taft, Republican ; Lieutenant- 

 Governor, Samuel R. Honey, succeeded by Enos 

 Lapham ; Secretary of State. Edwin I). Mc- 

 Guinness, succeeded by Samuel H. Cross ; Gen- 

 eral Treasurer, John G. Perry, succeeded by 

 Samuel Clark; State Auditor and Insurance 

 Commissioner, Elisha W. Bucklin, succeeded by 

 Almon K.Goodwin: Attorney - General, Ziba 

 O. Slocum. succeeded by Horatio Rogers; Rail- 

 road Commissioner, James H. Anderson : Com- 

 missioner of Public Schools, Thomas B. Stock- 

 well: Chief- Justice of the Supreme Court, 

 Thomas Durfee; Associate Justices, Pardon E. 

 Tillinghast, Charles Matteson, John II. Stiness, 

 and George A. Wilbur. 



Legislative Sessions. The General Assembly 

 met at Providence on January 17, and remained 

 in session till March 23, adjourning on that day 

 to meet at Newport on May 29. The most im- 

 portant work of the session was the passage of 

 the so-called Bourn amendment to the State 

 Constitution, abolishing the property qualifica- 

 tion for electors, which had been approved 

 by the preceding Legislature. The proposed 

 amendment provides that 



Every male citizen of the United States of the age 

 of twenty-one years who has had his residence and 



