558 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



21. The Rev. Thomas Kennedy was chosen mod- 

 erator, and in his address spoke in general terms 

 of the results of the union. The Committee on 

 Union presented a short report, which referred 

 principally to the efforts made to unite congre- 

 gations in localities where that policy might be 

 expedient. The report on the conditions in the 

 Highlands, where many members and congrega- 

 tions of the Free Church refused to be bound by 

 the union, represented that the union had 

 aroused feelings of thankfulness and hope; but 

 undoubtedly in certain parishes strife and divi- 

 sion had gone so far that the people had been 

 assembling in hostile camps. It had always been 

 thought desirable to minimize the evils connected 

 with such a state of things by avoiding needless 

 agitation. At the same time it was impossible to 

 leave unsupported and uncared for the ministers 

 of the United Free Church and the people who 

 desired to have Gospel ministrations at their 

 hands. A report from the Committee on Roman- 

 ism and Ritualism commented on certain ecclesi- 

 astical events of the year. A deputation of repre- 

 sentatives of the Established Church, the Episco- 

 pal Church, and the United Free Church waited 

 upon the Assembly in behalf of the appointment 

 of a day of prayer for unity. The subject was re- 

 ferred to a committee, the report of which as 

 adopted by the Assembly said that any attain- 

 able approach to a larger measure of organic 

 unity in the country would best take place by 

 mutual recognition, by cooperation in good 

 works, and by union of churches which are akin 

 to one another in faith and constitution. The 

 report on Church and state affirmed that the ter- 

 mination of the statutory convention now main- 

 tained between the state and the Church of Scot- 

 land seemed to be a necessary step toward re- 

 lations between churches in Scotland which were 

 very widely desired. 



Judgment was given by Lord Low at Edin- 

 burgh, Aug. 9, in the suit brought in behalf of the 

 minority of the Free Church to be declared en- 

 titled to possession of its funds and property. 

 The arguments of the plaintiffs were reviewed in 

 the decision. To their plea that the constitution 

 of the Free Church had been violated by the 

 union, the court replied that in its opinion the 

 union did not involve the giving up of any doc- 

 trine or principle which formed any part of the 

 essential or fundamental portion of the creed of 

 the Free Church, and that although the Estab- 

 lishment principle was an essential principle of 

 the Free Church at the time of the disruption in 

 1843, it had become unessential. The second plea, 

 that the union was incompetent in the face of 

 the dissentient minority, was characterized as ab- 

 surd. Concerning the claim of the plaintiffs to 

 participation in the funds and property of the 

 Free Church, the court held that the minority 

 either constituted the Free Church or were en- 

 tirely separated from it. It took the view that 

 they were separated, and consequently had no 

 right to participate. 



X. Free Church of Scotland. The General 

 Assembly, representing those ministers and mem- 

 bers of the Free Church of Scotland who refused 

 to enter the union with the United Presbyterian 

 Church (see. the Annual Cyclopaedia for 1900) met 

 in Edinburgh, May 21. The Rev. J. D. M'Culloch, 

 of Glasgow, was chosen moderator. In nominat- 

 ing him to the Assembly, the retiring moderator, 

 the Rev. Colin A. Bannatyne, asserted that the 

 Assembly met in circumstances more prosperous 

 and full of hope than the most sanguine could 

 have anticipated six months before. The business 

 of the Assembly consisted mainly in the reorgani- 



zation of the concerns and committees of the 

 Church, which had been disorganized, so far as 

 this body was concerned, by the going over of 

 those who had chiefly managed them, into the 

 union. A resolution was passed denouncing the 

 " Deceased Wife's Sister bill," the adoption of 

 which,, it was declared, would constitute " an as- 

 sault upon the requirements of divine law and 

 the Confession of Faith." A committee report 

 stated that the strength of the Church was in the 

 Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland. Twenty-five 

 ministers were in charges, but there were several 

 vacancies. The income of the committee had been 

 283, an amount which would be fully required 

 to settle the accounts. 



At the meeting of the Commission of this 

 Church, held at Edinburgh, March 6, it appeared 

 that 92 congregations in at least 11 presbyteries, 

 20 ministers, and 18 regular paid agents, with 50 

 preaching stations, adhered to the principles of 

 the protest. Twenty-five applications for employ- 

 ment had been received. 



XI. Presbyterian Church in England. The 

 statistical reports of this Church submitted to the 

 Synod of 1901 show that it had 321 congregations, 

 76,111 church-members (an increase of 1,570), 

 with 166,391 sittings in the churches, and church 

 buildings having an estimated value of 2,004,- 

 450, less indebtedness of 101,659. The total in- 

 come of the Church had been 298,711, against 

 306,847 in the previous year. The aggregate 

 amount paid for stipends was 98,848, an average 

 of about 300 per minister. Other items reported 

 were 80,983 pupils in Sunday-schools (a falling off 

 of about 3,000), 14,664 teachers in Sunday-schools, 

 district visitors, and members of Dorcas Societies, 

 and 6,614 members of Young Men's Societies. 



The contributions for foreign missions 

 'amounted to 35,363, showing an increase of 

 6,000 over the previous year. There were now 

 in the field 20 ministerial missionaries, 13 doctors, 

 4 missionary teachers, 24 Women's Missionary 

 Association agents, and 4 woman doctors, besides 

 27 wives of missionaries; with native pastors 

 and evangelists. The native members numbered 

 7,157, showing an increase of 419. Notwithstand- 

 ing the outbreak in China, the work had made a 

 distinct advance. 



The Synod met in London, April 29. The Rev. 

 James Christie was chosen moderator, and spoke 

 in his address of the coronation oath, the sanc- 

 tions of which he thought would be strengthened 

 " by expunging the acerbities of an age of fierce 

 antagonisms," Presbyterian union, and the for- 

 ward movement in the Free Churches. The Synod 

 expressed thankfulness that the Church Building 

 fund of 50,000 had been successfully raised, and 

 instructed the Home Mission Committee to bring 

 up rules to the next Synod for the establishment 

 of a permanent Church Building fund. . Instead 

 of appointing a stated evangelist, it was decided 

 to set apart three ministers to carry on evangel- 

 istic work during a part of the year; and " inas- 

 much as the Church's ordinary methods of work 

 were not fully suited to reach the poorer-classes 

 of the people," a special committee was appointed 

 to consider respecting provision for undertaking 

 work on lines which have been found successful 

 in other churches. 



XII. Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church. 

 The statistical reports of this Church, made to 

 the General Assembly in May, showed that it had 

 1,572 chapels, with 879 other buildings, apart from 

 chapel houses and manses, with 158,114 communi- 

 cants, showing an 'increase of 2,056, and 319,261 

 hearers. The aggregate of collections for the past 

 year had been 283,903. 



