PRESBYTERIANS. 



743 



of which 39 presbyteries expressed themselves as baptisms, 4,528 of infants and 2,050 of adults 



rvrM-inonM Tr\ nil cnmorioc ovoor^f l^vrnl s~ms\r> .,,,,].,,. 4-4-l ~, L _ .* i M 



Sabbath-schools, 1,010, with 10,260 'officers MIM! 

 teachers and 92,580 pupils ; contributions of Sab- 

 bath-schools, $67,555. 



The treasurers of the several funds reported 

 to the General Synod concerning their condi- 

 tion : Theological Seminary Endowment fund, 

 $43,975; Education fund (balance), $621 : Su>- 

 tenation fund, $10,205 ; Domestic Mission fund 



opposed to all societies except local ones under total amount of contributions, $1 134 223~ bemjr 

 the control of the sessions. An overture asking an average of $12.34 per member: number 3 

 whether the law of the tithe is still binding on ' 

 the conscience under the Christian dispensa- 

 tion was answered by 68 presbyteries, 51 of 

 which expressed the opinion that it is not 

 binding, while 10 thought it still binding either 

 upon the church or the individual, or both. The 

 facts were spread upon the minutes without fur- 

 ther action. The permanent Committee on the 



Sabbath reported that though in some places (receipts during the year), $ 1,527 7"Sabbath- 

 there might be signs of improvement in the school Committee's receipts for missionary pur- 

 observance of the day, the indications on the poses, $1,683; Foreign Mission fund, $13,319 

 whole were, that the general trend was in the on hand. A bequest of -$1,000 had been received 

 direction of looser views and practices. Out of from the estate of Thomas Paley, of Philadel- 

 41 presbyteries heard from less than one dozen phia. The receipts of the Church Extension So- 

 had expressed the opinion that there was anything ciety from ordinary sources had been $37,504, of 

 like manifest improvement, and nearly all of which $23.413 were from direct contributions, 

 these confined the statement to church members, and its total income was $63,335. The payments 

 After mentioning the increase of Sunday trains, had amounted to $59,244. Appropriations had 

 excursions, and newspapers as contributing to been made to 4 parsonages and 18 congregations 

 the decadence of the day, the report says that all of $22,004. The receipts for foreign missions 

 this " would be no ground for discouragement 



were it not for the damaging report that comes 

 from almost every quarter, that the public con- 

 veyances are still more or less patronized by 

 church members on the Sabbath. Until pro- 

 fessing Christians shall set an example in this 

 respect it will be but vain for us to expect any- 

 thing better from the outside world." The res- 

 olutions adopted protest " against all profane use 

 of this sacred day in the following of any secu- 

 lar pursuits, or by any excursions merely for 

 pleasure so called " and against ministers and 

 officers of the Church using public conveyances 

 for travel on the Lord's Day, or such use of other 

 conveyances as will mar their usefulness as ex- 

 amples; and against members giving counte- 

 nance or support to Sunday papers. A report 



during the year had been $100,539. Fourteen 

 new missionaries had been sent out. Thirty- 

 nine churches, with 2,971 communicants and 

 100 schools, were returned from the mission in 

 Egypt, and 10 churches, with 6,597 communi- 

 cants and 168 schools from the mission in India. 

 The thirty-second General Assembly met in 

 Buffalo, N. Y., May 28. The Rev. Andrew 

 Watson, D. D., of Egypt, was chosen moderator! 

 A committee to whom the subject of demission 

 of the ministry had been referred by the previous 

 General Assembly reported to the effect that or- 

 dination is for life, but in certain cases it may be- 

 come clear that the person is no longer qualified 

 for the wo'rk. Presbyteries should then act with 

 great prudence, and, when the facts indicate that 

 the will of God is not for his continuance in the 



was adopted denouncing the lottery as " an un- work, by proper means release him from the of- 

 mitigated evil and a vicious iniquity," and ap- fice. The subject was referred to a special'com- 

 proving legal measures for suppressing it. A 

 report on the evangelization of the colored peo- 

 ple declared that " this Church has always ac- 

 knowledged the obligation to preach the Gospel 

 to the colored people. There are not wanting 

 evidences of an increasing interest in the work. 

 We believe that the time has come for marked 

 enlargement of effort to give these people a pure 



Gospel and all the advantages of our system of tinues as a power to withdraw the ordination 

 government." The Assembly decided to put a when it becomes clear that it is God's will that 

 ---"- ^ - - 1 the man ordained shall not continue in the of- 

 fice. This may occur under the person's con- 

 scientious conviction of the fact, by his becoming 

 entangled in secular pursuits, or it may be de- 

 termined by the presbytery. The subject was 

 referred with the committee's report to the next 



mittee, which in its report sustained the legality 

 of the release of a minister from the office when 

 he has. under what he believes to be the provi- 

 dence of God, ceased from ministerial work and 

 engaged in secular pursuits. The oversight and 

 care of the presbytery, it held, do not cease with 

 the minister's ordination ; the power to ordain 

 on the evidence of God's will necessarily con- 



white minister in the field to visit the churches 

 and stimulate increased interest and liberality 

 in the religious instruction of the colored peo- 

 ple, and to organize colored Sunday-schools and 

 churches wherever practicable. Assistance was 

 promised to the colored presbytery in Texas 

 and colored churches in South Carolina and else- 



General Assembly. In view of the proposed 



where. Steps were taken to further the training union of the Presbyterian and Reformed Church 

 of woman missionaries under appointment before missions in India into a single church, the As- 

 leaving for foreign lands, especially in medicine, sembly determined to maintain the integrity of 



III. United Presbyterian Church in North 

 America. The statistical reports of this 

 Church made to the General Assembly of 1890 



its own mission and of the doctrines of which it 

 stands as a representative, and withheld ap- 

 proval from the basis of union. The General 



give the following footings : Number of minis- Assembly had some years ago withdrawn from 

 to ffffA ^t TirV,^ soft or-o i n pastoral charge; the Presbyterian Alliance. Representatives 



s. 71 ; of conffrega- the Alliance were given a hearing to invite it to 



ters, 774, of whom 526 are in 

 of licentiates, 58 ; of students, 71 ; of congrega- 

 tions, 904 ; of pastoral charges, 724 ; of mission 

 stations, 151 ; of elders, 3,439 ; of communicants. 



return, and a committee was appointed to con- 

 sider the relations of this Church to' the Alliance 



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103,921 ; of additions by profession, 7,025 ; of and report to the next General Assembly. 



