REFORMED CHURCHES. 



753 



Synod of the Reformed Church in the United 

 States, that- 

 After considering the subject in all its bearings the 

 committee finally concluded to recommend what may 

 be designated a federal union of our two Reformed 

 Cnurches in a new judicatory, composed of delegates 

 from each of the churches, and clothed with such 

 powers as might be designated in the act of union 

 This supreme judicatory should be so constituted as 

 to give due representation, but not undue predomi- 

 nance, to either of the heretofore separate denomina- 

 tions, should have ultimate authority in matters per- 

 taining to the establishment of new missions, domestic 

 and foreign, the establishment of new educational in- 

 stitutions of the superior grades, and the several 

 interests of religious publications, but not to interfere 

 authoritatively with existing missions, educational 

 institutions or publications until, or unless, freely 

 committed to it by those under whose control they 

 now exist. It might have power to advise as to com- 

 binations and other modifications of existing missions 

 or educational institutions, etc., and further might 

 consider, advise, and recommend, in whatever matter 

 it might judge to be for the welfare and advancement 

 of the Redeemer's kingdom; but should exercise 

 authority only in matters expressly committed to it by 

 the constitution by which it would be created, or 

 freely surrendered to it by the constituent denomina- 

 tions in the union. 



Such a federal organic union would leave room for, 

 and perhaps invite to membership in it, other Presby- 

 terial Reformed churches now one with us in faith 

 and order, thus looking forward to one national, and 

 perhaps international, Reformed Church, including 

 all of like faith and order. 



If this suggestion and general plan are adopted by 

 both General Synods, it will be necessary, of course, 

 to appoint, ea.ch one, a commission to elaborate and 

 prepare it for presentation to the two churches as soon 

 as may be practicable. 



The report was approved, and, with the report 

 of the joint committee and the other documents 

 relating to the negotiations, was referred to a 

 special committee, with instructions to prepare 

 and present to the next General Synod a plan of 

 federal union, in which the autonomy, creed, 

 cultus, and property of both churches shall be 

 kept intact, and this branch shall have its- just 

 and proper representation in the government of 

 the united church. The pastors and consistories 

 were reminded in the resolutions on systematic 

 benevolence of the duty of giving opportunities 

 annually to "the congregations to contribute to 

 each and every object recommended by the 

 General Synod to the Church ; and the consist- 

 ories to adopt some systematic plan whereby 

 such opportunities should be given. Ministers, 

 consistories, and members were urged to with- 

 hold patronage from all modes of Sabbath viola- 

 tion and to take a decided stand in support of a 

 holy Sabbath; sympathy was expressed with 

 the American Sabbath Union; and ministers 

 were requested to preach often on Sabbath ob- 

 servance, and to see especially that children were 

 instructed on the subject. The testimony of the 

 Synod was given out against " the organized 

 liquor traffic of the nation," and petitions were 

 ordered sent to the Governor of Louisiana 

 against legalization of the lottery and to the 

 Governor of New Jersey against a bill to legalize 

 " gambling on the race track." 



II. Reformed Church in the United States. 



The statistical reports of this Church, made 



to the General Synod in June, give the following 



numbers : Of synods, 8 ; of classes, 55 ; of min- 



VOL. xxx. 48 A 



annnift V J C0 "^ e e a l tlon8 > W4; of members, 

 200,500; of Sunday-schools, 1,513, with 138,018 

 pupils ; of students for the ministry, 285 ; amount 

 of benevolent contributions during the past three 

 years,. $479,625 ; of contributions for congre^ 

 tional purposes, $2,580,945. 



The receipts of the Board of Home Missions 

 for three years had been $111,640. One hundred 

 and fifteen missions were returned, with 10 334 

 members, and 151 Sunday-schools, with 11,908 

 pupils. This board takes the place of two 

 synodical boards and part of a third, which have 

 consolidated their mission enterprises with it, 

 but there still exist three separate synodical 

 boards. 



d.n,o Forei S n Missions had received 



$48,943 during the past three years. Its mission, 

 in Japan, returned 1,656 members, 218 of whom 

 had been added during the last year ; a girls' 

 school, with 40 pupils, and a theological school, 

 with 26 students, both at Sendai. The Woman's 

 Board had raised $12,880 in three years for 

 general missions, besides about three times that 

 sum for home purposes. 



The tenth triennial General Synod met at 

 Lebanon, Pa., May 28. The Rev. J. II. A. Bom- 

 berger, D. D., was chosen president. 



The Committee on Union with the Reformed 

 Church in America reported that while it had 

 been desired to form a closer union of the two 

 denominations, with one General Synod instead 

 of two, forming one denomination by consolidat- 

 ing the two, it was found that this could not be 

 accepted by the Reformed Church in America, 

 mainly on account of the character of its Gen- 

 eral Synod, which was invested with greater 

 powers than the General Synod of the Reformed 

 Church in the United States. The committee, 

 therefore, joined in recommending the nearest 

 approach to such a union that seemed practicable 

 under the circumstances. The Synod declared 

 by resolution that while it would prefer a closer 

 organic union, yet as this seemed impracticable 

 at the present time, it approved the plan of fed- 

 eral union (see above). A commission was ap- 

 pointed to co-operate with a similar commission 

 of the Reformed Church in America; and the 

 officers of the General Synod were authorized to 

 call a special meeting of that body, at the re- 

 quest of the commission, when its work should 

 be completed, for the purpose of acting on its 

 report. On the hearing of the report of the 

 delegate who had visited the Alliance of the 

 Reformed Churches in Germany, a motion was 

 made to enter into closer relations with that 

 body. A contribution was made for its newly 

 founded seminary in Berlin ; a committee was 

 appointed to correspond with Reformed bodies 

 and with representative men in Germany and 

 Switzerland with a view to aiding the Church 

 there ; the Board of Missions was authorized, in 

 case the committee should ask it, to send a dele- 

 gate to Europe to further this interest ; and the 

 officers of the Synod were empowered to send 

 delegates, if without expense to the Synod, to 

 the Reformed Alliance of Germany. An over- 

 ture was adopted for presentation to the General 

 Council of the Presbyterian Alliance, to be held 

 in Toronto, Ontario, in 1892. asking it to take into 

 consideration the adjustment of the home-mis- 

 sion interests of the Presbyterian and Reformed 



