REFORMED CHURCH. 



REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 685 



church, which was to cost 8,000 rupees, had 

 been laid. 



The Society for the Relief of Disabled Minis- 

 ters and their Widows (connected with the 

 Eastern Synod, or Synod of the United States) 

 had, at the time of making its last report, an 

 invested fund of $11,870. Two disabled 

 ministers and eight widows of deceased minis- 

 ters were receiving a yearly appropriation of 

 fifty dollars each. 



The following are the literary and theological 

 institutions of this Church : Heidelberg Col- 

 lege, Tiffin, Ohio ; Franklin and Marshall Col- 

 lege, Lancaster, Pa. ; Mercersburg College, 

 Mercersburg, Pa. ; Catawba College, Newton, 

 N. C. ; Clarion Collegiate Institute, Reiners- 

 burg, Pa. ; Palatinate College, Myerstown, 

 Pa. ; Arsinns College, Collegeville, Pa. ; Jnni- 

 ata Collegiate Institute, Martinsbnrg, Pa. ; Cal- 

 vin Institute, Cleveland, Ohio. Blairstown 

 Academy, Blairstown, Iowa; Eastern Theo- 

 logical Seminary, Lancaster, Pa. ; Western 

 Theological Seminary, Tiffin, Ohio ; Shelby 

 College, Shelbyville, 111. ; Allentown Female 

 College, Allentown, P. ; Mission-Honse, How- 

 ard's Grove, Wis. ; St. John's Select School, 

 Petersville, Md. The Orphan Home at Ko- 

 melsdorf, Pa., has ninety-eight orphans under 

 its care, and the one at Butler, Pa., has forty- 

 five orphans. Eleven English and five Ger- 

 man periodicals are published in the interests 

 of the denomination. 



III. REFORMED CHURCH OF FRANCE. A meet- 

 ing of the Synod of the Reformed Church of 

 France, designated as the second session of 

 the First Synod was held in the Church du 

 Saint- Esprit, Paris, beginning November 20th. 

 At the opening a letter was presented, signed 

 by the rationalistic members, declining to take 

 part in the proceedings unless the majority 

 would declare that the Confession of Faith 

 adopted at the previous session was obligatory 

 only upon its authors and adherents, and that it 

 could neither directly nor indirectly be forced 

 upon any of the members, present or future, 

 pastors or laymen of the Church. It was 

 signed by Pastor Vigni6, of Nimes, president of 

 the meeting of the " Liberal " members of the 

 synod. A written reply was sent, to the effect 

 that while always ready to adopt in the course 

 of its proceedings such ameliorations as were 

 proved to be necessary, the synod could not 

 forsake the principles it had proclaimed, and 

 which it regarded as of the essence of the faith 

 of the Reformed Church ; that it had taken, 

 and was resolved to take, no decision contrary 

 to the liberty of the churches, or the inde- 

 pendence of any man's conscience ; but that it 

 maintained, according to its former votes, its 

 declaration of faith. The number of ration- 

 alistic members who withdrew was forty-two. 

 Sixty-two members were left to transact the 

 business of the synod. Three propositions 

 were discussed and adopted : 1. That permis- 

 sion should be asked, without delay, from the 

 Government to publish the Declaration of 



Faith of June 28, 1872 ; 2. That permission 

 should be asked to promulgate the decision of 

 July 6, 1872, according to which all candidates 

 for the sacred ministry are required, before 

 their ordination, to declare that they adhere 

 to the faith of the Church, such as it is stated 

 by the General Synod. S. That all that refers 

 to the periodicity and powers of the General 

 Synod shall be submitted to the approval of 

 the Government. It was decided that the 

 General Synod should meet every year; that 

 it should have power to settle all conflicts 

 which may arise between the ecclesiastical 

 bodies, and enact general rules relative to 

 worship, discipline, doctrinal teaching, organ- 

 ization, and church administration. The mem- 

 bers of the General Synod are to be appointed 

 by the district synods. The question as to the 

 religious qualifications that should be required 

 of electors was discussed, and the decision of 

 the previous meeting of the synod confirmed, 

 except that the limit of age was changed from 

 twenty-five years to thirty. 



After the adjournment of the synod, a de- 

 cree was issued by the French Government 

 commanding the presidents of the consistories 

 to order an election for members of the various 

 church courts, to be held in April, 1874, so 

 that time might be given to correct the voting 

 lists, according to the rule prescribed by the 

 synod. The French Government confirmed 

 the synod's declaration of faith early in 1874. 



A petition was presented to the synod from 

 members of the Church at Bolbec, asking it to 

 interfere in behalf of the establishment of 

 religious liberty in the army. The special 

 object sought was the relief of Protestant 

 soldiers from the obligation to take part in 

 Roman Catholic processions and bow to the 

 Host. A resolution was adopted in response, 

 expressing the sympathy of the synod with 

 the petitioners, and charging the permanent 

 commission "to take steps with the Govern- 

 ment for obtaining religious liberty in the 

 army." 



REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

 The events which led to the withdrawal of 

 Assistant-Bishop Cummins, of the Diocese 

 of Kentucky, from the Protestant Episcopal 

 Chnrch, have been narrated in the article 

 " PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH." The fol- 

 lowing is the full text of the letter in which he 

 announced his resignation of the office of As- 

 sistant Bishop of Kentucky, and his withdraw- 

 al from the Church : 



NEW YORK, November 10, 1873. 

 To the Right Reverend Benjamin Boeworth Smith. 

 D, />., JOihop of the Protestant Episcopal Church 

 in the Diocete of Kentucky. 



ET. REV. AND DEAR BISHOP : Under a solemn 

 sense of duly, and in the fear of God, I haye to tell 

 you that I am about to retire from the work in which 

 I have been engaged for the last seven years in the 

 Diocese of Kentucky, and thus to sever the relations 

 which have existed so happily and harmoniously be- 

 tween us during that time. 

 It is due to you, and to my many dear friends in 



