PRESBYTERIANS. 



647 



cided, by a vote of 56 to 4, to unite with that 

 Church, if no objection was interposed on its 

 part. 



XI. UNITED PEESBYTEBIAN OHUBOH IN SOOT- 

 LAND. The statistical reports of this Church, 

 made to the General Synod in May, showed 

 it to have 616 congregations, 187,761 members, 

 11,857 Sunday-school teachers, and 84,224 

 scholars in Sunday-schools. The total income 

 of the Church during the past year had been 

 364,023 ; of this amount, 346,934 were from 

 sources rated as "ordinary" ones; 260,990 

 of it were contributed for congregational, and 

 85,943 for benevolent missionary purposes. 

 The average ratio of contributions through the 

 Church was reckoned to be 1 17s. per mem- 

 ber. Six hundred ministers were enjoying an 

 average stipend of 240 sterling a year. In 

 the ten years ending December 31, 1874, the 

 Church had raised an aggregate of 3,901,297 

 from voluntary contributions. 



XII. ENGLISH PEESBTTEBIAN CHUECH. The 

 following statistics of this Church were report- 

 ed at the meeting of the Synod, May 3d : Num-' 

 ber of charges, 153 ; of ministers, 138 ; of com- 

 municants, 26,856 ; of Sunday-school teachers, 

 2,935 ; of Sunday-school scholars, 27,784. The 

 total income of the Church for the year was 

 95,791. The following items of receipts were 

 specifically given : for stipends, 34,739; for 

 the college, 1.668; for the sustentation fund, 

 16,531 (making an equal dividend of 150) ; 

 for the Continental Mission, 269; for the 

 church-building fund, 2,629 ; for the debt-ex- 

 tinction fund, 3,757. 



XIII. IRISH PBESBYTEBIAN CHUEOH. The 

 statistical reports of this Church, as presented 

 to the General Assembly in June, showed the 

 number of communicants to be 109,156. The 

 entire amount raised for all church purposes 

 was 142,459,155, or 6,310 more than were 

 raised the preceding year. The amount of 

 church debts was 53,519, an increase of 9,- 

 138. 



The Assembly unanimously resolved to ad- 

 here firmly to the principle of united non-sec- 

 tarian education as opposed to the denomina- 

 tional system, expressed its condemnation of 

 the proposal to establish non-vested training- 

 colleges, and approved the model schools as 

 being the essential and most valuable part of 

 the national system. Favorable reports were 

 received from the Belfast and Derry Colleges. 



XIV. ALLIANCE OP PEESBYTEEIAN AND RE- 

 FOBMED CHUBOHES. A delegate meeting of the 

 several branches of the Presbyterian and Re- 

 formed Churches in America was held in the 

 city of New York, in December, .1874, to con- 

 sider the subject of a Federal Union of the 

 Presbyterian and Reformed Churches of the 

 World. This meeting appointed a committee to 

 prepare a draft for a constitution for the pro- 

 posed confederation, to be considered at the 

 General Conference of Presbyterian and Re- 

 formed Churches, to be held in London on the 

 21st of July, 1875. The committee held its 



final meeting April 20th, when a draft of a 

 proposed constitution of a confederation of Re- 

 formed Churches holding to the Presbyterian 

 system was submitted and unanimously ap- 

 proved. Several of the most important points 

 in this draft were embodied in the constitution 

 ultimately adopted in London. 



A meeting for the organization of an alliance 

 of Reformed Churches throughout the world, 

 holding to the Presbyterian system, was held 

 in London, July 20th to 23d. The following 

 churches were represented, either by delegates 

 or by letters approving the movement, viz. : 

 the Presbyterian Church of the United States 

 of America ; the Presbyterian Church of the 

 United States (Southern) ; the Reformed Pres- 

 byterian Church (Old School) of the United 

 States; the Reformed Church in America; the 

 Presbyterian Church in England; the Synod 

 of the Church of Scotland in England; the 

 Calvinistic Methodists of North and South 

 Wales ; the Established Church of Scotland ; 

 the Free Church of Scotland ; the United Pres- 

 byterian Church of Scotland ; the Reformed 

 Presbyterian Church of Scotland ; the Presby- 

 terian Church of Ireland; the Presbyterian 

 Church of Canada; the Evangelical French 

 Church of Canada ; the Presbyterian Church 

 of Otago, New Zealand ; the Presbyterian 

 Church of Victoria, Australia; the Presby- 

 terian Church of New South Wales ; the Re- 

 formed Church of France; the Missionary 

 Church of Belgium ; the Evangelical Church 

 of the Canton de Vaud ; the Evangelical Church 

 of Neufchatel ; the Waldensian Church of Italy ; 

 the Protestant Church of Spain; the Free 

 Church of Germany ; the old Reformed Church 

 of Betheim, East Friesland. A letter of sym- 

 pathy was also read from representatives of 

 the Hungarian Reformed Churches. About 

 ninety delegates were actually present; and 

 took part in the proceedings. The Rev. James 

 McCosh, D. D., of Princeton, N. J., was chosen 

 moderator of the meeting, and ultimately Presi- 

 dent of the Alliance. 



The following constitution for the Alliance 

 was unanimously adopted : 



GENEEAL PEESBTTEEIAN COUNCIL. 

 PREAMBLE. 



Whereas, Churches holding the Eeformed faith, 

 and organized on Presbyterian principles, are found, 

 though under a variety of names, in different parts 

 of the world ; and 



Whereas, Many of those were long wont to main- 

 tain close relations, but are at present united by no 

 visible bond, whether of fellowship or of work ; and 



Whereas, In the providence of God the time 

 seems to have come when they may all more fully 

 manifest their essential oneness, have closer com- 

 munion with each other, and promote great causes 

 by joint action : 



It is agreed to form a Presbyterian Alliance to 

 meet in General Council from time to time, in order 

 to confer upon matters of common interest, and to 

 further the ends for which the Church has been con- 

 stituted by her Divine Lord and only King. In 

 forming this Alliance the Presbyterian Churches do 

 not mean to change their fraternal relations with 

 other churches, but will be ready as heretofore to 



