MORAVIANS. 



049 



specifying Gorica-Topal both for the line across 

 t 1 . l.iko and the laud lino starting from the 

 shore, maintained that the latter should begin 

 opposite the island. All the other Commission- 

 ers, howovor, interpreted the article as mean- 

 ing that the island only fixed the direction of 

 the line across the lake, while the watershed 

 formed by the Topal Mountain, a few miles 

 farther south, was evidently intended to be 

 the line of frontier running from the lake to 

 the Adriatic. The difference in point of sub- 

 stance was quite insignificant, but the decision 

 might be of considerable importance as being 

 the first application of the principle of major- 

 ity in the commissions of delimitation now in 

 operation. 



In the latter part of October, the Montene- 

 grins advanced to take possession of Plava and 

 Gusinje. The Porte instructed the Governors 

 of Scutari, Kassovo, and Monastir to proceed 

 to Gusinje and Plava, and take on the spot all 

 necessary measures for the transfer of those 

 districts to Montenegro. The Porte issued in- 

 structions at the same time to the local author- 

 ities that they should do all in their power to 

 assist the three Governors in order that the 

 cession of territory to Montenegro might be 

 effected as speedily as possible. Without wait- 

 ing for the voluntary cession which was about 

 to be made, a strong force of Montenegrins 

 marched on Gusinje, pillaging and burning 

 everything in the neighborhood. In a battle 

 which followed large numbers of Albanians 

 were slaughtered, and even women and chil- 

 dren did not escape. The Turkish Governors 

 who had been ordered to Gusinje were pre- 

 vented by Albanians from entering the town. 

 Fifteen battalions of Turkish troops were then 

 sent to the Montenegrin frontier under the 

 command of Mukhtar Pasha, who at one time 

 was reported massacred by the Albanians. His 

 position was very critical, and he was com- 

 pelled to ask for reenforcements, when twenty 

 battalions were sent to his relief. In December 

 Russia proposed to the Powers a united effort 

 at Constantinople to accelerate the surrender 

 of Gusinje to Montenegro. The Porte then 

 sent a circular to its representatives abroad re- 

 citing the measures taken to secure that object, 

 and expressing the hope that the Montenegrins 

 would not precipitate matters, as some delay 

 was necessary if bloodshed was to bo avoided. 

 In view of these explanations Russia withdrew 

 her proposal. 



MORAVIANS. The following is a state- 

 ment of the membership in the three provinces 

 of the Brethren's Unity for 1878, as they were 

 published in July, 1879 : 



The German Province 7,778 



Bethel in Australia 90 



The Russian Baltic Provinces 65 



Pranffins 19 



Ministers of the Diaspora and their families. . . . 100 



8,053 



The Bohemian Confrregatlons 826 



The British Province 5,706 



The American Province, Northern District. . . . 14.256 



The American Province, Southern District. . . . 1,'JM) 



16,336 



Bronpht forward 80,219 



Missionaries in 17 Mission Provinces, and their chil- 



.Irvii .. 400 



TotaL. 



80^19 



The General Synod of the Moravian Church 

 met at Herrnhut, Saxony, May 28th. ThU is the 

 representative body of the Church throughout 

 the world, and is unique among Protestant as- 

 semblies as being the only body which exercises 

 legislative authority over all the branches of 

 its communion wherever found. The affairs of 

 the Church in the several nations are cared for 

 by the legislative bodies in each province, be- 

 sides which the Unity's Elders' Conference, the 

 executive body for the whole Unity, located at 

 Herrnhut, has the charge of the general ad- 

 ministration during the intervals between the 

 meetings of the General Synod. The General 

 Synod consists of 54 members, allotted as fol- 

 lows : Members of the Unity's Elders' Confer- 

 ence, 12 ; bishops, besides 2 in the Unity's El- 

 ders' Conference, 5 ; delegates from the Ger- 

 man, British, and American Provinces, 9 each ; 

 missionary delegates, 5 ; members ex cfficio, 5. 

 Its functions are to enact all legislation in ref- 

 erence to the general concerns of the Unity ; 

 to examine, correct, and lay down anew the 

 principles on which the Unity is based ; to 

 keep watch of the state and condition of the 

 Unity as a whole and of its parts ; to make 

 such arrangements as may be needed for its 

 well-being ; and to serve as the occasion for the 

 interchange of views between the different 

 parts of the Church. It has power to deter- 

 mine subjects of doctrine, ritual, and discipline ; 

 to appoint or provide for the appointment of 

 bishops; to direct all matters pertaining to the 

 foreign missions; to control such educational 

 institutions as belong to the whole Unity ; to 

 direct and superintend all financial affairs of 

 the Church; to elect the Unity's Elders' Con- 

 ference, regulate the formation and times of 

 meeting of the General Synod, and direct all 

 matters which belong to the general constitu- 

 tion of the Church. 



Bishop Edmund von Schweinitz, of the Amer- 

 ican Province, was elected President of the 

 Synod. The business of the body consisted 

 principally of the consideration of the propo- 

 sals submitted by the Provincial Synods for 

 amendment of the "Synodal Results," as the 

 digest of acts of the Synod is called, or for 

 new legislation. A recognition of the Apos- 

 tles' Creed was adopted, to be expressed in the 

 words : " The Brethren's Unity of ancient and 

 modern times, though by its constitution and 

 episcopal ordination a separate church, has 

 nevertheless at all times professed to be but a 

 part of the one universal Church of which 

 Christ is the Head, and more especially of the 

 Evangelical or Protestant Church, whose doc- 

 trine is derived from the Holy Scriptures and 

 from them alone. It adheres, with all Chris- 

 tendom, to the doctrines contained in the Apos- 

 tles' Creed," etc. The section entitled " Our 

 Leading Doctrines " was amended so as to read : 



