PRESBYTERIANS. 



701 



The Synods of both bodies of the Reformed 

 Presbyteriaii Church considered the report of 

 a committee on a conference of the psalm- 

 singing churches, which was held in Pitts- 

 burg, Pa., Sept. 25, 1884, at which the Asso- 

 ciate Reformed Synod of the South, the United 

 Presbyterian Church, and the Reformed Pres- 

 byterian Synods were represented. At this 

 conference, the duty of maintaining the West- 

 minster Confession and adherence to exclusive 

 psalm-singing were insisted upon. While or- 

 ganic union did not at present appear practi- 

 cable to it, the representatives of the various 

 churches were recommended to lay before 

 their own bodies the question of co-operation, 

 for them to devise what, if any, plan can be 

 inaugurated for that end. The Conference, by 

 resolution, recommended to the respective 

 churches represented in it, " that their repre- 

 sentation and co-operation in the future meet- 

 ings of the Presbyterian Alliance be condi- 

 tioned on the exclusive use of the divinely 

 inspired and authorized hymnology contained 

 in the Book of Psalms." The report, and the 

 action of the Conference, were approved by 

 both Synods. 



VI. Cumberland Presbyterian Chnrch. The fifty- 

 fifth General Assembly of the Cumberland 

 Presbyterian Church met in Bentonville, Ark., 

 May 21. The Rev. G. T. Stainbock, D. D., of 

 Tennessee, was chosen moderator. A com- 

 mittee was appointed on the subject of organic 

 union with the Methodist Protestant Church, 

 which had appointed a like committee. The 

 report of the delegates to the meeting of the 

 Council of the Presbyterian Alliance in Bel- 

 fast, Ireland, was received with approval, and 

 a correct record was made of the action of the 

 Alliance in admitting the Cumberland Presby- 

 terian Church. The resolution adopted on this 

 subject declares that " this new evidence of a 

 growing catholicity among the members of the 

 great Presbyterian family is hailed with pleas- 

 ure by this General Assembly representing the 

 Cumberland Presbyterian Church," and that 

 they, "as a denomination of Christians, con- 

 tinue to fraternize cordially with the liberal 

 and progressive churches composing the Alli- 

 ance, endeavoring, in the true spirit of unity 

 with them, to promote the gospel's advance- 

 ment throughout the world." The subject of 

 constituting a Bureau of Information to aid 

 vacant congregations in securing supplies was 

 referred to the next General Assembly. A 

 delegate was received from the Cumberland 

 Presbyterian Church, colored, with which the 

 Assembly expressed its sympathy. The As- 

 sembly already has a standing committee to 

 assist this body in securing money for its theo- 

 logical school in Bowling Green, Ky. 



VII. Presbyterian Church in Canada. The Gen- 

 eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in 

 Canada met in Montreal, June 10; Principal 

 Alexander McKnight, D. D., of the Presby- 

 terian College, Halifax, was chosen moderator. 

 In his address the moderator remarked that, 



although it was only ten years since the four 

 Presbyterian churches in Canada had been 

 united, they were now at heart thoroughly 

 one. The most important subject of discussion 

 was that of the consolidation of the colleges, 

 on which the report of the committee adduced 

 reasons for desiring consolidation, but ques- 

 tioned its practicability. Action on the sub- 

 ject was deferred for another year. The re- 

 port on French evangelization showed that 

 nearly a hundred French Protestant congrega- 

 tions had been formed within fifty years, and 

 the number of congregations in Montreal had 

 increased from one, in 1874, to eight, to which 

 nearly four hundred families were attached. 

 The number of communicants exceeded a thou- 

 sand. Nearly as many communicants had been 

 received during the past year as the entire 

 number on the roll of these churches in 1875. 

 The " Scott Act," in reference to the sale of 

 intoxicating liquors, was approved. The ques- 

 tion respecting marriage with a deceased wife's 

 sister was discussed and deferred to another 

 year. A committee was appointed for the 

 unification of the Eastern and Western branches 

 of the Church, which now work, in the ad- 

 ministration of their benevolent funds, through 

 distinct boards. 



VIII. Church of Scotland. The number of mem- 

 bers in communion with the Established Church 

 of Scotland was reported to the General As- 

 sembly in May as 555,622, showing an increase 

 of 11,653 over the number reported for 1883. 

 The number admitted to the Church by bap- 

 tism was 39,611, or 2,010 more than in 1883. 

 Reports were received from 2,003 Sunday 

 schools, having 18,690 teachers and 200,056 

 pupils, with 40,711 in attendance in ad- 

 vanced classes, making in all 240,767 persons 

 receiving instruction. 



The General Assembly of the Church of 

 Scotland met in Edinburgh on May 21. The 

 Rev. Prof. Mitchell, of St. Andrews, was 

 chosen moderator. The report of the Com- 

 mittee on Christian Life and Work stated that, 

 estimating the population of the 751 parishes 

 from which it had received returns at 1,547,- 

 963, the number of adults not in connection 

 with any Christian church was 93,624, or 6 

 per cent. The income of the Committee for 

 the Conversion of the Jews had been 4,173, 

 and the expenditure 5,430. The ten schools 

 under the charge of the Committee, chiefly in 

 eastern Europe and the Turkish Empire, had 

 been attended by 1,938 pupils, 981 of whom 

 were Jews. Evidences were observed in Po- 

 land, Germany, and Russia, of a movement 

 among the Jews in favor of Christianity. The 

 committee stated that one or perhaps two of 

 its schools would have to be given up unless 

 its funds could be increased. The Assembly 

 directed the committee to arrange for deputa- 

 tions to visit all parts of the Church in the 

 endeavor to awaken greater interest in its 

 work. The Committee on Education returned 

 the income of its various funds at 23,778, 



