PRESBYTERIANS. 



693 



An overture sent down by the previous 

 General Assembly for an amendment to the 

 Confession 6f Faith by striking out from the 

 rule in reference to marriage the prohibition, 

 "the man may not marry any of his wife's 

 kindred nearer in blood than he may of his 

 own, nor the woman of her husband's kindred 

 nearer in blood than of her own," having been 

 approved by the majority of the presbyteries, 

 the clause was stricken out. An overture pro- 

 posing an amendment to the form of govern- 

 ment making ruling elders eligible to the office 

 of moderator was lost on the vote of the pres- 

 byteries. It was decided that, where the stat- 

 utes of individual States did not forbid, the 

 right of succession to the property of defunct 

 churches should vest in the presbyteries with 

 which those churches were connected; and 

 with a view to securing the titles to such prop- 

 erty, the presbyteries were advised to become 

 incorporated. The President of the United 

 States was requested by resolution to modify 

 the army and navy regulations with reference 

 to inspections and parades on the Lord's day, 

 and secular studies in the academies, so that 

 they shall interfere as little as possible with 

 the Sabbath rest and worship of the officers 

 and men. 



II. Presbyterian Church in the United States 

 (Southern). The following is the summary of 

 the statistics of this Church as they were re- 

 ported to the General Assembly in May, 1887. 

 The statistics for 1886 and 1883 are appended 

 for comparison, and to shov/ the rate of growth 

 of the Church : 



Total $1.269,416 $1,324,374; $1,415,818 



The Committee of Publication reported that 

 its assets exceeded its liabilities by $64,099. 



The receipts of the Committee of Home 

 Missions were, for the year, for the Sustenta- 



tion Department, $26,951; for the Evangelistic 

 fund, $18,132 ; for the Invalid fund, $12,158. 

 The ministers supported in part from the Sus- 

 tentation and Evangelistic Funds, had supplied 

 between 600 and 700 of the weaker churches, 

 and had preached at some 300 destitute points. 

 About 60 new church-buildings had been 

 erected, nearly half of them without asking aid 

 of the Central Committee. One hundred and 

 seven cases of infirm ministers, widows, and 

 children of ministers had been aided from the 

 Invalid fund in the amount of $10,702. The 

 Central Committee had had charge of the 

 collections for the work of colored evangeliza- 

 tion, which had yielded $4,495. One white 

 minister, and 17 colored ministers, licentiates, 

 and students had been supported from this 

 fund. The work of the institution for train- 

 ing colored ministers at Tuscaloosca, Ala., was 

 reported upon favorably. Aid had been given 

 to 17 colored ministers, licentiates, and stu- 

 dents. 



The Committee of Education had received 

 $18,688, and returned 158 candidates aided. 



The receipts of the Board of Foreign Mis- 

 sions had been $84,072. The report reviewed 

 the condition and progress of the missions in 

 Mexico, China, Northern (Pernambuco) and 

 Southern (Campinas), Brazil, the Indian Terri- 

 tory, Italy Greece, and Japan. 



General Assembly. The General Assembly 

 met in St. Louis, Mo., May 19. The Rev. 

 G. B. Strickler, of Atlanta, Ga., was chosen 

 moderator. The most prominent subject of 

 discussion was the question of organic union 

 with the Presbyterian Church in the United 

 States of America, or the Northern Presby- 

 terian Church, the debate upon which occupied 

 several days. Upon it the Assembly adopted 

 the following report : 



Whereas, A number of overtures in reference to 

 closer relations to the Northern Presbyterian Church 

 have come up to this Assembly ; and 



Whereas, The Northern Assemblv has iust adopted 

 the deliverance of the Northern and Southern Synods 

 of Missouri on the spirituality of the Church ; and 



Whereas, The Northern and Southern Presbyterian 

 Churches ought to labor together for the accomplish- 

 ment of the great object which they have in view if 

 they are sufficiently agreed in their principles to make 

 them more efficient in their work united than they 

 now are divided ; and, 



Whereas, The recent action of the Northern As- 

 sembly, apparently different from their former action 

 as to 'the spirituality of the Church, makes the im- 

 pression on the minds of many of our people that one 

 obstacle to closer relations to that Church has been or 

 soon may be removed. Therefore, he it 



Itesolved, That a committee of four ministers and 

 four ruling elders, and the moderator as ex-officio 

 chairman, be appointed to meet with a similar onn- 

 mittce of the Northern Assembly, if such a com- 

 mittee shall be appointed, for the sole purpose of in- 

 quiring into and ascertaining the facts as to the point 

 above mentioned, and as to the position that As>nn- 

 bly proposes to maintain as to the colored churches, 

 ecclesiastical boards, and any other subjects now re- 

 garded as obstacles in the way of united effort fur t!;e 

 propagation of the Gospel, and report these facts to 

 the ne'xt General Assembly for such action as they 

 may warrant. 



