PRESBYTERIANS. 



695 



to 217 stations, with which were connected 

 11,208 communicants an average of 17,318 

 attendants on worship and 1,296 teachers and 

 13,077 pupils in Sabbath-schools. An increase 

 of 887 members by profession was returned. 

 Sixteen stations were designated as special mis- 

 sions. 



Four ministers and 31 assistants were serv- 

 ing among the Freedmen, and 168 colored 

 teachers, who had been educated in the Assem- 

 bly's institutions, were employed in the public 

 schools. The institutions returned 1,693 pu- 

 pils. 



The following is a statement of the condi- 

 tion of the missions in India and Egypt : Mis- 

 sions, 2 ; stations, 121. Foreign missionaries, 

 16; married women, 16; single, 20; physicians, 

 2. Total of foreign laborers, 54. Native or- 

 dained ministers, 20 ; licentiates, 9 ; other na- 

 tive laborers, 346. Total of native laborers, 

 375 ; total of all laborers, 429. Churches, 31 ; 

 average Sabbath attendance, 7,759 ; communi- 

 cants, 6,161.. Increase past year, 2,341. Bap- 

 tisms, 2,881. Sabbath-schools, 138 ; Sabbath- 

 school pupils, 5,625 ; other schools, 192 ; pu- 

 pils, 9,219. Contributions, $5,587. Appraised 

 value of property, 235,701. 



General Assembly. The twenty-ninth Gen- 

 eral Assembly met in Philadelphia May 25. 

 The Rev. Dr. M. M. Gibson, of San Francisco, 

 was chosen moderator. A number of cases of 

 appeal came up from the decisions of lower 

 judicatories, in which the question of the use 

 of instrumental music in worship was involved. 

 All were decided in favor of the principleof liber- 

 ty of action by each congregation which has been 

 allowed by recent General Assemblies. In one 

 case, an organ having been introduced into the 

 church, the appellant had demanded that the 

 presbytery order its removal, and also prohibit 

 the use of the instrument in worship in other 

 congregations, Sabbath-schools, and families 

 under its inspection. The case having been 

 brought through the successive courts to the 

 Assembly, a decision was here given that, in- 

 asmuch as there is no law of the Church on 

 the subject of instrumental music, there could 

 be no violation of law in the present case. 

 In considering the report on home missions, a 

 motion that no part of the general fund should 

 be used when an instrument of music is em- 

 ployed in worship was rejected by a vote of 

 60 to 128. A protest was entered against this 

 action. 



To the question, sent up in a memorial pre- 

 sented to the Assembly, Does the declaration of 

 our " Testimony onPsalmody," Art. XVIII, per- 

 mit members of theUnited Presbyterian Church 

 to join in the singing of compositions of unin- 

 spired men, in connection with religious services 

 held anywhere, or under any circumstances? a 

 negative answer was returned. The action of 

 a juvviuns General Assembly, recommending 

 the sessions of churches to provide unferment- 

 ed wine for the service of the communion, was 

 reaffirmed. A memorial, asking whether a 



member is in good standing who nrges an 

 alteration in the confession and votes for it, 

 was answered by saying that the constitution 

 confers on communicants the liberty which 

 would be restrained by prohibiting such a 

 course. A delegate from the Associate Re- 

 formed Synod of the South represented that the 

 agitation on the subject of instrumental music 

 and the article of the " Testimony on Slavery " 

 operated as objections to the immediate union 

 of the two bodies. In consequence of objec- 

 tions in the Synod, the consideration of the 

 question of organic union had been postponed. 

 A committee was appointed to confer with a 

 committee of the Reformed Presbyterian Church 

 on the subject of union. Further action con- 

 cerning participation in the Council of the Pres- 

 byterian Alliance was omitted, on the ground 

 that no guarantee had been given that the 

 " Scripture Psalmody " alone would be used in 

 future meetings of the Council. 



IV. Reformed Presbyterian Church, Synod. This 

 body comprises 11 presbyteries, 103 ministers, 

 10,832 communicants, and 12,102 members of 

 Sunday-schools, The invested funds of the 

 Synod on the 1st day of May, 1887, amounted 

 to $171,829, having increased during the year 

 by $24,165. A sufficient net surplus had been 

 earned during the year to permit a dividend of 

 5 per cent., the amount of which had been 

 divided and credited to the Foreign and Do- 

 mestic Missions, Theological Seminary, and 

 other funds entitled to share in the proceeds 

 of the investments. 



The Synod met in Newburgh, N. Y., June 1. 

 Prof. D. B. Wilson, of Allegheny Seminary, 

 was chosen moderator. The total contribu- 

 tions for the year were reported to have been 

 $201,197, or $78.75 per member. The contri- 

 butions for missions had been $17,000. The 

 election to office of any member of the Church 

 who uses tobacco was prohibited. Member- 

 ship in secret societies was condemned. A 

 delegate was appointed to the Council of the 

 Presbyterian Alliance. A resolution was 

 adopted declaring that violation of Sunday 

 by the Post-Office Department is one of the 

 greatest sins of the Government as well as one 

 of the greatest causes of Sunday desecration 

 throughout the whole country. 



V. Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Synod. 

 This Church has 6 presbyteries, 25 ministers, 

 7 licentiates, about 6,500 communicants, and 

 4,000 Sunday-school pupils. 



The General Synod of the Reformed Presby- 

 terian Church in North America met in Phila- 

 delphia May 18. The Rev. John II. Kendall 

 was chosen moderator. Seven presbyteries, 

 including 45 congregations and the mission in 

 India, were represented. Reports were made 

 of the condition of the funds and missionary 

 and educational enterprises of the Synod, .-is 

 follow: Theological Seminary fund -mvipK 

 $2,284; value of the Lamb estate, $11,200; 

 amount of the Endowment fund, $35,197; 

 receipts of the Educational fund, $545 ; re- 



