654 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



already substantially defined the extent to which they 

 will accept the control of the General Assembly over 

 the seminaries. There are legal questions concerning 

 the charters, and moral questions concerning the 

 rights of control vested in the synods which have 

 founded, and, with great labor, endowed these semi- 

 naries, which would prevent the Assembly assuming 

 control of these seminaries without the consent of 

 the synods. 



The subject was referred to the next General 

 Assembly, with provisions for obtaining expres- 

 sions of the views of the presbyteries upon it for 

 the guidance of that body. The Assembly de- 

 clared its sense to be that to attend the World^s 

 Fair in case the gates are open on the Lord's 

 Day " would be a sin against our risen Lord, and 

 a compromise of our Christian testimony. There- 

 fore we pledge ourselves not to "patronize the 

 fair by our presence, or in any other way." 



IT. Reformed Presbyterian Church in 

 North America. General Synod. The Gen- 

 eral Synod met in the city of New York, May 18. 

 The Rev. John Alford, of Beaver Palls, Pa., was 

 chosen moderator. The report of the Commit- 

 tee of Conference with committees of other Pres- 

 byterian churches on a plan of federation was 

 accepted, and the committee was directed to 

 meet again with the other committees for the 

 further advancement of the scheme. A resolu- 

 tion was adopted permitting the use in congre- 

 gations of the Church of the Psalms of King 

 David in meter, provided no trouble or dissen- 

 sion is thereby stirred up. A measure was adopt- 

 ed to secure a better way, in the keeping of the 

 accounts, of guarding the various trust funds of 

 the Church. In reference to Sabbath observance 

 the synod requested the President of the United 

 States and the President of the World's Fair 

 Commission to " defend the Sabbath-closing law 

 of the Columbian Exposition through the Attor- 

 ney-General" ; instructed the several commit- 

 tees and boards having funds of the Church " to 

 guard against making investments which com- 

 promise the position of the Church on the Sab- 

 bath, especially in the bonds and stocks of rail- 

 roads or other corporations that violate the Sab- 

 bath by unnecessary work " ; and urging all 

 church members represented by the synod to 

 withhold all patronage from the Columbian Ex- 

 position in case its gates should be kept open on 

 the Sabbath. A resolution unanimously passed 

 deprecated the enforcement of the "Chinese Ex- 

 clusion act " 



First, on the grounds of its inhuman aspects, dis- 

 criminating as it does between the natives of China 

 and other foreigners in many respects no more desir- 

 able either as citizens or residents than the China- 

 men ; and, second, on the ground that the enforce- 

 ment of this act will entail difficulties and disa- 

 bilities on Christian missionaries in China and the 

 Christian religion, and the progress of the gospel 

 would thereby be jeopardized. 



The report on the signs of the times char- 

 acterized the "devices for raising money for 

 church work, which in some churches have sup- 

 planted the free-will church offering such as 

 the church fair, the supper, and the raffle " as 

 " devices of Satan," who " would get good inter- 

 est on all the money that he invested " ; took no- 

 tice of the numbers of vagabonds and tramps in 

 the country and their possession of the right of 



suffrage ; of the power of the liquor interest ; 

 and of the increase in the use of narcotics and 

 stimulants, as alarming evils. 



V. Reformed Presbyterian Church. Syn- 

 od. The Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian 

 Church in North America met in Newcastle. Pa., 

 May 31. The Rev. A. J. MacFarland, of St. John, 

 New Brunswick, was chosen moderator. The 

 following statistics were presented : Number of 

 congregations, 122, of which 67 have pastors, and 

 11 have stated supplies ; of ministers, 107, 61 of 

 whom are pastors ; of members, 9,874 ; of pupils 

 in Sabbath schools, 11,824. Whole amount of 

 money raised during the year, including a single 

 gift of $200,000, $406,487. 



VI. Associate Reformed Synod of the 

 South. The Associate Reformed Synod of the 

 South met in Sharon church, York County, S. C., 

 in October. Reports were made of active home 

 mission work, particularly in the larger towns, 

 as well as in new fields in remote places, and of 

 the condition of the college and theological 

 seminary at Due West, S. C. Negotiations for 

 union have been going on for several years be- 

 tween the synod and the General Assembly of the 

 United Presbyterian Church. The committee 

 having the subject in charge reported the corre- 

 spondence since the last meeting of the synod, 

 and asked for instructions. Motions to discharge 

 the committee were voted down, and a resolution 

 was adopted to the effect that " while organic 

 union with the United Presbyterian Church is 

 earnestly desired, though it seems for the pres- 

 ent impracticable, the Committee on Union be 

 continued." 



VII. Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 

 The total receipts of the Board of Missions had 

 been $51,159, of which $12,178 the largest 

 amount ever reported were for foreign missions ; 

 $18,656 for home missions ; $5,473 for the work in 

 Chicago, 111. ; $3,865 for church erection ; and the 

 rest for other purposes. In the last two years 

 the Church had given $12,000 for the establish- 

 ment of a Cumberland Presbyterian work in 

 Chicago. The mission in Japan showed a gain 

 of 10 per cent, in members over the previous 

 year, and the progress there generally had been 

 very gratifying considering the small number of 

 missionaries. The mission in Mexico had suf- 

 fered the loss of two missionaries on account of 

 ill health, but was in other respects making sub- 

 stantial progress. The Board of Missions was 

 instructed by the General Assembly to examine 

 into the promise of Indo-China as a mission 

 field, and, if the result be favorable, to proceed 

 to open a mission there. The year's receipts of 

 the Woman's Board of Missions had been $13,- 

 875. 



The sixty-third General Assembly met at Lit- 

 tle Rock, Ark., May 18. The Rev. W. T. 'Fer- 

 guson, of Illinois, was chosen moderator. An 

 address of welcome was made in behalf of the 

 State by Gov. Fishback, who said that there 

 were in that State more than 3,500 churches, or 

 one to every 322 inhabitants, and that within 

 the past ten years there had been established 

 there more than 1,700 churches, or nearly one 

 for every other day during the entire period. 

 Of .the 29 denominations represented in the 

 State, the Cumberland Presbyterians had more 

 than 300 churches and nearly 15,000 members. 



