658 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



The General Assembly met in Edinburgh, May 19. 

 The Rev. Dr. William Leishraan was chosen mod- 

 erator. A report of the expressions of the presby- 

 teries upon an overture sent down to them by the 

 previous General Assembly for the extension of the 

 pastorate and the granting of ordination to proba- 

 tioners, showed that 25 presbyteries had approved, 

 10 desired delay, 8 recommended a period of prac- 

 tical training before ordination, and 32 considered 

 no change necessary. A modified scheme was sub- 

 mitted by the Reform Committee to the effect that 

 a period of probation should be served by all, and at 

 the end of the time a certificate should be granted 

 showing that the probationer had passed to the 

 satisfaction of his minister and the presbytery. A 

 motion was carried recommending that presbyteries 

 should use more freely the powers they already pos- 

 sess for granting ordination in special cases. lu 

 connection with the passage of a resolution affirm- 

 ing the responsibilities of presbyteries in regard to 

 visitation, a committee was appointed to consider 

 and report to the next General Assembly a plan of 

 legislation defining the objects of visitation, and to 

 formulate a system for it. The new hymnal for 

 all the Presbyterian churches was adopted. The 

 subjects of religious education, disestablishment, and 

 the contemplated union of the United Presbyterian 

 and Free Churches were discussed in the light of 

 their bearing on the religious interests and the pros- 

 pects of the Established Church. 

 XI. Free Church of Scotland. Reports made 

 to the General Assembly in May showed that at 

 the end of the year 1897 there were 1,107 congrega- 

 tions connected with this Church, with 290,789 

 communicants and 111,346 adherents. The total 

 income for the year ending March 31, 1898, was 

 666,400. Of this total sum more than 186.000 

 had gone to the support of the ministry, 12,900 to 

 home missions, 75,865 to foreign, colonial, and 

 Jewish missions, and 40,600 to education and col- 

 leges. 



The General Assembly met in Edinburgh, May 

 19. The financial reports showed a decrease for 

 the year of 7,000 in total income ; but, as the total 

 income of the previous year represented an increase 

 of 23,000, the present result was not regarded as 

 indicating any real tendency to a decline. The 

 Committee on Union reported concerning continued 

 negotiations for union with the United Presbyterian 

 Church, and recommending that the preliminary 

 steps be taken toward an incorporating union. A 

 motion offered by Principal Rainey represented 

 that the proposed questions and formula fully pre- 

 served the vital principles of the Church, and along 

 with the accompanying outline of the uniting act 

 formed a basis on which the two churches might 

 worthily and happily unite ; and directed that the 

 report be remitted to the presbyteries for their con- 

 sideration, and that the committee be reappointed 

 for further negotiation. A protest signed by " about 

 a dozen " ministers was offered, which maintained 

 that the proposals for union were not of a char- 

 acter that could be completely adopted. The motion 

 of Principal Rainey was adopted by a vote of 486 

 to 41. On the presentation of the" report of the 

 Committee on Church and State, a resolution was 

 adopted reaffirming the findings of previous Assem- 

 blies, that the present alliance of Church and state 

 in Scotland ought to come to an end, in the interest 

 alike of public justice, of ecclesiastical freedom, and 

 the unity, welfare, and efficiency of the Presbyterian 

 Church 'in Scotland. The new hymnal which has 

 been prepared by a committee representing the 

 various Presbyterian Churches of Scotland and 

 Ireland, was adopted. 



XII. United Presbyterian Chnrch in Scot- 

 land. This Church has, according to the statistical 



reports for 1898. 582 congregations, 622 ordained 

 ministers, 195,631 communicants, and 12,000 teach- 

 ers, and 105,701 pupils in Sunday schools; and re- 

 turns a total income of 398,314. 



The Synod met in Edinburgh. May 2. The Rev. 

 William Blair, D. D., was chosen moderator. The 

 reports from the churches showed a decrease in 

 total income, and a slight falling off in membership 

 and attendance at Sunday schools and Bible classes. 

 The Committee on Union with the F.ree Church of 

 Scotland reported that they had found that the 

 standards of the two churches were practically the 

 same, and believed that each Church could enter 

 into the union with all its existing rights and lib- 

 erties conserved, and all its traditions and testi- 

 monies behind it. The Sustentation and Augmen- 

 tation funds could be worked side by side. On 

 account of the large size of the united Church, it 

 would be necessary to have a representative Assem- 

 bly. In dealing with such large and far-reaching 

 influences, it was impossible to draw up a hard-and- 

 fast scheme and endeavor to impose it on the 

 churches. They would require to feel their way. 

 The Synod expressed satisfaction with the progress 

 made in the matter of the proposed union, and re- 

 mitted the subject to the presbyteries and sessions 

 of the Church for approval and suggestions; re- 

 appointed the committee with instructions to con- 

 tinue the negotiations ; and urged presbyteries to 

 cultivate friendly relations with the Free Church, 

 and to co-operate with it in Christian work as far as 

 possible. 



XIII. Presbyterian Chnrch in Ireland. This 

 Church has 84,000 families under its care, and 

 a yearly income of 192,000. The debt amounts 

 to more than 80,000. Its annihilation is included 

 in the proposed twentieth-century scheme. The 

 supplementary dividend of the Sustentation fund 

 since it was started, twenty-seven years ago, has 

 fallen from 22 to 11. 



The Foreign Mission Committee reported that 

 the native membership in the Chinese mission had 

 increased from 1,800 to 3,234 ; that 1,473 persons 

 had been baptized during the year ; and that about 

 1,600 inquirers were under instruction. In connec- 

 tion with the Jewish mission, 24 had been baptized. 

 The report of the Colportage Committee showed a 

 very large increase in the number of Bibles sold, 

 the present number being about 3,000 Protestant 

 Bibles and 2,500 of the Douay Version. 



The General Assembly met at Belfast in June. 

 A memorial signed by 135 out of 400 members of 

 the First church at Strathbane was presented 

 against the use of an organ there. The General 

 Assembly had decided in 1884 not to interfere with 

 congregations desiring to use instruments in their 

 praise service. A small organ had been introduced 

 into the Sunday-school services of the Strathbano 

 church about twenty years before. Recently th'3 

 session had received a petition for the introduction 

 of an organ into the Church services. The subject 

 was referred to the stipend payers, who pronounced 

 by a large majority in favor of the organ. Tin; 

 presbytery was appealed to by the opponents of 

 the innovation, who were represented in the memo- 

 rial before the Assembly, but refused to interfere. 

 The matter was then taken to the synod, and it 

 instructed the presbytery to have the organ re- 

 moved. The decision of the General Assembly 

 reversed the order of the synod, being: "Tha^ 

 the memorial be received; that, inasmuch as th< 

 session are unanimous in favor of having instru- 

 mental aid in conducting the worship of the sanc- 

 tuary, and inasmuch as the great majority of thn 

 congregation are with them, the Assembly docs IH> 

 see reason to interfere with their action in th' ! 

 matter." The vote upon this decision was 125 in 



