734 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



eral Assembly, was appointed general agent for 

 the Century fund for a terra of two years, with 

 the duties of securing thorough organization in 

 synods, presbyteries, and congregations in connec- 

 tion with it, and of presenting the scheme wher- 

 ever possible. Six synodical conveners were ap- 

 pointed, to co-operate through their advisory com- 

 mittees with the general agent. A special com- 

 mittee was appointed to inquire into the subject 

 of the eligibility of ruling elders to be moderators 

 of church courts and prepare a finding for sub- 

 mission to the next General Assembly. The Com- 

 mittee on Education was directed, in co-operation 

 with other committees, to continue to urge upon 

 the governments of the provinces the importance 

 of ethical and nonsectarian religious instruction. 

 A proposal that nominations for moderator of the 

 General Assembly should be hereafter made by a . 

 committee composed of all the ex-moderators, 

 with the reservation of the right of nomination 

 on the floor of the Assembly, was sent down to 

 the presbyteries for consideration. Permission 

 was given for keeping the official records of the 

 Church in the form of duly certified printed copies. 

 Progress was reported in the preparation of a re- 

 vision of the Westminster Directory of Worship, 

 and upon a manual of Aids for Social Worship. 

 Some apprehension was expressed in the discus- 

 sion of these reports of an introduction of ritual- 

 ism, but they were not shared by the majority 

 of the Assembly. A proposal to reduce the repre- 

 sentation of ministers and elders in the Assembly, 

 sent down to the presbyteries in 1898 and ap- 

 proved by 31 out of 53 of them, was tabled for 

 fuller consideration by the next General Assem- 

 bly. An overture calling for the appointment of 

 an executive to act for the General Assembly 

 during the intervals between its meetings was 

 referred to a committee to consider and report to 

 the next General Assembly. A resolution was 

 adopted expressing thankfulness for the increased 

 temperance sentiment in the country, and de- 

 manding, in view of a majority of votes having 

 been cast in the recent plebiscite for prohibition, 

 that legislation be enacted in conformity with 

 that principle. The report on church life and 

 work urged the cultivation of the family reli- 

 gious life, and of a strong spiritual tone in the 

 congregation, and emphasized the importance of 

 preserving the Sabbath. 



VII. Church of Scotland. The statistics re- 

 ported to the General Assembly of this Church in 

 May showed that the number of members at the 

 end of 1898 was 648,476, as against 641,803 at 

 the close of the previous year. The membership 

 of the Church had increased during the past twen- 

 ty years by 132,690. The number of baptisms 

 during the past year had been 40,059. The in- 

 come of the funds under the charge of the As- 

 sembly had been 190,272. An increase over the 

 previous year was shown in the amounts received 

 for the different schemes and funds, except in 

 the case of the Aged and Infirm Ministers' fund, 

 where a falling off in legacies had occasioned a 

 decrease of 368, and the income of the Endow- 

 ment Committee, which had decreased by 23,- 

 354. The total amount of voluntary contribu- 

 tions was 484,275, as against 485,694 in 1897. 



The General Assembly met in Edinburgh May 

 18. The Rev. Dr. John Pagan, of Rothwell, was 

 chosen moderator. The Lord High Commissioner 

 mentioned that in addition to her annual gift 

 of 1,000 for the Highlands and Islands 

 schemes of the Church, the Queen had ordered 

 another similar amount to be paid, with the sug- 

 gestion that it might be used in encouraging 

 young men to preach the Gospel in the Gaelic lan- 



guage. The report of the Aged and Infirm Min- 

 isters' fund showed an increase in all the items 

 except legacies, making up the total income of 

 3,620. A legacy of 10,000 had been left to 

 the fund, but, being subject to a life rent, \\as 

 not yet available. The Home Mission Committee 

 had 252 missionaries at work. In the missions to 

 the Jews, the operations of which were largely 

 educational, 29 agents were engaged, with an at- 

 tendance on their schools of 32,000 children, two 

 thirds of whom were Jews. The report on for- 

 eign missions mentioned nearly 1,000 baptism- a> 

 having taken place during the year in the mission 

 field: represented the income as steadily increa 

 ing and being now 29,000; and announced a 

 steady increase of native workers, trained by the 

 missionaries. A letters of thanks was ordered 

 sent to the Rajah of Chamba. in India, for t lie 

 gift of a church. The attention of the Assembly 

 being drawn to the Government regulations in In- 

 dia which make it obligatory on Presbyterian 

 chaplains to obtain the consent of the bishop of 

 the diocese before they can use the Go\ eminent 

 churches, a lively discussion ensued in which the 

 equal right of Presbyterians with Episcopalians 

 to the occupancy of those churches wa- in-i-ted 

 upon. The moderator gave in his closing add re--* 

 a review of the present position of the Church as 

 compared with that which it occupied at 1 1n- 

 close of the last century. Speaking generally. In- 

 maintained that there were now in the teaching 

 of the Church a greater simplicity and at tin- 

 same time a greater warmth than evicted in 

 former days. During the period under review 

 free inquiry had had full s*ope, and \cn it the 

 Church had seemed at first to resent the claims 

 of liln-ral thought to deal with the sphere of re- 

 ligious belief, time and the event lunl ^h<>\\ n that 

 there was everything to pain and nothing to lose 

 from honest and reasonable criticism. Hefcnin^ 

 to the question of Church union, tin- moderator 

 suggested that while union had in the past done 

 good, separate courses of action had also proved 

 fruitful, and it was noteworthy that the period of 

 an undivided Church, whether Roman Catholic. 

 Protestant, or Presbyterian, had not been the 

 brightest phase of Church history. He believed 

 that the great body of mini-tern and people would 

 rejoice if there could be union without the aban- 

 donment of principle. 



VIII. Free Church of Scotland. The Gen- 

 eral Assembly met at Edinburgh, May 18. The 

 Rev. James Stewart, of the mi ion at Lovedale. 

 South Africa, was chosen moderator. The statis- 

 tical reports showed that there had been a larger 

 increase of members during the past year than 

 had been the average for eighteen years. The 

 number of Sunday scholars had increased by 

 1.656, while there was a falling off of 341 in the 

 number of teachers. The report on the <, !!<-. < 

 mentioned a serious decrease in the number of 

 entrants, which was ascribed to the enforcement 

 of the preliminary examination. An increase of 

 more than 10,000 in the contributions for the 

 Sustentation fund, which aggregated lH4."_'s. 

 had made it possible to bring most of the -mall 

 stipends up to 200. The Committee on Union 

 presented their report, relating the proceeding 

 of the joint committee of this and the United 

 Presbyterian Church and the result of their de- 

 liberations. A motion. offered by Principal Rainy. 

 to the effect that the plan of union be -cut down 

 to the presbyteries under the barrier act frfr their 

 consent thereto, and that those bodies be a-ked 

 to authorize a future Assembly to effect union 

 in accordance with the present proposals 

 carried by a vote of 565 against 38 for an atnend- 



