PRESBYTERIANS. 



655 



States of America ; with the exception, however, that 

 delegates be appointed by this Assembly to these 

 bodies at their next ensuing sessions in 1883 and 1884 

 respectively, to convey our most cordial Christian 

 fraternal salutations ; these delegates being instructed 

 to state to them this method of correspondence here- 

 after by letter as adopted by this body, with the hope 

 that it may meet with their co-operation ; and that 

 the special attention of the presbyteries be called to 

 this action of the General Assembly for an expression 

 of their opinion on the mode of correspondence for the 

 future. 



An overture was presented from the Presby- 

 tery of Upper Missouri, asking the Assembly 

 to appoint a committee to confer with a like 

 committee of the Northern Assembly "to 

 bring about closer relations between the two 

 branches of the Church, and, if practicable, 

 open the way for organic union, or for such a 

 division of the Presbyterian field as may place 

 it under several Provincial Assemblies." The 

 Assembly, by a vote of 102 to 32, declared it 

 inexpedient to appoint such a committee. A 

 committee appointed by the previous General 

 Assembly to inquire into the expediency of re- 

 moving some of the higher qualifications re- 

 quired as tests of the competency of candi- 

 dates for the ministry, including acquaintance 

 with the Greek and Hebrew languages, made a 

 report adverse to any lowering of the standard. 

 The whole subject was considered by the As- 

 sembly in debate, and its decision was embod- 

 ied in a resolution that 



The proposed change is not necessary even to ef- 

 fect the object contemplated, i. e., to open the way to 

 the ministry for men, otherwise qualified, who have 

 not pursued the ordinary course of study preparatory 

 thereto ; inasmuch as this is a point which, so far as 

 it should be an open question, is left to the discretion 

 and decision of the presbytery. The presbyteries 

 already possess the constitutional powers in question, 

 both for licensure and for ordination. 



The previous General Assembly having in- 

 vited expressions of opinion from the pres- 

 byteries upon overtures seeking the removal 

 from the Confession of Faith of the clauses 

 prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's 

 sister, answers were received from fifty-five 

 presbyteries, forty-three of which, or more than 

 two thirds of the presbyteries in the Church, 

 had expressed themselves in favor of the 

 change. The Assembly decided to take the 

 requisite constitutional steps for having the 

 prohibitory clauses stricken out. A memorial 

 asking the Assembly to organize the colored 

 churches into a General Assembly was an- 

 swered in the negative, on the ground that the 

 matter was premature. 



III. United Presbyterian Chureh in North America. 

 The following is a summary of the statistical 

 reports of this Church as presented to the Gen- 

 eral Assembly in May: Number of synods, 9; 

 of presbyteries, 60 ; of ministers, 730, of whom. 

 525 were pastors and 205 without charge ; of 

 licentiates, 43 ; of theological students, 52 ; of 

 congregations, 839 ; of members, 85,443 ; of 

 baptisms, 707 of adults and 3,599 of infants; 

 of Sunday-schools, 823, with 8,643 officers and 

 teachers, and 77,300 pupils. 



The Board of Publication reported to the 

 General Assembly that its receipts for the year 

 had been $56,760, and its expenditures $54,- 

 663, and that its assets were valued at $107,- 

 394. By the action of the General Assembly, 

 this board was given the appointment of the 

 Sunday-school Committee and full charge of 

 the Sunday-school literature of the Church. 



The Board of Education had received $5,186, 

 and returned $18,009 of assets. It had given 

 assistance during the year to 14 students. 



The Board of Ministerial Relief had re- 

 ceived $6,460, and had disbursed to beneficia- 

 ries, $2,900 ; and returned an endowment fund 

 of $30,000. It had 24 beneficiaries receiving 

 quarterly aid. 



The receipts of the Board of Freedmen's 

 Missions $16,767 bad been sufficient to meet 

 all the expenses of its work during the year, 

 and to pay $4,375 of its indebtedness. It still 

 owed $6,500. The board returned an aggre- 

 gate enrollment of 1,197 pupils in all its schools 

 and 1,200 in its Sunday-schools. Seventy- 

 five of its students had taught during the year 

 in the public schools. Special reports were 

 made of the schools at Knoxville, Tenn. where 

 an orphanage for girls had been established 

 and Chase City, Norfolk, and Bluestone, Va. 



The receipts of the Board of Foreign Mis- 

 sions for the year had been $102,975. It made 

 report concerning the missions in Egypt and 

 in India, in connection with which were re- 

 turned 88 principal and subordinate stations ; 

 17 ordained foreign missionaries, with 43 wom- 

 an missionaries; 11 native ordained ministers, 

 with 200 other native -laborers ; 22 churches, 

 with 1,909 communicants; 51 Sunday-schools, 

 with 2,555 scholars; 93 mission-schools, with 

 4,531 pupils ; and 467 baptisms during the 

 year. The increase of communicants during 

 the year was 482, showing an increase of 28 

 for every ordained foreign missionary. The 

 native converts had contributed for all pur- 

 poses $11,610, or an average of $2.58 for each 

 communicant in India, and of $8.47 for each 

 one in Egypt. The board was instructed to 

 consider the subject of establishing a mission 

 on the upper Nile, and, " if the way be clear, 

 to undertake the work." 



The General Assembly of the United Pres- 

 byterian Church in North America met in 

 Pittsburg, Pa., May 24th. The Rev. Dr. W. 

 H. McMillan, of Allegheny City, was chosen 

 moderator. The subject of allowing the use 

 of instrumental music in the services of wor- 

 ship again received attention, a considerable 

 number of memorials having been introduced 

 asking for such modification of the action of 

 the previous General Assembly as should pre- 

 vent its being construed into a permission to 

 employ instruments. The memorial, most nu- 

 merously signed, which was regarded by the 

 committee to whom the number were referred 

 as definitely expressing what was expressed or 

 implied in all the others, asked the General 

 Assembly " to declare explicitly that in none of 



