660 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 



Edinburgh, May 24th. An important debate 

 took place on the subject of the use of instru- 

 mental music in worship, respecting which 

 three motions were presented. The first was 

 contained in the report of the committee to 

 which the subject had been referred, brought 

 forward by Dr. Adam, and was to the effect 

 that the introduction of instrumental music is 

 not contrary to Scripture or to confessional 

 law, and that liberty in the matter should be 

 granted to the congregations. The second mo- 

 tion was by Principal Rainey, and embodied 

 the substance of the former resolution ; with 

 the additional recommendation, in deference to 

 numerous protestations, that all congregations 

 and church courts should carefully consider 

 the interests of peace and harmony. The 

 third resolution was by Sir Henry Moncrieff, 

 and advised that the report of the committee, 

 with the accompanying documents, be given to 

 the Church for consideration, and that, in the 

 mean time, the Assembly take no action. A 

 protest was lodged by Dr. Begg on behalf of 

 himself and his friends, who supported Sir Hen- 

 ry Moncrieff 's resolution, to the effect that, in 

 taking part in the debate, they did not concede 

 that it was competent for the Church to sanc- 

 tion in any form the use of organs in praise. 

 The resolution of Dr. Rainey prevailed by a 

 vote of 390 to 259. An expression was adopt- 

 ed, by a decided majority, in favor of relieving 

 the deacons from the obligation to sign the 

 " Confession of Faith.' 1 



X. United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The 

 number of congregations on the roll of the 

 synod of this Church for 1882 was 551. The 

 statistical reports showed an increase of 1,742 

 in the total membership. The total income of 

 the Church had been 377, 717. The available 

 income of the foreign mission fund had been 

 31,259, and the expenditures on its account 

 36,694. The missions in Jamaica, Trinidad, 

 Old Calabar, Caffraria, Spain, India, China, 

 and Japan returned 50 ordained European 

 and 17 ordained native missionaries, a total of 

 487 educated agents, and 71 stations and 156 

 out-stations, with 10,808 communicants, and 

 12,524 pupils in 199 schools. The synod, at 

 its annual meeting, reiterated its declarations 

 in favor of the disestablishment of the State 

 Church, affirming the spiritual independence 

 of the Church and the sols headship of Christ. 

 Interest was expressed in the movement for 

 the union of the United Presbytery of Caffra- 

 ria, South Africa, with the Free Church Pres- 

 bytery, and the proposed basis of the union 

 was approved. 



XI. Presbyterian Chnreh in Ireland. The re- 

 ports of this Church show a decrease of 485 in 

 the number of communicants. The total income 

 of the Church for the year w as 746,045. 



In the General Assembly resolutions were 

 offered condemning the ministers of those con- 

 gregations which continue to use instruments 

 in public worship, and directing the appoint- 

 ment of F, commission with power to deal with 



such ministers in the event of their continued 

 disobedience, in accordance with the laws of 

 the Church on contumacy. An amendment 

 was offered to the resolution, to the effect that, 

 in view of all the circumstances and the grav- 

 ity of the issues involved, the Assembly decline 

 to appoint a commission to proceed in the 

 matter, or to take any steps which will involve 

 discipline or a rending of the Church. After 

 an active debate, the amendment was adopted 

 by a vote of 320 to 309 votes for the original 

 resolution. 



XII. Presbyterian Church in England. The Synod 

 of this Church embraces, according to the sta- 

 tistical reports submitted to it at its meeting 

 in June, 1883, 279 congregations, with 57,402 

 members. The total revenue of the synod for 

 the year was 235,662, and the property held 

 by the Church was valued at 1,244,000, less 

 107,400 of indebtedness. 



The contributions of the Church during the 

 year for foreign missions had been 8,500. 

 The missions were chiefly in China, and re- 

 turned 19 ordained European missionaries, five 

 medical missionaries, five woman-missionaries, 

 besides wives of missionaries, and a staff of 

 native evangelists, with 2,570 communicants. 



The Synod of the Presbyterian Church in 

 England met in London, May 3d. The Rev. 

 Dr. Edmond was chosen moderator. The prin- 

 cipal subject considered was that of the modi- 

 fication of the creed in such a way as to make 

 it more intelligible to the people of the present 

 time. A motion was adopted to the effect that 

 the synod, "recognizing the gravity of the 

 matters thus brought under its notice," and 

 " while affirming its unabated adherence to the 

 doctrine contained in the Westminster Confes- 

 sion," consider (1) what changes may be made 

 in the existing formulas, by which office-bear- 

 ers affirm their adherence to the Confession ; 

 (2) the desirability of preparing an explana- 

 tory declaration; and (3) whether, with a view 

 to secure some briefer and more available 

 compendium of fundamental doctrine, the 

 Church might not approach the Pan- Presby- 

 terian Council to meet in Belfast next year, 

 by memorial or otherwise, suggesting the draw- 

 ing up of a digest of doctrine designed to em- 

 body the " Consensus of the Reformed Con- 

 fessions," on which the said Council is based. 

 The union thanksgiving fund, which the synod 

 had been collecting for several years in com- 

 memoration of the union of the different 

 branches of the Presbyterian denomination in 

 England, by which the Church had been formed, 

 now amounted to 144,147. 



PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE. See page 157. 



PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, a province of the 

 Dominion of Canada, in the southern part of 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence, separated from New 

 Brunswick and Nova Scotia by Northumber- 

 land strait. Area, about 2,000 square miles. 

 Capital, Charlottetown. 



Soil and Climate. The soil is good, and two 

 thirds of the exports are agricultural products. 



