The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-11-02
NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES.
Northern Churches-( Continued from 1st
page.)


Facts to be Considered.-Duringt the last
ecclesiastical year. lis Reformed Dutch church
es report no additions on confession; ga only
one SO kept their own number; 1874 lost more
than they gained. In all, $40 less than last
year were received-net loss, All. Against z
a theological graduates, 13 ministers and one
candidate died. los churches in their gifts
ignored the Foreign Missionary Board; lao the
Domestic Missionary Board; 220 the Education
Board 341 the Church Building Fund; 351 the
Board of Publication $50 the Disabled Minis
ters and Widows Fund; so passed them all.
Synod of the Paoifio.-The General As
sembly did not change the name of this Synod.
1t is not the Synod of California, but of the
Pacific. 1t has under its care the churches in
this State and in Nevada. 1t has Just closed
its annual meeting in Calvary Church, San Fran
cisco. We met on Friday evening and ad-
journed at eleven o'clock Tuesday evening. The
attendance was fair, considering how widely
scattered our churches are Rev. H. H. Rice,
now of Sacramento but formerly of Norwalk,
o., was Moderator, and presided with great
dignity and urbanity. The report of the Syn
odical Missionary, Rev. Thomas Fraser, showed
that Presbyterianism is growing on this coast
much faster than the population. In 1870 there
were in California and Nevada 612, 1896 inhabi-
tauts; 1881 there were in those States ga, 916-
an advance of about fifty per cent In 1870 the
Presbyterian Church had in those States 55 min
listers, 70 churches, 1924 communicates, and
1850 in its Sabbath Schools. In 1881 our
Church reports in those States 127 ministers, 122
churches, 1882 communicates 12,026 in her
Sabbath Schools. Thus the advance of the
Church has been more than one hundred per
cent or double that of the population. When
we are tempted to feel discouraged because the
progress of the Church seems slow, it is well to
take look backward. We shall thus be ena-
bled to see that the sacramental host is not re-
treating or stationary but is going forward
steadily to the conquest of the world. If in this
land of greed and gold to which mammon wor
shippers have been crowding from all parts of the
world, the Church is relatively more than fifty
per cent stronger than it was eleven years
ago, it will in time become the controlling
power, numerically, as it is already morally.
Cor. Herald and Presbyter.
One of the features of the meeting of New
York Synod on October 10Th was a report of the
Woman's Committee, appointed by Synod to
superintend and enlarge woman's,work within its
bounds. This Committee, consisting of two
ladies in each of the Presbyteres, formed a BODY
of ten ladies who were to work in both Home
and Foreign Missions, and they have done SO
with admirable results. The Presbytery of
Hudson reported two years ago nine missionary
societies, which have increased to twenty-five
North River Presbytery reports eleven societies
and several bands. Boston Presbyterv two
churches organized this year at Newburyport.
Westchester has twenty four societies New
York seventeen churches regularly organized
with societies, and many others contributing
through Mission Bands and Sabbath-schools o
Home and Foreign Missions through the Ladies'
Board of Missions in New York. The amount
contributed this year in the Synod for Foreign
Missions was Sl1 1881; in cash and boxes for
Home Missions, 81 ,726. 1o-gving an increase
In the past year for Foreign Missions of S.. 434.-
So; tor Home Missions, $5,447.6O. The total
contributions of the women of the SYNOD this
year were therefore S22, The report
was received with much interest, and subse-
quently the Synod reappointed the came Com
mlttee, passing vote of thanks and subsituting
Miss Walsh in place of her mother (deceased1,
with Mrs. G. G. Wallace and Mrs William
Graves in Boston Presbytery, and Mrs. James
Lorimer Graham chairman of the Synod Com.
mittee.-N. Y. Evangelist.
Rev. DR.. Darling thinks that the drift Of
modern preaching is away from the formal
presentation of the great and essential doctrines
OF Christianity. He does not believe that the
ministry have lost faith in those doctrines or
that there is any intended repression of them
but that, through the influence of the surround
ing atmosphere, there is failure in the direct
expression of them. The Methodist believes
that the Church of to-day has too many apollo
glSts and too few evangelists; that there is great
waste OF power in argument that touches neither
sin nor salvation that many man who might
convince his hearers Of sin wastes himself in
an effort to destroy an infdels argument or an
atheists theory The editor thinks that infdels
and atheists should be left to fight each other
The minister who convinces his hearers of sin
and points them to Christ does more against in
fidelity than if he gave his whole time to the
war against it.-Herald and Presb1ter.