(4) Membership. At the present time (Kai) there are twelve synods, sixty-five presbyteries, nine hundred and twenty-seven ministers and nine hundred and fifty congregations, with one hundred and twenty-three thousand five hundred and forty-one members. The foreign missions are in Egypt and the Punjab, India. They have been very successful, reporting sixty-five ordained ministers, of whom thirty are natives, eleven thou sand six hundred and fifteen members, and thir teen thousand six hundred and forty-one is pils in the schools. In each mission there s a school of high grade, and also a theological sem inary. In the missions to the Freedmen there are two colleges, in one of which there is a theological department, and ten other schools with an enroll ment of three thousand four hundred and forty lve pupils.
(5) Institutions of Learning. As early as t794 the Associate Presbytery established a theological seminary, now located at Xenia, Ohio; in 1804 the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Church opened one in New York City, now located at Newburg, and used as a summer training school ; and in 1825 the Allegheny seminary was founded by the Associate Reformed Synod of the West. Six colleges are maintained: Westminster, at New Wilmington, Pa.; Monmouth, at Monmouth, Ill.; Tarkio, at Tarkio, Mo.; Cooper, at Sterling, Kan.; Muskingum, at New Concord, O.; and Knoxville, at Knoxville, Tenn., for the Freedmen.
(6) Young People's Societies. The young people's societies are organized as The Christian Union, under a joint committee of the General Assembly and the Annual Convention, and a sec retary appointed by the General Assembly. The committee of management reports annually to the General Assembly. There are nine hundred and ninety societies, with a membership of forty thou sand five hundred and twenty-eight.
(7) Doctrines. The United Presbyterian Church holds conservatively the Calvinistic sys tem of doctrine, as exhibited in the Westminster formulas, modified as to the civil magistrate, and in an additional testimony, which was the basis of union. This testimony is designed to set forth more clearly certain doctrines embodied in the Confession of Faith, and to express more def initely the peculiar principles of the denomina tion. The articles cover the following subjects: The Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures; The Eternal Sonship of Christ; The Covenant of Works; The Fall of Man and his Present Ina bility; The Nature and Extent of the Atonement; Imputed Righteousness; The Gospel Offer ; Sav ing Faith; Evangelical Repentance ; The Believ er's Deliverance from the Law as a Covenant ; The Work of the Holy Spirit ; The Headship of Christ ; The Supremacy of God's Law; Slave holding; Secret Societies ; Communion ; Cove nanting; Psalmody. Both the antecedent churches were opposed to slavery, and prohibited member ship to anyone who held men as property.
(8) Prohibit Membership in Secret Orders. The article on Secret Societies is as follows: "All associations, whether formed for political or be nevolent purposes, which impose on their members an oath of secrecy, or an obligation to obey a code of unknown laws, are inconsistent with the genius and spirit of Christianity, and church members should not have fellowship with such associa tions."
(9) Ilestrieted Communion. The article on Communion is: "The Church should not extend communion in sealing ordinances to those who refuse adherence to her profession, or subjection to her government and discipline, or who refuse to forsake a communion inconsistent with the profession which she makes; nor should com munion in any ordinance of worship be held un der such circumstances as would be inconsistent with the keeping of these ordinances pure and en tire, or so as to give countenance to any corrup tion of the doctrines and institutions of Christ." The principle is "restricted communion ;" that is, communion under the supervision of the session, as against open or unrestricted communion. (Minutes, 1868, page 488.) For good order and edification, fellowship in the communion of the Lord's Supper is, ordinarily, extended only to those who are members, on the principle that privilege is bounded by jurisdiction ; but a certain discretionary power is held by sessions as to the admission of members of other churches to com munion in special circumstances, on their knowl edge, or evidence, of the proper Christian char acter.
(10) Psalmody. The article on psalmody is: "It is the will of God that the songs contained in the Book of Psalms be sung in his worship, both public and private, to the end of the world; and in singing God's praise, these songs should be employed to the exclusion of the devotional com positions of uninspired men." (1 1) Adherence to Principles. The spirit of the United Presbyterian Church is conservative as to doctrine, fraternal as to other churches, and evangelistic as to work. The standards are for the members as well as for the ministers, not in the spirit of sect, but to keep up the standard of intelligent faith, and to promote a higher Chris tian life. The General Assembly is in corre spondence with the Associate Reformed Synod of the South as to union, and already has a work ing plan of cooperation. It is represented in the Alliance of Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian system. It has adopted the plan of cooperation in Home Mission work prepared by the western section of the Executive Commission of the Alliance, and some years ago gave its ad herence to the plan for the confederation of the Presbyterian Churches on this continent. The ministers and members are hearty supporters of the reforms of the present time, especially in re lation to the Sabbath and temperance. There has been a great awakening of the evangelistic and missionary spirit. A number of the synods have evangelists under regular appointment, and pastors generally make this feature of their work more prominent.A. G. W.