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have members who are members of Presbyteries in the States: they are represented in their higher Church Courts. Then these members go to the mission-fields, become members of the Presbyteries there, and are represented in their Church Courts. The question is, "How far is it in accordance with Presbyterianism that brethren should thus be represented in two Church Courts?" That is a difficulty in this case, and it holds good in a number of others. At the same time, I think that the Council should look at the question in the light of kindly feeling and affection for our Trinidad brethren.

Dr. W. M'LAREN (Toronto).-The Church in Trinidad is composed in part of the Church Presbytery in Canada, to which I belong. receive a certain representation in this Council, because we have a certain number of members, in their charges connected with us; and it would be manifestly unfair that the same men should receive dual representation. I am not aware that the ministers who belong to that body are counted on the roll of the Synod of the United Presbyterian Churches, or go in any way to determine the amount of its representation. Consequently, I am inclined to think that, while we should not encourage, or even allow, dual representation, the proper way for us to get at the matter is to accept that Church which is clearly an independent ecclesiastical body, and give it representation here, but to instruct the older Churches with which these are connected, not to count these ministers in making up their representation for this General Council.

A DELEGATE considered that it would be unwise for the Alliance to act in a hostile manner toward the applicants, but in view of the opinions expressed in the discussion, he moved that that portion of the report be remitted to the Committee.

This second amendment having been seconded, it was put to the Council, and declared to be lost. The first amendment, that the application be granted, was then submitted to the vote, and was carried by a large majority. The report, as thus amended, was then put as a whole to the Council and accepted.

The following letter was then read from the Presbyterian Council of Toronto, Ontario, Canada :

"The Toronto Presbyterian Council, consisting of the ministers and elders of all the Presbyterian congregations in the city, respectfully invite the Council of the Presbyterian Alliance to hold the next meeting in Toronto.

"They assure the brethren of a most cordial welcome, and that it will afford them the utmost pleasure to make all arrangements for the accommodation of the Alliance.

"The Rev. William Caven, D.D., Principal, Knox College,

Toronto, one of the delegates from the Presbyterian Church in Canada, is appointed to present this invitation to the Council of the Alliance at its meeting in London in July next.

"WM. MORTIMER CLARK, President. WM. BURNS, Secretary."

Principal CAVEN reiterated the invitation, echoing the cordial spirit in which it was offered. He adverted to the numbers and social prominence of the Presbyterian Church in Toronto, and the suitability of the spot for a meeting of Council. He especially pointed out its accessible position in regard to the American Continent, remarking that it was within two hours' railway ride of Niagara.

Another CANADIAN DELEGATE described Toronto as a model city, gave a glowing account of its many attractions, and claimed it as one of the fairest Colonial jewels in Queen Victoria's crown.

Dr. DYKES, as Chairman of the Business Committee, moved :"That this Council cordially accepts the invitation of the brethren at Toronto, and resolves that the fifth meeting of the General Council of the Alliance shall be held in that city in the year 1892, the precise date of meeting to be fixed by the Executive Commission." He said that, although the Council had met once upon the soil of the United States, and repeatedly upon that of the United Kingdom, they had not yet visited that very considerable portion of the earth which belongs to the Colonial empire ruled by Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria. He was sure that they would go to a land where there existed a very warm, strong, loyal, ardent Presbyterian sentiment, and where, therefore, the work of the Alliance would be carried on in the midst of congenial surroundings.

The motion was agreed to by acclamation.

The Council now proceeded to the subject of the day :—

CO-OPERATION IN FOREIGN MISSIONS.

The CHAIRMAN (Rev. Dr. Murkland) in some introductory remarks, said :-The kingdom of God on earth is no longer measured by the margin of the sea, or by great rivers, or by mountain ranges; it stretches from pole to pole-the world of sinning men and women for which Jesus Christ died. There is not one of us present here today who does not feel he has a hand in the great crisis of missionary work, of which the issues in a few years shall either be the publication of the Gospel to every man in his native tongue, or disgraceful retrogression of the work of the Church that shall cause every follower of Jesus Christ to blush with shame. It is this work in foreign lands, carried on not by individual Churches, but by the Church of Jesus Christ, carried on in co-operation, and it may be in

to save men.

union, which shall demonstrate to the world of Christendom, to the world of heathenism, that Jesus Christ has, indeed, come in the flesh We sometimes hear it asserted that men have lost faith in the supernatural, and that spiritual power is effete. The great answer of the Church is the foreign missionary work, which has carried the Gospel to every heathen nation, until now from pole to pole, men stand up and call Jesus, God. We give this day afresh to Him who is King of kings-we give our noblest thoughts, our richest speech, our tenderest love, to advance His kingdom all round this globe.

REPORT OF EUROPEAN COMMITTEE.

In presenting the Report of the European Section, Dr. MURRAY MITCHELL said:-Fathers and Brethren, it is my privilege to present the Report of the European Committee on Missions. The Report is printed, and is in your hands. In such circumstances, it is not our custom in Scotland to read reports, but to refer to them as already known. Time presses, and I can but briefly glance at the more outstanding parts of the report. The subject of Missions in all its amplitude was not remitted to us-only that of union and co-operation in Missions. In particular, we were directed to consider two questions the constitution of Mission Presbyteries, and their relation to the Home Churches. These are points of high importance, involving problems of some complexity. To these two topics, therefore, the Committee has paid earnest attention; while the general subject of union and co-operation has not been forgotten. Hundreds of times the objection has been urged that we are exporting to the foreign field, and there (as far as in us lies) perpetuating all the disputes of our sorely divided Christendom. Well, so far as Presbyterian Missions are concerned, all the breaches will be healed as soon as the four propositions in our report have been carried into operation. This to begin with. But there is more than this to end with, as we shall see immediately. The resolutions were formally submitted to the European churches, and no objection was raised in regard to them. If this unanimity on the part of the European churches was cheering, no less so was the action of the American Committee. We communicated the four resolutions to our American brethren, and they were by them adopted-adopted with the slightest possible modification, which involves no principle. This agreement between the committees arose out of no consultation beforehand. Surely it affords a strong presumption that the principles shine by their own light, and carry with them their own clear evidence. At all events, the agreement is a fact;

and it is as complete as if it had been what a wise philosopher called a "pre-established harmony."

It is interesting to look back and see how rapidly the desire for union has developed in the home churches. At the meeting of the Council in Philadelphia there were conflicting voices on the subject. To many the question was evidently new and somewhat perplexing. But the more the matter has been pondered, the more clearly both the desirableness and the practicability of union have been recognised. Our Report mentions that union is by no means a thing solely of the future. Union in the strongest sense-that of incorporating union— has already taken place in several instances; and a striking case is to occur immediately in Brazil. Where incorporation is not yet possible, there confederation may be possible; and where confederation cannot be, there co-operation may be, and should be increasingly sought and found.

But it has been said that the union of Presbyterians in missionwork is, after all, a poor and paltry thing to struggle for when the great desideratum is union among Evangelical Christians all the world over. But what we recommend is just to begin at the beginning. The whole Christian host is, thank God, closing its ranks for a grand combined assault on heathenism; and we say to those nearest, "Highlanders, shoulder to shoulder." We seek a union which shall be no hindrance, but very decidedly a help, towards that grander union which so many hearts all over the world are sighing for. And here, sir, I must glance for a moment at that great united Conference on Missions which was lately held in this city. Undoubtedly it was a high occasion. Representatives of nearly all Evangelical Churches and Missions were present. Opinions on mission policy honestly held were frankly expressed, and they differed not unfrequently. But hand clasped hand, and heart blended with heart, and one spirit pervaded the whole assembly; and all felt as if a new baptism had been vouchsafed a baptism of fresh zeal for God and fresh love for man. Not a few members of this conference took part in the proceedingstrue at once to their Presbyterian principles-and true also to the largest claims of brotherhood in Christ.

Union is an end in itself. It is also a means to an end-a glorious end. None of us can forget that sublime issue of the manifested unity of the people of Christ-that the world may believe that He is the sent of the Father. Even already, we feel that we are entering on a new era of missions. We behold an ampler ether; we breathe a diviner air. It is so at home; but of that I have no time to speak. It is still

more so abroad. One word about this. The young missionaries may be discouraged.

Ask the older missionaries.
All the old are filled with

thankfulness; and they exclaim, "What hath God wrought"! Permit me, as being among the oldest, or perhaps the oldest missionary present, to bear my testimony. I was ordained to the missionary office this month, almost this day, fifty years ago. What a change since then! Then the missionaries seemed like sailors in Arctic latitudes, forcing, breaking their way through overwhelming obstacles, through whole fields and mountains of ice with axes and hammers and saws. And oh! how slow, how toilsome, how painful was it all; how hopeless, save to simple, child-like faith! Now all is changed. The soft breath of spring plays over us; it smites on those stupendous barriers, and they are visibly dissolving,-ay, and the blessed breeze that melts the ice wafts the good ship rejoicing on her way. In plainer words, wherever Gospel truth comes in contact with heathenism, there heathenism changes. The old name remains, but not the thing itself; and the Hinduism and Mohammedanism and Zoroastrianism which I knew in 1838 have been largely pierced through and through with the arrows of Gospel light. Give light, more and more light. Preach Christ, and live Christ. We are twenty millions of Presbyterians-a mighty host; oh that its heart were only stirred, as the heart of Paul was stirred when he beheld the city wholly given to idolatry! Our Report concludes with the hope that clearer, fuller expression than ever before may be given to the great principle that the Gospel must be preached to every creature, and that "Missions" (in the well-known words of Alexander Duff) "are the chief end of the Christian Church." Oh! then, let a voice, a proclamation, go forth from this great gathering, which shall be re-echoed from every General Assembly, and Synod, and Presbytery, and Kirk Session, and pulpit, over the wide Presbyterian Church, and which shall go on reverberating from shore to shore, until the heart of every member and adherent of our communion is aroused, and zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of man rises to the height of a holy passion! Let our zeal provoke very many, until there is a holy rivalry among all evangelical communions as to which of them shall do most, and be prepared, when Christ shall call them, to suffer most. Then a new day will, indeed, have dawned both on the Churches and the world; and those scenes surpassing fable the bright visions of the prophetic word-shall be scenes of accomplished bliss." Oh the rapture of seeing that seven-fold radiance dawn upon the world! Oh the double rapture of feeling, when it comes, that we have looked, and longed, and prayed, and laboured, for its coming!

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The Rev. Dr. TAYLOR (Newark), Secretary of the American Committee, presented its report. He said :-Ten years ago this subject was in the clouds, but now there are rays of light, and these have

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