THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

OF THE

LOWER PROVINCES OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.

THE SYNOD met in St. John's Church, St. John, New Brunswick, June 27, 1866, and was opened with a discourse by the retiring Moderator, Rev. GEORGE CHRISTIE, from 1 John ii. 18: "Even now are there many Antichrists."

JAMES BAYNE, D.D., was elected Moderator.

MUSIC.-Pictou Presbytery reported their action in the case of the introduction of an organ into public worship in St. John's Church, Chatham. It was Resolved, That this Synod, having heard the report of the Presbytery anent their dealings with the session of St. John's Church, considering that substantial justice has been done in the case, approve of the procedure. It was also Resolved, That the use of instrumental music in the public worship of God not being in accordance with the simplicity and spirituality of the Christian worship as unfolded in the New Testament Scriptures, exhibited in the practice of the apostolic Church, the Church of the first six centuries, and the purest Churches of the Reformation, and especially of the Presbyterian Churches of Great Britian and Ireland and the British North American Provinces; it being, also, not in accordance with the subordinate standard of the Presbyterian Church, the Synod enjoin the kirk session of St. John's Church to return to the use of vocal music only in the public worship of God.

SABBATH OBSERVANCE.-The attention of Synod having been called to the desecration of the Lord's day in the city of Halifax, by the running of street cars on that day, it was resolved unanimously to appoint the ministers and elders in the city of Halifax a committee to take such steps, in connection with other Christian bodies in the city, as may be necessary to put a stop to such desecration.

HISTORICAL RECORDS.-The Synod took up the overture anent the preservation of the historical records of the Church, when it was agreed that the clerks of Presbyteries be a committee with instructions to collect manuscripts and documents of interest, to be placed for the present in charge of the chairman of the committee, Rev. George Patterson, and to report to Synod at its next meeting.

UNION. The following resolution was adopted: "The Synod of the Lower Provinces of British North America, considering that the Synod of New Brunswick have intimated their readiness to accept simpliciter the basis of union on which this Synod was constituted as a united body in October, 1860, and to unite with this Synod on said basis; and considering that the prospect of this union with the sister Church in New Brunswick was partly contemplated in adopting the title of the Synod of the Lower Provinces as the designation of this body, and is now happily on the eve of its realiza

tion, as the result of communications held with the said Church through a committee of this Synod appointed to correspond with them and others on the subject of union; and considering that the necessary arrangements of a preliminary kind have been completed, DO NOW, with fervent gratitude to God for his goodness to them as a Church, and for the peace and prosperity enjoyed by them since the period of their union aforesaid, and with humble dependence on his gracious blessing in consummating this further union, and with earnest prayer that he would pour down the rich influences of his spirit on the united Church, and would enable her ministers, elders and people to improve the privileges they enjoy, and discharge the obligations devolving upon them, Resolve, and hereby record their resolution, forthwith to repair as a constituted Synod to St. David's Church in this city, in order that they may there, as arranged, unite with the brethren of the Synod of New Brunswick, and form one Synod, to be known by the title of this present Synod, as the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of British North America; and that they may henceforth walk together in the fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, striving for the faith of the gospel, for the purity of divine ordinances and for the enlargement of the Church of Christ. And this Synod declare that the united Church shall be considered as identical with this Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of British North America, and shall be entitled to and vested in all the authority, rights and benefits to which it is now or may become entitled: it being understood and provided that the Synod of New Brunswick as now constituted shall in the mean time retain, and continue responsible for, whatever civil rights, powers, privileges, liabilities, dues and obligations may now belong to it as a body politic and corporate, and that its members shall be at liberty to meet, deliberate and act as heretofore in reference to the exercise of said civil rights and privileges, or the discharge of said civil obligations, as circumstances may require.

This was the "Last Minute," and the Synod, in accordance with this resolution, walked in procession to St. David's Church, where they met on a common platform with the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of New Brunswick.

PETER G. MCGREGOR, Synod Clerk.

MINISTERS OF THE PRES. CH. LOWER PROVINCES OF BRITISH N. A.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

THE SYNOD met in St. David's Church, St. John's, New Brunswick, June 27, 1866, and was opened with a discourse by the retiring Moderator, Rev. LEWIS JACK, from Philippians i. 15, 18: "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good-will. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice."

Rev. JAMES GRAY was elected Moderator.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY. - Whereas, It is apprehended that the scheme of a Constitution for the Confederate Provinces of British North America might not contain a recognition of the Divine existence and providence; it was Resolved, That Rev. James Bennett and Rev. Wm. Alves be a committee to make inquiry relative to this matter, and if the scheme be so defective that they present a memorial to the delegates who may be appointed from this province to mature the scheme, calling their attention to the omission, and praying that they use all their influence to have such recognition of God and his government embodied in the future constitution of these countries.

UNION. The Synod convened in Calvin Church and adopted the following resolution: "The Synod of the Church known as the Presbyterian Church of New Brunswick, considering that the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of British North America have intimated their readiness to unite with us upon the basis adopted by that body in October, 1860, and that the union is now happily on the eve of its realization, as the result of the communications held with the said Church through a committee of this Church appointed for this purpose, and considering that the necessary arrangements of a preliminary kind have been completed; DO NOW, with fervent gratitude to God for his goodness to them as a Church, and with humble dependence on his gracious blessing in the solemn and interesting step they are about to take, and with earnest prayer that he would pour down the rich influences of his spirit on the United Church, and would enable her ministers, elders and people to improve the privileges they enjoy and discharge the duties devolving upon them, Resolve, and hereby record their resolution forthwith, to repair as a constituted Synod to St. David's Church, in this city, in order that they may there as arranged unite with the brethren of the Synod of the Lower Provinces of British North America, AND FORM ONE SYNOD, to be known by the title of 'The Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of British North America,' and that they may henceforth walk together in the fear of God and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, striv

ing for the faith of the gospel, for the purity of divine ordinances and for the enlargement of the Church of Christ. And this Synod declares that the United Church shall, for all ecclesiastical purposes, be considered as identical with the Synod of the Church known as the Presbyterian Church of New Brunswick, and shall be entitled to and vested in all the authority, rights and benefits to which it is now or may become entitled; it being, however, understood and provided that this Synod as now constituted shall in the mean time retain and continue responsible for whatever civil rights, powers, privileges, liabilities, dues and obligations which may now belong to it as a body politic and corporate, and that its members shall be at liberty to meet, deliberate and act as heretofore in reference to the exercise of said civil rights and privileges, or the discharge of said civil obligations and circumstances may require.

This was the " Last Minute," and the Synod, in accordance with the resolution, proceeded to St. David's Church, where they met on a common platform the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of British North America. JAMES BENNET, Synod Clerk.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE LOWER PROVINCES OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.

THE UNION was consummated in St. David's Church, St. John, New Brunswick, July 2, 1866, at which time the Moderators of the two Synods occupied chairs placed side by side on a common platform.

JAMES BAYNE, D.D., Moderator of the Synod of the Lower Provinces, read the 100th Psalm, which was sung by the choir and the audience.

The Synod clerks respectively read their "Last Minutes," the rolls of the two Synods were called; the basis of union, which was engrossed upon a large parchment roll, was read by Rev. James Bennet, Clerk of the Synod of New Brunswick. It is as follows:

"The Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of British North America, and the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of New Brunswick, adhering to the Westminster standard, recognizing each other as Churches of Christ, deploring the differences which have hitherto existed between them, and desirous of forming a UNION, agree to the following statement of principles as a basis:

"I. The United Church shall be in all respects free and completely independent of foreign jurisdiction and interference, but may hold friendly intercourse with sister Churches, whose soundness in the faith and whose ecclesiastical polity accord with the sentiments of the united body.

"II. That the great object of union shall be the advancement of the Redeemer's glory by a more visible expression of the unity and love of the members of Christ's body, the cultivation of a more fervent piety, devoted zeal and practical godliness, and subordinate thereto the setting forth of a

more united testimony against all Popish, Socinian, Arminian, Erastjan and other heresies, as these have been exhibited in past ages, or are now manifested under the garb of the religion of Jesus, and the providing by the combined exertions of the united body of a duly-qualified ministry for an efficient dispensation of gospel ordinances within our bounds and for the enlargement and permanence of the Church, and the preparation of a platform of discipline for the sake of obtaining uniformity in the proceedings of ecclesiastical courts.

"III. That the standard of the United Church shall be the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms."

The Moderators, JAMES BAYNE, D.D., and Rev. JAMES GRAY, then subscribed to the basis, when the rolls were again called and the members of both Synods expressed audibly their assent.

The Moderators in succession then declared the UNION consummated, and the Synods with which they had been connected now merged in ONE, to be known by the designation of "THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE LOWER PROVINCES OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA."

The Moderators then joined hands, in which action they were followed by the ministers and ruling elders generally in joyful congratulations, the choir singing the 133d Psalm.

On motion of James Bayne, D.D., seconded by Rev. William Gray. Rev. JAMES BENNET, of St. John's Church, St. John, N. B., was chosen Moderator, who constituted the Synod by prayer. Rev. P. G. MCGREGOR was chosen Clerk, who thanked the Synod for this mark of their confidence.

Rev. Mr. Alves then read the first eight lines of Psalm cxlvii., which were sung with great animation, after which he read a portion of the prophecies of Ezekiel, contained in chapter xxxvii., from verse 15 to the end, and portion a of the 17th chapter of St. John's Gospel, from verse 20 to verse 26, inclusive. Rev. Dr. Smith addressed the throne of grace in prayer.

The Moderator next addressed the Synod in terms of acknowledgment for the honor conferred upon him by his election to fill the chair of the united body, and having given an interesting sketch of the past history of the Church of Christ, expressed his conviction that our age is one of revival and of union, ascribing all the glory to the Lord Jesus, the Church's great Head and King.

Professor King next addressed the Synod, when Psalm xlviii., from verse 12 to 14, inclusive, was sung, and prayer offered by Rev. John Turnbull. Rev. Neil McKay being then called upon delivered an address, when Rev. G. Patterson read verses 16th and 18th of Psalm cii., L. M., which were sung with deep emotion.

Rev. R. Sedgewick next addressed the Synod. Rev. R. S. Patterson read Psalm lxxii., verses 18th and 19th, which were sung with emotions of joy

and thanksgiving.

Rev. Mr. Stirling delivered the closing address. Rev. Mr. Law read, and the whole Synod and assembly sang, the closing verses of Psalm cxxii.

The Synod adjourned to meet in the same place the next morning, and the deeply interesting proceedings of the evening terminated.

SISTER CHURCHES.-It was Resolved, That the Synod appoint a committee to correspond and co-operate with a committee of "The Synod of Nova Scotia in connection with the Church of Scotland" on matters of common interest, and that they be also authorized to correspond with any committee of a similar character which may be appointed by "The Synod of New Brunswick in connection with the Church of Scotland."