New Brunswick). The Synod of Nova Scotia grew apace, and when the division came, in 1844, it had outnumbered its elder sister. But now it was well- nigh extinguished. Some of its ministers returned to
Scotland, others joined the Free Church in these prov- inces. Three onh maintained their former connection.
The synod became defunct in 1843, and was not resus- citated till 1854, when it again put forth energetic ef- forts to recover its lost -round. In Canada the new body, founded iii 1844, in sympathy with the lice Church of Scotland, took, as we have said, the name of "The Presbyterian church of Canada." In 1861, after several years spent in negotiations, this body and the United Presbyterian Church in Canada united under the designation of "The Canada Presbyterian < Ihurch," the corresponding bodies in the Lower Provinces uniting under the name of "The Presbyterian Church of the
Lower Provinces." "The Synod of the ('auada I'res- liyterian Church" entered on a prosperous career, with
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES 545 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES
a roll of 226 ministers, of whom 128 had belonged to the Canada Presbyterian Church and 68 to the United Pres- byterian Church. In 1870 the supreme court of this Church was for the first time constituted as a General Assembly. In 1868 the synods of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in connection with the Church of Scotland were united into one synod. The synods of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church had already united, namely, in 1860. Thus the way was prepared throughout the Dominion of Canada for comprehensive union. In September, 1874, there were (omitting a few congregations connected with organ- izations in the United States) four Presbyterian bodies in the Dominion of Canada, viz. : the Presbyterian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland; the Canada Presbyterian Church; the Church of Scotland in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and adjoining provinces ; and the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces. In the Presbyterian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland there were 11 presbyteries and 122 ministers; in the Canada Presbyterian Church, 19 presbyteries and 329 ministers; in the Church of Scotland in Nova Scotia, etc., 6 presbyteries and 31 ministers; and in the Presby- terian Church of the Lower Provinces, 10 presbyteries and 124 ministers. There were theological colleges in Toronto and Montreal belonging to the Canada Presby- terian Church ; at Kingston and Quebec, to the Presby- terian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland ; and at Halifax, to the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces. Nearly one half of the minis- ters in the several provinces have been supplied by the theological colleges of the country. From the date of the union above referred to, overtures having reference to a yet more comprehensive union began to engage the attention of the supreme courts of all the churches in British North America. Increased facilities for inter- communication helped to make the proposal at least possible of accomplishment. The confederation of the provinces which now form the Dominion of Canada having been consummated in 1867, there naturally fol- lowed a strong desire for that ecclesiastical union which had long been contemplated. This desire was shared by many who had previously opposed such a union. Formal negotiations were commenced in 1870 in all the provinces, culminating in the union which was happily consummated June 15, 1875, in the city of Montreal, when the Presbyterian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland, the Canada Presbyterian Church, the Church of the Maritime Provinces in con- nection with the Church of Scotland, and the Presby- terian Church of the Lower Provinces, declaring their belief that it would be for the glory of God and the ad- vancement of the cause of Christ that they should unite, and thus form one Presbyterian Church in the Domin- ion, were formally united under the name of " The Pres- byterian Church in Canada." The aggregate of the United Church at that date was 634 ministers, 1119 congregations, 90,658 communicants, and a population under its instruction of about 650,000. Statistics of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, as they were reported to the General Assembly in June, 1876, then showed it to contain 4 synods, 33 presbyteries, 1076 congregations, 664 ministers, 82,186 communicants, and 59,949 Sabbath- scholars. The contributions for all purposes amounted to $939,690; of this sum $418,058 were paid for the sup- port of the ministry. $25,472 for home mission work. $16,173 for foreign missions, and $11,219 for missions among the French Canadians.
1. The home missions of the Church are co-extensive with this vast dominion. Their history is simply the history of the Church itself — one of continuous, steady progress. In the early years of Presbyterianism in Canada, owing chiefly to the lack of ministers, many cast in their lot with those branches of the Church whose missionaries first supplied them with the means ' of grace. Others, filled with romantic attachment to | VIII.— M M
the Church of their fathers, waited long and patiently, and instances are not wanting of "vacant congrega- tions" assembling themselves for public worship for years together to hear sermons read by one of their el- ders, or to be exhorted by " the men" whom they rec- ognised as their temporary leaders. The work divides itself into two distinct departments: 1, the opening up of new fields, and supplying ordinances to purely mis- sion stations; 2, to aid weak congregations in the sup- port of their ministers. The number of purely mission fields occupied in the western section in 1876" was 130, including 300 preaching-stations, with 3000 communi- cants. The average Sabbath attendance at these sta- tions was about 16,000 in the aggregate. There were also 78 supplemented congregations with settled pastors receiving grants from $50 to $300 each per annum from the home mission fund. The number of missionaries employed was as follows: 35 ministers and licentiates; 59 theological students; 44 catechises; 12 lay catechists —in all 150 missionaries. The grants made" for 1877 to home mission fields amounted to about $20,000, to sup- plemented congregations $10,000, and for contingencies $2500, making in all $32,500. The eastern sections, although small in comparison with the immense terri- tory assigned to the Western Committee, have a mis- sion field which is neither very limited, very compact, nor very easily wrought. It embraces some nine or ten groups of stations requiring missionary services. The greater part of the work is done by student catechists, of whom many were employed in 1877. In addi- tion to these, eight Gaelic catechists are employed in Cape Breton, and other parts of Nova Scotia. An in- teresting mission field was recently entered upon in New Brunswick. It is known as "The New Kincar- dine Colony," and is described as "a little bit of Scot- land transplanted bodily into the forests of New Bruns- wick." Another has been opened in a long-neglected part of Newfoundland. 'rhe annual expenditure for home missions in this section is about $3500, and for supplementing the stipends of ministers in weak con- gregations about $4000.