REFORMED (DUTCH) CHURCH 1007 REFORMED (DUTCH) CHURCH
10. The Church-building Fund is held in trust and dispensed by the Board of Domestic Missions at its dis- cretion. Aid is given from it only to churches which shall have no debt after receiving assistance from this fund. A first bond and mortgage is taken from such church, and the Domestic Board may remit the interest •thereon ; but the church must then make a yearly con- tribution for the fund; and every church aided is to pay back the aid received as soon as practicable. The receipts for the year ending June 1. 1878, were $9,659.80.
IX. Correspondence. — The General Synod holds official correspondence, by interchange of delegates (or by let- ter), with the following ecclesiastical bodies : the Synod of the Canada Presbyterian Church ; the General Synod (triennial) of the (German) Reformed Church in the •United States; the General Assembly of the Presbyteri- an Church in the United States; the General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church ; the General Assem- bly of the United Presbyterian Church of North Amer- ica; the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (South) ; the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States; and the General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church. With the Reformed Church in South Africa, and the Waldenses of Piedmont, occasional correspondence is held by letter, and also with the Eree Church of Scot- land and other ecclesiastical bodies in Europe. The spirit of this correspondence is well described by one of the Church's most venerated ministers, in these words, respecting her catholic sentiments and action:
"Our Church has been distinguished by a steady and united adherence to her standards and order, and at the same time by a kind and friendly relation to other evan- gelical denominations. She has enjoyed peace within her own bosom, while agitating questions have troubled, and even rent, other churches. She has borne a full propor- tionate share in contributions to Christian benevolent institutions, snch as the American Bible Society, the American Tract Society, and others. She is desirous and anxious, in a sense of privilege and responsibility, to em- ploy greater efforts for increasing the degree and extent of her influence in doing all she can for the spread of the Gospel and the salvation of souls. Her pacific character, her freedom from the ultraisms of the day, her evangelical principles, the peculiar features of her government and order, and the attitude in which she has been found by the side of other evangelical denominations, all tend to commend her to the favorable regard of all the friends of
evangelical truth who desire the 'peace and prosperity' of the Church of Christ."
X. Statistics. — 1. Numbers and Funds. — From the minutes of the General Synod held June, 1878, we de- rive the following statistical information: the Reformed Church then embraced 4 particular synods, 33 classes, 505 churches, 542 ministers, 6 candidates for the minis- try, 43,490 families, 78,066 communicants, of whom were received during the previous year 3943 on confession and 1966 by certificates; baptisms of infants, 3874; of adults, 1044; catechumens, 24,445; Sabbath - school scholars, 80,109; contributions for religious and benevolent pur- poses, $203,103; for congregational purposes, $788,222.
2. Periodicals. — The Christian Intelligencer, weekly, owned and edited by private individuals; the Sower and Gosjul Field, semi-monthly paper, organ of the Church boards; and The Mission Monthly, published by the Board of Foreign Missions.
XI. Denominational Literature. — The following are some of the most important publications:
1. Theological and Exegetical. — John H. Livingston, D.D., late Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology, Lectures on Theology ; an A nalysis by Rev. Ava Neal (1 vol. 12mo, out of print) ; James S. Cannon, D.D., Pro- fessor of Church History and Government and Pastoral Theology, Lectures on Pastoral Theology (1 vol. 8vo, 616 pp.), an exhaustive work; Alexander McClelland, D.D., Professor of Biblical Criticism and Sacred Languages, Canon and Interpretation of Scripture (1 vol. 12mo, 336 pp.); John T. Demarest, D.D., Commentaries on the 1st and 2d Epistles of Peter ( 2 vols. 8vo ) ; John T. Demarest, D.D., and William R. Gordon. D.D., Chiis- tocracg (1 vol. 12mo); other works by W. R. Gordon,
D.D. : Child's Guide in Reading the Scriptures, 132 pp. ; Supi-eme Godhead of Christ, 188 pp.; Particular Provi- dence, Illustrated by the Life of Joseph, 492 pp.; .4 Three- fold Test of Modern Spiritualism, 408 pp.; The Church of God and her Sacraments, 208 pp. ; A. R. Van Nest , D.D., Life and Letters of George W.Bethune, D.D. (1869, 1 vol. crown 8vo) ; Geo. W. Bethune, D.D., Lectures on the Heidelberg Catechism (2 vols, crown 8vo) ; other works by the same author: Sermoiis (1 vol.); Orations ami Addresses (1 vol.); Poems (1 vol.); History of a Penitent, being an exposition of Psalm cxxx (1 vol.) ; Early Lost, Early Saced (1 vol.); Fruit of the Spirit (1 vol.) ; Rev. John Van der Kemp, Sermons on the Heidelberg Cate- chism (2 vols. 8vo, out of print); The Vedder Lectures, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877. Among the American contribu- tors to Schaff's edition of Lange's Biblical Commentary are Prof. Tayler Lewis, LL.D. (Genesis, Job, Ecclesi- astes), M. B. Riddle, D.D. (Romans, Galatians, Ephe- sians, ( olossians), T. W. Chambers, D.D. (Amos, Zeeha- riah), John Forsyth, D.D., LL.D. (Joel), and C. D. Har- t ran ft, D.D. (Numbers). A critical edition or version of the Heidelberg Catechism is now in process of prep- aration by a Committee of Synod, of which a tentative copy, with a historical introduction, was published in Minutes of General Synod, 1878, p. 185-222. See also list of works issued by the Board of Publication, including three vols, of Tracts and many miscellaneous books illus- trating the history, polity, theology, and usages of the Re- formed Church. Besides these are a number for general circulation, and not denominational. The Neiv Bruns- wick Review, edited by the late Prof. John Proudfit, D.D., reached only a few numbers; the Evangelical Quar- terly Review, edited by Rev. Joseph F. Berg, D.D., late professor of didactic and polemic theology, extended over about two complete volumes. Both of these reviews are valuable contributions to the literature of the Church.