THE NEW SCHAFF-HEZROG
a historical commission to edit and publish them. The subarchivists, however, may deny access to works of a familiar character or those which it does not seem opportune to publish.
T. O. Radlach. II. America: The American Baptist Historical Society has its headquarters in Philadelphia with the American Baptist Publication i. Bap- Society and is gathering much valuable tists. material. The Samuel Colgate Collection of Baptist documents in connection with Colgate University, Hamilton, N. Y., is large and, supported by a good endowment, is likely to grow. Several of the States have their own Baptist Historical Societies and are collecting documents. There is a good deal of material on Texas Baptist history in the library of Baylor University at Waco, and the librarian is seeking to enlarge the collection. Most of the State Baptist colleges and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Ivy., have collections of greater or less importance. Regents Park Baptist College, London, probably has more material on English Baptist history than any other one institution. A collection is also being made at the Baptist Church House, Southampton Row, London. The Mennonite library at Amsterdam is said to be rich in materials relating to the Mennonites and other antipedobaptists.
The polity of the Congregationalists makes each congregation a law unto itself and the archives are kept in the congregations. In this 2. Con- way much valuable material has never gregation- found its way into print or even into alists. general knowledge. The Congregational Library was founded in Boston in 1853 to be a repository of such material, and much has been gathered there. Other valuable repositories are Yale University library, which has Henry Martyn Dexter's collection; the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Prince Library in Boston; and the library of the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester. The various state bodies and the National Assemblies held at Albany, N. Y., in 1852, in Boston in 1865, and triennially since 1871, publish their minutes. Since 1854 a Year Book (Boston: Congregational Publishing Society) has been published, which gives statistics and a list of ministers, etc.
Among the Lutherans the Historical Society of the General Synod has its collection of documents in the library of the Gettysburg (Pa.) 3. Lu- Theological Seminary; there is an therans. archivarius of the General Council and the archives are in the Krauth library, Mount Airy, Philadelphia, By resolution of the Synod of Pennsylvania all congregations are requested to have their history written up to date and copies deposited in the synodical archives; also biographical sketches of all deceased clerical members. Valuable material is preserved in Amsterdam; at the Gloria Dei Church, Philadelphia; Old Swedes' Church, Wilmington, Delaware, and in St. Matthew's German Church, New York City. The great source of information relating to the early Lutheran history in Pennsylvania
is the so called Halleschc Nachrichten, or more exactly Nachrichten von den vereinigten deutschen cvangclisch-luthcrunischen Gemeinden in Xord America, absonderlich in Pennsi/lvanicn (2 vols., Halle, 1750-87; new ed. by Mann, Schmucker, and Germann, vol. i., Allentown, 1886).
The archives of the various branches of Methodists
are to be sought in the published journals of the
General Conferences and minutes of
4. Method- the Annual Conferences, also in the ists and written minutes of the minor bodies.
Moravians. Collections are in the libraries of the denominational publishing houses. The archives of the Moravian Church are at Bethlehem, Pa., and embrace the minutes of various synods, conferences, etc.
The constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United States requires each one of the church courts, in their regular gradation (viz., the church session, presbytery, synod, and general assembly) to keep fair and full records of its proceedings. Further, the church session, composed of the pastor and the ruling elders of a particular
5. Presby- congregation, is required to submit terians. its records to the next higher judicatory, the presbytery; the presbytery
submits its records to the synod; and each synod submits its records to the general assembly. This system secures a proper record in the first place; then corrects errors, both as to fact and law; and also introduces uniformity of both record and action into all church procedure. The first Presbyterian congregations in America were founded early in the seventeenth century and the written records of some of them go back into that century. The first presbytery was formed in Philadelphia in 1706 and its manuscript records are in existence with the exception of the first page. The General Synod was established in 1717, and its manuscript records are complete. The first general assembly met in 1789, and its records are likewise intact. Many of the records of the presbyteries and synods are published regularly in printed form from year to year, and the minutes of the proceedings of the general assembly have been published from 1789 to the present time. The complete records of the General Presbytery, General Synod, and General Assembly from 1706 to 1869 have been reprinted in eleven volumes, edited by Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Roberts, stated clerk of the General Assembly. The volumes from 1870 to date are issued separately. The Presbyterian Historical Society, located in the Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, renders invaluable service to all Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the United States by providing proper accommodations for historical records of all description.
In the matter of the preservation of its archives,
the Protestant Episcopal Church has always been
careful, having had for a number of
6. The years a joint commission on archives,
Protestant consisting of prominent members of
Episcopal both houses of the General Convention
Church. In addition, there is a historiographer,
a custodian of the standard Bible
and of the standard prayer-book, and, further, a