SCOTTISH ASSEMBLIES,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 11

SCOTTISH ASSEMBLIES,

PRESBYTERIAN REUNION. ( The three General Assemblies of the Scottish Presbyterian .Churches wore opened in ' Edinburgh on Tuesday, May 24. , '

There will, be a field-day over the negotiations between the . Established and United Free Churches as to union (states the ."Christian World"'of May' 26). JSut the fact that* the committee will ask to be reappointed, discounts any outstanding value which this otherwise would have had if the two churches had approximated to a working agree-i-ment. - Tho committee on Church and State of tho United Free Church renew their plea for the severance of the Church from the State. On Monday evening the annual meeting of the Disestablishment Council for Scotland was held, and it was not the union of Presbyterianism 'that was advocated. It was Disestablishment, and there was much •gratification : expressed- -that fifty-six out -of the sixty Liberal members for Scotland were in '-favour of this being brought about. .

During the year the Established and t-lio United . Free . Churches ' have strengthened their rsepective, positions, and both. Churches frankly recognise that the increase of membership, while gratifying,, does not- quite keep pace with the normal increase of the population. The Established ' Church ■ has a membership of 711,211; and the United Free 1 Church.-' 50.7,408—a total .of 1,218,6151,: ;and :if the Free Church.- is'.in-cluded.--the roll of Communicants of, the three' Presbyterian Churches 1 in .Scotland is less than 1,300,000. The population of Scotland, in round figures, is four and a half millions.