in the past thirty years, and the influence of these upon the growth and efficiency of our Zion, cannot be estimated. Never in its history were there such noble gifts and such Christian givers as are now within its pale, but never had our branch such large resources to consecrate to the cause of Christ and humanity. In 1858, when the membership of our body was almost the same as in 1869, the aggregate of all its reported contributions for benevolent and congregational purposes was $2,544,692; but the whole amount in 1869 was $4,526,281, showing a vast difference in these two periods and in favor of the present.

The total number of books and tracts issued by the Board of Publication from its organization to 1870 is 15,132,788. Last year 1,765,000 copies of the "Sabbath-school Visitor" (a semi-monthly), and 175,00 copies of the "Record," were printed. Within the same time 42,500 copies of the pamphlet "Foreign Missionary," and about 720,000 copies of the children's "Foreign Missionary," were issued.

A church thus organized and equipped, possessing such life and zeal, guided throughout its various departments by like faith and principles, animated with the same spirit, and seeking the same end, is capable of still greater achievements; as these facts show, it has been steadily putting forth new life and power, and never was it so capable of doing great things for God as at the present time. If figures are in themselves dry and bald, still, as in the case before us, they are expressive of things done, and if rightly viewed they contain the seeds of events that are yet to be developed. The "spolia opima" for God and eternity are to be gathered. May some future statistician show by facts and figures the wonderful impulse given to our church life, benevolence, and deeds from the year 1870.

II.

STATISTICS OF THE CHURCH (NEW SCHOOL BRANCH) SINCE 1837. BY THE REV. EDWIN F. HATFIELD, D.D.

THE history of the New School branch of the Church, during the period of the disruption, has been so well and fully written and put on record in another portion of this volume, that very little remains to be stated. A few brief statistics will complete the picture.

When the disruption became an accomplished fact in 1838, it found this portion of the denomination utterly unprepared for a separate existence. Such a result they had not contemplated. They opposed the excision of 1837, and sought to maintain the integrity of the body. They clung to the hope to the very last, relinquishing it only when the breach appeared to be irreparable. Consequently, they were compelled to enter upon their distinct course, without records, without funds, without any organized agencies to carry forward their operations (save such as were furnished by co-operative associations), and even without any well-defined plans for the future.

In these circumstances, it was found impossible to publish, in connection with the Minutes of 1838, any detailed statements of the condition of this branch, thus rudely broken off from the parent tree. The Statistical Reports of the Presbyteries fell into the hands of the other branch, and were published in connection with the Minutes of their proceedings.

The first tabular statement of the denomination called "the New School," appeared in 1839, in connection with the published Minutes of the Assembly of that year. Excluding the baptisms and funds, the following figures, taken from the "Summary View" of the Statistical Reports, give some idea of the composition of the body at that date :

PRESBYTERIES.

These figures, however, are not reliable. On examining the roll, it is found that ten Presbyteries are included improperly, and must be deducted. The table thus corrected would be as follows :

COMMUNICANTS.

A reference to the Statistical Reports themselves shows that the returns from the churches were very imperfect. A large number of them failed entirely to report the number of communicants; so that the whole number of church members was much greater than here appears, probably by one-tenth at the least. This would show a total of 106,736 communicants, which probably is a near approximation to the true state of the case.

The number of the Synods can be gathered only from the roll of that year. It thus appears that seventeen Synods were represented, in two cases by only a single Presbytery, the remaining presbyteries adhering to the other branch; so that but fifteen Synods are to be reckoned as attached to the New School branch at the disruption.

The progress of the body may properly be measured at equal intervals of ten years, covering a period of thirty years to the Reunion. In 1849 the following summary view was given :

This was the period of Triennial Assemblies, and many circumstances conspired to retard the growth of the body during the whole decade, as has already appeared in the Narrative History; yet the growth was very gratifying.

At the expiration of another period of the same number of years, the Minutes of 1859 exhibit the following tabular statement:

The progress of the body would appear from this statement to have been slower than in the previous decade. But it is to be borne in mind that in the year 1858 the Southern Synods, in their zeal for the conservation of the system of slavery, and in obedience to the behests of the slaveholding aristocracy of that portion of the country, separated from their brethren at the North, and walked no more with them. The returns from the Synod of Virginia for a previous year are included in the summary of 1859. The other Synods had been dropped from the roll. Had these Synods also been reported in 1859, the footings would have been as follows :

Comparing this statement with that of 1849, it is seen that the denomination, notwithstanding the difficulties and discouragements with which it had to contend, elsewhere circumstantially and truthfully related, had made considerable progress, and had fully vindicated its claims to an honorable recognition among the ecclesiastical powers of the land.

Another period of ten years covers the remainder of the separate history of the two branches. The summary for 1869 exhibits the following results:

This last decade shows but a small growth in the number of Synods and Presbyteries, the tendency being not to an enlargement of their number, but to an increase of their strength. The number of licentiates and candidates, owing probably to the absorption of such a vast host of young men by the army and navy during the War of the Rebellion, had actually decreased. But a large addition had been made to the ministry, the churches, and the communicants. The Reunion finds this part of the Church in a most healthy, thriving condition.

In respect to funds for the promotion of the great schemes of the Church and for the support of public worship, it is not possible to give any tabular statements with any sort of accuracy. This part of the Church, it is well known, was distinguished for its adherence to the co-operative system of benevolent action. It is but recently that it has established boards of its own, and withdrawn from the voluntary societies in part. With the exception of the funds for the Assembly, no reports were rendered by the presbyteries of the sums contributed by the churches, either for their own support or for purposes of benevolence, until the year 1853, at which time the denominational spirit began to be more fully developed. The returns of funds contributed for that year were as follows:

These returns included, under each separate head, all that was given in every direction in that particular line. Latterly they have been principally restricted to what was given to the boards and committees of the Church, while gifts to outside associations and objects

COMMUNICANTS.