each ten Churches, and for any remaining fraction greater than one-half of that number; each conference or association of Churches being allowed at least one pastor and one delegate.

Resolved, 3. That in localities where no such bodies exist, representing Churches, the committees constituting this conference be requested to secure a representation of the Churches within such districts, on the above basis.

Resolved, 4. That the committee from each state be authorized and requested to issue, at an early time, prior to the meetings of conferences, circular letters embodying the call for the Council, and pointing out in what manner the delegates are to be selected in each state or territory, in accordance with the above basis of representation, to be forwarded to each Church for action, as well as to the several conferences; and that they use their best endeavours to secure a complete representation.

Resolved, 5. That the Council meet in the city of Boston, Mass., or in such other place as the Committee of Arrangements may designate, on the second Wednesday of June, 1865.

The following resolution with reference to the present position of American affairs was adopted at the same time :-

dent," than the first principle of this American Council:

"That the local Church is the only organized and authoritative ecclesiastical body established by Christ and His Apostles, complete in itself for all Church purposes, and with an authority which cannot be delegated." The fundamental principle of our own Congregationl Union is not more explicit : "That the Union of Congregational Churches and Ministers throughout England and Wales is founded on a full recognition of their own destinctive principle, namely, the Scriptural right of every separate Church to maintain perfect independence in the government and administration of its own particular affairs; and, therefore, that the Union shall not, in any case, assume legislative authority, or become a court of appeal." The difference between the two is, in fact, in favour of the American. While the English "principle" asserts only the Scriptural right of every separate Church to maintain perfect independence," the American asserts the duty or obligation of every Church so to do, by declaring the "authority" with which it is invested to be" an

early in its sessions, a special service of devotion, for the acknowledgment of the marvellous and merciful dealings of Almighty God with the nation, in connection with the war, and for supplicating a gracious dispensation of the Spirit of God upon the land, that our restored national unity may be consecrated in righteousness and in the peace and joy of the Holy Ghost.

The Congregational Churches of America are often said to be "more Presbyterian" than our own. But the remark is founded on a vague idea of what Presbyterianism is. Nothing could be more thoroughly "Indepen

But the Americans recognize another principle more clearly than we do, and are less afraid to act upon it;the principle of union or combination for common purposes. They maintain not the lawfulness merely, but the duty of such combination. The

Fellowship" of Churches is with them as sacred a principle as their individual "completeness" and "authority." "All Churches," we read in the document already cited, "hold relations of fellowship one with another, under which it is one of their

duties and privileges to meet for counsel in cases of general moment." And this principle is acted upon more systematically than among us, and is embodied in more regular forms of organisation. Hence the appearance of Presbyterianism. But the essence of Presbyterianism is not union and combination and counsel, but "authority"-the authority of the "Presbyters," or ministers and elders of a district, over the worship and discipline of the Churches of the district. And one of the gravest practical questions which English Independency has to consider, is whether, through dread of the "authority" of Presbyterianism, it does not sacrifice much of the strength which can be attained only by union and combination.

How carefully the American Independents watch over their own distinctive principles will be seen in the very mode in which they resolved to convene their great council. "The call for the Council," it was resolved, should be sent to each Church in season to allow it to take action before selecting its delegates to the various local conferences, and to instruct those delegates accordingly."

"This point is of vital importance," says an American minister, in the pages of the New York "Independent," "especially as it is likely to serve as a precedent for future action in similar cases, and as it involves the whole principle of Congregationalism. In the Presbyterian Church, the Presbytery is a body representing Church sessions; the Synod represents the Presbyteries; and the General Assembly represents the Synods. All our principles and all our history unite in saying 'Let it not be so among you!"

Christ has given His sanction to no organization but the local or parochial Church. All the rest are mere affairs of convenience, and it is to the honour of Congregationalism that, after leaving the local Church, all uniformity ceases, and every cluster of churches and ministers devises such a style of association and fellowship as seems to it good. The local Church should be honoured. Its Independence, its dignity, its vast superiority to all 'conferences' and 'associations' of every name and nature, should be jealously guarded. While the usurpation of any of its functions and prerogatives by any outside body should be sturdily resisted."

The general object of this Assembly is stated to be :

"To consider the present exigencies and opportunities of the kingdom of Christ." And the preliminary conferences agreed to recommend the following subjects for consideration : 1. The work of evangelization, in the West and South, and in foreign lands. 2. Church building. 3. Education for the ministry-in colleges, theological seminaries, or otherwise; and ministerial support. 4. Local and parochial evangelization. 5. The expediency of issuing a statement of Congregational Church polity. 6. The expediency of setting forth a declaration of the Christian faith, as held in common by the Congregational Churches. 7. The classification of benevolent organizations to be recommended to the patronage of the Churches.

There is one expression here which reminds us of the past-"parochial evangelization." Few of our readers probably need to be told that Congregationalism was at one time the only religion in New England, and that it

was an "Established" religion, and had its parishes like the mother country. Some of the nomenclature of that state of things survives to this day.

The first object of the Council in Boston, specified in the programme which we have quoted, is "The work of evangelization West and South and in foreign lands;" and in exposition of it we avail ourselves of letters by the Rev. John P. Gulliver, in "The Independent":

"The duty of the Congregational Churches to participate with other Churches in the evangelization of the West and South,' to the full extent of their resources, is placed at the head of the topics to be considered by the National Council. It was so

placed by design. Its consideration is to be the great point in the deliberations of that body. All the other themes proposed, as is well understood, are to be discussed chiefly as they bear upon this. The re-enunciation of our Church polity, the declaration of our doctrinal agreement, the investigation of the causes which are turning men of talent from our ministry, with all the rest, are to be considered chiefly in their relation to the vast augmentation of power and responsibility which is rapidly coming into our hands. To use the Scripture phrase, the denomination is "girding up its loins" for the new work upon which it must soon enter, all over our renovated land. A distinguished Western Congregationalist has forcibly expressed the whole matter thus:

If I understand the calling of this Council, it is to have one object, viz., the arousing, organizing, and impelling the whole vast slumbering denominational power and resources of our body upon the immense work of

Christianizing the southern half of this nation, so suddenly opened and so fully thrown by God upon His Church.

"The deliberations and conclusions of the Council will doubtless have other results than the one thus specially aimed at, and these results will be of great value, even though no special missionary work were before us. But the thorough evangelization of the new territories of the West and the renovated territories of the South is the immediate and grand necessity, in special reference to which all the measures brought before the Council will be likely to receive their shape.

"For example, the measures of the Council, if they are wise, will tend to consolidate our existing Churches into one organic whole. This consolidation will be effected, not by an ecclesiastical organization which shall hoop them into oneness by an annual hammering with rules and resolutions, but by that "unity of the Spirit" which is the real "bond of peace"a unity which is produced by consultation, agreement, and declaration in our national and local councils, followed by the free and intelligent assent of each sovereign Church, and enforced solely by that public opinion which binds our commonwealth of independent Churches into one system." Again, Mr. Gulliver says :—

"1. There is a great work now to be done for Christ in the West and South, and at the close of the war that work will be immense. Is there any good reason why Congregationalists should leave that work entirely to other denominations? Perhaps there is no one denomination, properly so called, which has in its hands more of the wealth of the country, its business enterprises, its educational institutions, its benevolent societies, and all its forms of material and moral power, than ours. Can we stand justified to Him who hath said 'Go ye into all the world,' if we remain comfortably about our fathers' altars, to enjoy our free ecclesiastical polity, our fullyappointed churches, our learned ministry, our well-ordered communities and our matchless schools, while destitution, feebleness, and disorder reign over vast tracts of our national domain?

"2. This work cannot all be done by other denominations, nor by us, through other denominations. There

them. If you have anything which is New England all over and clean thorough, bring us that. That is the thing!'

Moreover the sons of New

England will be scattered over the West and the South more numerously than ever, and will demand for themselves the introduction of Congregationalism. They will not be willing to abandon their forms of church-life as they have hitherto done. New England Christians are learning the worth of these forms, and of the principles they embody. They will not be easy or happy in the strait-jackets of other systems, especially now that there is to be such an imperious call for work. A Congregationalist can be well enough laid up in ordinary' in an Episcopal or a Presbyterian Church; but if he has anything to do, he wants a fair field and loose clothes. Majorities are much more to his liking than sessions, and vestries, and organizations, and authorities. Congregationalism will be demanded West and South, and will go there, whether we push it forward or not.”

Not, however, for its own sake, as a mere system of polity, is it designed to carry Congregationalism into the States now emerging out of chaos into peace and order—but as a preacher of truth and freedom. And may God speed it on its holy mission!-In our next number we hope to be able to report what the "Council" has done.

I MUST disavow again the purpose of affirming that there is in our pulpit ministrations generally a want of adaptedness for the building up of high Christian

character to the extent that answers at once unfavourable and unqualified to the questions I have put would involve. I would only observe that I think it will

assist us to the knowledge of what may be wanting in it for that end if we follow the lines of inquiry which I have ventured to indicate. Or, if some, with such assistance as this might give, would still hesitate, on account of the limited range of individual observation, to pass any judgment on the general character of our ministry, it may at least help each one among us to judge of his own ministrations, whether they are calculated to instruct as well as to impress, to raise the superstructure of pure and noble characters on the foundations which he lays of repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of

There are many things which operate unfavourably to the prevalence of such a ministration, to some of which I propose to direct my remaining remarks. them is found in the demand for strong emotional excitement which characterises our day. It is the common and just complaint that greatly to attract and please, there must be now the power strongly to excite. It is the sensational that is sure to be popular. The theatres and lecturerooms fill when they promise the audience what is strange and startling. The books will sell largely which contain powerful stimulants to the emotions. There is a craving at the heart of society for excitement. It is felt in our congregations. Those who form them would hear what is novel and stirring. The sensational preacher draws the crowd. But the preaching that aims, and with any prospect of success at edification, "the perfecting of the saints," will rarely be of a kind to create a sensation. There are, indeed, men among us whom we all honour and prize; and who so unite to an imaginative or deeply passionate nature the gift of eloquent speech, that whatever be their theme or immediate aim, they are able to move to some pitch of intensity the feelings of those who hear them. Even they, however, find this least to be done when they would guide the consciences they have awakened, and instruct in the ways and means of spiritual improvement. In the case of the many, who do not share in their special endowments, it will then hardly be done at all. Preaching to instruct, and so to raise the

spirit and form of the habitual life, they will seldom stir up strong emotions.

But, that excitement of feeling is what is most desired. Hence the temptation in the choice of topics and in the method of their treatment to disregard that which is good for the use of edifying, for the sake of that which is serviceable for the pur pose of pleasing; to consider first what will strike, not what will profit; what will make a sensation, not what will build up the character.

It is not the preacher's duty or wisdom to be indifferent to the popular taste or passion for excitement, but to adapt himself to it so far as this may serve the ends of his ministry. The danger is, lest he should miss those ends in the endeavour to gratify it. It should be his care to remember, what he well enough knows, that he is sent not to 'please but to instruct, not to preach sermons which men can enjoy because they pleasantly break the monotony of their habitual experience, but to preach sermons which they often ought not to be able to enjoy, for the reason that their aim and tendency are to make them better.

It is an evil sign when the congregation disperses with satisfaction on every face and praise on every tongue. It was not thus with the assemblies which our Lord addressed when they withdrew from His presence. He who serves Him in the Gospel need consider and lay it to heart for his guidance, and often for his consolation and encouragement, how much nobler a thing it is to be a teacher than an entertainer, a healer of men's souls than a dispenser of pleasant stimulants; how unspeakably better to lead a few some steps on towards the perfection of their nature, than only to attract and gratify the multitude; how poor a thing it is to excite the wonder of a crowd, and thrill it with the emotion of a passing hour, compared with the training of a single soul for the service and blessedness of eternity.

The impatience of slow action and delay which marks the times in which we live is unfavourable to the ministry which seeks the progress and maturity of Christian character. Men cannot now endure the slow paces at which their