judgment, in order to your clearer estimation of proper distinctions."*

This Address, which produced a very great impression, being concluded, Dr. Raffles, of Liverpool, moved instanter, and the Rev. Dr. Leifchild, of London, seconded:

II. That the warm thanks of the Assembly be given to Dr. Hamilton for his admirable Address now delivered, and that he be respectfully requested to consent that it be forthwith printed.

Dr. Raffles put the motion, which was immediately adopted by acclamation, and Dr. Hamilton intimated frankly his kind assent.

The following delegates were then announced and introduced to the meeting:-the Rev. Messrs. Campbell and Wight, of Edinburgh, and the Rev. Mr. Cullen, of Leith, delegates from the Scottish Congregational Union. The Rev. Dr. W. L. Alexander, of Edinburgh, also deputed from Scotland, entered the Assembly subsequently. The Rev. Dr. Bewglass, and the Rev. J. D. Smith, delegates from the Congregational Union of Ireland. The Rev. W. Fordyce, of Beragh, appeared on behalf of the brethren in Ireland connected with the Irish Evangelical Society. Also, the Rev. Dr. Mason, of New York, and the Rev. Mr. Fowler, of that city, were welcomed as beloved brethren of another evangelical community.

The Rev. A. Wells then read the Report of the Committee; on which it was moved by the Rev. J. Kelly, of Liverpool; seconded by David Derry, Esq., of Plymouth, and adopted:

III. That the Report of the Committee now read be adopted and printed, as last year, in the CHRISTIAN WITNESS, and in the Year-Book for the present year.

REPORT.

HONOURED BRETHREN,-Permit your Committee to preface the exposition now to be given of your affairs confided to its management through the past year, with brief but very cordial salutations of pleasure and hope on occasion of your present meeting, convened as you are at a time when the benefits of mutual counsel, the encouragements of brotherly communion, and the blessings to be gained by united prayer, seem to be more than commonly needed.

The Committee can hardly err or offend when it opens its communications to the assembly by bespeaking of all present every effort, and by imploring from God every influence, necessary to secure throughout all your proceedings that genuine Christian temper, in which wisdom, charity, courage, and meekness, hold their due proportions, and exert each its proper power in its appropriate place. Then, though we meet under the influence of perplexing, and it may be, depressing circumstances, we shall separate with clearer views of the course of public duty demanded of us by these interesting but difficult times, and shall * Εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τὰ διαφέροντα.

The

As respects your publications, the Committee is happy to repeat the reports of former years by announcing the continued increase of demand for your Hymn-book. The sale for the year 1846 considerably exceeded that for 1845. Of the demand for your Tract series, former unfavourable statements must be renewed."' These publications are but little called for. The historical memorials still require mention. The copies of the first volume are so far exhausted that no more can be sold separately. Of volume the second, and particularly of volume the third, so many copies remain on hand, as to prove that many subscribers have To ministers of never yet completed their sets. our own body therefore, single copies of the second or third volume, or complete sets, are still offered on subscribers' terms, that is, half-aguinea per volume.

The Calendar, in its altered form and reduced price, as a useful compendium and directory of religious intelligence for the year, has obtained a wider circulation; and the experiment of the Year-Book promises well. Great pains were taken to render it complete and interesting, and the Committee has been encouraged by the approval and circulation the work has met with. Commendation and thanks are due to the editor for his judicious and laborious care to compile an accurate and full epitome of the denomination. It is obvious that the first essay in such a work must be the most difficult, and the least perfect. Each successive year will supply corrections and improvements. It needs only that the encouragement due to this work be given

by its extensive purchase among our brethren, and the body may be put in possession of a regular and permanent record of its proceedings and statistics, inferior in interest and authenticity to no similar document published by any other denomination of Christians.

The finances of the Union continue in a state of extreme difficulty. The ordinary contributed income of the Union has in no one year amounted to one hundred pounds. Some large occasional donations and bequests have alone rendered its continued operations, or even existence, possible. The profits on publications have been leaned on as a resource, but they are very inconsiderable. Your Hymn-book has alone yielded any profits at all, and these have been diminished by losses on all your other publications, the Magazines alone excepted, the noble gains on which yield no benefit or relief to the Union, being appropriated sacred and entire to the blessed work of comforting the old age of faithful pastors. This great

and constant want of resources has of course brought debt and difficulty in its train. These accumulated arrears had a year ago reached such an amount as made an effort to obtain five hundred pounds indispensable. That effort was made, and followed up to the utmost verge of propriety, but it failed; the entire sum obtained to the present time being no more than £306 28. Od. But though this extraordinary appeal did not realize the object aimed at, it does seem to have diminished for the time contributions in every other form, the whole amount of which for the year now reported, being only £70 2s. 6d.

If some remedy be not provided for this evil, it must prove fatal to the Union. Now to this combination of the independent churches of our country, your Committee is strongly attached, and hopes that this Assembly fully shares in that attachment. The Committee avows a growing conviction that this Union is safe, beneficial, and necessary, to the churches and brethren associated in it. To secure for it therefore an adequate income; to place it still more than hitherto in harmony not only with the principles, but with the feelings of the churches; to render its assemblies more completely selfgoverned meetings originating within themselves all their proceedings-a careful revision of the constitution and forms of the Union has been diligently proposed by the Committee, pursuant to instructions to that effect given by the last Annual Assembly. This proposed revision was submitted to the Autumnal Meeting at Plymouth, and was there carefully examined and amended. The Committee has since again

reviewed it, and endeavoured to supply some minor omissions and corrections. In this form it will be submitted for your consideration, not however with any proposal for its definitive adoption at this meeting, but for its reference, in that form in which it may receive your approval, to the churches for their judgment severally pronounced. Its final adoption to be dependent on the issue of the proposed reference. The remedy proposed for financial difficulties is, to render an annual contribution a condition of membership; a plan for the adoption of which many considerations powerfully plead. It would make the pecuniary support of the Union, by its distribution among all the churches, light and easy to each; it would render the income of the Union regular and permanent; it would distinctly define membership in the Union, and right of voting in its meetings; it would enable the Union to undertake various works of usefulness for the denomination, all attempts at which have been hitherto forbidden by want of funds. But the assembly will doubtless carefully examine and consider all these proposed organic changes, and will decide whether they are improvements so advantageous and necessary as to warrant their recommendations to the churches for final adoption.

The October collections for British Missions have not equalled the hopes entertained of increasing proceeds from year to year. Still there is no room for despondency or complaint. For the year reported in May, 1846, liberal extra exertions had been made by many churches especially in London, Manchester, and Nottingham. Hence on that year there was a great advance over all previous years. The amount therefore to be now reported, falls seriously short of that announced a year ago; but it somewhat exceeds that for the next preceding year, a comparison with which is more fair.

For the year reported in May,

1845, the amount contributed by 311 churches was For that reported in May, 1846, by 342 churches For that now reported May, 1847, by 304 churches

£1345 18 8

5617 17 11

4411 2 3

So that the present year falls short of 1845 in the number of contributing churches, by seven ; and 1846, by thirty-eight. It exceeds 1845 in amount received by £65 3s. 7d., though it falls below 1846 by £1206 15s. 8d. As a very liberal share of the extra collections of 1846 was assigned to the Colonial Missionary Society, the

in considering the amount thus obtained for British missions for the year now closed, when it is remembered what large and generons efforts were made to alleviate distress in Ireland and Scotland by so many of our churches, at the time when otherwise their liberality might have been exerted in favour of British missions; the results obtained present occasion for gratitude and confidence rather than for any contrary sentiments.

But British missions are all-important. Nothing should be left undone by which their efficiency and resources may be increased. Proposals for rendering the management of the three Societies more vigorous, by bringing the whole under one Board of Directors, and for obtaining more influential annual services, by combining the three objects in united meetings, are under consideration. This latter proposal, namely, that for altered arrangements in regard to the annual meetings, will render it necessary to submit for the consideration of this assembly some changes in the times appropriated to the annual proceedings of the Union; present arrangements having been settled by mutual consent, alterations cannot be otherwise effected. The week at present appropriated to the annual transaction in London of the business of our various institutions is quite insufficient. This short period is crowded with engagements. Brethren are wearied with pressure of effort and distraction of objects. Hence, some important meetings are but thinly attended, and much weighty business is hurried over with very inadequate consideration. The business, properly so called, of our great institutions, has now reached such magnitude that it can receive no sufficient attention or discussion in meetings mainly designed for popular impression. It is probable that at no distant period, an extension of the time devoted to these important objects will be secured, and much business now submitted to popular meetings will be transacted by conventions of delegates. For the present, while time is so limited and insufficient, it is indispensable by friendly concert to turn to the best account for our common objects every hour of the week, interesting and almost sacred to us as "the missionary week."

The Committee must not fail to report its part in carrying forward the proposal adopted

at the last Autumnal Meeting at Plymouth for attempts to secure united action in congregational missions in Ireland. It is well known that the separate action in this department, of the Irish Evangelical Society, and the Congregational Union of Ireland, has created real inconveniences, and has worn the aspect of rivalry. Some misunderstandings and alienations did in fact spring out of this state of affairs. ΤΟ adjust existing differences, and to advise on plans for future harmonious co-operation, a Committee was nominated by the meeting at Plymouth. It devolved on your Committee to seek the consent of the two Committees interested to the mediation thus proposed, and to conduct all necessary correspondence and arrangements till the desired meeting of the Committee of Reference could be convened. This meeting took place at Birmingham, on the 23rd of March, and following days. Of the nine gentlemen named for the service at Plymouth, seven gave attendance at this meeting; -the Revs. Drs. Harris and Massie, Messrs. Ely and Binney, and Messrs. J. Morley, W. Wilson, and W. D. Wills. The two Committees of the Irish Evangelical Society, and of the Congregational Union of Ireland, were represented by brethren deputed by them respectively. It is due to state that the report of the proceedings on this occasion received by your Committee, represents that nothing could exceed the patient and thorough attention given to the whole subject by the brethren who had kindly undertaken to mediate and advise thereon, so that whatever may be the ultimate results of their counsel, the whole denomination owes them a debt of gratitude and thanks for their impartial and laborious efforts. It is pleasant to add, that the meeting at Birmingham closed with hope among all present that the exercise on all sides, of Christian prudence and temper, harmonious co-operation between the churches of England and Ireland, in conducting missions in the latter country, may prove to be the happy result of the proceedings and counsels then adopted. Your Committee must venture on a request to all brethren who can bring any influence to bear on this subject, that they would employ it to the best of their power in favour of union and peace. It only remains to be added that the Committee of Reference will present to this Assembly its own distinct report of its proceedings, through Samuel Morley, Esq., the chairman.

Some progress has been made in improving and enlarging the published statistical returns of the denomination, by the various lists and statements given in the Year-book. Nothing

equally complete and authentic had been ever before compiled. No doubt many inaccuracies remain to be corrected, and many deficiencies to be supplied. But a satisfactory commencement has been made. Other associations, like those of Finsbury, Somerset, and North Bucks, may be encouraged to make public at least the aggregate number of church-members in the united churches, and to add returns of Sundayscholars and teachers. The origin of our associations and of our collegiate institutions is now placed on record in a compendious form. Our affairs and proceedings will emerge into daylight, not it is hoped to our dishonour in the view of others, and without many advantages of instruction and guidance, reproof and encouragement, to ourselves. Your diligent Secretary who labours in this department, and to whom the denomination has long owed much for his efforts therein, has also collated and arranged all the various returns possessed by the Union, and they are now carefully bound up for preservation and reference in seven considerable and valuable volumes. It has however been feared that complete statistical returns of our churches are rendered quite unattainable through the entire absence, in some cases, of church records, and in far more numerous instances by the incompleteness and inaccuracy of such imperfect narratives of their proceedings and history as have been preserved. Few documents are of deeper interest than a well-kept church-book. Those which remain to us of such records preserved by the venerable founders of our churches, setting forth the labours, sufferings, and fidelity of our fathers two centuries ago, are replete with instruction and value. Every pastor should number among his sacred duties to the church, care to preserve a faithful record of its transactions. The review of its pages will often admonish and delight his own mind, and his successors will find them fragrant with the names and characters, the holy conversions, lives, and deaths, of pastors and members long before departed to glory. With a view, therefore, to facilitate the general practice, and the successful care, of keeping accurate and complete church-books, the Committee has prepared, and will publish, model-books suitably ruled and arranged for the purpose, aiming still that as we are a people whose origin is not of yesterday, nor our end of to-morrow, that we should ever work for the future, and labour to hand on our denomination to our successors in more vigour, improved order, and higher spirituality than we found it.

All the preliminary measures for the esta

blishment of the "Christian Mutual Provident Society" have been sanctioned and promoted by successive Assemblies of this Union. That Society has been at length commenced under most hopeful auspices. Its Committee desires to present to this Assembly a report of progress thus far made. Your Committee second the wish that the offered document should be received. The Society is for a noble object, and is admirably constructed. It holds out incalculable advantages to Christian churches, families, and individuals. It severs the baneful connexion between benefit societies and the public-house, with its evil communications corrupting good manners. It offers the various benefits of relief in sickness, annuities in old age, endowments for children to be received at a prescribed age, and life insurances payable on the decease of the insured. It accepts male and female without distinction. It affiliates its branches in all parts of the kingdom, so that a member removing from Cornwall to Cumberland finds his membership and his claims undisturbed. Its tables have been so carefully calculated, and its resources will be so strengthened by extension, that it will be, humanly speaking, inaccessible to that failure which has fallen on so many seemingly secure clubs, to the grief and wrong of their members, left destitute at the very time of expectation and want. It is open to membership for classes higher than those for whose benefit such institutions have been hitherto generally designed. In particular it presents great and obvious advantages to ministers whose incomes are too limited and scanty. It would be a happy relief to such brethren, in times of personal or family sickness, that they themselves, and the members of their household, were found enrolled in a beneficent and honourable association like this; and in the present state of English society, amidst the petty persecutions to which humble Christians are exposed, no honourable efforts should be spared to raise them securely above dependence on any who would deny temporal relief as a means of coercing or punishing conscience. In every view, therefore, the Committee is anxious to assist in bringing the 'Christian Mutual Provident Society" into favourable notice, and in commending it to the active patronage of all the brethren of this Union.

The brethren in Van Diemen's Land appealed to your Committee for co-operation in resisting a proposal to establish in that colony an ecclesiastical court; for the promotion of which object the Bishop of Tasmania has made a visit to this country. Your Committee accordingly forwarded to Earl Grey, Principal Secretary of

State for the Colonies, a memorial protesting against the erection of such court, with any jurisdiction over persons not strictly and voluntarily members of the Episcopal Church in that island. The Committee also embodied in its memorial complaint of a grant of public money in South Australia for ecclesiastical purposes, in contravention of the original principle and plan on which that most hopeful colony was founded; and further complained that in Van Dieman's Land privileges in respect of free access for religious purposes to the convict population, which are enjoyed by Romanists, Episcopalians, and Wesleyans, have been denied to Congregationalists. The memorial and reply will be printed. It will be found that his Lordship's answer, though not satisfactory on all points, is courteous and liberal, according to the sentiments now prevailing among statesmen on the subject of government patronage and religion. Those opinions are now far different from what they were in the memory of many. Formerly one form of religion, deemed the true one by the ruling powers, was to be fostered by the State; all others, though tolerated as matter of expediency, were to be discouraged, or at most left to themselves and to their own resources. Driven from this exclusive ground by the progress of opinion-by the growing strength and numbers of the unendowed bodies of Christians -and not least, by the utter inapplicability of the system to colonial society, our statesmen would now tax all for the endowment of all. This continental system presents to their minds an aspect of equal fairness and expediency. This change of sentiment among public men is not slight or unimportant. It proves that opinion on such subjects is not immovable. As a step gained by argument, consistency, and perseverance, it encourages continued effort in the same direction. But we should exactly understand the ground we now occupy in this all-important controversy. Statesmen of no party, of no shade of opinion, as yet admit in the slightest degree the force of our appeals in favour of the purely voluntary support of churches, or of our representations that it is a force and hardship on conscience to be taxed for the support of religious opinions of which the payer disapproves, though with never so strong a condemnation. These problems have yet to be demonstrated by processes of reasoning, of deeds, and perhaps of more than difficulties, on the part of voluntary churches, for which they cannot too soon prepare and make up their minds. The conclusion, when reached, will be found worth far more than all it ever cost; like every previous step in the one great struggle from Popery

to reformation, from reformation to toleration, from toleration to propagation, and last and most perfect of all, from propagation to the entire emancipation of the kingdom of Christ from the powers of a world to which it does not belong.

Exactly the same principles have been involved and contested in the present more public and stirring movements on the subject of education; on which your Committee did not fail to set forth its early, explicit, and decided declaration. Here again to tax all, to help all, and so to control all, is the wisdom of the day. The sentiment is taking. It finds favour with many truly liberal minds. It is admitted by many in its application to schools, who reject it in reference to churches. The contrary sentiment will place those friends of education who adopt it for the present, in a trying position. Thought, prayer, decision, and union, will be required of them. But more the Committee needs not add on this subject, because in the concluding session of the Assembly it alone will occupy the attention it so well deserves, and so urgently needs.

The last Autumnal Meeting at Plymouth was most happy, harmonious, and successful. The ministers and churches there abounded in hospitality and brotherly kindness. Deep impressions were produced by the various proceedings and discussions of the morning sessions, as well as by the more public popular services held in the evenings. Brethren from remote parts of the kingdom obtained pleasant recognition and fellowship. A visit of the Union to the far west was well deserved and well repaid. The benefits and pleasures were mutual-the Union was strengthened, and the churches by which it was welcomed were refreshed and cheered. It is proposed that the next Autumnal Meeting be held at York. On the proposal of your ComImittee the two churches in that ancient city have respectively addressed to the Union resolutions of cordial invitation and assurances of a warm welcome. The locality of York is very favourable; it will enable brethren from the remote north of England to be present, while it will be easily accessible to the great counties of York and Lancaster, as well as to the extensive north midland district, where our churches are 80 numerous. The reputation of York is as favourable for our purpose as its position. Every brother who can accomplish the object will delight to visit the pastors and churches of York. The Committee feels, therefore, entirely secure of an approving vote for an adjournment of this Assembly to a meeting in York at the usual period in October next.

Having nothing further to communicate, the