worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." God is looking and waiting and seeking for true piety,-piety which is not emotion, but love; which is emancipated from form, delivered from the yoke of fear, and which is a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

Gentlemen and friends, Christian brothers, Alumni of this school of Christian truth, -I congratulate you on the work to which you are called. No Antichrist of church authority, of Orthodoxy, or of emotional religion, comes between your soul and the sight of Christ at his coming. Stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made you free, and be not subject again to any yoke of bondage, — not to creeds, not to churches, not to ceremonies, nor even to emotions. Let the dead bury their dead: go you, and preach the kingdom of God. Let your words be seeds of truth, to bear fruit hereafter, if not now. Look forward to the great day of Christ's coming in the clouds of heaven, in an illumination of spiritual religion, in a widespread flow of brotherly love, in a simple trust in God's fatherly care. The day is sure to come, in which all churches, creeds, and parties shall be dissolved and swallowed up in his light of love. Labor for the coming of that day. We may not live to see it; though methinks its dawn is already lighting the mountain-tops. The advanced guard of many differing hosts are already meeting in the Valley of Decision.

Adopt for your maxim, then, the legend and device on the seal of John Quincy Adams, an acorn striking root, "For the coming age."

with the motto, "Alteri sæculo,”

Let us not pine for any fleshpots of Egypt; let us not yield to any poor re-action from Christ to Antichrist, like the foolish Galatians, bewitched by the hollow forms, empty of the best life of love.

As our brave brothers and friends to-day go gladly to fight for freedom and union in the State, so let us contend as steadfastly for freedom and union in the Church.

Let

us stand by our flag, the white, blue, and red of Christianity, — the white faith, pure and simple; the hope, blue as the heavens to which it aspires; and the glowing red of a divine and human love. And as our late splendid visitor, who

"Fired the length of Ophiucus large

In the Arctic sky, and from his horrid hair
Shook pestilence and war,"

comes only occasionally, and soon disappears, while the gentle and regular planets spin on soft axle through their steadfast orbit, without haste or rest, attended with silver ring or sparkling satellites; so let us leave the fiery and ominous theologies to come and go, dreadful portents, shaking war on their way, while we circle evermore around God, seen in Christ, as the sun of our system, and the light of our souls.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ASSOCIATION.

THERE is reason to believe that our societies generally wish to have, from time to time, a distinct and complete statement of the contributions made to the funds of the American Unitarian Association. There are many reasons why such statements should be made. Societies need to be reminded, if they have not made a contribution. Societies which have made contributions ought to have their gifts fully acknowledged. The zeal of one society ought to provoke another to good works.

We have therefore made out, with some care, a full statement of all the money given, for all objects, to the

American Unitarian Association, by each society in the denomination. We have selected for this purpose the last year, of which we have a full report, — from January, 1860, to January, 1861.

It will be seen from this statement, that a very large number of the parishes contributed nothing to the missionary funds of the Association during this year; that a considerable number gave very small donations; and that none of our societies gave what may be called a large donation.

While many societies in the Orthodox sects give their thousands yearly to the Board of Foreign Missions, and other thousands to the Tract Society and Education Society and Home-Mission Society, our churches, many of which are as wealthy as these, give only their hundreds, or give nothing.

Why is this? Why, for example, to make the point more distinct,- should the Old South Church or Dr. N. Adams's Church give $4,000 or $5,000 per annum to the A. B. F. M., and King's Chapel or Brattle Square give nothing to our Association?

The answer must be one of these three:

Our societies do not believe in missionary action;

Or else, believing in missionary action, they do not believe in the American Unitarian Association as a medium of that action;

Or else, having a latent belief in missions, and also in the American Unitarian Association, they have not had their attention properly called to the subject, and therefore do not realize what they can and ought to do in the matter.

So far as the first obstacle intervenes, the Association can do nothing. It is for the pastors of the churches respectively to instruct their members in what they owe to the cause of Christian truth and Christian righteousness; it is

for the pastors to make the people comprehend their duties in relation to Christ's coming and his kingdom.

So far as the second objection prevails (viz., a want of confidence in the American Unitarian Association as the medium of their action), we can only show the churches our list of officers, and ask them, if dissatisfied, to remove and replace them by others in whom they have more confidence. The American Unitarian Association is here, a machine already made, which you can use as you will. If you want it altered, alter it; but use it, at all events, use it.

But if the reason why more funds are not contributed is thoughtlessness or ignorance in the churches, we may do something to remove this obstacle by such statements as we here make. We can show the societies what we want to do, and how little we are able to do it. We can show them how little they are doing, and ask them to do more. We can beg them to be regular and systematic in their donations.

We have some two hundred and fifty societies in our denomination. Of these, perhaps fifty are either in a dying or dead condition, or are unable from other causes to contribute to our funds. This leaves two hundred societies to whom we may look. If each of these societies should contribute regularly to our funds, say, an average of $100,- we should immediately have from this source $20,000. But there are, in every society, individuals who might give $100. Some of our rich city societies contain fifty persons who might give each $1,000. There are single societies which could give, and which ought to give, $50,000 a year for missionary objects; yes, and which, if they live long enough, will give that amount. But, for the present, we may be contented if we can induce two hundred of our societies to agree to give every year some

The

thing, be it more or less, for missionary objects. average given in 1860, by the societies which then gave, was, it will be seen, $67 each. If this were increased to an average of $75 each, and two hundred societies were to give it regularly, we should have an income, from this source, of $15,000.

Now, what could we do with $15,000?

1. We could devote $5,000 per annum to the India Mission. This would enable us to put it on a fine foundation, to maintain the school with two hundred native pupils and a corps of teachers, and to circulate the works of Channing and of like minds throughout all India.

2. We could devote $5,000 more per annum to Home Missions. This would enable us to have a missionary in nearly every State of the Union, and to circulate our tracts and books wherever they are called for.

3. We could increase the circulation of the "Monthly Journal" by advertising, and cause it to go into a multitude of places where it is not known. We could send our books and our pamphlets in all directions, and educate for the ministry such men as ought to be aided. We could aid societies to go forward and maintain worship, and revive the things which are about to perish. Is it not worth while to try to do all this?

The following churches contributed nothing, in 1860, to the funds of the American Unitarian Association, either by donation, or subscription to the "Monthly," or any other form:

Albany, N.Y.
Alton, Ill.

North Andover.

Athol.

Austinburg.

Bedford.
Bernardston.

Bloomington, Ill.
Bolton.

First Church, Boston.
King's Chapel, Boston.
Brattle Street, Boston.
New North, Boston.
Bulfinch Street, Boston.
Twelfth Congregational, Boston.
Broadway, South Boston.
Church of the Unity, Boston.
Braintree.