year two or three young men of education and real promise have come forward; but we need a larger number of such, if the Hall is to do justice to itself, and afford a supply of capable men for the wants of the Churches; and the responsibility of this rests with the pastors, office-bearers, and parents in our Churches throughout the country. (Applause).

With regard to the strength of the teaching staff in the Hall, I think all must admit that until lately we have scarcely done our duty as a denomination. It is only four years since a third professor was added, and time has not yet been given for sufficiently testing the benefits of that improvement. But when you take into account that up to that period the whole work of superintending the theological studies of our students had to be undertaken by only two professors, who had besides the arduous duties of their own pastorates to discharge, you can see that unless these had been men of very exceptional ability and scholarship, it would scarcely have been possible for them to meet the expectations of the churches in regard to all that the hall was designed to do. (Hear, hear). When you consider the variety of subjects which had to be embraced, and the amount of time and energy which it was possible to devote to them, the results produced were amazing; and financially it must be admitted the outlay was exceedingly small. (Applause). Until very recently, I am inclined to think we have been committing the mistake of some of those small churches of which we sometimes hear, who want a pastor who will do great things among them. They are not to be easily satisfied. The minister that will suit them must be a man of experience, a man of decided ability and thorough education, a good speaker, able to preach without the aid of the manuscript—(a laugh)- —a good visitor, a man of energy, and tact, and prudence, fitted to inspire new vigour into all the activities of the church, and build up the congregation-and so on; and the salary for which they expect to secure all this, amounts to the munificent sum of £100! We have hitherto expended very little on the teaching staff of the Theological Hall; and we have been expecting far too much for the outlay. Our professors have been obliged to keep to their own pastoral work, which is in itself sufficiently onerous; and until we are able to relieve one of them entirely from such work, so that he may devote his whole time and strength to the students, or until we can make another addition still to the number, I do not see that we are at all entitled to complain of the results produced. As a previous student of the hall, I come forward thus to plead in its defence and urge its support. I am not ashamed of my Theological Alma Mater; and it is with all cordiality and goodwill that I now move the adoption and circulation of this annual report. (Loud applause).

Rev. Mr BLACKLOCK, Arran, seconded the motion.

Rev. Dr RALEIGH, of London, the Delegate from the Congregational Union of England and Wales, rose amidst loud applause, and said he appeared at that meeting, not to make a speech, but simply to show face, because the Secretary of the Union seemed to think that, in the present educational condition of Scotland any departure from 66 use and wont" would be very serious, and it had always been the custom for the Delegate from England to appear at that meeting. (A laugh). He would feel little satisfied with himself, however, if he did not say with how much pleasure and interest he had listened to the reports that morning, and to the appearances and statements-full of seriousness and encouragement-made by the professors. That expression of interest from him was more than words of course. the last two years he had been the senior minister of two large congregations; and, notwithstanding that, at the death of Mr Binney, he charged him that he must succeed him at New College, and, at great cost to himself, he went for a whole year to New College lecturing to the students on the subject of preaching; so that he felt a most profound and hearty interest in the work of that Hall, and he could endorse from all his experience and observation, the statements made as to the extreme specific present importance of that work. Never since the Christian ministry had been exercised in the world

For

had it been more important that it should be a well-instructed, potent, wise, cautious, yet zealous and forceful ministry than in these times. (Applause). They were told, indeed, by people who seemed to understand what they said, that the function of the pulpit had been well-nigh blotted out, and that what they had now to do was to give way to the instruction of books and of the press. Now, far be it from him to throw back any counter-statement, he was very thankful for all good books and for the press of the country; but he thought there was work for the ministry yet. (Applause). He thought they had got a greater work to do than they ever had, and that, in fact, the pulpit never could be set aside. (Applause). The principle of the preaching of the Gospel, never would be set aside. There would be no other way of it so good as this. How did men do in regard to other things? If a man is deeply interested in anything, and knows that his neighbours and friends are as much interested in it as he is, what does he do? He does not sit down to write a book, or compose a leader; but he goes, by face-to-face communication, to tell what he has heard, and to lay down what seems to him the way of duty in the case. Just so, they followed their great Master's example, He was the first preacher-He was the best preacher who ever appeared in this world, and he hardly thought they fully considered all the meanings of this, that Jesus Christ Himself was a preacher, what He did in this world had come to overshadow somewhat what He said. What He did was of importance so profound for this world, and for all worlds, that they did not sufficiently consider what a great preacher He was-how simply He spoke, how much grace, and nature, and simplicity, and power He threw into all His utterances. How easy it seemed when He did it; and how difficult it was for them to do it so! He thought it was the late Dr M'All of Manchester, who once said, "We need all our learning to make things plain and simple, and bring them home to the common heart." They would get in the sacred Scriptures abundant proof that the ministry was a permanent institutionthat it was never meant to be superseded or set aside; but he found the greatest proof and sanction for it just in the nature of the case; and he prayed God that they might have all their desire, and all their need, if they did not desire it; and that they might desire it so that they would ask for it, and would take means to have it; for he did believe that it was just in the realisation of the case as it was, and in the recollection of those great words, so simply spoken by our Master, that they would get a supply of the present need for all their churches; and when they had it, there would be no need to ask then whether it was divinely intended to be permanent, or the most suitable thing or not. All that would be made abundantly plain by the result. (Applause).

Rev. R. TROUP, Huntly, moved the appointment of office-bearers for the ensuing year, which was seconded by the Rev. Mr Campbell, Dumfries, and agreed to. The proceedings were closed with the benediction.

TEMPERANCE SOCIETY SOCIAL MEETING.

A social meeting of the Scottish Congregational Ministers and Members' Temperance Society was held in Ewing Place Church Hall on Tuesday at five o'clock P.M. The chair was occupied by the Rev. Mr Brisbane of Cambuslang, vice-president of the Society, and the hall was filled in every part. After tea had been served, T. E. Methven, Esq., Broughty Ferry, read a paper on "How best to promote Total Abstinence in the Denomination," which elicited an interesting discussion, in the course of which it was stated that about 70 per cent. of the ministers of the Denomination were total abstainers, and a number of practical suggestions were made which were commended to the attention of the Committee. A vote of thanks was given to Mr Methven for his paper, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings.

THE ANNUAL SERMON.

The annual sermon in connection with the Union was preached in the evening in Augustine Church, by the Rev. Dr Raleigh, the English delegate. The preacher took for his text Luke i. 4, and dwelt in a most interesting and impressive manner on what Christians regard as their most deep and cherished certainties" in religious things-the certainty of the historical facts of the Gospel-the certainty that Christianity makes nobler, purer, and more beautiful individual characters than any other system-the certainty that the Christian faith enables those who really have it, to bear the sorrows, troubles, and pains of life, as they could not be borne without it--and the certainty that Christianity alone keeps an open door for us out of this world into another and a better. The preacher closed a long and eloquent discourse by exhorting_all to remember that they could never, after all, be sure of the gospel until they had it in their hearts, and possessed the inward conscious peace and joyful certainty that comes by faith alone.

THE MINISTERS' AND DEACONS' BREAKFASTS.

The Ministers' Breakfast and the Deacons' Breakfast were both held in the Washington Hotel, and both were very agreeable gatherings, the proceedings consisting, as usual, of references to the leading institutions in connection with the Union, and to the importance of giving them liberal support.

THE CONFERENCE.

The annual meeting of the Conference was held in Ewing Place Chapel, on Wednesday, at half-past eleven o'clock-the Rev. Dr Pulsford occupied the chair. After the meeting had been opened with prayer,

The CHAIRMAN said-I regret very much that illness prevented me being at the meeting last year at Dundee; for I am very glad to find that very good service, as I interpret it, was done at that meeting. I think there was begun then a movement which has long been fermenting, and sometimes making an endeavour to give an expression to itself, and sometimes repressed, and as I think not always judiciously. But if I read the signs of the present day correctly, that repression can no longer be exercised. I think the movement then begun is destined to make for itself a course which will require various modifications in our institutions. I have often been asked on former occasions, "But what changes are those which you want, and think desirable?" Í shall endeavour to answer that question, and that will form my address on the present occasion. I think there is good ground for asking the question, and good ground for an endeavour to reply. If I simply take the history of the Congregational Union for the last twenty-two years—the time embraced by my ministry in Scotland-I do not think it can be regarded as altogether satisfactory, or as paying a becoming honour to our principles or our professions. First of all, I would say that one of the changes which we need, and which is especially desirable, is that from this time forth we shall seek to have a local centre. By the absence of this local centre I think we are deprived of a great deal of unity, and fall very much to pieces, and we have no proper continuity given to our history from year to year. It is broken up by our annual meeting being held in different places, and we need a local centre, more especially for the sake of public impression and influence. Reiteration is required if you want to make an impression-the same blow must be given again and again in the same place. To hold our meetings only once in four years in the same place is very prejudicial to us with respect to this public impression and influence. I think, therefore, we should meet annually in Edinburgh; and in order to compensate the districts for what may be lost to them, I would suggest that we should hold an autumnal meeting in regular succession in the different towns; and in order to secure a somewhat numerous attendance, I would also advise that at that autumnal meeting the half-yearly business of the Union shall be transacted, so that at

any rate the General Committee will necessarily be present. In that way we would visit the district centres precisely as we do now, perhaps at a time of the year when a better meeting may be expected, and in the beginning of the winter, when perhaps any little interest that might be created by the meeting might be of greater benefit, seeing that it would be at the beginning of our winter work. While we want first of all a local centre, we want, secondly, an improved constitution and an amended organization. At present it is not easy to define our constitution, save that it is of a somewhat molluscan order. (A laugh.) We want a principle which will give us really a back-bone to hold us together; and that principle, I take it, can be none other than a just representation, based upon the individualism of our Independency. (Applause.) Our individual churches should choose, in proportion to their numbers, representatives for their District Committees; and I think the District Committees should have a wide representation, and that their duties should be deliberative, advisory, and for the provision of funds, tending, therefore, to develop energies in the local centres, and also to create and to sustain local interests. The District Committees, thus chosen, should elect, and not nominate, members for the General Committee, in proportion to their numerical strength, and perhaps financial strength. I would also propose that the duties of the General Committee should be finally determinative and administrative—in short, that they should be the Executive of the body. The Churches should choose the District Committees, the District Committees should choose the General Committee; and the General Committee should have, for its Court of Appeal and Advice, for all constitutional changes, and for the appointment of all officials such as Tutors for the Colleges, and Secretary for the Union-the annual meeting; and the annual meeting should be a representative assembly-(applause)—a representative assembly of persons chosen by our churches, and contributors to the Union funds; and such persons should alone have the right to vote. I would also propose that the names of any functionary to be chosen, such as the Tutors of our Colleges, or the Secretary of the Union, should be sent up from the churches, through the District Committees, to the General Committee; and from the General Committee to the annual meeting; and that the appointment should be made here and nowhere else. This central organization, however, should be such as to be capable of receiving any sectional organizations that have passed the District and General Committees into an affiliated relationship, instead of these now lying outside our organization as a Union. It is not seemly to see an advertisement for a certain number of our meetings in one part of a newspaper, and others of our meetings advertised in another part of the paper. All such branches as this Conference, or the Temperance Society, or any association which may obtain the sanction of the District and General Committees, should be regularly affiliated to the Union. We must not be afraid of comprehension-we have been far too exclusive and isolated in the time gone by. All we must see to is, that our comprehension be wisely organized. Then, as to the work and the objects of this organization, in my opinion it should not be simply, as we express it in our present constitution, that of a Church-aid and Home-mission Society; for I maintain that, for Home Mission work, save as connected with individual churches-for home-mission work strictly speaking, and more especially among scattered populations, we are not what we once may have been, the only evangelists. There are others in the field in these remote districts, and among scattered populations, far better able to do the work than we are. There are other bodies able to reach these extremities from more organized centres than we can at present boast; and theirs is that duty. Our aim should, therefore, be to emphasise the other objects which are spoken of in our present constitution. If we regard ourselves simply as a church-aid and home-mission society, there are many incongruities in our constitution which require to be corrected. We have four District Committees, averaging from twenty to thirty persons each, a General Committee, and an inaugural address

in the presence of a deputy from the South. What for? For the collection and distribution of £1400 a-year! It is perfectly incongruous. I say that such an organization is out of all proportion to the work. No, the time has gone by for that. Our constitution should be made to emphasise the third and fourth objects expressed in the objects of our Union, namely, to encourage movements to originate new churches in the larger towns, and to cultivate Christian affection, fraternal intercourse, and co-operation in all that relates to the interests of the associated churches. I think that our chief work lies in the centres of our population; and if we take up some such centre year after year with wisdom, with determination, and with persistent endeavour, we shall be able to tell in a few years a story which will certainly call forth all the funds that we require. Then, under the fourth object as at present specified, we should be able to confer together upon many things upon which, perhaps, we have not conferred together, but which from time to time presses for attention and solution. I would just mention some such things. There is, for example, the question whether it is desirable to continue the hours of public worship generally prevailing. Other bodies are considering that question, and we ought not to be behind, at any rate, in its consideration, whatever result we come to. Another thing I think it is wise to consider, whether weekly communion is desirable, and whether monthly communion is not far preferable. I have not found any minister who has had experience of both weekly and monthly communions, who is not in favour of monthly communion. Questions such as those I have enumerated can only be discussed at present outside the Union in this Conference; and we should discuss these things, and if need be, agitate them. There cannot be much done without a little healthy agitation, and let us discuss them outside at present, with the view of getting inside. I show an open hand to you. We must devise means as a Conference, and not merely meet together to talk and discuss, and read abstract essays upon such subjects as whether the Jews will ever return to Palestine. I want to commit us to nothing. The only thing we have to avoid is hasty legislation. We must be watchful, on the other hand, against, and intolerant of, delay. Let these two things be observed, and there is no fear of us. I am speaking to the party of progress. I do not hesitate to use that word. We do not want a party spirit, but we want a party for the sake of progress. We need, for the present, a party who must not be afraid of a little agitation and a good deal of criticism. If the party of progress feel that they have reason and enlightenment, and many good reasons to show for what they desire, then I say let us carry on our agitation until we get what we think is desirable. And for that purpose let us extend our little periodical, the Advance, in which, as the organ of progress, there must be no vacillation. Free expression on all sides; but the aim must be steady, fixed, determined. And now, coming still more closely to the present, what should be our duty for this year, at this meeting. I think we should aim this year at the appointment of our local centre. We should meet in Edinburgh next year, and in Aberdeen in the autumn. We should also aim at the adoption of the principle of representation. That principle has been adopted in the Western District with regard to that Committee, and we have sent a representation to the General Committee; and it would be well if the other District Committees would ask for a deputation to explain the matter, that they might all act on a uniform principle. What we have recommended in the Western Committee is, that every church should be represented by one representative for each 100 members. Another thing we should aim at is the appointment of a Secretary chosen by a representative committee. We are about to lose the services of one who invariably displayed a sense of justice and even-handedness all round, while entertaining and expressing his own opinions at the proper time. After the loss of such a man we should be careful that we do not fall below the proper mark; and I think we should aim at the appointment of one without a pastoral charge. It is said, "Can we afford to pay a man?" I think we should aim at paying