That they object to it when restricted to any one form of faith and worship, as involving the gross moral and political injustice of taxing the resources, and offending the consciences of all classes of the community for the exclusive benefit of the privileged sect; it being, in their judgment, equally iniquitous that Roman Catholics should be taxed for the maintenance of Protestantism, or Protestants for the maintenance of Popery, or any one section of Protestants for the maintenance of another. That an announcement having been made, on the part of her Majesty's government, of an intention, not to continue merely, but to augment and render permanent the annual grant from the treasury of this Protestant country to the Popish College of Maynooth, they do, most solemnly and earnestly, give their voice against such a measure, as superadding to the evils before enumerated the appropriation of funds to which they, in common with their fellow-countrymen, contribute, and of which, through their support and aggrandisement of a system which, in conscience, they regard, not as Christian, but as anti-Christian,-a system of perilous and destructive error,—and a system of spiritual despotism and monopoly of salvation, every page of whose history reads a warning to all friends of freedom, civil or religious, in Europe and throughout the world, to beware of both the guilt and the danger of contributing, in any way or in any degree, to it consolidation and extension. Mr. Ingram then brought forward a motion for the adoption of the meeting upon the subject of American slavery. The terms of this memorial required some alteration, and it was referred to a committee to make the changes recommended, and forward it to the American churches. Mr. Kennedy, of Aberdeen, next proposed a petition to both houses of parliament, for the abolition of university tests, which was unanimously adopted. This business having occupied the meeting till near the hour for the sermon, those present adjourned to Nile-street Chapel, where an admirable sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Kelly, of Liverpool, from Ps. cxxvi. 6, upon the nature of the work in which the people of God are called to engage, the disposition in which that work should be performed, and the results which may be expected to follow. PUBLIC MEETING OF THE UNION.-The annual meeting of the Congregational Union took place on Thursday Evening, at six o'clock, in Dr. Wardlaw's Chapel, which was filled with a highly-respectable audience. The chair was occupied by W. P. Paton, Esq. After singing the hundredth psalm, a prayer was offered up by the Rev. Mr. Black, of Dunkeld. The Chairman having delivered a short address, Mr. Swan, the Secretary, read the annual report of the Directors, which contained much interesting information respecting the operations of the Union. The income for the year, it appeared, was £1863, of which £689 had been distributed among twenty-nine churches requiring aid. The same sum had been granted for itinerancies, and £164 to the support of preachers in destitute districts. It was stated that there were upwards of forty churches requiring aid, and that of these churches few had an income of more than £50 a-year. Dr. Russell, of Dundee, moved, and Mr. Young, of Garliaston, seconded the first resolution, which was carried. Mr. Thomson, of Nile-st. Chapel, moved the next resolution in a long and eloquent speech, which we are precluded from inserting from want of space. The resolution was seconded by Mr. Stevens. Dr. Wardlaw said, he had a very pleasing duty to perform-to introduce to them two distinguished strangers, the Rev. John Kelly, the representative and delegate of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, and the Rev. — Bewglass, for the Congregational Union of Ireland. He then referred to the benefits which the Congregational Union of Scotland had conferred upon this country; and he rejoiced to say that for some years it had not stood alone. He spoke of the same beneficial results having flowed from the establishment of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. He had been at the annual meetings of that body,— and a scene of greater moral grandeur, so large an assembly of piety and talent, devoted to the cause of Christ, and congregated together for the purpose of diffusing the knowledge of Christ in our own country and in other parts of the world, he had never been privileged to witness. With regard to Ireland, though there they formed but a small body, yet he trusted for a day of grace to Ireland in this as in other respects. After some further remarks, the Rev. Doctor moved a resolutionThat the thanks of the meeting be presented to the Rev. Mr. Kelly, the representative of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, for his admirable sermon; and that they hail his appearance here, along with that of the Rev. Mr. Bewglass, the representative of the Congregational Union of Ireland, with peculiar delight, and express their warmest interest in the welfare of the two institutions represented by these gentlemen. Mr. Campbell, of Edinburgh, seconded the resolution. The Chairman then gave the two strangers the right hand of fellowship, expressed the good wishes of the meeting towards the spiritual welfare of the bodies with which they were connected, and also towards them personally. Messrs. Kelly and Bewglass having acknowledged the vote, Mr. W. L. Alexander, of Edinburgh, moved the following resolution: "That this meeting, while recognising the obligation resting upon Christians and Christian churches to use all the means which God may put within their reach for the promotion of his cause and kingdom, and to use them with the greatest fidelity, perseverance, and devotedness,-would express their deep and solemn conviction that it is God's own inalienable and sole prerogative to grant success,-that the power of the Holy Spirit is required to render human instrumentality effectual for the conversion of sinners, as well as for the edification of believers,-and that the promise of Divine influence to accompany and give efficiency to the means of Divine appointment, is the grand encouragement to the labourer that he shall not spend his strength for nought;-that, therefore, earnest prayer for the influence of the Holy Spirit, and believing expectation that the blessing shall not be withheld, should go along with the diligent employment of the means." The resolution was seconded by Mr. Anderson, of New Lanark, and agreed to unanimously. A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman for his conduct in the chair; and honourable mention was made of the kind hospitality which the brethren in Glasgow had on this occasion extended to strangers from the country. After prayer and praise, the meeting separated at about eleven o'clock.-Abridged from the Glasgow Argus. THE DERBYSHIRE CONGREGATIONAL UNION held its anniversary at Belper, on April 22nd and 23rd. The attendance of ministers and messengers was good. On Tuesday, after an hour devoted to prayer for the presence and blessing of God on the proceedings of the meeting, the afternoon was occupied in transacting a portion of the business of the Union; and in the evening, the Rev. T. B. Brown, of Derby, preached from Matt. xi. 5,-The poor have the Gospel preached to them. On Wednesday morning, at seven o'clock, the ministers and messengers assembled for prayer: the time from nine to eleven was devoted to the transaction of the business of the Union; after which the Rev. T. Gawthorn, of Derby, preached from 1 Tim. iii. 15, on the adaptation of Congregational principles, and the comparative aptitude of dependent and independent churches to secure the purity and the diffusion of primitive Christianity. The sacrament of the Lord's supper was then administered, at which the Rev. T. R. Gawthorne, the venerable pastor of the church at Belper, presided. In the afternoon, the remaining business of the Union was completed. And in the evening, three addresses were delivered,-On the qualifications essential to church-membership, by the Rev. W. Christie-The duty of members to attend church meetings, by Rev. T. Atkin-On the causes why many who hear the Gospel remain in a state of religious indecision, by the Rev. T. Newnes. On Wednesday afternoon, a petition to Parliament against all grants of public money to religious communities, was adopted; and the Rev. T. Gawthorne gave notice, that at the next general meeting he will propose, "That no minister partici pating in the public taxes, under the fictitious name of Regium Donum, shall be allowed any assistance from the funds of this Union; and that the Congregational Fund Board in London, and the committee of the Associate Fund, be respectfully requested to take into their consideration the propriety of adopting a similar resolution.” THE CONFERENCES UPON THE MAYNOOTH ENDOWMENT BILL. SINCE our last, two important gatherings have been held in the metropolis on this great national question: the former was convened by the Central Anti-Maynooth Committee, and was held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, on Wednesday the 30th of April, and three following days,―the latter was convened by a provisional Committee of Dissenters, to express the grounds on which Dissenters opposed the Bill, and was held in Crosby Hall, on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 21st and 22nd. At the former, Sir Culling Eardley Smith, Bart., presided; and the Rev. John Burnet was called to the chair at the latter. The following analysis will show the importance of the former meeting:- The number of places out of the 411 which have representatives in the House of Commons, is 120. The number of deputies from the 120 places amounts to 769. The number of deputies from London and suburbs (included in 769) 187. From Scotland, there were representatives, eight places :-Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Greenock, Leith, Perth, Stirling, Wick. From Wales, five: Carmarthen, Denbigh, Haverfordwest, Merthyr Tydvil, Swansea. Ireland :-Dublin, Fermanagh County, Tralee, Tyrone County. Never in the history of British conferences has there been such an assembly convened, and never did gentlemen of such divers opinions and interests deliberate with such entire cordiality, and unity of judgment and of feeling, and which was only interrupted for an hour by circumstances to which, at present, we shall not more particularly allude. The Dissenting Conference was also large, and we are happy to hear that the Protestant ground of opposition was faithfully advocated, as well as that based on the voluntary principle. As the proceedings of both assemblies are in the press, we shall reserve ourselves for a more extended notice of them when they are published, especially as a third is about to assemble in Dublin. All the opponents of the Maynooth Endowment Bill are agreed to address the Queen to dissolve the present Parliament, and we sincerely hope that memorials will be forwarded in great numbers from every part of the empire. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Editor's absence from England compels the postponement of the "Brief Notes," &c. THE CONGREGATIONAL MAGAZINE. JULY, 1845. ON THE CONGREGATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND COUNCILS OF NEW ENGLAND. [As the subject of County Associations and District Unions is exciting increased attention amongst our churches, we think it desirable to reprint the following essay from a valuable American quarterly journal, called The New Englander, (Part X. April, 1845,) that our readers may have before them the system observed by our brethren in New England, and the reasons by which it is sustained. It is scarcely necessary to add, that we are not to be understood as committed to the approval of all its details by this republication.-EDITOR.] There is a necessity for ecclesiastical bodies more extended than single churches. Each church of Christ sustains important relations to all other churches, and to the church universal, in addition to its peculiar ties to its own members. If the direct end of its organisation is the due regulation and training of its own members, for the furtherance of their peace and holiness, the ultimate end of it, to which this first end is subservient, is the advancement of the kingdom of Christ in the world, the welfare of the church universal. This is evident from the fact that each church, like each individual, is but a member of the body of Christ. Hence it is bound indissolubly to that body and to all its members. Its prosperity and peace are in a high degree identified with theirs. For it is divinely ordered; so that of necessity the members should have the same care one for another, and whether one member suffer, all suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. Hence, while the first and immediate concern of every church is with its own members, its obligations do not terminate with them. It has still higher relations, and owes still higher duties to the whole body of Christ. Nor can it sunder these ligaments, or disown this relationship, without at the same time committing suicide. As well might a member of the human body undertake to subsist and act for itself alone, refusing to help or be helped by its fellow-members. The very attempt to appropriate its whole life to itself, or its own exclusive welfare, would sever it from the common spring of life, torn from which none can live. So is it with the body of Christ and its members. And it is well observed by Owen, that a church which isolates itself from other evangelical churches, is a body to which it is dangerous for any person to commit his soul. Thus arises a twofold necessity for communion and concert of churches, involving of course ecclesiastical bodies more extended than single congregations of believers. 1. They are needed for the care of those common interests which affect the well-being of the whole body, not less than of its single members. It is one of the clearest of all axioms in secular as well as religious affairs, that all who are affected by given measures, should have a share in their management. Quod tangit omnes, debet ab omnibus tractari. Things which relate to the common defence, welfare, and peace of the churches, and in which agreement is of the highest moment to all and each of them, should be adjusted by a common council representing all, and not by the caprice of single churches. The good which they are all bound to promote, the evil which they are all bound to resist, they may manage with far greater efficiency and success in combined than separate action. United, they stand against all assaults; divided, they are an easy prey to foes within and without. The preservation and promotion of sound doctrine, the increase and propagation of religion, the suppression of error, discord, and prevailing sins, obviously require their united action. 2. Various cases arise in the administration of the affairs of a single church, which either deeply affect other churches in their consequences, or are beyond the ability of the churches in which they occur to issue safely without assistance from sister churches. The settlement and dismission of pastors require the counsel and assistance of other churches on both these grounds. Cases of discipline, either because they are weighty or complex in their own nature, or on account of the obstinate dissensions they engender, or because the person censured insists that he is oppressed, it may be absolutely indispensable to submit to a higher court for advice, before they can be issued with safety. In such emergencies it is the duty of a church to ask, and of its associate churches to render the requisite assistance, to be helpers of their joy, without lording it over their faith. |