I. The duties of our churches to their absent members, and how they should be performed;-to Rev. Messrs. E. R. Beadle, L. Bacon, D.D., R. C. Learned.

II. How can a more general observance of infant baptism by our churches be secured?-to Rev. Messrs. R. G. Vermilye, D.D., N. Porter, Jr., D.D., Joseph Eldridge, D.D.

III. Why there are comparatively so few additions to our churches by profession; and how the state of things in this respect can be improved-to Rev. Messrs. E. L. Cleaveland, D.D., Ira Pettibone, Joseph Anderson.

Committee on the present crisis in our national history.

A committee was appointed, consisting of Rev. Messrs. L. Bacon, D.D., R. S. Vermilye, D.D., Jonathan Brace, D.D., to report, in the form of resolutions or otherwise, a suitable declaration of the views of the associated pastors and ministers of Connecticut concerning the present crisis in our national history.

Recess till half past 7, p. m. (Wednesday.)

Recess was taken till half past 7,

p. m.

Annual meeting of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, Auxiliary to the American Home Missionary Society.

After recess, the Association sat as the Missionary Society of Connecticut, Auxiliary to the American Home Missionary Society. Prayer was offered by Rev. Ira Pettibone, and addresses were made by Rev. Louis E. Charpiot, Rev. Prof. F. W. Fisk, of Chicago, Rev. David B. Coe, D.D., Corresponding Secretary of the A. H. M. S., and Rev. Leonard Bacon, D.D. Adjourned till 9 o'clock, to-morrow morning.

Thursday morning, June 19, 1862. Devotional services.

Thursday morning. One hour before 9 o'clock was spent in devotional services, after which the roll was called, and the minutes of yesterday were read.

Action respecting appointment of preachers of concio ad clerum.

Voted, That the Statistical Secretary be requested to designate, in the minutes, the Associations which are to appoint the preachers of the concio ad clerum both for the current and for the coming year; and that the district Associations be requested to appoint the preacher a year in ad

vance.

Report of the committee on reports on home evangelization and kindred matters.

The committee to which were referred the reports on home evangelization, and home missions, and other documents, made their report, which was accepted; and the following resolution embraced in the report was adopted :

--

Resolved, That the appointment of a committee on home evangelization be discontinued, and the work entered upon by said committee be, and hereby is, entrusted to the Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S., to be carried on by them at their discretion.

Trustees, Treasurer, and Auditor of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., and Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S. Also, on nomination of this committee, the Association proceeded to an election by ballot, with the following result:-For Trustees of the Miss. Soc. of Conn.,-Rev. Messrs. Joel Hawes, D.D., Mark Tucker, D.D., Myron N. Morris, Robert G. Vermilye, D.D., Leonard Bacon, D.D., Elias R. Beadle, Hon. Seth Terry, Edward Goodwin, Esq., George Kellogg, Esq., Samuel S. Ward, Esq., Nathaniel Shipman, Esq., and William C. Crump, Esq. For Treasurer,-Edward W. Parsons, Esq.; and for Auditor,Rev. Horace Hooker.

For Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S., in addition to the above named Trustees,-Rev. Messrs. W. H. Moore, L. Perrin, S. W. S. Dutton, D.D., John P. Gulliver, Samuel G. Willard, and Henry Clay Trumbull, Esq.

Committee on ecclesiastical history of Connecticut. Voted, That the committee appointed last year 66 on ecclesiastical history of Connecticut," consisting of Rev. Messrs. Prof. William C. Fowler, E. L. Cleaveland, D.D., and Myron N. Morris, be continued, to report next year.

Treasurer's report, and tax.

The finance committee reported their approval of the Treasurer's report, and recommended a tax of 75 cents for the coming year, which report was accepted and adopted, and the Treasurer's report was ordered to be printed with the minutes. (Report I.)

Statistical Secretary and Treasurer.

Rev. William H. Moore was elected Statistical Secretary and Treasurer. Committee to prepare materials for the report on the state of religion.

A committee was appointed, consisting of Rev. Messrs. W. H. Moore, E. L. Cleaveland, D.D., and M. N. Morris, to prepare materials for the narrative of the state of religion in the churches for the use of the General Association at its next annual meeting.

Distributing the Minutes to the churches.

The following preamble and resolution were adopted :

Whereas, The minutes of the General Association, with the accompanying reports and statistics, contain important information in regard to the welfare of religion in the State, and can be used to increase the intelligence and efficiency of our churches, and to promote the work of home evangelization; therefore,

Resolved, That, in addition to the number of copies required to supply the members of the district Associations, and for other usual purposes, 1200 copies be printed and distributed to the churches according to the number of members they severally report, and that the Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S., be requested to pay for these copies, and the expense of their distribution, from the funds at their disposal.

Laying before the churches the facts brought out in the statistics. Resolved, That the General Association recommend to the pastors of the State that, in such manner as they shall judge best, they present in a public discourse to their churches the facts brought out in the statistics of the General Association.

Meeting of the churches for conference recommended.

The committee to which was referred the report of the committee on lay delegates, and the overture from Fairfield West, made their report, which was accepted and adopted, as follows:

While it is not deemed expedient that the General Association take any direct steps to organize a General Convention of ministers and delegates, yet,

Resolved, That the General Association recommend to all the Congregational churches of the State, both consociated and unconsociated, that they meet together, by pastor and delegate, on the day subsequent to the next annual meeting of the various Consociations, at, the same place with the Consociation, for the sole purpose of conference and prayer concerning the interests of religion within their bounds, and the best means of supplying the destitutions which now exist; and that the Moderators of the Consociations be requested to extend an invitation to this meeting to all the Congregational churches within their geographical limits to this effect. Also,

Resolved, That the Statistical Secretary is hereby requested to give the Moderator of each Consociation timely notice of the foregoing resolution.

Action concerning contributions for home missions.

The following preamble and resolution were adopted :

Whereas, The report of the Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S., announces that, in consequence of the increased tendency of the contributions of the churches toward New York, the Society is liable to embarrassment in its work,—

Resolved, That the Directors be instructed to make arrangements with the officers of the A. H. M. S. by which contributions for home inissions arriving at their office from Connecticut shall be placed to the credit of this Society, except in cases in which such contributions are specially designated as not intended for our treasury.

Action concerning the records of the Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S.

Resolved, That the Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S., be instructed to bring their records regularly to the annual meeting of the Society.

Various reports to be printed.

Voted, That the reports of the Trustees of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., and of the Directors of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S., and of the committee on home evangelization, be printed with the minutes. (Reports III, V, VI.)

Committee on the way to supply vacant pulpits, and on the distinctive positions of pastors, acting pastors, and stated preachers.

Voted, That the committee to whom was referred the overture from New Haven Central on "stated supplies," be requested to prepare a statement, to go into the minutes, on the proper way of supplying vacant pulpits; and on the distinctive positions, in respect to our churches, of pastors, acting pastors, and stated preachers.

Committee on the Digest-continued.

Voted, That the committee appointed last year on the publication of the Digest, consisting of Rev. Messrs. L. Bacon, D.D., W. H. Moore, and R. C. Learned, be continued, and be authorized to make any needed corrections, and to enlarge the edition at their discretion.

Committee to revise the constitution of the 'Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S.

Rev. Messrs. Leonard Bacon, D.D., E. L. Cleaveland, D.D., and Joseph Eldridge, D.D., were appointed a committee to revise the constitution of the Miss. Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S.

Resolutions concerning the "Congregational Quarterly."

Resolved, That the thanks of this General Association are hereby expressed to the editors and publishers of the "Congregational Quarterly," for the unpaid services which they have rendered to the principles and institutions of our denomination; and that the Congregational Quarterly is hereby commended to the general patronage of the ministers of the State. Also

Resolved, That the Statistical Secretary be authorized to make an arrangement for advertising the Congregational Quarterly on the covers of the Minutes for 1862, the proceeds of this arrangement to be applied to the circulation of the Congregational Quarterly among those pastors of the State who are assisted by the Missionary Soc. of Conn., Aux. to the A. H. M. S.

Declaration on the present crisis in our national history.

The committee on the present crisis in our national history made the following report, which was accepted, and, after discussion and full deliberation, was unanimously adopted:

The General Association of Connecticut, being convened at Norwalk on the third Tuesday in June, A. D. 1862, when the loyal people of the United States are in the agony and crisis of a war for the Union and the Constitution, and for the great principle of popular self government, is called to put upon record and to publish to its constituency, the associated Congregational pastors and ministers in this commonwealth, and to the churches, its testimony concerning the duty of all Christian citizens at such a time as this.

I. We rejoice that we have no need to inculcate on our brethren in the ministry, nor on our churches, the duty of sustaining our national

government in this conflict, by unceasing prayer to God in public and in private, by cheerful submission to the burdens and sorrows inseparable from so great a war, and by voluntary contributions and sacrifices for the comfort, the encouragement, and the moral and religious welfare of our brethren and our sons who are in arms, as well as for the relief of those who are suffering with wounds received in battle, or with sickness induced by the hardships and exposures incident to military service. Yet it is not superfluous to insist distinctly on the duty of a large and generous confidence in the men whom God's providence has called to the adminis tration of our government at this time. When we bless God that the President of the United States has shown himself, from the beginning of his administration to this time, eminently sagacious and prudent, as well as honest and patriotic, we express the deep conviction and feeling of thousands of our fellow citizens whose voices were not given to make him President. If there be anything in the proceedings or the policy of our government, which, seen from our point of view, seems doubtful, let it be remembered that, in the present peril, the first duty of every citizen is confidence in the constituted leadership till confidence shall be impossible.

II. While we acknowledge the justice of God in the present visitation of his displeasure against the many sins of this most favored nation, we record our conviction that the cause of this rebellion against popular selfgovernment is nothing else than the institution of slavery maintained in defiance of the first principles of natural justice as well as of Christianity; and that no durable peace can be expected with the slaveholding States until that institution, so odious in the sight of God, and so long the abhorrence of the civilized world, shall cease to be formidable as a power and shall have received its death-wound. Nothing else than such an institution, reducing millions of human beings to the condition of merchandise, taking away from them by law the key of knowledge, and thus forbidding them to read the Bible, robbing them of all domestic rights and sanctities, and relentlessly maintaining an infamous traffic in human beings for whom Christ died, could have bred, in such a land as this, a population so ignorant, so barbarous, so morally and socially degraded, though nominally free, as that which wicked conspirators, the leaders of the rebellion, have used at their pleasure in this infamous and ever memorable war against the most beneficent government which God has ever given to any people. During all the progress of that great apostacy from the first principles of Christian morality which has characterized the history of Christianity in the slaveholding States for the last thirty years, the General Association of Connecticut, while studiously refusing to hold forth any other doctrine concerning the relations and mutual duties of masters and servants than that which was held forth by the apostles, has never ceased to testify "that to buy and sell human beings, and to hold them and treat them as merchandise, or to treat servants, bond or free, in any manner inconsistent with the fact that they are intelligent and voluntary beings made in the image of God, is a violation of the word of God, and should be treated by all the churches as an immorality inconsistent with a profession of the Christian religion." It has never ceased to declare that it "regards the laws and usages in respect to slavery which exist in many of the States of this Union, as inconsistent