CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

THE autumnal session of this Union was held in October in the town of Wolverhampton. The proceedings commenced by a religious service on the Monday evening, Oct. 18, and on the following morning the Chairman, Rev. R. W. Dale, M.A., of Birmingham, delivered his address. It was, as usual on these occasions, an eloquent and elaborate discourse. An allusion to the approaching Ecumenical Council led the way to the discussion of the question of the ministry of the Spirit in the churches; and opened to the speaker a field of remark not always in harmony with either the doctrines or the practices of his hearers. In the course of his extended address many sentiments were expressed which may be usefully pondered by all Christian teachers. The members of the New Church will fail, however, to discover in it a clear definition of the place of the written Word in the regeneration of the world. Granting that men are to preach by the Spirit, and that the Spirit is to be supreme in all Christian institutions and worship and work, the question still presents itself as to the media through which the Spirit descends to the Church. As "the Spirit of Truth," it must descend by the Word of Truth; and while men are to seek the Spirit's help by faith and prayer, they are also to seek it by a diligent and daily study of the Word of God. It is not fervid zeal or human eloquence that can convert the world to God, but Divine Truth from the Word planted in the souls of the people, growing and strengthening itself in all their varied Christian experiences, and yielding a rich fruitage of genuine good works. "The sower soweth the word,' and he is the best, and, in the end, will be the most successful preacher who succeeds in creating a love for the Word of God, and leading his people to a devout study and diligent practice of its teaching.

Among the subjects discussed at this Conference, were the Irish Church,

British Missions, the Sufficiency of Voluntaryism, Catholic Unity, the Protestantism of Nonconformists, Chapel Insurance, Ministerial Sustentation Fund, &c.

The

These subjects were introduced by reports of committees or by ably written papers or addresses by eminent ministers. Most of these papers have a definite purpose, and are intended to elevate the faith and improve the practice of the Congregational churches. address of the Rev. Alexander Mackennel, on Catholic Unity, strikes a chord which, notwithstanding the jar of contending ecclesiasticisms, vibrates strongly in the heart of the Christian Churches of this country. "There

was, ," said the writer, "among Christian men, especially in England, a deep intense desire to know something more of one another, to come together more nearly in worship and in work. This desire testified to the real unity of the Church; a unity existing, whether men were conscious of it or not, a unity compared by Christ to the oneness of Himself with the Father.. It was not the shallow and superficial desire for mere social intercourse that manifested itself in this desire for union. The truest and most earnest sympathies of Christian men were concerned, and in proportion as these religious sympathies were deep and earnest, they felt that they should not be separated as they were." This unity was not to be secured by efforts to attain oneness of faith. "The history of Church assemblies, of councils called together to consider points of doctrine, had not been such as to lead them to hope that unity was to be attained in that way." "Their conception of unity was not that of an enforced uniformity, but it was that of hearts that, by their own sympathy with one another, beat in true accord. Where there was the greatest freedom among the churches, and men were expressing their deep feelings in the most unrestrained manner, there they found the unity most conspicuous."

The need of an improved and extended education for our working classes is at present occupying a considerable amount of public attention, and has led to the establishment of two organizations for its promotion. The earlier of these is the "National Education League," which aims by a system of national rating to reach all the children of the country at once. Its promoters would provide everywhere efficient schools, and by 66 a wise and kind compulsion," would take care that no child omitted to go school. These schools are to be "unsectarian" and "free." One-third of the total cost is to be provided by rates, and two-thirds by the State. At the recent meeting of the Congregational Union, an address explaining and defending the principles of the League was given by Mr. Dixon, and followed by a discussion, in which some of the leading ministers took part. The feeling expressed by some was very decidedly adverse, by others a qualified approbation was accorded to the Society. Few were inclined to heartily accept the programme of the League, and yet, we are told, that the general feeling was evidently more in favour of the League than of any other scheme before the public.

Another organization, seeking to compass the same end is the "National Education Union." The object of this association is to secure a complete system of national education, in harmony with the existing framework of our popular schools. To accomplish this the Society proposes by an expansion and improvement of our present system to provide for the primary instruction of all children, without exception, in reading, writing, aud arithmetic, and for the inculcation of religious and moral truth; whilst care is to be taken that denominational teaching is not imposed upon the children without the assent of the parents. The cardinal principle of parental responsibility is, therefore, to be preserved; and in denominational schools receiving Government aid, a conscience clause is to be insisted upon, to prevent denominational teaching of children whose parents object thereto.

Around these two centres the contro

versy on which we are entering will doubtless rage. The League gives prominence to secular teaching, without, however, avowedly rejecting moral and religious instruction. "The League," says Mr. Dixon, "did not aim at making people either good theologians or good Christians. Their object was to make them better citizens. . . . There had been some discussion upon the phrases 'secular' and 'unsectarian.' The latter was the term which the League used, and they had used it designedly, and after much deliberation. What they desired was that the schools should exclude the teaching of a system of theology upon which the nation had not and would not be agreed. The League promoters yielded to no one in their love for the Bible. They had no objection to it; but they left its use entirely at the discretion of the managers of the schools." The Union gives the same prominence as the League to the secular instruction of the children, but it insists with equal emphasis on their moral and religious instruction. And by the religious instruction is meant the present denominational teaching.

Another marked distinction in these two systems relates to the payments to the schools. The League proposes that the schools shall be entirely free, and that all payments shall be by rates supplemented by government subsidy. The Union is for continuing the payments of the children's pence and giving an entirely free education only in cases where the parents are unable to pay. The children's pence is said to amount to half a million of money annually, and voluntary contributions to the same amount. Both these sums would be relinquished under the proposals of the League.

Great measures in England can only be carried by compromise. The strength of parties is so equally balanced that a middle course seems inevitable. Change in the mode and expansion in the extent of our popular education must take place. On these points all parties are agreed. It seems also scarcely probable that the denominational system can continue-certainly not as at present under the almost exclusive direction of the Episcopal clergy, and as an endowment of the Church of England day-schools. But are we then bound to