50 



BAPTISTS. 



rious purposes were reported, amounting in all 

 to one hundred thousand dollars. Resolutions 

 were adopted deprecating the ordination of min- 

 isters by single churches, and advising that the 

 Association or quarterly meeting be consulted 

 and participate in all ordinations ; recommend- 

 ing that abstention from the use of tobacco be 

 made a condition of ordination ; declaring it 

 to be u a necessity and a duty for the churches 

 to encourage lay preaching subject to their ap- 

 proval," and requesting all the churches of the 

 denomination that "they admit no minister as 

 a member, or employ him as a pastor, who does 

 not bring letters of recommendation from some 

 ministers' conference, or quarterly meeting or 

 association and church to which he belongs, 

 duly signed by proper and responsible parties." 

 The "Free-Will Baptist Register" for 1881 

 gives the following statistics of the denomina- 

 tion : 



III. TITS BRETHREN. The annual Convention 

 of the Brethren (commonly known as Tunk- 

 ers) was held at Lanark, Illinois, in June. The 

 attitude of the denomination in respect to con- 

 formity to the world was defined in a series ot 

 resolutions, which deprecated the disposition to 

 enforce the order of the Church more rigorous- 

 ly than in former years; agreed that the exist- 

 ing form of costume should be quietly main- 

 tained, while the labors and principles of the 



Brethren should yet be adapted to the wants 

 of the religious world ; recognized as offenders 

 those who teach anything contrary to the prin- 

 ciples of the Brotherhood ; advised, on the ex- 

 pressed ground that u there exists a widespread 

 fear among us that the Brethren's high schools 

 are likely to operate against the simplicity of 

 the gospel," that the principals of the schools 

 adopt rules to prevent any worldly tendency; 

 condemned Sunday-school picnics and excur- 

 sions; opposed the adoption of unusual means 

 for getting people into the Church ; and ex- 

 pressed the opinion that while ministers should 

 not labor in the hope of receiving a salary, and 

 money should not be held out as an induce- 

 ment to brethren to preach, ministers should, 

 nevertheless, be supported. A plan was adopt- 

 ed for the organization of a Board of Domestic 

 and Foreign Missions. Acts of the annual 

 meeting had hitherto been adopted by general 

 consent, so that it lay in the power of a very 

 small number of members by opposing objec- 

 tions and adhering to them to prevent the pas- 

 sage of any measure. A query was presented 

 to the present meeting asking whether it would 

 not be better for small minorities to accept the 

 will of majorities, and not hinder legislation. 

 The meeting answered in the affirmative, with 

 a proviso that the old rule should prevail when 

 a departure from the general order of the 

 Brethren is attempted. A query whether a 

 sister might not wear a modest hat was an- 

 swered in the negative. It was, however, de- 

 clared not, to be according to the gospel for a 

 brother who " indulges in the filthy fashion of 

 the world" (the use of tobacco) to reprove a 

 sister for indulging in the vain fashion of dress. 

 It was decided that a brother ought not to ac- 

 cept the office of land-appraiser. 



IV. REGULAR BAPTISTS IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

 The annual meetings of the Baptist Union 

 and the affiliated societies were held during the 

 week beginning April 20th. The total receipts 

 of the Home and Irish Missions had been 6,- 

 280, and the expenditures 6,093, of which 

 2,513 had been for Home Mission work, and 

 2,409 for the Irish work. Nineteen agents 

 and two colporteurs were employed. The re- 

 ceipts of the Baptist Tract Society had been 

 1,302. Grants had been made during the 

 year representing 916,317 publications. The 

 income of the Baptist Building Fund had been 

 7,966. With its aid twenty-six chapels had 

 been built and opened for worship, and six 

 other chapels had been enlarged, providing 

 8,572 additional sittings. The total sum raised 

 in England only for new chapels and improve- 

 ments had been 47,099, considerably less than 

 the average, while the total debt created had 

 been 27,230. considerably greater than the 

 average. The income of the Bible Translation 

 Society ' had been 2,350; and 43,603 portions 

 of Scripture had been issued from its press. 

 Reports were made at the meeting of the con- 

 dition of the Annuity Fund and the fund for 

 the Augmentation of Pastors' Salaries (Aug- 



