BAPTISTS. 



79 



to visit Mr. Spnrgeon, and ''deliberate with 

 him as to how the unity of our denomination 

 in true Jove and good works may best be 

 maintained." This committee reported to a 

 subsequent meeting of council, Jan. 18, 1888, 

 that Mr. Spurgeon had declined to <i 

 the question of his action toward the Union, 

 and that he could not see his way clear to 

 withdraw his resignation; but that he had 

 furnished a statement embodying the follow- 

 ing conditions: 



In answer to the question what I would advise as 

 likely to promote permanent union in truth, love, and 

 cood wonsl I should answer: (1) Let the Union 

 have a simple basis of Bible truths ; these are usually 

 described as " evangelical doctrines." (2) I know of 

 no better summary ot' these than that adopted by the 

 Evangelical Alliance, and subscribed by members of 

 s;> many religious communities for several years. The 

 exact words need not be used of course ; but that for- 

 mula indicates the run of truth which is most gener- 

 ally followed among us, and should be so followed. 



He had, however, declared that he would 

 not undertake, on these conditions being com- 

 plied with by the Union, to rejoin it, but would 

 await result*. The question was, again con- 

 sidered at subsequent meetings of the coun- 

 cil, and a declaration was adopted which was 

 intended to define the attitude of the Union 

 in relation to the questions at issue, in terms 

 that would be acceptable to Mr. Spurgeon. 

 This declaration was brought before the Union 

 at the present meeting, and after discussion 

 and the consideration of amendments, was 

 adopted in the following terms: 



That while expressly disavowing any power to 

 control belief or restrict inquiry, yet, in View of the 

 uneasiness produced in the churches by recent; discus- 

 sions, and to show our agreement with one another 

 and with our fellow-Christians on the great truths of 

 the Gospel, the council deem it right to say : Baptized 

 into the name of the Father, and of the 'Son, and of 

 the Holy Ghost, we have avowed repentance toward 

 God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the very ele- 

 ments of a new life : as in the supper we avow our 

 union with one another while partaking of the symbol 

 of the body of our Lord broken for us, and of the 

 blood shed for the remission of sins. 



The Union, therefore, is an association of churches 

 and ministers professing not only to believe the facts 

 and doctrines of the Gospel, but to have undergone 

 the spiritual change expressed or implied in them. 

 This change is the fundamental principle of our church 

 life. 



The following facts and doctrines are commonly 

 believed by the churches of the Union: The divine 

 inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures as 

 the supreme and sufficient rule of our' faith and prac- 

 tice and the right and duty of individual judgment 

 in the interpretation of it ; the fallen and sinful state 

 of man ; the Deity, the incarnation, the resurrection of 

 the Lord Jesus Christ, and his sacrificial and mediato- 

 rial work; justificati"n by faith a faith that works 

 by love and produces holiness ; the work of the Holv 

 Spirit in the conversion of sinners and in the sancti'- 

 tication of all who believe; the resurrection and the 

 judgment of the la-tday. with the eternal blessedness 

 of the righteous and the eternal punishment of the 

 wicked. 



As an historical fact, the last half of this statement 

 has generally been accepted by the >;reat majoritv of 

 tlie Union in the usual sense; but from the rirst, 

 some, while reverently accepting all divine teaching, 

 have accepted other interpretations, which seem to 



them consistent with it, and the Union have Lad no 

 difficulty in working with them. 



This action was not accepted by Mr. Spur- 

 geon, who declared himself " one outside of 

 the Union," and having no right to have any- 

 thing further to do with its creeds or its dec- 

 larations. "All has been done that can be 

 done,'' be said, "and yet without violence we 

 ran not unite ; let us not attempt it any more ; 

 but each one ge his own way in quiet, each 

 striving honestly for that which he believes to 

 be the revealed truth of God. I could have 

 wished that instead of saving the Union, or 

 even purifying it, the more prominent thought 

 had been to conform everything to the word of 

 the Lord." 



The Irish department of the British and 

 Irish Home Mission was transferred to an ex- 

 ecutive committee in Ireland. Resolutions 

 were adopted declaring that the question of 

 disestablishment in Wales was ripe lor settle- 

 ment, and ought to be no longer postponed ; 

 and deprecating any further extension of state 

 aid to denominational schools. 



The autumnal meetings of the Union were 

 held at Huddersfield, beginning October 1. 

 Dr. Clifford presided. The report on the funds 

 in connection with the Union showed that the 

 whole amount invested up to the close of the 

 last year was '116.554:, showing an increase 

 of about 3,000. Annuities amounting to 

 5,216 were paid every year. The Augmenta- 

 tion fund was 500 short, and the Education 

 fund required increasing. A minute was 

 adopted renewing the protests of the Union 

 against the maintenance by the state of "the 

 system of sectarian elementary schools," and 

 reiterating the declaration that "a really na- 

 tional system of undenominational day-schools 

 can alone supply the educational needs of the 

 country without violating the rights of con- 

 science." Meetings were held in behalf of the 

 Baptist Foreign Missions and of the British 

 and Irish Home Missions ; and prepared papers 

 were read and addresses delivered on various 

 subjects of denominational interest. 



Baptist Missionary Society, The annual 

 meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society was 

 held April 24. Mr C. Townsend, J. P., of 

 Bristol, presided. The income of the society 

 had been 61,341, showing an increase from 

 the previous year of 2,938 : yet the balance- 

 sheet exhibited a debt of 5,859, which had 

 been caused by increased expenditure. This 

 would, however, probab.y be extinguished by 

 the proceeds of legacies which would not have 

 to go to the reserve fund. The publication of 

 Mr. Bentley's " Grammar and Dictionary of 

 the Congo Language " was mentioned as an 

 event of much importance. The use of the 

 steamer " Peace " for the purpose of Mr. Stan- 

 ley's expedition to relieve Emin Pasha (con- 

 trary to the policy of the society not to par- 

 ticipate in enterprises that might have a mili- 

 tary aspect) was shown in the report to have 

 been unavoidable, because the suffering follow- 



