204 CONGREGATIONALISTS. 



CONGRESS, CONFEDERATE. 



" We believe, also, in the organized and visible 

 Church, in the ministry of the Word, in the sacra- 

 ments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, in the res- 

 urrection of the body, and in the final judgment 

 the issues of which are eternal life and everlasting 

 punishment. 



"We receive these truths on the testimony of God, 

 given originally through prophets and apostles, and 

 in the life, the miracles, the death, the resurrection 

 of his Son, onr divine Redeemer. This testinlony 

 is preserved for the Church, in the Scriptures of the 

 Old and New Testament, which were composed by 

 holy men as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 



"Affirming now our belief that those who thus 

 hold 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism,' together 

 constitute the one catholic Church, the several 

 households of which, though called by different 

 names, are the one body of Christ ; and that these 

 members of His body are sacredly bound to keep 

 ' the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ; ' we 

 declare that we will cooperate with all who hold 

 these truths, with them we will carry the Gospel 

 into every part of this land, and with them we will 

 go into all the world, to preach the Gospel to every 

 creature. 



"May He, to whom 'all power is given in heaven 

 and earth,' fulfil the promise which is all our hope : 

 ' Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the 

 world.' Amen." 



On the subject of Congregational policy, the 

 Council adopted, almost unanimously, the fol- 

 lowing resolutions offered by Prof. Park: 



Resolved, That this Council recognizes, as distinc- 

 tive of the Congregational polity: 



1. The principle that the local or Congregational 

 Church derives its power and authority directly from 

 Christ, and is not subjected to any ecclesiastical gov- 

 ernment, exterior or superior to itself. 



2. That every local or Congregational Church is 

 bound to observe the duties of mutual respect and 

 charity, which are included in the communion of 

 churches one with another; and that every church 

 which refuses to give an account of its proceedings, 

 when kindly and orderly desired to do so by neigh- 

 boring churches, violates the law of Christ. 



3. That the ministry of the gospel, by members of 

 the churches w_ho have been duly called and set apart 

 to that work, implies in itself no power of govern- 

 ment; and that ministers of the gospel, not elected 

 to office in any church, are not a hierarchy, nor are 

 they invested with any official power in or over the 

 churches. 



The report of the committee on raising 

 $750,000 for the purpose of evangelization 

 ($300,000 for the American Home Missionary 

 Society, $250,000 for the American Missionary 

 Association, and $200,000 for the Congrega- 

 tional Union), was unanimously adopted. The 

 report recommended that the officers of the 

 first two societies use all efforts in their power 

 to increase their receipts to the amount named, 

 and also proposed a simultaneous collection in 

 all the Congregational churches in the land, on 

 the Sabbath (December 17th) preceding next 

 " Forefathers' Day," to secure, if possible, the 

 church-building fund of $200,000 for the Ameri- 

 can Congregational Union. The report of the 

 Committee on a Congregational House in Bos- 

 ton, arguing the desirableness of such an edifice 

 as a repository of the library of the Congrega- 

 tional Association, was likewise adopted. The 

 report stated that the Congregational Associa- 

 tion had property to the amount of $10,000, 



and also had secured subscriptions of $20,000 

 toward the object ; $100,000 was needed in all, 

 and should be raised mainly in New England. 



The committee on the " American Protestant 

 Assembly " presented a report regarding " the 

 fearful spread of Papacy, as a civil and ecclesi- 

 astical authority, and urging a vigorous defence 

 against the encroachments of Roman Catholi- 

 cism and infidelity." The report recommended 

 the appointment of a committee of five clergy- 

 men and an equal number of laymen, in form- 

 ing a proposed union of different denomina- 

 tions ; and it was adopted. 



In accordance with the recommendation of 

 the National Congregational Convention, the 

 Congregational churches took up a collection, 

 December 17th, for the purpose of raising 

 $200,000 for church extension. The contribu- 

 tions from most of the churches were liberal, 

 though some, even among the largest and 

 wealthiest congregations, postponed the taking 

 of the collection. The contributions reported 

 up to January 11, 1866, amounted to $89,380. 



The first Congregational State Conference in 

 any of the former slave States was organized 

 at Hannibal, Mo., October 27th, under the name 

 of " The General Conference of Missouri." Con- 

 gregationalism has fifteen churches in Missouri, 

 all of recent origin. The first Congregational 

 Church of Maryland was organized at Baltimore 

 in May, and the first church of Louisiana at 

 New Orleans in December. 



According to the English "Congregational 

 Year Book for 1866," the statistics of Congrega- 

 tionalism in Europe and in the British Colonies 

 were in the years 1864 and 1865 as follows: 



In the London postal district there were, in 

 1865, 220 churches, 178 pastors, 94 ministers 

 without pastorahGharges. The number of stu- 

 dents in Cheshunt, Hackney, and New ColK^vs 

 was given at 100. 



The Congregational Memorial Hall Fund 

 amounted, at the close of the year 18C5, to 

 about 50,000. 



CONGRESS, CONFEDERATE. (See CON- 

 FEDERATE STATES.) 



