CONGREGATIOXALISTS. 



14-'} 



and of the principle of self-support and other en- 

 couraging features were observed in the Zulu mis- 

 sion. The work in central and western Turkey 

 wa* contemplated with mingled fear and hope. 

 Tlie report as to eastern Turkey refrnvd specially 

 to [lie large number of pastors, teachers, preachers, 

 and believers who had suffered martyrdom and to 

 other features resulting from the persecutions there. 

 In Japan the property of the Dosnisha, though paid 

 for by the mission, being vested by law in the Japa- 

 irustees. had had to be given up. Otherwise 

 the reports showed an advance. The Kumi-ai 

 churches were revising their rolls, dropping the 

 names of many who had ceased to be interested in 

 Christianity: but the sale of 250,000 copies of the 

 Scriptures, or of parts of them, showed that the na- 

 tion was earnest in the study of the Bible. The 

 features of the missions in West and Central Africa, 

 China, and India, were generally favorable. A spe- 

 cial address was made to the meeting by the Hon. 

 Everett P. Wheeler on "The Duty of the United 

 States to American Citizens in Turkey." Resolu- 

 tions were adopted describing the situation of the 

 missions of the board in Turkey and their suffering 

 from persecution, and urging the President of the 

 United States to take immediate measures for the 

 security of American consuls in that empire, and at 

 once and peremptorily demand indemnity for the 

 wrongs that had been inflicted upon Americans. 

 Other resolutions approved of the withdrawal of 

 the missionaries in Japan from the Doshisha, assert- 

 ed the moral claim of the mission upon its prop- 

 erty, lamented the attitude which its trustees had 

 adopted toward the Christian religion, and advised 

 the continuance of the working force of the mis- 

 sion, to be increased rather than diminished, and 

 earnest co-operation with the Kumi-ai churches. 



British Congrregatioiialists. The statistical 

 summary prepared for the " Congregational Year- 

 book" for 1896 showed that there were in England, 

 Wales, and the Channel Islands Union 4,428 

 churches, branch churches, and mission stations, 

 with 1.625,865 sittings, an increase from the pre- 

 vious year of 13,143. The addition of 166 stations, 

 known to be supported by individual churches, 

 would make the number 4.594, a number to be still 

 further increased to 4.816 by additions from Scot- 

 land. Ireland, and the British Isles. Of the 2.816 

 ministers in England and Wales, 127 were tem- 

 porarily without pastoral charge, 74 were engaged 

 in collegiate and tutorial duties, 42 were occupied 

 in the work of secretaries, and 327 were retired. 

 The vacant churches in England and Wales num- 

 bered 265. The colleges and institutions for minis- 

 terial training in England and Wales were attended 

 by 386 students. 



Statistical returns made to the Congregational 

 Union of Wales at its meeting in July show that 

 the number of churches in the principality is 1,030; 

 of communicants, 136.736; of pupils in Sunday 

 schools, 135.461 ; and of members of congregations, 

 1)7.949 : value of denominational property, 1.2*4.- 

 408 ; seating capacity of chapels, 353.569 : total 

 amount of collections. 14fi.sr>4. 



The sixty-fourth annual spring assembly of the 

 Congregational Union of England and Wales was 

 held in London, May 11. The Rev. J. Morgan 

 Jones presided. The annual report of the com- 

 mittee recorded votes passed against further en- 

 dowment of sectarian schools out of taxes or rates, 

 and in favor of peace with the United States : a 

 correspondence with a representative of the Con- 

 gregational churches of the United States with ref- 

 erence to the proposed second International Coun- 

 cil of Congregationalists to be held at Boston, 

 Mass., in 1899: and mentioned a visit made by- a 

 deputation of the Union to Jamaica, by which an 



important service was rendered. A revision of the 

 constitution was acted upon, and many important 

 amendments were adopted. Among them was a 

 provision for accepting two or more invitations for 

 the holding of the autumnal assembly, under the 

 operation of which the meeting would be split up 

 into two or more sectional assemblies. A resolution 

 was adopted allirming numerous objections to the 

 education bill proposed in Parliament, and pledg- 

 ing the assembly "not only to resist the measure 

 by every legitimate means, but also to maintain the 

 struggle until the national educational system 

 ceases to be made a means of promoting sectarian 

 interests." Another resolution favored the creation 

 of a permanent court of arbitration for settling 

 difficulties between Great Britain and the United 

 States, and deplored the raid of Dr. Jamieson into 

 the Transvaal and the inarch into the Soudan. 



The report of the Congregational Church Aid 

 Society showed a greatly improved financial condi- 

 tion. The deficit of 1,500 of the previous year 

 had been removed, and applications for 3,181 had 

 been granted, the country unions asking aid them- 

 selves proposing to raise in addition 5,487. Stipu- 

 lations were required that the minimum stipend of 

 pastors of aided churches should be 80 in Eng- 

 land and 70 in Wales. 



The Union met in its autumnal session at Leices- 

 ter, Sept. 29. A resolution was passed in reference 

 to the completion of a term in the reign of Queen 

 Victoria exceeding in duration the longest reign of 

 any British sovereign, congratulating her Majesty 

 upon the event ; expressing the conviction that the 

 reign would also rank as the most brilliant in Eng- 

 lish history : making " grateful acknowledgment 

 that its blessings have largely been the direct con- 

 sequences of the Queen's own personal character 

 and conduct"; and assuring her Majesty of con- 

 tinued Congregational devoted loyalty. " A letter 

 of greeting was received from the Bishop of Peter- 

 borough, to which the Union replied, acknowledg- 

 ing the courtesy, and adding: "In heartily recip- 

 rocating its (the letter's) generous sentiments, we 

 have no fear that our mutual attitudes may be mis- 

 taken. We are separated by convictions which 

 neither of us can compromise ; but underneath 

 them all is the spirit of unity, which is the bond 

 of peace. We regard it as of" supreme importance 

 in an age when the Gospel has to face the ordeal 

 of such fierce criticism that the essential unity of 

 the Christian Church should be manifest. We feel 

 that the interchange of courtesies is one of the best 

 signs of true catholicity : and we are grateful to 

 your lordship for affording us an opportunity to 

 express the feelings with which we regard you and 

 the Church of which you are so distinguished a 

 representative." The resolution also embodied a 

 recognition of the scholarship, zeal, and broad- 

 mindedness of the bishop and of the activity of 

 his Church in Christian work. The resolution on 

 education expressed gratification over the with- 

 drawal of the education bill from Parliament; 

 recognized the services of men of all parties who 

 had united in exposing its "obnoxious features 

 and injurious proposals " : renewed the protest of 

 the Union against " the state endowment of secta- 

 rianism by grants to denominational schools, either 

 from taxes or rates without any adequate popular 

 control"; urged all members "to use the utmost 

 vigilance in resisting any renewed attempts to de- 

 stroy or even discourage the school-board system, 

 to lower the standard of education, or interfere 

 with the freedom and status of the teachers, or to 

 introduce sacerdotalism or any other form of secta- 

 rianism into the state-aided schools; and pledged 

 the Union to put forth every effort to secure a truly 

 efficient national svstem of education by which a 



