CONGREGATIONALISTS, TRINITARIAN. 



225 



4. No remainder or reversionary interest of the heirs 

 forfeited. 



5. No working of corruption or forfeiture. 



6. No forfeiture after death. Forfeiture, like a sale, 

 is an instantaneous act, and must take place while the 

 owner is alive, if its enemy character is caused by 

 ownership. 



As the act (sec. 5, 6, 7, 8) provides, without ambigui- 

 ty, for the absolute forfeiture, the Joint Resolution 

 passed with reference to the act cannot affect it. 



The belligerent right of the Government to treat re- 

 bellious subjects as though they were alien enemies 

 and thus to confiscate their property absolutely, is a 

 constitutional right. Late decision of the Supreme 

 Court in proof sheets of 1 Black's U. S. Supreme Court 

 reports. See PROVISIONAL COURT FOR LA. 



CONGREGATIONALISTS, TRINITARIAN. 

 The " Congregational Quarterly " for January, 

 1864, contains full statistics of the Orthodox 

 Congregational churches, as collected in 1863. 

 The number of churches reported is 2,729. 

 Of these 610 are not specified, 830 have 

 pastors, 768 have stated supplies, and 495 are 

 vacant. Of the 2,594 ministers of the denomi- 

 nation, 632 are not in active service. The total 

 church membership (including ministers) is 

 253,200, of whom 90,163 are males, and 164,- 

 037 females ; 31,178 are represented as " absent," 

 6,487 have been received by letter, and 5,576 

 have been dismissed by letter, leaving an ex- 

 cess favorable -to denominational growth of 

 910. There have been admitted by profession 

 7,999, while 4,288 have died, and 680 have been 

 excommunicated, leaving 2,931 as an increase, 

 and which, with this 910, will make a total in- 

 crease in the year in the 2,729 churches of 

 3,841 members, with no deduction for the 31,- 

 178 absent. 



An interesting case of doctrinal controversy 

 was tried in July, before a mutual board called 

 by a petition of about one half of the male 

 members of the Congregational church at 

 Georgetown, Mass. The letter of call set forth 

 that the Kev. Charles Beecher, the pastor, did 

 not, in the view of the petitioners, preach ac- 

 cording to the creed of the church and of the 

 Orthodox churches generally of New England, 

 especially in presenting his views of the pre- 

 existence of man, the condition of souls after 

 death, the atonement and divine sorrow. 

 "With regard to the preexistence of souls, Mr. 

 Beecher was reported to profess to the follow- 

 ing effect : " We were all created in a previous 

 world, and were drawn into apostasy by the 

 fallen angels. Gx)d then proposed to create 

 this world as a hospital for 'our race, in- 

 troduce us here, and heal us of sin. It was 

 proposed to Lucffer to become our redeemer. 

 He refused. God then chose a younger brother, 

 who proved willing. To him was added the 

 divine nature, and he became among us the 

 Christ. As it seemed doubtful whether Christ 

 could do this work that Lucifer refused to do, 

 he, Lucifer, remained in heaven after his re- 

 fusal till Christ's resurrection. Lucifer was not 

 expelled while he could raise a doubt -whether 

 this redemption could be accomplished." 



The council adopted, by a vote of 16 yeas 

 VOL. in 15 A 



against 5 noes, the report of a committee, 

 which found Mr. Beecher guilty of heretical 

 preaching, and recommended the dissolution 

 of pastoral relations between him and the con- 

 gregation of Georgetown. The latter, how- 

 ever, by a vote of 27 against 21, refused to ac- 

 cept the doings of this ecclesiastical council. 

 Toward the close of the year, Mr. Beecher re- 

 signed the pastoral charge of the church. 



The Canada Congregational Union, at its an- 

 nual meeting, held in Montreal, on June loth, 

 passed the following resolution : 



The ministers and delegates of the Congregational 

 Union of Canada, in annual session of the Congrega- 

 tional Union, beg to express their deep and heartfelt 

 sympathies with brethren in the neighboring republic 

 in the dire calamities of civil war with which their 

 country is afflicted, and their homes desolated. 



With them we love to fraternize, their delegates are 

 gladly welcome among us, and recognizing, as we dp, 

 that slavery is the chief cause of the fearful struggle in 

 which they are involved, our prayers are to the Father 

 of mercies, the great Ruler of the universe, that he 

 would bring hostilities to a speedy and righteous ter- 

 mination, by which the principles of civil and religious 

 liberty, the rights of humanity and universal freedom 

 may be advanced and perpetuated. 



At the 24th autumnal session of the Congre- 

 gational Union of England and Wales, which 

 commenced at Liverpool, on October 12th, an 

 interesting paper was read on the bicentenary 

 movement in commemoration of the ejection 

 of Non-Conformist ministers from the Church 

 of England in 1662. It appeared that the 

 Congregational churches up to that time had 

 subscribed 251,568 for the objects in view. 

 Out of the thirty chapels, contemplated by the 

 Lancashire churches, eight capable of accom- 

 modating 6,000 persons, had been opened; 

 others were in progress, and sites for thirteen 

 more had been secured. A large educational 

 establishment had been opened at Farnworth, 

 and another at Ashton, involving a large ex- 

 penditure. Lancashire intended, as it appeared, 

 to expend 150,000 upon these measures; 

 Wales was determined to collect 20,000, to 

 found a college, and 30,000 for the liquida- 

 tion of chapel debts, and for other denomina- 

 tional purposes. 



The " English Congregational Yearbook " of 

 1864, gives the following summary of Congre- 

 gational statistics of England and the Colonies : 



Number of Congregational Churches. 



In Great Britain 



England 1,818 



Wales 687 



Scotland 103 



Ireland 28 



Jersey 8 



Guernsey 5 



Isle of Man 2 



Total 



2,651 



In Colonies 



The Canadas 9<* 



Other British Provin- 

 ces, North America, 20 

 Vancouver's Island. . 1 



Australasia 121 



South Africa 10 



Demerara 8 



Total... .. 243 



To these may be added 203 mission church- 

 es among the heathen, in connection with the 

 London Missionary Society, making a total 

 throughout the world of 3,102. This number 

 does not include the numerous village chapels, 



