BAPTISTS. 



01 



The number of quarterly meetings is 161; 

 of licensed preachers (not ordained) 114. The 

 tables show an increase from 1872 of seven 

 quarterly meetings, 41 charches, and 666 mem- 

 bers, and a decrease of 77 ministers. The 

 number of colleges, seminaries, and literary 

 institutes, under the care of the Free-will Bap- 

 tists, is given as 21. 



The Free-will Baptist Register for 1874 

 gives also the following names and numbers 

 of " some of the various associations of Bap- 

 tists in America, which, in doctrine and polity, 

 are in general agreement with the Free-will 

 Baptists: " 





The anniversaries of the benevolent societies 

 connected with the Free-will Baptist denomi- 

 nation in the United States were held at 

 Farmington, N". II., October 7th, 8th, and 

 9th. The Education Society had, during the 

 year, aided seventy young men studying for 

 the ministry, or ten more than they had aided 

 during the preceding year. The number of 

 such young men in the various institutions of 

 learning under the care of the denomination, 

 seemed to be increasing. The report of the 

 Society dwelt upon the question of the manner 

 in which the demand for a more efficient and 

 adequate ministry could be met. 



The Home Missionary Society reported an 

 improved financial condition. Its receipts 

 during the year were $10,126.61, or about 

 $2,000 more than that of the preceding year. 

 It reported a permanent fund of $4,478.30. The 

 debt of the Western Board had been paid, as 

 well as the other old debts. About 25,000 

 members had been gathered into the churches 

 among the freedmen. Calls for help had been 

 received from Kansas, Alabama, Texas, Oregon, 

 and other parts of the country. The entire re- 

 ceipts of the Foreign Miionary Society during 

 the year, including bequests, were $15,778.68. 

 Three times that amount, says the report, 

 would hardly provide for improving the op- 

 portunities that were constantly offered. The 

 number of missionaries in the field were in- 

 sufficient for the work to be done. Three 



missionaries had been sent out during the 

 year, and three more had offered themselves. 



The Woman's Missionary Society had re- 

 ceived $538.40, nearly all of which was still 

 unappropriated. The subject of sending a 

 young woman to India as a missionary was 

 under consideration. The Sunday-School Union 

 reported $484.90 in the treasury. Most of this 

 amount is so invested that the interest meets 

 current expenses. Reports had been received 

 from only 147 schools. 



The Free Baptist General Conference of 

 Nona,, Scotia met at Session Hill, Yarmouth 

 County, September llth. The convention 

 represents 30 churches, which have about 3,000 

 members. The number of ministers is 13. The 

 number of additions to the churches by bap- 

 tism during the year was 158. The Board of 

 Missions of this conference have for five years 

 undertaken the support of one missionary in 

 the foreign field. For the first four years their 

 expenses outrun their receipts. They then 

 adopted the plan of assessing the churches, 

 which met with uuch success that they were 

 able in the last year to pay their expenses and 

 the deficiencies of the preceding four years. 



The Free Baptist Conference of New Bruns- 

 wick met at St. John, October 13th. Of the 

 36 ministers, 28 had had regular pastoral work, 

 two had been engaged in mission-work, and 

 six had not been employed. The unwavering 

 adherence of the denomination to its old po- 

 sition, in favor of open communion, was unan- 

 imously affirmed by resolution. The hearty 

 sympathy of the conference was given to the 

 movement for the prohibition of the sale of in- 

 toxicating liquors. The number of additions 

 to the churches by baptism, during the year, 

 was 465. 



III. SEVENTH-DAT BAPTISTS. The fifty- 

 ninth session of the Seventh-Day Baptist 

 General Conference met at Westerly, R. L, 

 September 10th. The Rev. L. C. Rogers 

 was elected moderator. The committee ap- 

 pointed by the previous General Conference 

 to prepare a paper on the subject of commun- 

 nion, not having consulted, had each prepared 

 an independent paper, embodying his own 

 views on the subject. A committee was ap- 

 pointed to prepare, for consideration at the 

 next session of the Conference, a plan for de- 

 nominational reorganization, to embrace the 

 following items: 1. A definite basis of repre- 

 sentation, upon which all delegates to the 

 Conference shall be elected ; 2. If necessary, 

 such revision of the constitution of the Con- 

 ference as will enable it to carry forward, 

 legally, all operations which may hereafter 

 be intrusted to it; 3. Such definite informa- 

 tion as will show how the Missionary, Tract, 

 and Education Societies, may legally transfer 

 their works and property to the Conference, 

 if they shall at any time determine so to do. 

 Twenty-seven of the churches had made no re- 

 port on Sabbath-schools; the other churches 

 reported 55 Sabbath-schools, with 447 teach- 



