130 



CHRISTIAN UNION. 



CLANRICARDE, MARQUIS OF. 



called bishops or elders, and whether proposing to 

 exercise the functions of pastors, evangelists, or 

 teachers, to give satisfactory evidence that they re- 

 ceive substantially in their plain, evangelical sense 

 the above-cited passages of Scripture. 



We distinctly disclaim all intention to require an 

 assent to any human modification of these. Scriptures 

 or any human inferences therefrom, and we affirm it 

 lo be our purpose only to acquire an assent to God's 

 own truth expressed in God's own language, as it 

 has been commonly received by Christ's ministers 

 and people in all times and in all places. 



A rule was adopted providing that ministers 

 asking to be received shall be required, after a 

 satisfactory conference, to answer affirmatively 

 three questions, by which they will be com- 

 mitted to receive " the whole of the Scriptures 

 of the Old and New Testaments as an infallible 

 revelation from God, and as a sufficient rule 

 of faith and practice ; " to receive the portions 

 of the Scriptures cited in the Basis " in their 

 plain and obvious meaning as received by the 

 great body of evangelical believers in all ages, 

 and not in any rationalistic or anti-evangelical 

 sense; " and to a promise to endeavor to dis- 

 charge all the duties of the gospel ministry that 

 are required of them in the Scriptures. 



A declaration was adopted concerning the 

 qualifications of church-members, that " Chris- 

 tian Churches should receive into their fellow- 

 ship all who make a creditable profession of re- 

 pentance toward God and faith toward our Lord 

 Jesus Christ," and that "we will receive all into 

 the fellowship of the Church who give Script- 

 ural evidence that they believe in Christ as 

 their Saviour." In connection with these dec- 

 larations a number .of Scriptural texts were 

 cited, illustrative of the doctrines that " Christ 

 saves all who believe on him," of repentance 

 and the new birth, and of the duties of keeping 

 the commandments and of loving the Lord 

 Jesus Christ and the brethren. Candidates for 

 membership will be required to answer affirm- 

 atively questions expressing their principles. 



The convention further declared : 



All members and churches adopting the basis will 

 be recognized and enrolled as Union Christian min- 

 isters and churches, to be known as the " Union 

 Christian Churches of America." 



Any minister who has adopted the basis, but who 

 does not deem it expedient to sever existing denom- 

 inational relations, shall at his request be enrolled 

 notwithstanding. 



Ministers are requested to signify their adoption 

 of the Basis by a letter addressed to Kev. W. B. 

 Wellons, D. D., Suffolk, Va. 



Churches desiring to take action concerning the 

 Basis are requested to give public notice of a meet- 

 ing for that purpose. 



When the church is convened it is suggested that 

 the Basis be read, and that then a vote be taken on the 

 two following questions : 



1. Do you approve the " Union Christian Basis ? " 



2. Do you adopt the " Union Christian Basis ? " 

 The Secretary of the meeting is requested to sig- 

 nify the result in a letter addressed to Kev. W. B. 

 Wellons, D. D., Suffolk, Va. 



All churches either approving or adopting the 

 Basis are requested to appoint one or more delegates 

 to attend a general convention of the " Union Chris- 

 tian Churches " at Suffolk, Va., on the first Wednes- 

 day of May, 1875. All ministers adopting the Basis, 



including those who may not have severed hereto- 

 fore existing denominational relations, are also in- 

 vited to attend this convention, to take counsel con- 

 cerning the promotion of Christian union and the con- 

 version of the world. 



It was recommended provisionally that any 

 single church, or the several church organi- 

 zations which may adopt the basis of union, 

 should continue their respective forms of church 

 organization, or such forms as they may adopt, 

 until such time as a permanent plan for the fel- 

 lowship and cooperation of the Union Christian 

 Churches may be adopted. A committee of 

 five persons, consisting of the Rev. Messrs. 

 Thomas J. Mellish, W. B. Wellons, W. 0. Mc- 

 Cune, and George E. Thrall, and Mr. V. E. 

 Shaw, was appointed to take into considera- 

 tion the whole subject of a plan for the organ- 

 ization and cooperation of the churches and 

 ministers adopting the basis of union, with in- 

 structions to report at the first General Con- 

 vention of the churches. The same committee 

 was appointed an Excutive Board to consider 

 all matters pertaining to the union movement, 

 and was directed to issue an address to the 

 Churches of America in connection with the 

 basis of union. 



CLANRICARDE, Most Noble ULICK JOHN 

 DK BUEGH, Marquis and Earl of, Baron 

 Somerhill, K. P., a British and Irish peer, 

 born County Galway, Ireland, December 20, 

 1802; died in London, April 11, 1874. At 

 the age of six years he succeeded his father as 

 fourteenth earl, and was educated at the Uni- 

 versity of Dublin. He was addicted to manly 

 sports, was a skillful horseman, but never a 

 very close student. A passion for gambling 

 had also taken possession of him. While yet 

 young (in 1825) he turned his attention to 

 politics, and the same year married the only 

 daughter of George Canning, then Premier. 

 In anticipation of this marriage, Mr. Canning 

 appointed him Under-Secretary of State, from 

 1825 to 1827. He performed his duties indif- 

 ferently well, and was raised to a marquisate, 

 the title having been anciently in the family, 

 and, in 1826, made a Peer of Great Britain, 

 under the title of Baron Somerhill. He would 

 have been promoted to the cabinet by Mr. 

 Canning, had not some gambling transactions 

 placed him in an unfavorable light. In 1838, 

 however, he was nominated embassador to St. 

 Petersburg by Lord Melbourne, and served 

 there for three years creditably, and under 

 Earl Russell's first administration was Post- 

 master-General until 1852. Soon after this he 

 was a party in a very grave scandal, and un- 

 der such circumstances that the public were 

 greatly incensed against him. He offered to 

 resign the lord-lieutenancy of County Galway, 

 but the offer was declined. In 1857, Lord 

 Palmerston appointed him Lord Privy Seal, 

 and the appointment raised such a storm of 

 indignation as led to the overthrow of the 

 cabinet. From that time Lord Clanricarde 

 took no part in public affairs, except an oc- 





