124 



CHRISTIAN UNION. 



associations and branch associations in England 

 and Wales, 63 in Scotland, 102 in Germany, and 

 13 in Switzerland. 



Reports were made to the convention from 

 555 local associations, 519 of which reported 

 an aggregate of 69,011 members. One hundred 

 and ninety-eight associations owned libraries, 

 numbering 181,340 volumes, 161 of which li- 

 braries were valued at $190,898. Two hun- 

 dred and sixty- one associations kept open read- 

 ing-rooms ; 56 had buildings valued at $2,434,- 

 900, with $700,750 of incumbrances against 

 them ; and 216 had building funds, amounting 

 to $408,756. The total value of buildings and 

 building funds amounted to $2,843,656, an in- 

 crease of $355,904 from the previous year, 

 making the value of the building property of 

 the associations, when cleared from debts, $2,- 

 137,706. 



The seventh Conference of the Young Men's 

 Christian Association of all lands met at Ham- 

 burg (Germany), August 16th. A social recep- 

 tion was held on the Saturday evening pre- 

 ceding, at which the delegates were formally 

 introduced by name to their fellow-delegates. 

 Sunday, addresses were made by several of the 

 delegates at the English Reformed Church in 

 Hamburg. One hundred and thirty-five dele- 

 gates attended the conference from Germany, 

 France, England, Scotland, Holland, Switzer- 

 land, and the United States. Baron G. von 

 Oertzten, of Hamburg, was chosen president 

 of the Conference, and Mr. George Williams, 

 of London, and Pastor O. Jordan, of Halle, 

 were elected vice-presidents. Three topics 

 were discussed, with addresses on each by 

 representatives of the several delegations, viz. : 

 "The Christian and Social Importance of the 

 Young Men's Christian Association ; " " What 

 has been thus far accomplished by the Young 

 Men's Christian Association ?" and "Christian 

 Work among Young Men in the Army." Re- 

 ports were made of the associations in the va- 

 rious countries represented, as follows : Great 

 Britain, 350 associations, 40,000 members ; 

 Germany, 200 associations, 10,000 members; 

 Holland, 225 associations, 4,000 members ; 

 France, 30 associations ; Belgium, 18 associa- 

 tions ; Switzerland, 100 associations. It ap- 

 peared that on the Continent, particularly in 

 Germany and Switzerland, buildings had been 

 erected to furnish lodgings for traveling young 

 men, particularly of the artisan class. The 

 Conference voted that for three years, till the 

 next Conference, the week beginning with the 

 second Sunday in November should be ob- 

 served as a special week of prayer for young 

 men. It was also voted to hold the next meet- 

 ing of the Conference (in 1878) in Brussels, 

 or, in case some unforeseen event should oc- 

 cur to interfere with holding it there, in some 

 city of England. 



CHRISTIAN UNION. UNION CHEISTIAN 

 CHUECHES OF AMERICA. The second * annual 



* See ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 1874; article, CHRISTIAN 

 UNION. 



convention of the Union Christian Churches of 

 America met at Suffolk, Va., May 5th. The 

 first convention under this name was held in 

 Cincinnati, Ohio, in October, 1874, and was 

 attended by members of six different Evangel- 

 ical denominations. It devised a basis of union 

 for the acceptance of such church-members, 

 ministers, and churches, as might be willing to 

 unite upon it for more compact Christian 

 work ; appointed a committee to report a plan 

 of cooperation and suggestions on church 

 organization, and fixed the meeting of the 

 present convention. Fourteen ministers were 

 present as delegates, four ministers were pres- 

 ent as deliberative members, one minister as 

 a corresponding member, and nine churches 

 were directly represented by ministerial and 

 lay delegates. In addition, several churches 

 and ministers sent letters expressing sympathy 

 with the objects of the convention. The Rev. 

 W. C. McCune was chosen president of the 

 convention. The basis of union adopted at 

 Cincinnati was called up for discussion, and 

 the subject was referred to a special commit- 

 tee. This committee, afterward reported that 

 they had concluded it to be inexpedient under 

 the circumstances to suggest any change in the 

 basis set forth by the convention at Cincinnati, 

 but that they had prepared a supplementary 

 document to accompany that basis. This pa- 

 per was adopted as " expressive of the true in- 

 tent and meaning of the basis of union adopted 

 at Cincinnati, in October, 1874." It declares 

 the meaning of the rule for the reception of 

 members laid down ra that paper* to be, " that 

 we regard every one as a Christian who exer- 

 cises due repentance toward God, and faith 

 toward our Lord Jesus Christ ; that the catho- 

 lic or universal Church of Christ is composed 

 of all such throughout the whole world as ex- 

 ercise this repentance and faith, and that every 

 local congregation of Christ's people should 

 make its fellowship conform to this principle, 

 by receiving any one who applies whom it ad- 

 mits to be a Christian, without regard to dif- 

 ferences of opinion in matters not considered 

 essential to salvation, or to Christian charac- 

 ter." It is declared, however, in this paper, 

 that " the test of a minister should be more rig- 

 orous than the simple ones required for church- 

 membership ; " that the people of God must 

 see to it " that ministers of the gospel are apt 

 to teach, and will not administer the poison of 

 pernicious doctrine to the churches instead of 

 the breath of life," but that nothing more 

 should be demanded of ministers than the com- 

 mon faith which has been held and taught by 

 the great body of believers in all ages." " The 

 universal consent of Christians," the supple- 

 mentary paper continues, "has always been 

 given to these grand and fundamental truths, 

 as essential to the very existence of Christ's 

 kingdom on earth, viz., that the Holy Script- 

 ures are inspired of God, and a perfect and 

 all-sufficient guide in faith and duty ; that man 

 * See ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 18T4. 



