800 



UNITARIANS. 



the direct results of its work had been small, 

 and recommended the adoption of some more 

 thorough method of operation. It suggested 

 also that some reasonable method of inquiry 

 was needed to be applied to the case of ministers 

 coming to Unitarian churches from other de- 

 nominations. The Committee on Fellowship 

 was directed to consider the subject of the in- 

 troduction into the Unitarian ministry of per- 

 sons seeking admission from other churches 

 and of those who have not received a certifi- 

 cate of their moral character and ministerial 

 education from any of the Unitarian theologi- 

 cal schools of the United States or of England ; 

 to prepare some plan for making such introduc- 

 tion, and to send a copy of the same to each of 

 the local conferences within the denomination. 

 The Conference further directed that a certifi- 

 cate of the acceptance by any local conference 

 of any applicant for admission to the Unitarian 

 ministry, tiled at the ofiice of the Secretary of 

 the American Unitarian Association, shall en- 

 title such person to be received into the fellow- 

 ship of the churches, and enrolled in the minis- 

 try, of the denomination. A resolution was 

 passed favoring the introduction of responsive 

 worship in the congregations, and encouraging 

 the production of manuals of worship and books 

 of devotion in aid of worship of this character. 

 The Conference declared it expedient and de- 

 sirable to appoint three missionaries at large to 

 work in cooperation with the American Unita- 

 rian Association. A committee was appointed 

 to consider concerning the foundation and en- 

 dowment of one or more schools for girls, and 

 to devise plans for the establishment and or- 

 ganization of such schools. The formation of 

 a " Book Association " by the several societies 

 connected with the Conference, or represented 

 in it, was recommended, to provide a full sup- 

 ply of books in harmony with the denomina- 

 tional doctrines for general society and private 

 libraries. Several questions of theology and 

 concerning education were discussed. The 

 Conference consisted of 531 delegates repre- 

 senting 220 parishes and other organizations. 



The annual meeting of the American Unita- 

 rian Association was held in Boston, Mass., 

 May 28th. The total receipts of the Treasurer 

 for the year had been $38,791, and his expendi- 

 tures $55,184. The permanent fund had been 

 drawn upon to meet the deficit in receipts. 

 The sum of $7,208 had been contributed to the 

 Washington Church and paid to the same, 

 making a total sum of $21,767 which had been 

 applied to this enterprise. The general funds 

 of the Association had been used to assist col- 

 ored students at Harvard University, Meadville 

 Theological Seminary, and Wilberforce Univer- 

 sity, and in aid of several Unitarian churches. 



The fifty-third annual meeting of the British 

 and Foreign Unitarian Association was held 

 in London, June 12th and 13th. Mr. Herbert 

 New presided. The financial report showed 

 that the receipts of the Association for the 

 year had been 6,809 on general account, and 



UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH. 



3,525 on account of the Jubilee Fund. Ex- 

 penditures had been made for grants to con- 

 gregations and to missions, for books and tracts, 

 for lectures, and for new churches. The Execu- 

 tive Committee reported that they had published 

 several works during the year, among which 

 were translations of five discourses by the late 

 Athanase Coquerel on " Conscience and Faith," 

 and of Dr. Reville's " History of the Dogma of 

 the Deity of Christ," besides some English and 

 American works which they had either re- 

 printed or procured for circulation. The Com- 

 mittee further noticed " with satisfaction the 

 immense variety of publications in which the 

 orthodox dogmas are ignored or directly op- 

 posed and set aside. In journals and periodi- 

 cals, as well as in more elaborate books, the 

 work is being effectually done," the report 

 said, " which was formerly confined within the 

 range of Unitarian literature." The repre- 

 sentatives of the Association had united with 

 a body of Dissenting deputies in presenting an 

 address to the late Earl Russell on the recent 

 occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the repeal 

 of the Corporation and Test Acts, of which the 

 Earl had been the most conspicuous promoter. 

 The meeting was attended by representatives 

 of the Unitarians of Hungary and of the Liberal 

 party in the Reformed Church of France, and 

 letters were read from the Associations in Ger- 

 many and Holland. Delegates were also pres- 

 ent from Adelaide, South Australia ; and notice 

 was taken of the commencement of Unitarian 

 services. at Sydney, New South Wales. A res- 

 olution was passed noticing with satisfaction 

 the civil and religious reforms which had taken 

 place within the last half century, but declar- 

 ing that the Association could not consider the 

 work of liberal reformation complete so long 

 as any vestiges remained of the privileges with 

 reference to the universities of the teaching of 

 denominational creeds in schools supported in 

 whole or in part by public money, of "the ex- 

 clusion of Dissenters as such from the free 

 use of the parochial burying grounds," or of the 

 maintenance of the Church establishment. 



The annual meeting of the Pnitarians of 

 Ireland, who are generally known as the Asso- 

 ciation of Non-subscribing Presbyterians, was 

 held in June. The Rev. David Thompson, of 

 Belfast, was chosen President. A resolution 

 was adopted directing that the fundamental 

 principles of the Association, as adopted in 1835, 

 be henceforth published with the minutes of 

 the annual meeting. These principles avow 

 allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ as King 

 and Head of the Church, declare the sufficiency 

 of the Scriptures, recognize the right of pri- 

 vate judgment, and reject human authority in 

 matters of faith. This action was opposed by 

 the " advanced " party in the Association, and 

 the probability of a separation was spoken of. 



UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH. The fol- 

 lowing is a summary of the statistics of this 

 Church as they are given in the " United Breth- 

 ren Almanac " for 1879 : 



