May we now be permitted to suggest a few things of a remedial character bearing on

THE REMOVAL OF HINDRANCES, AND THE SECURING OF INCREASED PROSPERITY.

Here we would suggest

1.—Increased liberality in the support of the ministry, and in fostering our denominational institutions.

Diodorus Siculus relates a story about a forest taking fire on the Pyrenean Mountains, and it burnt so fiercely that it penetrated the soil to a considerable depth. The result of this was, that a pure stream of silver gushed from the earth, and revealed, for the first time, rich lodes of silver ore which afterwards became extensively celebrated.

We gratefully admit, that in some of our churches there has been manifest improvement in the support of the pastorate and in other things; but in many other churches a forest of rubbish still hides the silver mine, which by the electricity of a thunderpeal, or the burning eloquence of some bold reformer, or a special outpouring of the Spirit, needs igniting, so that the silver ore may be made to flow out in much greater abundance. But who amongst us has the moral courage to attack this sin of covetousness, and try, in God's name, to burn up the debris of our unsightly selfishness?

Let each church in the denomination regularly make their subscriptions and collections for the College and the two Missions, Home and Foreign-let the latter be united in. the effort to get the money, and let no church appropriate less than onethird of the income to the Home Mission Fund. With this increase of pecuniary power let the home missionary efforts of the body be

and densely populated localities, then a new era will dawn upon us; our home advancement will approximate more nearly to what it should be, and in a short time our power to sustain foreign operations will proportionately increase.

2.-Measures of Reform.

These are requisite also. They should be wise and judicious, but also honest and earnest. We need

also a number of brethren in the different churches and districts prepared to introduce, defend, and carry them-men of sterling piety, of clear perceptions, of catholic views, possessing an intimate knowledge of our denominational peculiarities, and of human nature in its workings in our churches and other institutions -men who, in the spirit of Peel, Cobden, Bright, and Gladstone, shall be ready to take the right positions, and make the needful sacrifices. Whoever may undertake this at the present time should expect to be opposed, misunderstood, and perhaps misrepresented. There will be strange prejudices to confront, and a fierce battle to fight. In some localities hoary superstitions still exist, and old tories with radical politics imagine they have received a commission from on high to watch over and defend them. In this enlightened age there are friends amongst us who cling to antiquated and obstructive customs, as if they were laws of Christ, and who talk of" conscientious objections" to this and that, when there is little to sustain their position besides a resolute selfwill.

3.-Another condition of progress will be found in An Improved Organization and Management of our Church and Sabbath School Work.

4.-Church Order.

Should not increased attention be given, in our College, Magazine, and

FOR the sake of those who may not see the religious newspapers which so fully report the proceedings of our churches and societies, we prepare this sketch of the anniversary services which have recently taken place. One of the earliest of the meetings called "May Meetings" is that of the Baptist Union. Its first session was held in John Street chapel, Bedford Row. It began with devotional exercises conducted by the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel, Mr. Chown, of Bradford, and Mr. Clifford, of Praed Street. Dr. Burns presided. The Rev. Dr. Gotch, of Bristol, took the chair at the business session, and delivered an address on the Present Crisis as affecting the Baptist Denomination. He explained our position in relation to other bodies, and to the State, showing that the question of Church and State is become the leading question of the present time. He also touched on the subject of Education, which, after the formal reception of Dr. Gotch's address, was more specifically treated in a separate paper by the Rev. S. G. Green, of Rawdon College. The next session was held in Walworth Road chapel, when the report of the Union was read by the Rev. J. H. Millard. The report was unusually cheering, for it stated that the clear increase of members is 7,757. Eighty-three ministers have been added -twenty-seven new churches have been formed-twenty-five new chapels have been built, and thirty-one others enlarged. The two topics which were discussed were the Augmentation of Ministers' Incomes, and National Education. The company adjourned to the Metropolitan Tabernacle for a public dinner.

The Baptist Missionary Meeting was held in the evening at Exeter Hall, which was well filled. The Rev. F. Trestrail presented the seventy-sixth annual report, which stated that the staff of missionaries and assistant missionaries in all parts of the world numbers fifty-eight individuals-that four brethren devote nearly all their time to the translation and printing of the Scriptures-and that the churches contain a little over 6,200 members. The Mission has still a debt of more than

£3,300. H. Kelsall, Esq., of Rochdale, presided at the meeting, and the speakers were the Revs. G. Kerry, of Calcutta, Charles Clark, of Bristol, D. Wassell, of Bath, Dr. Price, of Aberdare, and Charles Reed, Esq., of Hackney. Mr. Clark's address was received with special favour, and was said by a competent judge who was present to be eloquent and much applauded.

The Bible Translation Society met as usual in Kingsgate chapel, Holborn. Its income for the past year was £1,654. H. Kelsall, Esq., presided at this meeting also, and the speakers were Revs. Dr. Steane, G. Kerry, W. Walters, W. Bailey, of Wymeswold, and J. P. Chown, of Bradford.

The British and Irish Baptist Home Mission Association held its meeting in Bloomsbury chapel. H. Winterbotham, Esq., M.P., presided, and the speakers were Revs. C. Kirtland (Secretary), W. Stott, S. H. Booth, J. P. Chown, and H. Tritton, Esq. total income of the year was £4,394.

The

The

The Wesleyan Missionary Society held its aggregate meeting in Exeter Hall. Its chairman was one of their own members, Isaac Holden, Esq., M.P. The report opened by saying that their missions were never in a more efficient state, and the prospects never more cheering. The total receipts for the year were £149,371 15s. 11d, an increase of nearly £2000! speaking was very earnest and eloquent, by Revs. John Bedford, Thos. Hodgson, Dr. G. Smith, of Cambourne, W. T. Radcliffe, J. S. Banks, and Donald Fraser, M.A. The latter gentleman preached one of the annual sermons in Great Queen Street chapel, which received high commendation from all who heard it. It is evident that our Wesleyan friends meet in the assemblies of their great societies not as mere critics, to hear and judge of the speeches that may be made, but as ardent and earnest Christians, in full sympathy with the speakers, and ready to make such hearty responses to the sentiments uttered as may be felt to be most appropriate. This one Society, with its multiplied converts and its augmented resources, offers a

sufficient refutation of the opinion that Wesleyanism is on the wane.

The British and Foreign Bible Society attracted as usual a very large gathering, and very properly so, for its object is in some respects higher than that of any other society in existence, and it must win approval wherever the Bible itself is loved. The report given is interesting beyond measure, and would occupy several of our pages in its most condensed form. Since its formation it has circulated 55,069,865 copies of the Scriptures, and during the last year it has expended £200,8791 Besides two good speeches from the bishops of Carlisle and London, there were most admirable ones from Revs. Dr. Raleigh, Donald Fraser, Canon Conway, J. Clifford, R. D. Sanderson, and Dr. Fowler.

The meeting of the Sunday School Union is usually one of the most popular of the Exeter Hall assemblies, and this year it found no exception to the rule. The hall was densely crowded, and the proceedings commenced under the presidency of one out of the ranks of teachers, Mr. D. Pratt. But during the reading of the report the expected chairman, Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, arrived. The speaking was apportioned to the Rev. J. B. Owen, an Episcopalian, to the Rev. C. Stovel, a Baptist, to the Rev. W. M. Statham, an Independent, to the Rev. R. Roberts, a Wesleyan, and to Dr. Edmond, a Presbyterian. Some dissension occurred during the speech of Mr. Stovel, who made what were considered political allusions to Mr. Gladstone, Lord Brougham, and National Education; and something amounting to clamour arose when Mr. Statham (whose father and Mr. Stovel were intimate friends) presumed to deliver a public rebuke to the veteran orator. Altogether the report of the speaking at the Union this year is less pleasing than usual.

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religion and natural knowledge within the spheres of fact, law, the realm of natural ethics, and the region of social sympathy and practical benevolence. In elaborating his first point, he contended that there was one principle of argument between religion and positive science-each was grounded upon a basis of unchallengeable fact. There were facts of science; there were facts of Christianity. "When," said the speaker, "the facts of science stand proved in the light of day, we have but one thing to do-accept them frankly and joyfully. No matter what they may seem to involve or bring after them; no matter what cosmogonies, ethnologies, chronologies the facts may seem to favour or frown upon; if they are facts, professed and declared as such by the whole scientific world, there will come no opposition; nothing but a thankful and loyal welcome to these real and permanent additions to human knowledge and power. I speak but for myself when I say that I have never met among my ministerial friends one single man who would confront a scientific fact and call it false or ungodly; who would not, in a measure, give it reverence, as to one of the eternal decrees. There may be, here and there, a man of some culture, who, by force of superstitious training, or ruled in his thinking by the necessities of some theological system which he has adopted, or fearing for the safety of the great book which carries the hopes of the world in it-or, more likely, fearing for the validity of some particular interpretation of a passage of the book, which, after all, may not be the right interpretation; there may be, here and there, some such men who will dare deny the very facts, or, bolder still, say, 'All the worse for them if they are true.' But such men are simply odd and exceptional, in no way representative of their brethren, who, as far as my knowledge extends, repudiate the principle that the truth must be on their side, who do adopt and act on the principle that they must be on the side of the truth. They can do nothing against the fact, but for the fact." The address was heartily received, after which Dr. G. Smith, the secretary, read the report. Resolutions were passed expressive of gratitude for the preservation of Prince

Alfred, and of sympathy with Mr. Gladstone's resolutions respecting the Irish Church. The Rev. R. W. Dale was appointed to be next year's chairman of the Union.

The Religious Tract Society is now one of the oldest of our religious institutions. Its sixty-ninth anniversary was held in Exeter Hall-D. Maclaren, Esq., M.P., in the chair; and the speakers were the Revs. Mr. Forrest, Drs. Winslow and Mullens, H. Huleatt, &c. The total receipts during the year are £113,092, being an increase of £2,317 over the year preceding. Grants in money, paper, and publications have been made to the amount of £13,467; while every subscriber of 10s. 6d. is allowed a reduction of 25 per cent. on all purchases.

Among the younger institutions may be noticed the Missionary Society of the United Methodist Free Churches. This Mission is a mixture of the home and foreign. Sermons were preached in all the chapels in and about London on the Sunday. The next morning a breakfast took place in Exeter Hall, at which town and country representatives were present; and in the evening a public meeting was held, which is reported to have been largely attended, and which was addressed effectively by several of the leading ministers of the young body, such as Revs. R. Chew, President of the Annual Assembly, J. S. Wittington, and J. Guttridge, and also by the Rev. J. G. Rogers, B.A., of Clapham. The Society has an income of £10,052 88. 4d.

At the Young Men's Association in aid of the Baptist Missionary Society held in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, some telling speeches were delivered by the Revs. J. G. Gregson, formerly of India, J. G. Rogers, of Clapham, and W. Arthur, Wesleyan.

The Systematic Beneficence Society has initiated an annual meeting in Exeter Hall, which was addressed by the Revs. Dr. Cather, Arthur Mursell, A. Macauslane, R. W. Dale, and others.

The London City Mission has still a band of visiting brethren amounting to 355 in number, and toward their sup

port an income is obtained of more than £36,464. The adoption of the report was moved by the Earl of Cavan, and was followed in very Christian and catholic addresses by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, vicar of Islington, Rev. Donald Fraser, of Inverness, and Dr. Miller, of Greenwich. Mr. Wilson told an anecdote of a cabinan who drove a clergyman to the Crystal Palace, and who, before putting him down, said to him, "Sir, ain't you a clergyman? Haven't I a soul? How is it you have allowed me to drive you mile after mile, and you have not said a word to me about my soul?" Mr. Fraser told another anecdote of a gentleman well known in political society who confessed that he once stood in a river twenty hours to play a salmon. "To play a salmon ! Who among us has spent twenty hours in labour and anxiety about any single soul?" The same gentleman added that it was not playing the fish that afforded the delight, but hooking it. "And this," said Mr. Fraser, 66 was the true delight of missionary work, sending the hook of conviction right into the conscience of some poor sinner who is floating down to death."

The Eighth Triennial Conference of the Liberation Society was the largest and most influential which has ever yet taken place in connection with the great movement to emancipate the Church from its bondage to the State. Eight hundred delegates from all parts of the country assembled and held three sittings, under the presidency of the Rev. J. P. Mursell, Thos. Barnes, Esq., M.P., and Edward Butler, Esq., of Leeds. The most notable speeches were those of Mr. E. Miall, and Rev. C. H. Spurgeon. The report, by J. C. Williams, Esq., was comprehensive and cheerful; the latter it might well be, considering the series of successes which has been won in Parliament, and the astonishing progress of right views on ecclesiastical questions throughout the country. Two papers of great power, one by the Rev. E. White on Modern Theories of Church Establishments, and the other by the Rev. J. G. Rogers, B.A., on the Ritualistic Movement in the Church of England, were read and approved.