CHURCH CONGRESS.-The autumn is distinguished by the annual meetings of the Church Congress and the autumnal meetings of the Congregational and Baptist Unions. The meeting of the Church Congress was this year held at Swansea. The assembling in Wales naturally gave prominence to the prevalence of dissent in the principality. The subject is discussed in the opening sermon of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who selected as his text the words of the Lord, "He that is not against us is for us. 99 The words, in the estimation of the preacher, are appropriate for this age, because it is an age of much earnestness, "and it is an inseparable consequence of men being earnest that they should attach much importance both to the doctrines and the forms which God has blessed for the arousing and saving of their own souls. It therefore happens that a period of earnestness is so very commonly a time of apparent division. I trust, however," continues the Archbishop, "that a division of the kind described is more apparent than real, because it occurs between men who are agreed as to the fundamental doctrines contained in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.' These words strike the keynote of the sermon. It is a plea for the recognition of the Christian work of those who differ in religious opinion and ecclesiastical practice, but whose lives attest the sincerity of their Christian faith. And passing from parties in the Church itself, the Archbishop speaks of Dissenters in words which might be profitably pondered by the clergy who recognise his authority: "Another peculiarity in Welsh society is the prevalence of Dissent. Why do we see so many Dissenting chapels in every village and on every hillside? It is not unnatural that the clergy of the Church of England should deplore this state of things; but let us not pronounce it at once as being altogether an evil, for it is a testimony that the people have religious instincts, and long, according to their lights, to have the Word of God brought within their reach; that they do not wish to lose it; that they do not desire the Lord's day to be passed without religious worship; and

that they desire that worship to be such as they understand. Why did not the Church of England come forward as it ought to give the Bread of Life to those who during the last century showed they were hungering for spiritual sustenance? . . . Who can tell whether, if we had lived in our fathers' days, we would have acted differently? Who can explain the, perhaps, irresistible train of circumstances that produced the present condition of things? But this we can do-we can avoid any act which shall increase the evil, we can abstain from words and actions which may widen the breach between us and others of God's people, and can hope and pray for a day when all shall be one, even as Christ and the Father are one.'

BAPTIST UNION.-The autumnal session of this body was held this year in Glasgow. It is the first time that any of the large English communities has held its annual meeting across the Border, and the members of the Union were received with the warmest welcome from all classes of the community. The subject of the president's address seems to have been suggested by recent ecclesiastical proceedings in Scotland. He remarks on the greater affinity of the Baptists with Presbyterianism than with "the Prelatical sect, which happens to be the Church established by law in England." The Baptist Union is not, however, a presbytery. "Our Union,' says the president, "does not claim or exercise any legislative authority over the churches or individuals who constitute it. We do not pretend to meet as the assemblies of our Presbyterian brethren, with any right to control the action of any church, however feeble, or of any association of churches."

The faith of the Baptists has been largely influenced by the Westminster Confession, with which it is in substantial agreement. The creed is not, however, binding upon their churches, which in regard to discipline are of the Independent order. The body is of slow growth, and one reason given for this by the president shows the importance of united action in Christian communities. "It is our sad lot," he says,

"to have to confess that the zeal of some of our wisest and most liberal men is at times chilled and checked by the apathy or avowed dissidence of their fellow-members, whom it would be as wicked as it would be absurd to place on a level with them for foresight and prudence and skill in the handling of affairs. Thus, too, it has also happened that schemes for church extension in connection with our body have been thwarted and rendered abortive by the expressed or ill-disguised opposition of those who might have been expected to promote their success.' The principal portion of the address is occupied with a discussion on the value or uselessness of subscription to formulated creeds. "It is notorious," says the president, "in the case of the Episcopal clergy, that the general tone of teaching for a large part of the last two hundred years was in direct opposition to the articles which they had subscribed." Similar also was the case of the Church of Scotland. The Congregational bodies during this period, "though we have to deplore their coldness and loss of zeal, from the Revolution of 1688 onwards for a century" yet maintained orthodox opinions, being in some cases more Calvinistic than Calvin himself. The address makes clear the want of wise organization and a creed which will command the rational assent of the enlightened and diligent student of the Word of God.

a

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.-The annual meeting of this Union was this year held at Cardiff. The session commenced by what has been described as "lugubrious sermon" by the Rev. Dr. Mellor. The address of the chairman was marked by the same eloquence and power which has distinguished the usual utterances from the chair of this influential assembly. Its general topic was "Independency as a Witness-bearer.' Their witness is a living protest against the spirit which prompts the Church of Rome in its claim for universal dominion. Of the Established Church they could not speak in such terms as of the Church of Rome: "It was one of their griefs that their true feeling towards the Episcopal Church, as the Church of Christ, was persistently misunderstood. For all that there was of Christ in the Established Church they honoured her;

the names of her great theologians and of her saintly leaders were sacred to them; they were not insensible to what she had done to enrich the whole field of human thought and effort; and they did not begrudge her her ecclesiastical system, so far as it did not involve State protection." On one point the address is in remarkable harmony with that of the chairman of the Baptist Unionthe adoption of the Bible as the law of Christian faith and the rejection of formulated creeds. "They asserted that the Holy Scriptures, and they alone, were the law of the Christian faith. They protested against all formulated creeds which claimed a place in Church life, other than as a general, but not obligatory, declaration of the truths most surely believed among them. As a body they might fairly claim to have been, all through their history, teachers of positive Christian truth; but they had declined to bear the burden, or to lay it upon others, of an authoritative creed, at best but a human creation, while they held in their hands the book which they accepted as the very Word of the Fountain of all Life and Light. Would it not be to them an immense disadvantage to enter into controversy with such men as Herbert Spencer and Frederic Harrison, when hampered with the defence of a creed representing the dogmatic theology and saturated with the philosophy of the seventeenth century?" The point of interest to members of the New Church in statements of this kind is the expres sion of faith in the written Word of God and its exaltation in the teaching of the Church. The Lord's Coming is by the Word, and a restored faith in the infallible truth of its teaching will hasten His Advent. The rejection of wornout systems of faith is necessary to the regeneration of the Church. The creeds rejected are out of harmony with Scripture teaching. With the brighter day which is before us a truer faith and a more quickening life than has distinguished the past will rise upon our path.

HOUSE AND HOME: A Weekly Journal for all Classes, gives in its Septem ber number a portrait and memoir of "the Rev. Dr. Bayley, President of the Swedenborgian Conference." The portrait is a too faithful reproduction of that which appeared in the Illustrated

FRANCE.-The Rev. Chauncey Giles, who has recently visited the Continent, has contributed an interesting letter to the Messenger on the state of the New Church in this country. Although many of the particulars have appeared in our pages, our readers will be pleased to see them in a connected narrative, and especially to learn the present state and prospects of the Church in this noble nation :

"In my last I promised to say something of the New Church in France. Many of your readers are familiar with the great service of M. le Boys des Guays and M. Harlé rendered to the Church in this country by translating the works of Swedenborg into the French language. They were not propagandists in the common meaning of the word, but they seem to have been raised up by the Divine Providence for a special purpose, and to accomplish a work which was an essential prerequisite to the dissemination of the new truths in France. They translated and printed all of Swedenborg's theological works, and many collateral works by English and French authors, and in this way placed the truths within the reach of their people.

"But after their decease the books were put away in storehouses, and left to lie, inaccessible and unused, for some years. Two or three years ago they were purchased by Miss Louisa Holmes and Mr. E. Chevrier, and an effort was made to bring them before the public. Miss Holmes has a book-store and a circulating library and reading-room in Paris;

"The friends of the Church are now devising a plan for the gratuitous distribution of the True Christian Religion' and some other works, which will be soon carried into effect. They have every necessary facility for the work. It is proposed to send out a circular to ministers, professors, and others who may possibly be sufficiently interested in gaining some new ideas upon spiritual subjects to send for them. In this way they hope to introduce them more widely to public notice.

"During M. Harlé's life he conducted a meeting for worship and instruction in the doctrines at a private house in Paris. After his death the meetings were continued at the dwelling of Dr. Poisson, and conducted by him. But a few of even the small number of those who were interested in the doctrines attended them, and the interest seemed to be greatly diminished. When Mr. Benade came to Paris he met with them and baptized a large number of adults and children.

"But still they had no permission from the proper authorities to hold public meetings, and this would have prevented many persons from attending even if there had been no other obstacles. The place of meeting was in a small room on the fourth or fifth floor, which twenty persons would uncomfortably crowd, and the exercises consisted in reading a chapter from Isaiah and giving its spiritual sense, reading from a work on Eastern Mythology and pointing out the similarity of some of the ideas and the truths contained in it to the principles of the New Church. After a long dissertation upon this subject remarks were made upon any topic which the times or the state of the speaker suggested, and the meeting closed. There was no worship, nothing to quicken the affections or directly to feed the soul with daily bread suited to its needs. Much progress could not be expected under such circumstances, and yet some persons were brought to a knowledge of the doctrines by these means, and the interest of others was kept alive by them. Dr. Poisson is a learned man, and much

interested in the doctrines of the New Church, and he has shown his devotion to their principles by doing what he could under the circumstances to make them known to others.

"Last summer, through the kind offices of our Government, permission was given to the people of the New Church to hold public meetings, and to enjoy the same privileges which were granted to other than Catholic churches. The place of meeting was changed to another part of the city. Miss Holmes offered the New Church friends her large and pleasant parlour, which will comfortably seat fifty people, and is situated on the first floor. M. Bertheau, a young lawyer, and a ready and pleasant speaker, was appointed leader, and the character of the meetings was somewhat changed. Some acts of worship were introduced, the instruction was more practical, and the attendance has largely increased. M. Bertheau possesses many of the qualities of a good minister and a successful propagandist of the new doctrines. He has pleasant and cultivated manners, is a fluent and forcible speaker, and has great capacity for work. He is at present engaged in compiling an Encyclopedia of Law for notaries, a work which will take him two years to complete, and he is able to give only his spare moments to the work of the ministry. When his present engage ments are fulfilled it is to be hoped that the New Church friends will support him in giving his whole time to the work of teaching the doctrines of the New Church.

"There are a number of gentlemen of intelligence and ability who are interested in the New Church, and who will form a living and active centre for the dissemination of the new doctrines, and, we have reason to hope, for a steady growth of the Church. It is supposed that there are about one hundred receivers of the doctrines of the New Church in Paris. But Paris is a great city, and they live far apart, and in such different walks in life that it is difficult for them to have much personal acquaintance and intercourse with one another.

poses, as we are, and of acting independently. The Catholic Church is still a great and overshadowing power, and social influences have great weight with all. It is natural that there should be some timidity in taking any decided and overt action in favour of the New Church. But their fears will pass away as they learn to work together and discover the power of the new truths and the weakness of the old.

"The first Sunday I was in Paris I was too ill with a severe cold to attend the meeting. But last Sunday I was present, and the exercises were very interesting to me, and appeared to be to others. Between thirty and forty persons were present. M. Bertheau opened the services by repeating the Lord's Prayer. He then read the commandments, and a chapter from the Word in Isaiah, and some sentences of one of the Psalms. I then administered the sacrament of baptism to Bertheau, the wife of the leader, and to three of their children, and to another lady, making five in all. The children were very good, and the scene was a very impressive one.

Mrs.

"After this I addressed the people, Mr. Hermann acting as interpreter. This method of speaking is somewhat embarrassing at first, but one soon gets used to it, and finds but little difficulty in expressing his thoughts. I endeavoured to show the people the importance of the work committed to their hands, to point out some of the real and some of the imaginary obstacles in their way, and to set forth the essential means of success. They listened with profound attention as point after point came to view by the slow but effective process of being twice spoken, many of the persons present understanding it in both languages.

"M. Bertheau followed me with great fervour and power, reiterating what I had said, and enforcing it in his own way. The benediction was then pronounced, and after a few moments of social intercourse the assembly dispersed, each one taking me by the hand and expressing by a firm pressure of it, and by looks when words failed, the fulness and joy of their hearts.

"There are a few persons in other parts of France, more, probably, than are known to any one but Him who sees all hearts, who have some knowledge