Sibree. (Hear.) To make short a long story, it so happened that he was in the minority there, (hear,) but he hoped to be in the majority on this occasion. (Cheers.)

The Rev. GEORGE SMITH, of Plymouth, had been requested by his brethren, in South Devon, to express their opinions, to some extent at least, in reference to the proposed plan of Home Missions in connection with the Congregational Union. He would, first of all, endeavour to convey a little information with respect to that district and Cornwall. South Devon had been for a considerable time connected with the Home Missionary Society; it had four stations, supported in an equal proportion by contributions in South Devon and from the Home Missionary Society in London. All their agents were firm Congregational Dissenters. (Hear.) His brethren, therefore, felt, with regard to the proposed Society, that even if they fully approved of the plan, they ought not to connect themselves with it, or to pledge themselves to it, till they had first of all honourably terminated their connection with the Home Missionary Society(hear, hear,)—and that they would not be in a position to terminate that connection until this new Society was fully and firmly formed. They therefore wished-and they felt that this wish bad been anticipated by the Committee in London-that the plan should be discussed in detail, and put before the public in its revised form, that opportunity might be given at the next annual meeting to carry it into full effect. He (Mr. Smith) could not conceal from himself the fact, that when they had set up this new Society the Home Missionary Society would go down. (Hear.) For nine-tenths of its support, after all that might be said of catholicity, came from Congregational churches. (Hear.) If that support, then, were withdrawn, or turned into a new channel, it must come to an end; it must be altogether swamped, or else retained in being by a connection with the Congregational Union. (Hear.) He trusted the latter would be the result. On these grounds his brethren in South Devon had felt considerable difficulty as to the propriety of giving in their adhesion at the present moment, but they were most cordially attached to the Union. The Rev. Gentleman then went on to describe the peculiar position in which himself and his brethren were placed-a position in which they had to struggle with a vast amount of clerical and tory influence, such as those who lived in large manufacturing towns could not form the least conception; this had led them to unite, and at that time there was not, he believed, in South Devon, a single Independent church which was not warmly attached to the Congregational Union. (Hear.) Mr. James had spoken of the value of their principles. If those principles were worth any thing, they were worth maintaining; if they were worth maintaining, they were worth maintaining at some sacrifice; if they were worth maintaining at some sacrifice, they were worth maintaining at the greatest amount of sacrifice. (Cheers.) Hitherto they had had very little of the esprit de corps among them; they had surrendered that to the general cry of catholicity. He then alluded to the fact that the Home Missionary Society had not answered the expectations of its friends, or done all the good which its friends could desire; assigning causes for thisone of which was the want of confidence on the part of many learned and influential ministers of the Congregational order, who were not in the list of its directors, or who seldom attended its meetings. If that body persisted in their present course, he would recommend that, whilst the old Society interested itself chiefly about the villages, the new one should attend more especially to large and second-rate towns. This, indeed, was the principal point to which he wished to call the attention of the meeting, for no reference had been made to it hitherto. They had been doing a great deal in the villages; but what, he would ask, had been the result? Why, many a village station had been supported by the Home Missionary Society for fifteen or twenty years, and still appeared as if it was never likely to sup

port itself; while, perhaps, they had passed over some large town, entirely, in their great catholicity, lest some party should be a little jealous of their movements. (Hear.) If the same amount of money had been expended in supporting an Independent church in connection with the Congregational Union, that church would by this time have been extending itself, and been doing in its sphere as much good as they are now doing in the villages. (Hear.) He then made some interesting statements with regard to the towns and churches in Devon and Cornwall. In the latter county there were several large towns springing up, containing, perhaps, a population of 7 or 8000 inhabitants, but where there was not at present a single Independent church. (Hear.) "The few churches," said he, in conclusion, already established in Cornwall have quite enough to do to take care of themselves-to maintain their own standing. (Hear.) We want a society like this which is projected, Sir, that shall collect the wealth of Manchester, and Liverpool, and Birmingham, and circulate it through the empire. Such a society, we believe, will be the means, in the band of God, of accomplishing a most important work. I look to it with great interest. (Hear.) I have travelled a great way in order that I might be present with you on this occasion; and though I already love my principles -most dearly, most cordially do I love them-I shall certainly love them with greater zeal and greater devotedness when I feel that the only remaining blot has been entirely wiped away by giving new scope for their propagation through the length and breadth of the land." (Cheers.)

The Rev. J. BLACKBURN, of London, one of the Secretaries to the Congregational Union, addressed the meeting as follows:-Mr. Chairman, holding, with my friends on either hand, an official station amongst you, it would not become me to obtrude myself upon the attention of the brethren, except, with reference to the questions which have been fairly mooted respecting the Home Missionary Society, I differed in judgment with my beloved friend and colleague about the arrangement which should be at least attempted with the Home Missionary Society. I did think it practicable to bring that Society into harmonious operation with our projected movement, and therefore I induced our Committee in London to appoint a deputation, of which I formed a part, to meet the directors of the Home Missionary Society, and to confer with them upon the possibility of an amicable adjustment of our common interests. Will you allow me, Sir, to go into the particulars of our interview with the Board. (Hear.) 1 stated to them, that in the constitution and plan of their Society they are not at all committed to the general or open principle. (Hear.) There is no

fundamental principle," brethren, existing here, as there is in another society, which pledges us to any thing and nothing. I argued that, while there is nothing in their laws directly in favour of the supposed generality of their constitution, there is something on the other side, for the fourth rule is, "That this Society, in the furtherance of its object, shall co-operate with county associations and extend assistance to zealous country ministers, whose labours are impeded by the want of pecuniary resources." I asked our friends what they conscientiously believed that the phrase county associations meant-whether they thought it was ever intended to refer to any other county associations than those in existence connected with the Congregational body. I then alluded, for the purpose of illustrating my position, to a scheme which was formed in London to establish a Metropolitan Congregational Union. That attempt was abortive: it was attempted before the general union was formed, and our churches were not ripe for it. Mr. Hanbury and Dr. Fletcher were the secretaries of that society; but from some cause or other it did not lay hold of the public mind, and to make a decent exit the Committee proposed to form an alliance with the Home Missionary Society. That society accepted the overture, and took a chapel which the Metropolitan Union had previously

opened, but could not sustain; and thus this unsectarian society took under its patronage a Congregational church which we had planted, and also received the venerable friends I have named as officers of this catholic institution. And this explains the extraordinary position in which my friend Mr. Hanbury stands in their official staff. Thomas Thompson, Esq. is the treasurer, and Benjamin Hanbury, Esq. the deputy treasurer. Sir, it was literally an ecclesiastical job. (A laugh.) That place was made for my friend the historian of independency as much as ever a place was made under Government for some favorite adherent. (Laughter.) I did not wish, Sir, thus to occupy the time of my brethren, or to make them laugh; my object was simply to explain, that by the course I have described, the directors admitted long ago the principle for which I contended. (Hear.) And I therefore mentioned, that in point of fact, as there is no written law against their society's becoming denominational-so their usages—and particularly the fact that most of their missionaries are Independent Dissenters-that their usages are all in favour of the course I advocated. We then retired. I understood there was a sharp debate and a very close division, but the resolution declining our overture was carried by a very feeble majority. We only proposed that it should be called "the Home Missionary Society in connection with the Union of England and Wales," and stand in the same relation to this Union that the Colonial Missionary Society occu pies. Although they had declined our offer, we felt it would be only courteous and proper that we should invite them to attend this meeting, this was done which they also refused.

The Rev. ALGERNON WELLS here observed, that the last annual meeting of the Union had adopted a resolution to that effect.

The Rev. J. Blackburn proceeded: - My friend is correct. But I wish our brethren to understand that there really was an anxiety on our part to keep open our negociations: that we went in the spirit of kindness to induce them to join with us, but they declined. I must say I think that course would have been the best. (Hear.) Something ought to be done with that society. One hundred thousand pounds have been already spent by it, and I would wish any of its warm-hearted friends to point out a single church which consists of a large and prosperous community as the fruit of its labour, the result of that great outlay. I shall be happy to be told that there are large interests which have been raised by the expenditure of £100,000. (Hear.) And if they have not succeeded in planting any numerous and important churches by that great expense, is it not obvious that our friends, however well-intentioned, have been on the wrong tack? (Cheers.) If we look, Sir, into the apostolic records, we find that the first preachers of the gospel planted churches in large towns, and that these churches sent out an emanating hallowed influence to all the districts round; and I am persuaded, brethren, that if we are permitted by our God to plant large churches in the great towns of our own kingdom-churches which shall embody the spirit and carry out the plans of those prize essays which have beeu just published by our Union, one of which, " Jethro," I have read, and consider to be an extraordinary boon to our pastors and peopleif churches are set up in towns of that order, the villages around them will, ere long, be blessed with schools and evangelists, and a happy change will soon take place in our denomination and the state of the country at large. (Cheers.)

B. HANBURY, Esq. in further explanation of his own position, begged to state that he was not present at the passing of the resolution referred to by Mr. Blackburn. He would say, also, that the offensive word had escaped the Committee: it was not intended to be so.

The Rev. JOHN SIBREE wished to say a word in answer to a question put by Mr. Blackburn, whether there was a prosperous church as the result of the operations of the Home Missionary Society? He (Mr. Sibree, was personally acquainted with a church, consisting of forty-five members, and two other churches, also very flourishing, and embracing, indeed, all the distinctive

principles of Congregationalism. (Hear.) He thought they were bound to pay all due respect to the Home Missionary Society. (Hear.)

R. O. WILLS, Esq. of Bristol, entered into a lengthened statement of home missionary operations in Cornwall, and the necessity which there existed for increased activity in that part of the country,

The Rev. Dr. MATHESON, of Wolverhampton, next addressed the meeting. He commenced by expressing the deep responsibility which he felt to rest upon himself, in common with his brethren, in reference to home missionary operations, which were so intimately connected with the happiness of the country and the glory of God. Perhaps, Sir, (continued he) I may also be allowed, for a few moments, to express what I believe to be the sentiments and feelings of my brethren connected with the Staffordshire Association of Congregational ministers and churches, which, though delegated to the last meeting, I had not at that time an opportunity of doing. It is, then, their opinion, that we must take a higher and bolder stand in the march of christian improvement than we have yet done. The conviction is deepened by recent circumstances, that, unless we are true to ourselves and to our principles, we shall not only fail to make progress through the breadth and length of the land, but shall be in danger of making a retrograde movement, and, as we believe that our principles are scriptural, and that they may become instrumental in diffusing the gospel more widely in our towns and villages than they have yet done, the very thought of their retrograding must be distressing to our minds. (Hear.) It is to me one of the highest gratifications I ever experienced to meet so many to-day for an object like this. (Hear.) I do not regret that we have not met sooner; I think a variety of circumstances continued to prevent that decided and extended union which we are now anxious, if possible, to obtain. Our brother, Dr. Redford, has referred to the early struggles of the friends of christian unity and love. Now it has appeared to me, Sir, that if we had prematurely brought forward a subject like this before the churches and associations of every county had become acquainted not only with the principles, but with the workings of the Congregational Union, we should have been defeated in our object, and we should not have been able to have commenced this great work in such a way as to have produced the results which we all desire. The Union has been formed; its principles are now known; the character of those who manage its affairs has been fully ascertained, and there is but one opinion amongst us to-day-that they have acted in such a manner as to secure the confidence of all the churches united with that Society. And we find that the adherence is being made by others to that Union. Providence seems to be working with us; the great Head of the Church appears to be working with us in this matter. With regard to the existing Home Missionary Society, I am ready to admit that it has been useful in places where weak associations could not have planted the gospel, and where, but for the instrumentality of that Society, hundreds and thousands would never have heard of salvation through Christ. I admit, that churches have been formed through the instrumentality of the Home Missionary Society, without being at all prepared to answer the question, to the full extent, which has been asked by Mr. Blackburn. (Hear.) The system of conciliation towards the Established Church has been tried by that Society, and we have had some experience of its working. If, Sir, we had generous enemies to deal with, who were ready cordially to give us the right hand of fellowship, because they love the truths we preach, instead of endeavouring to remove our evangelical missionaries from stations where they had been planted, and if these persons gave us credit for a right spirit, at least for a spirit of love, then we might almost have been prepared to continue to make a sacrifice of our peculiarities, in order, as far as we are concerned, to show to the churches and to the world that we do value the gospel more than our peculiarities. (Hear.) But, Sir, I know, as I have hinted, the workings of this plan of conciliation; it has entirely and palpably failed. (Hear.) Instead of doing good; instead of bringing to our

help those who belong to the episcopal church, it has had quite an opposite effect; they have taken every opportunity of taunting us with being snakes in the grass, and with other beautiful expressions. Such are not the individuals that we should strive to conciliate. Sir, let me mention, that I kuow a case where the introduction of an evangelical clergyman, whose stay was perfectly uncertain, has been made an occasion of withdrawing the agent of the Society sent by the desire and at the earnest entreaty of the County Association. (Hear.) Now, Sir, this is succumbing, this is being traitors to ourselves, this is injuring the great cause of our Lord and Master. (Cheers.) No denomination of Christians can be more Catholic than ourselves, or more ready to hold out the right hand of fellowship to others; but, Sir, we cannot, if we are true to ourselves, suffer our missionaries to be withdrawn, in order to conciliate those who are enemies to our polity. (Hear.) We are driven by the very moveinents of the day to establish and support a mission of our own. (Hear.) We know well enough that there is a conspiracy against us; we know that laity and clergy are combining their efforts to crush all the voluntary churches of Christ; and, therefore, unless we help ourselves, by a concentration of effort among us, not to spread sectarianism, but to spread the pure principles of the gospel, unless we are thus combined in our efforts, our smaller churches, those in country districts, will assuredly be destroyed. There is a combination on the part of our enemies to crush what is liberal in religious as well as in political matters; these persons are quick-sighted, and they know, that if they could extinguish the light of liberty which our churches diffuse throughout the land, the country will be their own. In some counties there are no associations of our churches at all, and there are many of our smaller churches which at this moment, have to struggle with difficulties that threaten their existence. There is a spirit of zeal and energy in the church party, which may well put us to shame. It seems to be their present policy to bring out the laity: and they engage in the struggle as for life and death. Were it a question of mere Sectarianism, I would not fight for it for a moment; were we discussing mere points of church government, much as I value these, yet, for their own sakes, I should care nothing about them; but I have a deep and daily increasing conviction that our principles are connected with all that can dignify in this life, or prepare for a higher state of being. I am convinced, that unless our denomination takes the position which it ought to do, we shall not merely injure ourselves, but shall be instrumental in abridging the civil and religious liberties of our country. (Hear.) I am afraid, Mr. Chairman, I have said too much; but I could not be silent on such a subject. I believe I have stated in these remarks, not only my own feelings, but those, also, of my brethren in the County of Stafford. They will correct me if I am wrong; but at the last annual meeting, when our respected Secretary was present, a resolution was passed, not pledging ourselves to details, but expressive of our conviction that more should be done for home missions in connection with the Congregational

Union.

The Rev. GEORGE EVANS, of London, then delivered an address, which was in substance, an attempt to defend the Home Missionary Society from the reflections which he considered to have been cast upon it by several of the preceding speakers.

The Rev. J. EDWARDS, of Brighton, in allusion to the home association, stated that at the last annual meeting, the object of home missions came under consideration, and they only wanted a plan, such an one as that which had been laid before the meeting, to accede to it at once. (Hear, hear.)

The Rev. THOMAS BINNEY after addressing the meeting at considerable length, proceeded to read a letter which he stated he had received from some members of his congregation, and which mooted several points of ecclesiastical polity and practice. Dr. Redford spoke to order, and Mr. Binney withdrew the paper, but a long discussion respecting it ensued, which not being relevant to the business, we have not reported.