Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

430

MISCELLANEOUS.

GENERAL CONFERENCE.

The fifty-sixth meeting of the General Conference of the church was held this year in Peter-street, Manchester, and continued its sittings from Tuesday, the 11th August, to Tuesday, the 18th. It consisted of fifty-five members, eleven ministers and forty-four representatives. The number of ministers was smaller, and that of representatives greater, than last Conference-a fact, no doubt, attributable to the Conference being held in Lancashire, where there are so many small societies. The Rev. E. D. Rendell was elected President.

The first day was, as usual, almost entirely occupied in bringing up and reading the various reports and addresses. These include reports by the President and Secretary, which embody the information obtained from ministers and societies, and which contain a great deal of useful and interesting matter relating to the state and progress of the church amongst us. The report of the Treasurer is hardly less important, as shewing the comparatively and increasingly large sums that pass through his hands, and which go to support or assist the various schemes and institutions which have grown up in the church, and which have either originated with, or have been placed under the care of the Conference.

Although not in the order of the proceedings, we may here notice some of the grants of money made by the Conference, as shewing the uses to which the funds at their disposal are applied. The sum of £133., the interest of sums bequeathed for the education of poor children, was divided, in unequal sums, among eight schools, in all of which the children, besides receiving a useful secular education, are instructed in the principles of the New Church, and trained in its spiritual morality.

Another important object, which has only recently been realised, is the instruction and training of young men for the ministry. Four students are at present maintained at the expense of the church. The means required for this are partly derived from funded property, but principally from subscriptions and donations. The expense of providing for the education of these young men has, during the past year, exceeded the current income.

A deficiency for the year on which we have entered is therefore expected, and a committee, consisting of Dr. Bayley and Mr. Storry, was appointed to appeal to the church in behalf of this fund.

It may, indeed, be thought that the large sum of £10,000., left by the late Mr. Crompton for "College" purposes, might have been made available for carrying out the plan of educating theological students. But the specific mode of applying the interest of the money has not yet been agreed upon by the Conference and the governors of the College. At the present Conference, however, some of the difficulties have been cleared away, and some arrangements have been made which will enable both parties to whom this trust has been committed, to see their way more clearly to a successful carrying out of the object of Mr. Crompton's will.

A favourable report of the progress of the students was made by the committee entrusted with the management of this important trust. And as it is most important that those who have entered on the work may be carried through their necessary course of studies, the members and friends of the church must come forward and supply the deficiency which is likely to occur.

Besides the support of students, this fund is intended to afford partial assist ance to ministers. In order that small societies may have the services of regular and active ministers, grants are made from this fund to supplement their own limited means of supporting them. Several societies are in this way enabled to maintain a minister which could not otherwise do so. Several of such societies are at present assisted with small sums, and were these to be withdrawn, they would be deprived of ministers whose services they greatly prize and greatly need. The continuance of the grants made to them depends also very much on a hearty response being given to the special application which the Conference has ordered to be made to the church at large.

Another fund, annually dispensed by the Conference, is that for affording pensions to incapacitated ministers, and to the widows of ministers. This also is a fund derived partly from the interest of permanent stock, and partly from collections. Of late years the fund has

MISCELLANEOUS.

received very little from this latter source. But Providence has given a supply during the past year, through an unexpected channel. John Finnie, Esq., of Bolton Lodge, Manchester, who, a year ago, made a gift of £2,000. to the National Missionary Society, has during the last year given a similar sum £2,000.-to the Pension Fund. This munificent and beneficent gift will, by the mode of its investment, which the donor has prescribed, add £100. a year to the means which the Conference already possesses of assisting, in their old age, those who have devoted their best days and their best energies to the service of the church, and for whose support every Christian body makes some provision. Besides the deserving pensioners previously assisted from this fund, the widow of the late Rev. James Bradley, a useful and disinterested labourer in his day, has this year been placed on the list, and the annuity granted the old lady will help to gild the evening of her life, and will help to satisfy the conscience of the church.

The Trust Deed, executed many years ago, intended to give the New Church in this country a kind of corporate existence in the eye of the law, necessary to enable it to receive and hold gifts of money and property, has hitherto prevented the Conference from accepting gifts of another and still more valuable kind. It was long supposed that it prevented the admission into the number of recognised ministers of such as might come from other countries, and be ordained by other bodies. A case of this kind occurred by the settlement in this country of the Rev. O. P. Hiller, who had been ordained in America. All felt anxious to add so excellent a man to our list of ministers, and regretted that legal obstacles stood, as was supposed, in the way of his admission. Legal advice has, however, been taken on the subject, and the result is that Mr. Hiller has been duly admitted into the ministry of the church in this country; and his name will appear in the forthcoming Minutes as one of the ministers "recognised by this Conference," a consummation which is a source of gratulation. Besides ministers ordained in the New Church, whose admission into Conference as such has only been hindered by assumed legal objections, there are two, and there may be others, ordained in the Old Church, whose admission

431

into the New Church ministry may be desired on both sides. A committee has been appointed to consider on what conditions such ministers may be received, to report to the next Conference.

The desire of the Conference to afford means and facilities for the regular administration of the sacraments in our various societies, induced them several years ago to grant licences to leaders of societies to baptise and dispense the Holy Supper; and thirteen applications were made to the Conference for such licences.

One application was also made for ordination. This was from the Bath society, in behalf of Mr. Keene, who has been its leader for thirty years, and has served it with great zeal and with great acceptance. We are glad so excellent and useful a man has at length yielded to the often expressed wishes of his congregation, to take upon himself the whole of the duties of the sacred office of the ministry.

The resumé of Conference proceedings will be continued next month.

66

THE RELIGIOUS SERVICE.

The first evening of the Conference is devoted to religious services. The Rev. John Hyde had been appointed to preach the sermon on the occasion. He selected for his text Isaiah lx. 1— 'Arise, shine, for thy light is come; and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." The preacher gave a very lucid explanation of the text, and applied its truths in a very practical and powerful manner. The Lord having risen upon the church in the glory of His Divine Truth, His disciples were enabled to rise in His rising, and shine in His light,--to rise in goodness and shine forth in intelligence and good works. After the discourse, the sacrament of the Holy Supper was administered by the resident minister, assisted by the President of Conference. The church was well filled during the sermon, and a considerable number remained to unite in partaking of the Holy Sacrament. The service altogether was impressive, and could not fail to give a more deeply religious tone to the proceedings of those who had come together to deliberate for the good of the church.

MEETINGS.

On Monday evening, a reception meeting was held in the Peter-street

[blocks in formation]

School-room. The business was, of course, practical and informal; but the pleasure experienced from the reunion of old friends, and the introduction of new ones, rendered the meeting a worthy inaugural of the happy and successful assemblies which followed.

On Wednesday evening, the members of Conference were entertained by the Manchester brethren at a meeting intended to combine social intercourse and recreation, both of them exceedingly useful and agreeable after continuous application to business. The spacious and elegant school-room of the Peter-street Society was fitted up for the occasion in a chaste and elegant style. On entering the room, a floral inscription of "Welcome to Manchester" met the eye; and on other parts of the draped and festooned walls, instructive sentences from the Word were seen. Large as the school-room is, it was not large enough to contain all who would have desired to be present; and, in order to prevent overcrowding, some limitations had been made, and all under 15 years were excluded. About 350 sat down to tea, which was served up in a family style, a number of ladies presiding, and each providing for a circle of guests, so that everything was not only as good, but in as good condition, as we are accustomed to find it at home. The tea was not, however, all the material provision which the brethren had made for their guests. Fruits, and confections, and cooling drinks, were handed round at intervals during the evening.

If the provision for the body was ample and elegant, still more so was that for the mind, albeit chiefly the natural mind. The entertainment was a musical one; and the natural mind, allied both to the natural and the spiritual world, is just that region of our wonderfully constituted nature where 'charming music set to noble words" acts at once and beneficially upon the inner and the outer parts, on the confines where they meet, bringing them into a more harmonious relation to each other. And such is the effect, as such should be the purpose, of our higher recreations. The selection of pieces was well adapted to this purpose, and the performance was very effective. Mr. G. Broadfield presided at the piano; and a number of the younger members, of both sexes, sang in solos and in chorus.

Miss Clara Smithson, who had been set
down for two pieces, was only able to
sing one, and in that she did not appear
to the greatest advantage, labouring as
she was under indisposition. The other
young friends seemed in excellent con-
dition, and their excellent performance
afforded a rich treat to the assembled
hearers,-rich not only in harmony, but
in noble and pious sentiment. Beautiful
and impressive was the sacred song:-
"Rock'd in the cradle of the deep,
I lay me down in peace to sleep;
Secure I rest upon the wave,

For Thou, O Lord, hast power to save.
I know Thou wilt not slight my call,
For Thou dost mark the sparrow's fall.
And calm and peaceful shall I sleep,
Rock'd in the cradle of the deep.

"And such the trust that still were mine,
Though stormy winds sweep o'er the brine;
Or though the tempest's fiery breath
Rous'd me from slumber to wreck and death!
In ocean cave, still safe with Thee,
The germ of immortality;
And calm and peaceful shall I sleep,
Rock'd in the cradle of the deep."

Mr. Smithson introduced the proceedings of the evening with a short and appropriate address, directing the minds of the friends assembled to the elevating sentiments of the church to which they belonged. Mr. Hiller, also, at a later hour in the evening, addressed the meeting in a humorous speech.

The meeting was an exceedingly happy one, and all departed highly delighted with the opportunity the Manchester brethren had afforded them of social intercourse and rational enjoyment.

THE PUBLIC MEETING Was held in Peter-street Church, on Thursday evening, August 13th. Tea was first served in the school-room. There was a full attendance at the meeting, and the speaking and music were excellent. A delightful sphere seemed to surround all present. The Rev. J. H. Smithson presided. The one topic of the speakers was "The Wants of the Church," and it was variously and instructively treated.

The CHAIRMAN, in his opening remarks, said they were assembled to commemorate the inauguration of that happy state signified by the New Jerusalem, which was destined to dissipate false doctrine and every evil that afflicted the earth. The glorious work had begun, and nothing could stop it. In reference to the subject for consideration, he said there were three things we all wanted

« AnteriorContinuar »