committees." " The writer suggested to the General Association of New York the propriety of calling the several committees to meet on December 21, 1870, "and its committee (Rev. L. Smith Hobart, chairman) issued circulars to that effect." This proposal and date were in the original Ohio resolutions, but were stricken out before presentation, on the suggestion of Rev. Samuel Wolcott, D.D., as premature. On the invitation of the committee of the General Association of Massachusetts, a convention of committees was held in Boston, Mass., December 21, 1870. This convention, after hearing "the substance of the action taken by the several state conferences on the subject of a national council," adopted the following:

"Resolved, That it is expedient, and appears clearly to be the voice of the churches, that a national council of the Congregational churches of the United States be organized." 978

This convention prepared a draft of action necessary to the organization of such a body, which included name, ratio of representation, doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis, objects, permanency, etc. It also

"Resolved, That the churches throughout the country be notified of the action of this convention, and be requested to authorize their representatives in conferences to choose delegates as above." 79

Every step in these preliminaries looked to the formation of a national body meeting statedly. As such, the churches approved it by electing delegates in response to the call. These delegates met as a council of the Congregational churches of the United States, in Oberlin, Ohio, November 15, 1871. They organized provisionally, adopted a constitution, providing for triennial sessions, under which they organized as a permanent national council.

The Ohio resolutions suggested the membership of our national societies in the council, which membership was also. 77 Introd. Minute Nat. Council, 1871, 8. 78 Ibid. 10. 79 Ibid. 12.

advocated in The Congregational Review for September, 1870 (437, 438).

But the growth of fellowship among free churches can not stop at national boundaries. That fellowship must extend to ecumenical unity, according to the prayer of Christ, that all may be one. Hence the writer has advocated an ecumenical, or general, council of Congregational churches, in his lectures, since 1872, in the Oberlin Theological Seminary, in The Congregational Quarterly for 1874 (291-303), and in the Pocket Manual (1883). The time is near when such general council will be held, that the scattered free churches, and especially the mission free churches, may be strengthened by the bonds of a common fellowship.

...

"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations: . . . And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." - Jesus Christ.

"Render therefore unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's." -Jesus Christ.

"Ye are the salt of the earth." "Ye are the light of the world."— Jesus Christ.

§ 215. A CHURCH does not live for itself alone, nor even for sister churches. All churches unite in one churchkingdom, whose great commission is to "make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28: 19), to "preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16: 15). This comprehensive duty rests in its degree upon every believer and every church. It is enforced by the pertinent question of Paul: "How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10: 14). At first ambassadors went every-where preaching, until all lands had heard of the gospel (Col. 1: 6, 23).

Christ has made the local churches the nerve-centers of Christian life and activity, the integers of organization and of evangelization (§ 42), and he will require the accomplishment of the work at their hands.

§ 216. Some parts of this evangelization are laid upon each individual church to do separately. Each church controls its own worship (§ 159). It trains its own children in doctrine and in duty. Hence its Sunday-school, being a part of the church work, is under the control of the church in matters of lessons and of management. The church school is not an independent body, but is subject to church control. (1) The churches early gave great attention to the Christian training of the young and ignorant. "To guard against the hasty admission of unworthy men, the churches, soon

after the age of the apostles, gradually instituted a severe and protracted inquiry into the character and views of those who sought the privileges of their communion. They were put upon a course of instruction and discipline, more or less. extended, before being received into the communion of the church."1 The earliest manual of instruction extant is probably the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," going back nearly to the beginning of the second century. The later manuals must have been more elaborate and profound. The catechumens constituted a church school, whether held on Sunday or on week-days.

In the Pilgrim Church at Plymouth, as early as 1694, "the pastor attended the catechising of children on Sabbath noons, and continued it during his ministry." This was nearly a century before Robert Raikes began his ragged schools on. Sunday, out of which the Sunday-school system is generally supposed to have grown. "In 1783 the church requested the deacons to catechise the children between meetings, which they did, and also the next year."2 The importance of this system is indicated by its rapid spread in all communions, and by the vast apparatus employed by it. Yet the school must not take the place of the church, or draw the children from the church services; for in either case it weakens the church, if it does not destroy it. The undue working of the Sunday-school system in this regard has produced a reaction; for it has been feared that the school has been emptying the churches. The church must control the school and train its children to attend the church services regularly.

(2) Each church must attend also to the evangelization of those within its immediate care or parish. No other church should crowd into this its special field, so long as it does the work well and is sound in the faith. A church should care. for its own congregation and the waste places in its vicinity, but not rob other churches.

1 Coleman's Prim. Christ. Exemplified, 118.

New Eng. Memorial, 433, 434.

§ 217. Yet no church can do all that is required of it without coöperation with others. Many things belong to the churches in common, in the doing of which they need to join hands.

(1) The churches must see to it that the ministerial function of the church-kingdom be properly trained. They must prepare men for the ministry. The chosen apostles while in training lived from a common treasury (John 12: 6; 13: 29), which was replenished by the gifts of the pious (Luke 8: 3). It remains a duty to aid those called of God into the ministry of the Word. "What soldier ever serveth at his own charges?" (1 Cor. 9: 7), or trains for war at his own expense? Whatever preparation be needed for the pastorate and missionary work, the churches should provide in whole or in part, as necessity may require, for the candidates.

(2) It is the duty of each and every church to aid in evangelizing the country in which it is planted. Home evangelization is laid upon them, until every city, town, and hamlet is brought under the benign influences of the gospel. Owing to the rapid settlement of our own country, this home labor becomes the paramount duty of our churches, enforced by patriotism as well as religion.

(3) But the great commission is wider than any country. To make disciples of all the nations is included expressly in it. National and racial lines are not to stop the grace of God or the love of his people. The gospel is ecumenical, and the churches must preach it to every tribe, nation, and This is their business.

race.

To train the ministry, to evangelize the country, to preach the gospel to all the creation, are parts of one and the same work and duty of the churches.

§ 218. This common work demands coöperation. Nothing would seem to be more self-evident. Both economy and efficiency, both harmony and permanency, demand unity of action in plan and execution. Their money, their agencies, their administration, must flow together, that there may be