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churches with their foreign brethren of the same ecclesiastical form in two international councils, is one sign of the prevailing disposition to unite with the continued self-government of each local church a closer connexion with churches abroad as well as at home. The various local unions of Congregationalists in England likewise indicate a spirit which is in marked contrast with the isolation of earlier times. It is to be observed, however, that the system of councils, with their part not only in the adjustment of differences but also in the ordination and installation of ministers—the system which has been in America a distinguishing feature of Congregationalism,—has not gained a place in the British Congregational churches. The work accomplished by Congregationalists in England during the last few decades in providing new means of education, in particular for the education of ministers, is worthy of special remark.. The establishment of Mansfield College at Oxford, by the transformation of Spring Hill College, Birmingham, through the act of Dr Dale and his cotrustees, was an event of much consequence in its direct effect in elevating the character of the ministryj not to dwell on its stimulating influence in other directions. The newly constituted University for London is of much service to Congregationalists, as well as to other Nonconformists, by having a Faculty of Theology, and by affiliating their theological colleges, all of whose professors are recognized as theological teachers. In 1870 there were 3069 Congregational churches in Great Britain and Ireland, in 1900, 4851; in 1870, 2468 ministers, in 1900, 3132 : in the British colonies, in 1870, 296 churches, in 1900, 765; in 1870, 236 ministers, in 1900, 459. In 1900 in Great Britain and Ireland there were 1,733,065 church sittings, and 415,664 church members; 684,006 Sundayschool pupils, 64,334 teachers, and 5484 lay preachers. Congregationalism in America has spread from New England, its primitive home, over the West to the Pacific, but has never had more than a slight foothold in the Southern States of the Union. The remarkable junction or fusion of the Independents or “Separatists” who emigrated from Leyden to Plymouth, Massachusetts, with the Puritan Nonconformists of Massachusetts Bay, modified Independency by the introduction of positive States fraternal relations among the churches. This gave rise to Congregationalism in the more proper sense of the term. Beyond the limits of New England the progress of the denomination was a good deal hindered for a long period by the willingness of New Englanders going West either to join the Presbyterians, with whom they were substantially agreed in doctrine, or to combine with them in a mixed scheme of policy in which the Presbyterian element was uppermost. It was not until about 1850 that American Congregationalists began to draw more closely together, and to propagate in the Western States and Territories their own distinctive policy. They have since established not a few colleges and a number of well-organized theological seminaries, which have exerted much power in building up their communion. Meanwhile, without giving up the main principle of the autonomy of the local church, they have developed in various ways an active disposition to cooperate as a united religious body. This is seen in the organization of strong voluntary societies for the promotion of education and the increase of the ministry, and for the prosecution of missions. To these organizations a great deal of money is annually contributed. Their public services bring together large assemblies, which meet from year to year in different cities, often widely remote from each other. This tendency to denominational union is specially manifest in the institution of the National Council, which convenes at intervals of three years, and is composed
of ministers and lay delegates, representing the churches. The Council, like minor councils which it is the old custom to call together to consider matters of local concern, is each time dissolved at its adjournment. It is possessed of no authority. Its function is to deliberate on subjects of common concern to the entire denomination, and to publish such opinions and counsels as a majority may see fit to send forth to the churches. The first of the National Councils (1865) issued a brief statement of doctrine, descriptive of the religious tenets generally accepted by the denomination. Later (1883) a large committee, previously appointed, framed a more full Confession of Faith, with the same end in view. Of course neither of these creeds was in the least binding upon ministers or upon churches, except so far as in each instance they might be adopted. The movement in the direction of union has been still further promoted by the two International Councils referred to above, in which the American Congregationalists have met the representatives of their brethren in Great Britain and its Colonies having the same faith and polity. In the different States, Conferences, composed likewise of representatives of the several churches and their pastors, have sprung up. These meet at stated intervals for the consideration of practical subjects of moment, and for the promotion of a religious spirit. There is a tendency, moreover, to accord to the Conferences the function of determining the tests of ministerial standing in the Congregational denomination. In some of the States the licensing of preachers, which was formerly left to the voluntary associations of ministers in the different localities, has been made a function of the State Conferences. At the very first, in New England, the theory was held that a minister, on ceasing to be the pastor of a particular church, falls into the rank of laymen. But the view was very soon adopted, and since has universally prevailed, that a minister in such cases still retains his clerical character. In later times the measure of authority conceded to a pastor as the shepherd of a flock has been much diminished in consequence of the gradual development of democratic feeling in both minister and congregation. This loss of clerical prestige has been in no small degree promoted by the increasing habit of dispensing with a form of installation, and of substituting for a permanent pastorate, instituted with the advice and consent of a council, an engagement to serve as a minister for a fixed term of one or more years. Under this custom of “ stated supplies ” ordination may be granted to those whose ministry in a particular church is made and dissolved by no other process than a mutual agreement. The Congregational churches, as distinct from the churches retaining the same polity, but separated by the adoption of Unitarian opinions, have in times past professed to be Calvinists of stricter or more moderate types. But as early as 1865, Arminians were welcomed to Congregational fellowship. In the last few decades, with the spread in the community of innovations in doctrinal and critical opinions, a wider diversity of belief has come to prevail, so that “ Evangelical,” in the popular sense of the term, rather than “ Calvinistic,” is the epithet more suitable to apply to the American Congregational preachers and churches. The Year-Book for 1900 reported the total number of communicants in all the States at 629,874, the number of Sunday-school scholars as 682,907, the total number of ministers as 5604, the amount of benevolent contributions by the churches as $2,110,413. Within the denomination are seven theological seminaries for the training of preachers. The Congregational Year-Book for 1901 gave the following figures for Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands:—churches, branch churches, chapels, and mission stations, 4843 ; church members, 431,517 ; scholars, 693,347 ; ministers, 3123 ; evangelists
