God that we have had you so long. We rejoice in what you have been to the Council, and through the Council to the churches of the land. We send you greeting, and the assurance of our abiding confidence and love. May these closing days be the Indian summer of your long and useful life, and may you experience to the full the blessings of Numbers vi, 24, 26, inclusive.

PORTLAND, ME., Oct. 14, 1901.

F. A. NOBLE,

for the Council.

Devotion.

From 9.40 to 10 devotional services were conducted by Rev. S. B. L. Penrose, of Washington.

Committee on finance.

The committee on finance was appointed as follows: Arthur H. Wellman, of Massachusetts; Robert W. Patton, of Illinois; Rev. Alva L. Frisbie, of Iowa; Nathan P. Dodge, of Iowa; Rev. Heman P. DeForest, of Michigan.

Later, Mr. Wellman resigned, and Henry Harrison Proctor, of Massachusetts, was substituted.

Addresses.

The moderator introduced Rev. J. Morgan Gibbon, of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, Rev. E. Munson Hill, of the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec, and Rev. W. R. Harvey, of the Congregational Union of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and they addressed the Council. "God Save Our Gracious King," and "My Country, 't is of Thee," were sung.

Bowdoin College.

The invitation of President Hyde to visit Bowdoin College, Brunswick, on Tuesday afternoon, was accepted. William H. Strong, first assistant moderator, was called to the chair.

Councils and the pastorate.

The report of the committee on councils and the pastorate was presented and accepted, and the resolutions were referred to a committee of five, who were appointed later as follows: Rev. George H. Ide, of Wisconsin; Rev. Leavitt H. Hallock, of Minnesota; Rev. George E. Hall, of New Hampshire; Rev. Alfred K. Wray, of Missouri; Rev. Henry Fairbanks, of Vermont.

Paper.

Rev. William H. Bolster, of New Hampshire, read a paper on The Necessity of a Rational Philosophy to Effective Preaching, and it was discussed by Rev. Homer T. Fuller, of Missouri, and Rev. William E. Park, of New York.

A recess was taken till 2 P. M.

MONDAY AFTERNOON.

At 2, Rev. William H. Warren, of Michigan, offered prayer.

Papers.

Rev. William A. Bartlett, of Illinois, read a paper on The Rightful Claims of the Churches upon the Theological Seminaries, and Rev. George F. Moore, of Massachusetts, on The Rightful Claims of the Theological Seminaries upon the Churches. These topics were discussed by Rev. S. B. L. Penrose, of Washington; Rev. William A. Waterman, of Indiana; Rev. William E. Brooks, of Maine; Rev. Philip S. Moxom, of Massachusetts; Rev. James E. Smith, of Minnesota; Rev. William E. Park, of New York; Rev. Alfred K. Wray, of Missouri; and Rev. Cyrus F. Stimson and Rev. Henry Upson, of Connecticut.

Ministerial relief.

Rev. Edward Hawes, of Connecticut, field secretary, presented the report of the National Council ministerial relief committee.

The motion previously laid upon the table with reference to the charter and ministerial relief was taken from the table and passed. Later, the committee were elected as follows: Rev. James W. Cooper, of Connecticut; William T. Forbes, of Massachusetts; Rev. George R. Merrill, of Minnesota; Lucien C. Warner, of New York; Rev. Frederick A. Noble, of Illinois.

Rev. S. B. L. Penrose, second assistant moderator, took the chair.

Papers.

Rev. Albert E. Winship, of Massachusetts, read a paper on What Help May the Public Schools Expect from Our Churches? and William W. Stetson, of Maine, on What Help May Our Churches Expect from the Public Schools?

The benediction was pronounced by Rev. Julian M. Sturtevant, of Illinois, and a recess was taken till 7.30.

MONDAY EVENING.

At 7.45, Rev. Michael Burnham, of Missouri, read the Scriptures and offered prayer. The choir sang the Te Deum.

Papers. 1

Rev. William D. Hyde, of Maine, read a paper on The Congregational Church as a Social Factor in the Town.

Rev. Samuel G. Smith, of Minnesota, read a paper on the Christian Man as a Citizen, especially in his relation to municipal govern

ment. 2

Ter-Centennial. 3

Rev. J. Morgan Gibbon presented an engrossed copy of the invitation to the Council from the Gainesborough Church to attend its ter-centennial celebration, to which the moderator responded.

The benediction was pronounced by Rev. J. Morgan Gibbon, and a recess was taken till 9 A. M.

TUESDAY MORNING, October 15.

At 9, Rev. Arthur F. Skeele, of Ohio, offered prayer.

Minutes.

The minutes of Monday were read, corrected, and approved.

Credentials.

The committee on credentials presented a report, which was accepted:

The committee on credentials find it necessary only to make a brief report touching a few cases of some persons duly elected, who, by inadvertence or forgetfulness, neglected to bring their certificates. These, being vouched for by other members of their delegations, should be enrolled as members of this Council. There are also a few cases of alternates, who should be allowed to take the places of principals who are unable to attend. We therefore recommend that the secretary of this Council be instructed to place on the roll the names of Rev. Levi Rogers, of the Fairfield Southwest Conference of Connecticut; Rev. W. A. Waterman, of the State Association of Indiana; Judge John H. Perry, from the State Conference of Connecticut; and Rev. C. A. Brand, of Huron, S. D. For the committee,

ELIJAH HORR, Chairman.

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1 Page 223.

3 Pages 34, 99.

Deaconesses. 1

The following minute was approved: In view of the recent establishment in Hartford Thelogical Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary of training schools for lay workers, including the training of young women who desire to consecrate themselves to the work of deaconesses, this Council puts on record its appreciation of the important steps thus taken, and its profound sympathy with a movement which looks toward the special training of forces long unused, but which are essential to the speedy and fuller development of the kingdom of God.

Polygamy. 2

It was voted, To refer the request of Rev. Josiah Strong for an appeal from the Council to Congress regarding polygamy to a committee of five. Later, these were appointed as follows: Charles A. Hull, of New York; Rev. Frank E. Bigelow, of Utah; Rev. William H. Slocum, of Colorado; Rev. Albert H. Plumb, of Massachusetts; Rev. William H. Thrall, of South Dakota.

Y. P. S. C. E.

William Shaw, of Massachusetts, presented resolutions regarding Christian Endeavor, which were adopted:

Whereas, Twenty years ago the first Society of Christian Endeavor was organized in the Williston Congregational Church of this city; and

Whereas, The society has spread into more than forty of our sister denominations, and into every country on the globe; and

Whereas, The Christian Endeavorers of America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia have this year placed a bronze tablet upon the church building as an expression of their gratitude to God for the movement started there; and

Whereas, The original society is still doing its work with undiminished vigor and effectiveness; therefore,

Resolved, That we, members of the National Congregational Council, express our grateful appreciation of the blessing of God that has rested upon the Christian Endeavor movement; that we rejoice in the spirit of interdenominational and international fellowship that it has promoted; that we congratulate the original society on its past record and present success; that we bear grateful testimony to the loyalty and fidelity of our young people, to their growth

in grace and ability to serve, to their missionary zeal and practical efforts to advance the kingdom of God upon the earth; and that we urge upon all our ministers and churches a larger use of this instrumentality for the training of our young people in worship and

work.

Memorial Church, Plymouth, Mass.

A resolution regarding a memorial church at Plymouth, Mass., was adopted :

Whereas, Our National Council has placed a bronze tablet on St. Peter's Church in Leyden, Holland, as a fitting memorial of John Robinson, the head of the list of pastors of the Congregational churches of the United States; and

Whereas, Our National Council has coöperated with our English brethren in the erection of the memorial church at Gainesborough, now happily completed, to honor the service of John Robinson ; and

Whereas, The Church of the Pilgrimage at Plymouth, Mass., has taken the preliminary steps toward the erection of a memorial church edifice in memory of the founders and defenders of the churches of our order in the United States, with the purpose to complete it, and to dedicate it in 1906, the three hundredth anniversary of the organization of the church in Scrooby, Eng., with which this church is directly connected; therefore,

Resolved, That, in the opinion of this Council, the place and time for the erection of such a memorial are fitting, and the Church of the Pilgrimage a proper body to undertake it; and this Council cordially indorses and commends this work in the interests of all our churches, and to the honor of those noble men and women who brought to Plymouth the precious heritage which we enjoy of religious and civil freedom, and who planted there the church to which we are indebted for the cherished principles and polity preserved in the fellowship of Congregational churches.

Memorial. 1

It was voted, That a committee, of which the moderator shall be chairman, prepare a memorial of Rev. Henry A. Hazen, late secretary of the National Council. The other members of the committee, later appointed, were Rev. William H. Fenn, of Maine, and Rev. Levi H. Cobb, of New York.

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