What greater delight could they picture secure their own improvement than in for the angels in a higher state of life seeking to communicate knowledge to than to look upon human endeavour others. In seeking to benefit their bravely made for the glory of God? A neighbour they cannot fail to benefit noble work had not its measure or limit themselves. in time or space, and the appreciation of noble work was a gain that could not be torn from us. At the close of the Chairman's speech, the Committee's Report was read by the Secretary. The usual meetings organized by the Society had been held during the year, at one of which the Society was cheered by the presence of the Rev. W. B. Hayden, from Portland, Dr. Tafel on behalf of Mr. Gunton's fellow-members of the Camden Road Society, offered him the congratulations of that Society, and also of the friends in Scotland. He reviewed Mr. Gunton's in the United States. Missionary missionary and financial labours for the Church, and said he was very glad to see that he intended, if the general Conference thought fit, to enter into the regular ministry, which was where he really belonged. MANCHESTER AND SALFORD MISSIONARY AND COLPORTAGE SOCIETY. The annual meeting of this Society was held in the Schoolroom in Peter-Street, Manchester, on the evening of Tuesday, 19th June. Over fifty friends of the Society assembled to tea, and their number was afterwards considerably increased. Lectures had been given in Yorkshire at Harrogate and Leeds, and in Lancashire at Leigh, Blackpool, Chorley, and Rawtenstall. The Society had lost by death its Treasurer, Mr. Broadfield, and ore of its oldest missionaries, Mr. Thomas Ogden. The Colportage Report was a long and interesting document. The Colporteur had sold during the year over. a thousand volumes of New Church books, many of which had been purchased by persons not previously acquainted with New Church literature. He had been met in the most friendly spirit by many ministers of religion, some of whom were among his regular customers. In addition to the sale of books, he had sold and gratuitously distributed many thousands of tracts. A very large package of books had been sent out to New Zealand, where attention had been drawn to the writings by public lectures. These had safely arrived, and were doubtless in the course of distribution. In his discourses with ministers of religion he had found a growing disposition to become acquainted with the doctrines and writings of the New Church. Several cherish the hope that ministers of all denominations may meet and discuss their differences, and cultivate_greater unity of spirit. At present the prejudices of the older members orthodox Churches are too strong to admit of this. There is greater liberality with the young, and the time is approaching when something of this kind may be attempted. Mr. Benson was called to the chair, and after a short devotional service introduced the business of the evening. We were all interested, he said, in the success of the Society, and anxious that it should grow into increased usefulness. Missions require constant attention. The missionaries themselves require for their work higher mental endowments than they did forty years ago. Extensive changes have taken place, and are taking place, in men's habits of thought, which require wise adaptation on the part of the preachers. Education has been widely extended, and is being still more widely extended, and those who are to preach to an educated people require broader intellectual attainments than formerly. If the religious wants of society are to be met, they must be met by the general diffusion of the doctrines of the New Church. It becomes all of us, therefore, to lend every assistance we are able to bring these doctrines before the The Treasurer's Report stated that public attention. He had at one time the total income of the Society from all laboured in the Missionary field, and sources. was £129, 7s. 1d., and the had found the work profitable, both expenditure £123, 12s. 2d. mentally, morally, and spiritually, in Rev. R. Storry said,-Christianity his after-life. There was no way in was essentially missionary. which our young men could better adapted to the religious wants of the of It was entire human family. It knows no distinction of clime or colour, of race or nation, but seeks to unite all in the brotherhood of a regenerated humanity, corresponding with the grand man of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. The command to love our neighbour is the command to bless and benefit others, and in no way can we so fully do this as by communicating to him the knowledge of the truth, and leading him to a higher and holier life. The New Church is a higher development of all the essential principles of the Christian religion. It is not a new Christianity. It does not supersede any of the principles or precepts taught by the Lord, but it gives us a deeper insight into their meaning, and enables us to carry them onward to a greater fulness of the spiritual life. In this feature, the Christian Church, and preeminently the New Church, differs from all local religions. These looked with jealousy upon their privileges; and adopted no means to extend them to others. Judaism made small provision for extending to the nations around the truths she possessed. It was the Lord who said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. And the Gospel was adapted to all people. It was not a revelation of forms and ceremonies, but of essential principles of doctrine and life. In regard to modes of worship it was elastic, and readily adapted itself to the genius and tastes of the nations who received its teaching. And in like manner it seized on all the discoveries of society and applied them to its purposes. The great means of promulgating its truths was the living voice; but it had found another instrument of propagation in the press. This society employed both these agencies, and sought to unite them in the effort to extend the knowledge of the truth. Mr. Mackereth said,-We require a great increase of the Missionary staff. I believe a young man of education cannot employ his time better, either for himself or society, than in learning to express his thoughts clearly on New Church doctrine, and explaining the Scriptures by these doctrines. I have a strong desire that our young men should try to be useful to the Church. I have laboured a long time in the Church, and nothing has given me greater pleasure. Rev. W. Westall wished to echo the sentiments just uttered. He would like to see a greater interest manifested by young men in Missionary work, for it would help them in the formation of a good character. Some of our young men are getting hold of the idea that the New Church organisation is dying out. But the New Church has a great work to perform as a Missionary Church. Conditions continually change. We think there is not so much interest manifested in the doctrines as in the earlier days of our missionaries, but such is not the case. There was a great controversial spirit in those days. Now an inquiring spirit is coming in and the controversial is going out. It is requisite that we should go on working steadily and earnestly. The meeting was also addressed by Mr. Jonathan Robinson, Mr. Sheldon, Revs. G. H. Smith and P. Ramage, and other friends of the institution. session of the General Conference is GENERAL CONFERENCE.-The seventieth appointed to be held in the New Jerusalem Church, Wretham Road, Soho Hill, Birmingham, and to commence on Monday the 13th inst., at seven o'clock in the evening. The attention of the Conference will be called to the undermentioned business :-The Committee of the National Missionary Institution applies for the ordination of Mr. Richard Gunton. The societies at Embsay, Lowestoft, Melbourne (Derbyshire), Oswaldtwistle, Paisley, Sydney (Australia), apply for licences for their respective leaders to administer the Sacraments. The "Italian Committee for the diffusion of the Light of the New Jerusalem," applies for a grant in aid of the mission work in which Professor Scocia is engaged. The Auxiliary Missionary and Tract Society applies for a grant of ten copies monthly of the Intellectual Repository for gratuitous distribution. are the usual applications for pensions. There The Council having recommended the adoption of New Rules for the Sustentation Fund, and the modification of those relating to the Students' and Ministers' Aid Fund, the Society at Birmingham has given notice that at the ensuing Session propositions will be made to give effect to the same in the following order : Notice having been given in the Secretary's Circular,-Resolved, That the following be, and are hereby adopted as Rules for the Sustentation Fund: 1. The Name of the Institution shall be "The Ministers' Aid and Sustentation Fund of the New Church." 2.--The objects of this Fund are to aid and foster Societies whose numbers are small, and whose resources are insufficient properly to support their Ministers, or efficiently to maintain the operations of the church, by annual grants of money, so that the income of all unmarried Ministers who are exclusively employed in the work of the church may be at the least £100 per annum, and that of all married Ministers who are so employed not less than £120 per annum. 3.-A Fund shall be established, to consist of two branches, the first to be supported by donations towards the establishment of a Capitalized Permanent Fund, which shall be invested, and the interest only expended; and the second by annual subscriptions, the amount of which, added to the aforesaid annual interest, shall be the sum available yearly for the purposes contemplated. 4. For the purposes of this Fund the country shall be divided into Districts, and in each district a Committee shall be appointed, consisting of one Member of each Society established in the district. The members of this Committee shall be annually elected by the Societies which they respectively represent, and their names shall be sent to the Secretary of Conference in sufficient time to be reported by him to the next ensuing session: which shall appoint the secretary of the Committee and enrol the names of the members thereof in the Minutes. 5.-This Committee shall be designated "The Ministers' Aid and Sustentation Fund Committee," and its duties shall be to superintend the collection of the moneys of the Fund, to receive Applications from Societies to be placed thereon; and, after making due and careful investigation of the same, to report the result to the Council. 6. The Council shall thereupon, in each case, decide according to their best judgment of all the circumstances laid before them. 7.-Every Society making Application for Assistance from this Fund shall do so in writing to the Secretary of the Committee appointed to consider such applications. The Society shall furnish the Committee with such information as to its present and probable future state as the said Committee may require. 8. It shall be competent for two or more Societies to join together in appointing a Minister to officiate for them, and they conjointly may receive assistance in his behalf from this Fund, by severally complying with the conditions required; and if the Committee and Council are of opinion that the interests of the Societies and the uses of the Church would be benefited thereby. 9. In no case shall assistance be given from this Fund to any Society in a proportion greater than one-third of the amount raised by such Society. Notice having been given in the Secretary's Circular,-Resolved, That Rules 202 and 203 be, and are hereby altered to read as follows: 202. The Name of the Institution shall be "The Students' Aid Fund of the New Church." 203.-The objects of this Fund shall be to aid in the support and education of earnest and pious young men, candidates for the ministry of the New Church, and to assist leaders of Societies, or others, who, in the opinion of the Committee, would be benefited thereby, to pursue such studies as will increase their efficiency in the ministry. Notice having been given in the Secretary's Circular,-Resolved, That Rule 220 be, and is hereby rescinded. Notice has been given, on behalf of the Glasgow Society, that at the ensuing Session the following Rules will be proposed as the Constitution of the Fund for the Augmentation of Stipends : 1.--The Name of the Fund shall be "The Augmentation Fund." 2.-The object of this Fund shall be to supplement the stipend paid to Ministers by societies whose resources are insufficient adequately to support their Ministers. 3. The Fund shall be maintained by contributions from New Church societies, individuals, legacies, collections, and all other available sources. 4. The Fund shall consist of two branches,-The first, a Capitalized Permanent Fund, which shall be properly invested, and the interest only expended. The second, to consist of Annual Subscriptions, Collections, and Donations, the amount of which, added to the interest of the capitalized fund, shall constitute the yearly available income. 5.-The aim of the Church in regard to the supplementing of stipends shall be to raise the stipends of those ministers and licentiates who are exclusively engaged in the work of the ministry, and whose stipends are under £100 per annum, to £100 per annum, and in the case of married ministers and licentiates to £120 per annum, as the state of the funds will allow. 6.--The Financial Year shall begin on the 1st day of July, and end on the 30th day of June ensuing, and the moneys received during the interim of these dates shall constitute the fund available for distribution during the following year. 7. The Fund shall be managed by the Committee appointed annually by the Conference for the National Missionary In stitution, which shall be known as the cess. The district committee being satisCentral Committee, assisted by (say five) fied with the information obtained, shall district committees: in London, Birming- then send the application and the filled-up bam, Manchester, Leeds, and Glasgow, but it shall be competent for the Conference to change the district committees to any other place or places that may be advisable in the interests of the fund. 8. Each District Committee shall consist of not less than five members, to be elected by Conference. schedule to the secretary of the central committee, stating at the same time their opinion of the case, the desirableness of the grant, and the amount ef stipend the society should be expected to raise. The central committee will then decide as to the amount to be granted, in accordance with the state of the fund, and the claims upon it. 16.-Every society receiving aid shall send to the secretary of the central committee, not later than the 15th day of July, a statistical and financial statement for the previous year, ending 30th of June. 17.-Grants in aid of stipends shall be paid quarterly; the quarter-days being 1st September, 1st December, 1st March, and 9.--The duties of the District Committees shall be to take special charge of the applications for aid in their own districts, making due inquiry, and advising the central committee accordingly. They shall also use every means to stimulate societies to increase the stipends of their ministers, and to contribute as liberally as possible to the augmentation fund. They shall appoint collectors in each society, 1st June. and shall receive all the moneys collected 18. In the case of a society failing to in their respective districts, and remit the raise its proportion of stipend, the district same to the treasurer of the central com- committee shall appoint a deputation of mittee. In the working of this scheme due care is ordered to be taken by the committees, that the help given shall not check, but, on the contrary, stimulate and encourage the active and dutiful exertions of societies. 10. Each District Committee shall present an annual report (ending 30th June) to the central committee. They shall also communicate any information their observation may suggest as likely to be useful. 11. It shall be competent for two or more societies which have combined to appoint a minister to receive conjointly assistance from this fund. 12.-In no case shall a grant exceed £40, and no society or societies shall be entitled to aid from this fund that do not raise at least £60 towards the stipend of the minister. 13. In the event of the pulpit of the society becoming vacant, the grant from this fund shall be discontinued. 14.-In determining the amount of any grant to a considerable extent, the case of each society shall be viewed on its own merits, and its prospects of usefulness and ultimate self-support shall be duly considered. their number to visit it and to inquire into the cause of their failure, and unless satisfactory reasons are assigned, the grant shall at once cease. 19. Any alteration of the foregoing rules shall be made according to the rules regulating Conference on such matters. Notice has also been given, on behalf of the society at Heywood, that a proposition will be made at the next Session, to consider the rules of Conference relating to the Pension Fund, and that the following, which have already engaged the attention of the Conference, will be proposed for further revision and adoption: And 179.-The object of the Fund is to allow pensions and to make grants to Ministers recognized by the Conference who have become wholly or partially incapacitated from performing their ministerial duties, and to the Widows of Ministers during their widowhood, whose husbands shall have been recognized Ministers of the Conference at the time of their decease. also to afford relief to wholly or partially incapacitated and necessitous Licentiates and Leaders of Societies recognized by the Conference, and to the necessitous Widows of Licentiates and Leaders during their widowhood, whose husbands shall have been recognized Licentiates and Leaders at the time of their decease. 180. This fund shall be supported by the proceeds of annual collections or contributions from the various Societies of the Church, and from individual subscriptions, donations, and bequests, and shall consist of two branches, respectively designated 15.-Applications in aid of supplement of stipend shall be addressed in the first instance to the district committees, who are (in terms of a printed schedule to be forwarded by the secretary of central committee) to gain information especially on the following points: (1) the number of Members, and their attendance. (2) The amount they will raise for stipend. (3) A and B. The amount of debt resting on the society. 181.--Fund A shall consist of, and (4) The ordinary income and expenditure. include, all moneys received and invested (5) The prospects of their growth and suc- on behalf of the Fund previous to the Con ference of 1871, and all moneys which shall be given or bequeathed to this Fund after that date, with a special direction that such moneys are intended for the use of pensions for Ministers and Widows of Ministers only. 182.-Fund B shall consist of all moneys given or bequeathed after the Conference of 1871, and not specifically directed that they are for the sole purposes of Fund A, and shall be available for grants to incapacitated and necessitous Licentiates and Leaders, as well as for pensions to Ministers and the Widows of Ministers. In all cases where the word "Minister" is used in these rules, it is understood to mean a Minister recognized by the Conference as an ordained Minister. 183. The Treasurer shall invest from time to time such overplus money as may be in his hands for the purposes of these Funds when it is reasonably sufficient for such investment. He shall keep separate accounts of each Fund. 184 a.-A Minister who has been actively engaged in the work of the Ministry with a Society or Societies in connection with the Conference for ten (10) years, and who has become wholly incapacitated, shall be entitled to a pension of twenty pounds (£20) per annum, and an additional one pound (£1) per annum for every year above ten years during which he shall have been engaged in such active service. The term of years is to be calculated from the date of his recognition by the Conference as an ordained Minister. b.-The Widow of a Minister shall be entitled to a pension provided that her deceased husband shall have been actively engaged in the work of the Ministry with a Society or Societies in connection with the Conference for ten (10) years. Such pensions shall be ten pounds (£10) per annum, and an additional sum of ten shillings (10s.) per annum for every year above ten years during which her late husband shall have been so engaged in the work of the Ministry. If, however, she has not been his wife for the whole number of years during which her husband shall have been so engaged in ministerial work, her pension shall be 10s. per annum less for every year fewer than the whole term of her deceased husband's active service during which she was not his wife. c.-Licentiates or other Leaders, who have become wholly incapacitated, and are in necessitous circumstances, shall be eligible to receive grants from Fund B provided they have been actively engaged in the work of the Ministry for twelve years in a Society or Societies in connection with the Conference, such period to date from the year when the names of the said Licentiates or other Leaders first appeared as such in the Minutes of Conference. In awarding such grants, the Conference shall be guided by the number of years during which the applicant shall have been so engaged in the work of the Ministry. d. The Widow of a Licentiate or other Leader shall be eligible to receive grants from Fund B provided her husband had been eligible to receive a grant at the time of his decease. The amount shall be annually voted by the Conference, and regulated by the same principle as that which provides for the pensions of Widows of Ministers, as expressed in Rule 1846. e. All claims upon either of the above Funds shall be made within three years of the period when the office of Minister, Licentiate, or Leader was vacated by the person on whose behalf the claim is made. f. In the event of the Funds being in any one year insufficient to meet the demands which may be made upon them, they shall be divided pro rata among the applicants to whom pensions or grants may have been awarded by the Conference. 185.-All applications for the benefit of pensions and grants shall be made in Forms provided by the Conference, and shall be sent to the Secretary of Conference at least three weeks before the Annual Meeting. They may also be accompanied by a Memorial stating such circumstances in support of the application as the case may require. All pensions and grants shall be annually voted by the Conference, and the renewal thereof be annually applied for. 186. The Conference shall institute all such inquiries into each case as may be deemed desirable, and shall deal with it accordingly. 187.-Payments of pensions shall be made quarterly, on the usual quarter-days, and the payment of grants at such times as the Conference may direct. The Treasurer shall take a receipt for all such payments. 188.-Any pension or grant (if directed to be paid quarterly) due for the quarter in which the pensioner or grantee dies, shall be paid to his or her representatives. 189 a. In the event of a Minister in receipt of a pension ceasing to be re |