THURSDAY, 25th OCTOBER, 1888.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

HON. JUDGE MCDONALD, of Brockville, Ontario, occupied the chair.

The hymn," Blest be the tie that binds," was sung, after which, REV. DR. MACRAE offered prayer.

The CHAIRMAN read the first five verses of the Fourth Chapter of Ezra.

TOPIC: CO-OPERATION IN CHRISTIAN WORK.

CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS.

HON. JUDGE MCDONALD, BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO.

He first considered the difficulties in the way of co-operation. (1) Owing to the co-operation in Church work of those who are not truly in Christian fellowship, and (2), owing to co-operation in work that is called Christian, but is not. The social element is to be encouraged. God did not give us a social nature without intending it should be developed, and we may have social recreation and amusements of an innocent character; but not for the purpose of raising money for church purposes.

If a man wishing to dispose of a horse, a watch, or some other property, gets up a raffle and disposes of tickets in the Province of Ontario, he may be fined, and each purchaser who purchases a ticket may be fined the sum of $20. But if a raffle is got up for a religious object it is legal, provided the consent of the Mayor, or other chief officer of the municipality, is procured and the article to be raffled does not exceed $50 in value.

The speaker referred to tableaux, and other means used to raise money for church purposes, instancing one case in which there was a tableau representing the Ten Virgins. When the Salvation Army had a representation of that parable in connection with a religious service there was great indignation, and yet it could be acted or represented in an opera-house to raise

money for church purposes. This state of things is unfair to ministers, who are called upon to act as masters of ceremonies, or prompters, or stage-managers. They preach against theatres, and wonder the people go to them.

The evil with which the speaker dealt is sapping the life of the Church. The speaker then read, as expressing the state of matters better than he could, the following words of a gifted poetess :

"The Church and the World walked far apart.

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On the changing shores of time;

The World was singing a giddy song,

And the Church a hymn sublime.

'Come, give me your hand,' cried the merry World,
And walk with me this way;'

But the good Church hid her snowy hand,
And solemnly answered, Nay,

I will not give you my hand at all,
And I will not walk with you;

Your way is the way of endless death;
Your words are all untrue.'

Nay, walk with me but a little space,'
Said the World with a kindly air;
'The road I walk is a pleasant road,
And the sun shines always there.
Your path is thorny and rough and rude,
And mine is broad and plain;

My road is paved with flowers and gems,
And yours with tears and pain.
The sky above me is always blue;
No want, no toil, I know;

The sky above you is always dark;
Your lot is a lot of woe.

My path, you see, is a broad, fair path,
And my gate is high and wide,-

"There is room enough for you and for me
To travel side by side.'

"Half shyly the Church approached the World,
And gave him her hand of snow :

The World grasped it, and walked along,
Saying, in accents low,—

'Your dress is too simple to please my taste;

I will give you pearls to wear,

Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,

And diamonds to deck your hair.'

The Church looked down at her plain white robes,
And then at the dazzling World,

And blushed as she saw his handsome lip
With a smile contemptuous curled.
'I will change my dress for a costlier one,'
Said the Church with a smile of grace;

Then her pure garments drifted away,
And the World gave, in their place,
Beautiful satins, and shining silks,
And roses and gems and pearls ;

And over her forehead her bright hair fell
Crisped in a thousand curls.

""Your house is too plain,' said the proud old World; 'I'll build you one like mine :

Carpets of Brussels, and curtains of lace,

And furniture ever so fine.'

So he built her a costly and beautiful house

Splendid it was to behold;

Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there,
Gleaming in purple and gold;

And fairs and shows in the halls were held,

And the World and his children were there;

And laughter and music and feasts were heard
In the place that was meant for prayer.

She had cushioned pews for the rich and the great
To sit in their pomp and their pride,

While the poor folks, clad in their shabby suits,
Sat meekly down outside.

So he filled her house with gay divines,

Gifted and great and learned;

And the plain old men that preached the cross
Were out of the pulpit turned.

"You give too much to the poor,' said the World;
'Far more than you ought to do.

If the poor need shelter and food and clothes,
Why need it trouble you

Go, take your money and buy rich robes,

And horses and carriages fine,

And pearls and jewels and dainty food,

And the rarest and costliest wine.

My children they dote on all such things,
And if you their love would win,

You must do as they do, and walk in the ways
That they are walking in.'

The Church held tightly the strings of her purse,
And gracefully lowered her head,

And simpered, 'I've given too much away;
I'll do, sir, as you have said.'

"So the poor were turned from her door in scorn, And she heard not the orphan's cry;

And she drew her beautiful robes aside,

As the widows went weeping by.

The sons of the World and the sons of the Church
Walked closely hand and heart,

And only the Master who knoweth all,

Could tell the two apart.

Then the Church sat down at her ease and said,

'I am rich, and in goods increased;

I have need of nothing, and naught to do

But to laugh and dance and feast.'

The sly World heard her, and laughed in his sleeve,
And mockingly said aside,

'The Church is fallen-the beautiful Church

And her shame is her boast and pride!'

"The angel drew near to the mercy-seat,

And whispered in sighs her name;

And the saints their anthems of rapture hushed,
And covered their heads with shame.

And a voice came down, through the hush of heaven,

From Him who sat on the throne,

'I know thy work,' and how thou hast said,

'I am rich;' and hast not known

That thou art naked and poor and blind
And wretched before My face;

Therefore, from My presence I cast thee out,

And blot thy name from its place!"

Matilda C. Edwards.

THE NECESSITY OF CO-OPERATION IN

CHRISTIAN WORK.

REV. JOSIAH STRONG, D.D., NEW YORK.

The world's progress is along two lines, the development of the individual and the higher and more complex organization of society.

These two tendencies toward individualism on the one hand, and toward combination on the other, are, in a measure, antagonistic, and are needed to balance each other. They are like the two oars of a boat. One alone would turn the course to the right, the other to the left; the movement is circular, not forward. Only when both are operative is there progress straight on.

Chinese society affords an illustration of the one tendency overcome by the other. When 300,000,000 people live in peace and comparative comfort under one government, it indicates a highly-organized society. It shows a powerful tendency toward combination. But the tendency toward the development of the individual seems to have been arrested centuries ago. There is a vast wilderness of mediocrity, and for hundreds of years each generation seems to have been cast in the same mould. Chinese civilization, therefore, stagnated.

Germany affords the best illustration of the opposite development, the tendency toward combination overcome by the tendency toward individualism. Less than a score of years ago Germany yielded to the powerful organizing tendency of the age, and the empire was the result. But down to that time all efforts for German unity had proved fruitless. A strong individuality is probably more characteristic of the German race than of any other. Their individualism was so strong that for generations it prevented the concessions which were essential to combination and organization. And the consequence was that the German people, broken into fragments, were politically weak.

It is quite as important that the balance between these two tendencies be preserved in the Church as in the State. But Church history shows that the one tendency is apt to overcome the other. Both the strength and the weakness of Romanism are due to a tendency toward organization so powerful that it well nigh crushes out all individuality. Both the strength and weakness of Protestantism are due to an individuality so strong that it checks combination and results in weakness. Romanists are the Chinese of the religious world. They belong to a vast organiza