Giving the Tenth Saved a Man. which, where God says he will help men for no other than 'because they trust in him '-motive enough for God-yes, I recall; it's the last verse of the 37th Psalm." "Ah, brother," said the preacher, laughing; "you know very well if a lawyer has no case, he can create one." "Well," replied the lawyer, "we lawyers would be kept busy if there were such neglect of justice and sense in men's business partnerships as there is in the partnership every man holds with God. For instance, A comes to me and says: 'I am running a business in which B is a silent partner. I understand if I give him his portion of the gains, it will be better for me-will pay me financially in the end. But I can't think of being actuated by such motives; I prefer to say nothing about his share, indeed not to trouble myself to find out what his share is but just liberally hand out a dollar or two when he comes around.'" Then the lawyer warmed up and said, his gray eyes dilating: "Wouldn't a lawyer smoke out such a natural born fool!" The lawyer's class The writer heard no more. still exceeds in the collections, the pastor is still silent; unless the plans of Victor Hugo and Bellamy may be thought in the line of giving. God's plans wait.Selected. Giving the Tenth Saved a Man. RETURNING from one of our large missionary gatherings, several years ago, I found myself seated with a woman whose very expressive face I had several times noticed during the sessions of the meeting. We naturally spoke of subjects of especial interest presented, and I said it hardly seemed consistent for us now to have no higher standard of giving than that of the Mosaic law-when a Christian and all that he has belongs to Christ for his service-to say a tenth should be the standard seems like levying a tax instead of giving a free-will offering. "O," she replied; "if we know anything of the blessedness of giving, we will not stop at the tenth. But my experience has made me love the old law, and I will tell you why. My father was a New England pastor, and we children were brought up to regard a tenth of the little we had as belonging to the Lord-given to us that we might have the priv ilege of giving it back to him, and we would have considered it stealing from the Lord to have used a penny of that tenth for ourselves. When I was old enough to teach, a tenth of my wages belonged to the Lord; I never questioned it. a few years the war came. and just five weeks from the time he left us the message came that he was shot in the battle of Antietam-killed instantly, and I could not even know where he was buried. 29 months old, and I must take care of them. I had our "When Charlie was about eighteen years old I began to realize what real trouble was. He seemed to change all at once-was dissatisfied with everything, and wanted to go West and make his fortune. Nothing that anyone could say or do seemed to have any influence with him, and I had to let him go. Sometimes I would not hear from him for weeks, and I knew he was not doing well. I lived through the Then he came home without five years he was gone. the fortune he went for, but he was a Christian man. That in "You may be sure Charlie's experience set me to thinking, and I wondered that I had never before realized the value of the habit of tithing." The train stopped, and she was hastily gathering her belongings to leave. I said, "Why did you not relate this when the subject was being discussed? It is more to the point than anything that was said?" Why, I have tell it!" she exclaimed, in surprise. I married, and in My husband enlisted, never spoken in meeting in my life."--The Interior. I had "Me MONEY, in its line, is a means to the world's evanAs in gelization as well as preaching or prayer. the case of Cornelius, the Christian's alms are to go up before God with his prayers. CHURCHES AND MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. The Congregational Church of the United States. The Census Office of the United States Government has issued the following, prepared by H. K. Carroll, LL.D.: THE first church of the Congregational faith and order in the United States came over the sea to Plymouth, Mass., in the Mayflower, in 1620. Before the close of the first half of that century there were in New England fifty-one Congregational churches, besides two or three on Long Island and one in Virginia. Congregationalism developed great strength in New England, spreading but slowly over other sections of the country. In 1801 a plan of union was entered into with the Presbyterian Church concerning the formation of churches in new settlements, and under it Congregationalists going west from New England generally entered Presbyterian churches. This plan continued in force until 1852, when it was formally abrogated by a convention of Congregationalists at Albany, on the ground that it practically excluded Congregationalism from the country west of New England. It is noticeable that in the older States, where there are many Congregationalists, there are comparatively few Presbyterians, and vice versa. Since the abrogation of the plan of union the growth of Congregational churches in the West, particularly in Illinois and the yet newer States of the Northwest, has been quite rapid. Their antislavery record entirely shut them out of the States of the South until after the civil war. Their numbers in that section are still limited, and include a good proportion of colored members, to whose edu cation they have been much devoted. It The Pilgrims and Puritans, who constituted the early Congregational churches, were not averse to Presbyterianism on doctrinal grounds. Congregationalists and Presbyterians were in substantial agreement, the Westminster Confession serving acceptably as the doctrinal symbol of both for many years. was adopted by the Congregationalists at a General Synod, at Cambridge, Mass., in 1646-48. The Savoy Confession of Faith, which is similar to that of Westminster, was adopted by local synods in 1680 and in 1708; and a National Council held in 1865, in Boston, Mass., expressed its adherence to the faith "substantially embodied " in these two confessions, and adopted a declaration known as the "Burial Hill Declaration," affirming the general unity of the Church of Christ in all the world, and setting forth the "fundamental truths in which all Christians should agree," as a basis of general cooperation and fellowship. In 1871 a Triennial National Council was held in Oberlin, O. The following was adopted as a part of the constitution of the council: They [the Congregational churches] agree in belief that the Holy Scriptures are the sufficient and only infallible rule of faith and practice; their interpretation thereof being in substantial accordance with the great doctrines of the Christian faith, commonly called evangelical, held in our churches from the early times, and sufficiently set forth by former General Councils. Dr. William Ives Buddington, the moderator of the commeil, afterward gave the following interpretation of this paragraph: Any churches recognizing the independency of the local church, and professing the historic faith of Christ's Church, are actually and intentionally embraced within the fellowship of the National Council. The distinctions of old school and new school were ignored, and just as much Arminianism and Calvinism. According to this, Congregationalism welcomes Arminians, as well as Calvinists, to its churches. In 1883 a commission appointed by the National Council formulated a confession, consisting of twelve articles. It is of a general evangelistic character. The polity of the Congregational churches is based on the principle of the complete autonomy of each local church. Connected with this principle is that of the fellowship of the churches. The Cambridge platform, adopted in the middle of the seventeenth century, declares that "although churches be distinct, and therefore may not be confounded with one another; and equal, and therefore have not dominion one over another; yet all churches ought to preserve church communion one with another, because they are all united unto Christ, not only as a mystical, but as a political, head, whence is derived a communion suitable thereunto." The fountain of ecclesiastic power is in the local church, and not in any association or council of churches. Each church manages its own affairs. When differences arise between churches or between members of the same church, or between a church and its pastor, they may be referred to a council specially summoned, composed of p stors and representatives of neighboring churches of the same faith and oriet. The decisions of councils are, however, not mandatory, but simply advisory. Councils have to do chiefly with questions of denominational fellowship. They examine, ordain, and install pastors, and recognize churches. There are local associations purely ministerial, meeting for fellowship, and which in some sectious assume the duty of examining candidates for license to preach, the license being in the nature of a certinication to the churches of the fitness of the licentiate. There are also local and State associations, or conferences, of churches and ministers which hold regular meetings for consultation concerning the benevolent and missionary work of the churches within their bounds. The Triennial National Council embraces representatives of all the local associations and conferences; but equally with the local bodies it has no other province than that of giving counsel to the churches and benevolent societies. Foreign Mission Work of the Congregationalists. The Congregational idea of the minister is that he is a teacher who is primus inter pares. He is a member of the church which he serves, and is subject to its discipline like any other member. The officers of a church consist of one or more pastors, also called bishops or elders, and of deacons, who are laymen charged with the administration of the sacraments and of the charitable interests. Connected with most churches is a religious society, embracing all members and supporters of the church. The church calls a pastor, and the society approves the call and fixes the salary. In New England for many years Congregationalism was the established religion. In the colonies of New Haven and Massachusetts membership in a Congregational church was a condition of the exercise of the po itical franchise, and the churches in most of New England were supported by moneys raised in the tax levies. In course of time this system was modified so as to allow persons to contribute to whatever Church they preferred. It was formally abolished in Connecticut in 1816, and in Massachusetts in 1833. There are Congregational churches in all the States except Delaware, and in all the Territories except Alaska. The total members in this country, not including several thousand converts in connection with missions of the American Board in foreign lands, is more than half a million. Massachusetts, where Congregationalists were the first colonists, has a larger proportion of the total than any other State, 101,890; Connecticut comes second, with 59,154; New York third, with 45,686; Illinois fourth, with 35,830; and Ohio fifth, with 32,281. Of the total valuation of church property, $43,335,437, Massachusetts has more than a fourth, or $11,030,890; Connecticut, $5,366,201; New York, $5,175,262, and Illinois, $2,975,812. There are only 15 places in Massachusetts used by Congregationalists as places of worship which they do not own. There are 62 such places in South Dakota, 50 in Iowa, and 47 in Michigan. In all 456 halls, etc., are used by congregations. The 4,868 organizations own 4,736 edifices, with an aggregate seating capacity of 1,553,080, indicating an average of 328 to each house. The average value of each edifice is $9,150. The statistics of the Congregational denomination show that Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims and Puritans established churches of the Congregational order early in the seventeeth century, is still the stronghold of Congregationalism. It has in that State nearly 102,000 members. In Connecticut, which comes second, there are 59,154, and in New York 45,686. In the six New England States the aggregate of Congregational strength is nearly 230,000, which is about 45 per cent of the whole number of members in the United States. The proportion of members to population in Massachusetts is 1 to 22; in Vermont, 1 to 16.2; in Connecticut, 1 to 12.6; in New Hampshire, 1 to 19.1; in Maine, 1 to 30.7. SUMMARY BY STATES AND TERRITORIES. STATES, ETC. Alabama Georgia Indian Territory Missouri... Number of organ- Church edifices. 31 3 182 149 Colorado 49 District of Columbia' 39 302 55 421 Foreign Mission Work of the Congregationalists. THE Congregationalists carry on their foreign mission work through the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, with headquarters in Boston. The annual meeting of the Board was held in Chicago, Ill., October 4-7, 1892. The report of the treasurer showed that the receipts of the year closing August 31 had been $840,804.72, of which $545,097.49 had been from collections; $249,771.71 from legacies received during the year; $35,18.538 from the legacy of Asa Otis; $10,744.14 interest on General Permanent Fund. There had been a balance of $764.05 at the commencement of the year, making $841,568,77 available for the year. The expenditures had been: YOUNG PEOPLE'S DEPARTMENT. The Samoan Islanders. A Bit of Logic. RUFUS lay at full length on the sofa and puffed a cigar, back parlor though it was; when Mr. Parker reminded him of it he said there were no ladies present, and puffed away. He saw his two sisters on the piazza, but he said, "Girls, don't count." He had lately heard a sermon on foreign missions. He smoked on, and between the puffs he talked: "There is one argument against foreign mission work which is unanswerable; the country cannot afford it. Two millions and a half of money taken out this year, and sent to the cannibals or somewhere else. No country can stand such a drain as that upon it, with everything else it has to do. Foreign missions are ruinously expensive." The two young sisters of Rufus, Kate and Nannie, stood on the piazza and laughed. "O Rufus!" said Kate; "you won't take a prize in college for logic, I'm sure." "What do you mean, little monkey? And what do you know about logic?" "More than you do, I should think. Just imagine the country not being able to afford two millious and a half for missions, when just a few years ago it paid over four millions for Havana cigars. Have you thought of that, Rufus?" "And I wonder how much champagne is a bottle!" chimed in Nannie. "How much is it, Rufus? You know about ten million bottles are used every year. And O! why, Rufus, don't you know that we spend about six millions for dogs! Something besides foreign missions might be given up to save money, I should think." "Where did you two grow so wise? Where did you get all these absurd items?" "We got them at the Mission Band; Kate is secretary, and I'm treasurer, and these figures were all in the dialogue that Dr. Stevens wrote for us to recite. If you choose to call what he says absurd I suppose you can; but he is a graduate from a college and a theological seminary besides. I mean to tell him that you think two millions and a half for foreign missions will ruin the country; I want to hear him laugh." And then the two girls laughed merrily. "You needn't tell him anything about it," said Rufus, sharply. After the girls ran away he added thoughtfully: "How fast girls grow up! I thought these two were children, and here they are with the Mission Bands, and their large words about secretaries and treasurers." "And their embarrassing facts about money," interrupted Mr. Parker. "Those girls had the best of the argument, Rufus;" and then he, too, laughed.The Pansy. The Festival of Durga Pujah. 33 The Festival of Durga Pujah. · DURGA holds an important place among the Hindu gods. In the figures carried about the streets she is represented with three eyes and ten hands. In one of her hands is a spear which she is aiming at a giant; in another is a serpent which is biting the heart of the giant; and she has other warlike instruments in her other hands. She is feared and propitiated, not loved. For fifteen days before the Pujah the people who live near the Ganges go there to bathe. They carry with them some holy water and seeds, which they sprinkle on the water. This is an offering to the spirits of their ancestors of the last fourteen generations, that they may continue to enjoy repose. On the last day before the festival these ab the image, and offerings are given to her and all her family and friends and companions. Many sacrifice goats to her, but this custom seems to be going out very much. The sight of the image now gladdens and excites everyone, especially the women, who gaze upon the image with delight, and do not like to tear themselves away. "On the second day the goddess is expected to descend from the Himalaya and look at all the offerings of her worshipers. On the third day farewell offerings are presented-farewell to the goddess. She may be forgotten now for a whole year. On the fourth and last day there is a great deal of drinking and wickedness, when a kind of revelry is considered right. Of course sensible and enlightened people do not take part in this. And the end of it all is, on lutions cease, and offerings of rice, fruit, etc., are given to the ancestors. Of course, the priest really receives and enjoys these gifts. A missionary in India sends the following account of one of these festivals: "To-day, very early, musical processions began to pass and repass. Drumming and tom-tomming are the principal ingredients in the music. A kind of squeaky instrument can sometimes be heard, and the sounding of a bell or gong at intervals. They carry with great gravity a plantain tree. This represents Durga dressed in a silk sari. It is conveyed to the river, and after bathing it the priests again solemnly escort it back. "The first Pujah consists of the consecration of the goddess Durga. The priests perform the ceremony in the following words: 'O goddess, come and dwell in this image, and bless [so and so], who worships you.' Durga is then supposed to come and inhabit this last day, with great pomp and show, the gorge ous images of Durga are taken from each house, with a large or small following, and great or little splendor, according to the wealth of the owner, and consigned to Mother Gunga-the River Ganges (or Hooghly). They carry her to the river edge, with torches and all manner of show, and throw her ina splash in the water, and she vanishes. The females part from her with great grief, imploring her blessing and favor for the next twelve months. "As the processions pass through the streets the roofs of the houses and the roads and pavements are crowded with lookers-on. We got into a procession when driving home last year, and had to follow Durga most unwillingly, in company with many other carrrages, for quite a long way. "When all is over, and the gorgeous image has found her watery grave (Durga's presence having previously departed from her), the young people |