The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-21 00:00:00

PICTURE GALLERIES.

- -
Bridgewater Gallery—Cleveland-square. Cards to view
may be obtained from Ur. Mitchell, Old Bond-street.
British Artists—Suffolk-street, April to July. is.
British Institution-52, Pall-mall. Pictures by British
Artists, in February, March, and April ; and by Ancient
Masters, June, July, and August. ls.
Buckingham Palace Pictures.—May be viewed by an order
from the Lord Chamberlain.
Cartoons of Raphael—South Kensington Museum. Mon-
(lb.,. Tuesday, Saturday, free ; other days, Gd.
Cryslal ralace—Sydenham. Modern Pictures and Sculp-
ture. ls. Flemish and Dutch
Dulwich Galleri.—Dulwich. Chien
Pictures. Open free daily, except Frio'
Flaxman Gallery—Univei.sity of London, u ower-street.
Foundling Hospital—Guildford-street. Open gondays,
10 till 4.
Gallery of Ancient Masters-49, Pall-mall. ls.
Greenwich Painted Hall— Greenwich. Mondays and Fri
days free ; other days, 4d.
Guildhall—City. May be seen Cu application to the hall
keeper.
Hampton Court Palace.—The galleries aro open free daily
except on Friday.
Monument—Fish -street Hill. Every day. Gd.
National G le ry —T rafal gar-square. Open free, Mondays
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
National Portrait Gallery-29, Great George-street.
free, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Trinity House—Trinity-square, Tower-hill. Models of
lighthouses, &c. Daily, 10 till 4.
Tussaud's Waxwork-58, Baker-street. Open daily till
10 p.m. is.

SUBURBAN PLACES OF RESORT.
Cremorne Gardens—Chelsea. ls.
Crystal Palace Park—Sydenham. Open daily, is.; Satur-
days, 2s. 6d.
Greenwich Park—Greenwich. Open free.
Hampton Court Gardens.—Open free daily.
Highbury Barn and Gardens —Highbury. Gd. and
refreshment tickets.
Kew Gardens—Kew. Open free, daily at ore o'clock.
Richmond Park—Richmond. Open free, daily.
Rosherville Gardens—Gravesend. Open daiiy. 6d.
Royal Horticultural Gardens—Kensington. Admission by
1 members' order.
Windsor Great Park—Windsor. Open free. Windsor
Castle may be visited on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fri-
days, by tickets obtainable at the Lord ChamberLahti
Crhaot is the caotlet

The autumnal assembly of the Congregational Union of
England and Wales commenced its regular business on
Tuesday in Wolverhampton, when the members assembled
in the chief congregational chapel of that town to hear the
address of the President, the Rev. R. IV. Dale, MA., of Bir-
mingham. The address was a masterly disquisition upon" The
Holy Spirit in Relation to the Ministry, the Worship, and
the Work of the Church." After describing in language
of great beauty the festival in Rome, which, in the summer
of 1867, far transcended in brilliancy and splendour any,
religious spectacle which Christendom had witnessed for
many centuries, and remarking that that festival sug-
gested or confirmed the resolution of the Pope to convoke
the (Ecumenical Council which is to meet in Rome
next December, Mr. Dale said : The Council would
be called upon to confront in the name of God,
the great revolt of all the European nations against the
authority of the priests. To have convened a Council for
any purpose in such an age as this would have been an
act of singular courage. But had it been summoned
merely to define a new dogma, to condemn theologi-
cal heresies, or to regulate the interior discipline and
organisation of the Church, the world might have listened
to its lofty pretensions with a cynical smile, and suffered
its decrees to pass into speedy oblivion. Rome, in her
apparent weakness and peril, in the very extremity of her
distress, has dared to do something far bolder than this.
She has called her faithful sons from every country
under heaven, that they may assert her .right to
legislate for the human intellect in every province of
its activity, and to control the social and political deve-
lopment of all Christian nations. Physical science,
flushed with_ unexpected and intoxicating triumphs, must
submit all its discoveries to the judgment of the Church—
perhaps of the priest who happens to be Bishop of Rome.
Criticism must shrink from investigating what the Church
pronounces sacred,and be ready at her bidding to repudiate
the conclusions which have been confirmed by the consent
of innumerable scholars. Statesmen must invoke for their
laws and policy the sanction of the Pope. Nations must
lay at the feet of the priesthood the imperfect liberties
which have been won by the suffering, the heroism, the
treasure, and the blood of past generations; and if Rome
commands it, that hope of a larger freedom which
consoles and strengthens the hearts of the common
people in every country in Europe must be surrendered.
These are the claims which the Council will be asked
to invest with the most solemn sanctions, and to
defend with the awful anathemas. Whether this
assertion of the transcendent endowments and
powers of the Church is to be ascribed to policy or
to faith, or whether it was suddenly inspired by the great
enthusiasm of the Centenary, there is a certain moral
grandeur in it, to which no abhorrence of Roman super-
stition can make us insensible. Rome in an age of uni-
versal scepticism has declared her unchangeable faith in
the supernatural presence of the Holy Ghost, in ecclesias-
tical rulers, and councils. I wish to inquire whether
our nobler creed is held with the same firm and
vigorous grasp, and whether it is illustrated and con-
sistently maintained in the actual life and organisation
and customs of the Congregational Churches of this
country. When the whole drift of European thought is
to exclude the living God from the material universe,
we ourselves are in danger of denying or ignoring
His immediate presence in the higher life of man. I pro-
pose to consider the theory and the practice of Congrega-
tional Churches, touching certain relations of the Holy
Spirit to the ministry, the worship, and the work of the
Church. In our theory of the ministry, the direct and
supernatural action of the Holy Spirit is very distinctly
recognised. The faculty of preaching is not to be acquired
by any rhetorical discipline. There is a gift of utterance
as well as of knowledge. There are special supernatural
virtues and graces, as well as special supernatural powers,
which are indispensable to the Christian minister
To one is given by the Spirit a tender sympathy for the
physical sufferings of mankind; to another, a noble abhor-
rence of social injustice, and mischievous laws and political
tyranny ; to another, an unquenchable thirst for a more
perfect knowledge of the mysteries of God's material uni-
verse; to another, an ineffable delight in poetry and art.
We must appeal to God. It is because men have never
received the supernatural call and the supernatural inspi-
ration that the vacancies which are occurring in our ranks
are in danger of not being worthily filled, and that the
number of our ministers does not more rapidly increase.
Loud complaints are sometimes heard that our ministers
come chiefly from the less educated and less wealthy
classes in our churches. That is God's concern, not
ours.—After rebutting the complaints that many minis-
ters had not gone through a college course of study, and
admitting the importance of such help, Mr. Dale sz.id:

Hearken, my beloved brethren, if God bath CLIOSCII
poor, unscholarly man, "rich in faith," in energy, and zeal
—if God bath given him the spirit of power, and of low,
and of a sound mind—if he has rt,ceived of God the " spirit
of wisdom and of revelation"—"who art thou that judges t
another man's servant ?" To his own master he standeth
or falleth. Yes, he shall be holden up, for God is able to
make him stand. Strong sense, intellectual activity,
shrewdness, wit, humour, fancy, these are to be
found among our working people in larger mea-
sure than some of us perhaps suppose. And
what reason can be alleged why Christian merchants,
manufacturers, professional men, and tradesmen are not
more frequently called to the pastorate ? Middle-clans
schools must be established. Measures like that of Mr.
Forster's must receive our vigorous support. Nor is there
any reason why our Christian young men of this class who
have received no call to the ministry should not have a
thoroughly theological education. The learning which
enables a man to read for himself, and to read intelli-
gently, the words of Hebrew prophets and Christian
apostles, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, should cease to
be a ministerial monopoly. We shall never have
a really learned ministry until we have a
more
_learned Church. During the last quarter'
of a century the conviction has been deepening
and spreading in the Congregational Churches in
this country, that in our public services worship has been
unduly subordinated to preaching; 'The conviction is just ;
but the measures which have been resorted to with the
hope of remedying the evil are aesthetic rather than
spiritual; they appeal to natural religious sentiment, and
leave the spiritual life untouched. Far grander works
should occupy them than Church music, or even the build-
ing of places of worship in every neglected neighbourhood,
much as that was desirable. Why should not every mem-
ber in every church throughout the country resolve to
bring, by God's help, a friend, a neighbour, a brother, or a
sister, to trust in Christ ? To accomplish this they needed
not boundless wealth, nor heroic telf-sacrifice ; not an im-
possible perfection in the organisation of the strength of
our Churches, but only that which God is eager to grant,
and which may be had for the asking—the baptism of the
Holy Ghost.

During the remainder of the morning sitting of the
Union several resolutions were passed, the most important
of which was the following, which was moved by Mr.
Carvell Williams and seconded by the Rev. J. C. Geikie :-
1. " That this assembly greatly rejoices that justice has at
length been done to the Irish people by the passing of
the Act for the Abolition of the Irish Church Establish-
ment, and also regards with great satisfaction the cessation
of the Regium Donum and the withdrawal of the annual
grant to Blaynooth College, as well as the refusal of the
Legislature to sanction any scheme involving the concur-
rent endowment of various religious bodies in Ireland. That
this assembly tenders its grateful acknowledgments to
the Right Hon. W. Ewart Gladstone, M.P., and to the
other members of the Government, for the ability and
conscientiousness which have distinguished their conduct
of the measure which has lately become law, and which,
it trusts, will tend to promote the best interests of
the Irish nation." 2. " That in view of the changes likely
to be effected in the ecclesiastical and social condition of
Ireland by the diseastablishment of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church, this assembly expresses the earnest hope that
the Protestants of that country, both Episcopalian and
Nonconformist, will bo prepared fully to avail themselves
of the new and hopeful circumstances in which they aro
now placed, by adopting vigorous measures for spreading
evangelical truth among the population, and more especially
that the Nonconformists of this country will be ready to
afford to their Irish brethren effective and liberal aid in
furtherance of so important an object.'

A correspondent writing from Exeter says that the
rectory of Honitori, which was declined a few days ago by
the Rev. John Ingle, has since been offered to Prebendary
Cox.
An influential meeting has been held at Guildford,
SulTey, to take steps to secure the exhibition of the Bath,
West of England, and Southern Counties Association
for that town in 1571. The necessary conditions were
shown to be fulfilled, ground was available and money
not wanting, a committee was therefore appointed to carry
out the preliminary arrangements.

The Rev. Canon Girdlestone has declined to sign
the memorial against the appointment of Dr. Temple.
Ho says that ho has too high an opinion of
the Dean and Chapter of Exeter to fear their being
influenced by any memorial, however numerously
signed, to commit themselves to such a course.
For the clergy even to recommend to those in a responsible
position a breach of that law which they are all by their
sacred calling especially bound, both by precept and ex•
ample, to maintain, is, in his opinion, a colt* fAught with
DeriLit.tha bhuntand typkjaaLtaila.

EAGLE INSURANCE COMPANY,
LONDON.
REPORT OF TFIE DIRECTORS,
For the Year ending 30th June, 1869, read at the Annual
General Meeting of Proprietors, 13th August, 1869,
WILLIAM FREDERICK DE LA RUE, EsQ., Deputy-
Chairman of the Company, in the Chair.
The Report which the directors have now to submit to
the proprietor differs in its tenor but little save in one or
two particular from that laid before then, in 1868.
no income of the year, it will be seen, amounts t
f 510,499 18s., and the total charge to £445,077 108. 9d
The difference, £95,422 7s. 3d., added to the balance of
the surplus fund at the commencement of the financial
year, raised that item to .£1,002,974 15s. 9d., its present
amount.
SURPLUS FUND ACCOUNT, JUNE 30, 1869.
INCOME OF THE YEAR.
s. d.

Dh.
Balance of account, 30th
June, 1BGB
ereminms on new assur-
ances

£ 6. d

13,566 5 1

on old ditto 357,988 7 0

371,548 12 1
Interest from investments 120,959 12 10

492,508 411

Profit and loss, balance of
account

rotal income

X 1,448,052 6 6
Examined and approved.
THOMAS ALLEN,}
Auditors.
HEI•TRY ROSE,
CHARGE OF THE YEAR.
£ s. d.

CR.
Dividend to proprietors
Claims on decease of lives
assured
Additions to those under

participating policies 24,304 6 6
Policies surrendered
Re-assurances—new
Ditto old 51,009 4 1

Commission
Medical fees

Income tax..

405,561 12 1
10,618 11 2
760 18 0

3,017 15 8

Expenses of management 16,238 9 10

X s. d.
8,880 4 0

436,187 6 9

Total charge
Balanco of account, June 30, 1869, as per
balance-sheet II.

£1,448,052 6 6
The total of premiums received is £371,548 12s. ld., of
which sum £13,560 ss. id. is for new assurances effected
in the year.

The interest from investments is £120,959 12s. 10d., or
£4 2s. per cent. on the net amount of the company's
realised assets existing in June, 1868 ; and in connection
with this important feature of the company's affairs the
directors have the satisfaction of reporting that the profit
and loss account again exhibits a considerable profit,
amounting this year within a txifie to the sum of £48,000.
It may be remembered that a profit of nearly equal amount
was announced in last year's report.
Turning to the items constituting the charge of the
year, it will be noticed that the sum payable in satisfac-
tion of claims on decease of lives assured is larger than
usual. This circumstance, however, is not very material;
as was observed 03 a previous occasion, the proper quin-
quennial average is generally pretty sure to obtain, and
the fact that the average for the past two years barely ex-
ceeds £309,000 tends to confirm that statement.
The expenses of management are greater by nearly
£BOO than they were last year. They would have been
materially less but for the unavoidable cost of transferring
the company's securities into the names of additional trus-
tees. Taken as they are, however, these expenses must
be regarded as very moderate. It will be observed that
they are:only three per cent. of the total income.

BALANCE-SHEET, JuN 30, 1869.
DR. LIABILITIES.
Interest due to proprietors £6,757 17 0
.11aims on decease of lives assured, and
Addditions thereto unpaid 108,940 6 7
Sundry accounts
Liabil .:7,ler sums assured, &c. (1867) 6,336,626 8 2
Proprietois fund
Surplus fund

.£7,675,813 0 10
Examined and approved.
THOMAS ALLEN,) Auditors.
HENRY ROSE, j
Cx ASSETS.
imonnt invested in fixed mortgages £1,661,699 9 2
Ditto ditto decreasing ditto 162,770 15 2
Ditto ditto Reversions 278,557 16 6
Ditto ditto Funded securities 491,303 4 2
ditto ditto Temporary secn-

198,207 17 0
30,934 4 6
12,256 15 10

rities
.;urrent interest on the above investments
clash and bills
Advanced on security of the company's
polici.a 165,387 1 8
A g—ats balances
Sundry accounts
Value of premi.ans (IsC)
{'aloe of ra-sssurances 85,706 14 5

£7,675,813 0 10

The I)alance-sheet does not appear to call for any re-
tnnrk. The assets are, of course, increased by the sum of
£95,422 7s. ?d. already mentioned, as is shown by the
augmentation to that extent in the balance of the surplus
fund.

The Direction of the Company is now constituted as
follows :

WILLIAM FREDERICK DE LA RUE, ESQ., Chairman.
ROBERT ALEXANDER GRAY, EsQ., Deputy-Chairman
Charles Bischoff, Esq. James Murray, Esq.
Thomas Boddington, Esq. Philip Rose, Esq.
Charles Chatfield, Esq. George Russell, Esq.
Sir J. BullerEast, EL, D.C.L. 7 homas Godfrey Sambrooke
Wm. ..1-.gustus Guy, M.D., E.q.
Admiral Tindal.
OnarlesTbos.Holcorlbe,E6q. Right Hon. Sir John Young,
J 04111141 I.E9ckWood) Esq.- Bart.,

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