, 1865-06-20
OUR BOSTON LETTER.
Second Day Of the National Con"
gregational Ceuucil.
President Sturtevant's Serm:n-.Con-
g1egatlonal!sm in the Vest
Reception Of the English Del
ega1es-.l Interesting Ad-
dresses.
The Fntfonai Union Lenppe Couclavc.-The
b0nsnC TAu1cl-1 h. hsw Fn1fAEd
Factory A~akentnR--Nossun
Mud Ene We4f.

- lSpeeisl Correspondents Chtc7go Thbuue.l
- BosToN, Ftidsy, June 18th,
:. The exercises yesterday, in the National
Congregational Council were highly inter
esting, and deserve the more of your space
from The fact that the leading feature Of in:
terest stands accredited to distinguished
clergyman from your orn State, Rev. J. II.
sturteyant. D. D.. President Of Illinois COL
lege, Jacksonville, who preached the opening
sermon. The Council assembled at vt. Yer.
non Church, Aahburton Place, Gov. Buck
iDgtam Of Connecticut, presiding. The
church was filed to the extreme verge OF
compactness and comfort. go
i TIE OPENING SERMON,
President sturtevant ehose h!s text from
Jeremiah w. ,lG. "Thus aait., the Lo,d.
stand Je In your ways, and Bee, and ask fol-
the old paths, where Is the good way, aud
vnlk therein, and &c shsll find rest tor your
sonls."
J. The preacher referred to the history OF
CoDgt tegationaltsm as thegroWth of the early
New England kirg- hating and bishop hating
element. He dwell more particularly IN the
larger shs1e Of his discourse, upon the e1per-
3mtnt of Congre gntionatlsn at the West.
The whole production Tas one Of striking
force and originality worthy Of the spirit and
the occasion.
There were four causes Of the failure Of the
Congregational idea, to which the preacher
wiahtd cspt cIally to direct the attention Of
the National Council: First, the want Of ho.
mogenelty ID our population; second, neg,o
slavery; third, undue reliance on superficial
and Inorganic sys ems Of home eyangcliza-
ton fourth, want of sufficient tenaelty In
aaheribg to their own polity. In Disgusting
the FRS. point, The preacher sad d TINT the he
telogeneousness Of our population was n II
only such as 10 render it Impossible to per
'ect an Efficient telig;ou Organization Of 40.
ciety, but On the contrary to produce A stntt.
OF morai and religious dcstttution and anar-
thy for which he saw no immediate remedy.
II was otien asserted that this want ot
homoge1eitJ Of which he spoke was the
result of religious liberty. He thought The
assertion entirely Esatultous-it Was not on
~ improved, but unproyable. In Illus ration
OF this posision he reviewed the ground noon
which tue different religious sYstsms were
bastd, concluding that they were not By an7
mcans necessary product Of religious free
dom. On the second point be says thst sla-
condition Of beasts of burden, whereas the
principles Of Congregational pollty recognize
the equal brctheIhood OF the hum IN race.
1t Was impossible that this potity should suc.
ctcd III community 80 attiflca ally divided In.
10 classes as at the South. In CONSIDERING
The present insufficient modes OF .ffort for
home evangelizaton. he especially referred
10 tie needs OF the West IN this rrspcct. The
comparatively sl.ght results OF tho l4b3s al.
ready bestowed, ard urged the adoption OF
more organic and speedier methods. ID dis
GUESSING the last point to which be had re-
ferred, he said that he did not mean that the
Congregational churches were tired Of thoir
forms oi government, or desire us OF CHANGE.
Far Other wise. Bul It bad hetn the eiorv or
their churches that the gospel WIS irulneasa1-
ably higher Than any forms or ceremonies.
and 3rcm this very principle had arisen the
h.ndrance Of which he hid spoken. Iuex.
tending their churches westward.
lad they followed only their own
preferences, their New England
brethren would have preserved intact theIr
ON pollty but for the sake OF unity and CO.
ope,ation with other good Men who were te.
nacIous Of peculiar forms Of government. they
had been Induced, tor the sakc Of the gospel.
to turte1der their own position, And
through this means he believed that the or.
gau power OF New England influence at The
West tor extensive good had been greatly les
eeutd.