Five occasional lectures.

mencement of associations, more strictly of this particular charac- ter, appeal's to have been in the year 1836 ; in the November of which year " The Church of England Working Men's Bible and Missionary Association" was established in the Borough of South- wark, which, as most of you no doubt know, joins the city of London, being just on the other side of London Bridge.The funds collected by the Association were at first divided between " The Church Missionary Society," and " The British and Foreign Bible Society."Somewhere about 1840 the portion of the funds devoted to furthering the translation and circulation of the Holy Scriptures, was given to " The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge," the other portion still being assigned to " The Church Missionary Society."In 1842 the first branch of this Association was formed ; and, crossing the river Thames, was located in Finsbury Square.The committee of this branch think- ing that it would be better to alter the name of the Association, which had hitherto been " The Church of England Working Men's Bible and Missionary Association," after a long discussion, and a number of names had been proposed, agreed on the following -" The Church of England Young Men's Association for Aiding Missions at Home and Abroad."Up to this period, as the move- ment had originated with the Church of England, so it hadbeenunder the management of its members and in connection with its principles.Aiding Missions at Home and Abroad," it is very necessary that we should keep in view certain great principles of action to guide us which will serve to do away with many objections sometimes start- ed in opposition to such Associations, and will be a useful guide and rule to those who advocate them.Now " A Church of England Young Men's Asssociation," from its very name neces- sarily implies its connexion with the Church whose name it bears ; but, as I said before, these Associations are new creations and there are persons who, on this ground alone, object to their introduction, and think because they were not in use in former times, they ought not to be allowed now.It will not be difficult, and may perhaps not be out of place, to show the fallacy of such an argument.Now in all important corporate Societies there are certain origi- nal principles embodied in their charters, which are essential to their existence, and which the members have no authority over, or liberty to alter.But in order to carry into effect the end of their incorporation, they have the power of making and remaking, amending or modifying, certain rules and bye-laws, which regu- late the details of their operations; and of delegating to subcommittees certain duties, and thus providing for the necessities of any particular occasions, or for meeting any unforseen difficulties in the way of the action of the Corporationitself.And this is exactly the state of the case with the Church.There are certain principles connected therewith which are fixed by the Divine Will-certain fundamental laws which are essential to its existence-certain ordinances without which it cannot exist.The 19th article of our Church declares, "Thatthe visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of Glod is preached, and the sacraments be duly administered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things, that of necessity are requisite to the same."And elsewhere she teaches us in her catechism, that there are only two sacraments " generally necessary to salvation, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord."In the preface to her ordination service she teaches us -" That it is evident unto all men, diligently reading the Holy Scriptures and ancient Authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been three orders of Minis-

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