GENERAL EPISTLE.

The Merrimack River Ministerial Circle, To all who love the Lord Jesus Christ, and seek to extend the blessed influences of his holy Religion; and to all who pray to the Universal Father, saying, “ Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," grace and peace be multiplied unto you, through a risen and exalted Redeemer.

DEARLY BELOVED:

IN submitting, for your consideration, the following plan of church organization, differing, as it does, in some important particulars, from the usual form, it seems proper to accompany it with a brief statement of its origin, and the objects and views of those who have been concerned in its production.

The Merrimack River Ministerial Circle is

composed of seventeen Ministers of the Universalist denomination, who are settled pastors, having the care of societies and churches. The Circle meets monthly, for the mutual improvement of its members, and for consultation upon the means best calculated to promote the interests of the cause of religion. In our private conversations, the following facts have appeared :

1. As a general rule, our societies are organized merely so far as to give them a legal existence, and enable them to hold property, and perform, according to law, the business necessary for the maintenance of public worship.

2. Connected with most of our societies, there are churches, having an organization about as meagre as can well be imagined, in any body claiming to have a corporate existThese churches meet, at stated periods, at the communion table, and for the reception. of members, or the election of officers; and,

ence.

beyond this, there is little that they attempt to do.

3. While our societies are, for the most part, in a flourishing condition, so far as pecuniary support and attendance upon public worship are concerned, a general apathy prevails in regard to our churches; many of our most active and zealous, as well as worthy and respectable men, not being, even nominally, members thereof.

4. Beyond the mere support of public worship, there is little that either our societies or churches have attempted to perform; that object being attained by the former, the latter have few claims to present, for countenance or support. For this cause, it is apprehended, our churches languish, and are asleep- simply because they have nothing to do, or rather because they have never set themselves, unitedly and systematically, about the great work that they ought to do. The fault is not so much in the men, as in the system of their

organization.

Our churches are not thus

languishing, inactive and neglected, because of a general lack of zeal, or Christian benevolence and charity, among our people. But they do next to nothing, for the simple reason that their organization does not propose to do anything of importance, beyond what could be done by any society having a legal existence. The result is, that the church is looked upon as an extra affair altogether; a thing to bind men's consciences, rather than engage their hearts and hands in works of charity and love. And so our people are content with a mere membership in our societies, constituted according to law, and devoting their energies to the support of public worship; and if their souls are warm with a desire to meliorate the condition of suffering humanity, they turn their backs upon the church, as having no means or agencies by which they can labor efficiently, and seek the manifestation of their spirit through some one or more of the benev

olent institutions of the day; and the records of those institutions will show that, of all denominations, in proportion to its numbers, ours contributes most largely of zealous, active and efficient men. We would not let or hinder any of these institutions in their labors for human good; but we would make the church, what it ought to be, not only a teacher of truth, but an example of good works, in all that is calculated to benefit our common race.

How far the facts above noted are true, in their application to the various portions of our Master's vineyard, others will know for themselves. It sufficeth us to know that we have seen, and deeply felt them, in our own fields of labor, and that our earnest and anxious thoughts and prayers have been given to the remedy. In our private conversations upon the subject, the impression seemed general, that there was need of a more thorough organization, which should give to the church a wider range of objects, and greater facilities