reformers, social quacks and political charlatans, the results of whose teachings are deeper discontent and stronger class antipathies; popular lecture courses might be provided for workingmen, acquainting them with the fundamental principles of political economy and such historical facts as bear upon living questions.

When state and county and local alliances have been formed throughout the land, their regular meetings, together with great national conferences like this, cannot fail powerfully to stimulate the study of such questions from a Christian point of view or to throw much light on methods by which the various branches of the church of Christ can best co-operate in applying his teachings to the entire life of every community. Thus co-operation through local alliances will afford a method of developing methods.

II. Again, through the local alliance all evangelical Christians can co-operate in reaching the entire population with the gospel.

There are multitudes in our churches to-day who, so far as any aggressive Christian work is concerned, undertake nothing in particular, and succeed in doing it. This inactivity, however, is not always due to indifference. Not a few are interested and would gladly serve, but know not what or how to do. They are like the idlers of the market-place, spoken of in the parable. It does not appear that they were lazy or indifferent; but in answer to the question, "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" they replied, "Because no man hath hired us." Most people lack initiative. Whether in mechanical industries, or in commerce or art or war or government, it is the few who plan and the many who execute, the few who lead and the many who are led; and as long as human nature remains what it is, this must be true in Christian work as elsewhere. Our church members lack leadership. If work were apportioned and responsibility individualized, it would be accepted. There is abundant latent power in our churches to reach the non-church going population. Let the local alliances organize this power, and make it active to that end. The method of organization for such work is given in detail in a pamphlet which the Alliance will gladly furnish on application. It describes the methods successfully employed in Oswego, N. Y., and was written by Dr. Russell, of that city, who will follow me with an object-lesson, showing the happy working of the system in that community. The narrow limits of this paper permit only a condensed statement of these methods.

The local alliance, in undertaking systematic work in behalf of the non-church-going population, will need an accurate knowledge of facts. How many people are there in the town or township not effectively reached by the churches? How many attend church. only occasionally or not at all? What is the church preference of non-attendants? How many children are there not in Sabbathschool? How many are Roman Catholics? How many families are needy? How many persons are out of employment? How many sick? The number of saloons, houses of ill-repute and gambling-places?

women.

In order to gain this information and follow it up systematically, let the local alliance appoint from each church efficient laymen—– one for every hundred members, more or less-who shall direct the work. Let the pastors and these laymen select from their own church ten visitors for each director. Most of them ought to be Divide the community into as many districts as there are directors or supervisors, equalizing the work as nearly as possible. Divide each district into ten sub-districts and assign a visitor to each. It will be found generally on this system that each sub-district averages about ten non-church-going families; though in our great. cities the number will be larger. In such cases it would be well to increase the number of visitors. After the first canvass has shown just where the non-church-goers are and how many they are, the work will be more equitably divided by re-districting; after which each visitor should retain the same sub-district for the year, in order that they may each become really acquainted with the peo-, ple upon whom they call.

Before the canvass is begun, all the visitors meet the directors and pastors for instructions and prayer. When brought thoroughly into the spirit of the movement, made familiar with their duties and supplied with uniform blanks, they enter upon their work; which will not be found so great but that each visitor can call on his entire charge monthly.

The canvass will reveal non-church-goers, not a few, who are members of churches elsewhere, but who have failed to transfer their membership and have become negligent of Christian duty. Some who rarely or never attend church will express a preference for some minister or denomination. Each pastor is informed of his own and charged with the duty of finding them. Those who express no preference are cordially invited, in the name of all the

churches, to attend the nearest place of worship. If the first invitation is declined, perhaps the twelfth will be accepted.

Each visitor reports to his director, and the board of directors tabulate their facts at regular meetings. This board serves as a sort of clearing-house between the co-operating churches.

The visitors have a monthly meeting, in which they exchange experiences with mutual profit. Public meetings, at stated times, sustain the interest of the churches in the work and ensure their sympathy.

The methods thus hurriedly outlined have proved entirely successful with a population as small as nine thousand, and with one as large as twenty-six thousand. It is believed they would prove equally applicable to a village, and, with certain modifications, to the largest city. In the latter case, it is suggested that there be formed a city alliance, which shall be auxiliary to the national organization. Let the city alliance form various branches in different districts of the city; and the churches of one district, containing a population of twenty-five or perhaps fifty thousand, can co-operate through their local alliance, and work their district as if it were a small city by itself. The relations of these various branches to each other and to the city alliance can be easily adjusted.

Nothing suggested is rigid. There is the greatest possible freedom of adaptation to the peculiar conditions of different communities. Experience will improve on methods, and free intercourse will soon afford each branch the advantages of the best.

We recognize obstacles. There are difficulties to be overcome. But then, duty is often difficult; it is never impracticable. Such co-operation as has been sketched may require more grace than is possessed by some brother, but not more than he can get. While he is awaiting a fuller supply he will perhaps offer some objections, which we may be permitted to anticipate. It is said that "the proposed undertaking is formidable." It certainly involves work; but most things do that are worth the doing. Philadelphia has

demonstrated that such a canvass can be thoroughly made in a great city. If one in ten of our evangelica! church-membership will give a half day once a month to such work, the gospel can be carried to the home of every non-church-going family in the United States twelve times a year. It is objected that "ladies of culture cannot be induced to engage in such house-to-house visita

tion." They can be, if they have the spirit of Christ; and if they lack it, they will not be wanted. "But such work will be very expensive." On the contrary, it is found to be trifling.

It is asked, "Will not people resent such inquiries into their church habits?" Yes, to some extent, but not so as to embarrass the work. Much will depend on the good sense of the visitors. I knew a visitor who gathered the desired facts concerning more than twelve thousand people of all sorts, and in only two instances met with the slightest rebuff.

"But," it is urged, "there are too many organizations already." Since whatever concerns the intellectual, moral or spiritual welfare of the community that can be accomplished better through co-operation than by individual or denominational effort is germane to the local alliance, it will greatly simplify work and obviate the necessity of multiplied organizations.

"But are not pastors overworked already; how can they undertake additional burdens?" Yes, many pastors are being worked to death-killed, because they are trying to do their own duty and that of the church besides. And it is that for which the church pays the minister-to do the aggressive Christian work, which ought to be the business of every Christian. Every one knows that the work of the church is done by a very small minority of its membership. The great majority are under the impression that all personal Christian work may be commuted for a money consideration, that the pastor and a city missionary or two are employed to do such work in their stead. As well might a regiment of soldiers expect their colonel, with an aid-de-camp or two, to fight their battles. There are no substitutes in this war. Christian duty cannot be done vicariously.

It is this work, left undone by the many, which causes the chariot wheels of the church to drive heavily, and which is working so many ministers to their death. This new movement proposes greatly to increase the working force of the church. The membership undertakes a vast amount of personal work, now left almost wholly to the clergy. This co-operative movement will serve all the great ends for which the pastors are laboring. It at once stimulates the growth of congregations and Sabbath-schools. meets the three great prerequisites for reaching the masses; that is, it arouses a desire to reach them, it furnishes the information necessary to sustain interest, and mingles the leaven with the meal.

It increases the spirituality of the church. A large proportion of the membership cannot thus engage in systematic, personal Christian work without gaining to themselves and the church a rich blessing, and enjoying an outpouring of the Holy Spirit which has been the great need of the church in all ages. Surely the overtasked pastor is the last man who can reasonably decline to enter so helpful a movement and lead his people into it.

The co-operation should not be confined to the churches which join hands in the local alliance. When a sufficient number of local alliances have been formed in the same state, they should come together and organize a state alliance. A secretary for the same should be secured who will push the work of local and county organization. The county alliances could co-operate in finding and evangelizing the destitute neighborhoods far removed from churches. There are many such neglected localities in the country as well as the city, especially in mountain regions, north as well as south.

Plans might be wrought out by which an inter-denominational committee of the state alliance could do something, perhaps much, toward securing a wiser distribution of churches, a better economy of men and means. The introduction of railways has shifted populations. Many villages in the older states have been depleted, so that churches perhaps once necessary, or at least justifiable, are now forced to struggle for existence and fall into competition. There are often three or four feeble churches where one or two could do the work as well, and hence better. Our frontier towns likewise suffer sometimes from a congestion of churches, while other towns and large city populations of twenty, forty and even fifty thousand souls have but one Protestant church, and perhaps none at all of any kind. This is not doing the Lord's business on business principles. A comprehensive study of the whole field with reference to all the denominations at work in it, and a large-souled Christian co-operation among them, might do much to relieve both the famine in the ministry and that in home missionary society treasuries.

III. Through the local alliance can be secured the co-operation of the Christian millions of the land for the accomplishment of needed reforms, and for the defense of cherished American institutions.

Does any one doubt that the ten or twelve million members of evangelical churches in the United States could, if united in aim and methods, accomplish any moral reform within the range of