[To THZ EDITOR OF TIIH 5TIOTATOR."]
Sin,—Mr. John Owens has endeavoured in your issue of May 8th to correct some of your statements. Your editorial comment disposes of his first paragraph, which claims the reliability of the Nonconformiststatisties. His second paragraph answers itself, in so far as he admits that for 447,897 " seats Provided by Welsh Calvinistic Methodists there are only 313,292 possible sitters, including "communicants, children, Probationers, and other worshippers." The description of the Times—" largely empty "—(of which he complains) is there- fore by no means unjustified. In his third paragraph lie repudiates the idea of endowment for the Nonconformist ministry. He dissents from the statement that the Non- conformists " have accumulated funds which make permanent Provision for the ministers of religion." Mr. Owens says : "They have done nothing of the kind. The stipends of all ministers in the different denominations are met by the annual voluntary collections made by the churches."
Perish the idea of endowment for such purposes I It is interesting to turn to the proceedings of the Con- gregational Union last week. A central fund of 2250,000 is to be established to provide a certain endowment at least for all Congregational ministers. The Daily News of May 12th (which may be trusted to make the most and the best of Nonconformist aspirations and methods) has this comment :—" The chief items, the establishment of a central fund of 2250,000 and the purposes of its expenditure, were Passed without dissent. Thus very quietly Congregationalism eaters on a new era in which the principle of endowment becomes the chief factor." The British Weekly describes the attitude of Sir Albert Spicer :—" When he first heard of the scheme, it came as a shook. It was a system of endowment; but perhaps it follows the trend of the time Endow- mantel involve dangers, but our leaders will be strong enough to deal with them." Surely, Sir, your original article contains no misapprehension of the Nonconformist argument, though it seemed to distress Mr. Owens. Nonconformity proposes to disendow the Church (so far as it can) because it disapproves of the principle of endowments. At the same moment, Non- conformity (witness the Congregational movement and recent developments among the Baptists proceeds to establish a °Yam of endowment for its ministry.—I am. Sir, Sul,
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