Hon. George S. Hale's Lecture.

The Honorable George S. Hale spoke yesterday afternoon in Divinity Chapel on "The Present Relations of the Law to Religious Organizations-Property Rights and Discipline."

Mr. Hale first gave numerous examples of the respective powers of the ecclesiastic and civil courts in deciding upon the guilt of accused members of religious bodies. He said that civil authority had enacted special commandments in relation to the holding of property for the support of some divine creed and that in all cases where appeal was made to the civil court, the civil court never held the previous decisions of the ecclesiastical court to be valid, as these bodies had organized themselves, and whatever power they exercised came only from themselves and could have no legal force.

The laws of England in this respect are similar to those in force here. Religious tribunals in England can derive no power from the crown; they must turn for authority to the law courts where all religions are held to be equal.

Mr. Hale then gave definitions of different terms relating to religion. The parish, he said, has been defined as that territory which is committed to the charge of a curate who is entrusted with the care of souls. In early times in America the town and parish were often one and the same. The parish in the South and elsewhere is often a corporation which regulates church elections.

The church is defined as a voluntary association of people united by a common creed to honor the Christian religion. It is a corporation to be kept distinctly separate from the congregation. Church societies are frequently found which perform the financial duties of the church, thus acting in unison with it. These societies are seldom incorporated, because of the religious seruples of their members against such action.

The minister is a person appointed to conduct religion and to administer its rites. A minister, if a citizen of Massachusetts, may be a corporation. In such

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