His spirit was excellent, as, with genuine humility, he expressed his wish to serve the church only until it could command the ministrations of some one of better education and more general fitness for the position. His personal experience of religion was satisfactory, as were also the testimonials to his character, and so the Council licensed him to preach, Pastor Rogers, of Macon, giving him an earnest charge to be faithful in the service of Christ. NOW. The circumstance had faded from my mind, but suddenly was remembered two days ago, when sitting in the congregation that had gathered in the chapel of Livingstone Hall, Fisk University, to listen to the examination of ten young men who presented themselves to the Central South Association for license to preach. These candidates were physically and mentally alert, active, strong. With a single exception they were under thirty years of age. Besides the ordinary helps of Concordance and Bible Dictionary, more than half of these young men in studying the Scriptures, can pick up from their study tables, Testaments in German, French, Latin and Greek, to gather the light these translations may throw upon any passage. Their theology was clear, and showed acquaintance with the best thought upon the whole range of subjects. Their Congregationalism embraced two points, independence and fellowship. The right of private judgment based upon intelligent study of the Word of God, apparently covered the ground of their church polity. They hold modern ideas regarding Christian work along the lines of missions, temperance, Sabbath-schools, White Cross Leagues, Christian Endeavor Societies, Y.M.C.A. and similar organizations. All have had experience in some of these branches of work. The Association licensed nine of them for one year, and ordained the tenth to the regular work of a minister of the Gospel. Full of hope, courage and zeal, they give promise of usefulness. The day of the corn-field and blacksmith preachers, is past. Some of them were good men. They have been exceedingly useful in holding the people together in church organizations and maintaining the forms of worship, even where gross errors were allowed. The present generation _must_ have and can have intelligent preaching from the lips of men above reproach. * * * * * THE CENTRAL SOUTH ASSOCIATION. BY REV. B.A. IMES. Another "best of all meetings" has occurred. The Union Church at Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., together with the combined population of that interesting institution, was "our host," and was most cordial in the entertainment of guests, from April 3d to 7th. Jonesboro, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Sherwood, Memphis and Nashville, Tenn., with Louisville, Ky., Sand Mountain, Florence and Athens, Ala., and Little Rock, Ark., were represented by from one to three delegates each, including pastors, except in cases of Louisville and Sand Mountain.