New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-10
CALyANISM AND REFORM.

/ To ne Editor Of The ~ J. Tribune.
SIR: You bear too hardly upon the Old School Pres
bvterian Church and Ca viuists generally in mputing
70 them in your paper Of Jaly indifference to the
reforms Of the age. TIE Temperance reform especial
Is. sou aver though receives the support of iudvd
uas in that denomination has not been sanctioned in
ts lsrge ecclesiastical bodies. As have no com
ments to Offer only facts you will not decline to pub
sh the following which will set your readers right in
regard to the position Of the above.named Church
! upon the most important subjects alluded 10.
Tweniy-tbrec years ago, when Temperance was far
less pOpplar than it Is now the General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church declered in The following
terms: at is now welestabllshed fact that the
common of strong drink horeUer moderate, has
been fatal SOA-dcSr0glng bdrrier against tue IN
" fuencc of the GOsEel. Consequently wherever to-
" tai abstinence is pracced powerful instrument OF
resisting the Holy Spirit is removed, and q new ave.
nue. of acccss If made TO the hearts of opened
to the power OF truth They then call upon pro-
Tossing Christians 20 remove the accursed thing
" from tie camp OF the Lord and TO abandon - the
" belcful example Of tasns the drRnkard' poison
while tLcy testify earlesli! against 80 the saeT"egio
traffic.
The synod of Albany, in reminding the churches
under tier care OF the sentiments Of the Assembly as
above quoted. declared that ia their judgment the
traffic in ardent spilit "a drink Is an immortality
90 and ought to be viewed as such throughout the
world" and the Prtsbvicry of New-NOr at their
meeting the same year said that in their opinion II
il 4 e duty Of ali men, aud especially OF those who
lroiess the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ entirely
to abstain from tie of ardent spirit as drink
" AID from traffic IN II as such;' AMI ordered that
this opinion be communicated 10 their churches.
Il would be easy TO multiply examples OF this sort;
hat | pass on TO allude TO two OF recent date
The 20. 5 Presbyterian Synod of New-Jersey en-
bracing 10 ministers and about as many churches
Uasscd at its meeting year before last, aud renewed
last year citb0w a dissenting voice each tune, the
following resolution on Temperance:
-. -, -
Tempersnce find difficult express Ia words tae
convictions o tude and import anee whether viewed In
he void and il. hrs claims upon the fren umsnfy and
reon They therefore comm nd Snew = The prayers aud
while they lose sht Ct the fact thA; the Gope
wisely Gihfuy preached accompanied BY the agency
OF he Holy spirit Is he & and Instruments y appointed Of
for the moral renovation OF the void they DO rejoice most
sincere in the Interest the enins in the minds Of
The eope in it, relations the suppression 4 eEms sld the
standardization q justice and In the efforts which are being made
sh, legislation in the prohibition Of the trAhe N H.
tcxics'ipg drinks IS beverage"
The General Assembly OF the Presbyterian Church
which met at Nashville in May last, in us narrative
or address TO the churches says;
The cause of Temperate is the cause OF tho ph-
lanthropst and the Christian and 1t IL with the high
est degree OF satisfaction thar the General Assembly
has received the intelligence brought from me def
ent portions of our Church. only tee PresbyTeS out
of the 1867 deSfgndfc the cause as refr0gTlde among
ntn In almost ell Others II Is spoken OF as steadily
and safely advancing. In States where laws have
been passed TO regulate or suppress the trHc IN lntoN
Getting drinks ts course Is onward through the agency
OF these enactments and where no sucn AUXILIARY Is
formed the blessing OF Heaven attends the efforts of
those WHO labor by moral suasion to promoe the pres
eni and eternal welfare of man. $50
As 10 tie removal OF slavery the latest published
evidence upon the efforts of the Presbyterian Church
In tbs, direction viii be found in your paper oil to-day
on the next page 10 that which conislus your structures
mon tina. Church for It's connection with Slavery On
that page in tie report OF the proceedings OF the Mas
schuseifs Association. this paragraph appeas;
The Rev. Nr. Sa,iae, who had represented tne
body al the late Assembly IN Tennessee made frank
and faithful rerrcsentation Of the feeling OF the Masss
chuseits Ministers on the subject of slavery. IL was
well received and he felt convinced that all al me
South desired the abolition OF slavery, dufenng IRON
"a ONLY in the Iaesns to be adopted for it, extermna
ticn He for one did Lot feel dfposed to GisapproVe
81 ceusurc the lresbycEan brethren for their acton
The opinions expressed brought forth response from
the Moderator OF correspondence OF feelings: IKE
ports of their ELECTS and their results forced on M the
conviction that the spirit OF God is working among
them
How is il in regard &, those great practicable re
forms OF past ages TO which those free their
Liberties and hspI ines The frsf act OF the General
Assembly OF the Presbytc.ian Church in the United
States at its formation address 10 Washington,
who had lust been elected President the arst Execu-
tive Of Republican Liberty in America. The Calvin
isiic Churches Of America were the sieadiast e is
Of liberty in our Revolutionary struggle, while unfor-
tgn6tely happens that certain denominations whose
faith is OF different type threw themsey YES too far Into
The opposite scale at that important crisis.
Your readers have not forgotten Bsncrofts famous
tribute 10 Calyinsm the seed bed o! consulutonei
liberty and Of philanthropy 10 be found IN ms fourth
volume and quoted in THE TRIpUSE for the week
tsding March a. 1882 Bot why speak Of this, or oil
your remark in another place, that Cslvinists the
world over generally RepuAtodss or OF such te-ti'
nony 10 Gavin Republican ~ the; Of Bshop