, 1859-10-08

We AnppeHcup fortunately, 10 be present NJ
Epiphany, Church, yesterday morning, and we're
Interested much beyond our expectetions. Some
time since, it appears. that q number Of our
prominent clergynlen Of different denominations
signed q paper, which was published in all the
religious and some Of the daily journals, tile
bearing Of which was .that they were deeply
concerned at the divisions a11ohg Christians.
They proposed that there should be q concert
Of prayer for Catholic unity, on the first Monday
in October.
The Kev. J. ". Cracraft offered the Eplphnny
Church, Fifteenth aud Chestnut streets, for
meeting OF ministers at nine o'clock. When
we arrived at the church, at perhaps twenty
minutes after nine, we found ii crowded in al
most every part with an audience Of ladies' and
gentlemen. This. Of itself, at so early an hour,
CIT week day, was exciting. Looking around
we saw everywhere ciergy1nen OF all denom!ua-
tions, aud We have been told that one hundred
aud fifty were present. Mr. Cracratt presid%l,
IL afoa1 IL bs f. Rss g. S
man, Of the Presbyterian Church, TO- 81 opened
the meeting with prayer. Mr- Cracruft read
from the Scriptures. He then read u letter from
Bishop Ac1isaine, Of Ohio, cordially approving
the object Of the meeting
ion College, Sehenectady, New York, # tho
Presbyterian Church, (O1d SCHOOL,, then rose,
with some assistance from Dr.. jenkins and DR..
Dutfeld, Of Detrolt-an exceedingly venerable
figure, with snow white hair-and leaning on
his staff, for he feels the weight of four score
years, be addressed to the assemblage few
words breathing tile spirit of Christian Uu,on.
The chairman then called upon the venerable
Dr.. Humphrey, Of the Congregational Church,
late President Of Amherst College, Massachu.
se.ts, who responded in a similar strain, marked
with much 1nodesty as well as Christian fervor.
The Ter. W. h. Stevens, D. D., Of the Epis-
copal Church, who, Us we understood from his
YnfnOtEx frlffx.H fft4 Nttr7naf han rI
dressed the meeting, stating that he had not im-
agined, when he wrote it in his study, that such
consequences we're to grow out Of 80 simple and
unobtruslve movement. He was followed by
the Rev. Albert Barnes, one of the signers Of
the paper. who c.rried forward the meeting in
the eau.e spirit. Prayer md singing were inter-
spersed ut intervals. Dr.. jenkins, Of the Car
airy Church, PFesbyterian n. 81 made very
earnest speech ns to tue necessity of the mani
festatiou of the Unity which really exists among
Christians, stating among other things thai
there is cure for all existing divisions.
The most interesting incident Of the meeting
occurred at this point, an incident 80 far as we
know, unparalleled in the history Of Protestant.
ism. Dr.. Neyin, Of the P1esbyteriau Church,
70. 81 rose and stated that the Apostles Greed
was one Of tue symbols Of his branch Of the
church, and it might be Of ali the churches re-
presented, md proposed that NE. cracraft
should repeat it as the creed Of the meeting. ali
standing md joining in it. Instantly every in
diyidual Of the vast assembly srrans to his feet.
The chairman began: ~ believe in God, the
Father Almighty, maker Of Heaven and Earth" "
Every voice joined him Nearly two thousand
peoplle-;7Erissopallans, lpresb5terianss. Old and
formed. German Returned, Daptists, 1fetbo-
di1ts, Lutheraus, 3forayians, Congregational
ists, 1ndependents-all repeated with tho sim
plicity Of children this grand old formula which
has come down to us on the stream Of ages-"I
believe in God, the Father, Almighty Even
calm spectator, not easily excited, nnl stand
could not but be mored. As the "Apostless
Creed" 70 called, is the emily uninspired sum.
mary Of Christian doctrine in which oil these
churches belierc, it seemed like an Act OF Union
Of the Church Universal. It brought startling
| ly, und judging from the appearance of the con-
idea much lost sight OF, that in all tint is es-
sential these Christians cut up into what are
coIled xects, are in fact one.
Addresses aud prayers followed from Rev.
DR.. Newton Of the Episcopai Church, ths rem
cradle Mr. kennarl Of the Baptist Church, Nr.
! lor Of tue Reformed Dutch. Mr. Goodman made
\ the excellent remark that the points IN which
ErauSelical Churches agree are facts, while
those on which they differ nre, for the most
| part, theories; and the latter n,ade a touching
atlusion to tue funeral Of the Rev. Dudley 4.
The last speaker was Mr. Wilder, q miss;onry
from India, who dwell upon the interest which
would bc taken in this scene By the missionaries
oil over the world. The large assembly was then
dismissed with the benediction pronounced By
the Rev. John Chambers, tue meeting, instead
CT lasting an hour, having been prolonged to
nearly two hours aud half.
i meeting, in pursuance Of the same circular,
was l,e|d at 1ayne's Hall, ut r. II. at this eli
were invited to take part, tile meeting 10 the
morning being specially for ciergymen,, though
noon meeting was immense. II can only be
numbered BY thousands. The aoor, platform,
boxes, galleries. were nearly everywhere filled
with peuple. The exercises, in their general
tone, we're similar to those in the morning.
These meetings may affect our READERS vari-
ously; but no one can help being struck with
tLeln as indicative Of general aud remarkable
n,'.":nent connected with the progress Of Chris
tianity.