New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-25
THE PROTESTANT COUNCIL.
ITS CHARACTER AND OBJECTs-wHAT III WILL
DO AND WHEN 1T WILL BE DONE

made ON the part OF some people because Gen Grant ana
other officials have expressed their appreciation Oh ne
proposed General Conference OF Chstans' 10 DC eu "
this city in September under the auspices OF the Evan
gacal Alliance will appear more absurd when brief
abatement OF the actual facts has been made Inc
States of Europe with few exceptions, each have an es
tabshed religion OF which the Sovereign usually the
head Tn some OF these States 70 the eminent scholars
and beologians resident in which invitations had been
sent TO participate in the approaching Conference oeo
ton was raised that the movement had no official sane
ton and could not therefore, meet with success Euro
means even the most intelligent of them while they are
fly conyersant with general principle OF religious
toeraon cling TO the essentially foreign idea that the
State must he bound TO some distinctive ecclesiastical
FORM as in England and that in movement OF the mag
nude of the Conference proposed the Sovereign sane
ton at least must be first secured 1t was to meet this
obstinate objection that the Alliance procured the dOcu
ment which has given much umbrage.
But the original of that paper signed merely ny
three distinguished American citizens-U. 5. Grant,
Schuyler Colfax and Hamilton Fish. Neither of them
signed the paper in any official capacity or affixed any
title or official designation to his signature. The desig
nations Of the official positions held by the gentlemen
were added after the paper left this country and poba
bly, were so added merely TO indicate who the sgners
were rather than give the document an official oharac-
ter 1t may be added in this connection that the Hon.
SCHUYLER Coax is one Of the VicePesdents OF the ALI
ance The tmeiness of this paper was Immediately APP
parent. IL not unth ns puDllcdllon III I-hSlahu
that any general and decisive action was taken in
that country looking active cooperation in the move
ment but so soon the Endorsement Of these eminent
Americans was shown steps taken there which
have resulted in the promise of the attendance OF very
large and influential delegation, embracing prominent
members OF the Church Of England well "a OF the prln
cipal dissenting churches of the realm. The Alliance
recently received letter announcing that the Queen Is
deeply interested in the proposed Conference, and VIII
early make manifest her sympathy with the movement
bya proclamation commencing il to the attention OF her
subjects This active interest of Her Majesty has been
induced through the efforts of the Duchess of sutherland
whose noble impulses have been thoroughly enlisted in
the work.
The result Of this active cooperation in England is al
ready apparent The Alliance has thus far been promised
papers on particular topics the Rev. d. Marston
Of Manchester the Rev James Davis Secretary OF the
English branch of the Alliance; the Rev DR.. StOughton
OF London the Rev. DR.. Cairns Of Berwick; Charles
Reed, esG NJ. p the Hon. G.. II. Davis, Ill. d. Secre-
try of the London Religious Tract Society the Rev Dr.
stearne of London OF the founders of the Evangelical
Alliance the Rev. John Muens, ID. d., Secretary OF the
London Missionary Society the venerable Earl of shaftes
bury; the Very Rev Henry Afford d. d. Dean OF Canter
bury and Of the most brilliant scholars OF England
and others whose do not now recur to the writer
Similar gratifying responses have been received from
nearly every country of Europe including France Por-
tugal Spain, Italy Prussia, Austria, Holland, Belgium,
Sweden Russia Switzerland and also from Syria, the
Dominion OF Canada, and, in fact, nom every nation
where the Protestant religion has fOOthold The ndl-
cations at this early day give promise OF an attend
ance Of probably 1900 accredited delegates repre-
senting every branch Of the Evangelical Protest
ant Church throughout the world and including
some Of the most eminent writer's and thinkers
OF the age. II will certainly be most august ana i'm
posing assemblage Of which this metropolitan city VIII
have abundant occasion to feel proud. II will truly be
an Gcumcnical Council OF the Protestant Church, the
fFItpfaf finn iYnl
together this continent if not in the world and the
largest and influential Christian Council ever CON
vened. except the present Council of the Vatican.
But this grand assemblage will come together with no
prctense of ecclesiastical authority and with claim to
nfalbity in its utterances 1t will attempt TO bind no
conscences 10 utter no domas to enunciate no creed
Its purpose is hostility to form OF Christianity II
will in the broad and liberal sense that the
first great Council of The Apostles. who met we are told
with the elders together to consider OF this mat
ter" The inspired writer tells rs Of that council
that there had arisen disscn,ion in the church at
that early day TO heal which the Apostles and
Elders met in council So now the Christian Church
is broken up into many seCts and denominations, the
strife among which for supremacy tends to the forgetting
of the great fundamental and essential truths on which
all are agreed The Evangelical Alliance calls together
those who hold common faith in the Divine inspiration,
authority and sufciency the Holy Scriptures; the
right and duty of private judgment in the Interpretation
doe Scriptures the doctrine of the Trinity; total de-
pIa,y; the incarnation of the son Of God, his work of
atonement sinners, and his mediaOral ntercesson
and reign justification by faith alone the work Of the
Holy spirit in the conversion and sanctifcation Of the
sinner; the Immortality OF the SOUL the resurrection Of
the body the judgment of the world by the Lord Jesus
Christ with the eternal bessedness of the righteous and
the eternal punishment OF the wicked; the Divine insji
tuition of the Christian Ministry, and the obligation and
perpctuty of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lords
supper. The Alliance, however in giving such
pf al 10
as creed to bind the conscences Of any, but merely
indicating common grounds upon which Christians Of
various denominations may meet without doing violence
their peculiar views. Therefore all profes Chris
tans who hold to these essential principals freely
operate i'm the purposes Of the Alliance, while those left
out by this criterion not necessarily aduded unwOr
thy Of Christian fellowship. The line is merely drawn in
order TO insure harmony among those participating in
the Alliance.
Thus determining the organization Of the Alliance the
next point is properly definition OF its objects and in
this will be apparent the objects Of the coming scptcm
Der Conference That there is popular misapprehcn-
sion in this respect prevalent in the public mind clearly
apparent Through unaccountabe agency the idea
has gone abroad ths the Alliance organization di
recty and purpOsey hostile to the Church OF Rome. No
thing could be further from the truth, except as the Pro
testant Episcopal Church. the Presbyterian the Method
st the Baptist the Lutheran, any other Protestant
Church Is hostile to ROmanism. The American and For
eign Christian Union one Of whose objects is TO
spread the Gospel in Roman Catholic coun-
tries, may be considered hostile TO the Rom
ish Church, but that is a distinct organization
with which the Evangelical Alliance has nothing do.
But doubtless the two organizations have been
founded in the public mind The Alliance is hostile to
Rome only In Rome ia hostile to religious free
dom and pure morality. The broad, catholic basis of the
Alliance does not admit Of the concentration OF it, iuu
enCes upon what IL esteems merely one form Of
invoking the united efforts Of Evangelical Christians to
resist The Alliance professedly seeks e. promote Evan
IA
activity; to maintain and exhibit the essential unity of
the Church OF Christ to cOuneract the influence Of in