The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-10-06

THE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE = Friday
morning there convened in New York the most
remarkable and important religious council
which has ever held session on this continent
AN ecumenical church convention in which
nearly the whole Protestant world will be rep
resented. This is the sixth general conference
Of the Alliance, land the first one evor held on this
side of the Atlantic. Its delegates are Church
men. Presbyterians, Baptists. Episcopalians
Methodists, Lutherans, Reformers, Wesleyans
Congregationalists and Free Churchmen,
They come from the Protestants of nearly ev-
cry country in Europe, from North America
and from India. Their number is 1856. They
do not come as the representatives of any sect
or nationality, nor to discuss variations in
creed or disputed doctrinal points but to COM
bine to do more successfully as one powerful
body what many small organizations are trying
disiointedly and unsyste1natically to accom-
plish. The Alliance has no disciplinary au-
thority over its members, but is simply a gi-
garlic and voluntary association not legislative
In its functions, but met merely for the careful
and thorough discussion of religious topics
The common platform upon which its members
stand is expressed in the following summary,
which was agreed upon at its organization:
/ The divine inspiration, authority and suf-
ticiency of the Holy Scriptures
Q. The right and duty of private Judgment
in the Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
g. The unity OF the Godhead and the trinity
of the persons therein.
4. The utter depravity of human nature. in
consequence of the fall.
&. The incarnation of the Son of God. His
work of atonement for the sins of mankind,
L for oil into accior a,,1.
6. The justification of the sinner by faith
Z. The work of the Holy Spirit in the con.
version and specification of the sinner.
s. The Immortality of the soul, the resur-
rection of the body, the judgment of the world
by our Lord Jesus Christ with the eternal
blessedness of the righteous and the eternal
punishment of the wicked.
9. The divine institution of the Christian
ministry and the obligation and perpetuity of
the ordinances of baptism and the Lords Sup
per.
1t being, however, distinctly declared that
this brief summary is not to be regarded in any
formal or ecclesiastical sense as a creed or con-
fession, nor the adoption OF it as involving an
assumption of the right authoritatively to de-
fine the limits of Christian brotherhood, but
simply as an indication of the class of persons
whom it is desirable to embrace within the al
lance
The Evangelical Alliance originated in Lon
don Aug. 49, 1886, when fifty religious organi'
cations of Great Britain, Ireland, Germany,
Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey,
the United States and Canada met by deputy
at Freemason's Hall, in that city, for the pur-
pose of forming general alliance. Sir Culling
Eardley Smith was President of the Conven-
ton, which numbered 800 members. Some of
the most noted American divines were dele
gates to it. After five days of deliberation the
platform above given was laid down, and be-
fore the close of the Convention the plan of the
Evangelical Alliance was formed. Generally
stated it is this: In each Christian nation was
formed distinct organization adhering to the
principles of the Alliance. Coordinate asso-
Citations were also formed in different parts of
the world. These were, one including England,
Scotland Ireland, and Wales one in France,
one in Prussia, one in Switzerland, and one
among the missionaries in Turkey. All of them
have been, independent Of each other, laboring
for the objects of the Alliance, which have
been to promote closer union and action
among Christians. General conferences have
been held during the past twenty-five years.
The last one was held at Amsterdam in Aug
ust, 1867. There an invitation was received
from the Alliance in the United States request
ing that the next conference be held in the city
of New York. 1t was accepted, and arrange
ments finally completed for the delegates to
meet here in 1870. The Franco-German war
caused its postpenement until Oct. 2, 1873.