Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-10-15


The Evangelical AIli,nco is old except
ia name. The unity Of the true Church
has always existed under divcrsities Of ad.
mini,,rations. All true believers are allied
in Christ, and when any section or party Of
the so.clllcd Church sets up an exclusive
claim to be the Church, it only thereby
separates itself from the communion Of the
saints. The branch cuts itself from the
rec and is only dead wood after that.
Hence the Evangelical Alliance # a novelty
only in its name The idea or principle
which uulcrlios 10, however, took an organic
form in 1Si6, when thousand Of the most
noble and learned Christians Of various
nations and denominations, met in London
and consolidated into a cordial, visible and
effective union Il was combination Of
all Christians who accept the authority Of
the Divine word aud believe in the efficacy
Of the atoning blood Of the Son Of God.
Il embraced members from all Protestant
denominations and all others who could
come with them on the basis of the great
evangelical principles held in common by
them, aud we're disposed to ignore minor,
uno.sontial and formal differences II
brings forth tho idea Of the unity Of the
Christian Church as an entirely different
thing from its uniformity, and absolutely
independent Of it, 1t is union OF men
who agree in fifth and differ in forms. II
existsiulcreodou,ly Of all distinctions which
separate the followers OF Christ into ma.
iional churches or into various denomna-
tious Such is the idea Of the Evangelical
Alliance. It isa sort Of type or symbol Of
the unity which will exist in the heavenly
world when all the children Of common
Father, whatever their national or occlesi.
asiical, or personal differences, will be per.
fcctly Joined together 10 the fellowship Of
Inc kingdom Of God IL is a magnificent
idea, aud belongs to the heavens aud not to
the earth, aud will be carried on, perfectly by
and by.
The leading men who compose this Ali
anco are the most eminent Christian schol
ars, laymen and ministers of the Protestant
world They are the leaders Of thought il
the various countries from which they come
They belong to almost every country. India
sends delegates from its Brahmin caste
China aud Japan Turkey, Persia and
Africa Greece, Italy and Russia Ger
many, Austria, Switzerland, France, Nor
way, Denmark Sweden, England, Scotland
ireland and America, contribute their mos
illustrious men. In the annals Of the re-
ligious world there has been no Council OF
Conference ikeit. The 4 .umenical Couuci
represented the principle Of Exclusiveisn
and Separation this represents the princi
pie Of the Unity aud Catholicity Of the
Church of Christ The former brought to.
rcther men Of allcountries who were welded
with an ecclesiastical solder, and consolid-
ated them still more effectively on the prin.
ciple Of mechanical uniformity; narrowed
their sympathics to their own caste and
drew the hide still more closely and com.
ractly around the body. The latter brought
together men Of all countries aud classes
who were agreed on the common salvation
of men through the grace Of Jesus Christ.
aud has emancipated their sympathies and
purposes moro perfectly, and given them
the wide, all embracing reach Of Catholic,
Christian sympathy, and now sends them
forth again 70 declare more effectively the
mi hty, all comprehensive, universal love Of
Jesus. The men Of both councils were
scholars and able leaders and brilliant de.
baters, Bat the one came to lay its trib-
utes at the feet Of a man the other came
10 put the crown on tho head Of the Son Of
God. The one declared its bond to be the
inialliblity Of a mortal the other declared
its bond to be the immortal Love Of the
lunnite God through his Blessed Son. The
one riyeled the letters of system with
new bolts aud bars; the other revealed the
superiority Of Love to all systems, and the
true, Catholic bond of all Christian unity.
The discussions and essays have been cl-
oqueut, forciblc, admirable They have
gone over the wide range of faith, morals
and life. They have been the weightiesr
uttcrances of the wiscst men. They have
heen spoken and read in the English Ian.
guage. The E,umenical debates were car
ried on in ecclesiastical Latin No one uu-
derstood them Those to whom they were
addressed did not know to what they we're
listening. National peculiarities of accent
aud pronunciation made the speakers unin-
telligible to their various associates. But
here Brahmin, Russian, German, Italian,
French, Greek and japanese all speak in
the English tongue. Once in a while they
would sing some Coronation hymn to Christ,
each in his own tongue, and then the
miracle of Pen,ecost would be reversed
aud all languages would come and blend in
The English The Latin language once
ruled in the world, but its day has gone
by, aud now the English tongue advances
to the lead Of the nations. The Latin is a
shrine. The English is the living creature
Of the prophets vision.
The result Of this meeting Of the Alliance
must be wide and lasting 1t will give the
'ausc of Evangelical unity great impetus
The full report Of its proceedings will not
be cntombed in any Protestant Vatican, but
will be trumpoted abroad through the
world. The forces of truth are haruessed
10 the press. The lightning has become
The messenger Of God, and goes on the
arrands Of His reiceming work Truth
loves the light, aud it is light Millions Of
copies of the speeches of its members will
be distributed everywhere. 1t is impossi.
bio that so much noble, Catholic, Christian
ntlerance should fail Of glorious results.
The very assembly itself is living illus.
tration Of the true unity Of the Christian
church Of the essential idea Of Christi.
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