Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-13
4 Solemn League and COVeBant-ORe of
the Most Important and Grand.
est Movements Of the Cen.
tury-Rtc., Etc.

/ CuuICus II VIII accept ali whose creed
is evangelical and Presbyterian in form.
There will be general councils sort
OF ecclesiastical court OF supreme juris.
dictiOn-tO decide upon such questions
as may be submitted to it. The de-
cisions Of this council are not to be bind
ing upon members, but will be laid be-
fore the churches for a "prayerfuI and
careful consideration" 1t will largely
enter into the missionary work, espe-
cialiy in foreign lands ami in great cities.
1t will unite in protecting the Sabbath /;
in securing instruction in the scriptures /;
IN the suppression of intemperance; in
com batting intidelity in all forms; in de-
Velcping a plan Of systematic benefi-
| cence, and in binding Gail Protestant
churches in opposing the errors and
| inTOads Of ROmsnism." There is to be
! a preparatory meeting in London this
| year in expection of a confederation to
| be held in 1876. There could be no
| movement more interesting than this,
! the programme of which is thus sketcbed
! by DR.. M'COsh. There are, so far as we
understand, fifty different denomina-
| tions, embracing over twenty thousand
congregations, virtually representing the
| Presbyteriansyste Takingr rise in Scot
! land, this church has gone over the whole
| EDglish-speaking world, with branches
| in Holland and Switzerland. It is DOW
erful in the United States, not only IN
numbers, but in the character of its peo-
pie. 1t goes back to the old Puritans,
stern old Covenanters and Independents,
who fought the battles Of liberty in Scot
land, and whose services, apart from the
| religious aspect, can never be forgotten
so long as Engiishmen cherish these
grand memories. In America the Pres
byteriSn church proper is one of our
largest denominations. By this we
mean the Old School Presbyterian BODY,
which represents the union of the Old
snd New schools, cOnsummated in 1870.
II is so rich that last year it raised ten
millions Of dollars for missionary pur-
poses alone. The doctrinal differences
between the clergymen of the Old School
Presbyterian church and that of the
more advanced and extreme branch
known as COvenanters is very great.
1t would be almost impossible for them
to unite on any question of creed. But
as the discipline Of the churches is the
same, as they are branches of one fami-
ly, and as in nine points of doctrine out
of ten they are in harmony, there is no
reason why they should not unite. The
difference between liberal Presbyterian
of the Old School and the rigid Covenant
er who accepts the strietest tenets of
Calvanism is DO greater than the differ.
ence between the Catholic educated un-
der the influence Of the French school
and Carmelite or 8 Trappist. The Cath
Olic church, by its marvellous discip-
line, manages TO keep in its fold men
and women of widely diyerging views
upon minor questions so long as they |
accept the cardinal points OF the creed. !
The result is that no church is more lib |
eral than the Catholic, if a member is |
disposed to be liberal in his views, and |
none more rigid if he is disposed to be
devOut. The strength of the Catholic |
church lies in this one fact. The weak.
ness of the Presbyterian church has
always been that, while agreeing upon
the general facts of christianity, the
members quarrel upon minor points,
and their quarrels are disheartening
and destructive. Why, for instance,
should not the Presbyterian church be
as compact q body in America in mat
ters of discipline as the Catholics? Why
should christians Of any faith differ, but
with bitterness and anger, because one
prefers 10 sing psalm according to one
metre, while another believes that his
SOULS happiness is involved in his sing
ing it to another? We welcome, there
fore, this movement OF the Presbyterian
church to eXtingnish their; differences
and unite in a common, solid body,
for we believe that civilization will be
aided by every measure that tends to
destroy the barriers between christian
Whatever work is to
he done by christian churches should
be done haTmoniOusIy and effectively,
The progress of education and truth is
never more clearly seen than III the
extinction Of religious prejudice and
bigOtTy. We are not sanguine that
success will attend this programme of
DR.. McCOsh. He is dealing with 8 |
peculiar, firm, strong-minded, manly
people. Presbyterians have great deal
Of the rock in their composition. II he
can succeed in bringing the members of |
that stern body upon any ground of
common action, no matter how slender
Ind narrow, it will be the most i'm
Dortant step toward the siren gthening
1f faith and the development OF christian
-eligiOn that has been taken during the
present century.
chicago Tribune
Few persons outside of the theological
schools understand the formulated doc
.rines OF the Presbyterian church, and
ever still can explain the cause Of the
various divisions in the church, both in
Europe and America, in a manner that
will meet the approval OF sectaries and
iOgmatists. No religious community of
he modern world has applied more
'igidly the principles of liberty, equality
md fraternity, and none has been more
Orn by internal dissensions, than the
)ne founded by Calvin. Presbyterian |
n To ~ f,o oh /
I it doesn't suit you, and yet to inherit
eternal happiness if you are otherwise
worthy. It's practical application in the
government Of the church has produced
almost as many different kinds of Pres
]yterians as there are polite Languages.
The Free church OF Italy and the Re-
ormed church Of France are essentially
Presbyterian UnequivOcally so are the
Church, the Free church,
md the misnamed United church of
Scotland; the English Presbyterian
church, the Presbyterian church of Ire
and, the Canadian Presbyterian
church, and, in the United States, the
Northern church, the Southern church,
he United church, the Cumberland
church. and the Reformed church.
The chief Presbyterian body in
America is the one which is
known at the north as
he Presbyterian church. II en-
Jraces four thousand nine hundred and
Orty-six congregations, four thousand
i've hundred and sixty-seven ministers,
md five hundred aud sixteen thousand
children. Last year it
subscribed to various benevolent enter
1rises ten thousand dollars. It's wealth
md influence are great, giving it, per-
laps, a rank Immediately below the
Catholic and Methodist churches. This
great Presbyterian church has been
OTmed by the union Of two schools, the
I'D and the new, which We're establish ,
d in 1887, in consequence of doctrinal
md, it is said, political differences, W hich
,annot be stated now TO the satisfaction
II either party. The southern Presby-
eTian church, which seeded when the
var OF the rebellion broke out. still
maintains a sepeTste organization and