New-York tribune., 1877-06-01
uOPR CONVENTIONS.

The air of May appears 10 be as necessary to
The qaicl,cning of religions debate as to the
early crops. Scarcely had our Baptist Pres
bvterian. and McthOdi.t brethren dismissed
their annual conferences than half n dozen
other powerful religious bodies rushed into
council. No matter how diverse their beliefs,
their aims in meeting are pretty much the
same: 10 number their tribes, take account of
their income and outgoings, and to lay new
nlans Of charity or prOse,ytism. 4 secular OBJ
server, standing back impartially from all, can
readily see how the aim OF each one Is to
better the world, and he can see too how, in
spite OF petty wranglinG5 among them and
minor mistakes in practice, the world Is prac-
tirally helped by these sincere efforts, ls'berter
taught better fed, made more honest clcanly,
modest, and deyout. IL seems to him almost
ludicrous to see the-e different servants of The
same Master I'LL intent on making ready HIS
possessions against the time Of His coming, and
ewing cacIf other with soar aud glum faces,
sometimes not intcrchanging a kindly word
though they stand shoulder to shoulder all day.
However, the times are growing better even in
this respect. Christians begin 20 understand
what Christianity Is.
Chief among the conventions are those of
the Unitarian Association and CONGREGATIONAL
lists both meeting in Boston, and with per
hapS as little official goodwill toward each
other in that latitude as any religious bodies,
although in certain parts of Great Britain the
churches are almost identical, certain Pres
hterian colleges cducatngboth Independent and
Unitarian ministers. There is always gTudge
between a father and the son who runs away
from home, which may explain the disaffecton
between tie sects in this country. 1t would
be difficult for an outsider to determine
whether parent or child now exercises the
more beneficial influence on the literature,
leainiug. or domestic life of the Northern
States.
The American Israelites also are holding a
convention in this city, and have made an
earnest attempt 10 ascertain the number OF
their forces. The result mas already been given
to our readers. Ii is peculiar in this respect,
that the Hebrew Church Is probably the only re-
ligous body in the country which gains nothing
by propagandism, and, indeed, we might add,
loses nothing, the conversions from it to Chris
.ianity, in spite of all efforts, remaini~g so few
in number as not 30 be worth including in
church statistics. The whole number of Israel
ties IN lillS country j. lepolleu rs Only ABOUT
a quarter Of a million, although here they
have an absolute political liberty and social
rank attanabe in no other country in the
world To Turkish and German provinces,
where they are either prosecuted or admitted
on su1crance, they have crowded in far larger
numbers. The American Hebrews, as viii he
seen, attempted anxiously to effect some change
in the condition of their brethren in Roumania,
going to work in the shrewd, busineSs-like
way which characterizes all their movements.
The same practical tone and absence of verbiage
mark all their deliberations as well as their
newspapers and the work OF their charitable
associations. 1t is certainly not among these
direct, quiet business men that we need look
for the novelist's idea of rantng modern
prophet or priggsh Deronda.