Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-08-11
AMERICAN DIvTNES AT EDIN-
ROFgO'.


the Pan-Pre5byterian Convention
setting at Edinsboro'. As eminent
divines of the Presbyterian church
in America these gentleman need
no commentator from US and we
are gratified at the opportunity af-
forded to a European audience of
approaching their talents:
PREsBYTERIANIsM IN RELATION TO
THE WANTS AND TENDENCIES OF
THE DAY.
DR.. A. A. HOge, whose name
was on the programme for the next
paper. entitled {. PresbyterianiSm in
Relation to the Wants and Tendon
cies of the Day." said he felt that
the conception he had formed of the
subject entrusted to him was unfor-
tunate. When he was informed
of it he was at a great distance from
home. and didnOt know that he was
to follow a gentleman who would
discuss the essential principles OF
Presibyterism. Proceeding to refer
to the subject, he said it was evident
that this formula embraced two dis
tinct subjects, each Of which might
leritimately claim the attention of
the present COuncil-D How and
with what specific readjustments is
Presbvterianism as a concrete form
Ofecclesiastical organization adapted
to the great work OF evangeliZing
the world under the conditions of
modern society? and (2) what is the
significance and importance OF the
great principles embodied in hlstorl-
cal PresbyterianiSm in their bearing
upon the moral aad social and pOlIt-
ical interests of men under the pecu-
liar conditions of modern society?
He proposed to cOnfine himselftO the
consideration of the second question,
and consequently would attempt a
brief statement-D OF the princi-
pies which constitute the essence Of
Presbyterianism; ~ of those gen
cral characteristics of modern society
which determine its relation to
Christianity, and the influence of
the present stage of transition upon
the future moral and religious desti-
nv of the race; and (3) of the vital
importance of Presbyterian princi-
pies to the welfare of human society
under its modern conditions. IN
der the first head, lie said that Pres
byterianism was a form of Christian
ity distinguished by the special en-
phasis of certain great theological
principles which were historically
embodied in an appropriate form of
ecclesiastical organization. These
principles were the characteristic
elements of the Calvinistic or Re
formed theology, which might be
thus briefly stated ID As to God
and (2) As to man. The family, the
State. and the Church were divine
institutions, all equally constituted
and legislated for in the inspired
Word, and all alike designed as in
strumentalitieS for the upbuilding of
the mediatOrial kingdom Of Christ.
These general theological principles
necessarily embodied themselves in
an appropriate form of ecclesiastical
organization, and also determined
the moral and religious relations of
all forms Of human association. The
principles of Church organization,
which when taken together cOnsti-
tuted organic PreSbyterianiSm,W were
Cd the highest permanent offices Of
the Church were Presbyters, whose
functions were limited to teaching
and ruling. The Pope was excluded
because Christ ever lived, and apOs-
tOlical prelateS were excluded be-
cause inspiration and the authority
consequent upon it had ceased to
exist; % that Christ had commit
ted all Church power not to any
class, but to the body of the Church,
which power the Church was to
exercise, not as a disOrganiZed mass,
but through regular officers as
suciated in regularly constituted
courts composed of PresbyteTs
and elders the " representatives of
the peoples" (3) the whole Church
was one, each part subject to the
whole, and the administrative au-
thOrity of the whole executed over
each part through the constitutional
courts. These practical principles
emphasized equally liberty and or
der. 1t was an historical fact ac-
lnOWledged by such impartial wit
ucsSeS as Sir James NJ IntOSh, E'rOude
and Bancroft, that these Presbyte-
rian principles reVOlutOniZed west
Crn Europe and her populations, and
inauguTated modern history. As TO
their influence upon civil as well as
religious liberty and upon national
education, it was only necessary to
cite the past Reformation history of
Geneva and Holland, Of the Hugue-
nGtS of France, the PuritanS Of Eng
land, the Presbyterians Of Scotland,
and the founders of the American
Republic, where, for the first two
hundred years Of his history, almost
every college and school was built
and sustained by CalVanists, and
where the federal constitution, pro-
viding for local self-gOVernment
with national union, was evidently
an historical growth from the same
root which bore the ecclesiastical
constitution elaborated by the West
minister Assembly. In the Origi-
nal conflict these principles were
brought into anta9ORiSm with abSO-
yutism both in Church and State.
Though ut the sacrifice of countless
martyrs. they broke the power of
the hierarchy, and conquered liberty
i'm the sphere of religious faith and
later in that of civil and political
life. In modern times triangular
contest bad been inaugurated be-
tween Presbyterian principles of hui
man equality, subject to Divine
sovereignty, and Of liberty under
the supremacy of the written Word
AT the apex, and the ancient foe of
absolutism and the modern foe Of
Iicence ut the opposite angles. While
the victory had been finally won
against abSOlutism in the sphere Of
civil government, the conflict had
become all the more direct and in
tense i'm the sphere of religion and
the Church. The Word Of God, as
the supreme rule of faith and duty,
had been rendered obsolete by the
Papacy, which had been erected into
IN everything organ of in-fallible
knowledge and authority. State as
well rs Church, family and school,
the bosOms Of the living and the
graves of the dead, lay subject at
the feet of this absolute deSpOtiSm.
The pre-eminent characteristic of
modern times was the tendency to
carry the reaction against authority
inaugurated ut the Reformation TO
the destructive extreme of licence.
The instruction of reason against
traditional superstitiOns, and the
usurped authority of the hierarchy,
had been succeeded by the illGgiti-