The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-30
aaaersull gHtelligeneer,
GROWTH OF paEsBYTERIANIsM.
An Interesting Sketch of the Hietory and
Progress OF the Presbyterian Church.

GROWTH OF PRESBYTERIANISM,
An Interesting Sketch of the Hietory and
Progress OF the Presbyterian Church.
The volume just published in Edin-
burgh containing. the proceedings of the
great Presbyterian council of last year
in that city furnishes much interesting
data by which We can measure the pro-
gress of Presbyterianism and its pres
ent status in the world. We claim no
monopoly of Christianity. We heartily
rejoice in the growth and expansion of
every branch of the evangelical Protest
ant Church. We arrogate nothing for
our own denomination which it is not
Justly entitled to as a staunch witness
and defender of the filth once delivered
to the saints. But no intelligent man,
and certainly no Presbyterian, can read
this volume without seeing that Presby..
terianism is living power in the world
that its everlasting, saving influence
has gone forth among the nations and IS
felt around the entire globe.
The history Of the Presbyterian, or as
it is called in Continental Europe, the
Reformed Church, since the great re-
formation of the sixteenth century has
been an eventfnl and wonderful history.
If we reckon from its beginning at
Geneva under Calvin in 154l or from
its beginning at the formation of the
first General Assembly of Scotland under
Knox in 1860, it has now extended
through period of little more than
three centuries. To-day it is q great
family of churches scattered through all
Christian lands, and even among
heathen nations. The nnmber of sepa-
urate organizations represented at the
council. either by delegates or official
communications, was little short of fifty.
The Youngest of these, and probably the
smallest, was the newly formed Presby-
terian Church OF Norway. Some of the
lesser bodies represented were the Pres
byterian Churches of Australia, OF South
Africa, and several missionary fields.
The largest Presbyterian organization
in the world is .orr own Northern Pres
byterian Church, with Its 5000 congre.
cations, its $4,000, members, and ~
delegates at the council. The next
largest is the Presbyterian Church OF
Hungary and Transyfvania, numbering
together 2,0O7 churches, and 2,017 minis
ters. Next in order stands the Presby-
terian Churches of our country, the Es-
tablished Church of Scotland, the Pres
byterrian Church of Wales, the free
Church of Scotland, the Reformed
Church Germany of our country, Pres
byterian. Church at Canada, the Cum
berland Presbyterian Church of our
country, each having from 1000 10 1000
uinisters.or particular churches.
The number of commaning members
in all the branches of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States is, by the
tables, more than one million, with
about 5000 ordained ministers and HI
600 particular congregations. The whole
number in other lands is not fully re-
ported. It is, however, stated that there
are iu Scotland 10000 ruling elders, and
tits estimated that the number holding
that Office throughout the world cannot
be less than 100000 noble army truly
of intelligent workers for Christ and
helpers of the ministry. We trust our
faithful ruling elders, if at any time
they feel discouraged, will not forget
that they belong to- a goodly company.
Surely with 100000 elders and to say the
least 10000 ministers, our Pan-Presby..
terian Church is well differed and
equipped for the conquest of the world.
1t is stated in this volume by one of
the speakers at the council that the
Professionalism of the world now numbers
l07,OOO,OOO souls, including, of course,
the whole population, old and young,
converted and unconverted. Of this
vast number, 100000 are Presbyteri-
ans, as distinguished from other Christ
ians, and 20,500,000 are Lutherans, who
Z held essentially the same Presbyterian
doctrine of the parity of the ministry,
and are so far Presbyterian as distin-
guished alike iron, Preraltists and Pa
pists. If, therefore, we put these to-
gelher, we have the enormous aggregate
of 54,5OO,000 Protestants who stand
agreed as to all the fundamental points
Of church government and all the essen
tial doctrines of salvation. Thus the
Presbyterians, including Southern, out
QuHtQer all OtuCI IOtcSIoh1 Su,iosieSn9 a.
the world. all this progress of Protest
,antism, this growth OF Presbyterianism,
has been realized in the space of little
over three centuries, or since the three
great reformers, Luther, Calvin and
Knox, left the world.
Some high Prelatists of our day, with
far more Of Romish ritualism in their
souls than of the gospel, have pronounced
Professionalism failure, and Presby-
terianism an exploded system. If the
great reformers could come back to the
scene, OF their life toll they would have
no cause to think it failure. They
would find some things greatly changed; |;
but they would find both Professionalism
and Presbyterianism among the most
vital forces in the world. They would
find it living power at work in every
civilized land under the sun, in thou
sand missionary stations all around the
globe, in ten thousand of gospel preach
ers, and hundreds of thousands of men
and women who follow them even as
they follow Christ-IRe Interior.
A Real Romance-Truth Stranger than
r,.-kso. Hokho~So nfIap,pno