The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-10

solidation Of several small Presbytcrlcs into
one, and thus reduce the General Assembly
to a more convenient size.
Another question purely Of church admin
| istration is the old one Of consolidating the
| boards. There are eight OF these. One
board supcrviscs the Foreign Missions, an
| other the Domestic. while the interests Of
| Church Erection. Publication, Education,
Sustentaton Ministerial Relief. and the
| Freedmen, are each looked after by
| distinct set Of salaricd officers, and each
| has its own rather complicated system Of
| administrative machinery. 1t is argued
| with much Justice that the multiplicity OF
| boards and salaries divcrts from char
| ity n large sum Of money every
year. and that contributions for be-
ucvolcnt purposes are sadly diminished
| by the expenses Of app wing them. There is
little doubt that three boards, centrally
located and efficiently administered, would
be able to look after all the benevolent in
stitutions of the Church. Against this re-
| form, the Interested onlcchodcrs and all Of
the influence at their command will of course
be brought to bear
broader topic that will invite discussion
relates to the education of young men for
the ministry. The old practice " taking
"poor and pious" young men from the
farm and workshop and paying their col
lego and seminary bills. with view To
thrusting them into the pulpit, has many
serious disadvantages. II tends to paupcr-
ize the student. and thus to destroy that
fine sense Of manly independence which
should belong to the minister of the Gospel.
Too often the young men who are found
in college, studying "undor church
auspices have nothing but their
poverty and piety to recommend
them. and are the stupidcst men in their
class. Picty Is Indispensable. but it IL not
the only qualification demanded of those
who aspire to the clerical Office. Better have
fewer ministers and more efficient ones.
| There is still lesson in the principle Of So
lection applied by the ironical father, who
chose the brightest and shrcwdcst Of his
three sons for lawyer the bravcst and
most fearless for physician. and the most
backward and stupid for a preacher.
II the young clcrgymcn who gain liberal
| education through dcnominn tiunal charity
| always held themselves in readiness to 40
| wherever denominational work was needed,
| there might be something said for this sys-
tenn Of ministerial education. There is n
| demand for preachers in China, India,
Africa, and Japan, but we fear that the ears
Of the educated beneiiciaries of the Church
are not often open to calls from those quar-
tiers. Meanwhile. at home, there are hun
drcds Of Presbyterian clcrgymen without
charge and waiting FOR call, many Of them
men II talent and experience. and who owe
nothing of their education 10 the charity of
| the Church.
1t would be pleasant to see in the coming
session Of the General Assembly the pros
poet of a reconciliation between the Presby-
tcrians Of the North and their southern
brethren Blu. the breach Is wider now than
it was three years ago. All attempts up to
this time to effect an organic union have
sgnally failed. and it Is hard TO understand
the spirit that steadiastly chcrishcs the
rancor of past days and still keeps apart the
two branches of this great Christian Church.
When the southern States seeded from
the Onion the Presbyterian churches of
the South seeded from the General ASSEM-
bly, and organized body which has re-
manned separate to this day like scccs-
sion took place in the Methodist Church, but
| in that denomination many friendly confer
! ences have strengthened the probability Of
/ u SltfdA ltullous ~ -hfAAbNA7A VI SsiliAAtt-
tion is wonderfully elastic in yielding to
the demands of its members. Among the
Presbyterian churches there are, unlur-
tunatcly, no signs Of a concliatory DISPOSE
tion on either side OF the shasm. The South
ern Presbyterians maintain that their North
crn brethren in the faith are not willing to
concede enough. The Prcsbytcrians Of the
North complain that they are called
upon TO do more than their share of
conccding; that the General Assembly is
asked TO repudiate and nulify all its de-
livcranccs in regard to the course of the
| Confederate Government. and declare that
| il never can and never will accele 10 50 hui
| initiating condition.
With the merits Of this unhappy dispute
We are not familiar 1t seems plain to Us
that if armies AM state Governments
which recently We're lighting each other to
the death have been able to come together
and live in harmony under the same flag
and the same political system, there ought to
be common ground ON which Christians Of
the same school of faith can meet to pray
| In company. II does not seem appropriate
that the different branches Of the same
| Church Of CHRIST should be forever irrecOn-
cilabc.
The alienation that separated the breth-
rem of the New School from the brethren
Of the Old School in 1888 was far more scri-
Gus than this; for now nothing divides the
Northern and southern Presbytcrlans but
the memory Of political differences. The
New School and the Old School lived apart
for more than thirty years. We commend
to the brethren who are to meet in Pitts
burgh next Thursday, the fact that they
will assemble in the very church whore.
nine years ago, the reunion between the Old
School and the New School was planned and
cousummatcd.
Hayes as Il PROTECTOR.