The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-01
The Union OF Churches Against the As
saints Of Scientific Men.

saults Of Scientific Men.
Tho Presbyterian General Assembly that
recently adjourned at Saratoga was the rep
resentative Of the most powerful religious
denomination in the Northern States. Tho
branch Of the same Church in the South,
whose General Assembly met at Louisville
Is not quite so large in proportion to the en-
tire population Of those States. Ncvcrthc-
less. II we include all the ofrshoots of Pres
byterianism. 1t may be regarded rs the
most learned. wealthy, and influential Chris
tlan communion in this country
1t is interesting. therefore. to everybody
10 consider what the two great representa-
tive bodies Of this powerful class Of religion
lists find to do at their annual meetings.
1t is worthy of notice that neither Of the
Assemblies had before it a single case Of
heresy. Forty years ago, when the Church
was one body, it was convulscd TO its centre
and finally rent asunder by controversies
between the Old and the New School. con-
corning interpretations Of the Westminster
Confession Of Faith. Charges Of heresy for
indulgng in latltudinarian methods Of ex-
planning certain Calvnistic doctrines were
brought against ALBERT BARNEs, LY-
MAN BEECHER and other eminent divincs,
and pushed TO such extremes as to break
the Church in twain. The division OF 1897
was not geographically sectional, and must
not be confounded with the Subsequent sep
aration of the southern branch OF the
church from the Northern. which grew out
OF the war. In 1874 the Old and New School
Presbyterians OF the Northern States re-
united, and they constitute the body whose
General Assembly sat at Saratoga. The
- hot
distinct organization.
For many years previous 10 the disrup-
tlon OF 1897 the chief business OF the Gen
eral Assembly consisted in trying New
School ministers for hcrcsy. Though it is
plain TO all who have ears to hear that there
isnow just as much lattudnaran preaching
in the Presbyterian Church as there was in
the days OF BARNES, FINNEY, and BEMAN
yet no clergyman, North or South, is in dam
ger Of being brought to tho bar of either
Assembly unless he openly rcpudiates some
cardinal doctrine which Christians Of all
creeds treat as fundamental and vital In
deed, the mass Of Presbytcrians have come
TO the conclusion that their Church to-day
contains clergymcn who are quite as learned
and wise as JOHN CALVIN and JONI KNOX.
One OF the most striking and instructive
ItuluItS VI lHt proceedings Ut saratoga
was the gingerly way in which the Assem-
bly, handled the Roman Catholic Church.
The question Of the validity OF Catholic
baptism came up for consideration. Some
of the Presbyteries had asked the Assembly
to advise them whether, In case a person
who had been baptized by n Catholic priest
desired to join a Presbyterian Church, it
would be necessary to bnptize him again.
The Assembly rather evaded direct de-
cislon Of the main point, but after an cx-
tended debate it relegated the whole subject
70 the Church sessions, authorizing the
minister and elders OF each locality to act
upon the matter as they saw fit, The dis
cussion disclosed the fact that a large
majority OF the Assembly recognized not
only the validity Of baptism by the Catholic
clcrgy, but regarded Catholicity as a
branch OF Christianity and as an Import
ant ally in the great contest now waging
with rationalism. matcralism. and other
forms of modern skepticism
When we remember how steady and Sc
we're were the attacks Of Presbyterians only
a few years ago upon the faith and polty Of
the Roman Church, ii is astonishing to
hear such admissions from the lips Of men
who claim to be the followers Of the Gcncvan
reformer of the sixteenth century. There Is
no installing the tendency OF such utter
hnces. II in the coming hundred years
American Prcsbytcranism advances toward
American Catholicism as rapidly as In the
last hundred, tho margin that will separate
them on fundamental doctrines will hardly
be wider than that which divided the Scotch
Calyinsts from the Arminian Methodists
IN the times Of WESLEY.
What has produced these peculiar sonti-
mcnts in the Presbyterian Church They
are duo in large measure TO the unprocc-
donted assaults upon the whole fabric OF
the modern Christian religion. Forty and
nifty years ago, when Presbyterian clergy
men were dcnouncing as reprobatcs all who
bowed the knee before an upiftcd crucinx
OF picture of the Virgin on were tearing
their General Assemblies asunder over
metaphysical interpretations Of obscure
passages in the Westminster catechism,
DARWIN, HUXLEY STRAUSS, RENAN STUART
MILL, and HERBERT SPENCER had not
appeared in tho controversial arena. The
writings OF scholars and scientific men Of
this type have engendered doubts OF the