New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-23
TIE P4NPREsBY1ERIAy COUNCIL.


to-day In Philadelphia, will doubtless be he'd'
by large portion of the religious worio' W
be of as much importance and interest us 'le
coming Presidential election. 1t represents
every branch of this powerful sect, ana deie-
gates Will probably be present from every
country in the world where it has footing.
In Scotland, the birthplace OF Knox ana inc
Kirk. Presby terianism has always been IN
fine close accordance with the thoughtlul'
dogmatic belligerent character OF the people
They have debated for two centuries over
every plank of its creed, every modification
of its discipline and government, and have
managed to divide the original trunk denoml-
nation into half dozen branches All OF
these-ibe Established, Free, Reformed Ollg'-
nal Secession. and United Presbyterian
churches-wil be represented i'll TINS Con-
vention. The Irish Presbyterian, the Dutch
Reformed of Germany, Austria. Belgium, ana
the Netherlands, the Free Swiss, the Spanish
Chrisliln. the Wadensian Church of Italy, the
National Reformed of France, all the Synods
of the United States (hOwever differing III
politics), the feebler branches OF Australia,
Canada, New-Zealand, Africa and Ceylon,
have entered into this friendly alliance and
Will have a hearing in this conference.
The delegates assembled at Edinburgh III
the first Council, 1877, represented constlt-
uency estimated at 100000 communicates
and a church attendance as large as half the
population of the United States. When 1t Is
considered, in addition to their numerical
strength, that this church is, as rule, COM
posed OF the decent, intelligent. reading. reas-
oning class in every community, that II PROP
ably possesses fewer members unable TO read
and write than any other Christian sect, we
may form some idea of its present power and
influence in every State. IL IS the most ag-
gressive, perhaps of the Protestant churches ;
it boasts of being emphatcally proseytlng,
missionary body; the CalviniSt carries his
creed consplcuously displayed to all men, as
did the Jew his phylactery, and has always
been ready either to argue or to burn in its de-
fence, as the times demanded. From the days OF
Knox until now he has been "a litiglOus, OBJ
stinate, impracticable fellow; not, probably,
the most suave or agreeable of the Christian
family. But he is honest, just, and as faith
full to his God and to his friend as to the
creed laid down in the Westminster Comics
sion; he cannot go further than that. 1t Is
true that this very reasoning, disputatlous
habit has widened his creed strangely. Pres
bvterianism has at different times included
the broadcast variety of doctrine, from high
Calvinsm to Unitarlanisn. Yet, he 1t remem-
bered, the individual Presbyterian was seldom
a radical or a liberal the church may have
been an accretion of widely differing doc
trines, but each man held to but one, with
all the bigotry of an intense and concentrated
nature. Great divisions in this sect have been
made and sustained with bitterness and rancoI
on the most trivial differences in opinion OIL
discipline.
Nothing, in fact, has more strongly proved
the elevation of the Christian church during
recent times to the higheI levels of brothcry
love and charity marked out for il
by the Saviour than the simultaneous
movement among Presbyterian churches oil
late to unite their differences. The difficulty
indeed was not in joining their creeds, fol
the differences there were merely nominal, but
in subduing the old inhexibe spirit in them
selves, which, in the days of Knox and CrOm-
well, constituted the backbone of a saint OF
the Lord.
The present Council Is the OutgrOwth OF this
most admirable and holy Christian union
Many of the leading men in the denOmina-
ton in Europe will be present, and all. We
presume, in our own country. The papers to
be read and the addresses are almost all, as
we observe, singuarly in harmony with the
spirit of the church, ponderous and carefully
composed exegeses of polemical and abstrlse
subjects. The speakers from this city and one
or two Western synod$, however, propose to
grapple with modern problems, such as in
temperance, the teaching OF children, the
proper support of clergymen, etc. The pro-
ccedInes of the conference will be al
Intellectual and moral stimulus to all Pres
byterians, and as it undoubtedly is one of the
strongest of the levers which are lifting the
world to civilization and better life, the
good effects will be more widely spread thar
it is possible 10 estimate.
IMPORTS D1NGERDTSLY LARGE