New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14

TIE SPIRIT or TIE MAY ANNIVERSARIES.
The May anniversaries began Ill this city last
week. The most important were, as usual, those
conventions in which not single sect or assOcla-
ton was represented, but different religious
bodies united i'll some common practical work.
Delegates to these meetings are generally clergy
men and shrewd business men i'll equal numbers,
and the time is spent, not in reading labored
papers on abstruse dOgmas or points of ecclcsi-
astical government, as is customary i'll exclu-
sively denOminatiOnal conferences, but in the
examination of some crying evil of the time
and its possible cure, which is done with no
great show of learning or dignity probably,
but usually with much sound sense, keen OBJ
servaton and hearty liberal feeling. Such in
formal pOurparlers as these, which are becVm-
ing more common every year even i'll the most
exclusive of Protestant sects, show more
than anything else the great change III the
direction and application of Christianity
among English speaking people in the present
century. Religious conferences, from the
great councils convened by the Pope or heads
of a Protestant Church, for the purpose of
changing or enforcing a dogma, down to the
regular presbyteries or assemblies held In
country villages by the poorly paid clergymen
of a sect, have all had, until about fifty years
ago, one feature in common they concerned
themselves with the Church, not with life and
matters outside of it and their utterances
were meant to be authoritative. They were
regarded as such by the rank and file OF church
members, who either obediently submitted to
them or openly rcvolted against them.
Such meetings as those held last week by the
American Missionary and Tract Societies
totally opposed to these ancient gatherings in
manner and matter, and would have been i'm
possible in the beginning of this century. SO
are the annual congresses in the Protestant
Episcopal Church, and the informal meetings
of the Methodist and Presbyterian clergymen
and laymen which have become so popular dur
ing the last fifteen years. 1t is the very gist
and purpose of these conventions that their
utterances are not to be accepted as ex-cathe-
dra Priests and laymen meet and argue on
terms of absolute equality: they appear as
Christian men of business, fathers and
citizens, not exclusively church officials; and
the subjects they discuss are, as rule, the best
methods by which the religious truths which
they hold can be brought To influence the
world in its everyday life-the teaching
Of children; temperance prison reform
women's work wOrkingmens clubs; the use
of the press industrial schools; assisted
emigration. In every church the tendency of
discussion and action grows with each year
more determlnately toward the practical elc-
walton of ordinary life. Here is a suggestive
hint for all ministers and their congregations
Intelligent Christian people iappear to have
pretty clearly made up their minds to the
doctrines which they believe, and do not pro-
pose to spend as much time as formerly in
wri ngling concerning points of doctrine: they
see that the real problem before them to solve is
not the exact position of the persons of the
Trinity or the question of universal salvation, or
even the mode III which baptism should be
administered but how to bring the chance for a
noble useful life which Jesus came to give to the
world home to the child, to the Magdaleil, to
the drunkard, and to their own daily routine in
house, office and shop. If the meetings
themselves have become less aristocratic in
form and conduct. little is lost even by the
clergy who find themselves placed on the
same platform with zeaous, intelligent lay
men. The priest must preserve his superior
place by superior zeal and intelligence, not
by the prestige of Office, as formerly; hence
II he Is less an authority, lie l. more power.
There is large class of active thinking
people, too, outside of any religious bodies
who in their own sincere efforts to help the
world about them are apt to sheer at the work
done 10y the churches. There are good many
cant phrases about intolerance and blgotry, etc.
They may gain more correct idea of the
extent and value OF this work if they will pay
some attention to the records of these meetings
of last week, and of those which are
yet to be held They have probably
gagged the whole Christian Church as
a body by the intellect and nature OF
some individual young clergyman of weak
stamina with whom they have come In unpleas-
ant contact. The statistics of the work done
during the last year in the practical lettering of
the social and moral condition of the American
people which will be shown by different asso-