New-York tribune., 1883-06-03
TyF COyVENTJONS OF WY.

| The great religious conventions have kept
| themselves foremost in popular interest during
the last two weeks. OF these the Presbyterian
General Assemblies were the most important
though not the largest. Archbishop Hughes,
who was well qualified to judge of church
politics, once said Of this body in the North
that although it was his privilege to call it a
| usurpation, he must acknowledge 1t to
be without equal az controlling organiza-
ton among the denominations OF the coun-
try for the purposes of popular government.
| Over three millions of the followers of
Calvin were represented in the congresses
of last week. 1t is exactly 200 years
aro since the Scotch-Irishman Francis
Makerme founded the first American Presby-
terian church on Snowhill in Maryland. Since
| then his race always have largely controlled
the denomination. The Presbyterans pre-
nonderate in this State and through the great
| agricultural district beginning at Lake Erie
in Pennsylvania and running down through
| Ohio to the Blue Grass region of Kentucky,
| and they are almost without exception of
Scotch or Scotch-Irish descent, shrewd, thrifty
| honest and virtuous, men whose opinions and
affections are apt to run in one rut, with an
obstinacy which makes them devoted husbands
| and bigoted sectarians. 1t is probably owing
| quite rs much to their race as to any teachings
| of their Church that the progress of healing
| the wounds between the two great branches of
| this sect is so slow.
The BAPTIST Convention Mt Saratoga repre-
| sented the denomination in twenty-three States
| Here. too, there was hot discussion on the
| ouestion as to whether the dissemination of
| the Bible by that Church should be carried on
| separately or in union with other Christian
bodies The Reformed Episcopalians were also
| in session. This ten-year-Old denomination
offers every sign of healthy growth That it
has not increased more is due to the fact that
the believers in the creed of the Episcopal
Church are developing, with most of the
educated class in this country, tendency to
express their faith more and more through
symbols and fitting formulas The only essen
tial difference between this child and its
mother church is that it ignores many of these
formulas and symbols. The Friends and the
Unitarians also held national conventions dur
ing this last fortnight.
There is no surer way of testing the moral
condition of the people than by feeling the
pulse of these religious congresses. The ten
dency of thought and action among the edu-
Gated, decent majority of the country shows
itself here as nowhere else. In every instance,
Judging from the proceedings of these repre-
sentative conventions, that tendency seems to
be toward greater liberality and wider toler-
ance of differing Christian sects There is, too,
wholesome ready appreciation of the live
issues of the day. The questions Of temperance
and the proper observance of Sunday excited
generally a far deeper interest than any dis
puted dogma There were exceptions to this
rule however. 1t is discouraging to find
representative men of Christian churches, met
for consultation as to their future work,
squabbing over trivial points. Too much
attention to petty matters debases the great
errand of the churches In the eyes of careless
sceptics.
One Of the most significant conventions Of
May, although small IN numbers, was that of
Workingmen's Clubs. These clubs are in
augurated in Episcopalian churches by labor
ing men for mutual pleasure and benefit. They
establish cooperative coffee-houses. where
coffee and wholesome meal can be obtained