The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-14
an-Presbyteyian Alliance
By Frederic ). Haskin.

tL4f1MEULIlllINI IM MuNuM4AH1ahMM | Today the representatives of the l 25.e00.00o followers of the faith of John Calvin are gathering in New York 1 for the ninth annual conferences of the l Alliance of Reormed Churches holding
 the Presbyterian system. They are
 coming from every continent. and from | every principal country of the giobe. l Ninety different denominations, speak | ing a half dozen tongues or more. VIII
 be represented. Called the Pan-Pres-
 byterian Alliance for short. this great
 association has succeeded in establish | ing a fraternal spirit among all
 churches of Calvanistic creed. It Is
 one of the great landmarks of the | road toward Christian unity, and seeks
 to have other great faiths united as 1t | is. It hopes to see all followers or
 Wesley bound together by . similar
 organization. all the followers of Ln-i
 ther united in similar way.
 The conference will be the most im-
 portant in the history of such gath erings It will celebrate the four hun- 1 dredth anniversary of the birth Of
 John Calvin. which occurs on July 10.
 Many movements have been marked Tn the Presbyterian world. movements to- ward a revision of creed and towards Christian unity. There has been great
 unrest in the religious life of the day. And the changing fields of endeavor, changing methods of work, and wi-
 dening horizon of Christian view. all
 call for attention by the conference. | The Alliance Is not . legislative or
 judicial body. Its powers are simply advisory. It recommends only. and
 aims to shape public thought in the
 direction of it's recommendation. Many
 of the great questions of theological
 discussion of the day will come up for consideration. and the pronouncements | of the conference thereon will be await
 ed with keen interest. It will discuss
 Our Lords Pre-existence." His vir- gin Birth," His Resurrection" "The New Phases of Evolution" and many | other questions about which the hfes
 of religious controversy rage today. | If there is any new or any old thing about Calvin and Ca1vanism that will
 not be told or retold 1t will be re- | markable circumstances: for two days
 will be occupied with addresses on ev- cry phase of the life and faith of the great theoIoeian, Even the regretta- | ble things in the career of Calvin Will not be overlooked--su as hfs part in the burning of Servetus. accused Of being a heretfc.
 of the world has been remarkable. Twenty years ago they had less than 2e.o00 congregations today they have nearly 35,000. Tea years ago their an- nual contributions to the work amount ed to about s3o.00o.ooo; today their contributions amount to about Sso,ooo.. 900. In twenty years they have added more than 5000 ministers to their mum Der and have practically doubled their list of communicant members It will be interesting to many to know that Calvanism has it's strongest hold Tn North America. Nearly TO per cent
 of its contributions are received from
 
 the followers of Calvin are found on this continent, and about 60 per cent. of the congregations embraced in the Alliance dwell on American soil.
 The story of Calvin, founder of Pres byterianism, is one of the most et- tractive in all the biographies of the- ologians Born in Picardy. France, on July 10, 1909, he enjoyed peculiar ed- ucational advantages. At the tender age of h2 he was appointed to receive funds from the cathedral The noble family Montmors took fancy to him. and gave him the same educational ad- vantages enjoyed by their own chti- dren. By the time he was ls he had held two charges as curate, and re- signed the last one in favor of his younger brother. In 1928 his father changed fis mind about the boys ca- reer, and decided that he should be- come a lawyer. His hard study dur ing the period that followed laid the foundation of the i'll health that was afterward his lot. By the time he was 25 he had written the famous ifau- gural address of his friend Cop upon the occasion Of his election as rector of the University of Paris His orig inality of thought did not impress the people, and the two had to nee for their lives as heretics. It is said that Calvin let himself down from his win- dow by a rope made of his bed sheets, and disgusting himself as vine-dress- CT, made his escape. In l5S6, at the afe of 27, he published the first edi- ton of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, one of the most remarkable productions of the Reformation period. He afterward met Farel, who declared he would lay the curse of God upon him if he did not take up the work with him.
 Calvin took the call of Farel as the call of God, and at once enlisted in the work that resulted in the estab- lishment of the Calvinistfc creed. He and Farel worked together for two years, but they became so extreme in their rule of church and municipality that there was rebellion and they were forced into exile after two years of residence. The people of Geneva very | soon found out however, that they could not get along without Calvin. stern though his rule had been. and again he was called to the work In that city. It was while here that ne got into his controversy with Servetus, | in which he forwarded certain docu- ments to the Roman Catholic church which served to identify Servetus. and aided in his conviction of heresy. Cal win did what he could to prevent the noted heretic from being burned ct the stake. but was unsuccessful. To the victims girdle was attached the very manuscript which Calvin had sent. It may be said of Calvin that he was nd. more bitter toward Servetus than were others even the gentle Melanch- ton seeing nothing but occasion for rejoicing in the fate of Servetus. Calvin was pre-eminently the theolo- gIan of the Reformation. He system
 atized the doctrines of Protestantism and gave 1t its ecclesiastical discipline. When death approached he requested that no monument should be erected to his memory, preferring the monument of service rendered rather than one of stone. His wish was losally respected, and today men have nought but un- certain tradition to guide them as to the exact spot where his mortal re- mains were laid. During the week from the second to the tenth of July
 the city of Geneva will honor the Aas