The Coming Protestant Council.
By Editor
ROMAN Catholics are not the only ones to hold ecumenical councils. A similar council of the Protestant world is to be held in the city of New York in September next. Accounts are daily increasing of the lively interest that is beginning to be manifested in the movement, both on this Continent and in Europe. There has been for some years past a growing disposition on the part of the various bodies of evangelical Christians to secure greater union of effort in the promotion of the more commonly accepted tenets of their religion, and the advancement of the distinctive features of Protestantism. This led to the organization, in London, in 1846, of the Evangelical Alliance, composed of Protestant Christians of various evangelical denominations. This body has already held four sessions, which may be styled general conferences of all Protestant christendom. These four sessions have all been held in Europe. The fifth is the meeting appointed to convene in New York in September next, which is now spoken of with ever-increasing interest as the coming Protestant Ecumenical Council of 1870. It was designed to hold this meeting in the fall of 1869; but owing to the inability of a large number of foreign delegates to attend at that time, it was postponed to the present year. The most eminent scholars and divines, the influential religious teachers, of Holland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, and elsewhere, have already signified their purpose to attend. While America, as may well be supposed, will be represented almost en masse. It will be seen, therefore, that the deliberations and decisions of this Council, though they may not bind consciences, as the decisions of the Roman Council will bind the devotees of Catholicism, will nevertheless have no little weight in moulding religious opinion, and directing religious action in this country. And what renders the movement particularly interesting to us is the fact that the inevitable and irrepressible Sabbath question is already announced as among the subjects to come under the action of the Council. In a statement of the “fundamental principles” on which the Alliance is based, it claims to have, among others, this purpose in view: “To urge the observance of the Lord’s day.” — And in a list of “topics for the consideration of the Council,” we find the following: “Christianity and civil governments, involving the general question of moral reform by legal enactments, in all its various forms, as temperance, marriage and divorce, the observance of the Sabbath, etc.” Here we have “Christianity and civil governments,” how far they shall co-operate, that is, how far church and state shall be united; and “moral reform by legal enactments,” that is, enforcing by law, what they call moral reforms, among which it will be easy to incorporate at least a few purely theological dogmas; and among these reforms, is mentioned, incidentally, as it would seem, but especially, as we think, the observance of the Sabbath. Our readers are all aware of the strenuous efforts that are now being made in this country, to enlist the civil arm in behalf of the institution of Sunday; and it is plainly to be seen what pressure will be brought to bear, in reference to this question, upon a Council held in this country, in which Americans will be so largely represented; and it is just as plainly to be seen, should the Council decidedly favor the enactment of Sunday laws, what influence this would have, in bringing about that state of things so fervently desired by the American churches.