Show IMPORTANT want MANT RELIGIOUS conferences tup year 1868 was remark ba for its rg great political changes and ana thi twi thule table t hule able convulsions in the physical world what the present year may bring forth in these respects is of course yet yeta a matter of uncertainty it seems likely however to be remarkable in a religious point of view two events already decided up on if no others occur will make it boi soi so these are the approaching ecil ecumenical fenical council to be held at rome sometime during the coming spring and the meeting of the worlds alliance at new york in the eail pall of the present year the ecumenical council counell as its name implies will be a council or assemblage of divines or professors prof essorA of religion belonging to every christian sect from all parts of or the world where christianity nourishes flourishes invited by the holy father pio flo nono with the avowed intention of bringing about harmony ai and ad unity of action between the various christian sects catholics and protestants throughout the world whether the objects contemplated by his holiness tile the pope will be accomplished is rather doubtful but the calling of t the h e council is an hn event of df such importance as to make memorable in history the yea year in which it assembles the tho meeting of the worlds Wor lills evangelical c A alliance being strictly protestant awid arid taking place in the metropolis of orr 00 own country will prove an event of more general importance to td the religious communities of the country cou tou than the coming council in ronde this meeting is the result of an invitation extended by the american Americ hn to the european members of the alliance Alli anbe the answer of the latter accepting the invitation being transmitted to this country by dr mccosh on his departure from great britain to assume the presidency of princeton college several reasons were assigned by the european branches of the alliance for the speedy holding of the proposed conference among which the following seem to be the most urgent the attitude of the Papal rapal power towards riat nations ions lons which have recently asserted the right of self government and are in various ways breaking off its yoke and have proclaimed religious liberty to their subjects together r with its vigorous activity in protestant countries and the growth and prevalence still further of various forms of intellectual infidelity and practical atheism in all nations strongly impress the council with the conviction that evangelical christians must lo be 10 more than ever united and active nor be slow to fulfill fulfil the great duties to which the times so loudly call calf them when the condition of the country ia is considered it beems seems as if the prayers of the righteous which abich are said to avail much were never more needed than at the present time crime and corruption everywhere hold bold high carnival in the halls of legislation as weli well as in the known resorts of thieves and robbers the whisky tobacco railway subsidy and various other 11 rings 11 in which the millions wrung from the hard earnings of the masses by taxation are gambled away as if they were of no moment are known to exist and are talked of by the press as COM commonly as the proceedings of the wall vall street gamblers and brokers while crime and lawlessness are admitted to be on the increase and the fact deplored by the press of the country among the many testimonials that might be culled from our exchanges as to the increase of crime and the general demoralization of american so society clety we present the tho following from the 11 artford hartford jost fost to all this lawlessness this recklessness of human life this disregard of personal safety and these constant breaches of the pu public b lie lle peace among tho the violent there is ad added d d an almost complete demoralization 0 on tt tho part of those who esteem themselves tho the better classes men who build churches found colleges support ministers pay liberally to missionary enterprises aro are found to be among the worst recent events have exposed an utter absence of principle or conscience on the part of some of these men fraud forgery perjury and every crime whose meshes afe aie are large enough to leatho let iet the tho of renders offenders through they practice with impunity they issue fraudulent certificates certificate sand land sell worthless stocks they make a football of the national currency they try ghastly experiments on trade and commerce in the harsh phrase of tho the sharper they bleed everybody and every r thing within their reach they shrink at no crime in the getting of money this view which is alas too true affords food for serious though tand contemplation and is an indication notwithstanding the continual of some about the greatness and prosperity of the nation that if wickedness will cause a nations downfall our once glorious republic is on the downward track if the coming meeting of the ther worlds evangelical alliance in the city of new now york will do doa dos aught towards purifying the halls of legislation and the regeneration of society generally the sooner it meets the bet better t er and anc I 1 if the these S e be the objects for which it meets it deserves deserved and ought to have hive the prayers and faith of every honest bonest hearted god fearing man and woman woman in the whole nation |