Presbyterianism. By Rev. John Moore [pp. 383-396]

Pres8yterianism.
1871.]~~~
has found some of its brightest ornaments within her enclosures. Her principles are pledged to the diffusion of knowledgce. Calvin laid in Geneva the foundation of a system to
which Scotland is indebted for her superior intelligence.
According to Bancroft, the historian-himself a Unitarian-at
least, at the time when his testimnony was penned-the leaven
of Geneva, which in Scotland and in the North of Ireland
diffused its power through the masses, and communicated its
nature and healthful influence to every enterprise with whichl
it was brought into contact, gave also to New England her
comnmon schools, from whence have gone forth streams of influence and power that are mnoulding and directing the popular mind in every village, and hainlet, and city, in this vast
Republic. In his Historiy of the United States, he says:
" Again, we boast our commnon schiools. Calvin was the fathler
of popular education, and the inventor of the system of free
schools. Again, we are proud of the free States which fringe
the Atlantic. The Pilgrims of Plymouth were Calvinists;
the best settlers in South Carolina camne from the Calvinists
of France; William Penn was the disciple of the Huguenots;
the shlips from Holland that first brought colonies to Manhattan were filled with Calvinists. He, that will not honor
the memory and respect the influence of Calvin, knows but
little of Aierican liberty." How exhaustless, deep and pure
must the foluntain be from whence flow in ever widening and
deepened currents, such a profusion of refreshing and lifegiving waters!
The timie was when the Presbyterian ministry were reproachled, satirized, ridiculed for their learning. Now, the
once favorite song is rehearsed only in faltering cadences.
The lips that repeated it have been touched with the hallowed
fire, and our former revilers have so far caught our spirit as
to becomie in a measure our rivals in the noble work of training up an educated ministry to meet the demands of an educated and progressive age. We rejoice in this, not only b)ecause the glory of God may be thereby the more abundantly
promoted, but because no higher compliment can be paid to
our cherished principles than this evidence of their living
power.
VOL. XLIII. —lO. III.
1871.]
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