Religious Notes by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 5, 1882

Religious Notes.

By Editor

-There are sixty Methodist churches in New York City.

-In the United States there is one regularly ordained minister to every 700 inhabitants, while in India, China, Japan, and Africa, there is only one missionary to every 2,000,000 people.

-The Christian Union thinks that Moody's career as a special itinerating evangelist is fast drawing to a close, and that in a few years his name and work will be a pleasant memory, and nothing more.

-At the Franklin Baptist Association held at McLeansboro recently, strong resolutions were adopted on the Sunday question, asking for not only a strict discipline in the churches, but for an enforcement of State laws.

-The California correspondent of the Christian Statesman, in a recent communication to that paper, made the following statement: "Politics and the political and secular press do much to mould the sentiment of the pulpit."

-A "captain" in the Salvation Army, in England, accepted a gold watch as a testimonial of respect from the people of the district where he had been laboring, and was discharged from the army in consequence. Two "lieutenants," who had accepted similar gifts, were also discharged, but were restored to their position on returning the presents.

-The S. S. Times, says: "The New Testament Revision took off the head of at least 10,000 sermons, more or less. And 10,000 more sermons—and not less—would have their heads taken off if the Bible facts or Bible figures on which they are based were examined more critically. The Bible text is inspired; but sermons from Bible texts are commonly not inspired."

-The Young Men's Christian Association of Chicago has sent invitations to the ministers of the northwest for a Convention to be held in that city on the 11th, 12th, and 13th inst., to consider the question of revival work during the coming winter. Over 450 ministers have signified their intention to be present. Several eminent clergymen from Europe and America will deliver addresses.

-The parishioners of a clergyman in Scotland, in expressing to him their aversion to the use of manuscript sermons, asked: "What gars ye take up your bit papers to the pulpit?" He replied that it was best, for, really, he could not remember a sermon, and must have his paper. "Weel, weel, minister," they retaliated, "if ye canna remember the sermon, then dinna expect that we can."

-The Iroquois County Times, published at Watseka, Ill., gives an account of the S. D. Adventists' camp-meeting recently held there, and speaks very highly of the order on the ground, and of the principles taught and practiced by our people. It says, in closing: "We should be glad to welcome back the Seventh-day Adventists another year, and in this we but echo the unanimous sentiment of the people of Watseka."

-We hardly know how to characterize the action of the Methodist Conference in adopting a "telegram of brotherly sympathy to S. A. Redding, who lingers just on this side the river, and ever expects to pass over into the good land beyond." There seems to be just a little doubt as to the goodness of the land to which he is immediately going, or else their action was a farce. The Conference meant well, but it is hard for the face of men to reconcile a false doctrine with common sense.

-There is said to be a young preacher in Richmond, Va., who uses in his sermons such language as this: "Unmeasurable eternities," "redemption-conditioned creation," "internal self-determination impaled upon the sharp retribution of an overmastering omnipotence," "the ethical activity of inert masses," "the interior divinity flashing forth in transfiguring splendor and revealing the separateness of the Son of God," etc. All of the preceding was taken from one of his published sermons. That man could study the sermon on the mount with great profit.

-The following was adopted at the closing meeting of the Methodist Conference recently in session in Oakland: "Resolved, That we believe the American Sabbath, the day of rest incorporated in the organic structure of the nation, is a recognition of the doctrine of the decalogue and the authority of God; that any attempt to abolish or change the day is an attempt to destroy the national life; that the civil Sabbath in the Republican States depends upon the ballots of the citizens; that it is the duty of the Christian citizen to cast his vote where it will best promote the highest interests of the Christian Sabbath."

-The National German Catholic Central Society, in session last week in Milwaukee, adopted a resolution in regard to prohibition, from which the following are extracts: "We believe in being temperate in all things, drinking included, and practice and recommend the same course; that we consider erroneous and unwise the condemnation and prohibition of the gifts which Providence has bestowed, such as wine and other beverages secured from fruits and grain; that we consider the present prohibition agitation as a mental epidemic, lacking logical and moral educational principles; that we especially protest against a prohibitory declaration that the poor-houses and jails throughout the country are filled with the effects of the license system." "We are of the opinion that the attacks of Prohibitionists upon personal liberty endanger the stability of our American institutions. Whoever wishes to support the latter should oppose prohibition." In this connection we also note that the California Methodists in their recent Conference, protested against any special prohibition agitation, believing that the country is not ready for it. They don't want a prohibitory law until all men are prohibitionists.