p. 110 | News and Notes by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 14, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 7.

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News and Notes.

By Editor

RELIGIOUS.

—The eightieth hall of the famous McAll Mission has just been opened in Paris.

—The various Roman Catholic orders own property in France valued at $142,000,000.

—The Methodist Church Extension Board erected seventy-five churches in Dakota last year.

—The new Governor of Massachusetts still retains his position as superintendent of a Unitarian Sunday-school.

—General Booth, of the Salvation Army, is coming to America to look after the interests of his command. His headquarters are in London.

—On Sunday, Jan. 27, a petition was circulated among the churches of Kankakee, Ill., asking the postmaster not to open his office on Sundays.

—It is asserted that the whole world is now open to the reception of the gospel. The Bible is printed in 250 different languages and dialects, and there are 150,000,000 copies in circulation.

—The Baptist Church at San Jose, by a vote of its trustees, indorsed the pastor, Mr. Ravlin, in his strong anti-prohibition sentiments, which have recently been subjected to much criticism in and out of the denomination.

—"There ought to be a common ground somewhere upon which all just and true men could stand and be friends while yielding perfect liberty to all in all other matters."—Christian Advocate. "Great peace have they which love thy law." Ps. 119:165.

—The Minister of Education of Canada has informed the Legislative Committee of the Ontario Teachers' Association that it is his intention to introduce Bible-reading immediately into the schools. It is proposed to select passages from Scripture, one for each day in the year, to be published in pamphlet form, and sent to each teacher in the Province.

—It is reported from London that one of Mr. Moody's after-meeting inquirers asked him why people keep Sunday instead of the seventh-day Sabbath, and the reply was, "O it would take half the night to tell." He might have answered in four words—"Because they want to." But the evasion is evidence that he knew there was no "thus saith the Lord" for it; for the Lord's commands are generally very brief, and the great revivalist is supposed to be pretty well acquainted with them.

—At a recent church fair held in an Episcopal Church on Staten Island, N. Y., a young lady bought a chance in a gold watch and won it. On the way home she was accused of gambling, and next morning she returned the watch to the managers of the fair, and positively declined to keep it. The rector, Rev. Dr. Bush, heard of the transaction, and at once tendered his resignation, stating that he would not allow his name to be used in connection with a church that sanctioned gambling. It is said that about half the congregation are with him, and there is talk of a new church.

"We present the anomalous spectacle of a people predominantly Christian, governing themselves through a body of men, who, with notable exceptions, give painful evidence that they have not the fear of God before their eyes."—Christian Statesman. It is possible that there is an overestimate regarding the predominance of Christianity in this country. Rated by the standard, Love the Lord with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself, the proportion could hardly be called a predominance. We believe the office-holders of the country are fair representatives of the people; and if they are getting worse and worse, it is a sure indication that the standard of "predominantly Christian" sentiment is correspondingly lowering.