RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.
—Ann Eliza Young, formerly a Mormon, is now a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, at Lockport, N. Y. —One-fifth of the population of New Hampshire, and one-third of the voters, have signed the temperance pledge. —Mr. Moody intends to conduct revival meetings shortly in Washington and in Baltimore, giving three months to each city. —Mr. Spurgeon has sent out two evangelists from his “Pastors’ Training College” to make a tour through the United Kingdom. —It is said that the latest feature of Saratoga life is morning prayer-meetings, held under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A., and attended by large numbers daily. —It is reported that the Moody Tabernacle at Chicago is to be turned into stores after next September. Mr. Moody has been invited to hold a series of services in the building before the change and will probably accept, commencing about the 10th of September. —The receipts of the American Bible Society for July were $35,813; copies of the Scriptures issued 53,416. As usual, a considerable number of grants of books were made. The appropriations of money amounted to $2,231, and the number of books granted about 10,000. —It is said there are 35,000 Protestant girls in Roman Catholic schools, and the Romanists claim that one out of every ten of these girls is converted to their faith, and that three out of ten are taught to hate Protestantism. We have no doubt that two-thirds of the whole number are lost to the Protestant church. —The New York City Mission and Tract Society has thirty-five missionaries, with whom are associated hundreds of volunteer visitors, teachers and helpers. During last month this body of Christian workers in connection with the Society made 3,559 visits among the sick and needy, held 426 meetings, and aided 250 families. —The aggregate church debts of the several Evangelical denominations of Chicago is given as follows: Presbyterian, $256,898; Congregational, $214,115; Methodist Episcopal, $169,783; Baptist, $133,099; Lutheran, $108,200; Episcopal, $126,250; or a total of $1,008,345. Nothing to be very proud of, and a burden not easy to carry. —An exchange says: “The eight presiding elders of the State of New Jersey are now propounding in their Quarterly Conferences the following questions: Are any of our members engaged in the manufacture or sale of intoxicating liquors? Are any of them signing applications for tavern licenses? Are any of them renting their property for the sale of liquor? These questions are followed by urging the use of unfermented wine at the communion.” —The subject of Methodism in cities has prompted the Rev. John Atkinson, of Chicago, to collate some statistics in regard to the matter, which he gives in the Methodist Quarterly Review for July. Among his deductions are (1) That Methodism stands first as regards communicants in nine of the fourteen cities, the Presbyterians being first in New York, St. Louis, San Francisco and Buffalo, and the Baptists in Boston, while in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, New Orleans, Newark and Louisville the Methodists lead all other denominations. (2) In these fourteen cities the excess of Methodist communicants over Presbyterian is 25,303; and the two branches of the M. E. church (North and South) have 26,374 more communicants than the two branches (North and South) of the Presbyterian church. (3) The communicants of the Methodist Episcopal church (North) exceed in number the combined aggregate of communicants of the Presbyterian (North) and the Congregational churches in these fourteen cities.