RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.
—The old South Church is saved at last, at an expense of about a dollar a brick. Now it remains to be seen whether Boston is a half million dollars better than before! —After January, 1877, the Bishops of the M. E. Church will have to depend for their support upon the societies under their charge, instead of upon the General Conference as heretofore. —From Boston we hear that the work of putting up the Moody and Sankey building, which seemed to linger, is to be pushed along in earnest by the committee in charge. The meetings commence about the first of January. —The missionary work among the Jews, of all missions undertaken by the Protestant Church, seems to be the most unsatisfactory, inasmuch that some of the churches have ceased from all special efforts directed to the Jews as a class. —The Baptist Theological Seminary of Chicago is to be removed to Morgan Park, a suburb of the city, about thirteen miles southward. By the removal, the seminary will have far more room, and escape from some of its embarrassments by the sale of its city property. —There is a marked contrast between the condition of China and Japan as reflected in the current news. While the Japanese are making progress in railroad building and naval armaments, the Chinese are disturbed by domestic strife. Japan is undoubtedly many strides in advance of the Flowery Land. —Rev. J. W. Henry, who went out to the Society Islands to preach the gospel, was threatened with imprisonment or worse if he attempted to preach, and was obliged to return. The islands being under the control of France, the French priests have power there. —What a woman can do in the way of missionary work is shown in the growth of Christianity at Cesarea, where the work for the past twenty-two years has been largely under the care of Mrs. Farnsworth of the American Board’s Mission. In the time mentioned, a little band of Christians numbering thirty has increased to a community of 25,000. —The government of the Canadian Dominion has issued orders interdicting the running of trains on Sunday. Both passenger and freight trains are stopped. Special trains, under unusual emergencies, may run, but not without direct permission of the government. Through trains from Quebec, reaching Halifax and St. John early on Sunday morning, are allowed.—Cal. Chr. Advocate. —The billiard tables recently introduced into the gymnasium of Princeton College have been removed by the trustees notwithstanding the opposition of the President, Dr. McCosh. Strange to say, it was discovered that the entire effect of these billiard tables in the College was different from what had been expected. Two new billiard halls had been opened in Princeton since license had been given to the students to engage in this game, and the students were beginning to visit the neighboring towns for this purpose. —The number of Protestants in France is estimated by Rev. Edward Hitchcock, pastor of the American Chapel in Paris, at 800,000. Last year Bible societies, Sunday-school societies, and missionary societies spent $400,000 in France. A few centuries ago Protestantism largely prevailed in France; but the papists holding the reins of the government, martyred many of the saints, and drove many others to foreign countries, thus paving the way for infidelity and the “reign of terror,” which were connected with the French Revolution. —At the recent Synod of Philadelphia a very lively discussion came up on the question of sustaining the Lackawanna Presbytery in disapproving of immersion as a form of baptism. Rev. J. H. Clark had been the offending pastor in the case, and he appealed to Synod to reverse Presbytery’s action. Synod, however, was sustained by a majority of one, so that it stands on record that immersion is “contrary to the usages and principles of the Presbyterian Church, as calculated to mar the harmony of the individual church, and to lead to the neglect of an ordinance dear to the church.” —Portugal is more liberal than Spain in her treatment of Protestants, though the Catholic religion is the prevailing one. It seems that in the Lisbon cemetery some one had railed in the “heretics” corner, which was not warranted by law. The Journal de Commercio took up the matter, and the municipal council was compelled to order the removal of the railing. This was a bitter pill for the Catholics. Their spite found vent in a pastoral letter from the Patriarch, in which he declared that the admission of heretics into consecrated ground had profaned it, and hereafter every grave dug for a Catholic must receive a separate consecration. —A very interesting communion service was held at the Chinese Church, corner of Sacramento and Stockton streets, San Francisco, Sunday evening, Oct. 22. Five young men, Chinese, received the ordinance of baptism. Several of the teachers remained to witness the ceremony; with this exception, every seat was filled with Chinese, a good number of whom partook of the communion, and also a few Chinese women. Dr. Loomis officiated. . . . . . . Sunday, Oct. 15th, a Presbyterian Church of fourteen members was organized at Pleasanton. On a recent Sunday a Presbyterian Church was organized in Arizona. Thirteen members formed the organization.—Occident. —The Week of Prayer, for many years generally observed in all parts of the world, at the suggestion of the British Evangelical Alliance, begins Sunday, Jan. 7. Subjects:
Sunday, Sermons—Christian fellowship.
Monday—Thanksgiving and confession.
Tuesday—Prayer: For the Holy Spirit on the Universal Church, Joel 2 : 28—for its deliverance from error and corruption, and its increase of faith, activity, holiness, and Christian charity.
Wednesday—Prayer for families—for the converted: for sons and daughters at school and college, and for those abroad; for any in sickness, trouble, or temptation; and for those who have been recently “added to the church.”
Thursday—Prayer for nations—for rulers, magistrates and statesmen; for philanthropic and benevolent institutions, for a pure literature, the spread of sound education among the people, and the maintenance of peace.
Friday—Prayer for Christian missions to the Jews and Gentiles; for Sunday-schools; and for the conversion of the world to Christ.
Saturday—Prayer for the observance of the Christian Sabbath; for the promotion of temperance; and for the safety of mariners.
Sunday—Sermons: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all.—Christian Union.