p. 366 | News and Notes

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 17, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 23.

News and Notes.

RELIGIOUS.

—A Jewish theological seminary will be opened in New York next fall.

—It is said that a Methodist missionary has been appointed chief physician of the Chinese army.

—In the theological seminary at Richmond, Va., sixty-two colored men are studying for the ministry.

—The New York Observer, speaking of the court which religious teachers are paying to evolution, says: 'We make ourselves ridiculous by trying to accommodate our religious views to every wind of scientific doctrine.'

—There are 2,623 Baptist Churches in Georgia, according to the Year Book. The same authority also states that of these 'some seventy-five have supported weekly services.' It does not say how many of the seventy-five have weekly prayer-meetings.

—The Papal Consistory has created four other cardinals besides Arch-bishops Gibbons of Baltimore, and Taschereau of Quebec, and has nominated three bishops in Ireland, twelve in Spain, six in France, three in Germany, six in America, and seven in other nations.

—Says Dr. Parkhurst: 'Why not revert to the Old Testament, and be contented simply to found a sermon upon Sunday-keeping on the basis of the fourth commandment? Because that would get us into more difficulties than it would get us out of.' Quite true; and if they go outside the fourth commandment for authority for Sunday-keeping, they will get into more difficulties than they will get out of. Trouble ahead for Sunday-keepers, whatever way they fix it.

—The Christian Union says: 'New England, which has been a source of missionary strength, is becoming a field for missionary labor. The same thing is happening, on a large geographical scale here, which, in a smaller area of territory, if not of population, has happened in our great commercial centers. Protestant population is moving away, self-supporting churches are falling into decay, and regions once Protestant and Puritan are becoming either Roman Catholic or unreligious, or a combination of the two.'

—An exchange states that 'at Lucknow, India, there is a native press employing nine hundred workmen, which issues largely the sacred writings of the Hindoos and Mohammedans. A native publishing firm at Lahore translates European infidel publications as fast as they appear and disseminates them in the various languages of India.' The devil is as active in his missionary operations as Christians are, and the seed which he sows finds the more congenial soil, and matures the more quickly. And yet some people imagine that they see prospects of the speedy evangelization of the world.

—This, from the Cynosure (Chicago) is good: 'The pastor of a Congregational Church in this vicinity, who is represented as being "fond of a cigar, a joke, and a good time," has been requested, by a letter signed by seven out of eight of his church committee, to resign his pastorate because of alleged inefficiency. This he peremptorily declines. They have proffered him the payment of his salary to the end of the year, but he does not propose to accept the bread of idleness. He evidently thinks he is persecuted, but he seems to forget the admonition of the Master, "When they persecute you in one city flee into another."'