News and Notes by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 26, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 33.

News and Notes.

By Editor

RELIGIOUS.

—Over 80 per cent. of the people of the United States are nominally Protestants; but only about 18 per cent. of these—less than one in four—are actual church members.

—There is a point worth considering in the following anecdote concerning a certain bishop: “Why is it, Bishop,” inquired a lay friend, “that we have so many ordinary men in the ministry?” “Well, you see,” answered the bishop, “we do the best we can with the material we have to draw from. We do not select the clergy from the angels, but from the laity.”

—A newspaper in closing the account of a bank defalcation by one who had been stealing the funds for several years, said: “His character has always stood high in the community.” This is an instance of the too common mistake of putting character for reputation. The man had a good reputation, but a very bad character. Reputation is what we seem to be; character is what we are.

—And now the Christian at Work throws its influence in favor of tobacco. It says: “The Reformed Presbyterian Church refuses to license candidates who use tobacco. We thought but one denomination had incorporated the nicotine test in its standards, but it seems there are two. Stramonium, however, can be smoked as usual.” A paper that attempts a feeble joke at a step toward securing ministers who are clean in their habits, ought to be named “The Christian Asleep.”

—A Boston Anarchist says that Christianity must be abolished before they (the Anarchists) can succeed. Not necessarily. Christianity is entirely opposed to all Anarchist ideas and methods, but a short triumph of the Anarchists will not abolish it, and “the triumphing of the wicked is short.” Christianity has no connection nor sympathy with lawlessness of any sort, although many who wear the outward garb of Christianity give aid to the Anarchists by denouncing the foundation of all laws—the law of God.

—The drift of the “Christian world” may be learned from the list of subjects discussed at the “Inter-denominational, or Pan-evangelical Conference” opened last month near Pittsburg, Pa. Among the denominations represented were Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopal, Protestant Methodist, United Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian, and other Presbyterian churches. Among the subjects were: “Union without Absorption the Glory of Our Christianity;” “Our Nation a Christian Nation, and the Outgrowth of Christian Principles;” and “How Can We Best Subserve the Interest of Our American Sabbath?”