RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.
—There are said to be about 12,000 Jews now in Jerusalem, and about half that many Christians. —Over $1,000,000 has been subscribed in Massachusetts, during the last few months to pay church debts. —America spends $700,000,000 annually on strong drinks; England, with 6,000,000 less of population, $765,000,000. —The Bible has been printed in thirty different languages for the benefit of the Aborigines of this country, and of Greeland, British America, and Mexico. —The Rev. Dr. Nevin, of St. Paul's Episcopal church, Rome, has had an audience with the Queen of Italy who expressed her warm approval of the work of the foreign churches. —Nine Protestant denominations have now missions in Mexico. These employ 98 missionaries. There are 137 congregations, 12,000 members and adherents, and 45 Sunday and 36 day schools, with 1,137 scholars. —The 109th annual session of the English General Baptist Association opened in London on July 24, with an address by Mr. Spurgeon. The report shows 109 pastors, 384 local preachers, 179 separate churches, and 24,943 church members. —The number in Sunday-schools and Bible classes under the auspices of workers of the American Home Missionary Society, for the year 1877–8, was 91,762—an increase of 5,462 over 1876–7, when the largest previous report was made. —The New Testament Revision Company recently met at New Haven and completed the first eleven chapters of the Revelations. They expect to finish their entire work in a few more sessions. The Old Testament Company may require two years longer. —The Southern Churchman says that since 1815 there have been more than one hundred ordained clergymen of the church of England, including two bishops, who were converted Jews, and in one English church chapel from 1815 there have been 780 adult Jews and 615 children converted and baptized. —Of the Presbyterian ministers in the State of New Jersey, the number employed as evangelists and pastors is 251, in educational work, 36; as agents and secretaries, 8; total, 295. Not actively employed, 66; making an aggregate of 361 for the State. Two hundred and seven of the Presbyterian churches of the State have pastors, stated supplies, 39, and 17 are vacant. —The Christian at Work says: "There is no longer any mistaking the demands of the Roman hierarchy in Ireland. In the press and in Parliament they put forward a claim for denominational education, and, express their determination to subordinate to it every other demand. This is really the goal for which they were aiming while coquetting with Home Rule. They have now thrown Home Rule overboard, and demanded denominational education. They will be content with nothing less than a grant which will enable them to control the entire education of the country, and, in fact, though not in name, to become the endowed church of Ireland. There should be no compromise, no paltering, religiously, or politically, with this worst enemy to the best interests of Ireland."