News and Notes by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 25, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 45.

News and Notes.

By Editor

RELIGIOUS.

—The Catholic Churches of Baltimore have begun a crusade against the saloon business, and in favor of high license.

—The “mystery” of the wonderful grace of God makes it none the less a fact. It is mysterious simply because selfish man cannot comprehend such unselfish love.

—Freeman’s Journal says: “There are now 65 cardinals. Seven are over 80 years old; 21 between 70 and 80; 22 between 60 and 70; 11 between 50 and 60, and 4 between 42 and 48.”

—In the Catholic congress at Baltimore, Charles J. Bonaparte called forth loud cheering by the declaration that “whether the pope be an exile or a captive, a subject he cannot be.”

—Bradlaugh, the infidel member of the British Parliament, has been seriously ill for some time, and it is said that every Tract Society in England has taken a hand in deluging his house with religious literature.

—Along the valley of the Nile, from Alexandria to the first cataract, are 79 mission stations, and 70 Sabbath-schools, numbering 4,017 scholars, while the day and boarding-schools have over 5,200 pupils. There has been an increasing demand for Bibles, 6,651 having been sold the last year, with 8,933 volumes of religious literature, and 17,179 educational books.—Missionary Review.

—The telegraph announces that the Vatican is preparing a new catechism for general use. Of course it will teach the usual lesson of the inconsistency of Protestants in observing Sunday as the Sabbath, while denying the church’s authority to establish other holy days and festivals. This is a point Catholics make prominent in their religious instruction, and it cannot be denied that the charge is logical.

—The first congress of Catholic laymen of the United States convened at Baltimore, on the 11th inst. Daniel Dougherty, of New York, delivered an address, in which occurs some items which will be news to most Americans. For instance: “In colonial times the Catholics suffered direst cruelties, in comparison with which slaves were high-bred guests, and the only religious martyrs in America were the Catholics.” Again he said: “The liberty which is freedom to worship God, was established in America by the Catholics alone.”

—The pastor of the First M. E. Church of Oakland, Cal., severely scores the public because so many of them show their estimate of his sermons by nickel contributions. From an evening congregation, estimated at 1,200, there were 273 pieces of coin in the collection; of these, 120 were five-cent pieces, 111 dimes, 38 quarters, 3 half dollars, and 1 penny; total, $28.11. This is something new in statistics, and its preparation for the daily press shows a state of mind bordering on desperation. Says the pastor: “They could not get into a theater for that amount, and would not expect to, and yet they come to church and put five cents on the plate!” Well, if the doctor is preaching for money and reputation, it is no wonder that he is discouraged with the comparative rating of his performance.