p. 127 | News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 26, 1892

News and Notes.

By Editor

FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 19.

RELIGIOUS.

—The Cincinnati Presbytery has found Prof. Henry P. Smith, of Lane Theological Seminary, guilty of heresy and suspended him from the ministry of the Presbyterian Church.

—Dr. M'Glynn, the once popular New York priest, who quarrelled with his archbishop a few years ago, and was excommunicated because he refused to obey a summons to go to Rome, has at last succumbed to the papal power and returned to the church.

—The missionary schooner Hiram Bingham, fitted with a gasoline engine, which left San Francisco, October 31, for the Gilbert Islands in command of Captain Walkup, arrived at Honolulu after a passage of twenty-three days. After a short stop she proceeded on her voyage.

—Bishop Paret, of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the District of Columbia, will soon have built for him a steamer, the inside of which will be fitted as a church. The steamer will carry the bishop and his assistants to the oyster-dredging grounds on Sundays, where services will be held.

—It is reported that there is just now a remarkable cordiality between the pope and the Russian Government. The friendliness of the pope for the czar's dominion has just been manifested in a brief to the Polish bishops, in which they are exhorted to discourage insurrectionary tendencies, and to submit to the will of Providence which has made them subjects of Russia.

—The B. Fay Mills revival meetings at Omaha, Nebraska, are said to be creating a great sensation. On the 14th inst. (Wednesday) merchants of all classes, lawyers, bankers, and even saloon keepers, closed their places of business until noon, in order to attend the great meeting. The schools were closed, and it is said that at eight o'clock A. M., in 200 homes, neighborhood prayer meetings were held.

—Representatives of the Utah or polygamist branch of the Mormon Church are endeavoring to secure a foothold in this city. They still believe in polygamy, but are deterred from its practice by the prohibitory law. The old antipolygamy branch, which has for many years held forth here, is much agitated by the new innovation, especially on account of some of its members going over to the opposition.

—In a Thanksgiving sermon, delivered in the Reformed Catholic Church, Brooklyn, N. Y., Rev. Justin D. Fulton, D.D., gave a remarkable summing up of the manner in which this country is catering to Rome. But he says "the letter of the President to the pope, asking for his assistance at the Columbian Exposition, and saying that the Secretary of War should place a national guard about the convent to be built on the grounds and have it guarded day and night, as if the stuff brought from the Vatican was more precious than any other of the exhibits, capped the climax."

—Apropos of the Christmas holidays, it may be worthy of mention that Christmas originated in the Roman Saturnalia, or feast of Saturn. At one time the whole month of December was dedicated to Saturn, but under Augustus the festival was embraced in the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Afterward a fourth day, and under Caligula a fifth, were added. In some instances, however, seven days were celebrated, including three separate festivals—Saturnalia, Opalia, and Sigillaria, so called from the little earthenware figures given to children as presents. Like Sunday, and most all church festivals, it is a relic of heathenism adopted by an apostate church.

—And still another thrust at the authority and authenticity of the Bible from ministerial circles is found in the language of Rev. Minot J. Savage ("Congregational-Unitarian"), in a criticism of Mr. Moody's belief that a certain steamer was saved from wreck in answer to prayer. He is reported to have said that "Mr. Moody represents the worst and crudest form of old-time religion." And when asked if Mr. Moody's belief was not in harmony with the Bible, Mr. Savage replied: "Yes, with certain parts of it. The Bible is not a book; it's a library, and the books composing it were written at various times, covering a period of perhaps a thousand years, and of many of them the authors are unknown, as is also where they were written. Mr. Moody's belief will agree with some books and not with others." How childish all this worldly wisdom of Mr. Savage's must seem in the sight of heaven!