RELIGIOUS NEWS AND NOTES.
-In 1848, there was but one evangelical church member in all Italy. In 1872, there were 100 congregations, 10,000 communicants, and 30,000 hearers in the chapels every Sunday. -The Russian Greek church possesses 38,602 churches, including cathedrals; 12,860 chapels and oratories; 18,887 archpriests, priests, deacons and precentors; 56,500,000 members. The sums received by the church during the year amount to about $9,000,000. -The following is given as the exact status of the Mormon church, at Salt Lake city: There are 7 holy apostles, 7 patriarchs, 1,041 seventies, 492 high priests, 171 teachers, 654 deacons, a total lay membership of 10,122; 5,582 children, and a total membership of officers and laity, of 14,364 consisting of 4,154 families, counting harems as families. -The Old Testament revision company, since their first meeting on the 30th of June, 1870, have sat for four hundred and sixty days, working six hours each day, and thus have revised the whole of the Old Testament for the first time, with the exception of a part of Esther, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon's Song, and Daniel. They have also been a second time through the Pentateuch. -According to latest statistics that have been gathered, there are 8,000,000 Jews in the world, who are thus divided: United States, 73,265; Great Britain and Ireland, 42,000; Italy, 25,000; France, 49,439; German Empire, 512,158; Netherlands (Holland), 68,003; Austria, 1,600,000; Russia in Europe, 2,612,179; Turkey, 150,000; Roumania, 247,424; Morocco, 340,000, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and Canada have comparatively few Jews—they number there from 1,500 to 7,000—while Asia has 2,138,000. Most persons will be surprised at the statement that there are less than 73,300 Jews in this country, which is generally supposed to contain a great many more. Some reports make the number as high as 150,000, but this is probably an exaggeration. The statistics given here are said to be as trustworthy as can be had at present, though no published figures can be wholly depended on, as the Jews are scattered over the globe and in many places where such a thing as a census has never been taken. The two countries where Jews are the scarcest are Spain and Scotland.