Religious News and Notes.
By Editor
—The Grand Orient of Free Masons in France has expunged all recognition of God from the ritual. —The pope's newspaper at Rome, calls Dr. Taylor's new Baptist church in that city an "infernal hall." —Mr. Sankey, who is in London, contemplates laboring with ministers in their individual churches. —The Christian Radical says:—"If you want to see a flower garden in midwinter, go to church." —Dr. Leonard Woods recently died, aged seventy-two. He was President of Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine, from 1839 to 1866. —The Supreme Court of Indiana, in a suit of a church against a member, decided that a subscription taken on Sunday cannot be collected. —The Archbishop of Canterbury receives $75,000 a year, while over 1,000 working ministers of the same church receive less than $500 each a year. —Dr. McLeod of Philadelphia has preached against the expensiveness of funerals. A reform society, on this subject, has been organized in England, with prominent individuals at its head. —The fears entertained that Russian influence in Bulgaria would be detrimental to religion and the Bible have passed away. The Russians have favored the circulation of the Bible. —There is a colony of Mormons in London, but they are not at all prosperous. The class of men enticed into it are generally from among those who find it hard work to maintain one wife and one family. —The Jewish Messenger says: It is strange how the simple word, toleration, is misunderstood. Many who are very tolerant, of people outside their sect, are often intolerant of people and opinions within it. —Dr. Curr delivered a lecture on Col. Ingersoll's ideas, on Sunday evening last, in San Francisco. He said, "Teach men to die like beasts and you go a long way toward teaching them to live like beasts." A truth well expressed. The Rev. Dr. Hemphill states that "Christianity in San Francisco is sick and palsied." There are "Doctors of Divinity" enough there to save it, if they were to be relied upon to save a sick Christianity. Upon what basis did they get their diplomas? —More than one thousand dollars have been subscribed in England to the Palestine Exploration Fund, the especial object being the exploration of the sea of Galilee. It is expected the work will begin in the spring. One immediate object is to explore the eastern side. —Several charges were dismissed in Bridgeport, Conn., made against butchers and cigar dealers for selling on Sunday, because the complaints were defective, which charged them with selling on "the Sabbath" instead of Sunday. A good item, showing that the distinction is legally recognized. —The Congregationalist complains of the statement that no collections are taken in the meetings in Prof. Swing's church in Chicago, as proof that they have not been taught to make giving a part of worship. The worst of it is that the miserly pittance given in the Sunday collection is all that is given by many church members. —A man condemned for murder in Vermont, admitted that his guilty passion was aroused in a game of forfeits, at a "sociable" of the church of which he was deacon. He laid the blame of his downfall to the kissing forfeit which he was adjudged to pay. Satan must be pleased with churches where "sociables" take the place of prayer-meetings. —Zion's Herald says the turning of a minister, called of God to preach the gospel, to dabbling in politics and venturing into money speculations, is a spectacle to men and angels. The Christian at Work, which will be facetious even over grave matters, adds, "and a spectacle to devils too." And thinks the devil has too many spectacles of that kind. —The Christian at Work, has, very sensibly, been protesting against the nonsense contained in Sunday-school Song Books. It says, "Here is a gem from a new publication called the Tree of Life:—
"I love to see my teacher smile,
I love my classmates too;
I love to learn my lessons, while
I've nothing else to do.
"The writer of such senseless trash ought to be shelved as soon as possible." —The following from the Independent is very good. "We said that in the Cathedral fair of this city, little boys and girls were tempted by priests in their sacred robes to trade by pennies, in violation of moral law and the law of the State." The Catholic Times calls this language, 'diabolical.' If it is true, not the language, but the act described by it, may be devilish; and that it is true no Catholic paper denies. The only defense we have seen, is that in certain cases, as the election of a successor to Judas and the appointment of jurors, an appeal is had to the lot. This is like defending a man on trial for killing a man with an ax, on the plea that an ax may be innocently used to chop wood. —Barnabas and Matthias did not cast lots to see which should get the other's money without earning it." Protestant church-fair holders may take notice.