Religions News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 7, 1879

Religions News and Notes.

By Editor

Bishop Wiley, of the M. E. Church, is holding the Germany and Switzerland Conference in Germany.

The present number of Protestants of all denominations in Japan is estimated to be between 3000 and 4000, having been trebled in a little over two years.

A Catholic priest in New York refused to perform the burial service, "without a handsome fee," over a man who was a Catholic, because he was to be buried in Protestant ground.

Prof. Swing now says that the theology of Prof. Patton is untrue both as to God and man. Had he not left the Presbyterian church he might now raise an interesting return prosecution for heresy against Dr. Patton.

This thing is getting tedious. A negro at Dallas, Texas, believing that God demanded the sacrifice of his family, gave poison to his wife and three children, but an irreligious physician interfered and saved their lives.

The Pacific Churchman says the "service at the Church of the Advent is made quite attractive by the surpliced choir of boys."

The "surplice," probably tickles the boys, but such "regalia" would not greatly attract if 1 Cor. 13 : 11 were followed.

The Rev. James Barney of Memphis holds that all animals not only have immortal souls, but will be rewarded or punished in the future state for deeds of this life. This will soon be the popular belief if Joseph Cook does not fall from the grace of Boston audiences.

White and colored Baptist ministers recently held a conference in Staunton, Va., to promote kindly feeling between the races. The sermons and essays of the colored delegates were considered very able, and the white brethren were surprised and gratified at what they heard.

The Evangel says Dr. Kalloch has engaged Union Hall for political purposes, where he will speak every Tuesday evening till he is elected Mayor of San Francisco. Lorenzo Dow used to set his appointments years ahead, but he never gave an appointment on so long time as this!

On the Niger River, in Africa, a captain recently died, who had been active in persecuting Christian converts, but on his death bed exhorted his people to destroy the idols. After his death they complied with a will. Two canoe loads of idols were sunk in the River, or broken in pieces where they would not sink.

Another excitement in the religious world. A minister in Ohio asked the Wooster Presbytery whether he might preach the doctrine of an "unlimited atonement," or must preach a limited atonement. The answer might seem ambiguous to those not instructed in the terms of the "Confession." It seems difficult for Calvinism to appear strictly consistent with itself and with the universal invitations of the gospel.

The Churchman notices that "Rev. Joshua Himes" has recently been ordained deacon, and assigned to a missionary circuit in Dakota. Mr. Himes is 74 years of age, but confidently expresses a hope that he is good for "sixteen years hard work in the harness of the Church Catholic." Considering his former "hope," we think this a marked instance of the fulfillment of one part of Matt. 24 : 48.

The Glasgow Mail says of Mr. Talmage : Compared with Moody, he wants earnestness; with Spurgeon, originality; and with Gough, the knowledge of platform effect. Generally speaking, had we not known that it was the celebrated American speaker who was lecturing we might have mistaken him for an ordinary Presbyterian minister making a humorous address at a first-class soiree. The audience, however, knew it was Mr. Talmage, and they laughed 'consumedly.'"

The Independent is considered always fair, but it can be severe, as witness the following:-"Dr. Kalloch, the Baptist minister of San Francisco, the man with a record, is running for mayor, and promises that, if elected, he will make it 'uncomfortable for the Chinese to stay in San Francisco.' Dr. Kalloch knows how it is himself to have it made uncomfortable to live in a city; but he ought to take his revenge on the Bostonians, and not on the poor Chinese, who never hurt him."

August 2, John Taylor satisfied Brigham's heirs by giving indemnifying bonds to the amount of $200,000, and thus escapes imprisonment. George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young, and Albert Carrington have not been so fortunate. Mormon moneyed men, who have usually helped church leaders out of difficulties, and it now looks as though the decision of the Court would be carried out, and the three apostles be consigned to prison.

The following from the Christian Observer, a Presbyterian paper of Louisville, is suggestive as to the silent manner in which error crept into the church whereby the "falling away," prophesied by Paul, was accomplished:-"The Church of Rome was once a Presbyterian Church. The Pope of Rome was once a Presbyterian pastor. And when the Roman Church ceased to be Presbyterian and became Episcopal, when it ceased to be simply Episcopal and became Prelatic, no man can tell. No human engineer can run the line in history where the Roman pastor ceased to be a presbyter and became a bishop, or where the bishop ceased and the pope began."