Religious News and Notes.
—The Independent is busily engaged defending the theory of evolution, and trying to prove that Genesis is not a history. —It is said that Cardinal McCloskey has asked and obtained permission to erect three new bishopricks in the United States, to be under his jurisdiction. —A party of twelve Carmelite nuns, whom the people of Gautemala had grown tired of and driven away, have recently established themselves at Yonkers, N. Y. —At its late meeting, the Illinois Baptist State Association passed a resolution disapproving of the use of tobacco by Christians, and speaking of the habit as “a peculiar evil” in preachers. —The Luthern church in this country is steadily advancing. The Lutherische Kalender for 1880 reports for all the Lutherans in America, 3,087 ministers, 5,376 congregations, and 689,163 communicants. —The communicant roll of the Reformed Episcopal Church shows an increase of over 3,000 members during the past twelve months. There are now eight Bishops and upwards of one hundred clergymen. —The Tennessee Conference of the M. E. church, South, recently reported 2652 “adult baptisms,” and only 704 “infant baptisms.” From these figures it would seem that infant baptism is dying out among them. —At the election recently of a new Swiss Council of State, M. Cartaret, and his party, who promised to continue the war against the Ultramontanes and favor the Old Catholics, succeeded in gaining only three seats out of the seven. —In Rome, Italy, a Waldensian preacher lately preached against mariolatry, which called forth severe articles from the priests, bishops, cardinals, and even the Pope. Masses were celebrated and special meetings held “to atone for the outrage on the mother of God.” —Seven Belgian priests have gone to the length of prohibiting children attending the communal schools from entering their churches. In consequence the Minister of Justice has issued a circular calling attention to the existence of laws making the churches free to all. —Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey, who are to spend the winter at St.-Louis, commenced their meetings there on the 25th ult. The city has been divided into five districts, and the details of the work placed in the hands of a committee of laymen, composed of one from each evangelical denomination. —The Vice-President of the United States laid before the Senate a petition of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, representing 5009 churches and over half a million communicants, asking for a Commission of Inquiry concerning the alcoholic liquor traffic. Referred. —The Rev. George Hepworth, D. D., has had an interview with Father Hyacinthe in regard to his doctrinal position, and gives as a result the opinion that the pere is not a Protestant, except in the sense of protesting against abuses in the Church of Rome. He is still a Catholic, conducts a Catholic service, and holds essentially to the Catholic theology. —The Council of the English Church Union has determined upon the policy of resistance to Lord Penzance’s judgment in the case of the Rev. Alexander Mackonochie. Mr. Mackonochie has expressed his willingness to go to prison. His church wardens and congregation will prevent another clergyman from officiating in his place, without authority from Mr. Mackonochie. —Fine churches were charged by Dr. Tudor of St. Louis, at the recent Evangelical Alliance Conference, with being one cause why the masses do not go to church in cities. Dr. Tudor said: “Our fine fashionable churches deter the poor, argue the question as we may. ‘Go to your church with this bonnet? And it is all the bonnet I have!’ is the irresistible argument on the other side.” —Infidelity being so rife in Holland, it is scarcely necessary to say that the system of education is entirely secular, but the length to which the exclusion of the Bible is carried is somewhat remarkable. A member of a school board said to the deputation to the Christian Alliance: “If it were proposed to set a headline for a copy for the children to write the words, ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners,’ it would not be allowed, because the words are taken from the Bible.” —Cardinal Nina, Papal Secretary of State, writes to the Papal Nuncio at Brussels that the Holy See has used all efforts in the past to avoid a conflict, and that further overtures are inconsistent with its dignity. He instructs the Nuncio to return to Rome at once, if the Belgian Government recalls its Ambassador to the Vatican. The dignity of Rome was already compromised by professing good will to the Belgian Government and instructing the Bishops to continue their resistance. —The Protestant Episcopal Church has recruited largely since the war from the Southern army. Bishop Quintard, of Tennessee; Bishop Dudley, of Kentucky; Bishop Peterkin, of West Virginia; Bishop Harris, of Michigan, and two or three others, including the Bishop-elect of Louisiana, Dr. Gallisher, all served in the Confederate army, and so did at least three of the missionary Bishops appointed by the House of Bishops—Elliott, of Western Texas; Wingfield of Northern California and Penick, of Cape Palmas.