Religious News and Notes.
By Editor
-The Mennonites are preparing to establish a mission in Alaska. -Archbishop McKennon, of Nova Scotia, died Sept. 27, of paralysis, at Antigonish, aged sixty-nine. -Rollin H. Neale, D. D., the oldest Baptist minister in New England, died in Boston, Sept. 18, aged 72 years. -A writer in the Bible Banner makes the "three unclean spirits" of Rev. 16 to be liberalism, communism, and spiritualism. -Dr. Guard, pastor of the M. E. Church of Oakland, Cal., has accepted a call to Baltimore, of the church of which he was formerly pastor. -The Russian Orthodox Church in San Francisco is reported to have some five or six hundred members. Russians, Greeks, and Slavonians are included in this. -The Christian Statesman, speaking of changes in Brazil, says: "The Government is divorcing itself from Popery; we wish we could hope it would not at the same time divorce itself from Christianity." -An article in Messiah's Herald, from a Presbyterian, of Joseph Cook's arguments against infidelity, asks: "Have you heard of any infidels convinced, or sinners converted by Joseph Cook?" "If any are, they will be converted to a lifeless theory." -Rev. S. P. Sprecher has been called by the Presbyterian Church of Oakland, to occupy the pulpit made vacant by the resignation of Dr. Eells. Mr. Sprecher is a son of the President of the Lutheran College in Springfield, Ohio, and is highly spoken of for ability. -Major Whittle, the Evangelist, and formerly co-laborer with P. P. Bliss, in a sermon in Chicago on the coming of Christ, said:— "It was a mark of the early unbelief on the subject of Christ's coming, that men looked for some spirituality, some spirit, some spiritualizing of the truth of a personal Jesus." -The Bishop of Vincennes says the debts of Archbishop Purcell amount to $4,000,000; and now they are studying methods by which the property involved "may be saved to the benefit of the church;" It looks like a conspiracy to defraud for the benefit of the church; for much sympathy has been created in his favor by his devotion to the interests of "the church," but this was shown by defrauding a host of depositors. -The Emperor of Russia has written to the Pope, taking advantage of an opening made by some communications made to him through the Prince of Bulgaria. In his letter the Emperor declares his readiness to make peace with the Catholic Church in Poland. The Sultan has also written to the Pope, stating his desire to leave full liberty to the Catholic Church in his dominions, and to preserve good relations with the Vatican. -The Russian Government is about to sequestrate the property of the monasteries. The revenues of these institutions are estimated at $2,250,000. The great bulk of their wealth consists of bullion, precious stones and works of art, which are computed to be worth from $150,000,000 to $300,000,000. The inmates will be allowed a suitable support, but all above the sum required for that purpose will be turned into the national treasury. -The New York Herald's Washington spec. says: The grand jury meets in Salt Lake next month, and for the first time since the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Reynold's case. It is understood the examination of the Endowment House will be one of the first duties presented to the grand jury, this being the place where the polygamous marriages are consummated. The United States District Attorney is instructed to proceed with a vigorous prosecution. -The Cross and Crown, Episcopalian paper, has this note: "The vigorous protest of Our Church Work (Rochester, N. Y.,) against Sunday newspapers has brought out the Catholic Times apparently in their defense. The Times asks the protestors to 'tell us in what part of the Bible it is forbidden to work on Sunday?' The object of the Times, however, is to draw on a theological controversy as to church authority." Well judged; the subject is altogether that of "church authority." -Of the observance of Atonement day in San Francisco, the Alta says: In the Temple Emanu-El services were conducted according to the rites of the Reformed Israelites. Rev. Dr. E. Cohn preached a most eloquent sermon in German. He dwelt at length upon the apparent ascendency which the worship of Mammon was assuming over the worship of God Almighty. He also spoke reprovingly of the seeming indifference with which the Sabbath was regarded. "The weekly Sabbath," said the reverend gentleman, "is as sacred, and ought to be equally observed with the yearly Sabbath, 'Yom Kippur.'" -Roman Catholics view with great concern the advance of Protestantism in Rome. Since 1870 no less than fourteen Protestant churches have been built in the Eternal City, and Protestant schools and asylums are springing up, while Protestant literature is being extensively circulated. More schools and churches are to be built, the Waldensians having some $60,000 or $65,000 in hand ready to purchase a site for a new edifice. The Catholics say, however, that, though the Protestant missionaries are numerous and active enough almost to convert the whole nation, not many converts are really won; but they express amazement that money for these missions is raised so easily.