Religious News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Nov 13, 1879

Religious News and Notes.

By Editor

--Rev. George Muller is again preaching in the United States.

--The French Government will not allow Methodist ministers to preach to the soldiers.

--A House of Rest is to be opened at Mentone, England, for broken-down clergymen of the Church of England.

--The Baptist Weekly says that walking matches are becoming so common that they will soon excite no more interest than a prayer meeting.

--One of the Bishops of the Church of England says that it would be mockery to keep the thanksgiving feasts this year, in face of the general failure of crops!

--Bishop Peck is quoted as saying: "There is some reason to believe that the old-fashioned camp-meeting will be crucified between two 'improvements,' railroad and recreation."

--Probably the most extraordinary instance on record is that of Rev. Dr. Tucker, who has resigned a $10,000 pastorate in New York and accepted a $3,000 call to Andover, Mass.

--A rather gayly dressed young lady asked her Sunday-school class what was "meant by the pomp and vanities of the world." The answer was honest, but rather unexpected. "Them flowers on your hat."

--Rev. John Turner, in a speech before the Kansas Conference, said: "I would rather hear of my people freezing to death upon the free soil of Kansas, than to hear of them being shot down like dogs, in the South."

--On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope will offer indulgences to the faithful. The present Pope is called "liberal," but Rome never yields an advantage acquired.

--The annual conference of the British Evangelical Alliance will be held this month in Edinburgh, Scotland. Among the subjects of addresses announced are "Missions to the Heathen" and "State of Religion on the Continent."

--A correspondent of The Moravian says that body has suffered much from the absence of criticism from the outsiders. This is suggestive and instructive. Christians are never injured by the fault-findings of evil disposed persons, but often injured by their praises.

--Of the teachers of the State schools in Belgium whom the Bishops have called upon to resign, only one in eighteen or twenty have thus far complied; and if the Bishops go on to enforce the penalties they have prescribed there will be a very lively time in the churches.

--The controversy over the public schools has been sharp in Connecticut, where the Catholics, by craft, obtained many advantages. Recently the people of New Britain, by a vote of 1437 to 848, decided to erect a new school building to free themselves from the demands of the Catholic priests.

--The French mission to the Bassutas, in South Africa, reports 15 stations and 68 out-stations; native laborers, 122; communicants, 3974; catechumens, 1788; scholars in the schools, 3130. Not less than 30,817 francs were raised by the members last year, including 3576 francs for foreign, and 1710 francs for home missions.

--The General Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, in session in Pittsford, Mich., deferred the reception of a delegate from the M. E. Church, on the ground that he was a Free Mason. This action is severely censured by some religious papers; but the Connection was formed on the basis of anti-slavery and anti-secret societies, and it could not consistently do otherwise than it has done.

--The Examiner and Chronicle says that the charter of Andover Theological Seminary, Dr. Tucker cannot become a professor there until he joins a Congregational church. That is a mistake. He is allowed to be either a Congregationalist or a Presbyterian, but cannot be a Methodist or a Baptist. We are sorry for the exclusiveness, but the charter was given in the early part of the century and cannot be easily altered.—Independent.

--The crowds of Archbishop Purcell's creditors which daily assemble in the vicinity of the cathedral and archiepiscopal residence, have become more demonstrative of late and are urgent in their demands for their money and berate the cathedral priests for not paying them. The doors have been several times kicked and battered by the crowd, and Father Quinn has twice been violently assaulted by men who forced themselves into his room. One assailant came with a large stone in each hand and another with a revolver, threatening death unless their money was produced. The priest in each instance ejected his visitor by personal force.

--Last year a conference of leading Baptists from different parts of the country was held in relation to co-operation by the denomination with the American Bible Society. Upon the understanding that the clause in the by-laws of that society which alienated Baptist support in 1836 and since, had been left out in the recent revision by the Board of Managers, the gentlemen of the conference regarded a renewal of the co-operation of Baptists with the society very favorably. But it seems that the objectionable clause concerning versions made by foreign missionaries has been retained by the Committee on Versions, and the Examiner and Chronicle calls for a halt, until the course of the society has been definitely decided upon.