Religious News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 26, 1879

Religious News and Notes.

By Editor

The Seventh General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church met in Chicago May 28.

A "Life" of Dr. Livingstone is to be published under the supervision of his family, having especial reference to his missionary labors.

Mr. Talmage has received a very enthusiastic reception in London. A minister less sensational in his nature would be better satisfied with a reception less demonstrative.

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has discontinued the practice of inspecting the public schools. This has been the practice, but the people were averse to it.

Dr. I. L. Kalloch, the well-known Baptist preacher, is nominated for Mayor of San Francisco by Denis Kearney's party. The eastern papers are hard on his former record on points of morality.

The Christian Register says it has "no sympathy with those who bring a railing accusation against their evangelical neighbors, as if they were all accomplices in the recent tragedy at Pocasset."

A Hampton teacher told his students there are stars so distant that their light has not yet reached our earth; to which a pupil replied:-"If Heaven is beyond them, Adam has not got there yet!"

The Religious Tract Society of London recently celebrated its eightieth anniversary. During the past year it circulated, at home and abroad, nearly 70,000,000 tracts; and since its formation, about 1,850,000,000.

The Jews in Jerusalem are very poor, receiving donations from other countries of $300,000 a year. It is proposed to the "International Commission" for their relief, to try to induce them to return to the countries from which they emigrated.

A religious paper complains of the demoralizing influence of boys fishing on Sunday, whereon a secular paper retorts that one Talmage trial is more damaging to the religious interests of the country than all the fishing that is done on Sundays.

The N. Y. Independent says the Bassein (Burmah) Karen Christians are raising ten dollars a member for the endowment of their academy; and the Baptists of the... failed in an effort to raise one dollar per member for an educational institution.

Col. Ingersoll in an oration over his deceased brother, said: "Life is a narrow vale; we strive in vain to look beyond the hights; we cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry." And for this view he wishes to destroy the hopes of Christians.

A recent convert to Christianity did not wish to give up the theatre, but went only once after her conversion, declaring the whole so changed that she found no enjoyment there. And when professed Christians do find enjoyment there, we have a right to doubt the genuineness of their conversion.

A prominent Episcopalian of Philadelphia deposits $300 to be awarded to the students in either of the Episcopal divinity schools of Cambridge, Philadelphia, Alexandria, Genesee, or Sewanee, who shall be thought by a committee, to be "the most correct, intelligent, and impressive reader of the Bible and Prayer Book."

It having been reported that no new heathen temples were being built in North-western India, a Presbyterian missionary writes that the people "are still on their idols; almost every house has them; new temples are constantly being built, in honor of these idols, and the religious bathing places and assembly grounds are crowded."

The Synod of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, recently suspended Rev. Mr. Macrae for asserting that the punishment of a lost soul with eternal torments is not reconcilable with the character of God. The indignation of the people of Gourock, where he had been settled, was so strong against the action of the Synod, that his successor had difficulty in finding lodgings in the place.

This is passing with the secular papers as a good joke; but it contains a deal of truth, and will apply to many congregations not "colored":-"What shall I preach about," said a minister to the pastor of a colored flock which he was to address. "Well most any subject will be 'ceptable," was the reply; "only I'd like to gib you one word of caution." "Ah! what is that?" "Well, ef I was you, I'd tech very light on de Ten Commandments." "Indeed! and why?" "Oh, cos I hab notice dat dey mos' always had a damp'nin' effect on de congregation."

The Presbyterian Assembly had a happy faculty of indecision in dealing with popular evils, of which the Presbyterian Weekly says:-"Be advised, all members of 'the Presbyterian church in the United States,' and of 'the Presbyterian church in America,' in good and regular standing, that these two branches of-solemnly declare that it is wrong and injurious to their children in piety and holy living for professing Christians to attend theatre or indulge in dancing; but be it known that if you indulge in such unchristianlike practices, we cannot punish you, for such wrong-doing." Oh, timid, trembling creatures we are?