Religious News and Notes.
By Editor
New charges are coming up against Beecher, through the N. Y. Witness. —The Pope of Rome is reported much improved in health. —Prof. Patton refuses the call to go to England. He will remain in Chicago. —The Lutheran Synod in Central Illinois instructed their ministers not to “baptize by immersion” under any circumstances. —Alexander Clark, D. D., a well known author, and editor of the Methodist Recorder, of Pittsburg, Pa., died in Atlanta, Ga., July 7. —New York is vying with San Francisco in Sunday picnics. On Sunday, June 29, “ten thousand people made a gala day in Jones' wood.” —The union of the Irish Wesleyans with the Primitive Wesleyans proves to be more in name than in fact, as most of such unions, unfortunately, are. —Wesleyan Methodists in England expect the coming annual returns will indicate a loss of about 3000 members; the Primitive Methodists also look for a loss. —A religious paper suggests the prayer to be now used thus: “Lord, increase our funds,” because funds are valued more than faith in the church at this time. —The Tunkers have always opposed an educated ministry, and high education anyway; but lately they have bought Mt. Morris Seminary in Illinois of the Methodists. —A colored organization in southern Virginia with the big title of “Zion Union Apostolic Church,” has applied to the Episcopal Diocesan Council of Virginia for aid and counsel. —The Baltimore Methodists have decided to discountenance running Sunday trains to their camp-meetings. If some meetings the grounds will be inclosed, and the gates shut on Sunday after 10 A. M. —A Baptist minister in Maine preached Dr. Storrs' sermons, which so pleased a certain church that they gave him a call. Then came trouble. The stock of sermons failed, and they don't like the preacher! —The Chicago Times says: “The Michigan Avenue Baptist church of this city is said to have the largest debt, in proportion to its membership, of any church in the country, being $1,575, for each family in the congregation.” —The Central Baptist Church of Oakland, is under a cloud. Mr. Guirey has resigned as pastor, in consequence of the action of the church, in which, he claims that the members “sold very cheaply that which most men considered above price.” —Thos. S. Williamson, Presbyterian missionary to the Indians of the Northwest, recently died at St. Peters, Minn., aged eighty. He labored in that mission field forty-six years, and had but lately completed a translation of the Bible into the Dakota language. —The Christian Advocate says, “It is often very convenient to have generous rich men in a congregation, but it is not conducive to greatest working efficiency to have a church so constructed and toned up that it is dependent upon a few rich men for its existence.” —Says a San Francisco paper,—“It is argued, and with much show of reason, that the decision of Judge Field in the cue-cutting ordinance, following his line of argument logically, would go to legalize polygamy.” Just so, provided that we admit that wearing a cue is as immoral as polygamy. “No saba.” —There was a fracas in the French Assembly on account of the violent denunciation of the Education Bill by a Catholic member. He was three times called to order for violating the parliamentary rules, and finally censured and suspended for three days. In the quarrel members came to blows, and it is agreed that the malignity manifested against the government by the Catholics has been an aid to the Bill. —The wealthiest Jewish congregation in Chicago has divided over the subject of Sunday meetings. Rabbi Kohler tried to suit all parties by holding both days, but while the Sunday meetings were largely attended the Sabbath meetings were nearly nothing, and the Rabbi resigned. It is not so much that they love the Sabbath less, but they love gold more, and the Sabbath is a better day for trade than Sunday. —The Assembly of the “Irish Church” which considered the subject of singing any hymns or psalms later than those of David, and of instrumental music, is said to have been the most exciting that ever convened, equaled only by some political conventions. An English paper says, the ministers and two elders “wrangled, and fought, and wrestled, and hustled, physically, intellectually, and spiritually.” A modern method of serving God, to fight over the methods of worship! —At the “Church of the Saviour,” Birmingham, Eng., “conversation meetings” take place monthly, managed in drawing-room fashion, with interesting objects to look at, and music to hear. But the novelty just introduced is that at each meeting some minister of another denomination is invited to give account of the destinctive doctrines and church policy of his denomination. Afterward questions are asked and general conversation turns upon that topic for the evening. One evening it may be a Wesleyan, another a Jewish Rabbi, another a Baptist.