Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index .
THiEI SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. •
VOL 16—NO. 6.
Table of Content..
Fikst Paoe. —Alabama Department.: Record of
Btate Events; Spirit of the Religious Press;
Baptirt News and Notes; The Missionary Field;
General Denominational News.
Second Paoe.— Our Correspondents : Open Let
ter to a Deacon—Rev. J. H. Goss; Gainesville
Baptist Church to the Churches of the Chat
tahoochee Association; Letter from Rome,
Georgia—Rev. G. A. Nunnally; Letter from
Ban Antonio, Texas—A. K. Seago ; Woman’s
Work in Prayer—L ; Look—F. M. Blalock;
Republican Forms of Government—G. W. C.;
“No Man Liveth to Himself”—Rev. J. M Still
well; Resignation—Poetry; Vacant Pulpit.
Thip.d Page. —The Pulpit; Diversity of Talent
and Co-operation of Effort—Synopsis of Ser
mon preached January 14th, 1877, by Rev. G.
A. Nunnally, Pastor of the Baptist Church,
Rome, Georgia. Select Miscellany : “Anabap
tist”—Dr. Williams; Every Day—Poetry; The
World’s Population. Science and Education:
The Sea Serpent Explorations in Africa ; etc.
Fourth Page. —Editorial: The Holy Sabbath ;
Unwise; The Religions Press; Chattahoochee
Association; Do your Duty; The Mission of the
Press; Stone Mountain Church; Rev. J. B.
Cheves; Georgia Baptist News; Raptist Rec
ord-Rev. D. E. Butler. Help Now—Our Mis
sion Cause—Rev. C M. Irwin. Editorial Para
graphs.
FirtE Page. Secular Department: Lfterary
Gossip; New Books; Personal; Georgia News;
Foreign and Domestic Notes.
Sixth Page. —The Sunday-school : Elijah and
Hie Sacrifice —Lesson for Bunday, February
18,1877. Household and Children’s Depart
ment: How Luther Paid Bill—Concluded; Ger
man Enigma—Poetry; Hints for Girls; An
swer to Enigma. Missions : “Teach the Na
tions”—An Earnest Aopeal for Help—The
Object—What is it ?—C. M. Irwin, Agent of
Missions for Georgia.
Seventh Page.— The Farm : Georgia Farm
Notes; Live at Home; The Farmer's Wife—
Poetry; The State Grange Meeting; House
hold Recipes.
Eighth Page. —Editorial Paragraphs. Commu
nications. Marriages. Obituaries. Advertise
ments.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
Mr*. Rebecca Paul, of Greenville, is 96 years
old.
The General Assembly adjourned sine die on
the 9th inst.
The Good TemplaraoCTuscumbia have had
quite a revival.
The Ladies’ Aid Society of Montgomery has
sent sll9 to the Tuskegee Orphans’ Home.
A contract has been given to build anew
Baptist church in Dadeville.
At Columbiana, the local option election re
united in a feat of t|ie prohibitionpta.
“Hog and hominy,” is the watch word
among Alabama planters this season.
Candidates for county offices are “as thick
as peas in a pod,” all over the State.
The citizens of Jefferson county organ
ize an Agricultural and Mechanical Associa
tion, February .' la.
Rev. Jame3 V Graham, of Lowndes coun
ty, has moved to ; -xford, Miss. He was once
Probale Judge oi iowndes.
The wheat crop n Chambers has not been
injured, and the prospects are flattering for a
heavy yield.
The Insane Asylum is crowded with pa
tients. The accommodations for these unfor
tunates ought to be increased.
D. B. Booth, of Prattville, has been appoint
ed and confirmed collector of the 2d district of
Alabama.
The Governor has signed the bill requiring
emigration agents, operating in Barbonr coun
ty, to pay a license.
The building of the new Alabama and Chat
tanooga railroad bridge over the Warrior is
progressing rapidly.
Rev. Dr. Hawthorne administered the ordi
nance of baptism to nine persons at the Ist
Baptist church, Montgomery, Sunday morn
ing, February 4tb.
The new union depot at the foot of Com
merce street, Montgomery, is nearly complet
ed, and trains will arrive and depart to and
from it in a few days.
During the big snow, W. V- Gilliland and
others, killed 54 deers within an area of 12 by
4£ miles on Blount mountain.
Rev. N. W. Williams preached at the Bap
tist church in Troy, recently. After the ser
mon he look up a collection for the Foreign
Mission Board. He subsequently lectured on
the subject of the Chinese missions.
The St. Clair H£gi* trots out Mr. Warren
Davis, of St. Clair county, as the champion old
man of the State. He is now 110 years of
age, in good health, and ten years ago married
his second wife.
The Montgomery Advertiser of the 6th inst.,
says; “The music of the first Baptist church
this evening, upon the reception ot the Grand
Lodge of the Independent Order ot Odd Fel
lows, will be of a very high character. The
choir of this church is one of the best ever
formed in our city, and consists of the follow
ing musical talent under the leadership of
Professor G. W. Thomas: sopranos, Mrs. A.
H. Moses, Misi A. Hutchinson and Mrs. J.
T. McDonald; contraltoes, Mrs. M. C. Jones
and Miss Mitelyne Jones; bass, Messrs. Shep
herd and Titcomb.
THE SOUTH-WESTERIT BAPTIST,
or Alabama.
Spirit of the Religious Press,
—Rabbi Blake; in an article in The Chris
tian at Work, says of tbe differences between
the Reformed and the Orthodox Jews that
“neither party has preserved Judaism as it
originally was; but has reformed it—the latter
by increasing its burdensomeness, the former
by casting ofl not only these additions, hut
much thaLis essentially Jewish. The tendency
of is toward absorption by Christian
ity, andN in a few years we might look to see
these vefjfkdvanced Hebrews in the fold of the
church, wfere not signs apparent of a reaction
toward the older faith.” He believes that the
two parties will yet be re-united, and that
there will be “peace again in the camp of
Israel."
The true life that we should lead in this
world, the necessity for accumulating soul
wealth in place of the paltry and filthy lucre
of earth, is finely stated by the Illustrated
Christian Weekly;
Too often it is the case that the great estate
left here, to be divided among heirs, repre
sents a destitute soul oil its way to the judg
ment of God. For there are poor rich men as
well as rich poor men. A look beneath the
surface of things reverse* the decision in regard
wealth. Our Lord’s stwnling question,
What shall it profit a span, if he gain the
whole world aud lose his own soul ?’’ is terri
bly suggestive. This leaving everything be
hind when one dies, except unforgiven sin,
and appearing before God, naked, destitute,
aud uniorgiven, is as complete a waste of life’s
opportunities, as complete a destruction ot
lit’es hopes, as it is possible to conceive,
Abraham said t:. Dives, “Remember, that thou
in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things.”
Purple and fine linen and sumptuous living
are not durable riches. Such things cannot be
carried into the other life. They belong to
this world, and their possessor must leave them
when he dies.
Soul-wealth, however, can be carried into
Heaven. It is spiritual power sanctified by
Christ. In the quality of the soul, in exper
ience, in receptivity, in helpfulness, it is a
blessed reality. Heaven is the place for the
true enjoyment ot soul-wealtb. Some Chris
tians aie “saved as by fire.” Their soul
wealth is small, while others have “an abund
ant entrance ministered unto them,” because
their soul-wealth is large.
—The Free Church Record has the following
on the Waldensians, and the progress of this
ancient and honored church in Italy :
This church thirty years ago consisted of
fifteen parishes, with their pastors; now there
are in addition, and scattered oyer the whole
one spuall Waldensian church, shut up within
tbe limited area of the Valleys, is now thor
oughly missionary and evangelistic, spieading
the knowledge of Christ over a wide and deep
ly interesting field ol labor. But if rich in faith,
the church is poor as regards this world’s
goods, and greatly needs and merits the liberal
gifts of the children oi God in all lands. Two
students from the Valleys are attending the
New College (Edinburgh) this session—M.
Vinaj and M. Rochat. The students who
were in Scotland last winter have returned to
Italy, and have entered up their work as min
isters there.
—The Congregationalist contains an editorial
on “Religion in American Colleges,” two or
three points in which are specially suggestiye
of thought. After pointing out the relative
decrease in the nnmber of graduates who enter
the ministry, it Btates that facts indicate the
same relative decrease in the number of col
lege students who are Christians.
In regard to the former it may be said that
the relative number of those having the min
istry in view, who lake a college course, has
not increased nearly as rapidly as those pur
posing to enter other avocations. While this
will partially account for the decrease of
ministerial candidates in colleges, it can have
no weight in regard to the proportionate
number of Christian students. Again, after
passing in review the number of Christian
students in the prominent colleges of the coun
try, the conclusion is drawn that “in general
religion holds a more important place in
Western than in Eastern colleges. A larger
proportion of Western students, of professors
and instructors, are Christian men; and the
denominational colleges ate usually under
more direct religious influences than in the
East.”
The writer is also of the opinion that the
popular idea that a disbelief in the diyine
character of Christianity fo prevalent in our
colleges has no basis in fact; that the intellec
tual assent to the fundamental truths of Chris
tianity is very general; and that there is
nothing of special consequence in the air of
the average college life to invite disbelief and
doubt. But there is danger, and it is thus
pointed out:
As, in general, the progress of Christianity
is hindered more by the dead-weight of
1 ‘moral’’ men than by forcible opposition, so in
our colleges, Orthodoxy has more, far more, to
fear from the negative attitude which students
assume toward religion, than from their
accepting the dogmas of Pantheism, Cosmism,
or Rationalism Imagining that neither the
Bible nor the Philosophy of the Unconditiou
al can give a satisfactory answer to their in
quiries after truth, many of them accept John
Locke’s advice, aDd settle down into “quiet
ignorance.”
All those who are intimate with college life,
will agree, we think, in the statement, that
nowhere is the light of piety seen more clearly
or better appreciated, and nowhere is hy
pocrisy more heartily despised, than on college
grounds. It is shams, of every description,
that the prevailing sentiment of college stu
dents is against.
FRANKIJN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY ; 5) 1877 .
—Here D a subject worthy of the most
prayerful c insider at ion for immortal souls,
and it is finely touched upon by 2’he Golden
Rule:
It is undeniably true that we live in an age
of great mental activity. A thousand questions
of duty invite us to daily decisions. A'thou
sand problems challenge investigation. The
age is tempestuous with speculations, and
every man is the center of converging whirl
winds, and needs to lash himself to some
granite column for support. When mental
uncertainty has passed beyond a certain point,
it is not the source of growth, but of torture.
There are mysteries in religion that we can
never understand. Never by searching shall
we find out God. In Him are depths no thought
of man may ever sound. Life, too, is intricate;
and not seldom must we grope blindly, and
feel our way along as a blind man feels his
way, keeping close to the friendly wall. But,
on the other hand, all that is essential for us
to know, all that is needed for guidance and
consolation, is within our reach. All men,
especially those who are young, should be
urged to be positive in their belief. Base not
your faith on ignorance, but on an intimate
acquaintance with the inspired volume. Be
diligent students of the Word. Skepticism has
•wo Bources in our day—an overweening pride
of intellect, which disdains to sit as an humble
learner ai the feet of God; and superficial
knowledge of the Scriptures. These are the
two fountains of bitterness from which flow
waters that quench no thirst, and drinking
which you will imbibe fever and delirium!
Avoid both; and remember that no pilgrim
ever went to the oracle of God, seeking needed
wisdom how to live, briuging in one hand
humility, and in the other gratitude, as offer
ings to us shrine, but that received at last,
although at first its face was as marble, the
needed message.
—Concerning “the oldest Baptist editor, the
Biblical Recorder remarks:
The editor of the Baptist, formerly the Ten
nessee Baptist, Rev. J. R. Graves, D.D,
sends us a note in which be states: “Since
Dr. Olmstead’s resignation (Dr. O. did not re
sign, he says himself he was left out by the
Board of Publication) of the editorial charge
of the Watchman, Boston, Massachusetts, who
took charge of that paper in 1846, the same
year we took charge of the Baptist, we are un
questionably the oldest Baptist editor in
America, and doubtless in the world, having
edited the same paper thirty years.” We
agree with the Doctor, and think that after the
general publication of this notice he can retire
from editorial life. He needs rest.
—The Standard has the following well
considered thoughts on what it calls “con
ecience Baptists”:
There can be no manner of doubt that the
great majority of professing Christians, who
become members of Baptist churches, are in
fluenced by conscience, and that fewer persons
unite with Baptist eft arches from considerations
ie from yptjrfa,
victions of dutyj man With another evangeficat
churches put together. The reason of this
is obviously the more perplexing and exact
ing conditions of admission into the Baptist
fellowship. These area full and minute rela
tion of what is termed Christian experience
prior to baptism; the requirement of public
baptism itself (a term which Pedobaptist per
version makes it almost necessary for us to
translate into its only English synonym, to
wit, immeision) ; and, in addition to these, the
surrender of more or less sentimental doubt
on the subject of what is called, somewhat
reproachfully, “ close communion," but which is
in reality only close baptism, or in other words
close obedience to the divine precept. These
three things are crosses of varying magnitude
which rise up in the way of all professedly
converted persons, whose ordinary associations
bring them into sympathy with Baptists. In
many cases they are gladly taken up and car
ried so willingly that they no longer seem to
be burdens. The rod of duty is at once cover
ed with the blossoms of delight. Others stum
ble at these crosses, and need counsel, argu
ment, and encouragement to urge them on to
an obedience which they cannot altogether—
or at least with entire recklessness— withhold,
It is from this class that the Pedobaptist
churches are now and then—perhaps even
frequently—recruited with members who are
Baptists by conscience, but recreants by con
duct. Nor is it surprising that many minds,
tender and not disingenuous, should be easily
affected by the persistent and positive denials
of Baptist requirements as Scriptural and au
thoritative, with which older Christians, and
Christian ministers themselves, meet the hes
itations, solicitudes and appeals for instruc
tion, made to them bv such seekers after truth.
BAPIST NEWS AND NOTES.
—Senator Johnson, oi Virginia, has preesnt
ed a petition asking the removal of the politi
cal disabilities of Rev. J. L. M. Curry, D.D.
—The Eutaw Place church, Baltimore, will
have a tablet to the memory of Dr. Fuller at
the side of the pulpit. There is also to be a
monument at his grave in Greenmount Cem
etry, costing $1,550, contributed by members
of his own and other Baptist churches.
—The German Baptists, or Dunkards, have
issued their first weekly newspaper in English-
Its title is The Brethren at Work, and is
printed at Lanark, Illinois. The name by
which they are commonly known is a nick
name; the acknowieged title of the sect is
“Brethren.” They originated in Germany in
1708, and in 1819 came to Pennsylvania, un
der the leadership of Alexander Mack, and
settled at Germantown, now a part of Phila
delphia. They are most numerous in Penn
sylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Kansas, lowa and Missouri. They
are uncompromising peace men, and will not,
under any circumstances, take part in war.
Litigation among their members is absolutely
forbidden, differences being settled by church
councils. In dress they resemble the Quakers.
Ministers among them receive no salaries, but
follow secular callings. They practice the
washing of feet as a religious ceremony, and
dip candidates for baptism thrice in the water.
—The Journal and Messenger, speaking of
the frequent accession to our ranks of Free-
will Baptist ministers, says : “Our Freewill
Baptist brethren are becoming more logical
and more Scriptural, year by year, as witness
ed by the frequent cases of change on the part
of their ministry—so many are seeking a place
in the ranks of the Regular Baptists. We
ought to heartily thank our brethren for this—
that they educate young men,and give them a
fair pastoral experience, and thus fit them the
better to take their places among us.
The spirit of compromise is a token of
decay. When a people soften their creed or
relax their rules, to allay the prejudices of
opposing sects, or of the general public, the
worm is at the root of their vigor, if not of
their vitality. To make peace with “the spirit
of the age” in this way, is to take a deadly
wound from it.
—Rev. Dr. Graves has lieen elected to sup
ply the First church at Memphis, until a pas
tor is elected.
The church at Lebanon, Tennessee, rep
sented Elder J. M. Phillips, their late pastor,
with an elegant silver service, as a parting gift
when he left them to take charge of the First
church in Chattanooga.
—Statistics show that the Baptists of In
diana now number 41,000. Rev. A. J. Essex,
the Financial Secrelaay, asks that 500 of that
41,000 shall pay §seach to State Missions this
year, and that others in greater numbers pay
less sums aB they may be able.
—Dr. Graves claims to be the oldest Baptist
editor on the continent, having edited one
paper for thirty years.
—ln the fifth annual sermon, recently deliv
ed by Rev. W. A. Nelson, pastor of the Edge
field (Tenn.) Baptist church, he gave a care
ful and interesting review of its history for the
past year. He showed that there had been
eighty-onz additions and a net increase of
fifty-four; that the church had contributed
§4,612 10 for all purposes; that there were
three •unday-scliools connected with the
church—the home school and two Missions—
and that these had an aggregate membership
of five hundred and eighteen, and had con
tributed, in cash, during the year, §1,015 50.
Brother Nelson became the pastor of this
church five yeare ago, when the membership
was twenty-lour. The present membership is
threehundred. The church has the most
beautiful house of worship in the city.
—Many of our California churches are
receiving considerable additions, at the pres
ent time, and there seems to be a commenda*
earnest wofk existing among
jaioi Altai feo|lle. * f * '
—•The Baptist Association in Maryland is
over forty years old. They report 10,366
members this year, an increase of 1,056. Of
the whole number 3,000 belong to colored
churches. In the District of Columbia there
arc 12 colored Baptist churches, with 8,000
members, against seven white churches, with
2,000 members.
The Missionary Field,
—lt lias been calculated that for every
pound sterling England expends in missions,
she receives ten in trade, and the same ratio
will hold in the United States.
—At Laguna, New Mexico, is a mission to
a “band of the ancient Aztecs,” and the little
chapel is crowded, and the doors and windows
filled by those who fail to get inside.
—Four converted Kaffirs have gone to labor
in the Livingstonia mission, in Africa, re
cently planted on the borders of Lake Nyassa.
The mission is thus named in honor ot Dr.
Livingstone.
—The work of missions is the great aßd
commanding enterprise of the age. Before it,
the most colossal schemes for tunneling moun
tain, and constructing ocean telegraphs,
shrink into insignificance. The Suez canal is
a small thing compared with the opening of
Japan to the gospel
—A late official report to the British Par
liament states that thirty-five Protestant mis
sionary societies now maintain 606 missiona
ries in India, including 551 ordained min
isters. These occupy 522 principal and 2,500
subordinate stations. Besides these, there are
381 ordained native ministers, 78,494 commu
nicants, and a Christian population of 318,363.
The native contributions to Christianity in
1772 amounted to about SBO,OOO, or over one
dollar per capita of the communicants —a
liberality transcending the average of Chris
tion churches in England and America.
—The English Wesleyan Year Book for
1876-7 reports the receipts of the Foreign Mis
sionary Society at $795,530. To this add $155,-
000 received by the Canadian Missionary So
ciety, and the total income reaches $950,530,
an increase of $30,000 over the previous year.
With this sum 5,167 paid agents are main
tained and 651 central or principal stations
occupied in vaiious parts of the world.
—The largest society for carrying on Mis
sionary work among the Jews, is that of Lon
don, which has an income of over one hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars a year. Item
ploys 118 laborers in Europe, Asia and Africa.
—A calculation has been made, showing
that the Presbyterians in America give consid
erably more per member for foreign missions
than any other denomination.
—A new departure has been made showing
that Mr. Moody, the evangelist, is not the
slave of any system. At his meetings in other
THE OHCZRsXSTI-A.lSr
of Tennessee.
cities, no collections have been asked for until
the close of the meetings; But in Boston, we
read that there is a free-will offering at night.
Oae night eight thousand envelopes were is
sued Of these, oflly 2,961 were returned, and
of these, again, 553 were empty. In the others
were Bums varying from 1 cent to §25, and the
total amount was §2,390.68.
The Rev. T. H. Bliss, in speaking of the
results of the Church Missionary Society’s
work in India, said, when he went to that
country in 1861, there were eight Piotestant
Missionary Societies at work (the Roman
Catholics also having missions,) with 319 sta
tions; but so much zeal had sprung up that the
number of stations had nearly doubled, being
now 680. With regard to the missionaries he
found that in 1861 there were 379 ordained
missionaries at work, now there were 600, and
there was also a gratifying increase in the
number of native ministers. When he (the
speaker) went there, there were 97, now there
were 380. What a wonderful increase in fif
teen or sixteen years ! Then as to the native
congregations, they had increased in the same
time from 971 to 3,000, or an increase of more
than 2,000, and the number of converts had
risen enormously, and the number of commu
nicants from 25,000 to 90,000 Let them, for
instance, consider what an increase it would be
considered if the number of communicants in
one of their churches had increased from 25
to 90. Let them, then, turn them into thous
ands, and it would give them some idea of its
results.
The Rev. Mr. Wilkinson, at the recent
annual convention of ministers end others in
Glasgow, gave an interesting account of his
labors among the Jews in London, in the
course of which he staled that there were from
20,000 to 30,000 Christian Jews in England ;
while on the continent, more lhan 400 convert
ed Jews were now preaching the gospel of
Christ as ministers and missionaries.
From the Tuskegee News we take the follow
ing brief, yet beautifully suggestive comments
on the death of Rev. Jacob Watson, the oldest
Baptist preacher in Alabama, who peacefully
entered into his heayenly rest, December 19,
last, at the age of ninety-six years and ten
months :
Brother Watson had been a member of the
Baptist church, more than half a century, and
had spent forty years of his life in preaching
the gospel. He continued to discharge the
duties of his high and holy calling with much
taithfulress until the infirmities of age forced
him to retire! Many hm*ireds of people bill
in Georgia and Alabama, can testify to the ef
fective persuasiveness of his ministry. A gen
tleman whose privilege it was to sit under the
ministry of Father Watson in 1848, says:
“The people of Georgia and Alabama never
had a more acceptable preacher." The last
fifteen years of his life were spent in waiting
and watching for the messenger to call him to
his heaveuly home. He passed peacefully and
and without a struggle to his eternal reward.
T. N. Bhodes’ Classical School,
Newnan, Ga. —The following interest
ing communication in the Newnan
Herald, explains hself:
Newnan, Ga., Jan. 12, 1877.
Editor Newnan Herald Permit us
through your columns to pi Wish an instance
of remarkable progress in Greek. Mr. B. J.
Roop, of Camollton, Ga., has been taking
private lessons for fifteen days under T. N.
Rhodes, principal of English and Classical
school, Newnan, Ga. Mr. Roop learned the
Greek alphabet the first day; and in the
short term of fifteen days, acquired a gene
ral knowledge of the Greek Grammar—is
now able to translate the Greek Reader.
The undersigned being invited to examine
Mr. Roop, found him able to read and parse
in the Greek Testament understandingly.
Considering the very short time employed,
we have never known such an instance of
progress. Mr. Roop is a gentleman and a
close student, and we feel that this notice is
due to his diligence.
F. M. Daniel,
Lavender R. Ray.
A PARENT’S EXAMPLE.
L was a bright eyed little boy
about four years old. His patents were
devotedly attached to him. They wore
both members the church, and his
father was an officer in it, but because
of his timidity had never erected a
family altar in his home, and in conse
quence of this, little L had never
heard his father’s voice in prayer.
L ’s mother had taught her little
boy to pray every evening before re
tiring, and was earnestly trying to raise
him up in the nature aud admonition
of the Lord. One evening after the
little fellow rose from his knees, as he
was climbing into bed, he said:
“Ma, when I get to be a man, I won’t
have to pray, will I?”
“Yes dear,” said the mother; “you
will always have to pray to God, for
He loves vou.”
“Well, father doesn’t pray, and he is
a man.”
The above is a true incident. I give
it just as it was related to me by the
child’s mother. I need not add that
the father has a family altar in that
home now. I hope that the eye of
some other Christian parent who never
prays with his family may fall on it.
Fathers, see to it. Li:tie eyes are
watching you, and if vour.fathers don’t
do it, “little eyes,” asit them to.
WHOLE NO. 2256.
General Denominational Hems,
—A sad commentary on “Ritualism” in the
Church of England system is given in the fol
lowing account of a disgraceful scene in a
church at Hatcham, England: “The Rev.
Mr. Tooth, of St. James’, Hatcham, notwith
standing his suspension by the Court of Arches,
conducts the services of his church as usual’
December 31st there were large congregations,
while a crowd gathered outside, and during
the service frequent cries were raised of “Come
in and see the pantomime,” “Why don’t you
go to Rome?” Several fights took place;
ladies fainted, and had to be carried from the
building. Two policemen were present, their
services being several times required to restore
anything like order. At last a reinlorcement
of constables arrived from Deptford, and the
service was brought to a close. It is said that
Mr. Tooth has discovered a flaw in the Public
Worship Regulation Act, through which he
hopes to evade the legal consequences of his
acts.
—The Methodist Almanac for 1877 reports
the statistics of the Episcopal Methodists of
the United Slates to be 19,433 traveling
preachers, 25,656 local preachers, and 3,043,-
709 members.
—A minister from Boston, speaking at one
of the Moody and Sankey meetiugsat Chicago
pictured the field to which the revivalists have’
gone—Boston—by stating that one-third of all
the infidelity in the United States is in New
England, one-third of all that lain New Eng
land is in Massachusetts, and one-third of that
of Massachusetts is in Boston.
—The “Catholic Directory” for 1877 re
ports that the number of Catholic churches in
this country is 5,292; of priests, 5,297. The
estimated Catholic population is 6,200,000.
—Tne Associate Reformed Presbyterian, writ
ing of the lately published statistics of Synod,
says: “Only one pastor in the Synod is
promised SI,OOO, three are promised SBOO
each, one is promised $750, five are promised
S7OO, two SGSO, several get SSOO, and others
less sums running down to S2OO. Taking the
thirteen pastor? of the First Presbyteiy, whose
promised salaries are reported, and the aver
age is only $535. In the Second Presbytery
the average is about $570. In the Memphis
Presbytery the table is so incomplete that no
average can be obtained. In the Alabama the
average is $715. In the Tennessee it is $424.
In the Ohio it is $651. In Kentucky it is
S6OB. iu the d.bei ‘Vwbyterios ,I; F figures
are incomplete. v
—On the much discussed theme of churches
and taxation, Governor Robinson, of New
York, in his recent inaugural address wisely
says: “It is proper to refer in this connection
to propositions which are sometimes made to
increase the valuation by changing the policy
which has always prevailed in this State of
exempting churches, schools, and hospitals
from taxation. I cannot too Btrongly express
my disapproval of any such change. Our
people of all classes and all creeds have aur
rounded themselves with these institutions of
civilization, which are foremost in the influ
ences that diminish the expense of government
by lessening the infractions of law. They
should not be discouraged by the imposition
of burdens from which they have hitherto been
exempt.
—The Southern Methodist Publishing
House, which was announced to be in financial
straits owing to a debt of $260,000 reports its
assets at $276,842 and its liability at $315,851.
—Messrs. Moody and Sankey are invited to
San Francisco, California, at the close of their
work in Boston.
—The new Trinity (Episcopal) church in
Boston, which has been several years in build
ing, is now nearly completed. It has cost,
with the land, about $750,000.
—There are altogether about 60,000 minis
ters of the various denominations in the United
States. Of these 19,517 are Baptists, 20,453
Methodists, 3,233 Independents, and 3,140
Episcopalians.
—Rev. A. T. Norton, D. D., Superintend
ent of Missions for the Synod of Illinois South,
has resigned his position after eighteen years
of faithful and successful service in the special
work of the Presbyterian church.
—The bell of the old Christ Church, Phila
delphia, which bears on itthe date of 1702,
and was hidden daring the Revolution in the
interior of the State in order to prevent its
capture by the British, is now erected upon
Christ’s Hospital,
—A whole village of Switzerland has gone
over in mass from the Catholic to the Prot
estant church, because they suspected the
Catholic curate of removing a favorite teacher
from their school. They could get no help
from the Bishop and the Mayor and the whole
community have called a Protestant pastor.
The bill creating Cullman county has be
come a law, and appoints Thou. C. Wilhite,
T. W. McMin and Pleasant Williams a Board
of Commissioners, to divide the county into
election precincts, and designate the places of
voting therein. The election for officers and
to elect a permanent county seat takes place on
Tuesday, March 6th.
—The Board of Missions of the Irish Pres
byterian Church has appointed the Rev. J. D.
Pirie, B. A., of the Dublin Presbytery, mis
sionary to Vienna, to strengthen the Jewish
mission in that city.