Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1882 — PIOUS SMALL TALK. [ARTICLE]

PIOUS SMALL TALK.

There -is a. marked increase in the numhar of the theological students in Germany. In 1870 there were 1,636; last year, 2,384. * hi v • *.. • • ’ The rumor that the archbishop of Canterbury will resign his qee Ull i e g ß his health improves, has not been contradlctedi * V-t.f K ‘ , A man has invented a ohair that can be adjusted to 800 different positions. It is designed for a boy to>sltta when he goes to church. . ‘ Open air religious services are now held every eyening in Calcutta without interruption from the police, on which occasions short addresses are delivered in English and Hindustanee. A sect called the “New Israel” has arisen among the Russian Jevys. It abandons circumcision, changes the Sabbath to the first day of the week, and abolishes the law against usury. Bishop Green, of Mississippi though upward of 80, makes an annual visitation to every parish in his extensive diocese. He has asked f>r an assistant, and certainly deserves to have one. The (Methodist,) whioh, during the past winter, haq taken considerable Ealns to gather as acurately as possile the results of the past year’s revivals in Methodist ohurohes, gives as the result 160,000 coaversions. The-Pope is about to purchase for the Vatican the largest topaz In the world. It weighs seven pounds. Lapidaries have been at work upon itsince 1882, carving thereon a representation of Jesus at the last supper. A 2,000 pound bell was recently "smugarled” into the tower of Plymouth church, Lansing. Mich., by a few persons, and the people were delightfully surprised to be called to church by its ringing the following Sunday.

The vicar of Copenhall, England, in a reoent sermon spoke of the bishops as “flunkeys" of the privy council. A meeting of the parishioners was subsequently held at which resolutions were passed calling' upon the bishop of the diocese to prooeed against the vicar for illeghl practices. A visitor to the Rev. S. F. Green, the “martyr ritualist" of England, says that time hangs heavy on the prisoner’s hands. Upon his application for something wnerein to pass his time he was graciously allowed to house all the coal that comes to the jail, that is to carry it from the carts to the bins. “Please, sir, I want a Bible," said a bright youth. The Bible was handed to the boy. who had been sept for it and was about to carry it away, But he stopped a moment and inquired: “Isit tills year's?" That boy had heard something about the revision of the New Testament, but couldn’t tell exactly what It was. The annual summary o's British contributions to missionary societies has just been completed by Canon Scott Robertson. It is as follows:. . Church of England Foreign Missions; $2,329,080: Churchmen and Nonconformist societies, $885,370: English and Welsh Nonconformist, $1,621,565; Scotch and Trish Presbyterians, $654,875. Total. $6,310,950. W.hile the school laws of Utah expressly forbid the use of public school funds for the support of sectarian or denominational^schools, the Book of Mormon and the Mormon catechism are used as text books, and the child ren have been expelled for refusal to study from them. No teachers can obtain employment in these schools except members of the Mormon church paying tithes regularly.

The Rev. Brooke Hereford resigns the pastorate of the church of the Messiah in Chicago, and accepts a call from the Arlington Unitarian church of Boston. The change will take place on the 31st of July. Mr. Hereford has been in the Chicago church for six years, and has won the high esteem of the people of that city, not only among those of his own persuasion, but without regard to denomination. The church of England is devoting much attention to waifs and strays in London streets. It has been determined, at a meeting held in the Mansion house, to establish homes in connection with the church of England for boys and girls. It was stated that a beginning had already been made, and that about SIOO,OOO would be required for its full developement. On motion of the earl of Aberdeen resolutions were unanimously passed in favor of the plan. At the formal admission, a few days since, of seven lay readers to their office at Lambrath, the archbishop of Canterbury, said: “Once it used to be thought that the clerical profession had the monopoly of spiritual instruction, and that none but an ordained man had a right to point out to his neighbors the way of life. We have outlived that prejudice, along with many others. We have learned to go back in this, as in other matters, to primitive times." After spending a season of meditative reading of the papers and magazines, these children of the forest will march to church, but It is not to be supposed that they will give very cloSe attention to the discourse of the Rev. Mr. Bwift. Their thoughts will be so much on their finery that Mr. Swift can wander off into whatever false doctrine may strike his fancy, without the least fear that his hearers wilt know anything about it.