Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1882 — PIOUS SHALL TALK. [ARTICLE]

PIOUS SHALL TALK.

The British ‘Wesleyan thanksgiving ftind has reached a total of over $1,600,000. Mr. Garry Brooks has given SBO,000 to found a Brooks professorship at Oberlin college. Dr. J. W. Webb says that when God gets a dollar out of a man’s soul it makes a hole that permits the divine light to shine in. A young lady, on being asked where her native place was, replied, “I have none; lam the daughter of a Methodist minister. It is said that 16 out of 20 prominent infidel lecturers in England during the past 20 years have embraced Christianity. Tlxe sad news has been received from India that Rev. Mr. Carlson, one of the missionaries of the Lutheran church in that country, has become insane. The London city mission employs 441 missionaries, paid 3,143,601 visits last year, and Induced 6,749 persons to attenu worship. The lord mayor presided at tbe annual meeting. The Swedish Baptist ohurches of Minnesota, of which there are about 40, are taking a lively interest in foreign missions, and especially the women’s circles are contributing quite largely to this objeot. Governor Hoyt, of Wyoming, says that the Sabbath in Cheyenne is as quiet as any village in Massachusetts, and he attributes the Improved moral condition of the place to woman suffrage, which prevails in the state. The remains of what was evidently a Christian church have been discovered in Athens, Greece. A sarcophagus, bearing inscription showing it to be the remains of a minister, together with clerical robe, was found Intact. Bishop Crowther, of the Niger, has arrived in England, accompanied by his grandson, Mr. Hugh Stowell Macaulay, who acts as his secretary. The bishop’ * object in visiting England is to confer with the authorities with reference to important matters affecting his dioees. Mr. Spurgeon says he regards it as a reason for devout gratitude that he has been spared to produce each a library of sermon?, now numbering 1,635. He feels, however, that he has only coasted around the marvelous subjects which fill the Scriptures, and that he is now but at the beginning of his divine theme. On the question of disestablishment of the Scottish kirk, Scotch public opinion is divided somewhat after this manner: Episcopalians, law and clerical, are opposed to it; in the Free kirk, ministers, as a rule, support it; layman oppose it; among United Presbyterians, a majority of ministers and people are in favor of disestablishment.

The pagan priests of a Japan village have posted the following notice, whioh is signed by all the inhabitants: "Therefore, we agree that if any native of this village becomes a Christian, we will cease to have any intercourse with him, and if any person dwelling here, not being a native, embraces the foreign creed, we send him back to his birthplace.” The Rev. Mr. Bourne, an influential and honored minister of the Bible Christian church in England, is making an official tour "round the world.” At latest dates he hoped to reach Ban Francisco early this month, and after journeying eastward and doing some sight seeing in the United Btates go to Canada in time to open the Bible Christian conference on June 7. At the recent meeting of the general synod of the church of Ireland it was stated that the temperance movement in the past four years had had unprecedented success. The temperance society now counted 60,000 members, or more than one-tenth of the whole church. The amount reported for foreign missions was about $65,000. A flood of manuscripts has been pouring into Rome in response to an offer of four gold medals as prizes for the best eulogium upon Leo XIII. They were reduced by selection to seven for final decision. Two of the winners are American, and not one Italian. The pope has, however, rewarded all with the cheaper decoration of his benediction. The Zenana societies, which provide facilities for educating to some extent the women and girls of the east, are increasing in number and added yearly to their forces. . One of the societies, which is supported by the church of England, reports 1,399 pu{>ils in Zenanas, besides 16,648 scholars n schools. It employs 32 missionaries, and its field in the east extends from Bagdad to Punjaud. The southern Presbyterians have been in doubt whether to hold their general assembly in Atlanta, Ga., the place appointed, or somewhere else. Small pox has been rife among the negroes, and it is thought by many to be unsafe for delegates from all parts of the south to meet in the infected city. The president of the Atlanta board of health assures the timid, however, that there is no danger of infection, and that the protection is thorough. The church of England temperance society reports 339,687 members in dioceses, against 302,601 members last year in 20 dioceses. The chairman, Canon Ellison, reviewed Mr. Gladstone’s budget and expressed gratification at the falling off since 1875 of two and a half millions sterling in the revenue from strong drink. In wine, which is consumed chiefly by the higher classes, there had been a decrease of one-fifth.