The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-29
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
conrqrxp ron rux wAsnlsorox UNION.

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A Statement Cbaradcod "A statement has recently been
going the rounds Of the papers that thirty thousand
Christians had been discovered upon island north OF
celebes, III the Indian Malay Archipelago who knew
the Apostles Greed and the Heidelberg Catechis and
possessed portions Of the Scriptures Capt Walter NJ
Glbson IN communication published IN the New York
Evening Post says that this must be There is
no inhabited island lying north OF Celebes except of
the large islands Of the Spanish Philippines, capable of
sustaining many inhabitants There are several slets
lying north of Celebes but only two Of sufficient extent
TO be called islands Sangr and Teoor each OF which is
about twice the extent of Staten Island and these hay
ing been recently visited known To be peoped by
few hundred Malay Bajans, who the .sea gypses
fishermen and pirates Of the Archipelago. Among the
Moincca Islands to the west of Celcbcs there to be
found some interesting of the Christian
mites founded by the missionaries who accompanied the
heroic Portuguese commander, Galyan and among the
small Islands of the Tenimber group, in the Java sea-
there have been recently discovered few native Christi
communities, the descendants of converts by Dutch
missions at Amboyna. This island has population
OF 1000 civilized Christian natives and contains unques
tonably larger native Christian population than any
other island in the Malay Archipelago The conversions
in the great islands OF the Philippines in Luzon Cebu,
Panay and others, Christianity have kept pace with
the progress of the Spanish civil authority and the Cath
Ole Church claims To have three and half millions OF
commandments in the Philippine Archipelago 1heisland
OF Mundane, abont ms large the State of New York,
which belongs to this archipelago but il not yet inclu-
ded ia what is termed the Spanish Philippines inasmueh
the greater portion Of it yet governed by its native
independent princes, is the field of active operations
on the part of the Spanish missionaries and according
to lately received statistics from Caraga and Misnis
Spanish provinces in the northern portion of the island
there about 81 900 Christian converts This island
lies due north of Celebes and am led to suppose con-
nues Capt g. that this account of Catholic converts in
Mindano joined to late accounts of small Protestant Chris
tan communities among the Moucca islanders number
ing few hundreds who know make use in the nsruc-
ton Of their children Of badly translated Heidclbmg
Catecis, have led to the statement that 30
900 Protestant Christians exist upon island in the Ma
lay Archipelago who have, until recently escaped the
observation Of the rest of the Christian world.
A CaU For Clergyman The Minneoa (Kaiisas States
man says that town is badly in want of a clergyman
and adds. ave do not want jlterate specimen of
the genus homo whom Dame Nature fixed upon for
ploughboy wood sawyer but of whom lazness made
minister, but that understands the Bible better
than do and explain 1t in understanding man
ner To what particular Church h, belongs we care not
Our religious faith il Of the broadcast kind and good
teachings from strict Presbyterian supersons Catholic
devout Mahometan are the same TO us.
u S. Convention Of Unipersaliss The General Conven
ton of Univesaliss in tho United States will in the
city of Providence, H. T. the third Tuesday and follow
ing Wednesday and Thursday in September next. 1t
promises to be an interesting occasion
Jers Christianity The London Record says: " It
has become fashionable practice with modern Judaism
to dsown and that in the strongest all feeling of
hostility to the Christian religion. letter recently APP
peared in one of the daily papers in which the writer,
jew, protests against the belief that Jews must
necessarily DE the opponents OF Christianity He main
tns that far from this being the case the Jews
enjoned by their most veleratcd authorities highly To
the work Of jesus Christ who Of the
greatest agents employed by God in preparing the way
for the coming of the true Messiah
Surolsnborgan The Maine Association of the New Je
rrsaem church iSwedenborgan) to hold its annual
session at Bangor on the 9th inst Rev. Mr.. Hayden
Of Portland and Rev Mr. Dixie, of Bath were to be
present and participate in the exercises.
Religion in Lada, On The sth Of August a tcputation
Of gentlemen connected with various societies carrying on
missionary operations in India waited upon Lord Stanley
president OF the board Of control for the purpose of cic
ting from his lordship explanation of his views and
intentions in reference to the future policy of the Indian
government in relation to Christianity in India Having
been addressed by the deputaon, his losip expressed
the opinion that in any language which might be used
by the government there should not only be insn-
certy but nothing to lead to suspicion Of insincerty
and that nothing should be promised with regard
to interference with native customs than the govern
ment felt they would be enabled under the crcum
stances to perform Great stress had been laid on the
fact that the government had in various instances come
into collision with the native obseryances that the
neutrality which they protested had in reality been
observed
He apprehended that what the Indian government
had always intended was to act upon the principle of hold
ing itself aloo from all questions involving merely diff
ferences of opinion in matters of theology OF course
did not mean that if native ideas came into collision
with the universal and he might say the everlasting
rules Of justice, those ideas should be respected There
any form of belief now existing in the world for
example, the principle that equality Of punishment
should attend equality of and such principles they
were bound to carry out in opposition to any native pre
dices feelings which might be opposed to them re-
strained only by The recollection that all innovations
must he slowly gradually made.
There great difficulty in discussing question of
this kind general principles, but what the government
had intended to assert the subcctand perhaps there
many present who would not dissent from the doc
rine that the sphere of government and the sphere
OF theological belief absolutely and entirely separate
He afraid he could hardly say that that was the re-
cognizcd doctrine of modern Europe but it was doc
rne that was making progress in modern Europe it was
doctrine which prevailed in England at the present
day it doctrine which had been carried out in the
colonial possessions of England and it was doctrine
which il seemed to him especially necessary to nssert in
country ike India.
Beautiful Inscription "A little girl about five years old
died some time since in Courtlandville NJ " of mag-
nant scarlet fever After the disease had taken complete
possession OF her. that it difficult determine
whether she recognised those who about her
mother asked her if she knew who taking care of
her The dying child looked up with SMILE the ex-
pressiveness of which be described and said
red to the slab that marks the resting place of her per-
shabe body and no words could simply express
the sublime idea of immortality.
Methodist Protestant Church We learn from their papers
that this church. like the M f. Church North, is good
deal excited ON the slavery question. sad state of
things in both cases. and all grew out of the unwse poll
cy Of ecclesastic legislation subject they had prop
erly nothing to do WITH churches whatever may have
been their duty individuals, citizens In this
spect, the whole body OF American Methoists
mitted blunder and down to the present the Church