The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-14
RELIGIOUS and Ecclesiastical Items

A~S>~~~~~V"
Rev. G. P. Mathew Pastor of the Baptist
church In Bath. was made the grateful recipient
of surprise visit from large number Of his
parishiouers on Monday evening. Afterspend-
inc an hour In pleasant converse, the Rev gen.
tleman received at their hands goodly roll o.
ereenbacks, as mark of their high apprec:a-
ton of his pastoral labors.
Rev. Dr. Guthrie, of Edinburgh, has been
compelled, by disease of the heart which Is
incurable, to relinquish all active duty as pas.
tor and preacher. He, however, cannot be idle.
The Eeahgeiicdl Caristendan contains the
prospectus OF weekly magazine, to be called
the Sunday Magazine, which is to be edited
by him.
The United States Universalist Convention
meet at Concord, N. H., on the 10Th Septem-
Der inst.
hev. Thomas Rogers, the oldest minister In
the wesleyan connection died st Cornwall
England, July 9th. He entered the Confer
ence, In l7I9. HE was man OF ability and
culture, amiable and friendly, beloved by his
brethren, revered in his family, and useful and
konored in the Church."
The Bowdoinham Association will hold its
18Th anniversary with the Baptist Church in
Wayne, commencing on Tuesday, Sept. 18th
at 2 o'clock, p. IL. Annual Sermon by Rev. A.
X. Crane.
The San Francisco Pacific announces that
the First Congregational Church Of that city
have decided 10 extend call to Rev. A. L.
Stone of Boston to become their pastor, in
place of Rev. Mr.. Lacy, resigned
The Rev. Stephen Greenleaf Bulifnch has
received the honorary degree of Doctor Of
Divinity from Columbia College, Washington
ID. c., from which he graduated In 1927. Mr..
Bnllfnch is well-known Unitarian clergyf
man and this tribute to his worth and sehol-
arship is deserved by him and creditable to the
liberal spirit of his Alma Mater, which repre-
sents the theological views of denomination
differing widely from that to which the recipi-
ent ofthe degree" belongs.
REV. Mr.. STURGEON of wide world fame
bitterly denounces the Evangelical clergy for
their conformity to ritual which clearly en-
forces the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
Ahc AsSf. bCAtChdu Has DiOuEub Compbtc
hornets nest about his ears and called out
severe rebuke from the pen OF Mr.. Baptist
Noel. What gives more point to the rebuke
is the fact that Mr.. Noel is very amiable man
and belongs TO the same denomination of Mr..
Spurgeon.
Rev. Mr.. MANNING distinguished pervert
from the Church of England OBLIGATED at the
dedication ola new altar and shrine to the
Virgin Mary in Catholic Chapel in London.
The ayowed object of this ceremonial was TO
atone to the Mother of our Lord for the insults
alleged TO have been offered to her at thu
burning of the Cathedral at Santiago which oc-
Cured during the festival of the Immaculate
Conception, when three thousand women per-
ished in the flames which their love Of milli-
merry and decoration rendered SO furious and
destructive.
Mr.. Surgeons Sermons on Baptismal Re-
generation says the Liverpool Post, has got
him into difficulties which will probably take
him long time TO tide over. He has not on
ly incurred the censure and lost the friend
ship Of persons OF almost every other denomi-
nation, but he has had to submit to the casti-
CATION of one Of the fathers Of his own. The
veteran Baptist Noel has, to use language
kindred TO the subject, been faithful" with
him. In a letter recently written. he tells
Mr. Sturgeon that he has "ascribed immorali-
ty to brethren whose lives disprove the
charge" and that, In denounclng the Evan
gelical clergy as unworthy the friendship of
honest mel" he has BLASTED the memory Of
some of the most excellent men who ever
lived" He also tells Mr.. Sturgeon that he
Baptist Noel, who, before Mr.. Sturgeon was
born, was "a leader Of the people"-"values
and desires the friendship OF those Christian
men" whom MFR. Sturgeon spurns, and that,
"if for this" Mr.. Spurgeon accounts him dis
honest" be must appeal "from the judgment
OF Mr.. Sturgeon to that of God"