The Portland daily press., 1868-07-04
Religious Intelligence

campaign document by the Republicans
Religious Intelligence.
Rev. r. j. Langridge closed his labors last
Sabbath with the Baptist church in New
Gloucester, and has accepted the unanimous
call to the passionate of the church in Mechanic
| there tomorrow.
Ten baptisms occurred in Watervlle last
| Sunday and three in Windsor.
The interchange of civilities between the
Universalists and Untarans is not likely 10
lead to any closer union. The Banner reports
Gov. Washburn as saying at Norway last
week, IF our church would accomplish any
thing, it must be cooperative and positive. 1t
must bind and not scatter. The policy of the
Unitarian scot is destructive because OF its ut
ter lack of this very element. If we should
unite with them and be governed by their poll
cy, we should be as weak in fifteen years as
they are to-day" 1
The New England Conference of the Afri-
can Zious M e. Church held its session in
Boston last week. Bishops Talbot Clinton
and Jones were in attendance. A spirited re-
port on the State of the Country was adopted
denouncing the Republican party for abandon
ing the rights of loyal men in their surrender,
at Chicago, of suffrage to the States. 1t claim
ed that Congress should secure to all the ma
ton this national privilege.
Professor Pepper, formerly pastor of the
Baptist church at Waterville, has resigned the
chair of ecclesiastical history at Newton The
illogical Seminary to accept the professorship
OF theology in the new Baptist Seminary in
E<nnsy
elected to fill the vacancy.
There seems to be reason to fear that a
more vigorous attack is to be made by the Ro-
man Catholics upon the unsectarian system of
tree schools. The German Catholic Union,
which recently met in New York, is well or
ganixed and enthusiastic army of laymen-
which is ready to enforce the well known OPP
position of the priesthood to our common
school system. Three resolutions which they
passed will show their animus The first urges
that Catholic children be sent only to Catho-
lie schools; the second that each member sex.
ert all his personal influence that more good
Catholics be appointed as. teachers in the pub
lie schools" and the third resolution suggests
to the American Catholic Episcopacy "the
propriets OF petitioning the State governments
to obtain proportioaate share of the school
fund in the States ''for distinctively Catholic
schools" @
The Tablet (Roman Catholic) finds fault
with Father Hecker's positions as laid down
il, his lecture on "Why I became Catholic"
Mr.. Hecker had asserted the harmony of the
Catholic Church with republican institutions
The Tablet says: "We take higher ground and
assert that religion has no account to render
of herself to politics to politicians. If the
Catholic Church is Gods church. she is supe-
rior to any political system and independent
of politics; and, if the political order you pro-
pose is contradicted by her, It is not she that
must give way" In reply to Father Hecker's
assertion that the Church is compatible with
democracy because she rejects the doctrine of
total depravity, and preserves to man his rea-
son and his manhood, and therefore assei is his
capacity OF self government, the Tablet does
not hesitate to deny that he truly represents
the theology of the church; and it says: MAN
is born under SHIN bondage to Satan his
will enfeeblad and his understanding dark
ened, SO that he needs the illumination and as
sistance of grace. He has not that rectitude
and purity of nature that is necessary to rem
der him capable of self-government, as democ-
racy supposes, aud as Father Hecker seems to
cohcede"
Bishop McIlvaine, of Ohio. has delivered
an address to the Ohio Convention, in which
he has vigorously rebuked the practice, now
coming in vogue, of opening divine service
with professional singing. A choir of men
and boys, vested in SUPPLIES, enters the
church at the front door, proceeds, singing as
it advances up the middle al. lie, till it reaches
the seats (called stalls) before the chancel,
where the procession finds its seats, the con.
gregation being expected to stand until the
choristers are seated. The Bishop objects to
thu professional singing as being contrary to
the rubrics, and to the vestments as being for
hidden to the laity. 1t is not that he cares so
much for invasion of the dignity of clerical
millinery, as that, when the surplce becomes
no longer distinctive of the clergy, they then
adopt the chasuble, dalmatic, and tunicle.
which are r, sarded as emblematizing the doc
trine that the Holy Communion is a eucharis
tic sacrifice offered by the officiating prie st.
Bishop Mcllvaine, at the beginning of the
Iractarlan movement in 1876, refused to con-
secrate church in which the communion.
table was replaced by an altar-shaped struc-
ture, because it was intended to sunnort this
same popish doctrine.
The annual meeting of the Congregation.
al Union of Canada was held in Hamilton no.
ginning June 18th. About 40 ministers " arae
present. The number of chapels was reported
as ", preaching stations 100, members 1860
added by profession PIG. The Union supports
mission among the Indians on the north
shore of Georgian Bay.
Rev. e. w. Parker and wife are on their
way home from India in q sailing vessel and
expect to arrive in Boston about the 18th of
September. A note from Mr.. Parker, lated
at Calcutta May 4th, says, at is O sad trial tor
us to leave our work, but we hope and pray
that our voyage and residence at home NAV
restore us SO that we may soon return to In
dIa AS tnis is the fourth year that have
been Presiding Elder, I have got to know all
the people and all the work in the northern
district, so that it seems hard indeed to leave"
The San Francisco Bulletin of the 18th of
May says one f. Wilson has applied to The
United States District Court of California tor
copyright of letter said to have been written
by Jesus Christ, and found sixty five wears
alter his crucifx;on, about eighty miles from
Iconium.
Inc Spiritualists of Illinois have lust held
state convention at Chicago One "medi-
UNI" spoke in English, German, Bohemian.
Russian, Italian, Arabic and Indian IT. uos
voted to hold another conyon.. VOC