The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-03-04
FOREIGN ITEMS.

Lord Derby, on account OF lll-nealtn, mas re-
signed the Premiership of Great Britain.
The Bishop of Oxford is reported as having
gone over to the Roman Catholic Church.
Dr. Beke has lust delivered a lecture on Abys-
sinia in which he dwells on the productiveness
of It's SOIL the salubrity of its climate, ITS ready
accessibility if a railway was once constructed,
aud the opening it will offer to British COM
merce. He sees in the present war an oppor-
tunity of restoring to civilization the most
highly gifted of the African races, and through
them of acting upon the whole continent
Hon. Arson Burlingame is to leave China for
San Francisco OH the 25th ult, as the Chinese
minister at large to the treatymaking powers.
His suite consists of thirty persons OF high
rank, who are to be tutored in the arts of di-
plomacy. His salary is $50, 900 In gold.
ftaly.-The Sunday Magazine for February.
presents the following view of the political
and religious condition of Italy:
"In political point of view the horizon OF
Italy seems to become darker and darker, and
its religious state and prospects, as whole,
seems to be much Of the same hue. But
few spots of light are to be met with, the
brightest, apparently at Venice. The evan
gelical movement there continues TO be highly
successful A statement has been issued by
a few Christian friends, under whose auspices
the Evangelical Mission was started in which
we are informed that the hall of the old palace
that was first hired, containing FIVE hundred,
| having proved insufficient to contain the
crowded audience, another place OF meeting
was recently secured, and opened with similar
results. Already four hundred and ninety
| FIVE names, chiefly from among the working
classes, have been enrolled by the pastor as
catechumenS, who are placed under Bible tut
| ton, DESTROYS of being received into commun-
ion. A congregation of about one hundred
and sixty members is being organized, whose
number will be gradually augmented by the
accession of others who are throwing off the
papal yoke, and who, after trial, may be>found
worthy of the privilege Of membership. In
short, the work is progressing SO rapidly and
the thirst for the pure gospel has become so
eager, that the energies of the pastor are quite
overtasked. Schools for the training Of the
young, under efficient teachers have been COM
menced with great promise and success.
Professor Wheatstone is about to be raised to
the peerage in England. He already possesses
the degrees OF ID. G.. l.. and LII d., conferred
by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge,
and is corresponding member of all the princi
pal scientific societies in the world. He is the
inventor of the concertina, the stereoscope,
and the solar clock, and was the originator OF
the submarine telegraph.
The Bombay Times" says that ever since
Rev Norman Mcleod, the celebrated Scotch
divine, has arrived in Bombay, he has been
listened to with great interest, as we'll by Par
sees, Hindoos, and AsiaticS generally, as by
his own countrymen.
Commercial Morality.-There has been sig
ni6cant meeting at Liverpool to consider the
present low condition of commercial morality in
England. The result was very marked ex-
preston ofopinion that extravaganza in living
and imprudence In commercial undertakings
have been widespread, and are the causes of
the increased number of dishonorable and dis
honest transactions, and of the general dull
ness of trade and distress of the working
classes.
The Protestant College in Beirut commences
| its second year with Sophomore class of elev
en-, and French class of twelve.
Mrs. J. H Ridden is about TO assume the lit
erary conduct Of the 81. Jdmes'S Magazine.
Luther.-The memorial monument which is
being erected to Luther in the city Of Worms,
Is rapidly approaching completion, and will
probably be dedicated durinS tho coming
spring.
England has a new religious sect whose chief
belief is cursed is the man that trusteth In
man" They call themselves peculiar peo-
pie, and never call in the aid of physician,
praying over their sick, and having faith
Several arrests of members of this sect have
recently been made in London, for neglect of
children who died for want of medical aid.
Dr. Cumming is again before the public. He
repudiates the character of prophet. -
never in my life, he says, ''professed or at
tempted to propheSy. All have ventured to
do is 10 explain and unfold inspired prophecies
in the Word of God. - Christian Mtelhgencer.
Mr.. Sturgeon speaks earnestly in favor of
supplanting amusements which are degrading
in their nature by others equally attractive and
mirthful, and at the same time having moral
purpose. He says:
= Let the Church enter into rivalry with
the theatre, and we know which would get the
better of it; on our side, such contention
would be all loss and no gain. We would by
no means interdict the use Of wit and humor !;
| far otherwise, We hold that their plentiful use
is frequently justi6able and advisable; we
| should like to see more abundant spice of
! them, not only in lectures, but in sermons and
in religious books; but there must be an end
and purpose in the humor, or it becomes
| idle testing, which is not convenient To
make men laugh at folly, at superstition, at
meanness-to pour ridicule upon contemplate
motives and actions until men laugh them to
scOrn-is one thing; to keep an audience in a
roar by a series of empty wltticlsmS without
moral purport, is quite another Against the
/ i 4 H.. fha byr -
! law for the frivolous, foolish, and indicate,
there is no excuse. Between the moroseness
which viii, not allow a smile and the lawleSs
! levity which would turn our Zion into a Vani-
ty Fair, there is wide difference.
Rev. Dr.. Jonas King-A letter from Dr.
King, in the New York Observer, gives infor-
nation that he Is for the sixth time on trial
before the civil authorities of Greece. The
accusation is signed by the Metropolitan BiSh
op Athens, Theophilus, who is President of
| the Synod, and three other Bishops Kallini
Gus of Phthiotis, Procopius of Oetylus, and
! NeophytOS Of Hydra.
lis not likely that DR.. King viii suffer moro
/ than an interruption Of his missionary work,
though in 1852 he was condemned to imprison-
ment and exile. Since then the principles of
religious liberty have made great progress, and
any such prosecution helps the cause.
French Professionals Rev. Richard Bur
CESS writes thus to the Times respecting French
Protestants:
"Sixty years ago it would hardly have been
possible to find Protestant congregation in the
north of France now there are upwards of
100. The number of pastors of all the Pro-
testant denominations Of France thirty years
ago did not exceed 600; now, taking the Re
formed Church of France, the Confession of
Augsburg, and the free churches not recognized
by the State, the number of pastors will not
be less than 1000 The number of schools