The Portland daily press., 1868-11-21
RELIGIOUS InteIlig ence.


school had theiI mouths made up and water )
ling for the delicious morsel. But, alas! he &
passed them by and embraced Episcopacy
From the most liberal faith he passed to the
most iiliteral. From sect that makes of
leach individual member distinct sect, to oneS
that made OF all its members one mind deE
was now sure of the rich, the gifted, the eX'
Iquisite, and the talented for retalners, outE
better than these he had also world-wideE
dame Tie was like Bismark, radical at oneE
2time conservative at another, just az policyE
dictates. Prince OF Trimmers IS his title let
sbim enjoy it till he has sucked the breasts OF I
5lsings and aristocrats, and their posterity and
ETERNITY will take care of the rest.
The "'orning Star" says there are five ork
/ six millions of Christians in the evangelical
fchurches of the United States. On an aver
sage these die in thirty years, and an equal5
number must be converted and brought intoE
/ the churches in that time, or they decline. (
I But they do not decline they increase. Sol
: that there areI more than five millions con-
Sverted under the preaching of the gospel everyE
thirty years, or about two hundred thousandE
yearly Add to this their influence on society
i GENERALLY, their work in all reforms and theI
ministry does not seem to be failure ThereI
/ are weak men in the profession, and manyl
Spoor sermons are preached, but upon the wholel
{ preaching is a mighty power
The London midnight meetings appear toI
{ POSE none of their interest. One was held att
Z the hall, Five Red Lion square, Holborn, oul
4 Thursday night, September 18th, when ninety
ayeung females. many of them mere children,
awere gathered together from the Streets
Z rwenty-One left this meeting with the expressI
determination of abandoning their sinful life,
ffourteen ofthe number being sent to homesI
Z the next day. Midnight meetings are intend /
4 ed to be held all over the metropolis, as fre-I
Squently as funds will allow, during the conf
9ing winter months.
a We are glad to know that the society of
4Friends have entered with new zeal upon thej
aforeign missionary work. They have recently
destabished mission in the island of Mada-i
3gascar, where the London Missionary Society
I have been operating for several years with sol
I much success. From The Friends Reniew wei
Ilearn shat the work spreads rapidly, and ap-|
speals for Christian teaching come from many
8districts where the foot of the white man new
Ger yet trod.' The Bible finds its way to these!
Star off places, and little companies of Chris
8tilns are gathered, who, increasing in number, !
tssoon build places of worship, and form their
gchurch government according to what theyI
understand from the teachings of the New
y Testament. Ofcourse with it all there is often'
smuch ignorance, but always an intense desirel
$for instruction"
2 The New York Advocate publishes the fol-
blowing returns showing the present number of
gthe members of the conferences of the NJ. E..
SChurch, and the increase for the past two
s5years. The figures are exclusive of the num-
xber of bishops and travelling preachers. The
Epresent number of travelling preachers is 8,481 /
sof local preachers 1898; total, 1899. The net
.sincrease of the number of travelling preachers!
3477, and of local preachers 429, making total
snet increase over the number-in 1867 of COG.
X The lack of interest felt by the Jews of
/ New York in their literary history and writ
aings is remarkable. Their attempt to putt
Il MaimoDides College in Pennsylvania, on a sci
scure foundation is very slow work, consideripgs
Athe wealth which Israelites possess, and which,
8they expend freely on synagogues That col
Alege is now begging, with little success, for al
Flew pitiful scholarships. A Hebrew CollegeI
sSociety was established few years ago inI
gthis city, under the auspices of DR.. Adler,
(which, ii was hoped, would be the basis of a
s,Jewish College in New York; but there seems
Sto be too lit o interest in higher Hebrew edu-
sscaton to warrant its establishment. A visit
sIto the two Hebrew bookstores in the city only
s,confrms this opinion. They are strangely
spoor in everything except primers, almanacs,
Mprayer-books, and Bibles. Oft thirty jew
Eish ministers in the city. only three are able to-
4 address their congregations in English.
II A delicious little controversy is at presen.
9going on between the "Christian Register
Con the one side and the "Zions Herald" on the
BOTHER. 1t originated in statement made by
gthe Herald that Rev. Mr.. Alger had com
ssmenced Sunday services at Boston Music HALL
ssior seven thousand dollars year. That Mr.
slAlger is the most ayowed unbeiever in Chris i
9tian doctrines of any preacher in the city; that
Che puts Christ and Buddha together, with
4 Buddha a little ahead. 1t is sad to think how
5maDy will be lured TO destruction by the char ]
Sming gilt of music; regrets that Christians,
Neuen Methodists, will consent to sit in his
zschoir. The Register is surprised that the
3great and liberal Methodist denomination per-
szsmits itself to be represented by such an intol
sserant bigot That the statement of the Her
ssald that Mr.. Alger is an avowed unbeliever I'M
%the existence and goodness of Cod the om-
4nscient providence of God the natural laws
Sand supernatural mercy of God: the oblgato-
ssriness of the moral and religious virtues ex-
Aemplified in the teachings and example of
HChrist; the existence of the soul after bodily
4death; is wilful and reckless falsehood, forI
sit presumes that all will admit that these are|
!" Christian Doctrines" The Register also'
challenges the Herald to cite an instance|
Ewhere he (Mr Alger) has put Buddha ahead /
Srequests it to state what it means by "luring
Sto destruction through the charming gift of
Emusic" and winds up with the remark 'that
sslt is cowardly to kulk from explicit statements
3gunder cover of a cloud of defamation" The
i Herald makes statement III reply that occu-
%pies little over five columns of the paper
s;gsAfter stating that the Register heaps I'D the
Tabuse in manner displayed by no other
Ssheet, even during the political cam
paign, not even by the World
and the La Crosse Democrat. i'll
scomes to the battle with a denial that any of
]. the doctrines mentioned by the Register, as al
I part of the belief of Mr. Alger, are christian
Doctrines unless the word Supernatural
Ssmay have that tendency. But even that isl
fprobably employed to cover the doctrine off
restoration, and not the Christian doctrine of,
smercy, as revealed in the sacrifice and saliva
stion of Jesus Christ That all those doctrines
belong to naturalists not Christians. That;
sthcy all could be found in Buddhism. with thes
ssinele change of Buddha's name for Cbrists !!
CHAT IT Mr. Ayers works are any authority he
swould not refuse TO admit this, if it was nots
stnereby intended to bring dis eredit on theI
y name of Jesus, for he holds this name in hiobl
sauthority, only second in some respects to)
lBuddha. The whole creed was completelvi
sChr'stless, and compared with the Apos-
stle's Creed the difference was vast Its
;first and last assertions are its only pointss
soi unity; and as to the last Everlasting life afs
lier death" Mr.. Alger will not say if the Regis,
ter does, This l steadfastly believe" Butt
people must read this spicy discussion forS
themselves which is conducted with such al
beautiful Christian spirit. five might be al
llowed slang, we should like TO say it was "red-
hot"
The ST. Stephens Bank.
CALAIS, Nov 20, 1868.
To the Editor Of the Pres:
There has been considerable excitement inE
this vicinity in regard to the soundness of then
st. Stephens bank. This bank has met with al
lnSs hn 10 10 ~