The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-19
SUMMARY OF GENERAL CHURCH NEWS.
FRIENDS.

SUMMARY OF GENERAL CHURCH NEWS.
FRIENDS.
THE Society of Friends has been reported to
be dying out, but according to their official
statement this does not appear to be the case.
At the just ending yearly meeting of the Ortho-
dox body in this city, it was reported that their
numbers had increased by about 1900 during
the past year, and there are signs of renewed
activity and yigor in the body which give
promise of long life-tenure. The interest
taken in Sunday Schools is good evidence
of this, as well as the decline of exclusive
ness as shown by a resolution at the late
yearly meetings of the society, that the busi-
ness meetings of the society should not be re-
stricted to members alone, but that any persons
interested in their proceedings might attend.
There are twelve independent yearly meetings of
Friends; that of London, where the records are
preserved from the year 1872 being the oldest.
The number of members in England is 1855,
while there is an attendance of non-members to
the number of 1863. There is one yearly meeting
in Ireland one in Canada, and nine in the United
States viz.:--New England New York, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, North Carolina, Ohio, Indl-
ana, Western Indiana, and Iowa. The increased of
membership has been rapid of late years in the
South and West, and new settlements of Friends
are forming in Kansas and Missouri The total
membership is estimated at about 81, 600. First
day schools have been largely established in the
West In the State of Indiana alone there are
17S such schools, with 1921 teachers and 13 1913
pupils. In North Carolina a Sunday Normal
school has been established. The Friends have
three colleges in this country viz, Haverford
College in Pennsylvania: Earlham College, in
Richmond Ind; andWhittier College, at Salem
in Iowa. They have also large boarding-houses
at West Town, Pa: Providence, r. l.; Union
Springs, N, VI New Garden, N. c., and other
places.-N. Y. Ecening Post.
PRESBYTERIAN.
The United Presbyterian Assembly pro-
nounced, at its late meeting, in favor of allow
ing marriage with a deceased wife's sister,
notwithstanding one of the laws of the Church
forbids widower's marriage within any nearer
degrees of consanguinity to his deceased wife
than to himself
The Scotch Presbyterian Assemblies have
been holding their annual meetings. The United
Presbyterians expressed their general satisfaction
with Mr.. Gladstone's Disendowment bill, but
protested against the grants proposed for May
nooth College and for the Irish Presbyterians as
exorbitant and Objectionable. The number OF
congregations was reported at 500, and the
members at III, 905 The Free Church Assem-
bly's interest was absorbed in the question of
union with the United Presbyterians. Nogotia-
tions with view to union have been making
for five years. The difficulty has been fear on
the part of the Free Church that their brethren
were not strenuous enough on the duty OF the
State to support the Church; for, though the
Free Church refuses aid from the State under the
conditions which the State will give aid
it is firm in the opinion that the State ought
to aid in its support The friends OF union
pressed the measure of continuing committee
on the subject of union, who should do nothing
more than report progress year hence; at
which time after period during which the
Church might consider the subject, the Assembly
might remit the proposition to the presbyteries
for their decision. After bitter opposition by
Dr. Horatius Bonar and Others, it was carried
by an overwhelming vote. In 1867 the vote for
union was about to /, in 1868 it was to l. and
now is nearly 5 to /. The discussion was pro-
tracted till long after midnight, and it was half
past when the vote was taken. Dean Stanley
was present till the end of the debate. The
meeting of the Assembly of the Established
Church was of no special interest.-Indepen-
dent.
The cornerstone of a new church edfce
was laid at Goshen, N Y, May IL. The church
was organized in 1720.
The number of graduates from theological
institutions this year was lOl. They were dl
vided among the different seminaries as fol
lows:-Princeton, %; Allegheny, ID; Chicago
IA; Union, 81; Auburn, IA; Lane, 8.
Rev. Henry B. Smith, d. D., says the Ecdn
geliSt, was, at last advices, in the south o.
France, slowly recovering from the prostratior
induced by many years of exhausting labor.
"A correspondent Of the EUGngelist thus de
scrlbes the success that has attended the labor
of Rev j. B. Dunn, of the Beech Street Church
New York.-"Church income raised from S190
to $4,000 in a year, the membership increased BY
one hundred and eighty an empty house nov
filled in the asles with camp-stools and $50, 00
raised to sweep off an old debt in day! Th
man who has done this great years work is NJ
genius, but terrible tOiler, loves to save souls
and has got hold Of the Scotch-Irish elemen
and the young men.
Mr.. Edward Riggs was ordained in New
York ON the 18th inst He is to go as mission
airy to Turkey.
METHODIST.
Peter Matthews a full-blooded Indian for
merly private In Company Il, 10th Iowa In
fantry, is preparing TO become a Methodist mis-
stonary
The Methodist preachers of New York hay
Instructed a committee TO select places for stree
preaching, and to ask the Mayor for leave +
occupy them.
% .--fhe largest Methodist salary paid in Ne,
England is $2500 and house-rent, to the paste
of fremont Street Church, Boston The larges
membership, CAS- with 4S probationers, is that O
st. Pauls Church, Lowell.
Several of the Methodist bishops, ineludin
Bishops Morris Simpson, and Kingsley, hay
declared for lay representation. The election
held thus far indicate that IL will pass by
large vote. Those reported by the :liethOdi
are 146l for 1t to 59S against. The Oh
cago AdUOcate has reports of 1892 vote
for and 1913 against the measure. The Pittsbur
Advocate has reports of 1871 for TO 45S Sagain
IT, About three-fourths of the members sta
away from the polls.
.1 Bishop Simpson thus defines the plan sui
mitted to the churches for action The plan b
said, would not admit any laymen into the Al
a nual Conference, nor give them anything wha
ever to do with the appointing OF preacher
But fromI the larger conferences two laymen al
TO be sent to the General Conference, and tro
the smaller ones one. When the General Coz
ference was so organized, the preachers wou
a vote on any proposed measure, and II carrle
il would be voted on by the laity and II ca
ried, would then become a law. Neither q
clergy nor the laity could do anything witho
go A. n tha nnt