The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-02-17
FROM NE NORTHERN STATES

Japanese in this Country.-There are now not
less than thirteen japanese in this country pursu-
ing their studies in English and nearly all Of them
are sustained by their friends at home. OF the
thirteen seven openly ayow their faith in the Re-
deemer, and five have been baptized. Six or
seven Of the number are about to receive commits.
siOnS from the new government, the Mikado S,
which is at last triumphant, and are to be sup
ported by the Mikado as students in various pro-
teSSiOnal lines They will thus be enabled to pro-
.Ong their residence in this country and acquire a
more complete education than they expected to do
until recently.
s Is it not wonderful that at least six of those
fOung men, who are destined to hold positions of
Ieat influence IN the government of Japan have
READY become believers in Christ, and FIVE of
hem members OF various Christian churches p
he Lord OF the harvest seems TO be raising up
kiltul labOrerS for the harvest betimeS that they
may be ready to enter the rapidly opening field in
Japan. 1t Is no time for Christians here to be
MOmnOlent nor to relax their efforts for the propa-
hon of the gospel abroad. There have now been
zen or eight baptSmS OF men In Japan five of
bieh were public. and the five in this country
lake twelve natives of Japan now living who
1ave been baptized In the name Of the Father,
4 Son and Holy Ghost To the Holy Trinity be the
s praise Christian hteLhgeRcer.
DR.. Theodore Strong, who was formerly, and for
period Of over thirty years, Professor of Mathe-
MATES and Natural Philosophy in Rutgers College,
died February ID in New Brunswick, n J.
At the last communion in the First PRESBYTERIAN
church in New York, Dr. Strong united with the
church By profession 1t had been his desire to
make an open confession of the nan of his Saviour
In the presence of the congregation, but he was
too feeble to leave his ROOM The funeral services
were held on Thursday afternoon in the First
\ Presbyterian church, and were attended by the
H faculty and students Of Rutgers College, and by
the Faculty of the Theological Seminary, besides
ban assembly OF the Doctors personal friends
His remains were buried in the cemetery of the
DID First Reformed Church, by the side of Presi
elent Frehnghuysen.
4 Thus another of the ancient n en-, who is asso
ciated In the memories of nearly two generations
Tas one of the standard bearers of mathemati.
cal science has passed away. He was happy in
5eing hOnOred alike by the aged and the young
Ind his memory Is blessed Christian Iatelliqea-
Der.
~ Union Declined-It having been currently re
Bported in England that the Episcopal Church in
}this country and the MethOdiStS were verging to-
wards union, the Rev. DR.. Stevens, one of the
leading divines of the Methodist Church, wrote to
England an explicit denial of the whole story. In
the course Of his letter. which is published in the
Wesleyan papers, he says:
a i knew not one Methodist in the Republic
who believes there can be any Identification of the
two Churches. There certainly can be no such
rl0n Without the fullest concession of the validity
y6f our ordination, SacramentS, &c. This eouces-
sion will never be made by the High-church party
&Of the Protestant Episcopal Church and no Me-
kthOdiSt expects, therefore, that any result will
&eOme Of these preliminarieS. We are a Presby-
terian Church, with an episcOpaey as an executive
*Otfce not as a divine order We cannot COM
fprOmse our relations to the PreSbyterianiSm of
Sthe Protestant world by tacitly disparaging its
ministerial validity in reunion with the compare
tively small Protestant Episcopal Church of these
XStateS-fOr numerically, 1t Is one of our minor re-
#lgiOuS bodies Our position on this question is
#preclSely the same rs that taken by our Wesleyan
brethren in England.
Loss by Fire.-A large hotel was lately burned
Pm ST. Paul, Minnesota, and among the guests was
the Rev. DR.. BOardman, of Philadelphia, who
suffered considerable loss. The ST. Paul Press
bays:
''The Rev. DE-. Boardman, of PHILADELPHIA,
and his son and daughter lost every thing they
had, including trunks, books, clothing &c
amounting in value TO several hundred dollars
We are happy to learn that the reverend doctor
Succeeded In saving his sermons. His daughter
10 her care for her father, had not time to make
her toilette, and escaped with single dress, and
a shawl or cloak Snatched from her wardrobe
bliss Blackwell relative Of the BOardmanS. took
lime TO complete her toilette, and saved Bible.
The Rev. Alfred PAUL. was installed pastor of the
Presbyterian church at HeStonville Pennsylvania
bear Philadelphia. on Sabbath evening the 7th
nst., by committee Of the Central Pre5bytery
f PHILADELPHIA.
Mr. Paulrs address is still 1911 Barring street,
West Philadelphia.
The Rev Stephen NATION, a member of the Pres
EyteTy OF Albany, and pastor of the church at
y5allStOn Spa, New York has been elected Presi-
ent of Biddle Memorial Institute at Charlotte,
North Carolina The Bidde Institute is designed
the education Of eOlored men as preachers,
aeherS, and eatechiStS, and is under the care Of
Ne of the Northern AsSemblyS PreSbyterieS in
arth Carolina
Death in the Ministry-The death of the Rev.
William j. Alexander, a member Of the o. S.
PreSbytery OF Washington, Is announced. He had
een pastor OF the church of West Union, in
Western Virginia and at the time Of his death
as preaching at the church called Alrich'S, near
u aShington, Pennsylvania. He died after a short
boss, having preached on the morning Of the
bbath previous. He was an excellent man, and
Id been useful minister Of Christ
Help from AbrOad-The Committee on Freed
en- of the Old School Assembly, North, have
eeved a substantial token Of the interest felt by
IS BE Free Church of Scotland 10 the work among
BE freedmen. Two hundred and fifty pounds
a contribution from the Free Church, netting
out sixteen hundred dollars.
R. G. Pardee died in New York on the 4th inst
kyhe Christian Iatelbgencer says:
= Ii is seldom that we are called to announce
e death of a layman, whose loss will be so ex-
EnSively felt by the Christian community, as the
eparture of the excellent gentleman whose name
uSt be added to the long list of those who have
s bne over to the majority As a representa-.
e Of the interests Of the Sunday School Union,
praise was in all the churches. For the last
Fenty years, he has given himself to the work of
zOmoting the religious education of the young,
d abandoned the prospects of successful mer-
n6e life, in order to devote his time and strength
the children cause.
The Garden of Spiees.-Ihis is new publication
the Metbodists-arranged by two Of their cler-
hen. Ii is made up OF choice selections from
immortal Letters of Samuel Rutherford, -
ne among the brighteStin the Presbyterian galaxy
Scotland There was a time when, from the
thOdlSt BoOk-roOm IN New York, hardly any
TX of Presbyterian authorship could have been
led.
he Methodist Church South is prospecting in St.
us having numbers, wealth, social position,
& elegant houses OF worship
Priest or Prssbyter An interesting question has
sen as 10 the translation of the word priest In
Spanish Prayer Books Of the Society for Pro-
bting Christian Knowledge. A great effort was
de to have il translated >acerdote but it has
en- translated IN rhc Cny proper way, by the
rd Pre>bter>. Ia these days of ROmish
W erosion we should earn useful lesson, aud
lstitute the original word ''preSbyter, about
lch there Is 40 misunderstanding, for ITS con
&ctiOn priest, which is liable % such abuse.