The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-02-20
Religious Intelligence.

The Rev John F. Hickey, supposed to be
the Oldest Catholic priest in this country, died
at St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, on Monday.
He was born in Georgetown, in 1888, and be-
came a student at ST. Mary's Theological Sem
mary Baltimore, at an early age. In 1914 he
was ordained to the priesthood. He labored
zealously for over half century.
There is movement for united PRAYER
among the churches of all denominations, on
the fourth of March, for blessing on the in
coming administration.
The Austrian government does not intend
to support the bill which has been introduced
into the Chamber for rendering civil marriage
compulsory. Two of the Ministers have de-
clared that the government does not consider
such measure necessary, and will therefore
oppose it. They think any attempt to deprive
marriage of its religious character would be
repugnant to public opinion, and that the lib
erty now accorded of contracting civil mar
riage when the clergy refuse to perform the
ceremony is. quite sufficient as measure of
protection to the people.
AT the Protestant service which was cele-
brated in the Spanish capital on January 81,
hundreds of persons were unable to obtain adj
mission for want of room. The owner of the
house where worship is performed had been
anonymously threatened with assassination
There was great demonstration in Madrid on
the same day in favsr of freedom of worship,
and procession of Republicans to the gov
eminent took place. The government still
states that it will refer the subject to the
Cortes
"A writer in the Boston Pilot, abiding to
the recent conversions" to the Roman Catho-
lie faith, in England says: "Puseyism and
Ritualism are fast producing good fruit. On
speeds the good work bravely and well. A
few years more, and the whole of England
shall have undergone a change, such as has
not been witnessed during the last three CEN
turtles at least"
"A little Quaker boy, about six years old,
after the congregation had for long time sat
in silence, stood on his seat and folding his
arms together said, 81 wish the Lord would
make us all gooder and gooder and gooder till
there is no bad left" Gould the spirit have
moved any older worshipper to the utterance
of a better prayer?
AAO AAiSh OhuAS III parry IL A2hSAohu SOCAA
to be actively contending for the principle of
independence of the State. The authority of
the present Court of Final Appeal is irksome
to them. The Privy Council, with whom lies
the power to constitute this court consists at
this moment of about 80 persons, some of
whom are dissenters. Three of it's members
form quorum, though it is usual for larger
number to sit in ecclesiastical cases. and these
are selected by the Lord President of the
council for the time being. The body consists
of laymen, though the three prelates who are
privy councillors may sit as members, or, in
palmer terms, as listeners The grievance is
inseparable from the condition of church es-
tablished by law. If the State chooses to
adopt any particular form of religion, it will of
necessity reserve to itself the power of decid-
ing ON disputed points connected with that re-
ligion in the last resort. There would seem
to be but two alternatives for the disconnected.
They must either relinquish State support or
accept State dictation.
In recent sermon from the text. "These
are they who separate themselves, sensual, not
having the Spirit" Mr.. spurgeon said:
There is not Christian beneath the scope
of Gods heaven from whom am separated.
At the Lords Table, always invite ali Chris
tians to commune with us. If any man were
to tell me that am separate from the Episco-
palian, the Presbyterian, or the Methodist, |
would tell him he did not know me, for love |
them with pure heart fervently, and am
not separate from them. This bears rather |
hard on our strict communion Baptists. 1 |
should not like to say anything hard against |
them, for they are about the best people in the |
world; but they really do separate themselves |
from the great body of Christ's people. They |
separate themselves from the universal |
Church. They say they will not commune |
with it; and if any one comes to their table |
who has not been baptized, they turn him |
away. The pulse of Christ is Communion:
and woe to the Church that seeks TO cure the |
ills of Christ's Church by stopping its pulse!
The Chicago Advance says that to apply |
the term '.Christian" to such men as Mr. John |
Stuart Mill, simply because they believe in a |
God aid do humane deeds is "to empty the |
Christian name of all meaning"
-D,Aubigne, the historian of the Reforms
ton, publishes letter in denial of report
that he had apologized at a meeting of the |
Evangelical Alliance, several years since, for |
greeting Bunsen cordially. He says that he |
regretted Bunsen's disbelief of the inspira- |
ton of the scriptures, but honored and loved |
Bunsen, and treated him accordingly. The |
bigotry that makes this explanation necessary |
is very pitiable.
Rev. Crammond Kennedy, much petted |
recently by the Baptists as their ''boy preach |
er," is now under cloud because he has be-
come an open communicate. The Fifth Ave-
nue. Baptist church in New York has formally |
withdrawn its fellowship from him by a unan-
imous vote.
The Univsrsalists of Livermore are about |
to build a church.