The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-01-06
FOREIGN ITEMS.

| WIN the care OF Tue WOUNDED, tnaJ mucn time
has been consumed in journeying from place to
! place, In making arrangements, sometimes
| frustrated, for holding meetings in various
cities, and in fruitless endeavors to meet de-
ceitful proposals for discussions with the Ro-
man Catholic bishops aud priests, and he has
| labored with his pen as well as his voice, hav-
ing during the last two years published eight
valuable pamphlets, and written several dozens
of important letters in Italian newspapers on
subjects connected with his mission. As near
ly as can be ascertained, he has preached and
| lectured in Venice 10 times in Leghorn 46,
in Milan %, in Guastalla &c, in Florence 10,
in Lucca II, as well as repeatedly IN Pistoria,
Como, Verona, Padua Mira et:., etc. And
his discourses are not short essays, quietly read
| Ia twenty or thirty minutes to a regular con-
gregation, but orations in which the speakers
whole nature-body and soul, and Spirits
earnestly engaged, frequently occupying near
" two hours, and delivered in the midst of ex-
ceSsive heat to immense and excited crowds
| There is probably no preacher in Italy who, in
the same period, has been listened to by half
the same number of persons His varied nat
ural qualifications for the work, elevated and
sanctlfed by the grace of God, give him ad-
vantages not possessed by any other living
preacher, and place him foremost in the van
of Italian evangelists. Christian Work IN
Italy.
There are six hundred thousand Jews in
Hungary. They had been called on to organ
ize their religious government under State
protection. Two parties-the old Believers
and the Reformers-caimed the right to man
age the affair, and a severe theologico- political
the majority will be accepted by the Minis
/ FOR of RaEoion ~ and tho minority will ho
governed thereby. Each party is having pro-
cessions, and banners, and speeches.
Sunday Schools in Russia-The Holy Synod
has recently given formal decision that there
is nothing in Sunday schools which is contrary
to the church laws, or prejudicial to church
order, Consequently Sunday schools have
been opened in many villages for the religious
instruction of the peasants, In some parishes
in the government of Samara, as many as six
! hundred or seven hundred peasants have come
| together. The priest read to them historical
parts of the Old Testament, and explained
passages Of the Gospel.
The Rev. DR.. Wilson of Bombay.-A veteran
missionary of the Free Church OF Scotland, is
about to retire from post which he has occu
pied for forty years. He was, and is, an emf
nent Parsee scholar, and did battle against the
tenets of the Parsecs with great ability. The
leading men at Bombay are about to present
| him with a testimonial in recognition Of his
services. And while thus during his life he
is to receive the interest of the sum raised,
pathological lectureship is to be founded in the
| University of Bombay, which is to belong to
all nations and creeds.
The Prince of Wales visits the Rtualistic
churches on Sunday, and Saints days, and
gives substantial evidences of favor to Rituals
tic editors
Explorations in Palestine.-A meeting was
recently held in Brooklyn, to awaken interest
in the British enterprise for exploring Pales-
tine The object of this exploration is to re-
solve the uncertainties and settle disputes as
to places of Scriptural interest. The exact
| spot of the Temple rites is to be determined,
and the place of the altar The surface stones
have been discovered ninety feet below, so
compactly laid that knife-blade cannot be
inserted between them.
The first Methodist church was erected in Bath
in England, one hundred and twenty nine
years ago. la twenty-five days from the lay
| ing of the first stone the building was up,
enclosed and filed with worshippers.
The Great Council-Letters from Rome state
that much activity continues to be shown in
the preparations for the Gcumenical Council.
| Citations have been issued for eight new coun-
cilorS-one being summoned from America
one from Spain, two from France and four
| from Germany. An invitation was sent to the
Rev. John Henry Newman, of England but
| he has desired to be excused, on the ground
of his age and bad health.
Mr.. Henry Bewley of Dublin.-Mr Bewley is
the largest stakeholder in the submarine tele-
graph much of its success is to be attributed
to him. Better than all, he spends the entire
profits from that source, which are very large,
lChOlLy for Christian purposes. He publishes
and distributes at his own expense more than
| four millions of tracts per month over Great
Britain and the Continent He was the man
who induced the captain of the Great Eastern,
after the steam was up for conveying the At
lantic cable, to tarry that they might pray for
the success of the great undertaking, This
was done, Mr.. Bewley leading the meeting.
London Churches-In one part of London
the district around Cheapside and Lombard
street. little more than half mile in length,
and less in breadth, having an area under a
quarter of a square mile-there are no less
| than forty different churches huddled together.
The Pail Nall Gazette says, that in these
churches forty nine souls are large average
congregation, and S240 in gold is the average
salary of clergyman. st. Pauls, which,
though in the same neighborhood, is not in
Guided in the forty churches above mentioned,
has fifty clerical officials.
A Change in CHINA correspondent of one
| of the leading Boston papers writes, that the
! Government of China has recently restored to
| the Jesuits all the estates which were con-
fscated when they were driven out two hun
dred years ago Their position then was high
and with the increased value of this property,
they have now become by this act possessed of
! incalculable wealth. IF this be true" adds
the Christian LateHigencer, " Protestant mis-
Sionaries will have ROmanism in its worst
forms, as well as heathenism to contend with. "
Proposed General Assembly for India-A Cir
cular has been addressed to all the Presbyte-
rian missionaries in India, to ascertain if some
step cannot be taken towards uniting them in
one General Assembly. The idea was origina-
ted at meeting of the Synod of Northern In
dia held at Ambula in November, 1865, when
it was stated that the different bodies of Pres
byterians in India having no common organi-
zation lose the advantage of cooperation. 1t
is not proposed at all that such ecclesiastical
union should cut the several bodies loose from
their respective Missionary Boards, but that,
with the consent Of their several Assemblies a
General Assembly should be organized in In
dia for all ecclesiastical purposes, and still re-
port to- and receive reports from, their respec-
Boards as before.
theological seminary for training native
I preachers among the Zulus, in South Africa
has been open for three years. 1t now has 80
pupils