The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-11-08
FROM THE NORTHERN STATES.

Religion on the Pacifc-The agency of the
American Tract Society on the Pacific coast re
ports that only four per cent. of the population Of
California belong to evangelical churches. The
Roman Catholics claim halt of the population. In
the whole territory west OF the Rocky Mountains
there are about million of people, and emily about
thirty thousand or three per cent, are members
of churches. Nearly all of these are in Oregon and
California. In 1859 California had only 6,3l2
Church members; now there are % 600, an in
crease of 800 per cent Increase of the population
in the meantime 50 per cent Of 10000 children
of suitable age to attend Sunday School, 10000
attend Protestant schools.
The MercersLurg Rerie,o continues the discus.
Sion, by Samuel II. Giesy, d. D., Of Organic
Redemption. Ritualism of the most pronounced
sort is boldly proclaimed in this article Witness
this passage: The Divine Presence in the Eu-
charst depends not upon the communicates state
Of mind. 1t is an independent fact. Not by hui
man thought or memory, or will or faith, any mere
mental exercise, is Christ put into the eucharist.
cal transaction. He is there by the sacramento
(Divine) act of conservation through the Spirit
There is more of the same kind in this article
and other articles reveal the same tendency of this
wing Of the German Reformed Church.
The American Bible Society has just issued the
Gospel Of Matthew in the language of the Nez
Perccs, or Flathead Indians, of Oregon. We have
way in which this people themselves first sought
the knowledge of Protestant Christianity During
the past year the services of the Methodist Mis-
sion, on the Cattaraugus Reservation in this State
have been regularly maintained Congregations
have good and great interest manifeated. Revi-
walls and reclamations took place last winter under
special labor The total members of Methodist
Episcopal churches in this and the Allegheny Res
ervation are l05 with So practitioners. There is
Sunday school of about 50 scholars Collections
for the year amount to $35 80. Among the Dako-
ia tribe of Indians, in lS70-7l, two new churches
have been organized, three new church edi6ces
erected two more native pastors installed nearly
hundred members added to the eight churches
on profession of faith, schools of high grade es-
tablished and well sustained, a readiness to con-
tribute to the support Of religious institutions
evinced worthy OF praise, and gratifying advance
made in the arts and uSages OF civilized life. A
large part of the Bible is now accessible to the Da
kOtas in their own tongue A small newspaper,
begun the past year, is received with enthusiasm
by the people. and is power for good. The mis-.
sion "a. @. +. NJ is already looking to other
fields, and arrangements are in progress to extend
the work of eyangezation to the wild tribes of the
upper Missouri.
The Ner Jerusalem Messenger (Swedenborgian)
complains OF the slow progress of the new doctrine
The membership in America does not number more
than 5000. They are trying to make proselytes
among the Germans. They have about ten Ger.
man ministers and German Church paper.
Rev. DR.. Nevin asks whether thare are to be found
in all Massachusetts, twenty Congregational minis.
ters who can honestly subscribe the Apostles
Creed. The Congregational party with their great
Beecher at their head. desire to be recognized as
the American State Church" They are not al
together wrong in this for America, though called
a Christian community, is not strictly such. The
Yankee is best pleased with this sect because in it
the difficulty of the two masters" is most readi-
ly solved. The German Congregationalists are
naturally much more earnest, but in them also the
idea is deeply rooted that they alone are converted
and that all Others especially Lutherans, are vic.
tins of error.-Lutherdn Observer,
PrOfessorships Declined.-Rev. DR.. Prentiss, after
full consideration of the circumstances of the case
has felt himself constrained to decline the Profess
sorship in the Theological Seminary of the North
west, Chicago, which was second time rendered
to him last summer. Also Rev. DR.. Adams has
declined the Professorship to which he was recent.
" elected in Union Theological Seminary New
York city.
Vacant Churches. The Interior gives the names
of twenty. three churches without pastors in the
Presbytery of Fort Wayne Ten others are va
cant in the Presbytery of Munce, and eight each
in the Presbyteries of Crawfordville and Logans.
port, making forty mine churches in all vacant in
the Synod Of Northern Indiana.
The Daily Witness, the Christian paper recently
started in New York, is succeeding we'll Its cir.
culaton has already reached about $4,000, and it
gains in vitality and force. 1t is certainly desira.
BILE thata daily should be published in this great
metropolis, which stands up boldly for the pure
principles of religion, and we are delighted in the
assurance that such paper has being, and has
gained sufficient footing to guarantee permanency
and large usefulness.
San Francisco Theological Seminary-The Synod
of the Pacific of the Presbyterian Church, in ses-
sion in the city of Oakland, on the fourth of Oc-
tober, adopted plan for the establishment within
their bounds of Theological Institution, and
elected Board OF Directors for the Seminary ap.
pointing DR.. Scott the Convener.