The Portland daily press., 1876-04-15
Religious News and Notes.

The Chronicle reports the religious interes
| at Pennington Falls increasing.
C. M. Bailey is at Springvale, assisting Rev
A. Bryant in series of revival meetings.
The Mirror says that work began on thu
| foundation for the new Congregational church
| at Norway, Wednesday morning.
The Baptists of Connecticut have collected
$4,000 towards the proposed Centennial fund
of 100000 for Sufiield Institute.
The Chronicle Gays there is great revival
WORK commenced, and is now rapidly increas
ing in Salem village, under the labors of Elder
ID. III. CoTan.
Rev. Samuel Hutchins of West Watervie,
died on Saturday last. lie was for the last
fifty years preacher of the Free Will Baptist
denomination, of more than ordinary ability.
The lions Advocate says of Maine Baptist
churches: Rev. E. A. Van Keeck has re-
signed the pastorate of the Dover and Fox
croft Baptist church, and will close his abors
May LIST. There are still new cases of inquiry
at Watervile.
The Herald states that at meeting of the
Congregational society of Mechanic Falls, held
last Sunday, a unanimous vote was passed ex-
tending a call to Rev. E. E. Enrich to become
that the invitation will be accepted.
The Times says that large and enthusiastic
meeting of the Elm street Baptist church and
society of Bath, on Monday evening last by a
unanimous vote the pastor. Rev. DR.. Kings,
bury, was requested to withdraw his resigna-
tion
William Hewitt, who does not seem to out
grow his Quaker principles with years, writes
from Rome, where he is living, that the Pope
is having an easy martyrdom in palace with
1000 rooms, and with a treasury enriched by
100000 of free offerings from the faithful
during the last year of jubilee.
lions Herald says of Maine M. E. churches
Interesting union revival meetings are in pro-
gress at Kittery Navy Yard between the Meth
odist and Christian churches. Rev. Messrs.
Hutchins and freeman, and their people, are
working in great harmony and with encourage
ing success. Several conversions are reported
at Topsfield.
The Christian Register confesses that it is
'not worth cent to fight the orthodox" But
it says: ''We are, however, good haters of
old-fashioned orthodoxy, and ready to fight it
heartily whenever we can find any to fight; but
there is not much of it left in the Evangelical
sermons that we hear or in the Evangelical
papers that we read"
Bishop Lynch of Toronto has told his parish
toner's that hereafter he will only allow five
cabs at the funerals of poor persons If an ad-
ditional number is desired they must not be
used but the money that would have to be ex-
pended if they were employed must be given
to the priests "to pray the dead through pu1ga.
tory"
At the annual meeting of the Virginia Bible
Society, hela in Richmond April Alb, it was re-
ported that in the past four years 65,346 fam
lilies have been visited. The number of FAM
lilies found without the Bible was 10000.
About 10000 persons have during the past four
years and half, received copies OF the scrip.
lures from this snciety.
1t may be interesting, the Methodist says,
to the persons who purchased the Moody and
Sankey 'relics," to know that cancelled
postage stamp, said to have been taken from
one of st. Paul's letters 70 the Corinthians, wa
recently offered for sale at high pIice. 1t has
been well remarked "This is hard winter
requiring great industry to earn an honest lv-
ing"
The sculptured memorial of John and
Charles Wesley in Westminster Abbey was
unveiled by Dean Stanley on the 3Oth of
March. A number fthe leading members of
the Wesleyan denomination were present and
took part in the ceremony. The Dean deliy-
cred an address on the labors of the two Wes-
leys, in which he spoke of them as men whom
it was privilege for the Church of England to
honor
The religious interest which commenced in
Waterville about the first of January still C on
tinues. More than eighty have united with
the Methodist church, and about fifty with the
Baptist, and it is expected that at the next
communion service at the Congregationalist
their additions will be about forty The new
corners connected with the factory are filling
up the houses of worship and the interest still
continues.
1t is said that the Oldest church ediice in
America, excepting a Romish church in St.
Augustine, is st. Lukes, Isle of Wight coun-
ty, Va, about five miles from Smithfield. 1t
was built as early as 1886, and after being roof
less for century the present roof was put on
somewhere between 1880 and 1885. It is now
used for worship, and the grounds around it
are used for burial. Its thick walls and high
tower are still strong.
Edward Everett Hale proposes the following
amendment to the bill taxing churches: Pro-
yided that when the assessors of any town are
satisfied that any religious society in its COR
porate capacity eXpends Tor the relief of the
poor of the town, or for the education of per-
sons not members of the society, or for other
purposes of charity IN the town, sum equal
TO the amount Of its tax, such tax may be re-
mitted.
Apropos of the several ways IN which Con-
gregational usage allows members to drop out
of church, DR.. Edward Beecher tells this
story of Nathaniel P. Willis and the Park
street church, Boston: During revival at
Andover, while laborng under great excite
ment, Willis believed that he had become
Christian, and joined the church. After few
months he came to the speaker and told him
that helhad made a mistake, and asked if be
could not be let out of the church. The speak.
er told him that he would do what he could.
He laid the case before the church, but found
that they were held strictly by the usage-let-
ter, death, or eXcommunication-a the speak
er told him that if he wanted to leave the
church he would have to do something so bad
that he would have to be put out. So che poet
went to the theater, and that was then consid-
cred bad enough to excommunicate him, and
Mr.. Willis got his release.