The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-06-27
SUNDAY READING.

SUNDAY READING.
Mr.. Moody's last two Sundays in Boston
were spent in preaching to the state prison
convicts.
The latest investigator gives Jerusalem
5000 Christians, $4,000 Jews, and 1900 Mo
hammedans.
The Christian Advocate says that the
Methodist Episcopal church is $57, 900 ahead
of one year ago in the condition of her mis-
sionary treasury.
In fifty-five years the Catholics in Penn
sylvania have increased IN population from
$4,000 to 565, 000 Their churches have in
creased from Is to 400, and their priests from
20 to $50.
The Methodist bishops, book agents and
editors of the New York, Cincinnati, Chi
cago and st. Louis Advocates have a salary
OF three thousand dollars each and house
rent with necessary travelling expenses.
The appeal made to save the Southern
Methodist publishing house from financial
distress has been so far successful that hopes
of entire relief are entertained. Of the
$50, 900 needed one-third has been raised
Alta recent meeting of the Free Church of
remarked that ministers had no right to say
what should be the attitude of prayer He
was once asked would he permit standing
during prayer. He replied, You can stand
on your heads if you like" Professor Mac
gregor's church must clearly be not only
free" but ''free and easy" .
There are Ia, AL persons in England mem
bers of the society of Friends. Last year they
numbered IA, 253, so that they have slightly
r. 1T
ried last year, IS were united to persons not
belonging to their society, and these mixed
marriages are probably not favorable to the
perpetuation of Quakerdom. There is one
fact worthy of note respecting Quakers,
namely, that they are a long-lived race.
The rate of mortality among them is re-
markably low-only Is per 900 for the past
year.
The Rev. Dr. Galusha Anderson, In his
sermon before the Illinois Baptist education
society, at Alton, June 10, made this re-
markable statement: I'VE have over 5000
more churches than ordained ministers, and
moments reflection shows lis that we must
make large deductions from our reported
clerical force. Making these deductions, we
find that the number of our churches is
nearly if not fully double the number of our
ministers who are able to do successfully the
work of an ordinary Christian DastOrate."
Bishop Clark, of Rhode Island. states that
the following will be the topics considered
by the Pan-Anglican council which meets at
Lambeth, July 1878: % The unity of the
several branches of the Anglican church; (2)-
the establishment of courts of arbitration;
(3) the relation of missionary bishops of diff
ferent branches of the church in foreign
countries; az the establishment of chap
laincies on the continent of Europe and else
where; (5) the special forms of modern in
IL L.. . 49, a. H.. q.
general interests Of the several branches of
the Anglican communion.
And now Mr. Moody demands that the
Women's Christian Temperance union shall
change its name to the WOmens Evangelical
Temperance union. When the ladies ask
"Why?'' he says, $50 as to get rid of your
Unitarian and Universalist members" But
that will rule out Mrs. Livermore, our pres
ident," say theys "Well, rule her out She
isn't Christian" And so the matter
stands 1t remains TO be seen whether the
women will be as obedient as some of the
clergy have been. Mrs. Llvermore is willing
to resign her Office as president and serve in
the ranks, but Mr.. Moody does net want her
there, because, as he says, Although she is
a good woman she isn't a Christian. Dos
ton Advertiser.
Few church goers can be strangers to the
disagreeable sensation which meets them on
entering church in the afternoon. A
choking feeling of stiffness, a powerful odor
of fusty clothes and moist flannel, and
prevailing element OF peppermints and pers-
piration form the more marked features OF
the atmosphere. Who ever saw a church in
process of being ventilatedf How many
churches even have window open from
one years end to another. There
should be no surprise that our churches
are untitled in the afternoons. OF those
who go few remain awake, and in the even
ing maps are equally prevalent. Most
of us have at some time or other been pres
ent at an open air sermon. The language
may be poor, the train of thought weak; but
who ever saw any of the audience asleep?
Many worthy people feel troubled over this
failing, and accuse themselves OF moral
apathy and other sinfulness. But given the
vitiated air, and sleep on the part of those
who breathe fits inevitable. IL is a law of
nature and not a matter OF conscience. It is
no more a question OF moral responsibility
than is being burned when the lightning
strikes person. Sleep is the warning that
signals the decrease of the life giving oxygen
in the air. In vain the ecclesiastical unfor-
Inmates struggle against their fate. Pins,
scent bottles and friendly nudges are resort.
ed TO, but all in vain. BY the time that
firstly is reached the auditor is far into
the heart Of the laud where the patient pa
triarch dwelt And when the p-ickings OF a
faithful conscience have impellcu fim TO try
II change ito the sanctuary of some re-
putedly more "rousing" preacher, or TO