The Lake Charles echo., 1877-01-11
RELIGIOUS

The official returns Of the Methodist
Episcopal conferences for the year 1875
show a net increase of lay members for
the year Of 81, 508 persons.
The woman's missionary society Of
kentucky raised 81 800 in the first year
Of its operation. The money was di-
vided between home and foreign missions
The WESLEYAN Nethodists of Great
Britain with a membership of less than
500. .000. gave last year for the support
Of the missionary work $900, 900 or nearly
two dollars per member.
Durham cathedral, England, has been
reopened after its restoration. The bish-
op of the diocese declined to take part in
the services, on the ground that the
money expended On the fabric would
have been better devoted to the relief of
the spiritual destitution Of poor parishes
The Jewish Messenger wants to see
some Moodyism introduced in the Jew
ish form Of service, some enthusiasm,
some life" Camp meetings, says the
Messenger, may be sensational and
epheral in their hold on sinners, but We
have frequently wished that q little OF
their warmth were transferred to our
synagogues and temples"
The Portesrant Episcopal diocese OF
Kentucky was organized in 1929, with
three parishes and less than three hun
dred communicates. In 1882 bishop
Smith was Consecrated the diocesan
bishop, and in 1866 bishop Cummins
was made assistant. The present MEM
bership is about 1000 and the church
edihces number torty-three, valued at
S577.5&5.
j A readiuStment of the Methodist
bishops residences was made at their re.
cent missionary meeting. They viii be
settled hereafter as follows: Bishop
scott at odessa, bishop simpson at Phil
adelphia. bishop Ames at Baltimore,
bishop Bowman at St. Leuis, bishop Fos-
ter at Boston, bishop Wiley at Cincinnati,
bishop Merrill at Chicago, Bishops
Andrews. Haven aud Peck being absent,
their places OF residence were not deter
mined.
I Dr.. W. ". Taylor thus distinguishes
American from English preaching; The
American is more intellectual, the Brit
ish more practical; the American IS
more speculative, the British Is more bib
ical: the American is more calm, the
British is more imprisoned the Ameri-
can is more philosophical, the British Il
more dogmatiC. An inter-blending oil
the two would be an advantage to both,
for the ideal pteacher is he who, while
} combining hiuseltto neutrality-suspicious.,
employs all the resources Of intellect
and all the aid Of philosophy in en-
, forcing the practical lessons of his themes
1t is not the Interpretation, but the
, application of the gospel ts human affair
that the world needs to-day. The re
duction Of christianity to practice, ana
not the formulating of it into systems
this i what concerns Us. The churct
?, has passed beyond the period Of theo
2 roqiesg discussions. Whatever IS intrl
< cate in exergesis, or difficult in iuEerPre
= ration has been made plain st least, 4
( much as human ingenuity and scholar
a shin NAV ever do it. Nineteen hundre'
h vasrs OF discussion Of the doctrines of tn
d bible, as they are styled, have left u
n little to discuss. Not that scholarship
IL no longer needed; not that new discoye
{, ries will not reward patient examination
but the problems Of the past will not
the problems Of the future. The inte
~ lsctual forces Of the church are sti
y needed in all their vigor; bat they wi
N he exercised in new directions, and t
in ward new objects How to best lncs
ar nate the truths which we love how
I'D make plain and potential in the wor
h the imitation of Jesus, which is the pE
an fessed aim of our lives; how to "
~ Others to our mode Of life, and Ret how
"a. bring them to our way of thiukin
ne are the problems that should interest I
nv christians of to-day Fa}dsa Bile,