New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-16
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

TIE BAPIsTERY AT RKvENNA.--The person
interested in early Christian art will travel long
and far before he finds 9 moro interesting relic
the Prophets and Apostles in the IN
terror mosaic decoration are ranked among the
nObest specimens of early Christian art, ana
they possess peculiar historical value IN tnat
they distinctly indicate the tone OF Christian
belief in the fifth century and In that regard are
as useful as the productions OF the Renaissance
artists of ten centuries later. The monuments nc
Ravenna more, perhaps, than those OF any OJnef
Italian city except Rome, have been injured
from the accumulation of soil about them. The
Baptistery has suffered seriously In this partlc.
ular, the modern pavement being nearly eight
feet above the ancient. 1t is proposed to raise
this entire structure to the line OF the present
sofia work which it is believed would involve
serious injury if not irreparable ruin to the
mOsaics A protest against this undertaking
has been made. 1t Is urged that the exterior OF
the building possesses little or no interest, be-
ing of rough brick work, so that the project
could scarcely result in gain If successful. The
founder OF the sacred edifice was st. Ursus who
lived in the inglOriOus reign OF HOnarlus, that
son of TheOdOsius the great and first Emperor
of the west, who made his residence at Havenna
and died there in 423. .-
THEODORE PARKER ON PRAYER.-Robert
COllyer has made public through The Christian
Register Of Boston, letter which Theodore
left this country to return no more, md one
which is believed to be the last that he wrote
in his native land. 1t is addressed to friend
who had expressed faith in the restoration OF
his health, and contains the following refer
ences to prayer: thank you heartily for say
ing 'yOu think shall get WELL l mean to get
,ucu, aud shall DO all in my power to accomplish
it. But don't pray for it any more than you
act Of gratitude, Of penitence IF 1 have done
wrong), of aspiration and of joy. But it is not
an act of petition. / don't ask God to do my
wOrk-tO saw my wood, to write my books, or
to make me good man. Now, with this notion
of prayer, l should no more ask God 10 restore
my health than l should to buy me cargo
of tea. am amazed that men should think
their feeble words can alter the mind Of the
Almighty God! and still more that they should
Gods desire that should die to-day, but that
my asking for life would lead him to let me
live thirty years more, should not dare to put
my little mind against his Infinite Wisdom and
ask for life! The real prayer you and l agree
in, and detest the sham"
WORDS FROM THE POPE.-At an audience
granted by Lee XIII. to the French pilgrims
who went rec ,ntly to Rome, His Holiness is re-
ported to have said the words that follow in
reference to the expulsion of the Jesuits from
France: awe love France, who possesses
every right to our affection. Your presence
fills my heart with CONSOLATION. We have need
of it, for we are saddened by the attacks in
Europe upon religion. With regard to France,
we are not without dlsguietude from the point OF
view of religion. 1t Is with our soul full of
wee and our eyes filled with tears, that we pray
God to calm the threatening storm and restore
peace and tranquility. But In the struggle,
with Gods aid, we will not finch from our duty
as POntih; we will perform our mission 10
society without weakness. Like our predeces-
sOrs, we will defend the interests Of religion,
which are the interests of peoples. The annals
of centuries show that the period when France
had the greatest glory and internal peace was
when the mission of the Church was most freely
exercised upon souls"
PALESTINE AS 1T Is.-A recent visitor to Pales-
tine furnishes melancholy picture OF the desc
latlOn that has settled down upon that historic
land. Treeless it is, he says, for twenty or
thirty years ago on Mount Tabor and Mount
Carmel are fast disappearing. Rlch plains OF
fine garden soil are al best only scratched up In
patches, and have no hedges or boundaries.
The villages are nothing but mud huts, dust
and squalOr. Large tracts are without horse,
or COW, or sheep, or dog. Except from Jatfa
to Jerusalem there Is no pretence at roads.
Everything is taxed, even trees, and IN conse-
duenCe no trees are planted; every cow and
every horse, every vegetable sold out of the
garden while every eighth egg is not taxed
but taken outright by the Government. This
year double taxes are expected, since after
three years of bad harvestS an abundant one Is
i'll prospect.
a CHURCHs-Dl6UOD
Reformed Episcopal Church IN England, has
been presented with purse or 100 gulncas In
honor of the second anniversary of the opening
of his church ut SOuthend. In reply to the ad-
dress of presentation, the Bishop said his con-
gre9atiOu was as united as any congregation IN
the land. The cause had been hOnOred by the
attacks of eleven bishops in the House of Con-
vocation but he did not think the Committee
appointed to report upon the Reformed Epis-
copal Church would ever do so. That Church
now extended as far north as Scotland, as far
south as Canterbury, as far east as Southend,
and as far west as Wales. Within the pre-
yiOus twenty-fOur hours he had been asked to
license place OF worship III LONDON ana
the North He had also been asked to extend
the cause to ewZealand and Australia.
TIE MOTHER OF A BIsuoP.--Dr. Fraser, the
Bish0D of Manchester has often spoken in pub
he and in private of what he owes to his
mother, whom he has just lost. Last year he
remarked that his father being OF an active mind
invested his money lii mining operations, ana lost
The most of it, dying soon afterward and leaving
q family of seven of whom James, the bishop,
was the eldest The mother realizing the con-
dition of her late husabnd's estate, reflected
that she could never give her children for
time. but saw how by self-denial and quiet
life she could ed lcate them all, and to this end
she devoted her life. Mrs. Fraser vas par
alyzed, speeches., and helpless for long time
before she died, and in bis speech last year the
bishop Salu tnaJ every udy NiCh NC WonC iheo
her room and looked into her face, he thought
gratefully of all he owed to her. of what. he
was, and of what he had been enabled to do"
REFUGE FOR THE FRENCH JEsUITs.-Sayes
Court, near Deptfold, England, the seat of that
Evelyn family to which the celebrated writer OF
the @Diary' belonged, has been purchased By
the French Jesuits, who intend to set up there
an educational institution. Six members of the
jesuit order are guests of the Duke Of Norfolk,
whose invitation to them is said to have been
unlimited. Six others are in the Scotch High
lands at Rothesay Castle, the guests, OF the
,Jesuits have gone to Dublin with view to
inspecting certain properties for sale in Ireland,
which may be adapted to their needs; About
forty members desire to make their home in
10 nlaarh ou