The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-03
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.

The Rev. Samuel Farman, rector of
st. Johns. Colchester, England, has announced
his intention of joining the Roman Catholic
Church.
The Cologne Cathedral cost, as it
stands, about forty million marks, or $lO OOO,-
In several Ritualistic churches in
London, on recent Sunday, the congregations
were requested to pray for the repose of the soul
OF the Rev. G. +. Lowder, late vicar of st. Pc
ters, London Docks, who was an extreme Rit
ualist.
"A London journal processes not to
see any great harm in playing lawn tennis on
Sunday" but admits that it can hardly con-
slider it within the proprieties to see clergy
man indulging in that pastime on the Sabbath
day." Hardly.
DR.. Jessup, of Syria, in a recent
very interesting address at Milwaukee, said -
" 1t would have done DR.. Ray Palmers heart
good to have heard three hundred Mohammedan
girls singing the hymn, My faith look up to
Thee translated into their own language"
The Pope has issued an encyclical
placing Cyril and Methody on the list of saints,
and appointing them day on the calendar. in
recognition of what they did among the Slays.
He directs that they be prayed to and invoked
throughout the whole world, that they may
protect the Catholic religion in the East. There
is some hope for Turkey yet.
The Synod of the Spanish Protestant
Church met in Madrid in May last Seventeen
churches and missions were represented. There
has been some disturbance in the churches as
one OF the pastors has gone over to Prelacy, and
IN company with Bishop Riley, of Mexico has
attemntnN set Epic Oh
Spain, representing that the church, as organized
there, was inefficient aud unprosperous Never
Ftheless the work goes on and two churches. one
In the province of Toledo and another in the
province of Salamanca, have been lately formed.
From the minutes of the General
Assembly of the Irish Presbyterian Church, for
1850, 1t appears that that Assembly was attend
ed by 7l6 members, viz, 459 ministers and 257
elders. The total number of ministers connected
with that Church is 632, and the total number
of congregations is 558, while of licentiates and
ministers without charge there are Al. The As,
sembly has IL committees, Bodies of trustees
colleges with IA professors, and mission
schemes. The total number of families con-
nected with the Church is 10000; communi-
cants 10000; contributors tie Sustention Fund
$4,000; stipend payers, $4,000; elders, 1000
day schools, 700; Sabbath Schools 900; Sab.
bath School teachers, $500; sum raised for
OnuICn purposes, 9fOO,OOO.
Funds have been granted by the Rus
sian Synod to erect a Greek Russian church in
San Francisco. A priest has been appointed to
proceed TO California. He will be ACCOMPANIED
by deacons, sub deacons, acolytes. and a full
choir. Five thousand rubles have been granted
Tor the preliminary expenses, and the necessary
funds for the establishment will be forthcoming
when the mission leaves St Petersburg. which
event ID expected to take place shortly.
"A BUDDHIST ORDINATION SERVICE.
A very interesting ceremony took place at Ku-
shan Monastery on the night of the 18th of June
The occasion WINS the initiation of thirty-f five
Buddhist priests some of whom had travelled
several hundred miles for the purpose. The
strictly religious function commenced at about
Z. M. More than three hundred priests were
IN attendance, and the ordination" service was
conducted by the abbot, solemn-visaged. but
BY no means unprepossessing old gentleman.
Inc principal feature of the ceremony consisted
IN burning several small holes, varying from
three to nine in number, on the clean shaven
Uranium of each of the candidates This painful
operation was performed by the abbot, and APP
peared to make some of the novices vince, but
the bulk of them submitted to the severe discip-
line without any show of repugnance. In reply
to question, one of these newly ordained
monks, the top of whose skull was a mass OF
fresh burnt sores, explained that, if the heart
OF the aspiring bonze were only true, Buddha
would protect him from acute pain, but that bad
men could not endure the torture. For nv
own part said this modest divine, "I went
through the ordeal like rock"