The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-15
TO encourage and stimulate the churches to
greater zeal and earnestness

W encourage ana stimulate the churches to
greater zeal and earnestness
The gifts of Mr.. Cyrus II. Mccormick
to the Presbyterian Theological Seminary at
Chicago, ILL.,. first and last, amount to the grand
sum of 100000.
Our Theological Students.-We learn
that in our six theological semlnares, Union,
Auburn, Princeton, Western, North Western,
Lane, there are this year 430 students, falling
off of % from last year when there were 45s.
Moreover of the 430, at least Al belong to
other branches of the Church-Baptist, Congre-
gationalist. Lutheran Methodist Cumberland
Presbyterian. United Brethren, Southern Pres
byterian-leaving us only $50.
There is food for thought in these figures
The decrease of candidates commenced to show
itself in the theological seminaries last year 1t
continues this year. One cause of it, we be-
lieve, has been the wild talk that has prevailed
about too many ministers" united with the
insufficient support of pastors generally, which
causes frequent dissolutions and multiples the
Nv. C's." The Church needs to pray the Lord
of the harvest to send forth more laborers and
with the prayer to unite the good works of lib
On the other hand, the receipts of our Board
of Education up to November 3Oth are more
than six thousand dollars In advance of the cor
responding period of last year. And the tone
of letters received shows a more hearty APP
prevail of the cause, deeper interest in it. and
regret that even larger sums cannot now be
sent. 1t looks as if change for the better in
this branch of our work had set in. Let all
fall in with 1t, so that the Church may have
provided ministry, in quantity and quality,
such as the Lords work requires Presbyterian
Journal.
Other Churches.
In the controversy on the doctrine of
predestination, now going on in the Lutheran
Synodcal Conference Professor Wather and
Professor Schmidt are the champions of the re-
spective parties Prof. Schmidt holds that God
elected to eternal life those whose faith he, in
his omniscience, foresaw; though faith is not to
be looked on as something meritorious The
Walther view rejects q. The two fold cleo
tom. e., election of some to salvation and
others to damnation. 2. The notion that the
general invitation of the Gospel is not seriously
meant. 8. That Christ died only for the elect"
At a recent conference held in Chicago, to dis
cuss the subject, 600 pastors from all parts of
the country were in attendance.
The Rev. j. A. O'Connor, pastor of the
Independent Catholic church in Madison avenue
at Twenty eighth street, appears to be accom-
plshing something more than an ephemeral
work Among people OF his nationality and for
mer faith. About thousand persons-onehalf
of whom, we are told are Roman Catholics or
at least were such not long ago-make up his
congregation, and he seems to preach the gospel
to them in its simplicity and power, and also te
give them advice calculated to make them good
parents and worthy American citizens. That
Father OConnor has pretty firm hold on their
respect and affection and that the movement
has other and more permanent elements OF
strength, seems quite evident. Otherwise the
opposition which it has called out, as we'll as
the considerable time which has elapsed since
its origin, must have brought it to nought.
The First Baptist church of BROOKLYN
which abandoned the pew renting system for
the envelope plan, raised the income from So
500 to $4,000
AT the annual meeting of the Lutheran
General Council held this year at Greensboro
Penn, an unusual degree of attention was
given to Home Missions, and the constitution
for congregations which has been under consid
Grafton for many years. was finally adopted
1t IS whitening field, and field so large that
the laborers need not fear to jostle each other