New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-11
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

story comes from Jerusalem by way OF Rome OF
the finding in her1nit's g10tto at the foot OF
the hill Of Gethsemane Of a manuscript in the
handwriting of the Apostle Peter. Publicity
was first given to IL by newspaper organ OF the
Jewish community at Jerusalem. Last July o
man named Core, who was believed 20 De very
poor, died at Jerusalem In the 10th year OF
his age, after leading hermifs life for BALI
century, and having among Christians repu-
tatiOn for rare saintliness- He lett no kmsfolk,
and the authorities taking possession OK tne
gr0tto found it luxuriousy furnished WIN
magnificent tiger skins on the floor and the
costliest furs composing. the bed. Beneath the
floor IN an underground room an ir0n-b0und
Oaken chest was found, which ON being opened
value of ,OOO-supposed to be the total of
aims and oblatiOns which he had received from
the creduous people who listened to his ap-
peals. In the bottom Of this chest the manu-
script was discovered. This inscription was
upon it: VI, Peter the fisherman, III the name
of God, finished the writing OF the word OF love
in the Goth year of my age, the third Easter
after the death of my Saviour and Master Jesus
Christ, son of Mary, in the house OF Belierl, the
scribe, near the temple of the Lord" The
papyrus of the manuscript Is described as
strong and flexible, while the ink Is very DlacK:
Scholars who have seen 1t say that no man OF
this age could write old Hebrew of such pure
style and with such inowledge OF the meaning
of many obsolete words and forms which belong
TO the period in which the epistle purports 10
have been written. On the other hand, IC is
held out against the genuineness OF the docu-
ment that the misery Core would not nave hid
away a thing which if genuine would hay5
brought him more money than he could get In
O century of begging. Further that the Ian
guage Of the supeIscrIpti0n and subscription Oh
the papyrus throws grave doubt ON It's preten-
siOns 10 antiquity. There is 10 proof that the
church festival Of Easter had come into exist
ence so early as the year 80, while the desctp-
ton of Peter as "the fisherman " (nOJ simply
as a fisherman y and of Christ as the Son OF
MaIy," are thought to be sufficient TO betray the
modern origin of the pretended eplstle.
ODD CORREsPONDENCE.-Engli papers make
public two singular letters which recently
passed between the Archbishop Of Canterbury
and an avowed atheist. Mr.. Daniel ChattertoD,
respecting q certain expression IN one OF the
archbisbOp's pamphlets to the effect that the
existence of soul In man as separate IN Its ma
ture from the body had never been dlsbeiIeved
without degradation to the intellectual and
moral nature OF man. Mi. Chatterton protests
" as an atheist against this assertion and then
bIuntly asks q Are you, Archbishop of Canter-
bury. quite sure that you really possess all the
morality, all the intellect; that yOn. with your
$4,000 per year wrung from the blood, bone
and sinew of the nation, Lave all the BRAIN
power and that the atheist has not the power
c0-cqually to lay down his propositions and as
intellIgently-ayel as intelligently to demon
strate his conclusions for the governance OF bis
life rs your The letter closes with dem1nd
mot doubt, but utter denial" In his answer
the Archbishop quietly says he does not think
Mr.. ChattertOn 10 correct IN stating that " the
income of the Archbishop OF Canterbury is
wIung from the blood, bone and sinew OF the
workers of the nation, nor as far as he Is aware,
have the ArchbishOps claimed to have all the
brain pOwer;" but this point be lets pass and
proceeds to say that III his pamphlet ne did not
intend To Judge any individual. :" My iDten-
ton" he adds, was to point out what are the
general effects of atheistlcal opinions and
hold that any school OF philosophy which dog
matcally asserts that man mas no soul aud that
there is not God saps the very foundations OF
morality, and that all history proves the propa-
CATION of such opinions as substitute for
Christianity to lead to the degradation OF the
human race" He believes that time VIII come
when Mr. Chatterton Will perceive ana giadiy
acknowledge that man is distinguished IRON
the brute creation by something higher than
fine organization of his material frame, and that
there is u Being higher than man, who watches
over him III life and in death with fathers
love-"
PAYING DEBTs.-Very marked progress is
being made IN all the churches toward paying
oft debts, and now and then pleasing item Is
found that a new church has been dedicated
entirely free of debtor, as Mr.. Moody would
saw. presented to God when the .giver had
right to give it in that he owned It, Al kin-
singtOn, Conn., Il Congregational church, alter
living in debt for forty years has just paid of
It's last encumbranee. In ST. Louis lt Is sald
there is not a Congregational church that now
owes n dollar On Easter Day the Church Of
the Asc ansiOn P E) at Baltimore, paid on
through the contributions of that day alone, Its
entire debt amounting 10 S16.2O0. rye years
ago its indebtedness was $50,O00. MOI only
has this all been paid, but q chapel IN addltlOn
has been erected. st. Paups of New-Haven,
raised - 900 the same day, and mt the coming
semi centennial celebration il. is hoped that
enough can be obtained to eXtlngulsh the IN
debit dness entirely. The Mount y elnOn wv. E.s
ChuIch, of Baltimore, has raised a mortgage OF
$50, 900 as an Easter offering, and the American
Missionary Association for the first time III SIX
teen years fluids itself out OF debt.
Nuurrsrs, Sous OF PRIEsTs.-TwO sons of
orthodox priests in the RUSSIAN Gnuren R Riss
ana condemned to death by hanging. Both had
been students of theological summaries from
which they were expelled. One OF them, named
Bozlnsky, joined the Servlan amy aIter MS eA-
pulsiOn and fought against the Turks, BENG
wounded he returned to RusSia, where he was
drafted into the reserves, becoming III short
time n non commissioned 0i1cer: AL tDe tIlas
he was accused OF beng an active mem0er OF
the Socialist party, OF writing revolutionary
letters and of striking military, guard while
going to prison. The judges deli3erated Two
hours and half on their verdict. IL is pc
lieyed the death sentence was due more 10 tne
fnct that he happened to be soldier, 80 that his
ease gave an opportunity TO set an example than
to ANYTHING actually proved against him.
A Priests WAGER.--Father Olivier. of the
Dominican order in Paris, recently oHered 10
wager a certain sum of money that the present
Government in France would not last until
1890. nj. Sarcey, the Paris journalist, took
him up but Father Olivier declined then ben b to
r,,efnSal'-Arst, that the so-called wager was
mere rhetorical flourish, such as is excusable in
a preacher, and is never taken in earnest BY bis
hearers secondly, that, he never intended to
predict that the French Republic would not
ppaJrra tnD wears longer, but merely that tile