New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-28
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

sect winch Is mainly composed of dissenters
employed are similar to those of the Episcopal
service. The name of the new denomination is
The Living Church of God,n and the members
are caiied the chosen" A correspondent of
ne Chicago Inter Ocean at Battle Creek writes
as follows OF the new sect The members are
adnlttrd TO the society with great form and a
prescribed order of exercises much like some
90 .ne secret societies They claim to be pos
sessed OF some very grave secrets regarding the
near approach OF the world which have been
impaired to them by divine inspiration. a
uelegaton OF twelve of their members, as
choseD apostles, have been selected to prepare
proper Bible for their use, and which Wilt not
be given to any outside of the families of the
CHOSEN emo IL Will contain the articles of faith,
anu a Is supposed to be mainly composed of ex-
uacts from the Old Testament, as they discard
the new version. In some respects they are
communists, as all members who are worth over
H3,ooO put their property together and divide
the profits pro rata. They take many customs
from the Jews, and have a large number of
noiy days which they keep very strictly, be-
sues saturday and Sunday of each week. which
are Observed as days of rest. They do not have
an lhlng to do with outs ders any more than is
surety necessary. They never marry but once
ana III the event of the death OF husband or
%iIe' remain single the remainder of their life.
D I,n anu separation are not allowed and any
diincultIes which may come up in the family or
church arc brought before the twelve elders
from whom there is no appeal. In their dress
and mode of living they are very simnle the
men wearing their hair cut short and faces
smoothly shaven, and the women wearing only
their natural hair hanging loosely down their
Dacks. 1hey are industrious and frugal, and
are accommodating much property Much IN
terest Is manifested in them in the communities
where they reside, and their numbers are in
creasng very fast Their preachers literally
obey me scripture injunction, and go about
preaching without pay or compensation, expect
ing TO get their board, clothes and the necessa-
ries of life from their converts Altogether
they are most singular people"
THE LATE BISHOP HAVEN ON DEAru.-Tbe
late Bishop +. .. Haven in June last sent to
4 he Christian AdUocate an article entitled
Light and Darkness in the Last Hours" ac-
campaigning 1t with a note in which he said !:
This will do as well at one time MS another /
write III at this time because | felt like il, and
believe that its publication might do goods
me Eoltor lald the article one side temporarily,
intending to keep it until some event lent it
peculiar significance. Its publication now fol-
lows the death of the Bishop himself In the
course of the article Bishop Haven said: " One
characteristic of Christian comfort i'm the de-
parting hour is the apparent absence of all con-
sclouS braclng up for the occasion. The Chris
uan does not seem to be nerved to meet foe
lie Is peacefully or joyfully about 10 start on a
Journey, and he seems to fear no lack of pleas
ant society on the way II is a parting without
the usual grief on his side. d. Some Chris
tanS, perhaps foolishly, indulge fears about
death. 1t is really to one who dies matter of no
consequence at all whether it is slow or sudden,
attended with peace or joy, or not. have long
since determined to indulge consciously no
choice on the subject. But it is noticeable that
some who have feared it have been wonderfully
sustained when the dreaded moment camen
The article closes as follows: Z" An English
philosopher could relieve the unconcealed
anxiety OF ms later hours by a fancied dialogue
between himself and the terryman who should
bear his soul over the fancied river; the old
Roman could cover his face and turn To the
wall and die; il is left to the Christian to re-
main unmoved and passive, and receive the
summons which thrills the soul with the fore
tasted JOY of heaven"
ACTIVITY IN MISSIONARY woRK-An in
terestlng feature of tt camp meeting al AXE
side, as reported in The Mil,caukee Sentinel was
the missionary conference at which representa-
hves of four branches of the Protestant Church
made reports as to what was being done by
congregational, Methodist, Baptist, and Pres
bytcran missionaries. 1t was stated that the
Methodist Church has now thirty eight mis-
si0nares and helpers, l06 native preachers,
torty-two helpers and $500 members. In
1919 the receipts of the newly organized mis-
slonary society amounted To 1898. Last year
the receipts were S557,371. The Rev. Dr. s.
j. Humphrey, of Chicago, in behalf of the Com
gregationallsts stated that the American Board
OF commissioners for Foreign Missions sustans
seventeen missions which include about 700
stations where evangelistic, educational and
phlanthropIc work Is carried on. At present il
has % ordained missionaries, seven of whom
are physicians, and about go assistant mis-
sionarics. 1t has educated and now EMPLOYS
pastors, preachers and catechiSts. Its 275
churches contain about 5000 members nearly
1000 of whom were added last year. There
have been established 740 common schools with
1000 pupils and seventy higher schools in
Guiding those for the training of ministers with
:, 300 students. I'm the first year the income of
the American Board was 1899 it is now about
2 i2o, 600; In all 1T has received about
81 100000, and has made about 90, 900 con-
verts. The reports in regard to the missionary
work which is carried on under the direction of
the Presbyterian and Baptist denominations
were also very encouraging.
Under the head "Summer Backsliding"
The Christian Adrocate discusses some of the
causes which lead To "A lessenng of interest in
spiritual matters IN the summer. Among these
causes it enumeratcs the following: relaxation
and dissipation ut home; absence from home
and foreign travel. On the subject of Camp
meeting Backsliding" it says "That much
backslldlng takes place at camp meetings is |
capable, we regret to say, of too easy proof. |
camp meetings properly conducted we heartily /
approve. The day these lines are sent To press
the writer expects to preach where many souls |
have been translated out of darkness into the /
light of the Gospel. II all the |
worthy members of the different branches of
MethodlSm who were first impressed or led TO
decide fOr Christ, or genuinely converted, at /
camp-mcctng were assembled together, the |
company of them would be great The joyful |
testimony of many such we have heard. But |
hat backSliding can occur at anV camD- meet
ing, and that much does occur at most camp
meetings, and more at some than mt Others and |
SO much mt some as to neutralize their effects
for good, If not to leave AL unbalanced residuum
pf positive evil, we fear cannot be truthfully
denied
The Rev. DR.. Timothy Dwight, Professor of
DIVINITY at ale College, in bringing To Il close
the series of papers on ihe First Epistlc 10 the
Corinthians which he has contributed To Public
opinion (London) writes us follows: 1--WE have
thus passed in review the changes and improve
ments which the reNsinn contains in the First |