The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-02-09
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.

"A sister of the King of Sweden is a
missionary in Lapland, and has sold her Jewels
to aid her in her work.
Mr.. Henry Morehouse, the lately
deceased English missionary, was converted in
circus in his native city Of Manchester during n,
a Gospel service. Hekept two vehicles and men
distributing Bibles.
"A table of general religious statistics
for England and Wales states that there are ITO
different denominations, which have As 600
places of worship, with upwards of IA 900 600
sittings. There are $4,000 stated ministers. of
whom $4,000 are clergy IN the Church of En-
gland. The communicates number about 8
600 600. and the average Sunday attendance at
church is 100000.
-RITUALIsM IN AFRICA.-Even mis-
sionary work is infected with Ritualsm. India
and Ceylon have suffered much from its banefnI
effects, but now we find it at work in the heart
Of Africa. Mr.. Joseph Thomson writes in
Good Words for December, as follows:
On the third day from Pangani we reached
Maglla, where the Universities Mission has es
tabllshed station. Here number of mission
airy gentlemen made themselves martyrs to the
conventlonalltles of their Church, which greatly
amused me- Perhaps their consistency NAV he
worthy OF admiration, but confess it tickled nv
fancy to see these men, with the thermometer at
ninety degrees In the shade, wearing long black
prlestly garments hanging to their feet, ropes
around their waists. and shovel hats, in which
they pushed through forest and Jungle. plunginq
through swamp and stream, handled the axe or
the spade, and finally held divine service in their
fancifully decorated chapes. 1 have no desire
to convey the impression that this ritualistic
mission Is doing no good in Magila. They GER
tainly succeed in raising the vulgar admiration
oil the native by their snowy vestments cere
monal professions, cross, candles, and affairs ::
and by substltutnga cross when thew take avUav
the dawas" or charms, from the negroes tbey
convey an idea of the Christian religion which
suits naturally superstitous minds. But whether
al this is calculated to produce the highest re-
suits, very much doubt.
The Methodists have held q camn-
meeting in North India, which according to the
Rev. E. w. Parker, was great success. He
says:
There were over 80 tents and huts in the
grove, and at the time of taking the census
there were S43 persons in the camp who were
stopping on the ground. Our love-feast lasted
two hours and half, and ia persons spoke
During the last days Of the meeting the testi.
monies were nearly all witnesses of entire con-
secration. All the services were in Hindustani
and the exercises were a new thing in India :.
yet ! never attended better meeting anywhere
and never listened to a clearer or more intelli-
gent testimony from any people We closed
by marching out into the grove. which had been
lighted up, at nine o'clock at night, and form
ing in circle, with joined hands, to make an un-
broken ring, thereby representing that we are
one "a Chr1st-no nationality no caste, no class
no color-all one in Jesus our Saviour. In this
land of caste and prejudice the scene was in
tensely impressive All who retained enmitv
OF caste spirit in their hearts were told to break
the ring and step out. The responses came from
all parts of the circle; There are none sncb
now. So many as 800 native Christians never
met together before in these provinces"