New-York tribune., 1881-11-20
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

lie AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIET1.-l ne dudlIS
OF tins society have been brought prominently
before the public recently owing 10 the charges
brought against its management by the Con-
neetcut Bible Society. The religious journals
have discussed the charges in different ways.
The ChFiStiGR Union saws: In the presence of
these charges the Bible Society owes it to itself
and to the public to invite at once Il thorough
investigation of its affairs by committee of
experts selected by, or at least satisfactory to"
its principal auxiliary societies, for it is from
auXliarieS that its funds largely come. No
Selt-appOntcd committee can now give salts
faction to the public. Meanwhile The Christian
Union recommends to its readers to refuse to
give any further funds to the Bible Society till
these charges are cleared up; to all pastors OF
churches To postpone the Bible Society cOllec-
tiOns and to all auXiaries to hold their funds
in their own treasury till the condition OF the
treasury of the American Bible Society has
been thoroughly investigated. Every man Is
to be presumed innocent till he has been proved
guilty; but no man in charge of trust funds
should be left in charge of them II, under
serious charges, he opposes, declines, evades, or
even discOurageS a full, free and thorough IN
vestigatiOn OF his accounts" The C0ngre-
gGttondt'st after giving SYNOPSIS OF tne
ciety, says: ave notice that counter
statement has been called ont by this
action in Connecticut, from one OF the secre-
taries at New York, which appears to imply
that this and all such hostile criticisms are to
be explained by the personal hostility of an eX-
emplOye of the American Society, who Is now
prominently connected with the Connecticut
organization. This may be an easy, but 1T
will assuredly be found to be transitory eX-
PLANTATION. And our friends III New ork
must see that, beyond ali such suggestion, a
straightforward, candid and complete eXposl-
ton of the finances of that organization alone
will be found eitectual as reply to these Con-
necticut charges" In justice to the American
Bible Society, it should be said that these edl-
tOrials appeared before the official reply OF the
society was made public. The Editor CT Inc
independent who visited the Bible House ana
made inquiries for himself, comes to the fol-
lowing conclusions: We are not great lovers
of the Bible Society and should not advise
churches to take up contributions Tor 1t. MS
is not from any evidence that ITS trusts are mis-.
managed, but because we think the churches
contributions should go not to support publ
cation societies. but for evangelism; but the
late charges against the socety's, financial
management have thus far broken down and
deserve no regard. Nevertheless, 1t might be
well if thorough and impartial experts should
be commissioned To make careful cNa;.iilla-
ton Of its accounts, so as to satisfy all the
public
JERUSALEM AND IT'S INmABITANTs-Accord-
ing to a letter from Jerusalem printed recently
in he London Record, there are many persons
i'm the city who hold extreme or iancliul views
on lcligus TOPICS Eighteen Americans, 1t Is
said, arrived there recently to await the second
coming OF illt l-bIt. ihtg hlN lN'i'' '''''''',
educated and apparently wealthy persons, and
are 10 be followed by others. For many years
half crazy Engishman dressed in grave
clothes, and carrying wooden cross on Ills
shoulders, was wont to address crowds ol peO-
ple in the market-paCcs of the city. lie re-
Gently died OF fever German woman who
regarded herself as - the bride OF Christ ana
who had prepared costly dresses in which To
receive her Lord, went away 10 the JORDAN re-
Gently, and never returned She died and was
Il 1..st V,.,fTa \
Jerusalem 10 whom it has been revealed that
the Ark of the Covenant Is buried IN what Is
known as the POtter's Field. lie Is searching
for it asSiduousy Another who Is described
aS "a rather gentlemanllke young jew mas
arrived at Jerusalem aud claims to be the
Messiah These instances are sad indeed; and
il is pleasant To turn to what Is comparatively
brighter side of iglous life at Jerusalem. Ot
the Jews the correspondent OF / ne hec0rd
writes AS follows: Many Jews have arrived
here from Bulgaria and Russia, and many more
are cXpccted.-it is said about eight hundred
AN important and embarrassing addition TO our
already Ovcrcrowdcd Jewish quarter. The
Jews are so widely distributed throughout the
world that nothing of Importance can occur
without its reflex being felt ut Jerusalem.
.Icwcss recently begged of one of the mission
aries on the ground that the French were iii
Tunis, and consequently she had not received
her usual rcmlttanccS. Even the ahtl-Sehlitic
movement has invaded us, and papers on TINS
side and on that have been read at the German
Climb But on the whole the Jews have good
time in Jerusalem. and were it not for their
poverty would bc perfectly happy. Ihcy I'VE
according to their own laws, have their own
.housc of Judgment marry and divorce in
their own fashion, and the Cmct kabbl has
even the right OF requesting the clNll auth0ri-
ties To arrest and lnprlson any OF hls people.
I heir religious zeal l. m itself very cOinihenu-
able. though, alas far removed from the true
and right way. Their reverence Tor the law
has almost caused them Ia forget the GlNer oil
it, and even the most solemn Day ol Atone
mrnt which is Just passed. is married by super
stitious and unScriptural teaching.
DE-. BrpNs AND DR.. TuoNAs.-AS was fore
shJGoVcd i'm this column several weeks ago the
Rev. DR.. Barns, of Hamilton, Ont. has drawn
"a hornets nest about his ears by MS letter OF
sympathy to DR.. Thomas, which Wa, published
recently in Chicago newspaper. ne thTis-
fdu Idr0Cdte last week read the reverend gen
tlcman the following lecture: II Dr. Burns,
of the Wesleyan Female Seminary oi Hamilton,
C,uoda. wrote the letter To Dr. Thomas, pub
li,hcd in the Chicago papers several things are
settled among which are these four CD nat l)f.
Burus differs in fundamental points ilOm any
form OF Mcthodism yet known 10 The world
(y That he can speak OF the great doctrine,
of Ncthndism in q ilippaut manner, unworthy
q scholar and man of dignity IN thc Church
(B That he can make undue u-c Of other men
names, nd speak OF Their opinions rcchltSSly;
and % That he can make wholesale Stttt-
mcnts which have no foundation IN Idct; S"cl
as: don't know 4 man, unless a tenth or
twrptirth rate man, who believes it, / have
conyerscd al great length with very prominent
mcn-thc president of our University here and
the hest prcachcrs-and | have myself preached
against the substitution theory before them,
only To bc commended by them for my, views
don't know n thinking minister to-day who
considers the doctrine of eternal conscious tor
m,nt as an essential doctrine. The arrogant
cgotism and extravaganza running through
these statements are amazing. Is thlN tht SORT
,f instruction given 10 the daughters of Cana
dian ii N Wcsleyanism2 Are these the sentiments
nrcvoIcnt there? We trow not, but shall see.
TLr Editor adds to these yigor0us remarks the
following postscript: az DIR. Burns, OF tamil
ton wrote the above noted letter TO Dr. Thomas
" " ,',;r1yo Icttcr and If Mr.. Thomas gave il