The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-17
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.


the Independent says:
1t Is true to-day, as it has been for the last
fifteen or twenty years, in Germany that the
rationalistlc theological professors attract far
fewer students than the evangelical, Accord
ing to the Universitdts Kdlendar for 1SSO-'SI.
rationalistic Heidelberg has only twenty tour
theological students, while evangelical Berlin
has go, evangelical Halle 304. and hyper
| evangelical Leipzig, 437 At one time re-
Gently, Heidelberg University had seven theo-
logical professors, all rationalistc, and only
seven theological students Professor Christ
heb assures me that the number of theological
students In Germany is now decidedly on the
increase, although it diminished for while
under the operation OF the notorious Falk Laws,
now happily superseded in large part by the
better arrangements of his successors. Falk
appointed as teachers in the gymnasia very
many thoroughgoing rationalists who were ac-
| customed to sneer at any of their pupils who
proposed to study divinity and thus did their
utmost to diminish the number of theological
students in the universities.
New South Wales to the front. We
clip the following from the Canada Pres5vte-
rian:
The Sydney Morning Herald in the latest
issue come to hand has the following very graft.
lying account of the working of the Sustenta
ton Fund scheme in New South Wales: 1.-The
Presbyterian Church of New South Wales
year ago, brought to this colony the Rev. ].
Miller Ross, OF London. of the Presbyterian
Church OF England, to introduce their English
financial system in modified and improved
form, known as the Sustentation Fund. One
OBJECT OF this system seems to be the creation of
a strong financial bond of common interest be-
tween all congregations of the church: another
| is TO secure that the equal dividend from that
fund shall not be less than e30O per annum
and third is to place congregations which
may be both able and willing in position to
give to their ministers increased additional ann
PIGMENTS to this dividend and 80 as to raise the
whole platform of ministerial support to a much
higher hgure than hitherto. These incomes II
appears, are exclusive of manses or residences
Tor their ministers. During the past year the
congregations of the church have been visited
ana the scheme has been expounded. The
General Assembly, which met in SYDNEY in Oc
tober last, passed Sustentation Fund Act
employing the regulations of the system and
ordalnlng that the act should come into force
on the LIST January last The Sustentation
committee have just held their last meeting for
the first quarter to consider the state of the
1und, and have found themselves in the position
70 declare an equal dividend at the rate of e3OO
per annum-the figure contemplated This
very satisfactory result is the more remarkable
that 1T took the Free Church of Scotland over q
quarter of century in its farfamed Sustenta-
IL
dend OF ESQ, and it took the Presbyterian
Church In England four years to reach its diyi-
dend OF G200. So speedy and gratifyine an
issue OF the churchs endeayors can hardly fail
to be In itself very pleasing reward to the few
generous members of the body who initiated so
liberal policy"
Let the American churches be stimulated to
do better.
The Sabbath, if it is to be main
tanned, must be fought for is the opinion of the
English Wesleyan Committee az Expressed in
their report to Conference They saw: $500
We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that
our Sabbath is threatened, formidably and
resolutely threatened. It NAV be that the
struggle upon which we have already entered
Will determine whether in this Protestant land
we are to have Continental Sunday; a Popisb
sunday, frlttered away in unhallowed frivoli-
ties and desecrated by secular traficking and
amusement; or whether we are TO retain and
transmit to coming generations that calm and
quiet Sabbath, that hallowed and blessed Sab
bath which we have inherited from our fore
fathers and to the devout observance of which
we owe so much Of our sober force and TRANQUIL
perseverance,"
AT a Sabbath School Convention.
held in Liverpool during the last week of JuIv
In connection with the Wesleyan Methodist
Conference, it was said that the Wesleyan Sun.
day Schools Of Great Britain have more than
four millions Of scholars thatseven of the mem
bers of the House Of Commons are presidents Of
Sunday School unions and hat Lord Selborne
the present Lord Chancellc., is Sabbath School
teacher.
The Irish Presbyterian church has
Just started an Aged and Infrm Minister'S
Fund. Two donations were given towards it
at the start which placed it beyond the risk of
iailure-one Of nearly 10,0cO, and the other Of
nearly 5000.