The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-07-19
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.

Toxic, Japan, consents to insert an advertise
ment of the Scriptures, which is regarded by
the missionaries as an important concession.
Eleven missionaries have recently
left England to Join the Livingstone Inland Mis-
sion in Central Africa, which has already
twenty two missionaries at its four stations on
the Congo river.
=" Father Chiniquy" was at the meet
ing of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church OF Canada. question arose as to his
relation to the church, and it was decided that
he be recognized as missionary of that church,
and be subject to the control Of the Presbytery
Of Chatham.
The Rev. George Brown, of New
Britain, said In recent missionary address in
Australia, that when recently in Melbourne he
had an interview with Mrs. Turner the widow
of the Rev. Nathaniel Turner, one of the early
missionaries of Tonga, who was present at the
reception of the first FIVE Tongans into the
Christian Church. Now there are no idols and
no idolators in Tonga, but the entire population
was professedly Christian.
The London Missionary Society Mis-
sion on Lake Ngam in South Africa reports
an interesting case of a selftaught preacher.
Bokaba, who has learned the truth from por
lions of scriptural translation made by Mr..
Mottat and Rev. William Ashton in 1857. He
had found from the fifty third chapter of Isaiah,
and had been led to behold there "a the Lamb of
God which taketh away the sins of the world"
Very humble in spirit, he has nevertheless pro-
claimed the truth to all about him.
"A missionary correspondent of ex-
cellent judgment elsewhere asks, not for Bibles
and tracts, but for saw mill for Africa I'm
doubtedly saw-mills will play a part In the
coming civilization of that continent, along
with the plough, the locomotive, and telegraph
he &c IL,
missionary. We trust that some one or more
of our readers may be moved to look into the
matter and having carefully considered what
may be done, do 1t.
The General Assembly of the Irish
Presbyterian Church represents Synods 81
Presbyteries, 536 congregations, 621 ministers,
2,O93 elders, 7,077 deacons, 103 ,54S communi.
cants, ! ,O7S Sabbath Schools, with S,5l4 teach
ers and 87,O47 enrolled scholars. The con
trlbutions of the congregations and Sabbath
amounted e14O749.
During the past year the member
ship of the Free Church, according to the re-
turns prepared for presentation to the Assemble
has increased to 312 ,429 as compared with 9OS.-
$40 in 1889 and 1865 in 1867. In the
Lowlands the membership is returned at 222,-
956 for the past year, a. compared with %. 300
IN 1873 9, and 206 607 in 1875 z while the
membership in the Highlands, including all
adherents above Is years of age, mounts to SO, =
! o73 for the past year, compared with ST.
246 IN 1888, and S9,942 in 1876 Z In 1876 7
the number of charges was returned at 934 in
1873 sat ee7 and last year at 1909
-SwITzERLAND--PoPULAR ACcEP-
TANcE OF New SUNDAY LAw.-TH AHeqsmeine
hoangetisch- Lutherische Kirchenzeit,tng states
that new Sunday Law was accepted in the
Canton of Zurich, on May Dist, by Sc, 729 votes
against l7,945: Its provisions are deemed to
be on the whole very satisfactory, and Justify
that much will be effected thereby toward a
| better observance of the Lords day and certain
holydays, especially Good Friday and Ascen
sion Day. All labor from which come noise
and hustle, IS forbidden on those days. EN-.
! ployers may not compel their employees to do
work that prevents the latter from the enioy-
rnent OF an appointed day of rest. Urgent
cases excepted, officials are not REQUIRED TO
grant to any person hearing, and no one NAV
be summoned before them on such DAYS. Shops
and stores are TO be closed in the forenoon of
! Sunday through the hours of divine service
also on holydays during service yin the after
noon The exercises of fremen and target
shooters are not permitted on holydays. neither.
as general rule, on Sunday within the hours
| OF morning service, and can be allowed on the
latter day when divine services are not dis
turbed thereby. Also noisy amusements. public
professions with music, ETC., are not permitted
during the hours of service on Sunday morn
ings, and on the afternoons of holydays. No
theatrical representation or other similar spec
tacuar performances may take place Dancing
Is subject to the same restrictions
The WELSH CALvINIsT1c METHo-
DGsTs.-GEEERAL ASSEMBLY AT BALA.-Tbe
| proceedings in connection with this Assembly
were commenced on Tuesday, June goth. when
a meeting of delegates from North and South
Wales. London, Manchester, and LIVERPOOL. and
other members, was held at the Methodist Chap.
ell. The Moderator (the Rev D. Edwards. New.
porO delivered an address. He took for his
subject The Present and Future of the Cal
whistle Methodists.' 1t appears that from the
statistics of the year 1880-81 the Calvinistic
Methodists have 1924 chapels, 600 ordained
ministers, 357 preachers, 262 church elders
1859 communicates, 276, l89 adherents. o.
262 Sunday School teachers. and 1913 37e
scholars on the books The contributions in the
year 1880 towards different causes amounted To
4 Gl57348; although the sum is not large when
compared with the great collections of English
denominations, yet for Wales it is good sum
The Connexion has in England and Wales
800 chapels, which, together with the schools
and houses adjoining. are, on an average. of the
value OF ii 900 each. Let the sum of 1900 OOC
be deducted as debt, and we have the remaining
! El,OOOOOOO worth as free property belonging To
the denomination. Rev. 7. J. Weldon in pre
senting the statistical report, remarked that il
gave him great pleasure in informing the As.
sembly that an increase has occurred during the
last year in all the items The ENGLISH causes
in Wales number l5S churches. 7'7le church
members, % 900 hearers, and their collections
amounted to G2l,372 During the last ten years