The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-11-29
GENERAL ITEMS.

-Coleridge, when lecturing as young
man, was once violently Missed. He Immediately
retorted: when cold strain of truth is poured
on rec-hot preJudices, no wonder they hiss"
Thirteen new theatres have been built
In Berlin in ten years, and In the san time only
two churches The downward progress of NOR
ais in that city may be guaged by the statement
thus made.
Professor Flint, in opening the di.
vinity classes in Edinburgh University at the
beginning of this month"; delivered lecture in
which he said that neither the Scottish Church
nor the Scottish nation had ever gwen adequate
encouragement to theological learning to religi-
Gus speculation, to Biblical research"
In Bristol and Clifton (England)
nearl " nine thousand persons have signed re-
quests to the local postmaster that their own
letters may be retained at the pos-office during
the Sabbath. This has so for diminished the
work of the letter carriers that every other Sun
day they are permitted to be " off duty"
The attempt to close the Sunday
theatres IN Cincinnati is failure. The Mayor
OF the city seems to have made an earnest effort
to keep the doors closed, but has finally weak
ened, and the large theatres have been reopened
and packed full. 1t is sad illustration of the
demoralized condition of portion of the popu-
latlon of that city, and tends straight to still
greater Generalization.
The prosecution of persons implicated
IN the Star-route jury bribery in Washington is
bringing out the fact that the police as well as
most of the other officials in the District of
Columbia, Presidential appointees as well as
others, were IN sympathy with Brady ard
Dorsey, and did what they could to secure their
acqulttal Washington seems to be very cor
rupt city.
mi
The religious statistics are in, and
show the total amount contributed by the vari-
Gus denominations in the United States the past
year for benevolent and congregational pur-
poses to be $l06, 900, of which the amount
collected for purely benevolent purposes is
Y3l ,33l 40. The amount contributed for church
purposes, including the maintenance of the
Church, sustaining the ministry, etc., is $75-
352 866. These figures may safely be left to
tell their own story.
-CHURCHEs SEEKING RELIEF.-Five
bills are pending before Congress asking for re-
lief In behalf of churches in West Virginia. The
first asks for ~, l00 for the use and occupation
OF the M E. Church at Clarksburg by United
States troops during the war and injury to the
building. The M. E. Church at Charlestown
asks for $1,000 for destruction of their property
Trinity Episcopal Church, at Martinsburg. wants
$1,000 for damage to their building while used
as hospital. The German Lutheran Church.
IN the same town, asks for $8 500 for the de-
struction of their church there in 1852. The
last is the case of the Raleigh Baptist Church
which asks for $4,000 for the destruction of
their building at Raleigh.
-Monsignor Capel, so famous as the
guide of English noblemen and fashionable
women into reconciliation" with the Roman
Church, has reaPpeared after years of seclusion
A shadow passed over his good name and he
has been busy during these years of obscurity
IN efforts to remove it. 1t is now said that he
has been successful in all the points of his ap-
peal to the Pope against the decision of the
ecclesiastical authorities in England, and has
indicated himself of all the charges and
calumnles brought against him by enemies"
Divorces it is reported, have dou-
bled In New England in the last eighteen years.
and crimes against chastity have multiplied in
Massachusetts, In the same ratio. In Philadel-
phla last month the clerks of the courts. though
used to such things. were quite astonished with
the number of applications fled in the Offices bv
men and women anxious to be released from
their bonds. This rs one of the saddest features
of our time, and reveals the existence of evils in
family life which threaten constant evil both to
Church and State
The time Of New England is taken up with
the civilization of the negro
Joseph Cook told great companv
whom he addressed in Melbourne, that 1.-THE
churches in the United States were Obliged to
walk alone. Those which were not in earnest
could not do that hence it was that there were
very few churches that were not evangelical
and orthodox. Others sank from lack of money.
travellers who studied the matter in the United
States were struck with the circumstance that
the churches there were more orthodox than
those in the old country. That was because
only evangelical earnestness was ready to put
Its hands into its pockets only evangelical
doctrine In the long run worked we'll enough to
support the voluntary system with success"
Great surprise has been excited that
Pope Leo Kill, in an Encyclical Letter lust
issued which is directed against the Socialism of
the present time. should refer to the Albigenses
and take an illustration from their history. AS
an instance of the depravity of the old times he
proceeds: In those early days the manifold
heresy Of the Albgenses, while stirring up
revolts against the churchs power, had at the
same time introduced confusion into the State
and paved the way for kind of Socialism &"
References to the Albigenses should be avoided
by the Pope. The world knows by heart the
story Of the prosecutions which that people en-
dured, and it is unfortunate that any word of
the present Pope reproachiDg should awaken
"reminiscences of the terrible work done among
them by those who preceded him in the Vati.
can.
One ground of opposition to any
material change in the Irish land laws by the
English Parliament Is the fact that England is
in nearly the same predicament as Ireland and
the agitation Of the Irish land question must
L. l.