The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-03-11
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.

There are $500 pastoral charges of
the Evangelical Church in the old provinces
OF Prussia (Hanover, Hesse, Nassau and Schle.-
wig Holstein excluded). The collections taken
In 1888 amounted to $26O,OOO and the dona-
tlons and bequests 10 $4,000. 160 Jews were
baptized and '23OO Roman Catholics received as
members after due instruction
The largest congregation in Sweden
is that of Hedvig Eleonora or Ladugards-
lands congregation, Stockholm, the entire men,
bershlp being not far from $4,000, or larger
than the city of Norrkoping the fourth largest
city in the kingdom.
The enormous cathedral of Moscow
built to hold 10000 persons, and at cost of
32,OOOOOO. is Just completed. 1t has taken
fifty years to build, and was intended to COM
memorate the defeat of Napoleon.
Few people can form any lust idea
OF the immense capacity of the cathedrals of
Europe, even by the aid of figures St Peters
Church at Rome holds 58 600 people the Cathe-
dral at Milan 10000, and st. Paul's at Rome
$4,000. The coliseum at Rome is said to have
had capacity of $1,000.
Japan has 93 Chris tian churches.
with 1000 MEMBERS and 100 Sunday Schools
There are 100000 copies of the Scriptures, and
100000 Christian books and tracts in clrcula-
ton there The agents of the London Religious
u
couraging report of the prospects of religion in
that country. He says, Mobiles, commonels,
and priests are all diligently studying the doc
trines of Christianity. We hope that within
the next ten, or, at the most, twenty years,
Japan will be Christian country"
"A few years ago it was hardly DOS
slble, looking over the roll OF Free Church min
listers In Scotland, who had been inducted as
far back as 1870 and up to 1880, to indicate any
OF rising talent as leaders and preachers, but
within the last four years some young ministers
have been inducted that give great promise and
help IN placing the clergy of the Free Church
on higher basis than that of the Establish
ment, which has had the lead tor some years.
The Baptist Weekly reports the fol-
lowing incident: If people want to helm a
church or the missionary cause they can often
do 1t even If very poor. In a small English
village, well-known to the writer, the freeman
reports that an effort has been made to renovate
Baptist chapel. Six of the members under
took each to sow half pint of beans, much
used Tor horse feed the produce of the same to be
sown the second year, and the second years crop
to be harvested and sown the third year, when
the whole was to be sold and the proceeds given
to the Improvement Fund The amount gained
in this way was $S07. OF course, the sums
realized in each case were not equal, as the
beans were grown in different localities. The
creased to 248 bushels and brought $35O.-Benel
The Rev. j. Jones, missionary for
the last thirty years Mare, one Of the Loyal
ty Group, in recent letter details the efforts
Of the French to extirpate Professionalism there.
Attendance on the schools Is made compulsory
but French only is taught and a systematic at
tempt ls made TO stamp out any other language
than the French. La the schools the vernacu-
lar Is not taught only French is allowed
" The French Resident has appointed as chiefs
men who are Romanists, and very effort is made
TO lntrmldate the native pastors and the English
missionary" The whole policy Of the French.
in fact, is to trample ont everything that belongs
to frOtestaDtlsm and TO make all who profess
that faith feel that they are under political and
social disabilities
The tendency Of religious thought in
Germany is indicated by the fact tha. a thorough
conservative lu theology Dr. William Holscher
has succeeded the late DR.. Ahl6eld in st.
Nlcolai. Leipzig, the most famous pulpit Ia Ger
many outside Of Berlin.
A Belfast correspondent writes :-
There Is a considerable stir IN spiritual matters
In the North Of Ireland. Conferences TO discuss
Christian life and Christian work are numerous.
and evangelisuc meetings are being held all
over The province Wherever these meetings
are held blessing seems TO follow Lately. j
was In he immediate vicinity Of where the 90
revival began and numbers willingly remained
to speak about the one thing needful It is the
same In many other districts Brief Missions to
the south have been lately arranged and during
the present month Mission preachers will preach
IN Tpperary, Limerick Cloume Waterford.
Wicklow and Bray. The Presbytery of Bel
fast has arranged to hold a week of meetings
simultaneously in it's thirty churches n Belfast,
beginning Sunday March 10. This is the fret
time that united action has beer proposed by
any Of the leading denominations here We
seek prayer for the divine blessing to rest on the
coming campaign.