The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-06
READING FOR THE SABBATH.
Religious Notes.


sanity increasing, and now numbers l6, 600.
The city mission of Berlin circulates no less
than 20, 200 printed sermons on Sunday morn
mgs.
The timber work of the domes of the church
. St Mark, at Venice, is more than $40 years
ed, and is still in a good state.
The oldest Reformed Dutch church in the
world is said to be in London, near the Bank of
England. 1t was built in 1243 br the Earl of
Hereford and Essex, and is constructed Of stone
IN pointed Gothic.
Congrcgationaiist: The tendency of children
20 disregard the authority of their parents, and
The too general acceptance of this juvenile as
Gertion as lamentable but inevitable feature of
modern society, are working out their miserable
but natural results.
The ss.aome OF o. q. Tie British and Foreign Bible
society for the past year, including so4i 700 ior
home and abroad were 4. 16l, 032 copies OF Bibles
and Testaments, making the total number from
The commencement 104, LOG, 965 copies.
A clergyman Indignantly announces that all
the salaries of religious teachers in the country
added together would not amount to SO much as
the sum which the country spends annually IN
keeping dogs. And the worst Of it is goodly
percentage of the brutes are waller" dogs.
Newman ga Herald: Did you ever observe
when the collection was being taken in church
how many protesting Christians there are who
never contribute cent? They can sit and sing
with spirit and fervor: Fly abroad, thou
mighty gospel but never lend a helping copper
10 make it fly abroad, or even to keep it active
ut home.
1t is estimated that in the United States there
are 900 organized Universalist societies, who
have about 776 churches and 700 ministers.
About 40, 600 families are members of the de-
nomination and their church property is valued
ut 81, 100000. The doctrines were first preached
by John Murray, in 1770 and the first church
was organized at Gloucester Mass, in l779.
On the Isle of Patmos there are more churches
than houses. The churches stand together in
couples and triplets, and in groups almost like
hamlets. All of them are small The larger
have domes, but the great majority are merely
small, oblong yaulted apartments, with small
spse at the end, and incapable of accommodate
ing more than twenty or thirty persons with
comfort.
The Methodist Church South, tired of the Sec
tional appendage to its title, is about to vote on
the question OF changing its name to the Meth
Odist Episcopal Church in America" To this the
"original" Methodists of the North are object
ing, on the ground that the change would. give
the church an American character which they
regard as undesirable, since the denomination is
eo-extenslve with the world. What is there in
nameq
Liverpool, like New York, has of late been
somewhat exercised over the question of open
ing the public libraries and museums on Sunday
1HSCSS
terry, held few days ago, it was agreed, on the
motion of the Rev. DIR. Symington, of Birken-
head to memorialize the mayor and town Coun-
ell against opening the Local Free Library the
Museum and the art galleries on the Lords day
This question of opening museums art galleries
ans such ike institutions is commanding atten-
zion everywhere. There is growing feeling in
favor of larger liberty on Sunday.
The English Churchman doesn't appear to like
tbe cross. 1t allows correspondent to speak
- - u
Christianity, but the symbol of an idolatrous
and obscene worship, which was denounced in
the eighth chapter of Ezekiel, in vision to the
Prophet, and which had Its origin in Ancient
Babylon, and was never used in the Christian
Church until it became Paganzed, centuries
after the times of the Apostles The word cross
ae now understood is not to be found in the
original Greek of the New Testament scriptures
and how an archbishop of the Church of Eng
land can designate so filthy a symbol as the
Standard of the King of Kings is beyond my
comprehension. Icannot find laIguagein which
10 describe it properly"
Few, if any, of the existing evangeiistic insti-
tutions have so grand a record as the Religious
Tract Society, of London. 1t held its eighty
sixth anniversary in Exeter Hall on Friday,
May g. The report showed that although from
various causes there had been slight falling off
IN the income from subscriptions the trade
receipts had been large. During the year the
society had issued 737 new publications, includ
,ng 1872 tracts and the total issues including
those from foreign depots, had been s., 966 $50
or 36S. 217, $50 since the formation of the socie
~. DR.. Marshall Lang, of Glasgow, defined the
meaning of the word tract as something that
would draw, and recommended the publications
Of the society, as Scotsman, on the ground
that they were all sound on the Fundamentals"
The Westminster Confession of Faith. which
has done good service for the larger part of two
and half centuries. seems to be falling into dis
favor A few years ago it was deemed convenient
by the synod of the United Presbyterian Church
of Scotland to pass an explanatory act declaring
in what sense certain of the propositions of that
document were received and held by that church
An explanatory document has been deemed
necessary by the English Presbyterians, and at
che synod held in London during the closing
days of April and the first week in May. q
declaratory statement was so far adopted as to be
sent down to presbyteries and sessions for ap-
prevail. The statement very much qualities the
old cast iron confession, and indicates a very
marked departure from the earlier Presbyterian
creed.
Some four years ago the .presbytery of Lon
don commenced services in Cambridge. The
services are held in the Guildhall, and are COO
Quoted by ministers of known standing in the
Presbyterian church throughout the United
Kingdom. Such success has attended the ex-
pertinent that on melton of the London Presby-
terry the English Synod has resolved upon a
scheme whereby it Is proposed to organize
regular congregation at Cambridge and to re-
peat the experiment at Oxford The plan pro-
posed implies violation of the Presbyterian
principle. The property is to be held by the
trustees behalf of the Synod The power of
supplying the pulpit during the vacancy and of
nomination to the pastoral Office is to be vested
In a committee of the Synod. The Synod also
reserves to itself the right to make any altera-
tions in the arrangements that may DO deemed
necessary should it be decided at any future
time to remove the Presbyterian College now in
London to either of the great national seats of
learning The standing committee, which shall
attend to these matters Is to consist of fifteen
members. The reserved rights are %Aeemed
necessary in consequence of the peculiar wants
of the academic element liz the congregations
The Rules of Elizabeth Fry.
/. Never lose any time / do not think that
lost which is spent in amusement or recreation
every day; but always be in the habit of being
smployed.