The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-10
Religious Notes.


Most denominations in England now have a
Temperance Sunday" The various bodies
representing Methodism observed Sunday the
14th ult., on which occasion special reference
was made in churches and Sunday schools to the
appalling extent and dire results Of intemper-
ance."
II is not Just as we take it,
This mystical world of ours;
1ife's field will yield, we make il
harvest of thorns or flowers.
He prayest best who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
Bishop William Taylor and about forty mis-
sionaries will sail from New York Jan. Y, for
Africa About $4,000 is needed to pay travel
ing expenses at once. Let those whose hearts
money and stores by JAM 18 if possible. Ad-
dress Richard Grant, Isl Hudson street, New
York.
An organist of fashionable church was ar
rested on complaint of his aged mother on the
charge of drunkenness. The telegraph naively
announced that he was released in time to play
the organ at the Christmas service" Moral
character no less than musical ability. should
be a test of fitness in organists and singers In
ehoirs.
The Globe Democrat, of St Louis, says:
"Father Phelan, of the Western Waterman,
undertakes, in an article which we reprint to
day, to close all the Catholic saloons on Sunday
All right. The Globe-Democrat will undertake
to close all Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian
and Episcopaian saloons on that day. 1t WILL
for obvious reasons, be an easy task"
Rev. Benjamin Abbott, the celebrated Metho-
dist preacher, while on the Duchess circuit
many years ago. happened to be preaching on a
soltry August afternoon in the little hamlet of
Beekmanville, New York, during a heavy
thunder shower. When his discourse was about
half finished, lightning struck the building with
terrible crash. The preacher stopped and
with a calm voice, said; when God speaks, let
man hold his peace" and sat down.
In the beginning of the present century Dr.
Carey wrote from India: ''rhe people here hate
the very name of Christ, and will not listen
when His name is mentioned" missionary
now writes to the Baptist Missionary Society:
'Print the name of Christ on the title page of
every book tract we print. We have now
arrived at that point of time in the history of
Christian missions in Bengal when the name of
Christ is more of a recommendation to book
than otherwise"
The Methodists promise to win success in
Australia similar to that which they have won
in these United States. In Sydney they have
had grand childrens demonstration in the old
exhibition building The Sydney district alone
reports 50 ministers, ia local preachers, 149
worshipers, SO Sunday schools, with LOOP
teachers and l0,036 scholars. movement is on
foot for general union on the part of the Print
tives. Wesleyans and Bible Christians.
The publishers Messrs. Cranston & Stowe,
have just completed the New Testament to be
used by Bishop Taylor in his African missions.
and very soon one thousand of them will be on
the way to the west coast of that far off country
The book is printed in the phonetic spelling, and
is quite a curiosity The publishers have made
a few copies more than ordered, so that any one
wishing to posses one may secure It. The price
is seventy-five cents. Bishop Taylor expects to
teach the natives the phonetic system, as it is
much more simple and more easily learned than
the English as commonly written.
1t has long been a reproach to Germany that,
although the motherland of the Reformation
and the land OF Bible scholars by way of dis
tinction. it was of all lands the least distin
guished for what is generally understood by the
phrase vital goodness. 1t would now seem as if
there was stirring among the dry bones. In
consequence of what seems an increasing de-
sire for ordinances-a desire made manifest by a
larger attendance in the churches on Sunday
it has been agreed in east and west Prussia to
open the churches for one hour. every week day,
either morning or evening, for meditation and
prayer.
Hungary boasts of Unitarian Church organi-
zation. According to lately published report
the membership amounts to from fifty to sixty
thousand. They have theological faculty at
KOslovar. with thirty students. The body gen.
orally seems to be making progress During the
year two churches have been built, and
three ministers have been ordained, of whom
two had studied in England. One of the new
churches is in Transylvania; and the report
makes special mention of the kindness and the
accommodating spirit shown by the Lutherans
while the Unitarians were without a church Of
their own.
It is reported that what is known as the .'Begg
party in the Free Church of Scotland is break
ing up One of the members of that party DR..
Stuart Muir, of Leith, has been preaching in
praise of the Pope, and otherwise so demeaning
himself that the Free Church Presbytery, of
Edinburg, cited him to appear before it. He dis
regarded the citation. and appeared as preacher
in an Episcopal church, in Edinburg, late
Sunday, dressed in gorgeous costume. He
seems to be kind of ecclesiastical crank sun
pressed for a long time by DIR. Begg and re-
leased simply to display his crankiness. He is
an old man and an eccentric bachelor.
On all hands it is admitted that the war in
China has proved great source of inconvenience
TO the missionaries. The English Presbyterian
Church has taken, for some years past an
active part IN the work of evangeiization in
China The Rev Mr. Maegregor speaking at
Edinburg the other day, showed very clearly
that the trouble between France and China,
from the very commencement has, from mis-
sionary stand point been a calamity and he
breads the consequences, no matter whether
France or China should prove in the end victori-
GUS According to latest accounts mission work
is entirely suspended in Forinosa The female
missionaries have left for the mainland SO far
the Franco Chinese war has been confusion
working business.
The Lutheran says that one of the oldest
towns in the world, Hebron. has at last become
q mission station. The Jerusalem Society al
Berlin, established forty years ago, and since
then engaged in the Gospel work in the Holy
Land, Egypt Syria, and Asia Minor has IN,
tructed IFS missionary at Bethlehem the Rev.
l. Schneider. TO extend his operations In South
arn Palestine 10 Hebron. A school is opened,
and also a dispenaary, directed by native ply
ician from Beirut College. This enterprise