The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-17
RaIiDiniIa Nntea

DIR. Armitage has nearly completed his ''IIIs-
tory of the Baptists."
It is said at least 200, 900 persons in London
utterly neglect public worship of any kind.
A convention of Methodists from all parts of
the world to be held In this country in 1891 is
being discussed by leaders of the denomination
1t is now proposed by the Russian autocras to
forbid catechetical instruction and confirmation
IN the Lutheran churches of Russia as the surest
means of preventing an increase of the member
ship.
The Vatican library contains "a. 900 manu-
scripts, of which ,, l64 are Oriental 3,052 Greek
and II, 059 Latin. complete catalogue is now,
for the first time, being prepared and will shortly
be published.
The Chinese government has paid $4,000 to
the Canadian Presbyterian mission in Formosa
for property destroyed in the Franco Chinese
war. The mission now has thirty eight stations
with 1878 converts, all the result of fourteen
years labor
The Cumberland Presby terrain Church has had
a prosperous year. According to its statistical
summary ID $50 persons were received the past
year on profession Of faith The church has /.
941 ordained ministers, 1916 congregations and
l3S,564 church members, against 1861 last
year.
The Chinaman in America is being moro aud
more cared for. According to the New York
Tribune, twenty-five Chinese missions have
been established in New York and Brooklyn
What is more, large proportion of the converts
stick
The Seventh-day Adventists in Maine are get
ting ready for the termination of all things ter
restrial. They quote from the Bible that ''there
shall be earthquakes in divers places ia the last
days" and from this deduce that the earthq uake
in Charleston is an omen and o fulfllment of
the prophecy.
Prof Henry Drummond: There is an intel
lectual covetousness abroad just now which is
neither the fruit nor the friend of a scientific
age-a haste to De too wise which, like the haste
to be rich, leads men into speculation upon in
different securities. Theology must not be bound
UP with such speculatlons.
In an article published in the Nouvelle Revue.
French traveller declares that there is scarcely
village in Syria without Protestant church;
more than one may be found even in the gorges
of Mount Hermon. At Beyrout there ia Ger
man hospital and American university, where the
most practical sciences are taught, especially
that of medicine
The Lutheran Observer Joins with other news
papers in advocating changing the time for the
national Thanksgiving day from bleak Novem-
Der to golden October" 1t says that November
was chosen by the puritans to bring the dav
near the Christmas time that it might take the
place of the festival. to which they were opposed
But now that all Christians observe Christmas.
there is no reason for appointing Thanksgiving
day so late in the year.
Hlgh-church doctrines evidently do not find
much favor with the Southern Churchman. 1t
says: "Those who go to church want Christ,
and not candies want the gospel of peace and
holiness. not hummery, and flowers, and bow
ngs. aad crossings. Yet some of our clergy are
like old women have the spirit of posture
makers and man a1lliners; will go to any length
to have affairs instead Of tables. light and can
dies boy choirs, etc, only %, disgust nobler aud
stronger minds"
The Bishop of Rochester does not Improve of
the popular clamor for brief sermons. "Do
not" he advises his ecclesiastical subordinates.
readily give in to what is often only worldly
cry for short sermons. You need great deal
more experience than you can claim now for
making fifteen minutes sermon that shall be
really useful. Either so much will be com
pressed into it that it will become loaded and
obscure or what is perhaps more likely, so little
will go into it that 1t will be impossible to en-
dure it,"
The bishops of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, In their general conventions, not only
meet in place separate from the ministerial
and lay delegates, but they sit with closed doors
There is a growing disposition to criticise this
feature of the general legislature Of the church
1t seems not In harmony with the spirit OF
Christ; not even with our civil aud social institu-
tons. The Churchman favors q change which