The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-11-03
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.

Father Galoti, who murdered Mgr.
Isque Bishop of Madrid, has been convicted and
sentenced to death.
AT a meeting of Roman Catholics
at Dumfries the Scottish Protestant Alliance was
denounced as club of venomous and envious
bigots"
Mr.. George Surge, member of the
soclety of Friends in England, is paying in ten
instruments, $4,000 to the English Presbyterian
China Mission.
Relations between the Pope and the
government of Italy are unusually cloudy and
strained The government proposes the total
suppression of the Jesuits and the confiscation
OF their property, amounting to $1,000 year.
The subject of Church Reform
bulked very largely in the proceedings of the
Church Congress at Wakefield last week Bishop
Kyle thinks 1t would be a good thing for the
Church if many of the sermons preached from
rural pulplts were burnt at once, and he inform
ed the learned men OF the Congress that few of
the rural pensioners have the least conception
OF what 10 the meaning of the words strung to-
gether in modern sermons And the same plain.
spoken prelate rather discrsdited the recogni.
tlon-by the State doctrine by stating from his
long experience as rural clergyman that in an
immense proportion of the country parishes the
Church is not popular, that the church-goers are
outnumbered by the chapel. goers, that the
clergyman is not regarded as the best guide to
heaven, and the teaching of the Nonconformist
minister is the fountain Of spiritual life. Here
we have one direction pointed out in which
those who attend the Church Congress can do
something without asking the permission of
legislators, and without risking an appeal to the
Judges OF the land The admission, however,
that the Church has virtually ceased to be the
Church OF the majority of the rural populations
In England is most remarkable as coming from
a dlgnltary of the Church. Bishop Ryle thinks
something may yet be done to prevent this
falling away, but he owns that it is vain to
expect that the Church of England will ever
gather again under her wings all the children
whom she has lost" There is one condition
that would seem, in the Bishops opinion, to be
essential to success. Without endowments
two thirds of the rural clergy would have to be
withdrawn, as they could not live without in
comes. and two thirds of the rural churches
would have to be shut up This, we are as.
s1red, would be " a return to Paganism" What
OF the Dissenting chapels to which the rural
populations at present flock 2 Will thew, too
nave to be shut up" in the event of the with
drawal of the endowments In the course of
the discussion various plans were suggested for
the revival of the popularity of the Church, but
Lloeratlonists are more likely to derive comfort
from the debate than Churchmen j PRESBYTERIAN
Missionary (LOndon)
THE Spectator, in commenting on
General" Booths recent order forbiddine
heutt nants OF the Salvation Army to enter into
engagements with sweethearts adds the follow
ing interesting piece of information for the
benefit of It's benighted readers "' General
Booth, with his military formulas hardly goes
beyond the theory Of the Presbyterian churches
as regards their ministers, though, of course, In
practice, the right of Directing to an engage
ment, always claimed by the Presbytery is
rarely exercised" Perhaps we may venture
with bated breath and whispering humble
ness TO hint 10 the Spectator that its omnscience
IS occasionally superficial. Presbyteries never
interfere with engagements, except when there
mas been violation OF good faith. The new
commandment delivered to the Salvationists is
Thou shalt not plight thy troth our rule is
Thou shalt not break thy troth.-Ib.
There has been, it is stated, great
awakening among the Beers Dutch settlers) of
Natal, South Africa. They have been 30 busy
with prayer-meetngs that the worldly have
complained that they have spoiled the annual
races. The leader among the converts is a Mr..
Mel, who says he can count over two hundred in
his sparsey settled district who have experience
ed change Of heart The work was very
quiet one, beginning without the agency of
evangelistic meetings. Those awakened showed
great anxiety for the heather Kafirs. and many
natives have been converted
"A Dominican Monk has lust been
tried at Bordeaux for stealing at night. BY the
aid Of false keys, 10000 francs from the Order
to which he belonged. In defending the thief,
Father Lefevre said that if this had been done
by layman it would have been a crime, but
having been done by a reyigicyr it was an in
significant action. The President sllenced such
However, the jury acquitted the
self-confessed burglar Tsm0in Ne Ia Ysrite