The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-09
THE rrMEs-RrcHMoND Va SUNDAY AUGUST 8. 1897.

any OF the great Exeter Hall meetings. and
thts war vas no exception e. its success.
Most of the discussions, az usuai. "cre III
tinctly devotional in their nature. III. -;
tirattan Guinness address ,, on ans e'J Re
norris of the Mildmsy mission TO the Jews.
caIl;ny for "a. 900. and OF tho mission 10
lamar In India were presented. There were
also meetings. Of the Army Scripture Readers
Society the Railway Mission. tho Strangers,
Rest Tor Sailors, the Mission to Deep Sea
Fishermen, and the Luenna Missionary 30,
cietv. all OF which were we'll attended and
were conducted with spirit. Other enter
nrises represented were Miss De Broen's Belle
Vile Mission In Paris. the Anglo-indian Evan
relization Society, and the Postoffice and
telegraph Christian Association. This Mild
NAV is the centre OF n large number of forms
of Christian work whose influence extends
over the whole world.
-
The assent by the bishops to the consecra-
ton of Phillips Brooks as Bishop of Massachu-
sets calls attention 10 the mode of procedure
and the significance and value of the action OF
the standing committees and bishops IN such
cases. These are set forth very clearly in The
Churchnan. Every diocese has clear con-
stitutionel right to elect NJ its bishop any
presbyter in whose behalf the solemn EVIL
dence required by the canons can be gwen.
Having thus elected man, its action goes be-
fore the other dioceses, for thea 10 pass
Judgment not on its choice. but on the EVIL
dences OF the regularity OF its proceedings
and of the fitness Of the candidate. Their
function thus is ministerial rather than judi
cal, and is designed rather to put a
check upon clandestine and otherwise lrregu-
lar proceeding than to check in any way the
entirely free choice of the diocese. When
their approval is given the election is COM
plete There remains then the Office Of con-
secration. and as this deyolves upon the
bishops, they are called upon to express their
willingness to consecrate man who has
already been elected Their function is thus
distinctively judicial function: they are
bound TO weigh evidence. seek for informa-
ton and render Judgment according to their
own best conclusions, without regard to any
mans criticism, yet recognizing that the free
regular action of the independent diocese can
only be set aside for good cause.
-.
Official statistics. lately collected. give an
interesting birds-eye view Of the confessional
status Of Christianity in Switzerland. In 1850,
when the total population was 1892. 740 the
Protestant contingent numbered ,4l7.7o6 and
the Catholic 81 500. According to the last
census the population is now 2,933.6l2. OF
these ] ,7a4 1863 are Protestants and l,l69,662
the middle Of this century has thus been 3O7,-
OS3, or 2l.G per cent. Of the latter 2l7, 1853. or
22.4 per cent The same singular phenom-
enon has been observed in Switzerland in the
shifting of the populations that is so charac-
teristic of the ups and downs of the confess
sions in Germany. namely. that the greatest
increase of Professionalism las taken
place in tho strong Catholic cantons.
while the greatest growth OF the
Catholic Church has been in the
Protestant centres. Especially have the Catho-
lies crowded into the cities which heretofore
had all been predominantly Protestant. Even
Geneva, the city of Calvin has now Catho-
lie population OF 1852, an increasefrom 29,764
in 1850, so that the majority of people of this
historic Protestant city are now Roman Catho-
lie The most reasonable explanation given
Of this shifting Of population in both Switzer-
land and Germany is that since the bulk of the
Catholics are laborers and the capital of the
country is chiefly in the hands of Professionals
the formerare naturally attracted to manu-
featuring centres. and the latter by the same
law gees where it can find hands to utilize it.