The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-08-26
ONE THING AND ANOTHER.


a church debt has been hit upon in
Melbourne, Australia The church
committee-or vestry, as the case
may be-divide the total debt
among themselves, and each man
insures his life for the amount that
falls to his share. The policies are
transferred to the church, and the
annual payments on them are made
out of the collections. Then, of
course, as the members of the COM
mittee drop Off" the sums insured
on their lives drop in, and later,
when the only survivor dies, the last
installment of the church debt is
paid.-LOndon Public Opinion.
The term "Rxed," applied to
the stars, is a mistake, for it is now
known there is not a fixed star in
the heavens, and probably no such
condition as absolute rest in the
universe. All the stars are in mo-
ton, and some of them are moving
at the rate of 100000 miles an hour,
or more than thrice the velocity of
our earth on its orbit. 1t might be
thought that this constant motion
would produce continual changes
in the stellar relations and alter the
face of the heavens every few years.
But the vast distance at which the
stars are set from us destroy the
visual effect of their motion, and
preserve the unchanging aspect of
the heavens. None of the constel-
lations have suffered dislocation
in three thousand years. Sirius,
Arcturus, and the Pleiades are still
in their places. Although the
eighty-one stars in Orion have ever
been in motion, each without rela-
ton to any other, the mighty figure
is as it appeared to the man of u
forty centuries ago.-Young Mems
Era.
The Missionary Reriew of the
World for August says the popula-
ton for Europe may be set down in
round numbers as 35O,OOO,OOO, and
is divided religiously about as fol-
lows: Roman Catholics, 65,OOO,-
600; Professionals, 100000; mem
bers of old Oriental churches, S.
100000, and about 100000 each of
Jews and Mohammedans. Italy
with 100000 as we'll as Spain
and Portugal with 100000 are
almost wholly Catholic. Belgium
with 100000 is papal about twelve
to one. In France out of 100000
less than a million are Protestants.
Austria contains some 100000
inhabitants, of whom 100000 are
non-Catholic. In Switzerland nearly
two-thirds of the 100000 accept
the Reformed faith. The German
Empire holds 3O,25O,0OO Professionals
in total of 100000. Denmark,
Sweden, Norway and the Neither
lands, with combined population
of 13,500,000, are almost solid
against the papacy, the latter being
overwhelmingly Presbyterian, and
the others Lutheran. Great2Britian
and Ireland are Protestant by 90
100000 against 100000. Of the
Catholics 100000 are found in
England and Wales, and but $780,
600 in Scotland In Ireland are
found 1,155,00O Professionals and
about 100000 Catholics. Russia
and Greece have a population of
100000, of which two-thirds be-
long to the Greek church. Moham-
medans comprise about one-half of
Turkeys 100000.
Nothing impressed Moltke,
when in Russia, more strongly than
the devoted "Reminiscences of the
people, whether soldiers of civilians.
"The Russian" he writes, "must
| positively have a master; if he has
none, he sets himself to find one.
Each community chooses its Starost,
or elder, from its white-haired men,
else it would be like a swarm of
bees without a queen. Our land is
good, but we have nobody over us.
Come and rule US Thus ran the
message of the Russian Commons
to Rurik the Varangian. And so it
is with the Russian soldier. With
out his captain he would be i'm
deadly perplexity. Who would
think for him, lead him, or pun
ish him? His captain may pos
sibly defraud him of his due or
ill-treat him in anger, but neverthe-
| less he loves him better than he
would a German officer whose pun
ishments are just and well consid-
cred"
Since 1868, the year i'm which