The herald., 1898-01-16
CHURCHLY NOTES

The Methodist Episcopal church
South, has in its general conference equa
lay and ministerial representation.
| The Methodist Episcopal missionary
| societies will not employ new Bible
women in north China who will not un.
bind their feet.
The Examiner says that, next to the
Bible, the Westminster catechism has
PROBABLY had more influence than any
other book in shaping the religious senti-
ment or the present day, and that the
old creed Is held sacred by the majority
OF the 12,OOO,000 adherents Of Presby-
terianism.
The rabbi of Memei, d. Ruff, contra
diets the statement of the press that the
expulsion of Russian Jews from Prus-
sia has been officially countermanded
1t is stated that the expulsions have been
| only temporarily suspended during the
consideration of the petition on the sub.
ject at the ministry Of the interior.
+ T.
Cardinal Jacobini, secretary of the
propaganda, in q recent letter says that
Pope Leo XIII has expressed a desire
that the whole Roman Catholic church
should celebrate the close of the nine
teenth century with thanksgiving and
prayer. With this idea in mind it is pro-
posed to inAugurate great religious re-
vival to last through the year 1899.
4 + +
The work of the colored mems depart
ment of the Young Mems Christian as
sociation has been extended to nineteen
different states, its main strength being
in the southeastern states. There are
now sixty-five associations of colored
men, with an aggregate membership OF
over 1000. Forty-five of these associa-
tions are in colleges, industrial and state
normal schools of the south. Five Of the
city associations own real estate and are
doing effective work among the young
men of the respective fields.
A Presbyterian exchange says that
the activity of the Mormon church in it's
missionary work completely overshad-
ows all that is being done by some of the
immense missionary societies of the
evangelical denominations. 1t is stated
that Mormons have more missionaries
at work in this country than any two
of the largest societies Of the Presby-
terian church. The south is being over
run by them, and the statement is made
that twenty-one recruits come each
month to Chattanooga and are distrb-
uted thence to different parts of the
southern states. 1t is their avowed pol
icy to put one at least in every county
in these states. and Chattanooga is but
one of several distributing points.
"The condition after death of children
who die without the sacrament of bap-
tism is now being discussed somewhat
vigorously among American Catholic
theologians." says the New York Inde-
pendent. 1.-THE church teaches this much
about them. that while they do not go to
heaven, which requires baptism by wa
ter. baptism by blood (martyrdom), or
baptism by desire, neither do they suffer
the purifying pains of purgatory, and
equally they do not suffer the fires of hell.
but are reserved in a limbo infantum.
where, though deprived of the beatific
vision of God, they yet may enjoy a
vegetative comfort, natural happiness,
not knowing of what they are deprived.
Just how the church knows all this is not
clear, but such is it's faith. But the de-
sire to comfort Christian parents whose
children have for some reason failed Of