Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-27
RELIGIOUS.

The Lutheran church in Iceland numbers
about $1,000 baptized members, which is
about the total population.
Rev. C. H.. Conwell, d. D., during his
| pastorate of the Temple church, Philadel-
phia, has baptized S.7s5 converts.
In America there are seventy Primitive
Methodist stations, with the same number
Of ministers and about 1000 members.
The Methodist and Presbyterian churches
OF Canada each propose to raise 81, ZOO, 900
to commemorate the opening Of the new
century.
In ninety-one years OF missionary work
In China 5000 missionaries have been en-
gagged and about 100, 900 conversions re-
ported.
AS a result of work begun fifteen years
ago, the Congregational Home Missionary
society has established 1T churches in ff-
teen states.
Methodism In England has 4,730 Bands OF
Hope. with a membership of 44O,S1O. and
the temperance societies of the church num-
Der 1864, with 90,676 members.
The unusual sight OF a bishop addressing
a congregation of bicyclists was witnessed
at Dover, England. last week. when the
bishop Of that see preached to cyclists from
all the country round.
The Independent says: when It comes
to the religious orders In this country the
Catholic bishops seem to have scarcely more
influence than Abraham Lincoln once jok-
ingly said he had in his administration"
The Woman's Foreign Missionary society
of the Methodist Episcopal church has upon
it's rolls 700 native bible women, who 60
from home to home In the cities and vii
lagos reading the bible and teaching Christ.
The number of baptisms last year In the
Presbyterian church were fewer IN number
than for some years. There We're 1852
adult baptlsms to 81 ,574 the preceding year,
and 24,99S infant baptisms to 27.76S the year
previous.
A preacher in Minneapolis Sunday told the
congregation that not more than seven out
OF q hundred church member were real
Christians. 1t made no trouble. Every
man who heard him felt that he was one
OF the seven.
The Catholic university has now about it
-FOUR colleges and noyitiates, located in
Washington, in furtherance Of making 1t
the great center of Catholic educational in
terests In America. The newest one is the
College of the Holy Land, which is to be
dedicated on September II.
The Independent states that ''the annual
fees OF the Church OF England for marriage,
burial, baptismal offerings and pew rents
are estimated at from e1, 900, 900 to G1,500,-
900. This gives a total income of $50, 600, 900
per year as the annual revenue of the
Church OF England. A large part OF this
colossal revenue Is expended In increasing
the value of beneices or church properties,
OF which there are 1870 in England"
The Will OF Joseph Benorst OF Kansas
City, who died recently, proves to be a most
document. Although he was an
inhdel, Benorst left all but 81, 1000 of his
fortune of $3.50. 900 to religious and charita-
BILE organizations. The Christian Brothers.
college OF st. Louis is the principal legatee,
getting about $50, 900. Benorst left his four
sisters and his half brother almost nothing.
He was reared a Catholic and 1t was while
keeping a store at Baxter Springs, Kan,
that he lost his faith in religious creeds.
He began the study OF Thomas Paine's writ
ings and soon became an enthusiastic nd
mirer OF Colonel Robert G. Ingersolf. MIR.
had not attended church for twenty
fve years prior to his death. His change
OF religion did not cause him 10 lose faith
in humanity in charitable work. He told
his friends hat his new religion was TO do
good to all. TO relieve suffering and 10 maze
an his friends happy,