The Washington herald., 1914-05-31
Activities in the
Realm OF Religion


Tn blue book Of the Presbyterian gen.
eral assembly, which has Just convened
in Chicago but as vet hardly taken up
its business, recommends the Presbyte-
rian church to attack vigorously and at
once the prison administration Of most
States Il will, II It adopts its blue book
report, approve the honor system and
condemn In strong terms the present plan
of sending men into confinement with the
idea of reforming them Especially IL
It urged by Is own program committee
to enter upon reform Of criminal admin
istration of children's courts. It points
out that judges Of courts are appealing
to Christians to help them end present
conditions. and declares that the Pres
byterian Church must respond.
Hardly less emphatic is the same blue
book in recommending the Presbyterian
Church to take up q campaign against the
white slave tranic. It states that recent
agitation has made matters worse than
before and that not agitation but educa-
tion OF the young in sex-matters is essen
tiai. Parents ir Presbyterian house
holds are to have pointed out to them
their responsibilities to State and church
for the proper sex training Of their chill
dren.
The blue book finally urges the con-
solidation Of all existing boards doing
educational work into one large society
to be called the board of Christian educa-
ton. This matter has been under con-
sideration for some time. foremost
advocate. of It has been President John
Willis Baer, of Occidental College, at
Los Angeles II is known to be op-
posed by the board of publication, one
Of the largest societies affected, and the
prediction is heard that there will be
stout opposition made on the assembly
floor.
tian Work, New York. now living in Chi
cago, writes: We find the following
startling statement in the reports Of a
grand evangelical denomination: In one
State alone 209 of their churches received
not one member on confession during the
year 1873 and sixty-one others received
only one each. In our entire country, on
this basis, there must be thousands of
such churches. If these were cotton mills
in places Of churches, the stockholders
would put them out of business in short
order.
Contrssted with this is the record of a
Chicago church of the same denomina-
ton. During 1913 they received on con-
fession 1S2 members. by letter S. During
the past fve years on confession 81, by
letter IS, total LOIS. This was accom-
"
pastor and his people, without the en-
ployment OF an evangelist or having what
is called a revival" They expect to
catch fish in their gospel net, and they
find them. At every service a plain and
wfnful gospel is preached, immediate de-
cision is urged. and opportunity given to
meet the pastor at It's close. Earnest ef-
forts are also made to win our foreign
population. and by splendid contributions
n rn0nev do hueipaes
God
Mr.. Adams might have taken a more
striking case OF contrast in the First
Presbyterian Church. Seattle. which re-
cefved last year by confession 345 and by
letter 1Ss. The pastor Of this church has
stated that at every regular church serv-
ice he has a quorum of elders present
and meets in session to enroll members
Immediately after the service. However,
to those familiar with the conditions of
groups Of churches the fact of 200 or
ganizatfons within a State falling in a |
certain year to enroll members might not |
prove so startling when the fact Is un- |
derstood that these churches were possi- |
bly, many Of them without leaders during |
the year or in locations where the popu- |
lation is stationary and abnormal growth |
may hSye occurred in previous years.
Cardinal Farley, Of New York under |
whom are more italians than in any city |
in Italy save Naples only. has labored
for years to bring in better conditions
In Catholic oversight Of Italians emigrat-
ing to this country. Backed by others,
he has now succeeded In getting the
Vatican to decree that italian priests
shall be carefully examined in Italy be-
fore being permitted to leave for the
United States or to other countries to
which large numbers of Catholic Italians |
have emigrated. The purpose is to raise |
the standard Of priests who are to care
for italian Catholics
Vast numbers Of Italians have gone to
Brazil, the number being put at $780,
900. and almost as many have gone to
France. Italy has. indeed. taken the
piace or germany as the European ma
ton sending out largest number Of i'm
migrants. South Africa has 500 and
even Australia loo. 900. Training schools
are to be established in Italy under d.
rect supervision Of the Vatican for such |
priests AZ are truly missionary and who
propose to 20 to foreign fields. Adven-