THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 124, 26 May 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

The special correspondent of -lie "Pall Mall Gazette" says: "The pilgrims to Rome for the Holy Year from Padua have announced their intention of coming on bicycles, which means, of course, cycling to the Vatican on the day of their reception by His Holiness.

Mass meetings were held in Melbourne the other day to inaugurate the W'esleyan Century Fund, the object being to raise 50,000 guineas in Victoria and 10,000 in Tasmania. It was announced that in Victoria 32 circuits had promised to raise £31,710, leaving 18,000 guineas to be obtained by the other 97 circuits. .

According to Canon Gore there are at present 1341 "livings" in the Church of England, the average value of which is £65 a year; and 4566 of which the value is under £150 a year. The claim he made upon the Church of. England was that the clergy should continue to enjoy the liberty of the married state, and that each should possess an income of at least £1200.

A Welsh Nonconformist Church at Woolwich, founded over a hundred years ago, enjoys a distinction quite its own. When" Welsh regiments are stationed at. Woolwich the church flourishes amazingly, but when the Welshmen are not in the garrison the funds of the church become well nigh defunct. Under such conditions it is no .wonder that the ch_rC'ii cannot sustain a resident pastor.

"I spend nearly the whole of my life:in making marginal notes upon my stndjy Bible, ond it is to me very profitable reading. That to me is the most valuable book I have ever at tempted—to take my heart and set it on the margin of the Bible, verse by verse. I shall publish it in a few months, and you shall be my companions in the study as you have been my companions in the church."—Dr. Joseph Parser.

During- his recent visit to Rome, Bishop Verdon, of Dunedin, obtained (says the New Zealand "Tablet") a rare and precious relic of the true cross, wheih belonged to St. Lawrence Justinian, and was carefully treasured in his family, until through the Sacred Congregation of Relics it passed into Bishop" Verdon's hands. It is enclosed in a silver reliquary, and this in turn in a quaint curious leather case containing' on its front face an embossed figure of the crucified Lord. The relic will be deposited in the nftw Otago Provincial Ecclesiastical Seminary for tiaining priests.

Baptist's in America number 4,443,02.8 made up of thirteen distinct kinds. Among this baker's dozen are the "Six Principle," "Separate," "UnitecV and the "Old Two-seen-in-the Spirit Pi*edcstination." There are also the "River Brethren," "O'id Order," or "Yorkers" and "United Ziou's Children." There are four different kinds of Friends and eighteen distinctive branches of Lutherans. The Methodists; ai*e no less than of seventeen kinds. Presbyterianism includes the Apostolic Twelve. There is the Reformed Church, which is but the Hoi land. type-- of Presbyterianism, the "Dutch," and "German," and the "Christian Reformed." There are regular Congregationalists 028,234, with a nameless retinue of lesser bodies that have adopted the independent form of church government. There is almost a countless host of the miscellaneous, such as Christian Scientists, Christian Catholics and Sniritualists.

Mr .Donald Macdonald, the invalided war correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus,*' in his speech at the "welcome home" given to him in Melbourne paid the folowing tribute to the work of the chaplains at the seat of war in South Africa: "Of the work on the battlefield! which came under my attention, I think that of the chaplains was the noblest and, perhaps, the hardest. A man lay wounded on the ground. The doctors came along, and a rapid glance told them they could do nothing for him. They passed on. Then the chaplain would come to his side, perhaps, lie down on the ground beside him. You would see a shock pass over the dying man's face, for he knew what it .meant; but anyone who has seen a batlefield audits wounded knows that the chaplain's act in kneeling there is the greatest kindness that can be paid to a dying man, as it certainly is the hardest thing that any man can be asked to do. Very often the chaplains remained out on the battle field all night, and came in in the morning the whitest and most exhausted men of all the workers."

There lived a "man who was a boid leader of all opposition to religion, aud always ready lo publish abroad any delinquencies which might be discovered in any professor of religion (says the "Church Standard"). At. length he made up his mind to remove to another part of the country. Meeting the clergyman one day, he said, alter passing the usual salutation,, "Well, 1 suppose you know that J am, going lo leave the town soon, and you will prooably be glad of it." "Glad of it? Why, no," said the minister,- "you are one. of our most useful- men, and I think I shall hardly know how to spare you." Taken aback somewhat by such a reply, he immediately asked, "How is that?" "Why," rejoined the minister, "there, can't be a sheep that gets a foot out of this fold, but thai you will always bark from one end of the town to the other*; J. think you have really been one of the most useful watchdogs that I ever knew."

"There are a great many laymen. Among them are Brothers Skinflint, DupliCious, Smiler. and Doublefaced. Among the peculiar ministers are Brother Uriah Heap, who has no opinions of his own; the minister who tries to make an impression by being unnatural; Rev. Pastoral Nuisance, who pries into everybody's secrets; Dr. Dictator, and the minister who thinks people owe him more than his salary. The ideal layman is fkind. thoughtful, ready for every duty, anxious for peace, liberal, has principles, is confidential about church affairs, comes to the services, ia appreciative. The ideal minister is firm, but not obstinate, full of love, but not gushing, an adviser when a-kecly an admonisher when not ask-c-d. doesn't need an evangelist, can do evetything in some degree, and some 1 lungs in a great degree, is never

w-^ry. never takes a vacation to peach at SOtlol. or lOdol. a sermon. The ideal minister and the ideal layti 3ti make oncli other. The numoer Ot "it.-h is not large."—American Ex-

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