RELIGIOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 779, 4 February 1887, Page 6

RELIGIOUS.

Baron Heeremann, in opening the German Catholic Congress at Breslau, asserted the right of the church to absolute liberty in directing religious orders, including that of the Jesuits. Herr von Windthorst, recalling the concessions already obtained by the church, declaring that she would never cease to struggle until her full claims were conceded. The North German Gazette again warns the agitators that the . Government has given them the furthest limit, and will never assent to the return of the Jesuits. The Bishop of Rochester does. not approve of the popular clamor for brief sermons. I Do not,’ ho advises his . ecclesiastical subordinates, * readily give in to what is often only a worldly cry for short sermons. You need a great deal more experience than you can claim now for making a fifteen minutes’ sermon that shall really be useful. Either so much will be compressed into it that it will become loaded and obscure, or (what is perhaps more likely) so little will go into it that it will be impossitle to endure it.’

The Congregational Church of West Croydon, Eugland, having ventured to indulge in a chime of bells, some of the churchmen of Croydon objected to their use. To be sure the Anglican Church had bells, but what business had a dissenting chapel with bells ? So argued the churchmen, and they threatened the Congregational minister with the law. They found, however, that it was not illegal for a dissenting chapel to have bells, and so a threat of indictment as a nuisance was resorted to. The Congregationalists were indignant ; but in order to prevent any sort of just complaint, the chimes were discontinued during the night, and were only rung at service time. Correspondence between the lawyers, however, continued for some time, till at length it was found there was no case against the ' Dissenters,’ and ths threatened action has been silently abandoned. The American Board of Missions of the Congregational Church, in session at Des Moines, lowa, discussed at great length the conduct of the Prudential Committee in rejecting candidates for missions who believe in future probation. The contest was between the old and new schools, the latter favoring the doctrine of future probation. Among the speakers were Prof. Egbert C. Smith of Andover; Dr. Lyman Abbott of the New York Christian Union ; Dr. W. H. Ward, editor of the New York Independent, and others. Dr.,Ward said there had been a great change of front on the question of who shall be saved. Once it was not admitted that even infants could be saved. Now many hold that thousands of heathen, immense multitudes, will be saved. Lrof. Boardman of Chicago said the Andover men say that this is not a lost world. To go from Dr. Woods to the present Professor of Theology in Andover, he said was a larger leap than from Leo X to Luther. Rev. Newman Smith of New Haven, Conn., protested against the adoption of an uncatholic and intolerant policy.