RELIGIOUS.

New Zealand Mail, 22 April 1887, Page 7

RELIGIOUS.

The last census shows 2,000,000 Chris r tians in India. In Breslau one missionary has during the past year, baptised 137 Jews. Christianity is making considerable progress among the Maoris in New Zealand. The largest organ in the world has just been completed and placed in the Lutheran Cathedral Church at Riga. Number of native converts in all the foreign mission fields of the world, 802,590being a gain for the year of 32,817. The Hoxton Academy Chapel Sunday School, the first established in London, celebrated its 102nd anniversary on Sunday, October 17. There are missionaries of thirty-five societies laboring in Africa, and the Bible has

been translated in whole or in part into sixtysix of its dialects. A society has been formed in Japan to substitute Roman letters for the Chinese characters in use there, with the view of better opening Christian literature to the public school children. A school for boys planned by the late Rev. Gerald F. Dale, the missionary of the Presbyterian Board at Zahleh, Syria, has been opened since his death with about fifty boarders and a large number of day scholars. The Bap ists are rejoicing in a. great awakening in the Congo Mission. At one station more than a thousand persons, among them two of the Kings sons, have openly confessed Christ, and four-fifths of them are adults. The oldest Cardinal now living ia Cardinal Newman, aged eighty-five. The youngest member of the Sacred College will be (after the Consistory to be held in March) .Mgr. di Rende, now Nuncio in Paris. He is in his fortieth year. An interesting statement has just been published regarding the progress of Methodism in London during the last hundred years. In 1792 there were in the London district 3 circuits, 11 ministers and 3514 church members. In IBS6 there were in the same area 93 circuits, 185 circuit ministers, 27 departmental . ministers, 63 supernumeraries, and36,ooochurch members. At the former date there was 1 Methodist in London to every 21 in the provinces. Now there is 1 to every 11. Some conception of Christian work in pro-, gress in the Turkish Empire can be gathered from the following statistics : One hundred and two churches, with 8811 members, of whom 690 were added the past year on confession of faith—a larger number than in any previous year; 47 high schools, semin. aries and colleges for both sexes, attended by 2000 pupils, and pecuniary contributions amounting in all to 47,993d015. Considering the average price of a day’s labor as the unit of value, this sum would represent in American currency not less than 200,000d015. Amsterdam which has about SO,OOO Catholics, is about to nave five new churches. It has recently founded a University, conducted by the Jesuits who are admitted as members of the learned societies of Holland. Leo XIII is preparing to receive his annual offerings from all quarters of the globe. Naples, ‘ a city peopled with pariahs in rags,’ will send up a golden throne, and the other Italian parishes will not be much behind her, which shows that the Pope has still many faithful followers even in Italy. All these gifts are to be exhibited at the Vatican. As many as 1,500 Jews, it is estimated, leave the synagogue for the Christian church every year in this country and in Europe. In Vienna, alone, during 18S5, 260 Jews became Christians. In New York Rev. Jacob Freshman is zealously pushing the same work. The movement, says the evangelist, is not among the lower classes of Jews, regarded as a whole, either. The learned Prof. Delitzsch of Leipsie is said to be inspiring Christian effort among the Jewish stndents of no less than eight or nine of the German Universities, and'with encouraging success—more than three hundred of these promising young men have avowed their interest in the truths inculcated. The progress of the several Protestant missions in India may be thus stated ; In 1830 there were nine societies at work, and about 27 000 native protestants in all India, Ceylon and Burmah. In 1870 there were no less than thirtyffive societies at work, and in 1871 there were 318,863 converts (including Ceylon, etc., as above), In 1852 there were 459 Protestant missionaries, and in 1872 there were 606. Between 1856 and 1878 the converts made by the Baptist societies of England and America in India, Ceylon and Burmah increased from about 30,000 to between 80.000 and 90,000. Those of the Basle mission of Germany multiplied from 1,060 to upward of 5,000 ; those of the Wesleyan Methodist mission of England and America from 7.500 to 12,000 ; those of the American Beard from 6,302 to about 12,000 ; those of the Presbyterian missions of Scotland, England, Ireland, and America, connected with ten societies,, from 821 to 10,000 ; those of the missions of the London Missionary Society from 20,077 to 48,000. and those of the Church Missionary Society, and of the society for the Propagation of the Gospel, from 61,442 to upward of 164,000. — Imperial Gazetteer of India.