THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 54

THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.

• . * There are now in Japan 365 Protestant churches to 72,039 Buddhist temples ; also a number of Christian Endeavour and temperauce societies and missions for peatmen, policemen, prisoners, and railway men. • . • The Chinese Christians of Nfalaysia have raised a missionary fund, and recently opened a church in a needy district near Singapore, where they now support an evangelist. — Regions Beyond. • . ' A Catholic priest named Joseph Miller, editor-in-chief of the religious paper Alkotmany, has been condemned at tho Budapest essize3 to a month's imprisonment aud a flue of 300 florins for having published a series oi articles against the civil marriige law, which he affirmed prescribed for a worthless ceremony. Cardinal Mazzella, chairman of tho Papal Commission that recently inquired into and reported against the validity of Anglican orders, is to receive promotion at the next Conßistory. The Pope has nominated him to the vacant lloiusn suburban see of Palestrina, an appointment that will raise him to the highest grade of the cardicalate and add his name to lbs half dozen likely candidates for the chair of St. Peter. The cardinal is one of l.ho few Englishspeaking members of the Sacred College. His hobby is the collection or books bearing on fancy or eccentric religions, and he has quite a valuable library of this sort of literature. He personally studied most of the peculiar religions of the United States, and he discussed Mormonism with Brigham Young in Salt Lake City. • . • Archdeacon Kilnear, preaching at St. Martin's Church, Leed«;(of which he was the first vicar), on the occasion of the death of its late vicar, the Rev. R. G. P. Bullock, is Said to have made » rather remarkable statement in the pulpit. He told his hearers " the clergyman represented God in his parish, so all organisations, communicants, teachers, and workers should look up to and respect him."' This is somewhat startling. Certainly the Apoatle says, •' Now we are ambassadors for Christ," but the context is very different from a claim of supremacy and personal reapecb, for ib goes on " as though God did beseech you by üb, we pray you in Christ's stead," &c. • . * St. John's Wood congregation (the Rev. Dr Monro Gibson) more than maintains its reputation as being the most generous ia the denomination, aays the London Christian World. Last ye*r £9579 was raised, an increase of over £3000 on the previous total. This included over £800 for foreign miesions ; and in addition a sufficient sum was raised to pupporb a station in the Canadian North-west. Tha Kilburn Mission was well supported, and nearly £1000 was contributed towards the erection of a building for the newly-formed preaching station at Wesfi Kilburn. The membership at the parent cburcb, Marlborougn place, is 858, and at the Kilburn Mission 303, the latter showing a diminution owing to the exodus of people to the new Salisbnry road Hall. Not only does Dr Gibson's congregation loyally support the denominational schemes, but it liberally aids outside efforts. The Home mission work is extensive, and the agencies for good many and vigorous. • . ■ It has been denied by some of the English, Catholics that the Mayor of Cork met with any intolerant treatment; because of his determination to act au his own good feeling prompted in attending the consecration of the Protestant Bishop of Killaloa in Cork Cathedral. They will be enlightened by perusing a full report of Monsignor Maguire'a sermon at St. Fin Barre's Church tha Sunday following the ceremony. "A Catholic mayor who goes to a Protestant church, denies his faith outwardly, and cannot be a Catholic," said this preacher. •' Ifc is a great scandal. . . . He will hand his chain [of office] down stained— stained with the memory of this outrage against Christianity, this outrage against his fellow citizens who are nine-tenths Catholics." A similar discourse was preached by Dean M'Swiney at Sfc. Patrick's Chapel. • . ■ An interesting sfcatemenb touching the present question of thp validity of Aui»licau orders wa3 made by the Very Rev. Father David during a recent lecture in the City Hall on "Catholicism in the Light of Scientific and Historical Researches." Father David, who is the head of the Franciscan Order, was one of thogo appointed by his Holiness the Pope to inquire into the Anglican claims. Father David's decision was quite emphatic. He found not a shadow of a shade of any ground for the validity of the Anglican orders. There had been a fundamental change when the Anglican Church was founded, and that change still constituted chasm which all the ritualism in the world could never bridge. Father David thus practically sounds the death knell to the hopes of those in the Anglican community who hoped that by following the forms of Roman Catholic services and otherwise endeavouring to retmce the steps taken at the time of the Reformation (or the "revolution," as Father David termed it), they would become recognised by the authorities of the Catkolic church and yet remain Anglicans. Ib is, indeed, an ill-wind that blows nobody good, and the present discussion has defined oucs and for all the difference between the two great branches of the Christian church. When this difference is realised the only honest position for those who display, in their church &crvices and in their desire for Papal recognition of their orders, unmistakable leanings towards the Roman caunh, is avowedly within the fold of that community. A new phase, however, has bsen given to the matter by a prastical invitation, ou the part of tho Roman Church Messenger, the organ of the ohuroh in Russia, to form »n alliance between the Ang'ican and Russian communities. The latter say that they have ueyci 1 considered the orders of the former invalid. The departure of the Archbishop of York to Moscow accentuates, in tha minds of many people, the importance of this public expression of support. • . • It ia proposed by the Presbyterians of Brisbane to raise a fund of not less than £10,000, to be called the Jubilee Fuud of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland, and to be employed as a sustentation fund, and for home mission and church extension work. Several donations have been already proniiied. .• . Owing to the loss of a considerable amouut of capital and interest, the iueome of the Bishop of Riverina has been reduced fnnn £1000 a year to less than £600. It has beeu decided by the synod of the diocese to raise £500 immediately to recoup the bishop the lo3ses he has sustained, and a'so to formulate a scheme to raise money by debentures without interest to pay off a debt of £2600 on the Bishop's lodge.