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Show blELIlis 1T1S. New Vork, 3. The Independent has b long instructive article on Catholicism Catholi-cism in South and Central America. The writer showa how rapidly the Indians In-dians were converted by successors of Pizarro Almegro and Cortes, and how tenaciously they and Spanish immigrants have continued in the faith. To Buch an extent, indeed, that lately a missionary whov made a tour amoug towns from Baguta writes tliat he was unable to uct'Oinplish anything, sn firmly were the people hold iy the priestly rule, ft appears to be an impossible task to waken people out of their indiCerence to everything but money and politics. Toe writer then proceeds to narrate coom.-ely reuenl religious iroublra iu Columbia wherein the priestliood were ultimately mide ubmissive lo the Bute. The republic of Bjlivia is shown to bs f)liowiQ'4 t:ie lead of Colombia in averting tupremary ol civil over ecclesiastical au emperor of Brazil, in religious matters, ia pointed to as being full ol hope for the fulure, and the article concludes that Ecuador and Venezuela are lea3 priest ridden and it would seem the supremacy of the churoh in governments govern-ments of countries of South America isjjecoming a thing of the past. Catholics, should hail thia as a blessing, bless-ing, but thay either will not or cannot can-not see aught in it but a triumph for blasphemous Free Masonry. j The Christian at Work relates that Kev. Asahel Bronsoo, 87 years old, I rece ved the unanimous request of the 1 congregation of Mount Vernan Pa., ' to remain another year. Ireays that ; evidently this church does not! belong to those that want to hire a ; preacher for the best ten years of his hie and then expect to turn him out to grass. Mrs. A. T. Stewart, in addition to he'r munificent gifts at Garden city, contemplates establishing and endowing en-dowing a diocesan divinity school during dur-ing the coming autumn. The growth of the Reformed Episcopal Epis-copal churoh is an anomaly in the history of new sects. It has now eighty regularly organized churches and fifty missionary stations. Of these, eight are in Chicago and Philadelphia Phila-delphia each, four in Brooklyn, two in New York, and in Boston, Washington, Wash-ington, Louisville, Memphis, Jacksonville Jackson-ville and Tallahassee one each. In the United States and Canada they have 100 ministers and 9,000 com-, municants. ! Lansing Burrows, Baptist, of New-! ark, N. J., declines the call to Oak-, land, Cal. Joseph Cook is recuperating at Lake George, near his birthplace. Talmage has returned to Brooklyn. Died. I. S. Giffbrd, Baptist, at Berlin, N. Y.; E. W. Clark, Congregational, Congre-gational, at Chicago; J-. M. Guion, Protestant Episcopal, at Seneca Falls, N. Y.; O. M. Hughes, Protestant Episcopal, Patterson, N. J. St. Ann'a Protestant Episcopal church of Brooklyn, which latterly lat-terly had a memorable struggle to free itself from a huge debt, has joined a list of free churches, to go into efiect in November. At that time the euvelope system which prevails in so many churches, is to go into operation. The result will be watched with considerable interest. The Christian at Work believes it is admitted that the income of the church cannot be made so large under un-der the free as under the pew rental system. Still, if the result Bhall show that the necessary expenses ot the church can be met in this manner the eQect can acarcely fail to stimulate stimu-late other churches to move in the same direction. The Christian at Work says the ordinary sacred concerts which continue con-tinue to be tolerated, though they should not be, are eacred frauda. At a aacred concert in Boston recently the leading cantatrice sang "Pretty as a Picture." which eocored four timeB, while "Don't Tickle Me" waa oalled for three times. We have these "sacred concerts" in New York as well aa in Massachusetts, yet laws of both stales prohibit amusements and common labor on Sund.iy. These laws are more honored in the observance than in the breach. The writer then proceeds to criticise Gordon Gor-don Bennett's announced intention of returning home and standing trial for fighting the duel "Should the public demand it." Public demands have nothing to do with the matter. Bennett Ben-nett wilfully violated the laws of New York. He fled to escape punishment. The question ia whether we have any laws which district attorneys are bound to enforce. By every consideration of justice Bennett should be put on his trial. It remains to be seen whether the authorities will do their duty in the matler or not. |