Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 17, 1878, Page 9

RELIGIOUS. The {Word of Cod” in the Light of Modern Inves- tigation and Schole - “arship. Robertson Smith’s Gram- matico-Historical Analy- sis of the Script- ures. Dr. lis Conclusions Result in His Suspension by the Free Church of Scot- land. She Miracle Business in Germany— Christ and the Virgin Seen by Three Children. pvalids Conveyed to the Place of Apparition Are Cured by Touch- ing Faith. the Secular Authorities Regard It as Being on a Par with the Mauch-Chunk Affair. Wonderful Career of the. Late. Abdul Ghafur, the Pope *+ ofthe Mussulmans. General Notes---Personals---Humorous Piety---Services To-Day. THE BIBLE. ’ on weWORD OF GOD" IN THE LIGHT OF MOD- ERN SCHOLARSHIP. To the Edltor of The Tribune. Muwavece, Feb, 16.—The great flurry that punt athwart the theological heavens of Christ- spdum upon the publication of Dr. William Pobertéon Smith's articles on the “Bible,” in thenew edition of the Encyclopwdla Britannica, together With the summary suspension of the Doctor from his Professorship in the Free Charch College,—unttl the question of his Leresy can be settled,—makes it a matter of peculiar interest to know how fara man mar persue the divine right of iree and impartial jnvestination respecting the historv and author- stip of the Scriptures, without iimperiling his tclesiastical position and bringing down upon tisesered head the holy indignation of the Prebyter}. It seems that the Free Church of Sntland fs determined that no one shall think freely within its bounds without being stizma- tuedasan “infidel,” and being arraigned be- {creitsaugust authority to answer the puerile end contemptible charge of “heresy.” We Laveread these articles of Prof. Smith with much pleasure and profit, and with jmr permission will lay before the may readers of Tuz Tnuwune some of the information thus obtained, interspersed witha few private reflections which have been fugeested by the study. The plan pursued by Tr.Smith in his study and analysis of the Saipteres is Known’ as the ** granmatico-bis- trical” method, whick is of modern onizin, and ithe method followed by all great scholars ja their study and exposition of the Bible. This method throws a flood of ligit upon many witherto dark questions connected with the au- thorship and history of the various books of Sapture, and at the same time invests the audy of the Bible with a novel but transcendent. foterest.. This plan is in perfeet keeping with Werreat modern doctrine of evolution, and isvolves, of course, su overturning of the old uethods of error and superstition which were applied to the study and exegesis of the Biple. Tas modern method makes a complete avd faal disposition of the old theory of Verbal in- Hpiration, (Which made the Bible a literal tran~ iot uf the Divine mind), by showing that the Bule is vot an organic structure formed accord- letoaplau: but a stratification, formed vy uding layer on jayer, and part to part. Inthe light of u wcent exegesis, the Bible isecen to be neither a literary, intellectual, nor moral unit, but a compilation of yarfuus fritings, which, in their past history, have becn sadject to ail the mutations of time and the tudes of human affairs, and Lave under- gue changes as diverse as the geological strata athe earth. Tbe Peutateuch is shown to be ‘not the uniform production of one pen, but, in ine way, a variety of records ot different ages and styles, combined to form a stugle narra- A carefal study of tbe story in Genesis Terealsa two-fold history of Creation and the Fisod, in which the respective writers employ tle words Jeioval: (Lord) and Eiohim (God) as tenames of the Creator, thus alfording a cri- teton by which two separate and parallel narra- ‘res can be “dissected vut of the Book of Gen- tas” The tradition that Muses wrote the Yanatench is saiu to rest on no surer founda- Vonthan “conjecture.” Hebrew history is all daunymons—a fact which shows that the writers not learned to lay any stress upon matters of Suthorship, The view taken of the Buok of Decteronomy is, tbat the legislative part was Frit after the time of Moses, aud was vot wo¥o in the time of the Judges. The law of enteronoruy is alluded to by uo prophet of taller date than Jeremiah the younger, and Surot be placed at the commencement of the Old Testament theocracy without rendering the totite history unintelligible. As ancient writers Cid not distinguish historical facts from histot tldeductions the writer of Deuteronomy uat- unil puts his words in dramatic form in tne Douth of Moses, net in ** prous fraud,” but sim- dosaie principles in relation to . The Old Testament is regarded as. collection of anonymous productions, written 4orthe most part by uukuown authors. Mavy olthe books were transcribed from previousl. fatten documents, and in the process of cup! ©ewere modified and elaborated upon iu Gordance with the literary taste aud theological Prolivities of the writer,—he being under no ization to discriminate between tne old and tlenew. Many of the Psalms were not written 'Y David, aud many of the titles were long FS ent to the time in which the xitlms were written. ‘The famous Song of Slomon Is regarded as a lyrical drama, in hich the pure affection of the Shulamite: Raiden tor Ler lover is ‘represented as trium- Solomon and his harem. How much more pnmon sense and instructive is this imterpre- ou of tae soug than the one indicated by the ae Tepreseututions which adoru the chap- Bi wading iu our common version of the ible, tor instance: The Church's love unto u atulate one another.” & foolish and imbecile title was wrought out bs the disordered brain of some propuee y-non- relic dubbed at the head of the chapter as a wo ecy concerning Christ. Neither the per- be hor tnissiou of Jesus has even the remotest cay spondence to the several images and amor- a allusions contained in this soug. And yet author of * All About Jesus” has so tar pat his mental balance and moral sense as to i in this amorous love song a truc picture of a us of Nazareth. The Book of Jub is consider- to 4 boctical invention of incidents ” united ybawe probably “derived from old tradi- Dee A very high tribute of praise is paid by Bes Smith to this Book of Job, which utters such eenad Protest against the orthodoxy of Soe Israel, as well vs against the popular iat ions of the present time, respecting the “re- ¢ ‘ou of atlliction to the justiceand goodness of te and to tue personal merit and demerit of ees sufferer." The orthodoxy of the fice Which regards personal calamities and peritiae as the punishment visited upon of- saben by a vengeful Deity because of morai oes Hence, would do well to study Job's vig- us aud richtcous protest against such a false he the Divine character and government. Yooks of Jonah aud Esther are also bine! by Prof. Smith as didactic poems or tie- singgtFented for purposes of impartins in- ‘This of course seems like blasphemy Churet sud Christ co: Riot over the seductions of the licentious* st; Corist sheweth His love to her; the | to the pious literalists who have been taught to alp down indiscriminately everything in the sible from Genesis to Revelation: The narra- tive in Genesis is beautiful as a poem on Crea- ton, and contains much that is yaluable and true to human nature; but when men seck to interpret it in a literal sense, and underta’ 0 cram the poem into the molds of scientitic method, the beauty and charm of the story vanish, and there is nothing lett bat an inco- herent mass of rubbish, which is at variance with the conclusions of science, and a stumbling- block in the way of rational religion. In the treatment of the prophetical books, much is found which was without doubt written by others than the reputed authors. Many of the writings are supposed to have been lost before the work of collecting and editing the propheti- cal books had begun. There are several pro- phetic utterances in the Old Testament, which are perfectly dark and incomprehensible when considered ‘as the words of the prophets in whose names they stand; which plainly shows that they belong to other times, and are the utterances of other persons than those to whom they haye been attributed. .An exam- ple may be found in Zachariah, Chap. ix., where a new oracle begins, and speaks of an alliance between Jupah and Israel as existing in the Prophet's own time. There are also certain idolatrous practices rebuked by this new oracle which did “not exist after the exile. This prophecy is perfectly dark where it stands, and can only be understood by placing it after the time of Hosea. Other examples follow in the anonymous chapters (s1.-Ixvi.) of Isaiah, which can only be interpreted in a rational way by viewing them from the ‘historical standpoiut of the exile.” This shows how erroneous and. misleading is the chapter heading of Isaiah xl." in our own common Version of the Bible. ‘The Book of Daniel, which has always formed so lareca figure in the estimation of prophecy- mongers, is held by Dr. Smith to be of very in- significant importance, and is denied a piace in the list of prophetical books. The Doctor says he finds no place for it in his treatment “of the prophetical writings,” and therefore relegutes it to the same category with the ‘apocalyptic books of post-cauonical Judaism.” Prophecy is defined to be “simply the bright- est efilorescence of the element iu religion.”” Prof. Smith further asserts that ‘there is no reason to think that a prophet ever received a revelation which was uot spoken directly and poiuted!y to his time.” The prophecies all took their rise from preseut historical situa- tions, and were directly related to the present needs and sins of the people. They were never intended as portents of distant fu- ture events in the history of the world, but had direct and immediate reference to such events as were likely to be the outgrowth of the political and religious compiications of Israel, The prophets were too largely cugrossed with ineir present concerns, and too much interested in the fortunes of their own people, to waste their time in airy dreams idle speculations abour. dis ot the Old Testztment are no more remarkable for human foresight and clearness of mental vision in relation to the events predicted than many secular prophecies which migat be enum- erated. Arthur Young foretold the coming of the French Keyolution, as also did Lord Ches- terfield. William Cobbett, at the beginuing of the present century, predicted the secession of the Southern States. eine, a_notbrious profligate and calumniator, predicted that Ger- many would become iuvolved in cruel war, and. that France would be completely overthrown. He even foretold that the fortitieations which M. Thiers was then coustructing about Paris would attract to the city an opposing army that should ** Crush the Capital as if they were con- tracting an iron shroud.” No special inspira- tion was ever claimed fur these secular prophet and yet their predictions were fultilled to the very letter, which is more than cau be truthfully smd of many of the Old ‘Testament prophe- cies. All the passages in the New Testa- ment quoted trum the Old, and called predictions concerning Jesus Christ. are found upon intelligent and critical examination, to have been ignorantly missoplied by the writers of the Gospels. Many of these so-called “ proph- ecies concerning Christ? may be readily in- terpreted in the light of Old-Testament history, and are thus shown to refer to persons and events then and there existent; ana the remain- ing prophecies which cannot be thus explained are so entirely foreign int import to auy- thing like the person or mission of Sas to positively forbid of their being applied to Carist. In any sense whatever. ‘Ihe eit of prophecy, in a large sense, is not bound by time, place, or race; it is a native quality of the human miud, and is as natural in its expression as the blow- ing clover ana the falling r: Its exercise is not conditional upov any special divine afllatus or supernatural paroxysm, for its potency is herent in the hu suul, and not iraposed from without. The spirit of prophecy is a liv- ing fountuin of the present, and not a dried-up well of the past; it may be seen through the vista of the ages coming down the stream of time, ever pressing onward with a grander movement and a mightier sweep. It did fot die with the expiriug breath of the malignant writer of Revelation, but has persisted through the ages, and has set in reeal forin upon the kingly brows of mightier men and nobler seers than this upgracious wre! God's revelation was not concluded eighteen: turles ago, and then bound up ima book. to be used relig- ions ready reckoner. The revelation of God is progressive in its development—is an ever- present fact and potency ; and, as time rolls on, it more and more inspires the Souls of men with God's most sacred truth. The genius of inspiration still touches with her magic wand the souls of livmg men; evokes therefrom the poet's high-wrought dream, tue prophet’s flaming word, aud works them out in real tacts to tit God’s migaty plau, and spread over all the earth a knowledge of the Father- hood of God aud the Brotherhood of Man. But we return toafurther consideration of the Old Testament, and tind that modern schot- arship has discovered that the original text has undergone important change: ‘or a Jong tine the written text was cousonantal only; there was no provision for distinguishing vowels; the laws of spelling were not detinitely tixed, and there was a close resemblance in many of the words; all of which made it inevitable that er- rors and variations from the original should creep into the text in the work of copying Mss. Marks were tually invented, after the Christian era, to distinguish the Vowels. These vowel points were unknown inthe time of Jerome, but were completed some time previous to the ninth century. -The relizious ideas embodied in the Old Tes- tamentare seen to have been subject to the same lis of development which obtain in other departments of thouglit. They were at first exceedingly crude and unspiritual, and repre- sented a God whose favor couia ve secured in- dependent of moral considerations. But they Dewan to advance under the Jaw of evolution, and continued in 31 until the time conclusive victory of the Deity which had prev: ordinances of the Old Covenant not fixed, but were subj through successive ages, and advanced trom a crude and undeveloped to 2 more spiritual and perfect form. During the period of the prophets there was no doctrine of finality with rezard either to tne “ritual [aw 1 or -* religious tdeas wtriues.” ‘The priests were probably in po: ‘ritten legal documents ” trom the time of Moses downward; but the 1 ordiwances Were irequently tmoditicd, and re- ceived new access in the case of the book. vi the law found in the time of Josiah) eawody- ing fresh legal enactments to mect the new and varied wants incident upon the progressive spiritual development of the people. The time of Ezra marks the close of the propuetic devel- opment, aud the formation of the Old Testa- ment Canon. Ezra appears befure tue people, not as a plophet whose soul is charged wich a fresh message from God, but as a ecrive bearing the book of the law of Moses. Prof. Smit says that this book was the Pentateuch, and that its acceptance by Israel as “the rule of the theocracy” Was an acknowledgment that their “religious ordinances” had reached the climax of aevelopment, aud were henceforth to be sub- stituted as the standard of aurhority in place of *the living guidauce of the prophetic voice.” Coming Gown tu the New Testument, Ui Smith says that ‘ail the earficst external ¢ dence points to. the conclusion that the synoptical Gospels are non-apustolic digests of spoken and written apostolic tradi- tion, and that the arrangement of the earlier material in orderly form — took place only gradually, and by) man ‘Thefrequent similarity of expr: first. three Gospels indicates that they tall have some sources in common,” and that they are not the independent and isolated production of each writer, as is commonly supposed. The genuineness of 2 Peter is qq ioned, as is also the Pauline autborsbip ot 1 ‘Timothy and Hebrews, the latter of which is attributed to Appolios or Barnabas. The oldestcopies of the New Testament writings were written in uncial or large capital letters, without any division of words or punctuation, with no breathings nor accents, and Without even any titles or sudserip- tions. The system of punctuation now in yogue was first used in printed books, and the breathings aud acce nts were not in general use until the end of the seventh century. The Gospels were first divided into small sections by Ammonius of Alexandria (220 A. In the fifth ceutury there was another division of the text into larger sections. Our present chapters were invented by Curdinal Hugo in the thir- teenth century, and the present system of verses first appeared in Robert Stephens? edition, pub- lished in 159i. The New Testament has been corrupted not only by the mistakes of copyists, but also by taking into the text the closses or uotes originally written ou the mune. Witb were ct to vuriations nt historic events. The prophecies* such results as these —tlice. Tho number rip.st scholarship and most profém the former of the age—at ourcommangd, it would &7he con- no ove but 2 natural born fool could hold\ wil, theory of inspiration which makes the Bible a veritable copy of God’s thought, And yet, such “is the dense guarnuce and ingrained bigotry of the Church of Scotland that’ Dr. Smith has been suspendcd trom his Professor- ship for alleged’ hergsy”? in’promuizating his views upon the Bible? Let this Church con- tinue to hunt and pursue heretics with the tongue of slander, the torch of persecution, and the bull of excommunication; let her pursue all. men who are touched with the xenius called “heresy” with the seething caldron of her fiendish rage, and bury in their vitals the fatal fangs of her hely indignation; let her follow all honest inguirers to the grave, and inyoke upon ‘their sacred dust. the iniprecations of her cruel Calvin's God, and she will awake oue day to find her depleted ranks reduced to the level of medi- ocrity and imbecility by a desertion of the best heart and brain within her fold; and over her shattered and bespattered ruins shall in glory and majesty arise another Church, more rational and Christiau,—a Church that shall weleome with gladness every new revelation which comes from those whom God shall send as prophets of the truth and heralds of a new and etter day. C. N. Errincen. A GERMAN MIRACLE. THE VIRGIN MARY AND INFANT JESUS SEEN BY THREE CHILDRE: Correspondence London Times. Beruiy, Jan. 17.—Ihe Ultramontane party haye had the courage to make the Marpingen miracle the subject of Parliamentary debate. On the 3d of July, 1876, it may be remembered, three little girls in the Village of Marpingen, Prussian Rhineland, said they had seen the Virgin, with the infant Jesus, sitting on the ground in a neighboring woud. The day fol- jowing, after another walk in the forest, the three girls asserted they had been again visited by the celestial: apparition. On this occasion one of the little girls, about 7 years‘old, ventur- ing to ask who the lady was, the latter graciously replied, “I am she who has been conceived without sin, and you should pray and pray for- ever.” This oveurred on July 4. On July 5 the children once more procevded to the wouderful spot, When, the apparition neing likewise pres- ent, they had A LONG AND DISCURSIVE CONVERSATION with the condescending figure. The children having told their story in the village the pre- ceding day, this time were accompanied by a Jarge number of the peasantry of all sexes and agé&. ‘The crowd reverentially stood at a dis- tance from the hallowed spot, the apparition being visible and ‘audible to the three litue girls only. The apparition, in the lengthy conversa- tion it held with the children in the presence, though without the knowledge, of the deyout multitude, ‘accounted for the “temporary non-operation of the ordinary laws of nature by the remark that the three little inter- viewers were the only innocent persons in the wood. The zpvarition, who allowed itself to be cross-examined by the children, in a latter part of the proceedings, declined to sec auy of the neighboring priests, whom the children pro- posed to cull, but ordered achapel to be built on the spot trom the prozeeds of a public sub- scription. rition, in reply to the express inquiry made by her precocious in- terrogators, permitted an invalid to be conveyed to the wood to touch her feeb and be heaicd. ‘The Invalid was produced, laid his bunds where the children told him they saw tae Virgin’s feet, and forthwith Went on his way rejoicing, acured man restored to perfect health and strength. After this satisfactory test the mira- cle was regarded as an incontrovertible fact. On July 6 AN IMMENSE CONCOURSE OF PEOPLE remained in the wood the whole night, praying, chanting, and exhorting each other to aw: reappearauice of the heavenly personag night three persous,—one man and two females, —declared they saw the Virgin aund the trees. The chance of obtaining this supreme reward fauned the zeal of devotces, who tlocked to the hallowed spot from far and nea For a while all went well, The three little girls were con- stautly kept in the grounds to place the hands of invalids on the invisible Virgin's fect, aud nunicrous cures were wrouztht by that benignaut, Being, After a few days, to extend the benefit ot the miracle to those who could put in a personal appearance, the little girls pronounced the water of a neizhboring spring specially ap- i y tneir lady saint to restore absent in- . ‘This announcement contidently en- hanced the yratifying nature of the miracle, ana there was much praying in the wood and no lit- tle reveling im the adjacent villages. the secular authorities interfered. The having unfortunately selected for her first ap- earanee the day on which the new chapel wes inaugurated at Lourdes,—the same Lourdes which had become the ceutre of the guerre de revanche movement in Frauce,—it was probably apprehended that the alleged miracle might be turned to account by the domestic enemies of the German Government. Accordingly, on July 13, the Burgomaster of Marpiuzen ordered tac multitude to leave the wood, and, being set at defiance, had the grounds CLEARED BY THE MILITARY. The people offered little or no resistance. Tae wood was thenceforth guarded by the police, and a military garrison quartered on the village, which had uitde amint of money in. the pros: vrous days of the revival. The three little ‘al priest were subsequently ar- Tested on suspicion ofrreligious fraud. There ux no absolute evidence forthcoming to prove: the charge. the prisoners had to be set at lib: but the ease is not at an end, and a formal cusation may still be Jodged by the Public Prosecutor. © The girls, when ined in the Retormatory where they were detained, stoutly denied having been taught their story by priest or pareut. Since thea the movement has bree abated. Entrance to the wood is still protibited, but processions the miraculous brook, 5 highroad, uuot be rendered __inaeces- ible. The militar opted vost the fo censure this Village of Marpi id object of a motion exaction Was the profe: intruduced a few di ago into the Prussian Parliament by Ultramontane members. Herr Bachem, from Cologne, in yesterday?s sitting of the Lower House, opened the attack by representing the action of the authorities as extremely reprehensible, even if convinced that, the alleged miracle was an illusion The multitude, he contended, betic reality of the apuarition, and THEIR YEELINGS SUJULD HAVE BEEN RE- SPECTED in any circumstances. His speech wes accom- ee d by peals of derisive laughter trom the Aberal benches. Dr. Fried Anterior, ro: thal, the Acting to reply. Ho said: ared to defend theaction of the being plenty of prima facie evidence fo show that the Marpingen mi ‘the alleged miracle huppened in adistrict stro infected by the Ultramontane movement, a viously productive of similar apparitions attracted the notice of the law, Early in 1875 a woman bezan to work wiracles at Eppelporn, cluse to Marpingen, uuder the patronage of the local priest. She was convicted of fraud and sen- tenced to imprisonment. The same woman and the local priest who assisted her were subsequent - ly again convicted of fraud, false pretenses, and #ross iminorajity. ‘Tae Marpingen miracie was no. sooner bruited about than a school-girl at Gromag, also neat Marpingen, stated that she had had an audience of the Virgin. ‘The girl was severely rep- rimanded by her fath yhen the visions ceased, At Berschweiler. likewise near Marpingen. no less than five persons between 11 ana J! ns of auc in 1876 protessed to be in daily intercourse with the Virgin. A profitable trade in eaorcisina, sal- vations from purgatory, and the like hu een opened by them, the authorities imterfered. ‘The Police Court eventually sent the whole ganz to prizon. sappenach a married couple were con- victed of fraud for stating they nad seen the Virgin conversing with the three little girls in a bottle of Marpingen water. At Munchwies, district of Ott- weiler, 2 couple of school girls pretended to have interviews with the Virgiu until the parish priest ubjected to the story, when the apparitions ceasee, Considering this excited condition of the vroyinee in which Marpingen is situate, and taking into ac- ir character the Ultramontane ly jusvumed in Germany, the tly movement suthoritivs a PUTTING 4 STOP to the Marpingen revival. ‘There were 8,000 per- gous in the hallowed wood when the military were calledin. ‘Though there was some show of re- sistanre, nobody was wounded. Subsequently the police appointea to watch the wood were tired atin the dark. With | proceedings instituted by the Crown, he, the Minister, was in 4 position to eay that a formal accusation would be preferred against certain persons supposed to be implicated in the Marpingen aifair, when the char- ucter of the miracle would be fully investigated in open court, Herr Lipke, a Liberal, said that the threc lit- tle girls of Marpingen, when first examined by the magistrate, contended that they bad not only seen the Virgin, but the devil too. On be- ingasked how the devil jooked, they said he was “ black and white ”’ (the Prussian ‘national colors). The Rev. Prince Radziwill, who bad lad so much to say in defense of the Marping- ens, was the same who, contrary to the laws of the land, nad perforn:ed holy mass in the sus- pected village. Thouga belonging to'a family of illustrious name and fame (the Radziwilis are allied by marriage to the imperial dynasty of Hohenzollern), the Rev. Prince, like too many of his relatives, was a Pole and a Papalist rath- erthan a German, a Prussian, and a patriot. (Here it may be as well to observe. en passant, thst Priuce Bismarck is said to regard Gen, short skirsziwill, an Adjutant of the Emperor, ‘but lvof his three Ultramontane adversaries nt ‘mit. The tivo other illustrious personages |.-eported to be included by the ‘Chancellor in the objectionable trio are ‘Count Nessel- rode, the Lord Chamberlain of the. Em- ress, and “Herr Von Schicinitz, the Airatcter of the Royal House. “fhere could be little doubt as to the meaning of Herr Lipke’s hit.) He (Herr Lipke) had conversed with many Catholic priests upon the Marpingen swindle, and he was happy to say there were FEW THAT APPROVED THE EGREGIOUS FRAUD. By causing the subject to be discussed in Pariia- ment the Ultramontahe party bad rendered a very questionable service to the cause advocated by them. Be ae : ‘err Windhorst, the Ultramontane leader from Hanover and Jate Minister of Kine George, as- serted that miracles were possible, but would not swear that the Marpingen miracle had actually happened. If the Government would allow the Episcopal sce of Treves to be filled, it would de- yolve on the Bishop to investigate and pro- notace on the matter, after ‘which every be- lieving Catholic would know what to think of the alleged event. ‘The Polies in the Marpingen district had long been looking out for an op- portunity to deal the Catholics ablow. No doubt, they would have preferred having re- to the assistance of the artillery course if the people had given them 2 chance.. It was to be regretted the Minister should have ~ displayed so much skill in defending a detective. Did he associate with detectives? As to Herr Lipke— what justified him in attackiuga noble family related to the Royal house of Hohenzollern? The motion was_then elected, ‘none but ‘Ultramontanes and Poles voting forit. Yetthe discussion will have its uses;'stenographic re- ports of the debate will be circulated in every Catholic village. t " ABDUL GHAFUR. SKETCH OF THE LATE AUKOOXD OF SWAT, THE POPE OF THE MUSSULMANS. New York World. ~ A few days before Pius D the Pope of the Mussulmans passed away, Ab- dul Ghafur, the Abkoond of Swat, whose death has already been celebrated in these columns. (Ahkoond, be it here said, means “tencher.’’) From Cashmere to Mecca, Bokhara to Lahore, in the politics of highland Asia, the Ahkoond has been much as the Pope is in the-politics of Catholic Christendom, Not the Old Manu of the Mountain; nor the fauatic Ameer of the Bok- hara, murderer of Stoddart and Connolly; nor the Sultan of Roum, claimant of the legitimate Caliphate; nor even the blind old. zealot, Fey- sul, leader of the Wahabee revival, has exer- vised such influence over the Mussulmans of Asia as has the ascetic cowherd of the Goojurs. ‘Abdul Ghafur was born of shepherd parents in 1790, and till he was 16 herded their cattle. Running away from home he sought out teach- erstirst at Peshawur, then at Khuttuk. De- sirous of greater distinction than that offered by the ordivary career of a moollah, he yowed 10 become 2 deryeesh and took possession of the {stand of Bol a mere bank of mud formed at one great inundation of the Indus to dis- appear at auother. Here for twelve years he lived a hermit-life, in a wretched but, exposed tothe cold blasts that only high Asia knows, and haviug for food only milk and the ends of a variety of gruss. Literally for months he re- mained squatted on the ground facing towards the Holy City and howling the Creed ~ and ithe minety name: God, as the Rey. Mr. Hughes, a missions Peshawur, and Sir Harry Lumsden, a British ollicer, certify. The latter had been specially ordered to visit and report upon this fanatic, who had already become powerful in the relig- ious world. Indeed, his fame had already come to the ears of the Sil mnasters of the Pesha- wur Valley, who had yowed vengeance on their former Mahometan persecutors, and thev at- tempted his life, but he fled to the mountains. So great was uow (1835) his influence that Dost Mohammed courted his assistance when he struck against the Sikhs, but Runjeet Singh was too strong fur Ameer and Ahioond, and the Jatter, after fighting gallantly in the Khyber Pass for the Afghans, fled to the Swat Village of Sydoo, which he was destined to make an- other Mecca. 3 "rhe Swat Valley, a yalley some fifty or sixty miles Jong by three miles Wide, was broken ap into three contesting tribeships, each ciaiming supremacy over the others for its doctor of the laws. By craft and stimulated mirucles Abdul Ghafur induced the clans to consolidate under a nominal King of his own choosing, Syud kbar. Then he removed his rival saints by having one assassinated while at prayer, and denouncing the other two to the British, who had conquered the Punjaub, as Wahabees. Dost Mohammed urged him to preach a boly war inst the advancing infidel Britisn. but the ag flish sovercignty ‘and prosperity to the faithful, Ueneeforward he cou- favor of the British, or at least refrained from using it azainst them, save when, in 18U3, he for o time checked Lord Elgin in the Umbeyla_ campaign by casting in bis lot with the Wahabees. This, however, was only tempo- rary, for he preached ever afterwards that a djehiad, or erescentade, against the reformed of the Wahabee rite was even more meritorious than one against the infidel British. It was Wahabce assassins, by the way, who struck down the Viceroy. Lord Mayo, and Chief-Justice orman, of Calcutta. ‘The Ahkoond’s influence it would be almost impossible to overrate. For nearly half a cen- tury the Indian Government watched him as us- sidtously and anxiously as Europe watches Bismarck or used to watch Napoleon Til. In 1852 Sir [eury Lumsden wrote: “ This saint has gained such au ascendeney over the minds of Mahometans in general that they believe he is supplicd by supernatural means with the neces- saries of life. Every morning, as he rises from his prayers, he is said to find money under his carpet sufieient for the day's expendi- tures. He is consulted in ull dillicul- ties”? “The Pope of Sydoo.? says Mr. Hughes, the missionary already mentioned, “reigns supreme as the guide and director of the hearts of men all over Hieh Asia.” Three hundred pilgrims daily visited him, and none came empty-handed, whether their bome were Bengal, or Bokhara, or Constantinople, or Mec- cx itself (for even in the Holy City the Ahkoovd was held in high repute), or Persia, or ‘Tun’ ‘These he entertained—fanev the host of 100,- 000 visitors every year~biessed, prayed for, and advised, Tis’ counsels and predictions were sought upon every imaginable subject. ‘This nan caine to ask it he could Jawfully learn English,—a language which the oracle de- nounced as “the seed of infidelity’; this if Lis crippled son would be healed by a certain treat- ment; this how his law-suit in the Anglo-Indian courts would turn out; this (a ruler) whether he should declare war upon a neighbor, or the Franks, or the Russians. Up to the very last he retained his —_vigor. summer Aumeer Sherif Ali, of bul, as his father, Dost Mohammed, had done before hitn, invited the Ahkoond’s co-operation and blessing tn the military moyement then be- ing prepared in Afghanistan to take advantaye of the Russo-Turkish war, however it would re- sult.. The Ameer had, indecd, previously testi- fied to his veneration of the old saint by order- ing the completion of a bulky volume celebrat- ing bis sanctity and his miracles. In May, 1Sr7, thouzh then $7, blind and suffering trom a chronic skin disease, induced by the austerities of his carly life, the Abkoond, already the pa- triarch ot a great family, married a girl of 20. Jt is worth while to add that -Vauyfair of June 26, 1877, when chronicling his Iatest appearance iu the area of Asian politics, said prophetically, asthe event has proved: ‘It may be that the same month, possibly the same d: shall see the removal of tivo old men, those deaths will convulse the West and affect. the East.” The Pate “old men” died within a fortnight of each other. PIO NONO. ANECDOTES OF THE LATE PONTIFF. New Yorz Sun, In 1869, after the occupation of Romagna and the Legations, Cardinal Wiseman was very de- Sirous that a great demonstration should be mae by the British Catholics in Rome 2s a protest against the action of the King of Italy, and the approval given it by Great Britain, The Cardinal wrote to Dr. Kirby, President of the Irish College in Rome, and Monsignore Talbot, whose office was to introduce the English depu- tation, also called on him, to urge him and his to share as British subjects in the coming demonstration. Kirby, who thought that he and his Irish professors ‘and students had no reparation to make as British subjects, ob- jected decidedly to having any share in the matter. There was at indienation on the part of Monsiguore Talbot, and an_ irate letter_was written by the Cardiral. Where- upon Dr. Kirby called on the Holy Father and ropresented to him that neither he nor his wanted to march through the streets of Home beneath the British flag, as they had a flag of thelr own, a great deal older and dearer to themselves. The Pope was amused. “By all means,” said he, “get your own flag; let Rome see it; and let us see it here, and you with it! Here was a stomacher for poor Talbot. How could he introduce Dr. Kirby and his men on the morrow? Early in the morning, however, an officer from the Vatican brought to the Irish College a document appointing Dr, Kirby First Chamberlain to His Holiness, and thus giving him precedence over Monsignore Talbot. So the ercen won the day, and at Rome there were hearty Irish cheers for Pio Nono. The Pope laughingly remarked, a3 he looked on the green flag and enjoyed the happiness of the Irish: Judei non contunter Samaritanis.- “The Jews hold not intercourse with the Samaritans.” Ina country which we necd not name, a Car- inal, illustrious alike by his learning and the services which he bad rendered, had round his coadjutor differing with bim onmany important Matters. ‘The subject had been referred to the Pope, who had decided iu favor of the Cardinal. The other, as he had a perfect right, wished to plead his own cause. In a visit to Rome, while -tecelved in audience, Pio Nono, in his fatherly way, was discussing the various causes of differ- ence with his visitor. The Bishop held tirmly to his own opinion, and would not yield. The discussion grew warm, and the other, pulling out his tablets, began to take down the Pope’s words. ‘This was so extreme a breach of courtly etiquette, and so gross a mark of disrespect to the head of the Church, that he vehemently in- terrupted the writer, who was hurried out of the presence and not forgiven, In course of time the Cardinal died, and the disgraced coad- jutor, who had sinned thouchtlessiy in the Whole proceeding, was proposed gs a can- didate for the ‘succession. His) name was pinced first on ‘the list,”but when the ist was handed to the Pope, he became so in- dignant that he tore it in two and cast the trag- ments on the grouid. Time and the mediation of friends appeased the Pope’s anger, and the offender was restored to his office and the good graces of the Pontifl He was uaturaily gifted with a quick humor and most reteutive memory. Boru in onc of the great centres where dwelt the ancient Gallic Tace (the Sena Gallia), frishmen were fain to think that Pio Nono had imbibed with his moth- er’s milk not a little of the Celtic wit. His repartees were ever ready, always happy and to the point, without ever leaving a sting behind. A distingmshed Irish Protestant, whom the Pope treated with unusual consideration, hap- pened to mention the sore subject of Ireland’s grievances. The statesnian ventured to say that Ireland’s natural and necessary position was to form a member of the British body pol- itie; but that discoutent had made her sick, and the perpetual doctoring of her clerical and polit- ical quacks had paralyzed her vital resources. “Why, then,” said the Pope, “don’t you cut off the dead limb? Amputation could’ not be painful to her, and would, if your words be true, be a benefit to England.” Walking one day through the wards of the hospital where the sick Papal Zouaves were cared for, he found a splendid specimen of an Englishman suffering tutenscly from rheumatic fever, while sitting quietly. by his bedside was a no less stalwart son of the sister island, eccu- pied in fanning the sufferer and bathing his forehead. The Pope stopped, bent kindly over the prostrate torm, addressed in kindest tones a few questions which thedelirious man could not understand, and tnen, turning to the Irishman,. “Your brother must net die, my brave boy,”” sald he. ‘He is not his brother,” some one at, the Pope’s elbow made haste to reply; “he fs” an Irishman, aud the other is English. “Ant and are they uot most truly. brothers,” replied the Pontiff, “whom the love of tle common Father and the inith of the great Mother have so tenderly united?” Another day, during the same gloomy period, as he was taking his walk near the Quirinal, he met a group of four of his defenders, three of whom - had been endeavoring to get out of the way a comrade who bad taken too much Romau wine. The Holy Father was on them before concealment was possible, aud the nationality of the delinquent was too apparent. “The poot boy has been sick,” said one of his comrades. “Well, weil,” answered the Pope, “alittle wine is good for a weak stomach, but even a very lit tle may be bad for 9, weak head.” ‘The poor sick fellow, meanwhile, had struggled to his knees and burst into tears. ‘Ah! sce there, the Irish faith,” exclaimed tae kind oid man, “Jn vino veritas.” “* 2) vero,” put in one of the Morsign- ori; “ potentes ad credenduin, et potentex ad biben- dum.’ “Yes,” again answered the Pope, with a frown of displeasure; ‘but I know many brought up beneath, the shadow of these walls who would curse me and you in their drunk ness, instead of kneeling for our benediction. ‘During our Civil War a party of Americans were presented tugcther—some from the North, some from the South, and all, or nearly all, Protestunts. Atter the first greeting the Holy Father iuquired where they were from, and then, with u, shadow of distress on his benig- nant features, said: “Ah! my dear children, ‘ou are in the home of the common parent; in ‘ome there is ndither North nor Souta, nor West nor East. This is the centre of the earth, and my heart belougs individually to all of you.” An American gentleman, who, with his wife and children, had an audience with the Pope in 1869, tells us that after the Pope had begun the conversation he stopped and said: “ But, perhaps you are not Cutholics?”” ‘No, Holy Father,” answered the lady, “we are Protestantz.? “Well,” said the Pope, with a shrug and a most winning smile, * that makes no difference; all who hold the principles of Jesus Christ are with me.”? New York World. The gossips told of his having been a Free- mason, and of his having fallen in love with a beautiful English girl what time he wore the breastplate of whe Guardia Nobile. History recorded of him that ne, when elected Pope, warned his steward: “When I was Bishop I spent a dollar a day for my personal expenses; when I was Cardinal I spent $1.50; and now that I am Pope you must not go beyond $237 that hereceived favorably the petition of the old market-gardener, who, having lost his horse, walked boldly into the palace to beg one from the Quirinal ‘stables; that when a majority of the bulls cast into the ballot-box by his coun- cillors on the question of an amuesty were black, he placed nis white cap over them, and said: “Now they are all white;” that in the early days of his administration the rage tor the Papal colors, “ yel- fow and white, was such that boiled eges were a breakfest de regle witn Romans. How he kept to the last his kindly humor and. caustic wit, is it not recorded? **My daughter,” he said to a tall American girl, “‘ one blessing is not cnough for you—I must give you two.” “ They say the women are the most beautiful,” he said, a3 one day he halted with a brilliant train of dignitaries of the Church before a splen- did peacock in the garden, “No, no: it is our sex that is always the most brilliant.” “ What!” he said, as he threw away a book wherein the pious author spoke of a saintly character who wuld not escape one snare—that of marriage; ** shall it be suid that the Church has six sucra- ments aud asnare?”? When a soldier of the French garrison asked the Pope to say a mass for him personally, with no other auditor present, in the Pope’s own chapel, Tis Holiness consented, and bade him come on the morrow. ‘To- morrow I must see some of the boys off,’ re- plied the soldier, ‘but next day, Pope, I’m your man.” “Very well.” said the Pope; ‘make it next day.”” Not long after his return young English lady was out sketching with 2 maid uear the Porta Pia.” The Pope came out.in his carriage, descended, and began to take his usual walk. "The maid having gone to ask his blessing, returned to say that his Holiness would eladly give his hand to be lassed to her young English mistress. pecd,” said that lady with a toss of her her alhead, “I think my band better worth ki than his.” The Pope, who approached ut and overheard this specch, lnughed gently and said, to her great confusion, * That is perfectly true; but you will allow an old mau to bless you, nevertheless.” ‘New York Star. He was of dark complexion, low ot stature, stout aud fat to an unwieldy obesity, but yet he was not awkward, and always bore himself with ¢ until the ravages of ‘disease laid him on a reclining chair or on his bed. His voice was superb, sympathetic, and strong, and, owing to this natural gift, he was particularly fond’ of ontificating at the great altar in St. Peter’sand ft dlessing the worid—“urbi et orbi?—from the grand balcony over its portals. On such oc- castons his magnificent bass voice filled the im- mense basilica and the noble square outside, until the farthest ear in the vast assemblage distinctly enjoyed both his intonations and words. Ilis dress was, of course, always in keeping with his exalted station, and theretore he was not at ‘liberty in this respect to show the modesty of his tastes or his frusality; the garments he wore were of magnificent material and after a pattern not varying with the fickle decrees of fashion, but followed bya long series of Popes, partly moditied, it has been said, through the artistic suggestions of Rapbuel. ‘Tis old slippers were much sought after by cu- rious Englishmen and as mementoes: but the Vatican rules preclude the destowal in gift of any particle of a Pope’s dress and personal equipment during or after his lifetime. During his confinement in the palace, ot Inte years. he daily bad the Roman newspapers read to him. Over his numerous obituaries he was accustom- ed to laugh heartily. and was wont to wind up sith his favorite saying: “11 bury them all, you will see!” In truth, be lived to see all the. great actors in the Italian revolution interred jrith the single exception of Garibaldi. GENERAL NOTES. 2 in 1850 a charmi ‘A new Methodist charch in Calcutta has been opened. It seats 2,000 people. ‘There are 1,500,000 people in London who never attend any place of worship. Moody and Sankey commenced revival work in Springfield, Mass., last Sunday. The American Board has expended over a million of dollars in its missions to the Ameri- can {ndians. ‘A remarkable revival is going of inthe Broad- way Church, Norwich, Ct., whose pastor is the Rev. L. T. Chamberlain, formerly of the New England Chureb of this city. Z spe emembenet Congrerational ministers hold- i pastorates i none wea reat Britain and the Channel neon Moravian Church in Scotland, that ent Bur: its cen- fennel een g of Ayr, celebrates its cen- One hundred California ‘ministers who have been intervicwed express doubts about a state ot future punishment, Most of the churches in Indianapolis bare abandoned their .pard chotr: ck consregational storing: fy nbd gee bacis 0 The Pittsburg preachers are discussing thi Marriage License laws, and. those of San Fran, cisco are wrestling with divorce. A novel experiment has been successfully tried in Dudley Parish Church, England. ‘a the Sunday afternoon service, after a short cyen-song, the Vicar reads portions of Canon Farrar’s “Life of Christ,” with appropriate hymns. Signor Bonghi, formerly one of Victor .Em- manuel's Mibisters, has written a reply to Father Curci’s book on Temporal Power. He scouts the idea of acompromise between the Church and Italy, and says thatthe Clerical party must obey the laws. The Forty-seventh Street Congregational Church moved their Sunday-school to the old Oakland Church building Just Sunday, and or- es under aS Sy rerantes lousy of Mr. lomas. The chapel will soon be locality of the Oakland Chureh. panera ee Jn the Roman Catholic Charch in this coun- try, of the ten Archbishops, four are Irish, and of the fifty-six hving Bishops. twenty-nine are of the same nationality, while of the 5,2 priests in this country no Iess than 3,000 belong to the Irish race. “The same proportion i3 manifested in the laity, who are officially re- turned at 6,500,000, and of these 4,000,000 have been supplied by Ireland. ‘Trinity Church, Boston, has been obliged to go to Court to get legal permission to do an equit- able thing, More than a hundred years azo it received a legacy of $5,000 for the support of an assistant minister. This fund has now grown to $80,000, the income of which is ample for the support of two assistant ministers; and the Court has ordered that it may be so applied as being fairly within the intent of the testator. Apropos to shooting-galleries in church, the Independent says, there are inen living yet who. can remember how a Massachusetts minister— old Father Niles—used to come to the prepara- tory lecture bringing his gun with him into the church, standing it up against the pulpit, and leaving his dogs outside; and then, after he had concluded the serv take his gua with hit to finish the fox-hunting sport of the day. A curious relic of fire-worship exists in Scot- Jand. It is called the festival of The Clavie,” and takes place each 12th of January at Burg- head, a fishing village on the Scotch coast. A barrel is burnt, and as it falls into pieces the lisher-wives rush in andendeavor to get a lighted bit of firewood. With this the fire on the cot- tage hearths at once kindled. It is considered lucky to keep this tame all the rest of the year. The recent refasals of the Episcopal office by Protestant Episcopal clerrymen have excited remark in that Church. It is said that * men in Jarge parishes, with large incomes, aud pleas- ant social position, can scarcely be expected to abandon all these for small and remote dioceses mainly for the sake of being made Bishops.” ‘There are other avocations also in which “calls”? are not responded to for pecuniary rea- sons. ‘The first mission of the Protestant Episcopal Church has just been established in Cuba, after six years of hard labor, by tke Rev. Edward Kenny. The movement wos first suggested in Asi1to Bishop Whipple, who visited Cuva at that time and was much impressed with the entire lack of Christian counsels and teachings for the American and English residents. There are auout 9,000 Protestants now living. on the island. The Advance is scarcely orthodox on the mean- ing of “everlasting.” It says that the Hebrew and Greek words of the Bible so traslated, {mean the whole existence of the things to which they are applied. If the ‘hills’ are said. to be eyerlasti.g, tne writer means that they will endure us long as the earth of which they form a vart will endure. If punishment is ‘everlasting? it will continue as longas the sin- ning soul on which it is intlicted shall live.” The Presbytery of Philadelphia, at its meet- ing last week, rejected both of the overtures on representation sent down by the last General Assembly. The second overture was rejected unanimously; the first by 2 large majority. The Presbytery did not feci disposed to abandon the attempt to reduce the size of the General ‘Assembly, but appointed a committee to re- port an overture to the next Assembly, asking that body to prepare an amendment to the Constitution, basing representation ‘in the As- sembly hereafter on the number of communi- cants in the churches. : There wil! be repeated by request, to-morrow evening, at S$ o'clock, in the Lecture Room of St. Paul’s Church, Michigan avenue, between ixteenth and Eighteenth streets, a very inter- esting entertainment, consisting of reoresenta- tions in statuary of mythological gods and god- desses, and synibolic pictures of the prescut and pastages. ‘The parts will be taken by the mem- bers of tlie Society. The choir have epurteously promised some choice selections for the occa- sion. Altogether, it promises to be one of the most pleasurable of the many pleasant enter- tainments given by the Ladies’ Aid Society of this Church. Admission, 25 cents. REFORMED EVISCOPACT. Z To the Editor of The Tribune. Cacaco, Feb. 18.—My attention has been called to the tollowing paragraph in your issue of Feb. 10: Already the Reformed Episcopal Church is the victim of defection. At Ottawa, Canada, the con- gregation have had some difficulty with their min- ister, and asa resulta number of the ilock have returned to the Churchof England, while the min- ister has resigned. Allow me to say that the above statement isa maticious fabrication, which .has been set afloat. in the Canadian newspapers for the worst of purposes. Emmanuel Reformed Episcopal Church, Ot- tawa, is “the yietim of defection” to the ex- tent of losing from its communion resister dur- ing the past six months three individuals only, while during the same period the accessions have numbered forty. ‘The congregation is united and large. The Rector, the Rev. Henry M. Collisson, resigned, it is true, a short time ago. But the writer of the above paragraph forgot to add that the peo- ple refused to accept his r ion, aud, at their earnest request, he has for the present withdrawn it. Respectfully yours, Cirantes Epwarp Cneney, Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church. PERSONAL. The Rev. E. F. Fish has resigned the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at DuQuoin. The salary of the leading Jewish pastor of New York City, Dr. Gotthiel, is $10,000. Twen:y-cight Standing Committves have so far yoted for Dr. Seymour and thirteen against him. Bishop Whipple, of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese ‘of Minnesota, has gone South for his healtn. The Rey. John Rush, of Lane Seminary, has accepted a call to the pastorate of the Presby- terian Church at Shelbyville, IN. John M. Davis, 2 graduate of Marietta Col- lege, has recently accepted the charge of the Presbyterian Church at Hanover, O. ‘A writer in the Christian Register severely criticises Joseph Cook, calls him a socialist, aud compares hita with George the Count Joannes. It is annonneed_in the English papers that the “Rev. Dr. Duff, the well-known Indian missionary, is so ill that;his life is despaired of.”” Ex-Senator Revels bas been appointed Presid- ing Elder in the Mississippi Methodist Episcopal Couference.. He still retains the Presidency of Alcorn University. Bishop Robertson, of Missouri, has notified the Archbishop of Canterbury that he will at- tend the Pan-Anglican Synod. He leaves for England about June 1. The Rev. R. J. Laidlaw, of the Jefferson Ayenue Presbyterian Church, Detroit, has re- ceived a unanimous call to St. Paul's Presby- terian Church, Hamilton, Ont. ‘The charges of improper conduct against the Rev. Dr. David Wills, of Wushington, D. C., brought by some of the ladies of his late con- gregation, have been withdrawn. ‘The Rev. Justin D. Fulton, of Brooklyn, has declined the call to become the pastor of the Bowdoin Square Baptist Church of Boston, giv- ing as his only reason the pressing need of the Centennial Baptist Church. Deacon Martin Cheney, a brother of the Rev. D.B. Cheney, D, D., of this city, died in South- bridge, Mass., Feo: 5, azcd 76 years. He held the oflice of Deacon ‘in the Baptist Church in that cown some forty-five years. The Rev. George F. Pentecost,» formerly of Brooklyn, bas resigned the pastorate of the ‘Warren Avenue Baptist Church, Boston. He and his church bad been admonished for open communion, and Mr. Pentecost retires partly on this account and partly because he desires to devote his time to evangelization. He has been carrying on bea invtval Work in Providence since Mr. iy left than city, si oy has been accepted. Sta TS rena Mer. Silas M. Chatard, Rector of the Amer {can College at Rome, has been chosen to fill the Bishopric of Richmona, Va., to fill the vacancy caused by the elevation of Bishop Gibbons to the Archiepiscopal See of Baltimore, Bishop Sugden, of the Free’ Church o1 En- gland, has gone over to the Reformed Episco- pal Church, and hes become the coadjutor uf Bishop Gregg, who was ordained in the United States. Several other ministers of the Free Church have also entered the Reformed Epis- copal Church. DOUBTFUL PIETY. ‘The first acrobatic woman who joined a circus procession was Loi’s wife. As she tured uround she became 2 summer salt. “Js this the Adams House?” asked a stranger of a Bostonian. Yes,’ was the reply; “it's -Adam’s house till you get to the roof—then it's eaves.” : “Are you a Christian?” asked a spectacled colporteur of a flower-girl on Broadway the oth-- erday. “Ne, sir; 1m a Buddhist,” was the prompt reply. a There is a woman who works among the Ken- nebec lumbermen, driving logs down the river. And Mr. Beecner says, “Hurrah, she doesn’t believe iu a miserable he-rafter!”” Anglican Priest: “We had not the pleasure of seeing your ladyship at church on Sunday?” Lady Blank: |“ Er—no—i was aot present, but —I left my card with the church warden!” Our friend H. has +-year-oid who generally winds up his eveniny prayer with God bles3 everybody ;”’ but lately, irom some prejudice he has imbibed, he adds the words “except tramps.” . A day or two since a lad some S years of age said to his mother: ‘Mother, which. are we, Catholics or Eviseopais?? + We ain’t any of them,” said a younger brother, chipping in; “we're Percitic Coast Pierneers.”” A clothier has excited public curiosity by hay- ing a large apple painted on his sign. When asked for an explanation he inquired: ‘Tt it liadn’t been tor an apple where would the ready~ made clothing stores be to-day?” With the close of the holidays the casual Sun- day-school voy has severed his connection with the church and resumed bis oceupation of break- ing bleoaaeere arate dogs, and yelling at strangers, until time to getin traiming fur the picnics. 6 pass It has become too much the custom of per- sons advertising for employment to refer to their relizious views. ‘The following appeared some time ago (we think in a New York daily): “Wanted—A man to take care of a horse of religious turn of mind.” One by one all the comforts of this life are taken away trom the toiling million: it used. to be a ereat consolation for us to think, in our poverty, that none of our rich neighbors could ever get to heaven. Now, alas! we are assured there is no place else for them to go. O. woful times! O, wretched, harsh, and inconsiderate world! O, dog gone it all! “ What is your religion, my friend?” asked a derevman of a tramp with a caleium nose. “Me? I belong to the Nothinarian’ denomina- tion.” “Indeed? inever heard of that sect. What are its tenets?” earnestly inquired the parson. ‘Why, we believe, ye see, thut—we believe thut—wall—we believe, thut whutever hez happened wuz to be, whether it come to pass of not.”” ‘Tne parents of a 4-year-old in Grand Rapids promised to take him out the next time they drove out to church. Weeks passed, and still the promise was unfulfilled, At length, one bright morning, the father and mother went quietly out of the rear of the house, got into their car- riage, and drove away. As they were going out, they passed the front piazza, on which the child was standing with his nurse. The little fellow looked up into the nurse’s face, pointdd to his departing parents, and said, ‘There gO. the two d—dest liars in Grand Rapids.” “ Did you attend church to-day, a3 I charged you?” inquired an old African planter, in the old time, of one of his slaves, as.he returned to his dwelling. “Sartin, massa,” was Cudjq’s reply; “ an’ what two mighty big stories dat preacher did tell!” “ Hush! Cadjo, you masa’t talk that way; What stories were they?” © Why he tells de people no man canserve two massas, —now dis is de iust story, "ease you see cld Cudjo sarves you, my ole massa, and also young massa John. Den the preacher says, ‘he will - lub one and hate oder,’ while the Lord knows I hate you boil!” Two Germans, fresh from Cincinnati, visited New York, and one, well acquainted with the city, invited his friend to Delmonico’s, where 3 dinner tor two and a bottle of wine were or- dered. ‘Che piace and fare were praised until the bill of $l was presented. This they con- sidered an extortion. They paid, however, and while walking down Broadway the excited Ger- man commenced to swear at the supposed ex- tortion. His friend then said: ‘‘Do not shwexr, Yacob. Itis wicked to shwear. God has pun- ished dot man Delmonico.” “‘How?? “I haye mine pocketful mit spoons.’* CHURCH SERVICES. PRESBYTERIAN. The Rev. Arthur Mitchell will preach this morn- ing in the First Church, corner of Indiana ayenuo and Twenty-first, and this evening in the Railroad Chapel, corner of State and Fourteenth ateeets. —The Rev. James Maclaughlan will, preach this morning and evening in the Scoteh Church, corner of Sangamon gnd Adams streets. —The Rey. J. H. Walker will preach this mora- and evening in the Reunion Church, Fourteenth, near Throop street. -=The Rev. Jacob Post will preach this morning in the Datch and this evening in the English tongue in the church corner of Noble and West Eric streeta, —The Her. C. L. Thompson will preach this morning andthe Rev. Dr. Fletcher will lecture this evening on ** Religion in Italy,” in the Fifth Church, corner of Indjana avenue and Thirtieth street. a ¥ —The Rev. 1. T. Miller will preach this morn- ing in Westminster Church, corner of Jackson and Peoria streets. In the evening the Rev, E. N, Barrett will review Me. Beecher’s exposition of Rom, iit.. Be, —The Rey. E. N, Barrett, of the Westminster Church, will prea in the Sixth Church, corner of Vincennes and Oak avenues, at 10:30 a. m.. and the Rev, Henry T, Miller will lecture at 7:30 p.m. —Prof, Francis L. Patton will preach in Jeffer- zon Park Church, corner of Throop and Adams streets, at 10:30 a, m. and 7:30 p. m. —The Rev. J. Monro Gibson will preach in the Second Church, corner of Michigan avenue and Twentieth street, at10:45 a, m. and 7:30 p. m. —The Rev. P. Goodwin will preach in the Eizhth Church, corner of Washington and Hobey “ No evening service. streets, at 10:30 2. m. ‘METHODIST. ‘The Rev. Dr. Thomas will preach this morning, and the Rev. D. Kelynack this evemng, in Cente nary Church, Monroeatreet, near Morgun, —The Key. W!F. Crafts will preach this morn- ingand evening in ‘Trinity Church, Indiana ave- nue, near Twenty-fourth street. "Evening sub- ject: *' The Vailey of Diamonds"; a sermon to younz he yoMThe Iv, Dr. Williamson will, preach this —The Riv. morning ond evening in the Michigan Avenue sar Twenty-second. Church, Michigan avenue, street. Evening subject: **The Liquors We rink.” Drintie Bev, E. M, Boring will’ preach morning and evening in the State Street Church. —The Kev. A. W. Patten will preach this morn-- ingand evening inthe Wabash Avenue Church, corner of Wabash avenac and Fourteenth street. rhe Rev. S. i. Adams will preach in the Western Avenue Church, corner of Monroe street, orning and evenin: mortne iter. 'T. C. Clendenning will pzeach in the Langley Avenue Church, corner of Thirty-nintn street. at 10:302. m. and 7:30 p.m. Mornin: ‘aubject: ‘¢ are Christ's.” The Praying Bani of young men from different charches will condact the services. “The Rev. J. C. Fletcher, who has traveled ex- tensively in foreizn missionary flelds, will deliver a discourse on ** Tne Bible in Brazil and Italy,” at the Park Avenue Church, at 10:30 a. m. "he Rev. S. McChesney will preach at 7:30. p. m.; subject: ‘Sfpe Last Lay.” : —The Rev. T. P. Marsh will preach 1m Grant Place Church, corner of Larrabee street, morning and evening. . —The Rev. Dr. Kelynack, of Australia, will preach in Grace Church, corner of North LeSalle and White streets, in the morning, and the Rev. John Atkingon in the evening; subject: **The Di- Yinity of Christ.” 2 —The Rev. Georze Chase will preach morning and evening at the Winter Street Church, corner of Forty-iifth strect. Morning subject: ** Tne Christian's Race.” REFORMED EPISCOPAL. Bishop Cheney will preach this “morning and evening in Christ Charch, curner of Michigan ave- noe and Twenty-fourth streets. Morning sabject: **iHlow the Christian Should Forgive.” Evening suoject: “The Ark of the Covenant. ~The Rev.. W. J. Hunter will preach this morn- ing ond evening in St. Paul's Chureb, corner of West Washington and Ann streets, Morning sui ject: ‘*Creeda and Dogma vs. Modern Liberal- jam,” Evening subject: **Only a Mechanic. Zirhe Kev. #. W. Adams will preach this even- ing in Emmanuel Church, corner of Hanover and Twenty-eighth streets. ' Subject: **Samson in r the Power of Evil Habits. " Goethe Her Te i. Boswerth Gill preach this ing and evening in Grace Church, corner o: Hloyne and LeMogue streeta, and at $:30 this afternoon in Trinity Church, Englewood. —There will be morning and evunjey services in