ITALY. Facts culled from Italian Correspondence. in the vineyard have not been idle.-days, but through the influence of that The Evangelical Society of France, article, they have abandoned the prac. which we aid, gives a very interesting tice, account of its labors. Mr. Pressensé, who has held the Secretaryship for thirty years, gave a review of that pePETER'S PENCE.-The Pope has, for riod. It has nine new churches, which four years, been uttering cries of disjoined the Official Reformed Church, tress to the faithful all over the world, and have ever walked in the light. It to send in Peters Pence, and the whole created six posts of evangelization, now amount realized is £1,400,000. An occupied by the Central Society. It has aided above twenty Consistorial Nono. Had each of his 200,000,000 amount not very encouraging to Pio Churches in their work,--for several (as he counts) adherents given one-half years it supported two normal schools, penny a month, sixteen times as much --it brought Gospel light into many would have been realized. departments where darkness reigned BRIGANDAGE.-The Priests and In Paris, it evangelized the Faubourgs monks have been so mixed up with this and has given birth to several churches system of blood and robbery, in the now constituted-—has held on high and south of Italy, that the Government has with firm grasp the great principle of re promised a law for the suppression of ligious liberty--has spent upon French all religious orders in the provinces. evangelization 3,580,000 francs. Its The announcement is hailed with joy receipts last year were 142,331 francs, and expenditures 139,328. Surely we may say, this is a noble work, and demands the sympathies and prayers of all who love the kingdom of Christ. The meeting of the Sabbath Schools was peculiarly interesting. The Cirque Napoleon was crowded with the joyous faces of 3,300 happy Sunday scholars and as many parents. GREECE. by the people. PROGRESS OF UNIFICATION.-A national bank for Italy has been established, with a large capital. Also postage and coinage have been assimilated throughout the kingdom. GENNARELLI'S REVELATIONS. Gennarelli has done with the Papal epistles in the private archives of the ex-Grand Duke of Tuscany, what Prince Napoleon, a little while ago, did with the correspondence of the French Ambassadors at Rome, in the archives of France; viz., published previous lists of them, filling two vol For many years past the Sabbath has been a day of labor and of amusement, and though Dr. King wrote and preached upon the importance of "remember- umes. In them the Pope, his Prime ing the Sabbath day and keeping it Minister, Antonelli, Emperors, Princes, holy," still all seemed to avail but little. Archbishops, Statesmen, Priests and Lately, Dr. Kalopothakes wrote and Confessors, are shown up to the world published an article in his paper, "The in extracts from confidential letters, in Star of the East," on the subject, which which they speak their desires, intenhas already accomplished some good. tions, and plans freely. Previously the National Assembly had These are volumes "for the times" its sittings on the Sabbath, as on other now in Italy; for they uncover the arts, concessions, and fawnings, by which the is then a mighty schism in the Church, Papacy gained foreign aid in extin- such as Francisco Liverani and Carlo guishing every ray of light and liberty Passaglia have been foretelling. Young in Italy. Italy is ready to side with liberty in such a division. May God make the wrath of man to praise him! REACTION IN FAVOR OF PAPACY.-The Pope, some months since, ordered the Bishops to suspend and starve the 9843 EDUCATION. The peculiarly hopeful Italian Priests who signed the Passaglia feature in Italy now is the great inpetition, for the abandonment of the crease of schools, especially evening temporal power. This was probably schools, for adults and others whose done through courage gained by the business forbids them to attend the Pope from the apparently reactionary schools by day. In the province of course of Louis Napoleon. Ratazzi, Bologna there are 115 evening schools, the Prime Minister of Italy, is a tool with 3,164 scholars. The increase the of France, and did not interfere with last year is 53 schools and 710 scholars. the Bishops. When Farini became These are in addition to the numerous Prime Minister, he forbade the cruelty, day-schools, and every one has sprung and the Archbishop of Florence was up since the Pope was put down in that prosecuted by the Crown Lawyer for province. In the province of Naples, deposing the liberal priests of his dio- outside the city of Naples, there were, cese. Everybody supposed the Arch-last December, 2,759 schools, with bishop would be obliged to recede, or 100,621 pupils. The increase in the lose his own revenues. But, to the con- preceding year was 909 and 57,236 pufusion of liberal men, the State Coun- pils, more than one-half of the scholars cil, before whom the case was tried, ac- added in one year! Here is progress quitted him. which will be fatal to superstition and despotism. What next? Here are the Ministry and Crown Lawyer of Victor Emanuel A school teacher writing from Nafor progress and liberty, and Victor's ples, says that there is great want of State Council for the Pope and despot-school-masters, so that many wishing ism. an education must be denied. All this in poor dark Naples, three years ago, the darkest and most down-trodden portion of Christendom! We may add that the people not only desire to read, but also to possess the Bible, and are willing to buy it. It may be that this State Council is some old fogy tribunal, which has come down from the days of Jesuit rule in Sardinia, unreformed, and that Victor Emanuel will "put things to rights" in respect to them, as he did in the courts of Tuscany, in respect to the old THE BIBLE IN NAPLES.-Confirming laws, making them conform to the new the preceding statement we quote the Constitution. And it may be that the following. "The general feeling of hand of Louis Napoleon is in the mat- the South seems favorable to the teachter, and this is found a convenient way ing of the Bible. A priest who has to comply with the necessity of pleas- drawn crowds to hear him, in the larging him. In the councils of God it est church in Naples, boldly declared, may be the way of leading off those at a public meeting, that only two 9843 priests, as Luther was led to deny books tell the truth, the Bible and the and defy the Papal authority. There' Universe,”—(the word and the works OUR OWN COUNTRY. of God.). "It is said that in a theat rical play, entitled "The Night of St. We cannot close this brief notice of Bartholomew's," which has been repeat- the work of God in foreign lands, withed above twenty times, tremendous ap-out saying a word in reference to our plause follows the reading of some own country. We have just passed verses of St. Matthew, by a young girl through the season of our religious anin prison." niversaries. Though not so fully at tended as in some former years, still most of the Societies exhibit an increase of funds, and in most, if not all, there has been an increasing interest in the work committed to them. MR. WOODRUFF, of Brooklyn, now in Europe, while in Naples, induced the Scotch Presbyterian Church there to establish a Sabbath School for Neapolitan boys and girls. Now 60 are taught by eight young ladies and gentlemen of that congregation. The parents of the children cordially consent, though one mother has been refused absolution and the communion, because her child got a Bible. Besides the Anniversaries, some of our Ecclesiastical Bodies have held their annual meetings. Few things have interested us more than the spirit of union which has prevailed. The breach which occurred in 1837, between the two great branches of the Presbyterian family, MESSINA, SICILY.-In this city "60 well-to-do citizens have organized them-seems in a fair way of being healed.— selves into a sort of evangelical society, and loudly call for a minister." PALERMO, SICILY.-Here "is a church of eighty members without a pastor." ITALIAN PRIME MINISTERS.-"Cavour was snatched away in the middle of his work; Ricasoli has nearly, if not altogether, lost his sight; Ratazzi has made a discreditable marriage; and now Farini has become insane, and is supposed to be on the point of death. This year a formal correspondence was opened by the exchange of delegates; and the influence was most happy upon both branches of the Church. We read with the deepest interest the addresses of Dr. Tustin and of Prof. Smith; nor were we less delighted with the speech of the Rev. Mr. Ganse, delegate from the Ref. Dutch Church. God grant that these friendships may continue, and the bonds of union be drawn closer and closer, till all the branches of the Presbyterian family shall be one. A WORD TO OUR FRIENDS.-You have sustained us by your efforts well the past year; and, as we enter upon another, we ask your cooperation and prayers. We greatly need to enlarge our operations in Italy, as well as in Central and South America. We have three urgent appeals before us for Missionaries—one to Rio Janeiro, one to Callao, and one to Caracas, Venezuela. The appeal from the latter place is very urgent and pressing. We hope to be able to fill it as soon as a suitable man can be found. May we not then, dear brethren, ask you to remember us by your contributions? We ask not for ourselves, but for the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which we have a common interest. THE BIBLE.-I must confess to you that the majesty of the Scriptures astonishes me; the holiness of the evangelists speaks to my heart, and has such strong and striking characters of truth, and is, moreover, so perfectly inimitable, that if it had been the invention of men, the inventors would be greater than the greatest heroes.-Rosseau. BOOK NOTICES. We have two little volumes from the Board of Publication of the Presbyterian Church, the one entitled "STEPS OF THE LADDER,' the other "No WORK, NO WAGES." Both of these little volumes, the one 126 pages, the other 180, are intended specially for Sabbath Schools. Both are deeply interesting, and their influence cannot fail of being good. A great many volumes find their way into Sabbath-school libraries that are mere trashworse than useless. Both these volumes we have read carefully, and therefore speak advisedly concerning them; and we should rejoice to see them in every Sabbath-school library. "A MODEL SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON," by Ralph Wells. Published by J. C. Garrigues & Co., 148 South Fourth-st., Philadelphia.— At a Convention of Sabbath-school Teachers held at Schenectady, on the 9th of August, 1860, Mr. Wells gave them a specimen of his manner of teaching. He imagined a class before him, and called them up, one by one, telling the audience the name and character of each; and went through a lesson just as though the class were present. The Reporter made a verbatim report, the whole of which is contained in this little volume. If a teacher wants to learn how he may interest his class, let him enclose 5 cents to the publisher, and procure the volume, and read it. The great secret of the matter is, the man is interested in his work, and as a natural consequence he interests the scholars. Receipts ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN AND FOREIGN CHRISTIAN UNION, FROM THE 1ST OF MAY TO THE 1ST OF JUNE, 1863. Samuel J. Nicholls a L. M,,- 54 00 Cincinnati. Sab. Schl. of 5th Presb. Ch., Broadway Presb. Ch in part Messrs. Brown and De Wein $5 each; Mr. Stewart $3; Messrs. Biggs, Kemper and Spinning $1 each,. Messrs. Glover, Needham, Dix, Kalpes, Nash, Mrs. Pope, Marshall, Smith, Hughes, Robinson, Adams, Thompson, Sluder, Anderson, Warren & Hurlbut, $5 each,Louisville. Mrs. Dupont, -- Malona, Messrs. Escott, Graham, Mrs. MISSOURI. Messrs. Wolf & Hoppe 7 doz. Pocket Handkerchiefs Sewing Girls, -- ILLINOIS. 85 00 4.00 21 00 6 50 for Mendon. Miss M. L. Newcomb to constitute Miss Sarah J. Benton L.M. 2d Presb. Chu. in part Rob't Burnet, Esq., to constitute Mrs. R. Burnet a L. M. $50; S. J. Broadwell, Esq., bal. to constitute Mrs. Elizabeth H. Broadwell a L. M. $25; Jethro Mitchell $20; Mrs. Judge Burnet and Addy Hull & Co., $10 each; Messrs. Bush, Butler, Davis, Wilshire, Lehmer, Bradley, Morris $5 ea.; J. W. Donohue $2; Burns, Corneau $1 each,.. 1st Trin. Cong. Chu. in part, Rev. Dr. Aydelotte, H. Ap pleton, Esq., $10 ea.; Bodley, Houghton Patterson, Sibley, $5 each; O. F. Moore $3; Messrs. Gray, Newball, Snowden, Church $2 ea.; W. D. Mc Kenzie $1; Spencer 50 cents.. Central Presb. Ch. in part R. Carmichael, Esq., $20; in part L. M., Messrs. Chamberfain and Clark $5 each; W. Mossett $2; Mrs. Foster $1 25, 9th.st. Bapt. Chur. part M. H. Atkin $6 50; B. P. Baker & Co., R. A. Holden $5 each; Mr. Bunce $3; Messrs. Sage and DeCamp $1 each,... 3d Presb. Chu. in part, Messrs. Chamberlain, Tweed, Sechler $5 each; W. Richardson $3; R. Boyd $2; Louden, Fleckinger, Beeson, King, Cook, Mrs. Ross $1 ea. in part L. M. of Rev. W. McKaig,... Christ's Prot. Epis. Ch., J. W. Warren $15; Mr. Neave $5,... 16 00 154 00 52 50 33 25 21 50 26 00 20 00 Hutton,.. 1 60 Union Chapel in part, Mr. Sterrett,.. 2.06 Geneseo. Cong. Ch.,. Lockhaven. 66 66 Messrs. Bertram & Woodside Union Presb. Chur. in part, 2.00 Walnut-st. Chris. Ch. in part Mr. Martheus... 5 00 11 50 4 95 Glendale. Presb. Ch. in part R. W. Keys, 5 00 Liberty. Individuals,.. Connersville. O. S. Presb. Ch.,. 66 Lane Seminary P. Chur., vey $5 each; Mr. Sayre $3; F. How $1, 14.00 1,00 66 Brookville. Presb. Ch..... 60 College Corner. M. E. Ch.,... 12 14 6 50 Alexandria. Ger. Ref'd Ch.,. 3.00 4 10 Putnamville. Mrs. Rev. R. Hawley,... 3 00 Eaton. Presb. Ch. and 8. Schl. to constitute Wm. Curry L. M. in part,... 23.35 |