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process the body was scraped with strigiles (small curved instruments usually made of bronze). Being now dried with cloths, and slightly anointed all over with perfumed oils, he resumed his dress, and then passed a short time, successively, in the tepidarium and the frigidarium, or temperate and cold rooms, which softened the transition from the great heat of the caldarium into the open air. The artificial bath has been used from the most ancient times of which we have any record. It is mentioned in Homer, the vessel for bathing being described as of polished marble and the warm baths referred to as effeminate. Public baths were common in Greece during the historic period, and they were in use at Rome from early times; but during the Republic they continued small, dark, and inconvenient, and it was not until the time of the Empire that they reached their great size and splendor.

Russia, Religion of.- The Established Church of Russia, to which the great majority of the inhabitants belong, is identical in doctrine with, and is a branch of, the Greek Church. The liturgy used is the same as that originally used by the Church at Constantinople, but it is read, not in Greek, but in the Sclavonic tongue. Previous to the time of Alexander II., dissent in all its forms was not only discouraged but often rigorously repressed and it has only been during very late years that general toleration has been permitted. The Roman Catholic Church has been the object of especial severity in the past, particularly

during the reign of the Czar Nicholas. Under the laws of Alexander II., all Catholics and Protestants enjoy civil rights with members of the Established Church, and are equally admissible to the highest offices of the empire. Christianity was introduced into Russia in the ninth century.

Taj Mahal was built by the Shah Jihan of India as a mausoleum for the remains of his wife Nourmahal, and is situated at Agra. It is of white marble, 100 feet in diameter and 200 feet in height, built in the form of an irregular octagon, and rising from a marble terrace, under which is a second terrace of red sandstone. At the corners of the marble terrace are lofty minarets, and in the center of the main building rises a dome, flanked by cupolas of similar form. Every part, even the basement, the dome, and the upper galleries of the minarets, is inlaid with ornamental designs in marble of different colors, principally of pale brown and bluish violet. Here and there, also, the exterior and interior are decorated with mosaics of precious stones. The whole Koran is said to be written in mosaics of precious stones on the interior walls. In the construction of this magnificent building, which, as Bayard Taylor says, alone repays a visit to India, 20,000 men were employed twenty years. Although the labor cost nothing, over $20,000,000 were expended in its construction. The doors are of solid silver, and an enormous diamond was placed upon the tomb itself.

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The total number of teachers and scholars in the world, according to this report, was 22,508,661. The table does not include the schools of the Roman Catholic and Non-Evangelical Protestant churches. The number of scholars in Roman Catholic Sunday schools in the United States is estimated by clerics at 800,000.

RELIGIOUS STATISTICS.

NUMBERS IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CREED.

The following estimates, by M. Fournier de Flaix, are the latest that have been made by a competent authority.

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The distinction between followers and actual communicants should be observed.
ENGLISH-SPEAKING RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF THE WORLD.

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A very large number-more than 18,000,000-of Hindoos, Mohammedans, Buddhists, and others in the East also speak and read English.

The estimates in the last table are from Whitaker's (London) Almanack, 1895.

The Encyclopedia Britannica, last edition, makes a rough estimate of numbers of Protestants in the world speaking all civilized languages, and places the Lutherans at the head, with over 42,000,000 members (mostly in Germany and Scandinavia), and the Anglican Church second, with about 20,000,000 members.

* United States census of 1890.

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RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. Statistics of Churches and Communicants or Members, compiled originally from the census returns of 1890, by Dr. Henry K. Carroll, special agent, with subsequent revisions.

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Lutherans-Continued.
Synodical Conference.

Moravians...

United Norwegian.

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(Independent Synods.)

Joint Synod of Ohio, etc..

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German of Iowa.

661

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18,000

456.883
107,830 Presbyterians:

Presb. Ch. in the U. S. of A.
71,768 Cumberland Presbyterian..
52,903 Cumberland Pres. (Colored)
3,823 Welsh Calvinistic Meth....
14,310 United Presbyterian..
56,221 Pres. Ch. in the U.S.(South)
10,500 Asso. Ch. of No. America..
7,010 Asso. Ref. Syn. of the South.
5,500 Ref. Pres, in the U.S. (Syn.)|
5.300 Ref. Pres.in N.A.(Gen. Syn.)
6,500 Ref. Presb. (Covenanted).
2,750 Ref. Presb. in U. S. & Can.
500

All Presbyterian Bodies. 14,453 $107,770,945 1,428,731

'96

$681,250

12,535

7,103

74,455,200

876,520

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All Lutheran Bodies.....

9,283 $33,810,609 1,327,134

Reformed:

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*Or organizations. Swedenborgians. Mormons. § Seceding Mormons. (a) The Bruederhoef Mennonites also observe a communal life. They are reported in connection with other Mennonite branches. (b) Evangelical Association and United Evangelical Churches. (c) Church edifices.

For January, 1897, The Independent published statistics of churches in the United States from the latest obtainable returns. The aggregate number of communicants of the principal denominations were then as follows: Roman Catholics, 8.271,309; Methodist bodies, 5,653.289; Baptist bodies, 4,153,857; Presbyterian bodies, 1,460,345, Lutheran bodies, 1,420,905; Disciples of Christ, 1,003,672; Protestant Episcopalians, 636,773; Congregationalists, 622,557; Reformed bodies, 348,471; United Brethren, 271,035; Mormons, 234,000.

of Ephah, 2 gals. 4 pts., 3 ins. sol. The Hin

Scriptural Measures of Capacity.The measures of capacity referred to in the 1-6 of Ephah, 1 gal., 2 pts., 1 in. sol. The Scriptures, with their English equivalents, are Omer-1-10 of Ephah, 5 pts., 0.5 in. sol. as follows: The Chomer or Homer in King The Cab-1-18 of Ephah, 3 pts., 10 ins. sol. James's translation was 75,625 gals. liquid, The Log-7 1-72 of Ephah, pt., 10 ins. and 32,125 pecks dry. The Ephah or Bath | sol. The Metretes of Syria (John ii, 6)was 7 gals. 4 pts., 15 ins. sol. The Seah 1-3 Cong. Rom. 7 pts. The Cotyla Eastern-1

100 of Ephah, pt., 3 ins. sol. This Cotyla Bayeux as a token of her appreciation of the contains just 10 ozs. avoirdupois of rain water; effective assistance which its bishop, Odo, Omer, 100; Ephah, 1,000; Chomer or Homer, rendered her husband at the battle of Hast10,000. ings. Some antiquarians contend that it was Scriptural Measures of Length.- not the work of Queen Matilda (the wife of The measures of length used in the Scriptures, the Conqueror), who died in 1083, but of the with their English equivalents, are as follows: Empress Matilda (the daughter of Henry I.), The great Cubit was 21.888 ins.-1.824 ft., who died in 1167. The tapestry contains, beand the less 18 ins. A span, the longer a side the figures of 505 quadrupeds, birds, cubit 10.944 ins.-.912 ft. A span, the less sphinxes, etc., the figures of 623 men, 202 1-3 of a cubit=7.296 ins..608 ft. A horses, 55 dogs, 37 buildings, 41 ships and hand's breadth=1-6 of a cubit=3.684 ins. boats, and 49 trees in all, 1,512 figures. It .304 ft. A finger's breadth=1-24 of a cubit is divided into 72 distinct compartments, each =.912 ins.=.076 ft. A fathom=4 cubits representing one particular historical occur7.296 ft. Ezekiel's Reed=6 cubits=10.944 feet. The mile=4,000 cubits=7,296 ft. The Stadium, 1-10 of their mile=400 cubits 729.6 ft. The Parasang, 3 of their miles 12,000 cubits, or 4 English miles and 580 ft. 33.164 miles was a day's journey. - some say 24 miles; and 3,500 ft. a Sabbath day's journey; some authorities say 3,648 ft.

rence, and bearing an explanatory Latin inscription. A tree is usually chosen to divide the principal events from each other. This pictorial history for so it may be calledgives an exact and minute portraiture of the manners and customs of the times; and it has been remarked that the arms and habits of the Normans are identical with those of the Danes as they appear in the earlier formative periods of the English people.

Theosophy.- The name " theosophy" is from the Greek word theosophia, divine wisdom. The object of theosophical study is professedly Amen is a Hebrew word signifying "Yes," to understand the nature of divine things. It Truly." In Jewish synagogues the amen differs from both philosophy and theology in is pronounced by the congregation at the conthat all reasoning processes are excluded as im- clusion of the benediction. Among the early perfect, and claims to derive its knowledge from Christians the prayer offered by the presbyter direct communication with God. It does not was concluded by the word amen, uttered by accept the truths of recorded revelation as im- the congregation. Justin Martyr is the earliest mutable, but as subject to modification by later of the fathers who alludes to the use of the redirect and personal revelations. It is really sponse. According to Tertullian, none but the but another name for mysticism, although the faithful were permitted to join in the response. latter name implies much more; and the direct A somewhat noisy and irreverent practice preand immediate knowledge or intuition of God vailed in the celebration of the Lord's Supper to which the Mystics laid claim was, in fact, until the sixth century, after which it was disthe foundation of that intimate union with continued. " Upon the reception both of the God, and consequent abstraction from outer bread and of the wine, each person uttered a things, which they make the basis of their loud amen,' and at the close of the consemoral and ascetical system. The theosophic cration by the priest, all joined in shouting system dates from a very high antiquity. Since a loud amen.' The same custom was obthe Christian era we may class among theoso- served at baptism, when the sponsors and witphists such sects as Neoplatonists, the Hesy-nesses responded vehemently. In the Greek chasts of the Greek Church, and in later times the disciples of Paracelsus, Thalhauser, Böhme, and Swedenborg.

'Bayeux Tapestry, The, is a web of canvas or linen cloth upon which is embroidered, in woolen threads of various colors, a representation of the invasion and conquest of England by the Normans. The canvas is 214 feet long by 20 inches broad, and is preserved in the public library at Bayeux. Tradition asserts that it is the work of Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, and it is believed that if she did not actually stitch the whole of it with her own hands, she at least took part in it, and directed the execution of it by her maids, and afterwards presented it to the Cathedral of

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Church the amen was pronounced after the name of each person of the Trinity; and at the close of the baptismal formula the people responded. At the conclusion of prayer it signifies (according to the English Church Catechism) so be it; after the repetition of the creed, so it is.

Shintuism is the prevailing religion of Japan. Its characteristics are the absence of an ethical and doctrinal code, of idol worship, of priestcraft, and of any teachings concerning a future state. It requires pre-eminently purity of heart and general temperance. The principal divinity is the sun-goddess Amaterasu, whose descendant and vice-regent on earth is the Mikado, who is therefore wor

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