Newspaper Page Text
quisition. When its walls no longer <
echoing the mirth of Bachanalian revelry
shall resound with the praises nfthe living
God. When the blessings of Education
shall he within the reach of the hundreds
and thousands who are now enveloped in j
the darkityss of ignorance. When all of
our citizens may qualify themselves for ;
the discharge of all their duties as the free
men of a free government. When crime
shall be comparatively unknown, and or
der, morality, and obedience to the laws
shall universally prevail, our work will
have been done. Our country no longer
enslaved to immorality and vice, will
stand erect in the glorious beauty of her
emancipation. Superior to the control of
bur own passions she shall have removed
every obstacle in the way of her prosper- :
ity. The mind unfettered in its action ex- ■
ccpt by the most wholesome restraints
will bring to light the bidden and unde
veloped blessings of a higher civilization
and a purer refinement. Our march will
then be onward, ever onward to the high
destiny for which our inslitulious where
projected.
JUNIUS A. WINGFIELD.
L. I). L \LLERSTEDT.
L. L. WITTICH.
P. 11. MULL.
W. FLINT.
“ltcsolcrl, That the Temperance Dnnnernml
Augusta Washingtonian hr requested to pub
lish the proceedings of this Convention, togeth
er with tlie Address hereafter to be made, and
that we also extend tins invitation to the differ
ent Miscellaneous, Religious, Agricultural and
Political papers in the State.”
For the Christian hulcx.
To the Ministry. No. t.
Reverend Brethren, —To aid the effect
of your ministry it is necessary that von
shall he especially careful in relation to
your general demeanor.
Maintain, sedulously, in all your inter
course with society, the serene and digni
fied gravity winch becomes ministers, with
the lofty and polished bearing of gentlemen.
Destroy not the impressions you have made
by your labors in the pulpit, by lightness
in your manner, and vain and frivolous con
version. I need not say r to you that this is
often done. Have we not all frequently
seen and lamented such results? llovv
true, in its application to the clergy, is the
remark of the Mantuan hard:
“ Facilis descensus averni.”
With the Churches, in all your associa
tions, he the warm advocates of higher
achievements in knowledge, spirituality,
and usefulness. The standard of both
Christian and ministerial attainment among 1
us is far too low. We have been too long
satisfied that it should so remain. But we
cannot, wo must not, longer close our eyes
to the injurious consequences. They are
painfully felt in the decline of truth, in the
tendency to schisms of various characters;
in the want, among both ministers and peo
ple, of warm brotherly affection, and in our
consequent general inefficiency. Upon
you, my brethren, fur all this, devolves
most of the responsibility. “ I,ike priests,
like people,” is the prophet’s declaration,
true in all ages. Seek, I entreat you, kind
ly, offer tionately, prudently, but (irmly and
perseveringly, seek the desired salutary im
provement. Promote, not eaptiousness,
self importance, and litigation, which lead
inevitably to alienation and disunion, but, !
by every means in your power, promote
among the churches, fervent piety', humili
ty Christian courtesy, unbending orthodoxy, !
firm union, and cordial co-operation, in the j
great work of salvation.
In your intercourse with your brethren
in the ministry, be to all classes missionary
and anti-missionary, Calvanisiic and anti-
Calvanistic, make no distinction whatever,
particularly kind, affectionate, and concilia
tory. This course is more especially ne
cessary towauls those who are in the hum
Met walks of official life. There, as well
as elsewhere, you find many noble spirits,
whose society and conversation will eheei,
lefresh and invigorate the soul. You feel,
that they are, indeed, brothers, in the high- ’
est sense. Hut you have been fortunate if
you have not found a few of entirely differ-1
cut character. There aie ambitious and
litigious men, ignorant in fact, but wise in j
their own conceits, whose talents are cir-!
cmnsoribed, of bitter spirits, and repulsive i
manners, who are the self'Constituted judges i
of the orthodoxy of all their brethren, and j
who, apparently insensible of the ctiininal
tty of schism, are perpetually ready, upon
every supposed provocation, and for every
seeming variety of opinion, to rend the body
of Christ. They are ever fomenting diffi
culty, and seeking to lead off'parties. Os
these brethren we are admonished in the
inspired exhortation to “bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ “
The conduct to bo pursued in relation to
them is of easy determination. Act to
wards them, always, with the utmost kind-;
ness, and ingenious dufference. Gratify
them in whatever is indifferent to the pros- i
peril}’ of the cause; exercise with reference j
to their perverseness, as your master does, !
“ all longstifferingand honor them, and
advance their interest, whenever, in consis- j
teney with truth and righteousness, you i
may find it in your power. Thus you will j
never bo overcome by evil, but you will
overcome evil with good—you will burn
up in the flame of Christian love, every op
position, or render its effects nugatory, and ;
triumphantly gain every purpose of your
ministry.
A collateral topic here suggests itself; it
i is of great moment; and you will allow ine j
to press its consideration upon your atten-1
tion. You are constantly being called upon
to ordain candidates for the ministry. Re
member, 1 pray you, how deeply, and how
| long, our Churches have suffered, and the
■ cause of truth been wounded and dishonor
ed, by the incompetency, anti want of fidel
ity, of the clergy who have been, thought
lessly thrust into the pulpit. Never, 1 be
seech you, beloved brethren, never join in
the ordination of any man, under whatever
circumstances, of whose call, qualifications,
or fitness for the office, you have serious
doubts. “ Lay hands suddenly on no man”
—“ Not a novice, lest, being lifted up with
i pride, he fall into the condemnation of the
j devil.” Yonr responsibility, beloved breth
ren, in this mallei is most fearful. A man
who will not devote himself to the work—
a useless drone ; of incompatible spirit;
who will care more for the world than for
| the flock; doubtful in morals, or in ortho
jdoxy; an ignorant pedant; self-confident,
J proud, pendent, assuming—
j “ From such Apostles, 0 ye men of God,
| Preserve the Church ! Anti lav not care
less hands
On sluills that cannot leach, and will not
learn.”
With sinners, and with inquirers, let
your intercourse be such as always to im
press the Inrmcr with the excellency of re
ligion, and to encourage the latter in the
way of holiness and everlasting life. “A
statue upon the housetop must be larger
than life, or it will appear to he much small
er.” So a minister must he much more
circumspect than other men, or he will ap
pear to bo greatly less so. Like t ’msar’s
wife, he must be above suspicion. Fail
not in the matter I now submit to your con
sideration, as you hope to be able effectu
ally
“To teach the ignorant soul, to cheer the
sad;
To give the feeble strength, the hopeless
hope,
To help the halting, and to lead the blind;
To warn the careless, heal the sick of heart,
Arouse the indolent, and on the proud
And obstinate offender to denounce
The wrath of God,”
in relation to the pastorship, I will bare
ly say that I lament most deeply that, in
our day, its tenure has become so frail.—
From the frequent removal of minisleis the
cause has suffered unspeakably. This re
lation is, perhaps, too frequently formed
with precipitancy, and without mutual cor
diality ; and Churches and ministers have
not learned to hoar patiently, if they cannot
remedy the imperfections of each other.
The pastoral union should not he severed
for “light and transient causes.” ,Still I ant
constrained to admonish you not to contin
ue longer in any one place than you find*-
youi labors manifestly productive of advan
tage. Hut while the association shall con
tinue, in the discharge of all its duties he
scrupulously exact, and prompt. Receive
members with great carefulness. Maintain
a strict, salutary, and scriptural discipline.
He faithful in the pulpit and out of it. Dis
couragements olicn, doubtless, oppress von.
Toils and trials meet you every where.
\Y hat you had loudly dreamed were roses
you often find a cluster of thorns. Still
Impe beams brightly over all. Ho like your
Master, l.et it ever be said of you—
j watched, and wept, and prayed, and
felt for all;
| And as a bird each lorn! endearment tries,
lo tempt its new Hedged offspring to the
skies,
lie tried each art, reproved each dull delay,
Allured tobrightcr worlds,and led the way.”
“ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ he
with your spirit.” Sen ex.
For the Christian Index.
The Two Ways.
The subject, of which we have made
| choice, involves doctrines of as much im
portance to the human family, as any, per
j haps, that we could lay before the world,
i Hut, as our craft is light, and our privileges
prescribed, we beg that our readers will
pardon us, if we pass not the buoys nor
| venture out of sight of the main land.
I he infallible word ol God, brings to our
| view two ways, in one or the other of
which, all the human family are represent
ed to be travelling, while in a state of pro
bation. One is represented to be a broad
way and very easy of access; “For wide
is the gate and broad is the way, that lead
cth lo destruction, and many there be which
goin thereat.” Matt, vii—l3. The other
is represented to be a very narrow wav,
and consequently very difficult of ace ss ;
, “ Because straight is the gate and narrow
is the way which leadeth unto life, and few
I there he that find it.” Matt, vii—l 4.
The broad way here spoken of, we bc
: lieve, we may affirm without the fear of
j contradiction, to be the sinful way in which
man is inclined to journey through this
World; or an ungovernable propensity in
j him, to violate the revealed and known will
!of the A mighty God, and to arrogate to
himself an ostensible knowledge, surpass
ing the knowledge of the Deity himself.—
For, “ There is a way which scemeth right
unto a man, hut the end thereof are the ways
of death.” l’rov. xiv.—l 2. We presume
it will not be denied, that the way of trans
gression “ Summed right unto the first man,
Adam,” when he partook “of the fruit of
j the tree” of which God had said,
j shall not eat of it; for in the day that thou eat
est thereof, thou shalt surely die.” ;He
seemed to us at least, either to have lost all
respect for the truth of the word of God,
in relation to the injunction which lie had
laid upon him, and to the death with which
he had threatened him, or to have regarded
that injunction as undeserving of his obe
dience ; and that death as something not
worthy to he feared, or to have considered
only, “ That the tree was good for food;!
and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a
tree to be desired to make one wise ;” and,
therefore partook of it. One thing we do I
know, and no person who professes to be-’
lieve the Bible, we think, will deny it; that
he did in the defiance of God’s pleasure or
displeasure, do the thing which God com
manded him not to do ; and did, thereby,
subject himself and his posterity after him,
to a curse that he nor they could never re
move. By his act of disobedience, he be
came unclean in the sight of God; and
“ Who can bring a clean thing out of an
unclean? notone.” And moreover,“ God
looked upon the earth, and behold,
it was corrupt : lor all flesh had cor-,
rupted his way upon the earth.” GeiT.
vi.—l 2. “Cor/ saw that the tvickciltiess
of man was great in the earth, and that ev
eiy imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was oniy evil continually. And it repent- ■
ed the Lord that he had made man on the
earth.” Gen. vi.—s, 6.
“ The fool hath said in his heart, there 1
is no God. They are corrupt, they have!
done abominable works ; there is none that j
doelh good. The Lord looked down from
heaven upon the children of men, to see if
there were any that did understand, and !
seek God. They are all gone aside; they ‘
are altogether become filthy : there is none
that doeth good, no, not one.” “The 1
thoughts of foolishness is sin And
“ the ways of sin is death For to he
carnally minded is death : And, whatoth-j
cr thoughts occupy the breast of fallen man,
but foolishness ? The world, with the
lusts and vanities thereof—the wealth—the
honors—the preferments—the fading beau
ties and passing vanities—seems to he the
chief end and aim of a vast majority of the
human family, even at the present enlight
ened age of the world. Is not this foolish
ness ? Does the acquirement of these
things give the soul any contentment or
solid pleasure ? The candid will say, No.
But if any say yea : let them contemplate
for a moment, the fate of the “ rirli man,”
that is brought to our view in the twelfth
chapter of Luke, which, we think, is suffi
cient to convince every rational mind, of the
folly of worshipping the god of this world
in every way and manner. You recollect
“ The ground ol a certain rich man brought
forth plentifully. Ami he thought 1
himself, sav‘lng~Whn( Vnnlf"l do, because ‘
1 have no room where to bestow my fruits ?
And he said this will I do ; I will pull
down my barns, and build greater; and
then will I bestow all my fruits and my I
goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, j
thou hast much goods laid up for many
years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry. Hut God said unto him, thou fool,
this night thy soul shall be required of
tliec: then whose shall those things be
which thou hast provided ?
Unbelief is also included in the compo
sition of this broad way, and is one of its
most prominent features. “Ye will not
come unto me,” saitli the Lord, “ that vc
might have life.” And why not? “Tho’
he (Christ,) had done so many miracles be
fore them, yet they believed not on him.
lie came unto his own and his own te
ceived hint not.” And üby not? “Be
cause they believed not on ine,” sniih the
Lord. “ Becauee, they believed not in
God and trusted not in his salvation:—
Though lie had commanded the clouds
from above, and opened the doors of beat
en, and had rained down manna upon them
to eat, and had given them the corn of
heaven ” And blessed and comforted them
in many and various ways ; yet, “ For all
this they sinned still, and believed not for
his wondrous works.”
Hut we have exceeded our limits, and will
close our remarks on this part of the sub
juet, by referring our readers to the “ (e-
Icslial Rail Road,” (see No. 45 and 40 of
the Christian Index,) for a better descrip
tion of the way, that leads to the internal
regions of eternal death, than we, or most
writers, have the capacity to give.
We will now turn our attention for a
few moments to the “ Narrow Way ;” to
the way that leads to eternal life ; “Because
strait it the gale, and narrow is the way
that leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it.”
If I was born possessed of any genius,
l am induced to believe it was a mathemat
ical or mechanical one. For. things per
taining to those sciences, have, Irom the
earliest moment of my recollection, made
a more forcible impression on my mind,
than any other things in life. Consequent
ly, the strait gate and narrow way, brought
to view in the foregoing text of Scripture,
has often occupied my meditations, before I
1 was fairly able lo define the most simple
woid in the English language. And never
having observed the word strait, to be ap
plied in any other sense, than, in opposition
to something crooked, 1 have been often
greatly perplexed to know what the speak- j
cr meant by a strait gate. And, for fear
RANDOLPH COUNTY, Ga, December sth, 1843.
Dear Brother Baker: —After some delay, occasioned by a crowd of business, I now proceed to comply with my promise. The
Bethel Baptist Association was held at Lumpkin, Stewart county, Ga. on the 3d, 4th, sth and 6th Nov., and 1 am happy to say that,
notwithstanding a difference of sentiment on some important matters, all our business was transacted in Christian forbearance
brotherly love. By a statement below, you will find that the accessions to the churches by baptism, falls very short of what it
was last year, and with a few exceptions the churches complained of barrenness. May the Lord enable us to live more devoted
; and to enjoy more of his presence during the ensuing year. Appended you will find a list of the names of the Ordained Ministers
1 and Licentiates to the Bethel Association, with the names of the churches where their membership is and their post-offiie address,
| and also the report of the Association’s Committee on the death of Ministers, which you will please to publish by request of the
I Association. We have heretofore said a good deal about a Hook Depository and other arrangements for the promotion of Mission
ry operations, but from the extreme pressure of money matters in our country, we have accomplished but tilde. We are still ma
king the best management we can devise, and with hope, are looking for the time when, as a religious body, we shall be able to
j carry out our plans more efficiently for the promotion of the Redeemer’s Kingdom. May the Lord give us success, and may He
! crown your labors with abundant usefulness, is the prayer of Your unworthy brother in Christ,
STEPHEN ROWE, Clerk of the Bethel Association.
REP CRT of the Committee on the Death of Ministers in the Bethel Association fur the last year.
Since our last Association, Death hath committed its ravages amongst the Ministers within our hounds. Bro. James W. Wood
wan! has been called away, “like a stioek of corn fully ripe,” from a good old age, ripened and refined by the labors of the Sanc
uary, and a long life of holy living, from the scene of his trials and his toils, to bis eternal reward. To incite us onward to works
!_>f righteousness, lie has left behind him the remembrance ol his virtues and the brightness of Ins example. Brother Key the younger
] md, while yet a youth, solemnly dedicated himself to God, and had engaged with fervor and with hope in the arduous work of the
! Christian Ministry; when travelling with his father, in dispensing the everlasting Gospel to the destitute and the dying, sustaining
! and aiding him in his labors of love, adventuring as the willing emissary of light, amid the dangers of a sultry and sickly climate,
vhere disease was shedding its blighting influence around, he has been suddenly called away, in the midst of his labors, “to a
j louse not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Whilst his revered and lamented father, our brother and Missionary, the
Rev. George W. Key, battling with trials and difficulties in a most arduous missionary field, lahoring in the service of your body
! and his Divine Master, in visiting the destitute and neglected regions of our land, and in diffusing “the glad tidings of peace” to
me poor, the destitute, the neglected and the misguided of our race, is suddenly cut down in the mid<t of the conffi.-t. with his ar
mor fully on him, and summoned away, by the kind and applauding invitations of bis Heavenly Father, to the saint’s everlasting
mst. if rich expressions of grateful remembrance arising from regions and from hearts that have been enlightened by his prayers
his efforts, can be received as indications of the faithfulness and worth of our deceased missionary, we have them in abun
dance, in regrets and Immolations, arising from the scenes where his labors were done.
The Executive Committee of your bodyTVhen they called our brother to this great work, saw, or thought tliev saw in him, evi
dences of a deep-toned piety, n singleness of purpose, a devotion to the cause of Christ, mol love fur the souls of men, which
would induce him to submit to any sacrifice of suffering or of toil, that the Kingdom of the Redeemer might be advanced, ahiT fTiaT
j the Kingdom of Darkness might suffer loss. In this estimate of our broth r’s merits die Committee were not disappointed. If
i his field of effort and of usefulness was neither so trying nor so arduous as that of a B iardman nr a Brainard, it may justly be said,
that in it, with a Boardinan and Brainard he suffered a martyr’s death, and that with them he wears a martyr’s crown. Your Com
j mittee would recommend the adoption of the following resolutions:
Resolved by (his Association, that in the loss of our beloved brethren Woodward and the younger Key, we have afforded us, on
ilje one hand, such an example ot a long life well spent, and on the olh r, of a short life well prepared and begun, as is calculated
: ta cheer the aged saint to hold out to the end, and to incite the youthful to the walks of piety and truth.
Resolved, 2dly, That in the death of our late brother Geo. W. Key. the untiring, intrepid and devoted Missionary of the Cross,
tljis body has sustained a loss, in this trying dispensation, which it will be indeed difficult to repair. But whilst his decease is our
kks, we are cheered by the reflection, that to him it is eternal gain.
Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and resolutions be lorwarded by the Clerk of this Association to the familcs of the dc
’ ccpsed, and to the Editor of the Christian Index.
Lewis Everinoiiam, Secretary. JAMES CLARK, Chairman.
TABLE OF MINISTERS, &C. IN THE BETHEL ASSOCIATION.
Otdained Ministers. ( hurehts and Counties. P. (). Ad tress. < The names oJ~Uhurchet having a I'rmASoCy.
i or S. School, nr both within their bounds.
Jonathan Davis, - - Palmyra, Lee. - - - Palmyra. - - j Temperance Societies are n presented by T.
James S. Lunsford, - Friendship, Sumter. - - Friendship. - ! S. ai l Sabbath Sjhools In/ S. S.
James Matthews, - - Benevolence, Randolph. - - Lumpkin. - - j ! ,
John Rushing, - - - Richland, Stewart. - - - Lumpkin. - - Abbeville, Henrv. Ala. T. S. Si S. S.
Jefac M. Davis, - - Hebron, Lee. - - - Palmyra. - - Albany, Baker, f. S. &S. S.
j Lewis Everinghain, - Macedonia, Early. - Blakely. - - A morions, Sumter T. S.
William W. Maund, - Starksville, Lee. ... Stnrksvdie. - BethMiein. Stewart. T. S.
Ilermon Mercer, - - Pine Bluff, Baker. - - - Albany. - - Columbia, Henry, Ala. T. S. Si S. S.
Wjlliam Henderson, - Albany. Baker. ... Albany. - - Fellowship, Lumpkin, Stewart, S. S.
’ Tl/omas Muse, - - Benevolence, Randolph. - - Cuthbert. - - Friendship, Sumter, T. S.
William H. Burton, - Mt. Zion, Randolph. - • Cuthbert. - - Macedonia. Blakeley. Early, !’. S. &S. S.
Bitch M. Roberts, -i Lebanon, Baker. - - - Albany. - -i Vii. Gilead. R iunolpli, T. S.
J.TL B. Shackelford, Albany, Baker. - - - Albany. -- j Ylt. Zion. Cuthbert, Randolph, T. S. Si S. S.
David Cox, - - - Sardis, Stewart. - - - Florence. - - j Palmyra, Lee, T. SSiS. S.
Liitt YY'arren, - - - Americas, Sumter. - - - IPalinyra. - - iPleasant Plains, Sumter. T. S.
R. Y. Lol'tin, - - - Natehaway, Baker. - - - jCnncnrd. - - Richland. Stewart. T. S.
Rapsoin YVatner, - - Columbia, Henry, Ala. - - (Columbia. - - Shiloh, Stewart, T. S.
jEdpiund Talbott, - - do. do. j do. Sardis. Stewart, T. S. Si S. S.
uolin Windsor, - - Bethlehem, Stewart. - - Lanahassee. - Starksville, Lee, T. S.
Holm R. Jones, - - Mt. Ararat, Stewart. • - Chenubba.
j Stephen Rowe, - - Mt. Gilead, Randolph. - - Ft. Gaines.
11. A. YVilnx.. .-j First Bap. Church, Providence, R. I. Cuthbert. - -
v— has 40 Churches.
Theophijus Pierce, - Shiloh, Randolph. - - - fc'oilon Hill. - 6 Licentiates; Baptized last Vcar, 272.
Ktcliard J nornton, - Mt. Gilead, Kaiulolph. - - Ft. Gaines. - Contributions sent up ’ $2lB 73
Edmund Cody, - - Macedonia, Early. - - - Blakeley. - - Collection on Sabbath. ‘BS 45
John YY. Jackson, - Ebenezer, Sumter. - Pond Town, - ‘
J. U. Fletcher -- - Bottsford, Sumter. - - - Plains ol Dura. Whole amount, s:t()4 |8
’Having recently removed.
that some of my young readers may be
perplexed in the same manner that 1 have
been, 1 will here undertake to offer an ex
planation of the word strait, us applied to
the gate ; and also offer a few thoughts, on
the idea the speaker intended to convey, by
making use of it in reference to himself,
uho is the strait gate. The Greek word,
front which the word under consideration
is translated, is stenc; and means some
thing very narrow, a way not broad, a way
difficult to pass, a way, through which if
one would pass, lie must strive, he must
put forth all bis energy ; strait, difficult,
and instead of being put in opposition to
something ciooked, it is used in opposition
to something broad, it is opposed lo citrus,
another Greek word, meaning something
broad; wide ; far-extended ; spacious ; am
ple. The opposite of the latter in all its
bearings, is the meaning of the former;
therefore, we have brought to our view the
broad and narrow ways. Our humble o
pinion is, that the idea the speaker intend
ed to convey by calling himself a strait
gate and a narrow way, was in allusion to
the pride and corruption of the human heart.
lie himsell is that strait gate and that
narrow way, and if we would have eternal
life, we must deny ourselves, and embrace
him; and when called upon for justification
ftom our sins and transgressions, instead of
calling up any good deed that we have done,
to justify us in the presence of a Holy and
Almighty God, we must present him as our
propitiator, and must claim life alone, on
the satisfaction that he has rendered to law
and to justice. Now. every person that
has any knowledge of the pride and arro
gance ol the human heart, will very readi
ly perceive how difficult it is to do this,
and how hard it is to give the glory to an
other ; which, you know, human nature is
always fond to arrogate to itself. It is tru
ly a strait gate, a narrow gate, a strait way,
a narrow way.
But, savs one, does not he who is the
gate, and who is the way, say “ Take my
yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy, and
my burden is light?” And, do we not
hear it said, “Christ’s commands are not
grievous ?” And again, do we not heat it
said, in reference to wisdom which is the
fear of God, that “ Her ways are ways of
pleasantness, and all her paths are peace f”
Truly, my dear reader, we do; but these
asseriions are applicable only, to the indi-1
vidual who lias been awaken-d to a knnwl- j
edge of his lost condition, and is willing I t j
receive life as a favor, not as a claim, from j
Jehovah. YY 7 1 1 at the world calls wisdom,
is foolishness with God. True wisdom
is to believe in God, and in Jesus Christ,
whom he hath sent.
YVe hear it said, “ Blessed are the poor
in spirit: Blessed are the meek: Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: Blessed arc the meiciful:
Blessed are the poor in heart: Blessed are
the peace makeis : Blessed are they which
are persecuted for righteousness sake;
Blessed are ye when men revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner
of evil against you falsely, for my
s ike.” But, does die unregenerate heart
say blessed are such characters?—No;
it looks upon such, as the despised of
the world and as the cast off’ of the
earth.” And aie they .not despised by
the world, and are not their names cast nut
as nought ? Yea, 1 will ask you a more
serious question ; does not the religious part
of the community, at the present day, re
gard the poor in spirit, the meek, the groan
ing, repenting soul; the succorer of the
persecuted; the person that would forsake
human customs and inventions, that would
forsake the long followed habits of daddy,
in religious malteis, 1 mean, and follow the
instruction to the letter, of a crucified Re
deemer; the person that would take the
scriptures of truth for his only guide; the
person that is reviled and persecuted, even
for the sake of Christ; I say do not they
look upon such invividuals with a suspi
cious eye, and do th y not shun sucli as
unworthy of their confidence ? Methinks
I hear you groan in the spirit, and say, these
things are too true. But as strait as is the
gate, and as narrow as is the way, we must
remind you of the admonition of the Lord,
“ Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for
many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able.” And to those who
have already entered in at the strait gate, I
would say, in the conclusion, “ As you
have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, with him And “ Rejoice
and be exceeding glad; for great is your
reward in heaven.” KIDIION.
Thomson, 15th, 1843.
Important Questions.
An inspired apostle has told us of “ un
i learned questions,” meaning, we suppose,
I questions that ar- not inte ligenlly stated:
and these as well as “foolish questions,” he
says •• gender >t ifes”—ai don this point,
apostolic teaching is strikingly in accor
dance with human experience. llow of
ten do men “ strive about words to no prof
it ! ’ How often do :hey misapprehend and
so unintentionally misrepresent each other.
And yet for sober and rational discussion,
we have apostolic example. In a council
ol apostles at Jerusalem, there was “much
disputing.” There was a variety of opin
ions, and much interchange of them—vet
we suppose the discussion was all sober,
kind, and rational, and hnppv in its influence
YVe have often thought that more dis
cussions of the doctrines of the Gospel a
inong religious editors, if properly conduct
ed, might l>e healthful and salutary, both to
themselves and to their readers.
YVe are therefore glad to see a move
ment of this kind by our brother YVm. H.
Hughart, editor of the Western Baptist,
the new paper recently commenced in the
western part of Virginia. He has put forth
ten questions, all having for their object the
development ol the nature of the Christian
church. These questions lie proposes “for
i lie discussion ol all the editors with whom
lu: exchanges.” The tenth question is as
follows :
“ Are I’edobaptists in the church or out
of it?”
In order properly to approach this ques
tion, several preliminary questions, should
first be discussed.
1. YY hat are the specific and distinguish>-
ing traits of character by which all tree
C hristians differ from the rest of mankind?
2. Are there any Pedobaptists who ex
hibits those traits of character by which
true Christians are distinguished?
3. YY hat is the meaning of the- word
church, in the New Testament?
■l. Are there any true Christians on eartli
who yet do not belong to that ehnrch to
which Christ is head over all things—ami
which he has purchased by his blood ?
I here is still another question which it
might be well for us as Baptist editors, to
keep in view while discussing these mat
ters. It is this—ls it quite certain that all
Baptists belong to the true church of
Christ ?
We shall endeavoi to watch for any dis
cussion of these matters which may appear
either in the “ Western Baptist” or any
other of our exchanges. Or if any of our
correspondents choose to write on any of
these questions, we shall be happy to re
ceive their contributions.— Zion's Adv.