Newspaper Page Text
anil Mount Zion : Rev. Wm. A. Colloway j
—Greenville and Antioch : Rev. J. W. :
Cooper—Mountain Creek and Bethany:
Ilev. James Fuller—Shady Grove anjl |
Beach Spring: Rev. G. Leverilt—•Counti-•
. line; Rev. James Whitten—Union and <
Vernon: Rev. B. Holmes—Providence. I
Holly Spring, and Union : Rev. J. E. ‘
Dawson—Hebron and Shiloh : Rev. O.
Smith—Long Cane and Concord : brother j
Milton E. Bacon—*-Lagrange: Rev. John;
Gilmer Fry—Franklin and Hamah: Rev.
Jesse Moon—Antioch, Troup, and New
Hope: Rev. Humphrey Posey—Enon ant)
Ebenezer : Rev. G. B. Davis—Neriah and
White Oak Grove: Rev. Robert Fleming
—Newnan and Pioeidenee : brother J. V:
Davis—Bethel: Rev. S. 11. Rees—Elim:
Rev. M. Bennet—Lebanon and Central
Halchey : bro. A. Mathews—Friendship.
The Committee would recommend to j
the Sabbath School Convention, the ailop- j
lion of the above plan ; and through them j
they request and urge on the Ministeis,
Deacons, and Churches, to commence their
operations on the first Sabbath in March,
1815. It is earnestly advised, that all shall
heartily and cheerfully aid in getting up,
and firmly establishing, said Schools, so as
to suit the convenience of the respective
Ministers and congregations—and so that,
during said month, there may he Classes
and Schools permanently organized iu the
hounds of all our Churches, according to
their respective fields of labor: and it is re-!
quested that leaders and superintendents of!
the several Schools so established, shall ro- j
port quarterly to the Ministers the state and
condition of the several Schools under their I
charge, that every Minister may give an
account of the progress of said School at
the subsequent meeting of this Convention.
It i< further recommended that each School
sen I up delegates to such annual meeting
of the Sabbath School Convention, as may
he further appointed and directed by yout
body ; and it is further recommended that
the Convention adopt, for the government j
outlie body, the same rules of decorum as
are in force in the Western Association.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
JOHN WHITE, President.
A. HEMPHILL, Clerk.
Jaimks Davis, Chairman of Com.
For the Christian Index.
Church Discipline.
Urn. Editor :—l discover in the Index
of the 15th ol Nov. last, my remarks in
opposition lo the answets given by hro.
Mcridilli, to two queries, and your stric
tures. I admit my mis-quotatioti of the
proper No. of the Index, lull 1 don’t know I
that my errors, will lay a foumlatioii sufli- j
cent to build upon, or to release you ; as ;
you are the endorser ofbto. Mcridilli : and
if vou had suffered as much by endorsing
as 1 have, you would he compelled to ad
mit, that an endorser is liable in the first in
stance, —especially unless it is ollierwi.se
ex crossed, m the endorsement. But to the
p nut; lam glad to see vve agree so far as
iception, dismission, mi l restoration, are
concerned; and that you have never known
my other practice to prevail. The.i there
is hut one point of difference ; add that is,
whether a majority can enforce submission
liLVMI a mmovly wm\ ItAVtmrtrtp
ol an offending member. 1 said, iu my
•pusioripi, “no case can occur, where fi-l
----l • w hip is concerned, that a majority ean
pivnu;” meaning, that, if it is dime over
the head of a minority nr against the will
ol a minority. TVoik until unanimity pre
vails, instead of turning out minorities,
“labor mid even call help,” rather than en
tci upon the plan of deciding by majorities.
Aon refor to the case in Cur.—you say
Cor. iii. ant 1 ; hut no doubt Cor. 2, and Oth
was intended. Does the many in that
case, decide, that a minority opposed his
exclusion? And do you not know, that, j
the apostle was divinely instructed in that I
case, so that no error could occur ? But I I
asked for information, in my remarks relit- 1
live to the meaning of Baptist Decorums,
which information was nut given, that a
majority shall govern in all cases, unless
fellowship is concerned. I have always
understood, that in cases of fellowship, if
n guilty or offending Bro. is disciplined,
ami comes under a motion for the question,
and if one orderly Brother has lost fellow
ship, (and it may he from a personal knowl
edge of the guilt that manifests itself iu the
investigation,) that a whole church would
prefer retaining an orderly, to a disorderly
member. Your supposition relative to
one, two, or three, —fleshly professors, j
sacrificing an innocent Bro. Sir, is not the
language of church members generally.— j
They feel most affection for those who bear;
the deepest impress of their Divine Saviour, j
Bro. J. S. Callaway says, in the i litirch at ;
Philadelphia,—(and as lie is the Pastor j
there, I presume lie was a party to the for
mation of those rules,) —“Bdi article; aj
majority shall rule in all cases, unless it re- j
lates to fellowship, but a motion being made
and seconded, touching fellowship, tin
moderator shall not put it to vote, but lie
shall enquire lor objections thereto : if none
be made, lie shall pronounce the case tinan- j
imously decided.” This is the principle ,
that 1 set out to support—though there is ;
some variation in words to express the same .
idea. But further, this same article pro-i
ceeds to say,—“and if there be any objec
tion made, tltpy shall deliberate upon the
same until they dispose of it, or become
of one mind } but if they ean do neither,
helps must be called from sister chinches,
whose concurrence with either party (major,
or minor.) shall he conclusive.” You ad
mitted. hro. editor, that there was no ex
press rule or direction in scripture to gov
ern in these cases. Then I offer you a
quotation from a Circular Letter written by
Elder J. Mercer deceased, ami sanctioned
by the body of the Georgia Association.
Pane 17,* “rather be of the same mind
and judgment, espouse the cause of the
week. —or he invariably on the pat t of the
aggrieved, whether major ro minor, and j
let unanimity be the bond of your peace.”
But vou say perhaps tlieic are objections j
raised to your anti-majority doctrines by j
bro, Luke Robinson. He says, “this doc- (
j trine is not only the bane of republics,’ hut
j would destroy the very existence of the
i church. I would only ask hro. LukeKob
icrspn, if he is sure he never has supported,
! nor is at this time supporting measures, far j
! more anti-republican, tlien my opinionsex- j
| pressed in the 15th-wf Nov. No ? And as
I he is not only a Doctor of Law in part, — 1
j arid aD. TANARUS)., —will Irs have the kindness j
:to say, at his own convenience, if he has ■
j never, either in a civil, or religious body,
J known a constitution formed, without a Call j
for said constitution ? and furthermore, if
he is directly or iiidiiectly submissive to,
and an advocate for, a constitution of such
a cliaiacter ?—anil if charity begins at home,
whether we should not enter into selfexaro
ination ? for they that “live in glasshouses
should not llirow’stones.” A word to the
wise is sufficient. Your brother,
GEO. LUMPKIN.
N- B. I* have made reply to some I
portions of your strictures—feeling that we
construe facts differently. But I trust the
quotation 1 rom so high audio.ily as the Ga.
Association, as a body, and the mother of
so many associations, will he testimony
that cannot he repelled. “15c invariably
°n the pail of the aggrieved, whether
major or minor, and let unanimity be the
bond of your peace.”
1 trust that this, together with the ex
pression ol a similar sentiment iu the dc
j corum of the church at Philadelphia, as
I quoted and supported bv the moderator of
the Flint River Association, in the Bth arti
■ eh’ ol said decorum, will sustain the oppo
sition I have setup against majorities gov-
I crning and lie sulficent to plead as prece
dents hereafter in the absence of positive
scripture authority. G. L,
* History Georgia Association,
For the Christian Index.
li'jily' Signitt, uii!he Support of the Gospel.
[ You take one thing for granted, Iriend
Sigma, which I am nolprepnred to admit—
that is, that our Baptist preachers are recon
ciled to the idea of living and dying in com
parative poverty. 1 fear this is not the
rase with many—l know it is not the ease
with some. I know instances where young
ministers, (some with small families, and
others without any,) hive been offered
three or four hundred dollars and their
hoard, and they have declined these offers,
and “ taken schools.” 1 fear all the sin,
in these eases, does not lie on the (.'llurch
es. 1 speak the more freely, because I ant
! a poor prenrher myself.
Your “panacea” is- a good one, friend,
i provided the ('lnirclies ate fully instructed
as to their duty in this matter. And whose
duly is it, pray, to impart this instruction ?
Not the Deacon’s, assuredly ; nor that of
the Evangelist—hut the l’astoi’s, A false
delicacy, ruinous to the interests of religion,
prevails on this subject. Our preachers
fail to declare the whole counsel of God,
lest they should he considered over-anxious
about money. In this way they suffer sin
to rest upon the Churches, and grievous
vr itvme to ilitMtltreTves.’ In
love and faithfulness, let them declare, be
fore all men, that *• they that preach the
Gospel, should live ol the Gospel: let them
‘show a willingness to he poor men, like
i Haul and l.ntlier, and then your panacea
will work wonders indeed.
It is proper that the deacons should ap- j
[ proach all lira church members, but 1 hold 1
j that every man is hound to provide the Gos- \
j pel for his family and his servants, as well j
jas tilings of minor importance. Let that
wotd “ give” become obsolete, and let the
j more appropriate word “ pay the preacher,”
jhe substituted in its stead. Let every man
i ho brought to feel that he is in debt to high
Heaven, m tire pastor’s person, for the rich
est of blessings— the Gospel —and then
shall we see brighter and better days.
HARRISON.
Curious Calculation. —l have been mar
ried 32 years, during which time I have re
ceived from the hand of my wife three cups
ol collet! each day, two in the morning anil
one at night, making about 35,000 cups of
half a pint each, or nearly 70 barrels of 30
gallons each, weighing 17,520 pounds, or 1
nearly nine tons weight. Yit ftoin that
period 1 have scarcely varied in weight from
100 pounds- It will theiefoiebe seen that
1 1 have drunk in coffee alone 218 times my |
own weight, lam not much of a meat cat
j cr, yet 1 presume 1 have consumed about
eight ounces a day, which makes 5800
pounds, or about ten oxen. Os flour 1 have
(consumed, in the 32 years, about 50 bar
| ids.
For 20 years of this lime, up lo 1831, 1
have drunk luo wine glasses ol brandy each
day, making 900 quarts. The port wine, j
matleria, whiskey punch, Ac., I am not a
hlc to count, hut they arc not large. In
j chain j ague l have been extremely moder
! ate, as 1 liml from my hills that l have paid
tor 53 baskets in the last 13 years, which is
about one bottle a week, and this not all con
sumed by out*. When we take into the ac
j count all the vegetables in addition, such as
potatoes, peas, asparagus, strawberries,
cherries, apples, pears, peaches, raisins,
ifee., the amount consumed by an individual
is most enormous. Now, my body lias
been renewed more than four times in 32
years; and taking for granted that the wa
ter, of which 1 have drunk much, acts mere
ly as a dilutenl, yet, all taken together, I
conclude that 1 hare consumed in 32 years i
üboulthe weightof 1100 men of 100 pounds
! each.— Paris paper.
—————
Education in Pennsylvania.—The cen- •
sits of 1810 reports 34,000 persons ini
I’eitnsylvani i, above the age of twenty, j
who can neither raid nor write ; aid this, j
it is feared, is far from being the number j
i that actually exists. More than one-tenth
ol this niimhei is repotted as found in the
j city and county of Philadelphia.
PEN FIELD.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1845.^1
Agcncic*.
Rev. J. £l. B. Shackelford is duly afLp-
I rized to act as a special agent for iheCf k
) tian Index. renew the offer f a
premium of Jive dollars for 6very ten ; sw
j subscribers, for whom payment is Okie!
I within six months from the time of i ab
scribing.
\Ve to brother Shackelford’s im
position, as far as new subscribers are r in
ceriiecl,as Ire will perceive fiom our recei ts.
WeKannot allow commissions fur coli cl
ing from ohl subscribers, for two reaso s :
1. The state of our finances will not per nit
it; our establishment ts over S9OO in
2. Most of those who would pay, otflhe!
application of an agent, would pay witlput\
such an application. We are willing trial- j
low liberal commissions for collectionsj
made from those who have stopped injar
rcars.
Penficld.
As evidence of the growing import) ice
of our village, (ow ing to the increased I
prosperity iff our University,) we would ■
state that there is not a vacant house, store
or office, in the town. The denfttid for!
houses is greater than can he at present
rnel. Some new buildings are being erect-*’
ed, and others, it is expected, will he erect
ed iu the course ol the year. As our vil
lage is thriving, and the price of propeity
remarkably low, in consequence of the low
price of cotton, it is a peculiarly favorable
lime for those to purchase property who
wish to locate in the vicinity of a literary
institution, that they may eduralc their
children.
\Vc truly thank the P. M. at Brandon
Mi. for the information given and have ex
tended the credit of B. Alliston from April
’43’ to April ’45. Our esteemed hro.
Cowart is assured that the Index lias been
sent to all named in his letter, ns directed.
Indian Mission Association.
We learn that this body, which holds its
annual sessions in the West, proposes to
hold senii-nnuual sessions in the Booth ;
say in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
We have reason to believe that they would
he willing to hold their first semi-annual
session at the same time and place w ith our
Statu Convention, if invited so to do by our
Executive Committee and the people of
Forsythe. We hope the invitation to do
so will be given. Wo know it would he
gratifying to our Executive Committee,
and to our bretlueii in Georgia generally,
to have them meet with us; and the people
of Forsythe arc justly famed for their hos
pitality. We ate confident that members
jol PedoliapiisSchurches, riiilTeven Tfii- peo
ple of the World w ould take pleasure in n fil
ing w-illt our Baptist brethren in elitertaibing
those, whom such a meeting might call to
gether. If the meeting is held Ihete, we
shall hope to see the General Agent, Rev.
, Isaac McCoy; our brother of the Banner
I and t Pioneer, our old Virginia acquain
tances and brethren, Rev, Win. F. Broad
j dus, Rev. G. Mason, Rev. Dr. Howell and
i Rev. I. T. Llinton ; our old fellow citizen
and fellow laborer ill Georgia, Rev, Dr.
Sherwood, with many more of the excel-j
lent ones in the West and South-west.—
! Brethren come, rally to the good work, and
kindle such a lire that all the cold water
Hung upon the holy enterprise from the
North shall not he able to extinguish it.
®sr Will not our brethren iu Forsythe
lake up the subject and act on it at an ear
ly day !
“Not Dead, but Gone Before.”
These words are revived in our recollec
tion, by several obituary notices, of dear
friends of ours, in the last No. of the Re
ligions 1 lei aid . friends lately gone lo rest.
The first of them is that venerable man,
Richard Gregory,
of the county oT Chesterfield, Va. a few
miles below the city of Richmond. The!
notice in question, is every word true, but
we could have wished it more ample.
Mr. Gregory was a very extraordinary
man. To an elegant person, accomplish-!
ed manners, and cultivated mind, there;
were added, in him, great evenness of tern-1
! per, and unusual piety. \Ve heard, anoth
er venerable man, of probably about the
same age, (hro. .Gregory was 88,) say of
him, scarcely two months ago, when lie
heard ol his illness, “He is the last, sir, of
the old James River stock, of Virginia gen
tlemen.” \Ve shall never forget the day
of our first introduction to him. We were
on our way, in the stage coach, some twen
ty odd years ago, from Petersburg to Rich
mond, where we had lately- settled as pas
tor of the first church. There was
no rail road then. The half-way house,
ten miles equi-distant from those two places,
i was the point, at which the fare was to be
paid. We paid, among the rest. And at
j that moment, a venerable man walked up,
and glanced at the way-bill. He ini medi
ately directed our money to be returned—
’ saying, “ I’lie line ol stages is mine, fc*ir,—
jmy name is Gregory,—l never charge
j Ministers, —this tavern has been converted
into a meeting house, —my residence is 1
half a mile hence,—come over anil preach j
at this place—do.” Wc of course, left an
I appointment, and went, —and thus our ac
quaintance began.
Although an old man then, he had been
but lately converted and baptized, under
the ministry, (we certainly cannot be mis
taken) of Elder Miles Turpin, pastor of
Four-mile-creek church, in the lower end
of the county of Henrico. This church
lies, not far distant, from Mr. G's estate,
on the opposite side of James River. We !
do not mean to abstractaught from the grace
of God, in the conversion of hro. G. Ev
ery sinner who is converted, is converted
I y the same grace. But Elder Turpin,
was a man of the very stamp to make an
impression on such a mind as Gregory’s.
A man of strong sense—unaffected sim
plicity,—with a face beaming honesty,—
and undoubted piety, Mi. Gregory, did
j himself, sometimes, in cases of emergency
’ preach. We know he was not a licensed
| minister,—perhaps he was not even a dea
con. But it was not because he was not
sufficiently esteemed ; or did not possess
the requisite talent. He was either a grad
uate of William and Mary College, or ?.-
tnong the students whose studies were inter
rupted by the storm of the American Rev-:
| olution. In his youth, (such is ourimpres- j
j sion) he was at the bur, toe to toe, with I
, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. He!
j ha3 left a numerous line of descendants, —
t children, grand-children, great grand-cliil- ;
dren. among the latter of whom, are the •
Sons and daughters of the late Gen. Pc
° r i
gram, President of the Bank ofVa., whose
lamentable death by the explosion of a 1
steam boat on one of our Western waters I
a few months ago, created so deep a sensa-!
lion, not only in Va. but thoughout the;
Union.
But we must stop in the midst. Bro.
G.’s death is a loss to the denomination in
Va. Iu addition to his hospitality,*(his
house was a gratuitous hotel for the Bap
tists.) and his exemplary life, he was a
model of urbanity, worthy the imitation ol
all younger men.
The same paper, or the next, (we have
not that No. at ham!,) records the death of
Rev. Charles F. Barnlv, one of the most
prominent men, of his age, of the Baptist
connexion, or ol any other connexion, at
I the present time, in Va. Cut off in the
; morning of his days, and in the midst of
; great usefulness. May the Lord raise up
many mote such, and long continue them
as light* in this daik world. 11. K.
Rn. Charles f. Burulry.
It is with emotions of unfeigned ami
l:eart-felt grief that we announce to our
readers the death of this beloved young ;
brother, whose name is placed at the head j
ol this artitle. As he contributed to our!
columns over the signature “ Fjiiscopos,” 1
we are sure our readers will permit us to
• pen a few lines as a tiibme of respect to his
memory.
lie was to us an intimate friend, and a
brother in the Lord beloved indeed. Often
have we taken sweet counsel together; to- j
geiher repaired to the house of God, and
side by side fought the battles of the cross.
We have howetl together at the same altar,
wept over the same miseries, rejoiced amid
the same scenes, preached the same doc
trines, administered the same ordinances,
served the same churches, and indulged the
; same hope of a glorious immortality he
; yond the grave. What Jonathan was tu
| David, lit* was, in some . respects, lo us.—
Well lias the editor of the Religious Her
ald spoken of him, as one of the most
piomising young ministeis in Virginia.
He might, with propriety, have said—in
our country. Never have vve met a young
man so thoroughly indoctrinated m the
scriptures, so firm in the faith, so uniform
ly spiritual, so devoted, soul and body, to
the cause of his Redeemer, as was this
brothel, from the time of our first acquain
tance with him to the period of our leaving
Virginia. But he is gone! The voice
which once cheered and instructed us shall
he heard no more on earth. The younger
lias been taken and the older left. Dark
and mysterious indeed are the ways of God!
Verily, he inaketli darkness the pavilion
round about him.
Our deceased brother resided and taught,
for a season, in the family of the Rev. Ed-;
ward Baptist, now of Alabama, lie sub
sequently rode as a missionary in the
hounds of the Concord Association, which
was then in its infancy. We were, we be
lieve, instrumental in prevailing on him to
go through a regular Collegiate course of
instruction, in Randolph Macon College.
During his connection with that institution,
ho preached regularly to two or three
churches. His discourses were always
diligently and prayerfully studied. This
necessarily occupied much of his time;
for lie preached on every Lord’s day. Not
withstanding this draft upon his time, he
graduated with high honor, being appointed i
to deliver the Salutatory oiation at the coin- 1
mencement exercises.
Death was neither an unexpected nor an
unwelcome messenger to him. The last i
art cle which he wrote for the Index, was
on the subject of “Deliverance from the !
fear of Death tluough Christ.” (See In
dex for Nov. 1. and 8.) In a r.ote ,accom
panying that communication, he expressed
I the opinion that it would be the last he
j should ever be able to send ns. Indeed
we were indebted for that to his affectionate
[companion, who transcribed it for him.—
When we were endeavoring to prevail on
him to go through a Collegiate course of
studies, one of his most serious objections,
was that he did not expect a long life, and
he questioned whether lie ought not there
fore to employ ‘.7/his time in active labors
in the ministry. We learn from the Her
ald, that he assured iris friends, who gath
ered around Iris dying bed, that lie felt rea
dy to depart and meet his Lord, having put
all his trust in Christ.
Most sincerely do we sympathize with
the surviving companion of our deceased
friend and brother. We remember the hos
pitalities of her father’s house. We re
member her first introduction to him whose
death has indicted the severest pang that
ever she has felt. Youthful mourner,
weep not. —Thy husband is not dead hut
sieepelh; and lo! he sleeps in Jesus’
arms. In the morning of the resurrection
he shall arise with thee to life eternal.—
Weep not, said we ?—We will not say it
—No, weep on, widowed one; hut let the
smile of a holy jov in the God of your life
light up a rainbow on every tear you shed.
Remember that the God in whom your be
loved one trusted is a faithful and a cove
nant-keeping God. lie has promised to
ibe the widow’s Go'll and a Father to her
| futlieiless children. What a gracious prom-
I isc ! Take it, mourner; reffectou it—rest
jon it—it was written for you. That it may
| prove a cordial to your widowed, wounded
; heart, is the prayer of one ulio feels that
l your loss is his also.
The Fellowship Qn stion
rhe reader will find another article on
i this subject, fro.u the pen of brother Lump.
; kin. \V e ean assure hro. L. we always
take pleasure in allowing brethren, who
i differ from us, to give their views in our
j columns when they manifest as good a spirit
! as lie does. Wedili'er fro u him in our views,
! hut we have learned, from the scriptures,
i not only to tolerate, hut to love those who
j may think differently from ourself. He
. etrs, i( he thinks \vc would cucicc men to
adopt our individual views of ilutv.
W lien the Scriptures lay down a rule we
think it vain, and worse than vain, to ap
peal to Baptist usage, 11 wc appeal to
I Baptist usage, instead of the holy serf
lures, to justify our acts, or acts of our
churches, wherein do we differ from the
; Methodist, i\ ho appeals to Ins “discipline:”
the Presbyterian, who appeals to his “con
fession of faith the Episcopalian, who
appeals to his Liturgy or the Romanist,
who appeals lo the bull of his Pope, or the
; decretals ol Canonical Councils? On the
| subject of difference lie tween us, tin; sciip
j teres are not silent. ‘I he holy Spirit Inis
| caused It to he recorded that, in the days of
1 the apostles, the t ight to exclude an offen
der was ext ret cd by a mij rrifi/. “Suf
ficient to stti h a man is this punishment,
whieh-was inflicted of many”—that is by !
the major putt, (the majority.) as the ori
-1 tp n; d would read, 2 Cor. 2. 0. Front this
j we learn that the vote was taken in refer
ence to the exclusion of a member; other
wise, it could not have been ascertained
whether lie was excluded !>v a majority or
j a minority. We learn, secondly, that some
, were not in favor of his expulsion ; lor
Jhe was excluded, not .by the unanimous
! voice of the whole church, hut by a major
ity. Wc deem it safe—and indeed the du
’ ty of those who take the Scriptures for the
i rule of their conduct, to follow this precc
dent, until they can find another which
sanctions the expulsion of a member, by
the voice of a minority. If In-other L.
knows of such a recorded precedent in the
scriptures, we would be very thankful to
have it produced.
As to the extracts front Father Mercer,
we have three rentaks to make.
1. It has no direct bearing on the sub
ject before us. We cordially subscribe to
the sentiment contained in the extract. We
have ever taught that vve should be yield
ing and fotbearing. anil ever incline to the
side of mercy—that ten guilty persons had
better escape than that one innocent person
should suffer ; anil, for that very reason,
were the scriptures silent on the subject, vve
would rather rely on the decision of a ma
jority, than un that of a minority ; for “in
j the multitude of counsellors there is
| safety,” says the iineriing word of God.
2. Did Father Mercer expressly sanc
tion the rule which hro. L. advocates, vve
should not consider that more (respect was
due to Ins authority than to that of the
Holy Spiiit.
3. If hro. Meicer’s opinions have such
great weight with brother Lumpkin, vve are
surprised that lie does not actively engage
in advocating those benevolent enterprizes,
to the advancing of which, father Mercer
consecrated the energies of his body and
tninil and a large portion of his earthly
goods.
I Bro. L. has failed to prove, either that
i lather Mercer or the Georgia Association
! approbated the exclusion of an offender bv
a minority; but. Had he succeeded, vve
j should have rejoined, that other individuals
i anil other Associations were entitled to as
i much respect as father Mercer and the
Georgia Association. Father Mercer was
. not infallible, nor was ho the first Baptist
‘in the world, or even in our country ; nor
jis the Georgia Association the oldest ex
- taut. But we hold to the bible. If every
| association and every Baptist departed from
I its precepts and precedents, that would not
j juslily us in doing the same.
To give to one or two men the right to
exclude a member from tlmchurch, contra
ry to the will of the many, is alike oppos
ed to the light of nature, the teachings of
the Holy Spirit, and the principles ol all
republican institutions. It is to give a sanc
tion to spiritual despotism of a most revolt
ing character. It is to assume, that the
one or two, the minority, are less likely to
err than the majority. If this be true, there
is reason in Romanism. Come, my broth
er, let us look away from our practice and
liaplist usage to the practice ol the apos■
ties and the teachings of the sacred volume;
and let us not encourage one or two to
usurp authority in the church, k md “Lord
it over God’s heritage,” without a “Tims
saith the Loicl.”
O*?* 1 * If brother Lumpkins paper has
been stopped it lias not been with our
knowledge or with that ol the publisher.
Sabbath School Conventions.
When the proceedings of the Conven
tion at Griffin, were placed in our hands a
lew days ago, we felt ourselves several
inches taller than usual: such was our de
light in reading them. And, behold!, be
fore the compositor can pat them in type,
here come those of another convention of
j the same sort, held at Shiloh ! They are
j bolh in l 'nis day’s paper. We solicit at
tention to them, —especially to the queries
propounded, and theanswets given tolliem,
.aid resolutions adopted, at the former Con
vention. 1 liesa proceedings augur some-
thing. And we are the more gratified at it,
because, for the last four years we have
deeply felt, that not a tytlie of our church
es or Ministers, have any conception of the
magnitude, and glory, and promise, of this
enterptise, i lie Sunday’ School enterprise.
With the permission of our readers, wu
will turn Washingtonian, forafew minutes,
and give our experience on this subject.
We are now in mu fiftieth year; and have
children, and grand children. We have
been pastor of sundry churches, in Va, and
labored iniieli in oilier connexions in the
ministry. But until wo were 45 y ears of
age, we had no adequate conceptions of
S.ihjatn Schools, imr do we believe that
we now have; or even shall have; until
‘■og!t to Do not misapprehend
us. We had been prating for them; anil
v siting them ; and talking about them; and
making speeches in commendation of them;
from our youth up. We had taught bible
classes in our own family, and elsewhere.
We had formed the first Bible class, if we
mistake not. ever formed in the City'of
Richmond : certainly the first among the
Baptists. And we well remember the per
secution wc endured, under the charge of
wishing to make young people, rational
religionists. \\ o observed one thing:
that every non-pioffcasor, ih *i- o- lor,;-*-il \o
our bible class, and that first class was a
s, lenilid class, professed religion afterwards,
1 his was a source ol gratitude ami praise
to God. But these classes were not taught
in Sunday Schools. We did not breathe
the Sunday school spiri’. A few noble
souls did,—among them, .the Deacons,
Wm Crane, Jas. C. Crane. Archibald and
Jas. I liotnas, and perhaps a score ofoth
ers. And our schools incieaseil lo hun
dreds, approached a thousand pupils.
At Christmas 1810, our throat affection
commenced. Unable to preach, vve visi
ted die Sunday school, ol what is now the
•lih church in Richmond, and t offered to
take a class. Ihe editor of the Religious
Herald, hro. IV m. Sands had a class of,
say 20, ol both sexes, which be divided
giving us the young ladies, amounting to 8
or 9. \\ e proposed to increase them; hut
were told the attempt would be vain ; that
the w hole region had been swept, by Bap
tists, I’rcshy lei inns and Methodists. AVe
sallied fintli, spending our afternoons, for a
few weeks, in seeking scholars, —Young
ladies only,—and relusing any who alrea
dy belonged to any existing school. Our
j class soon numbered 27, and might have
reached 50 or 100, had twit our heal tli sunk.
It was in/Act/school; in that class; that
vve first tell those convictions of the im
portance of Sunday school labors, which
now, perhaps, approximate adequacy.
Jhe amount of it is, one must teach a
class, to perceive and feel the value of tbs
work. \V ill you try it ? We do not mean
that every pastor of a church, may find it
expedient to take a class. This may be
| impracticable. The labor may he too
i great. Blithe may visit the school, fre
j quentlv ; and sanction it, by his encourag
ing words and looks* And almost every
j church-member may be either a teacher or
pupil, or both. And till the little folks may
j he pupils. In tthe Baptist churches in Rich
mond, thcieare, now about a thousand pu
pils and teachers. Among the pupils,
| there are some gentlemen of distinction ;
among teachers and pupils some of the best
educated persons whose acquaintance vve
can boast. The superintendant* prepare,
in the course of thq week, an opening ad
| dress, usually based upon a paragraph, of
Scripture, taken in order, through the New
Testament These schools ere nurseries of
piety and religious knowledge. And should
any of the teachers or pupils of these
schools, e'nance to see these hasty icmarks,
they will remember pleasure
; with which, during lour years, whenever
the seasons allowed us to leave our cham
ber, vve have looked on their laborsoflove.
j Beloved brethren, go ahead, and may the
i Lord bless you all!