Newspaper Page Text
134
THE INDEX.
Thursday Morning, April 26, 1849.
Mell requests us to cal! the attention of the breth
ren to his advertisement for Minutes. The Convention is
near at hand, and it will he seen that lie has not obtained as
yet even all the minutes of those Associations that are con
stituents of that body. The Primitive Lookout he has never
received. Cannot brethren furnish him with it before the 1
meeting of the Convention?
Ilro. M. also requests those to whom ho has sent outline
maps of counties, to return them as soon as they can.
GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION.
Our Brethren will remember that the Baptist Convention!
for otir State meets at Athens on Friday before the 3d Lord’s!
day in May, which will ho the 18th of the month. We
hope it will ho well attended, and that the contributions sent,
up to it by the denomination and their friends will show a
hearty interest in the accomplishment of its objects. Cannot’
every church that feels inti rest in its objects adopt measures’
to collect and send up to it a lively t : limony of the warmth!
of their feelings? Is there any church that can feel willing
to permit the sincerity of their interest in such objects to be i
left questionable by the want of their support. Contributions 1
sent up to the Convention can bo repoitcd by the churches|
to the next meeting of their respective Associations, li,
will appear then from their own minutes wlmt each Associ-!
at ion is doing in a way of manifesting their love for the cause’
of their Saviour, and for the s mis of their fellow beiii"s. !
° I’
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION.
We find published in the Tennessee Baptist of April 12th.
a notice of a late correspondi'iioc of the Foreign Board of
this Convention and ulso of tJm President, Dr. VV. B. John
son, with Dr. Howell, the Pastor of the Church in Nashville,
with which the body was to meet the 2d of May. The oh
ject of the correspondence was to obtain the consent of the
brethren in Nashville to the removal of the contemplated:
meeting from that place to Rome other, in consequence of thc !i
prevailing reports of Cholera at Nashville. The brethren”
at Nashville have consented, and it Ly understood by them
l hat it will be held in Chhrlestod, S. V., <>„ Wednesday, 2Hdl!
May, instead of Nashville 2nd of May. Nothing was known ,
m Charleston of this change at the time of the issue of their J
iast paper, the 18th inst.
SOUTHERN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY. I
We see iti the Southern Baptist a notice published of the!
chant,k of the meeting of that Society from Nashville,!
Tenn., to Athens in Goo., to he held in connection with the!
Georgia Baptist Convention. The Baptist is wrong in the j
time of the Convention at Athens—it is on Friday before tlieo
3ru Lord’s day niid not the ‘hid.
I
MISSIONARY TO CENTRAL AFRICA.
Brother T. J. llowen, who has been appointed to this mis. !
sion by our Foreign Board, has visited our village, and spent!
several days with us. Our community was peculiarly in- 1 !
tcrested in his society ami in his preaching. We invite the
attention of the readers of the Index to bis appointments pub-!
1-shed, both this and last woe!;. We anticipate for those who!
may be favored w itli an opportunity of attending his meetings,'!
lasting gratification.
We also invite attention to his appeal to the brethren of,
Georgia and Florida published week before last. lie is a i!
native of Georgia, but latterly a citizen of Florida, it is !
nothing more than reasonable that he should feel a peculiar!’
attachment to those two Estates, and should desire to receive (
Ids outfit and support from them. Will they foil to respond
promptly and iully to this appeal ? While there can be
found among our brethren one, or oven more, willing to make 1 ’
such a sacrifice of temporal ease, and secular as to' 5
engage in such an enterprise from love to the Saviour, and
the souls of men, are there any among us who will not con
sider it a pleasure to become liberal contributors to tlieir sttn-!’
port,and thus share an interest in the fruits of their labors?!’
WEBSTER’S ENGLISH DICTIONARY.
We invito the attention of our readers to the commendato
ry uotices of this Gkeat Amerjcan Wokic, which they will
find on another page of out present number. It is no doubt
well wortny oi the compliment paid it by these respectable
presses at home and abroad.
SMALL POX.
Maj. M. A. Cooper reports, that the opinion that the dis-’
e sse prevailing at the Iron Works in Cass couuty, is Small
Fox in a mild form, gains confirmation. For tlie week end- ;
mg April 17lb, he reports £ deaths, 27 new cases, 1 recover-’
SJj*
ed, 16 convalescent, 35 sick. He states that the disease is
still confined to tfie vicinity of the furnace.
THE WEATHER.
W e noticed last week the unusual severity of the weather,
and the injury done to vegetation, but we had then no ap
prehension of the extent of its ravages. The frost continued
throughout the wee with the same severity, but without
a night’s failure. Sueli long continued severity of the cold
has effected the most saddening destruction of vegetation, that
lies within the rethembrmce of our oldest citizens. Wheat,
crops near our village are almost if not quite entirely destroy
ed. The forwarrfest lus already generally fulleu down,
while some Iris bean eaten down by the cattle. Cotton, that
was lip, has all been killed, and on many farms it was so
generally up, as to leave little or no hope that there cobid still
come up anything; like a stand fora crop. Want of seed,
will prevent many from planting anew. The corn has been
bitten down so the earth continues so dry that much 1
j's it will likely recover. Taken altogether our plant- 1
itions present a molt gloomy aspect. Has this been a merej
j fortuitous event? The word of God as well as, our own!
Conviction of the tices.-ity of the constant operation of the,
| bund of Divine PnfeideiCK forbids such a thought. “I cre
mate good and I crefe evil,” saith the almighty. Why then’
I hath God visited Mhi* oalaipity upon us ? Not for our
righteousness of cLuae. But is it done iu wrath ? iiis;
| word also forbids, tlii-s conclusion. Those who shall be
go unhappy ns to i&Jjjjrience the visitations of bis wrath,
will find it allogethjr'jf a different character from tlieso
visitations oi a fullers rod. Ilis word teaches us that
‘these are tlio corr ctlr-ns of a father’s love. If we be
without ebastiseme t, Miereof all arc partakers, we are
bastards and not sins, "or what son is there whom thg
father chastcunthifc ? WJmt shall we learn then from the,
j visitations of DitfnflKPrctwfaoe? Ist. That we have* been!
disobodieht and rebiffi ßfuslehWitren, and have made it news- 1
,snry for our HeavcisyT fiber either to let us go on in’ our’
transgression tp ruifl, or Xy visit us with the rod of chastise
ment fo* our correction, fllis beautiful hand has filled our
stores with good things fam year to year, and where have’
! been our feelings of for his bounties, and to’what
use have they bcM#?pW'd}>y nJ lias nouthe accusation
to lllUl JVf.llß.vei.
vasted our I.oi i jjJfeVDafs we deuy the charge! Have
Iwe not consulned d;,\i|| in indulgence of carnal appetites,
those fleshly lusts that%r against tlie soul ? Cart an afibc
tionate father witness sijch results from day to day without
feeling the necessity o(i application of the means of correc
tion ? Can we look, abroad upon the churches and doubt for
a moment that even /Arfriembers are generally living after
the flesh ? And does to the word of God faithfully warn
us of what must finally tho fatal consequence of such a
course ? 2d. We should learn from this providence, anoth
|cr call to return from ourwanderings. As we have neglect
ed to take warning tniW his word, he has called us by his
providence to be admohished of our folly. Its language is
“turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die.” What effect is this
admonition to hovo upon us ? If like the prodigal, we shall
come to ourselves, and return to our father with confessions
in our hearts and on obr Kps, we shall find his compassion
and his bounty as full a| ejrer. But If being often reproved
wo still go on to bardep our neck, his word declares in most
awful terms, we shall be suddenly destroyed, and that Without
remedy. May the spirit'of his grace richly accompany the
present visitation oi his rod.
‘"” ! ‘
Extract of a letter from Albanjy, Ga., April \Sih.
“We had a very severe jlrost last Monday morning. Most
of our corn and cotton is cut down. Some of us are planting
our cotton over, while others are replanting the missing,
places. More than half our cotton was chopped out. Our
corn was generally irom h#lfleg to knee high, and I fear it ,
is seriously injured. Same are planting their corn over.—
(There would be a much .larger proportion of the cotton crop,
planted over if seed could be procured. The weather hasl.
I been very unfavorable forourcrops to recover from the injury
done by the frost. It hpbeen regularly cold with unusual-!
ly high wind from North and West. Our ground was very!
dry at the time ofthe frost.”
OUR ACCOUNTS.
The best men sometimes fall in arrears for their newspa
pers, and take it kindly to be informed of the fact; but there
are others, who are soured ill their feelings if their newspaper
account is sent to them when it is due. Some irritable spirits
give vent to their ill-feelings so far, as bluntly to order their
paper to be stopped. llow unhappy must such unfortunate
spirits be amid the conflicts aud turmoils of this selfish world.
How much more desirable is the possession of such a spirit
as dictated the following lines:
“I am glad that you sent me the account so that I might
leai n the amount due. I would also forwarJ you tlie money*
for another year’s subscription if I had it. Pay in advance
1 is the best for all parties, &e.”
jj How delightful to have business transactions with persons
possessing so amiable a disposition, so kind and pacific a
1 spirit. This individual is not only gratified at the notice
’ given him of his account, arid pays it cheerfully up, bat re
i grots that it is not in his power to put himself a year in ad.
, vance. He would be glad to save the editor any unnecessa.
ry future labor ou his account. llow should those peevish
fretful spirifs feel when they contemplate such characters in
| contrast with tlieir own.
\
“Clarksville, April 20th, 1849i
“Sir, —l commenced to take the Index about thirteen
months ago. 1 calculated on getting a paper once a week bk
1 have not got one for every month. Ido not know wiiosk
fault it is that it does not come, but I know that I don’t get*
, it. So I wish you to stop it entirely, as iam unwilling to pay
for and not get it.”
The above is a copy of a letter from one of our subscribers
I it ( iarksville. Is it not a shame that papers that are regu
larly and punctually mailed should have such complaints
made against therm \\ liich of the offices on the route from
I’eiifield to Clarksville is willing to bear the reproach of this
neglect ? Our office must make good the lost numbers, who
, will refund to us. Yv ill the proper authorities inquire into
this?
Church Polity, or the Kingdom of Christ in its internal and
extermil drvoopment. liij J. L. Ri'v.xoi.iis, Pastor oj the
Second Baptist, church, Richmond, Ya. Pchlishcd by
j Harr old ip Murray, Richmond.
Our readers are already acquainted with this work, as it
; was first published in Dr. Baker’s Periodical Library. The
‘present edition, however, has been enlarged and the addi
j lions are valuable. Asa compcnd yf church polity, it is at
i osco lcarued and plain, coucjse but clear and compieiieu
jsive.
The typographical execution to creditable to the house
which issues the work and we rajje’ we may hail it as one of
j the tokens that we may soon expect a ciay in which our print*,
jing as well as our thinking will be done at borne.
( Iti'-STniCjTE!) ( CIMMr.NION, OR AN ESSENTIAL
l’REiuxß fsm; to Ti;i; lories sutek.
This is a sjliort treatise, upon tiffs subject, of which Rev.
James iR Tayku’ flf JJUckmumL Va^-.C^HHwip^neli. i.¥siq—
tary of ihetPertigw Board of the Southern Baptist Conven
tion, is the author. It is published by the Southern Baptist
Publication Society. It is a work that will obtain an exten
sive circulation. While it brings the subject before the
mindoflhe reader iu its most prominent foatures, it is so con
densed as not to forbid the most busy, or tlie most indifferent
from giving it a perlisSl.
, {JJhe subject is embraced in three propositions. The first
is, ifAt baptism is an essential pre-requisite to tlie priviliges of
church fellowship, and of the Lord’s Table. The second is,
that Baptism consists in the immersion of the body in water.
The third is. that it Would ho wrong to depart from the primi
tive practice of requiring those who come to tlie Lord’s table,
first to be baptized, or immersed; that being undor solemn
obligations “to keep the ordinances ns delivered” to us, re
stricted communion is the only consistent course.
B ho an tho i having established tho first two propositions,
in a short but clear and conclusive manner, proceeds to sus
tain the third by four impressive arguments, and concludes
by answering some \of the most prominent objections to his
positions. To give our readers a more clear apprehension
of the character of tiffs interesting Hale work, we will, in our
present number, present them the arguments of the author
in support of his third proposition, and perhaps in our next,
favor them with his replies to objections.
1. The will of Christ in this arrangement is authoritative.
As bo has required in the most definite manner this order of
things, making it the duty of believers immediately upon the
exercise of faith to put him on in immersion, and as the sup
per is one of the privileges and duties connected with Church
fellowship, no man has a right to suggest a change. Nor has
any synod, or association of men, though composed of the
wisest and best, the authority to alter or amend the laws of
the kingdom. It is the Lord’s Tulle. ITc has prescribed the
(Conditions ofacccss to it. One of these conditions is baptism,
nearly the whole Pedobaptist world being witness, and we
have meant rove rtibly provedthat immersion only, is baptism.
IJ it were our table, most gladly would we receive unbaptized
persons, but as the Head of the Church has authorized no
change in the original terms of approach to the supper, we
arc bound to adhere to them.
The distinguished Dr. Griffin, on this subject remarks:
“I agree with the advocates for close communion in two poins:
I. 1 bat baptism is tlie initiating ordinance which introduces
us into the visible church : of course, where there is no bap.
tism, there are no visible churches. 2. That we ought not
to commune with those who are not baptized, and ol course
are not church members, even if wc regard than as Chris -
Hans. Should a pious Quaker so far depart from his princi
ples, as ip wish to commune with me at the Lord’s table,
while ho yet refused to be baptized, I could not receive him;
[•April