Newspaper Page Text
166
THE INDEX.
Thursday Morning, May 24,1849.
GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION^
This Convontion assembled at Athens on Friday, the 18th
inst. The sermon was preached by Bro.'C. D. Mallary of
Lagrange. Sixteen Associations and six Societies were re
presented. The representation was thinner than ordinary, in
consequence, no doubt, of the inclemency of the weather.
Bro. Thomas Stocks was elected President, and Bro. I\ H.
Moll and Bro. C. M. Irwin, Secretaries. The Hightower’
Association and the Cave Spring Female Missionary Socie-j
ty were admitted as new members of the body. Corrcspori-j
denco was received from the Union Association. There
were present Bro. Elißall, the General Agent of the Foreign
Board for the State of Georgia; Bro. R. Holman, Corres
ponding Secretary of the Domestic Board; Bro. A. M. Poin-I
dexter, Corresponding Secretary of the Southern Baptist Pub
lication Society; and Bro. Bowen, the Missionary appointed
to Central Africa.
It was unanimously resolved to commend Bro. Ball, as the
Agent of the Board of Foreign Missions, to the favorable no
tice and Christian attention of our Churches throughout the
State.
The Executive Committee of the Convention, and the Board
of Trustees of Mercer University each made reports, which
were referred to select committees.
The next annual meeting was appointed to be held at Mu
rietta, on Friday before the 3d Lord’s day in May next.
Five additional delegates were elected to attend the Tri
ennial Convention to be held in Charleston on jhe 23d inst.
Revival.—Bro. Wilkes, writing from Eatonton, May 11,!
says, “We imve had a gracious season at the Eatonton Fac
tory recently—3l added to our Church, 18 by baptism, and’
the balance by letter and restoration. Some encouragin'-!
symptoms at other points.”
Jilt) dear Brother Sanders,
Perhaps it will be interesting to your numerous/renders, j
to be informed of a gracious work now being expevcnced in 1
Norfolk Virginia.
A protracted meeting was commenced in the CumluJnd !
Street Baptist Church ahrmi Uw fks* <** At -
During the progress of the meeting in tins cTnireM
than a hundred professed conversion, of whom
been baptized, and others have been received for baptism, j:
About eight of hc number baptized, were from the ranks l {
of our Pedobaptist brethren. Among them was the Metho-ij
dist Protestant Minister stationed in Norfolk, G. W. Jolin-':
ston, who lias nobly given up infant ranlism and followed
the cxumple of the great Redeemer in the humble, but sig- j
nificant rite of baptism.
God speed the day, when this relic of Popery shall be laid {>
aside forever.
Brother Johnston, has since been ordained to the full work I
.of the ministry in the Baptist church, his former ordination
in the Methodist church, not being deemed either scriptu
ral on valid. Brother J. is about 23 years of age, and is u
young man of fine promise.
This change of views as is usual, has created considern
ble excitement in the city of Norfolk, among our l’edobap.
list brethren.
What a pity they do not at once yield a position which it is
utterly impossible for them to maintain upon scriptural
grounds.
The Freemason Street Baptist church in the same city is
also enjoying the out-pouring of the spirit of God. Some
twenty or thirty have already professed faith in Christ, and :
the work is still increasing in interest and power.
Other denominations are now sharing in the blessed revi.
val. Yours in Christ,
J. H. CHANDLER.
Hereford, Md., May 15th, 1849.
[For the Christian Index.]
Bro. Editor, —In looking over the Index, 1 am made to
inquire, if obituary notices might not be curtailed in future!
without your readers suffering loss by it. All no doubt like
to be informed of the death of Christians, because each case’
gives further evidence of the triumphs of the cross of Christ.!
But when it is said of a brother or sister they died trusting
in God, after a pious life of longer or shorter duration, is it
necessary to mention the good qualities of the deceased, or
the sorrowing of husbands, wives, children, friends and ser
vants. Could less be expected. Faith in Christ makes bel
ter husbands, better wives, better fathers, belter mothers, bet
ter children, better neighbors and belter servants, all there
fore mourn their loss, when such a dispensation occurs
among them. Would it not be sufficient simply to give the
material facts, without detailing the particulars of the good
life and lamented death of the Christian, seeing all this fol
lows as a matter ofoour.se. Much is sometimes said about
those who die, never having made a profession ot love for
Christ until they are brought to reflect on a death bed.—
Doubtless many are in this way enabled to exercise saving
faith in Christ: this is sufficient for the dying and is consol
ing to friends. Rut is there not danger of giving forth those
notices iu u light that may tend to flatter the unthoughted
siuiier into the belief that the death bed would be the place
for him to repent, and consequently risk coming to his disso-;
lution without repentance at all.
SOUTH WEST
! Ordination. —At the request of the Perry Baptist church,’
a Presbytery was formed on Sabbath morning 11th February!
last, for the purpose of sett ng apart Bro. J. S. Dennakd,:
‘to the work of an evangelist. The following order was ob
; served, Ordination sermon by Elder J, 11. Cumpbell; Exami-;
, nation of candidate by Elder A. T. Holmes; Prayer by Bro.
’ Cumpbell; Charge by Bro. Holmes; Right band of fellow,
ship by Presbytery, Church and congregation generally.
A. T. IIOLMES, Mod. j
W. T. Swift, Clerk.
Houston county, May 12, 1849.
MACAULAY’S ENGLAND AND D’AUBIGNE’S
REFORMATION.
There arc certain books which constitute eras in the his
tory of literature. In this class we must rank the History!
of England, by Macaulay. In some of its features it con
tinually reminds us of D’Aubigne’s History of the Reforma
tion. It is written in a graphic style, which chains the at-ij
tention of the reader, amffearries him over page alter page,!
unconscious of the lapse Af'time, and only anxious to behold
the result of the movetneftts that are passing like things o!
life before him. It is not Ar design to point out all the re
semblances and difllrencesEetween D’Aubigne and Macau,
lay. Both have the happy ■iculty of making hooks that will 1
be read. D’Aubigne hasjJPen read by hundreds and thou
sands who would turn in despair from what lias ordi
narily been called liistnjf So Macaulay will lead tens of
| thousands to an with the stirring events of the
English arid the Revolution.)
who would ii’ ver that knowledge from ordinary
histories, his this with the character of the
work itself, that to it.
working of Popery,
ill”
i■ - ■ln H n hu ise i,
1 judge Its
” ‘ell
v ‘ ■
i
’ y ’ . 4 , “M
r.
I'"-’
Mo ll i-.lilv
“” ‘ : h
~nt!ersi",".s^^^V’
Ulll,:l -ill!.!.
so™ ot l!,c !?,-•(’ England. The
and cry raiseWjamst this sceptical, godless kind
of writing, as it has bigs if led. We are somewhat sur I
prised, however, to hcM6sti n ,b tone of remark on this side!
of the water. With cish Churchmen it is hv no means
uncommon tn renrnrH nrTOttftelr on th* li
uncommon to regard attack on the union of their Church!
with the State, as an attn Eon their Church itself. It would
seem as though a certairllass would defend this union as
zealously ns they would•liscopacy, the Apostolic Succes !
sion, the efficacy of the SBaments, or anv point of doctrinal I
theology. With, them it |n unpardonable sin to breathe a ’
syllable in regard to one the dignitaries of their church
! that is not fraught with (■bme flattery. It i s almost slan t!
derto speak of the recanllg apostate Cranmer, ns Crannirr!
spoke of himself. Fromlch persons Macaulay’s work will' 1
of course meet with lit* ivor, for he is, like the Evan^e-! 1
lists, not all-aid, when Pet lies, and curses, and swears°to’
say so, as a faithful hisloi n should. For our part, wp'do i
not regard the work as an tsault on Episcopacy, more than !
on Popery and Presbyterin tm; but we do think it will leave 1
on the minds of renders, n norethan ordinarily prejudiced j ‘
a conviction that wheneve nv religious system comes to be ‘ <
united to the State, and us for State purposes, the result is’ ‘
j to be feared. I
Believing as we do, thate union of Church and State is
detrimental, religiously at politically, we are glad to see
this work appear, and are so glad that it is putin such a
form that it may find its w to every house in our land
|: There are already two edit s published, at the exceedingly ’
low price oftwenty-fivecet >er volume. The two volumes 1
already issued have met v a very wide sale. We no
ticed last week that nrran lents l.ad been made for pub I
lishing fifty.four thousand lies of the work in its cheap
form. It will find its way and near, and before the vear !
closes, will have been read tens of thousands in our coun- ‘
try. It will deepen the co ition in the minds of our c iti.’
zens of the evils of churi stublisliments, and make us’
: more secure from future, p ile encroachments of arrogant’
; religious political systems, xchange. °
j! Printing the Bible in Ik -A Boston Paper quotes a
letter from Pisa, dated Mar 4th, stating that “all custom 1
house duties are taken ofT f ;n books at Home, and all re- 1
strictionsn the pressure i ved. Achilli is printing the!
.Epistles to the Romans, with notes, at Rome. Also an edi
htion of Diodati’s Bible is being printed there. An edition of
Martini’s Bible is printing at Florence, and one of Diodati’s
will shortly be printed at Pisa.
[From the Independent.]
DR. CHANNING ON UNIVERSALISM.
Messrs. Ed tors,—\ noticed in a recent number of your
paper, an extract from the writings of Dr. Channing, on the
‘subject of Universalism. Will you oblige a subscriber by
inserting in your next number the following extract from the
same writer, and on the same subject. The extract may be
i found in the 2d Vol. of Memoirs of Dr. C., page 24.
|l “R seems to me that a man of common understanding,
|j reading the scriptures without any knowledge of the way fra
1 which they have been interpreted, would not think it possi
ble, that the doctrine should ever have been drawn from them
that there is to be no future punishment. Almost any opin
ion would seem to him to receive greater countenance from
the Bible than this. Yet this opinion has found strenuous
advocates; and from its very nature it has not been advoca
ted without making converts. This error should be resisted
ji with earnestness, because it directly, palpably, and without
; disguise, diminishes the restraints on vice. It is at war with
society. It is a blow at social order. It lets loose those pro
pensities which are constantly struggling against the princi
ple, unaided by the fear of future suffering, is in multitudes
poorly able to restrain. The doctrine lam opposing goes to
the very extinction of conscience. Conscience iri man is an
echo, if I may so speak, to the will and moral sentiments of
Cod. Its dictates arc authoritative, because we feel them to
be the dictates of Him who made us. A sense of God’s ab
horrence of sin is the chief nourishment of our abhorrence of
it. Let Cod be viewed as so unconcerned about character
.is not to punish the guiltiest, us to fall short in his adminis
trations ot the plainest requisitions of justice, and a deadly
torpor would spread over the human conscience. Moral
sensibility would be paralyzed.
“The effect of this doctrine, indeed, may not immediately
appear, because its very extravagance p'revents its bein'/
thoroughly believed, because it cannot eradicate the princi
ples of our nature, and cannot entirely efface the impressions
||°* education. Guilt and punishment are seen to have a con
nection too natural and intimate, to be wholly separated even
in thought. But whilst the influence of the doctrine may be
counteracted by these and other causes, such as natural
I good dispositions, freedom from great temptation, the power
. of opinion, and the like; yet its proper effects must be always
bad. Its fruits are bitter, its tendency as to sin and death.
On this account I believe that the scriptures in great wisdom
say nothing of happiness for the guilty, after they shall hajve
buruc the ncjiaky of ifrcif. sins. If that happiness bp- intoLi
•Sr; “Sr’TOSff
110 trie laid down in the serin.nr g deC, ?! Ve, 3 r l olea - seems
1 providential aid, his revelatfon bi Cl.rNt I °7 “‘ 1! ’ his
woe hangs overcu li* a,i 6 le 1 repression that a great
lose everythin rs ’ ’ and th . at we can g ain nothing, but may
tose every thing, by persevering in transgression r, \ V
as man Y ert, that the word “everhE* “* S ‘ ue !
i Such a hope forms r ncourae no delusive hope,-
lintakes no ‘pun of rev Eon ‘ for in my view it
!j wicked banished into darkness. V the
jees*of sfo!”* 0 ° Ur aCCOU,U n ° W ’ i0 -tinmfiuVthe coniqtm
New Yoik, Jan. 29, 1849.
otG “ , ' a
■foreign jJJ’ttDs.
[lrom the Constitutionalist .J
ONE DAY LATER FROM EUROPE.
The New York papers contain one day’s later intelli
isnrsfr t’ Liv ' r '“’ • “ m.v ,t
uv tlie steamer left, the w ri S ,
.t iti i,lc sait s os v, otton amounted tn
housand baies, chiefly American, at prices ranging from 34
to 1 lie market closed firm. ° 1
Liverpool, May s.—Since the sailing of the Hibernia the
are P Ame°ricalt ton tT 1 7 &•. of which 104,’ 149
it t 10 P llc es of the American, particularly
he low and middling qualities, are highei. Egyptian and
llrazds quoted at 4jd, and Orleans 4|d. The sales of the
week, ending ]Vfov 4. were 4 k iqa l. j r ~ ,
UI nun tt.~ M a • , 40,190 bales, of which nearly
“ere American, and exporters 2,710. *
, The Havre cotton market is a good deal depressed which
be uTd D lr n,y Ly th !, I 1 expected from
the Limed btates, announced by the Niagara. Prices hav*
receded about one penny. 6 *
[May