Newspaper Page Text
124
was allowed to depart, and warnb<l against
his depredations. “ That night,”
said Mr. Devereux, “ the boy, with some
half dozen others, entered my garden and
stole every melon I possessed.”
Original.
* For the Index.
Hephzibah Letters—No. 2.
Rev. E. H. Myers , Dear Sir :—We took the
liberty to address you, through the columns of the
“Index,” of the 31st of May last. In that letter
the Hephzibah Association, and the Circular em
anating from that body in 1854, were defended
against the ridicule and abuse heaped upon them
’ by your editorial of the 6th of April. We also
took occasion to show up some of the consequen
ces, resulting from the practical development of
the principles, which you directljrf&id indirectly in
culcated in your 6th of April editorial. And last
ly, in view of the whole matter, we propose to you
k_ “Is-ndljKKßNßKMfr o *** RepvUtrUW
ism ?’
We called upon you as “one of the public or
gans of Methodism, to answer this question —”
wo asked. —“Will you evade by silence or by
equivocation , or will you look this query straiyht
in the face and reply like a man?” We have
waited in vain for a direct reply to our humble
effort, to draw you from behind your rampart of
ridicule and fustian. In this effort we were un
successful : your favorite citadel is still more thor
oughly protected by your favorite system of forti
fication ; and its honored chief, more securely en
sconced iu its remotest and darkest retreats.
The Southern Christian Advocate, of June‘2Bth,
1855, contains an editorial, headed, “Fighting
Windmills.” We know not, nor do we care,
whether, in peuuitig this editorial, you had in
view our letter of the 31st of May or not. One
thing we do know, you noticed several ‘points up
on which our letter touched. You noticed them,
however, only to evade—not to “ reply like a
man.” In your windy editorial, after a deluge of
Quixotic verbosity, you take an oblique glance at
the subject. You must wipe your spectacles , sir,
and take another peep. You say—“We (i. e,
Methodists) are charged with maintaining an un
scriplural government” Is this charge denied by
you ? Not at all. You deny, it is true, to any
church a scriptural organization: In this denial,
you surrender the ground of controversy, as to the
charge of the unscriptural character of Episcopal
Methodism. Because you cannot lay claim to a
scriptural form of church government, like the an
imal in the manger, you are unwilling that others
should press such a claim. In view of this sur
render of the ground in dispute, we -can find, to
use your own language, no “ good Christian rno
u,attack on i1...
Association.’ If you believe with us that the
church polity of Episcopal Methodism is unscrip
tural, why abuse the Hephzibah Association as a
contemptable, biyoted, ignorant, narroiv-mitided,
and insolent sect, for mutually bolding with you
the truth of this chacge? For thus uniting with
ns in publishing to the world the truth of the un
scriptural character ot your church polity, you
would be entitled to our lasting gratitude, were it
not that necessity and not choice, extorted from
you this just, but tardy admission. You sagely
(?) conclude “ It is sometimes necessary to ‘answer
a fool according to his folly.’ ” You must excuse
us, sir, if we fail to follow your ugly example, in
substituting abuse and ridicule for argument. The
terms “ Fool, bigot, ignorant, narrow-minded, in
solent, and contemptible,” it strikes us, are better
adapted to the atmosphere of bowling saloons, and
pot-houses, than to the tongues and pens of Christian
ministers, or the columns of religious newspapers.
The use of such terms betrays a consciousness, of
the weakuess of the cause, for whose support they
are marshalled into service, You must remember,
sir, we are in the middle of—not the 16th —hit
of the It)/A century.
Iti your “Windmill,” editorial, you state, “It
is said that we (i. e., Methodists) are anti-republi
can?’ In summing up your reply to this charge,
yon say, “ But this charge, (i. e., of anti-republi
canism,) is after all a shadow—a phantom of the
brain.” This, we consider, is equivalent to saying
“ Methodism is not opposed to Republicanism.”—
Here, sir, is an apparent reply to the charge, ac
companied by, as we conceive, an effort to evade.
We would have been better pleased, if you had
faced the. music fairly like a man.
Viewing, as 1 do, the exhibitions iu your editori-.
ais'to which f have occasion to refer, if 1
were “our Bishop,” instead of allowing you the
chair-editorial, I would send you on a mission to the
rice plantations, where your ability to defend “ our
Methodism,” would be less exposed to the public
scrutiny. But to the issue.
We argue that Methodism (Episcopal) is oppos
ed to republicanism. In the first place, its ac
knowledged father and founder, was opposed to
republicanism. This, sir, is a fact so notorious that
we scarcely need to adduce the proofs necessary
to sustain it. McCall says, Mr. Wesley was char
ged with “an attempt to establish confessions,
penance, mortifications, <kc., with sundry other in
novations, which he called apostolic constitutions ;
that his schemes seiuned judiciously calculated to
debase and depress the minds of the people, to
break down the spirit of liberty /” and to'“ hum
ble them with a thorough subjection to the spirit
ual jurisdictiou, which he asserted was to be estab
lished in his own person; and when this should
be accomplished, the minds of the people would
be equally prepared for the reception of civil or
religious tyranny —and that “those who had
given themselves up to his spiritual guidance, es
pecially females, were required to discover to him
their secret actions, and the subjects of their
dreams.” (See History Georgia.) We might re
fer you, sir, to McCall’s opinion of Mr. Wesley’s
qualifications “ to heal the wounded spirit of (one)
Miss Sophia.” We might refer you to the indict-
ments found against Mr. Wesley in Savannah, but
we presunuTyou have learned enough at present,
of early, history of your “ patron saint.. In a let
ter from Mr. Wesley to Mr. Mason, dated “Jan
uary 13, 4£90,” seven or eight years after the
achievement of independence, Mr. Wesley says,
“ As long as I live, the people shall have no share
in choosing, either stewards or leaders, among the
Methodists. We have not, nor never had any
such custom. Weave no republicans, and never
intend to fyefl (See Wesley’s Works, V 01. 7 P.
98, as quoted in S. W. Baptist, June 7th,
As the tree is, so must the fruit be. A mind so
thoroughly imbued with the principles of civil and
religious tyranny, could not be expected, from its
glowiDg alembic, “to evolve an ecclesiastical re
public,”—but just as it did—an ecclesiastical des
potism. So much for Methodism in its embryo
state. What are the developments of its future
history. As the General Conference of 1824, nu
merous petitions “ were presented praying for a
representation of (local) ministers, and laymen in
the department; but no change, ei-
nr-jaaolical pperalH )Ils ol ilir
govermeut, wnmPbe
“In November a General Convention,
(not conference,} assembled in Baltimore, composed
of ministers and lay-delegates, elected by 7 State
conventions and union societies. This convention
prepared a memorial to the General Conference of
May, 1828, praying that the government of the
church might be made REPRESENTATIVE, and
more in accordance with the mutual rights of the
ministers and the people.” llow did “our Meth
odism,” receive this humble petition, to fix upon
her policy the great republican idea of equal rights
and equal representation. Let history tell.—“To
this memorial the general conference replied in a
circular, by claiming for the itinerant ministers of
their church an EXCLUSIVE DIVINE RIGHT,
to take the same unlimited, and unamenable pow
er, which they had exercised over the whole church,
from the establishment of their government in
1784.” 1 would be glad if some friend would
furnish me with a full copy of this celebrated cir
cular of the general conference of 1828. I wish
to have it reprinted with the circular of the Heph
zibah Association for 1854. From the quotations
shove we can form some idea whether Methodism
in her history and progress, proves that she is not
opposed to republicanism.
Again, we argue that Methodism is opposed to
republicanism from the admissions of Methodists
themselves. Hear your own distinguished Bas
com, of whom among Methodists, it may be truly
said, “He was the noblest Roman of them all.”
Hear him, he says, “ A prescriptive legislative
body making laws without the knowledge or con
sent of the people, to be governed by them, is a
despotism .” Again, he says, “In a government
civil and ecclesiastical where the same men are
legislators, administrators, and judges,”—“ the
a rein fa ot
slaves; for nfy remedy against such a dispo
sition is revolt. Hear him, —hear the great Bas
com again. He says, “The assumption, that ab
solute power in the affairs of church government
is a sacred deposit in the hands of the ministry,
libels the genius and charities of the New Testa
ment.”
We have quoted the above sentence. It is pure
gold. Suppose it had been the sentiment of a
Baptist, would you not have thundered “ Bigotry
and Windmills,” in his ear forever? Episcopal
Methodism then according to Bascom is “a des
potism”; and if so, as a inattei of course must be
opposed to republicanism. We offer you one
more quotation from one who will not be likely
to be suspected of luke warmness in his love for
Methodism.
The very paper, sir, which you now conduct in
an editorial a few years ago held the following
language : “It is a master axiom in our repub
lican creed, that the popular will is the source of
law. But we find in the Statute book of Methodism
a system of laws which did not originate in the
will of the people. It follows of course that
Methodism is opposed to republicanism “ The
italics are ours.
Contrast this bold and manly admission of the
truth, with your evasive denial—“ Bnt this charge
is after all a shadow—a phantom of the brain.”
It seems, sir, in view of this contrast, that with
in the last fifteen years, “a change has come over
the spirit of the dream,” or rather a change has
taken place in the chair-editorial. Policy may
require a change of opinion. Be this as it may,
a system of church government, maintained by
such antagonistic opinions, held by successive ed
itors, in the short space of fifteen years—must be
rotten throughout—from its “ top-most turret,”
to its foundation mud. At any rate, Bascom and
the Southern Christian Advocate being judges,—
“ Methodism is opposed to republicanism.” Come,
now, friend Myers, hold up vour head and talk
pretty. Tell us, in your own chaste and classic
vernacular I)o you not honestly think that this
same Southern Christian Advocate is a very big
oted, ignorant , narrow-minded, insolent, and. con
temptible ’ sheet? Certainly you do. For in this
stiain, on the Oth ol April, 1855, you discoursed
“never so sweetly,” of the Ilephzibah set and their
circular, because forsooth, they taught the same
doctrine.
Surely the “legs of the lame are not equal.”—
In this letter, we have operated on the principle of
“ a little more grape.” Expecting a more success
ful result in the future, we may notice your
“Windmill” again. Let this at present suffice.
Respectfully yours,
HEPHZIBAH.
P. S. Methodist papers generally, will please
copy. H.
For the Irnlex.
Bible Society at Spring Place-
Dear Bro. Dagg : —ln passing through your
: State on my way to the South Carolina Baptist
State Convention. I called, by special invitation of
the Pastor, brother O. W. Selvidge, and spent a
| Sabbath with the Spring Place Baptist church,
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
belonging to the Middle Cheroke# Association. ;
The brethren of the church are ever seatiy so ev
ery good word and work. When I had explained
to them the plan adopted at the last State Con
vention of Georgia Baptists, to organize
anckAssociational Bible Socities in preparation for,
the State Society, to be organized next spring in
connection with the meeting of the Convention
at Savannah —they entered at once, and heartily
into the work.—A constitution was formed, adopt
ed, and about sixty dollars Subscribed. Sfnne. of
the brethren think they will be able to increase
this sum least one hundred. I sincerely hope
they may. This Society will doubtless be a mod
el Society.—Brother Morris, the President, is a
man of large means, a heart, and of
great business capacity.—Several of the other of
ficers aSI members are able and willing io do
much for any cause in which they take an inter
est —and what cause can be more worthy of their
interest.and sympathy than this. They speak of
haring frequent meetings, and thus keep uiKat
tentive tofflie subject.—May God tjj^Ru
and t f J pr;tv i<>r J
His wortL TP
On Monday night, I addressed a small congre
gation at Dalton—several of the leading mem
bers of the church were absent, and it was, there
fore, thought best to postpone the organization of
the Society till a more favorable time. But I have
every assurance that it will be done—and more
over that an Associational Bible Society will be
formed at the meeting of this Association in the
Fall.—l am rejoiced to see our brethren in Chero
kee Georgia entering so earnestly into the work. —
They have heretofore done hut little for the Bible
cause —not because they do not love the Bible** 7
not because they are not generous hearted Christ
ians—not because they were unable or unwilling
to contribute largely to the glorious work of send
ing the printed Word to those who in our own,
and other lands, arc perishing for lack of knowl
edge, but simply and only because the matter
not been brought fairly to their attention. They
have been wafting to be called on. —The formation
of the Associationai and local Societies will furn
ish the needed call, And let me now entreat
ministering brethren in that portion of the State
to take up the subject at once, and bring it to the
notice of their people, and from a congregational
Society in every church, or at least take up a col
lection, for Bible purposes, and send it by their del
egates to the Associationai Bible Ssciety of their
own Association, and see that such a Society is
formed when their Association meets.—ls atfy~
brother desires further information on the subject,
he can obtain it by writing to brother Thos. Ram
baut at Savannah, who is the Pres, and Cor. Sec.’
of the Bible committee of the Geo. Bap. State
Convention —or if he will write to me at Nash
ville, I will take great pleasure in communicating,
any information which may be in my nossagsioii>}7
• Yotw* in the WMW r M
A. C. DAYTON, Cor. Sec. 1 f’
of Bible Board of S. B. Con.
For the Index.
Revision of the English Scriptures- -No. 10-
It has been suggested to me by an esteemed
brother, that the. most prominent objection in the
South to a revised version of the Scriptures, orig
inates in the apprehension that such a version
will probably be less favorable to slavery than the
common one. Surely this objection can be re
moved. I might remove it by saying that if the
inspired Ilebiew and Greek are less favorable to
slavery than the common version, the revised ver
sion ought to be less favorable to it too —that is,
it ought to correspond with the Hebrew and Greek
on the subject of slavery as well as on any other
subject. Not only the religion, but the “ chival
ry” of the South will concede this. Why then
should the apprehension referred to, be entertain
ed ? lieally I cannot see. But l can make it
morally certain that (his apprehension is utterly
groundless. Ido it in this way. The terms in
the original translated in the common version
servant, will, in the new version be unquestionably
rendered servant, stave or bondman. No one has
so informed me, but I cannot think otherwise. Os
the Greek terms translated servant in the present
version, I refer now specially to doulos. The new
version may possibly render oiketees, a domestic. —
Doulos cannot be rendered a domestic. It must,
therefore, with the corresponding Hebrew term,
l>e translated servant, slave, bondman, or something
equivalent. Very well. If it is rendered servant,
the new version will, on the question of slavery,
be just where the common version is. The South,
therefore, will lose nothing. But if the rendering
should bo slave or bondman (as Conybeare ‘*•>
it) the South will gain something, aye, much, in
the controversy on slavery, because the term
slave furnishes a much stronger proslavery argu
ment, than does the term servant. It is evident
then, that, so far as the new version shall touch
the subject of slavery, the south has nothing to
lose, and may gain something. I insist, therefore,
that the objection to which I have referred is gone
“like the baseless fabric of a vision.”
Another objection to the Revised English ver
sion is, that it will be the means of dividing many
Baptist Churches. It is supposed the Bible
Union will, by securing the copy right to all its
volumes, amass a vast capital which will enable
it to undersell all other Bible Societies and thus
force its version on the churches, and tear
them asunder. This may be, and so it may snow
to-day, (July 23d,) but it is altogether improbable.
Let us see: If the accumulation of a large capi
tal is to enable the UUp Union to undersell oth
er Bible Societies, it that the undersel
ling will diminish the capital. The greater the
demand for the Union’s version, the greater the
diminution of the capital. Admitting, therefore,
for argument’s sake, that the capital will be large,
an extensive nndersale will speedily so reduce it
that the underselling process will have to he dis
continued, or prove ruinous to the interests of the
Union. If, on the other hand, there is no demand
for the new version, our opponents being judges,
no harm will be done. But where is the great
capital to come from ? Will it be from the sale
of the copyright of the new version ? If the copy
right is sold the*Uuion gives up the control of its
version. How then is the Union to undersell
oilier Bible Societies, through its capital when,
to secure a capital, it has to part with the only
thing it has to sell ? If it gets the capital it will
have nothing to sell ; if it does not get it, it can
not undersell other Bible Societies; for their books
can now be had almost anywhere at cost and
carriage. The managers of the Union are too wise
‘to sell below cost. This part of the objection, it
seems to me, Axils to the ground. And the re
maining portion of it must share a similar fate—
namely, that the new version, forced on the church
es will divide them. Let it be remembered that
the immense capital of the Union is to bring about
this result by enabling the Union to undersell all
other Bible societies, thus forcing its version on
the churches, Ac. This is the strength of the ob
jection. I have shown that when the Union gets
the capital, there will he nothing for it to sell, and
that it cannot therefore, undersell. But suppose
capital H million of
force its version on the churches ? Never. If it
should give its version away this could not be
clone. A premium of one thousand, or ten thou
sand dollars, given to a church to induce its adop
tion would be considered an insult and would be
an insult. The man who supposes that the new ver
sion of the English Scriptures can be forced on Bap
tist churches, is not acquainted with as independent
Baptist Churches as 1 know. Baptists are the last
people to he forced. They are emphatically in
favor of voluntary action. If the new version can
not be forced on our churches how is it to divide
them ? Tt will perhaps be said that in some
churches a majority will prefer the new version,
and that this will drive off - the minority. Blit a
minority must not act so foolishly, It must ac
quiesce in the decision of the majority. If a ma
jority of a church shall prefer that the common
version shall be used in its public services, let it by
all means be done. And if a majority shall pre
fer the new version let. it be used. Every brother
can have his preference in his scripture readings
at home. It will be transcendent folly if any
Baptist church is divided by the new version,- —
There is no necessity for it. 1 now preach to two
churches. If one shall prefer the new version I
shall use it in our public services ; if the other
shall prefer the old, I shall use it. If brethren
will act discreetly the new version w ill in vole them
in no difficulties. And here we see one of the
excellences of the independent form of church gov
eminent. No general Assembly or General Con
ference can dictatorial!)’ require an independent
clmrch to use any particular version of the scrip
tures. Baptist doctrine is that there is no author
ity higher than the church. This is the doctrine
of the Bible.
. Ilavinu now'. Mr. Editor, written as inauy
h - .
‘♦nevisioii of the English Scriptures, allow me to
thank you very kindly for the courtesy you have
shown me in their publication. The Lord abun
dantly bless you and all the readers of your pa
per. .1. M. PENDLETON.
For the Index.
The Proposed lilission to Burmah.
Dear 80. Dagg :—I have obseived, in a late
number of your paper, an editorial in reference to
the establishment of a Mission Station in Burmah,
by the Southern Baptist Convention. It is not
my design to discuss the expediency of what lias
been proposed, hut 1 feel it my duty, as one who
desires the peace as well as the prosperity of Zion,
to suggest, for the consideration of our Foreign
Mission Board, the inquiry whether the establish
ment of a Mission in Burmah would not tend to
introduce, among the Mission Stations there, the
anti-slavery question, which is now unhappily ag
itating onr own country, and threatening a disso
lotion of our National Union ?
It should he remembered, that it was from Bur
mah that a certain Missionary sent hack to an an
ti slavery Society, a portion of the funds which we
had contributed for his support, to aid in the escape
of our slaves! In the letter in which it was in
closed, lie says, “ I have an invincible hatred to
slavery.—lt is tht foulest blot on the American
flag !—The greatest sin that ever clothed itself un
der the cover of Christianity /”—Much more of the
same character is added, and he closes with an
application of the motto, “ Delenda est Carthago!’
See Mr. Mason’s Letter, dated May 2, 1844, in the
Christian Index of Feb. 28, 1845.
JOS. S. BAKER.
For the Index
To the Churches of the Flint River Association.
Dear Brethren :—As a watchman upon the
walls of Zion within your bounds, I trust I may
be at liberty to address you on a subject, which
deeply concerns your peace and prosperity. Ido
it the more freely, because I am not sensible of
any political bias or prejudice either for one party
or another, unless indeed it may be the interest I
feel in the triumph of the Temperance cause
No one can charge me with meddling in political
strifes. Yet, when I see that the subject of politics
has been introduced (in a resolution I believe,)
into the conference of one of our churches, and
the Baptists are appealed to, through the secular
press, to consider whether they ought “to retain
in full fellowship those who are in full member
ship “with one of the leading political parties of
the day, T cannot but have serious apprehensions
for our peace and harmony. I cannot but believe
that, whan the present storm oi excitement shall
have passed over, those of our brethren who are
thus seeking to thrust this firebrand into your
midst, will deeply deplore the part they are now
acting.
On the other hand, as a minister of some ex
perience and observation, 1 counsel you to refuse to
admit any such matters into your conferences. —
Ifyou do admit them, strife, and contention, and
division will inevitably ensue. The Moderators
of our Conferences have it in their power to ar
rest such evils at the threahold, by refusing to en
tertain any motion or resolution on the subject of
politics, in any of its aspects or bearings. I have
every confidence that, our ministers have faithful
ness and independence enough to meet the respon
sibilities of their position in these troublous times,
and that our churches will abundantly sustain
them. In the fellowship of the Gospel,
J. 11. CAMPBELL.
the IMS.
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 9.
All arrearages are charged at *2 60 per annum,
or 6 cents per number. For all payment.-: in advance
idle paper is furnished at p 2 00 per annum, or -1 cents
per number.
* Violations *f the Sabbath.
One of the daily newspapers of Richmond, Va.,
the Richmond Enquirer, has announced its inten
tion to have no more printing done on the Sabbath.
We hope this good example will he followed by
ul) th dailies of Richmond and other cities that
are incurring the displeasure of*~iiini who said
“six days shalt thou work and do all thy labor,
but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God. In it it thou shalt do no work.”
The printing of newspapers on the Sabbath is
one of the evil effects of Sunday mails. When
the post office delivers the news, the newspaper
publisher, unwilling to be outstripped in enter
prise, feels called upon to publish it without de
lay. The question then with him is between Sun
day work on the one hand, and succumbing to
rivals on the other, who are disposed to bring
out their papers with dispatch at all hazards.
\ Christians ought to he very active in shaping
public sentiment so as to overcome this evil. If
they will not set their faces decidedly against
Sunday labor, worldly men will not. Has the
salt lost its savor ? Is there not influence enough
among the people of God, to change the curient
of public opinion on this subject. Let this ques
tion be agitated and agitated till the T J . O. De
partment is compelled to give universal holiday
to all its employees ; then our railroads and news
paper publishers will have less excuse for violating
the Lord’s dav.
Mutilation for Sectarian Purposes.
Elder S. S. Lattimore, of Macon, Miss., in a let
ter to the Tennessee Baptist, states that some
years go, he saw in the hands of Rev. R. Bur
row, a copy of Wesley’s Notes, in which the
phrase “by immersion” was omitted in Mr. Wes
ley’s comment on Romans 6; 4. The sentence as
the author wrote it ran thus: “alluding to the an
cient manner of baptizing by immersion.” The
publisher, or someone else, is responsible for era
sing the last two words, and thus attempting to
conceal Mr. Wesley’s opiniex, primitive
baptism., - He^, iV
\o do very 7 weak, of he woulu
necessary to resort to a trick ft* purpose of
misleading the reader.
Our Methodist friends owe it to themselves, to
have this trick exposed. A publisher or compiler
who would mutilate or modify the expressions of
an author to suit his own views, without giving
notice of the liberty he is taking, is not worthy of
public confidence.
Missions in Burmah.
A few weeks ago, we presented some consider
ations in favor of establishing missions in Bur
mah under the charge of Southern Baptists. We
cheerfully give place to an article on the oilier side,
from the pen of brother J. S. Baker. How far
the danger of coming into collision with our North
ern brethren on the slavery question, should pre
vent us from attempting to establish Southern
Baptist Missions in Burmah, is a point which ad
mits of debate, and should not be decided with
out prayerful and mature consideration. It will
give us pleasure to publish anything that may tend
to throw light upon a very important question in
tiie movements of Southern Baptists. The diffi
culty suggested by brother Baker is doubtless a
formidable one, hut not such, we think, as to sug
gest the expediency of dismissing the subject, and
abandoning all thoughts of attempting a mission
in the Bunnan Empire.
Religious Controversy.
“The advocate of truth should be kind and
corteous to those who honestly differ from him ;
ever hearing in mind that they have as much right
to their opinions as lie has to his, and that their
opinions are entitled to as much respect from linn
as his from them. And above all, remembering
that no man is to he abused, ridiculed, or even
depreciated on account of his conscientious • opin
ions. Conscience is a sacred monitor placed with
in the breast of every man to be bis guide in mat
ters of duty, and lie who dares invade its right,
or depreciate, his fellow for the exercise of that
right for which God has made him responsible, is
presumptuously treading where even an arch-angel
would not dare to follow: for when the arch-an
gel Michael disputed with the Devil, though he
doubtless knew himself to be right, yet he dared
not bring against him a railing accusation.
What then shall be thought of many of the re
ligious controversialists of the present and of past
ages, who scruple not to deal out invective and
abuse without measure upon their opponents for
no other crime than an honest difference of opin
ion. We may pity and we should enlighten and
instruct when in our power, but we cannot inno
cently condemn even the most ignorant and su
perstitious of God’s creatures for an honest per
formance of what he conscienciously believes to he
right.”
The Biblical Recorder closes an article on the
subject of Religious Controversy, with the forego
ing well timed remarks.
A The controversalist is in great danger of becom
ing more zealous for the success of his party than
for the triumph of truth, and his aversion to error
not unfrequently degenerates into resentment to
wards the errorist. Hence it is not impossible for
a champion of Orthodoxy to do more harm by his
hitter invectives, than he does good by his logical
conclusions. Abusive personalities may give spice
to the argument, hut they injure rather than ben
efit the cause in which they are enlisted. We
may silence, mortify, or enrage an opponent by
abuse, but we can convince or reform them only
by “the truth in love.”
Die position of Baptists necessarily compels them
to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered
to the saints; but having the truth on their side,
they can well afford to be both just and generous
to their antagonists. It is to he regretted that
Baptists ever weaken their cause by indulging in
a spirit at variance with the principles of gentle
manly courtesy and Christian propriety. Happy
would it he for the prosperity of our denomina
tion, were our pulpit and press more fully imbued
with the Spirit of Christ, and more solicitous for
truth than for victory.
Alabama University.— At the late annual
meeting of the Board ol Trustees of Alabama
University, Dr. L. C. Garland was elected Presi
dent, in place of Dr. Manly, who resigned to take
charge of the Wentworth street Baptist Church,
Charleston. Prof. Tourney who left the Universi
ty to become State Geologist, was elected to tin
chair of Chemistry. He is expected to return to
tli.i I n.’ ‘*-*
as State Geologist are at an end. Mr. <**>, & v,
Benaugli was elected to the chair of Mixed Math
ematics. Rev. Joshua H. Foster w'as appointed
Assistant Professor of Mathematics, but lie has
declined the appointment.
Columbian College. —The indications of the
prosperity of Columbian College, at Washington
City are very encouraging. It will be seen from
an advertisement in another column, that the
Trustees have been fortunate in securing the ser
vices of an able Faculty. A correspondent of the
New York Observer refers thus to the late Com
mencement: “This institution was set up chiefly
through the exertions of Rev. Luther Rice, re
membered as a Baptist Missionary. Great ex
pectations were entertained of its prosperity on
account of its locality l . But the dull shadow of a
republican government is unpropitious to the
growth of literature. The people in this country
must carry 7 into effect, the objects of education.—
Many excellent scholars and useful men have been
educated at this institution, but there are no State
associations about it. The Faculty has just been
organized, and Rev. Dr. Binney, of Georgia, plac
ed at its bead. Avery superior inaugural ad
dress be delivered as the closing exercise of Com
mencement, after having received in official style
the keys of the College from the hands of the
President of the Board of Trustees, Col. J. L. Ed
wards. The ceremony was impressive. There
will be at the resumption of College exercises in
September a large acquisition to the number of
students. Prof. Jewett, late Librarian to the
Smithsonian, is appointed Professor ofßhetoric.
President Monroe, in 1821, highly recommended
this institution on account of its proximity to Con
gress and the Supreme .Court, because attendance
part of the education of the pupils ot .
lege.”
The Richmond Female Institute,, under the’
charge of the Rev. B. Manly, jr., held its first com
mencement on the S'i'th of June. The Richmond
papers speak of the exercises in glowing terms.—
The address before the Philomathean Society
was made by the Rev. John A. Broaddus. The
compositions of the young ladies were read by
several gentlemen who are accustomed to public
speaking.
Base Imposition.
We copied from the Temperance Banner a mar
riage notice which afterwards proved to he spuri
ous. We therefore copy the Banner’s explanation
in justice to the gentleman who has been made
the victim of a cowardly trick.
“Some contemptible dealer in small rascality
imposed upon us, by sending us a notice of the
marriage of C. L. Redwine and Miss Charity Orr.
We have searched in vain for the manuscript. It
had, as we thought, a responsible name, and as a
matter of course we published it. The man that
would do such a trick is none too good to steal.
We earnestly hope that he may he discovered and
receive the horse whipping that such pretty mean
ness so richly merits.”
Report of Board of Visitors—Georgia Female
College.
The Board of Visitors have just performed the
very pleasing duty of attending the annual exam
ination and Commencement of this Institution.—
We would congratulate the country at large upon*
the many advantages here afforded for the educa
tion of the daughters of our land. The prosper
ity and usefulness of this young, hut already dis
tinguished seminary of learning, must give sincere
gratification to its numerous patrons and l friends..
Whilst Madison should he proud of Georgia, Geor
gia has many reasons to be pioud _£ Madison ,
and among these stands pre-eminently high, the.
fact tlfat it contains the Georgia Fomale College.,
one of the brightest stars in the shining constel
lations of American female institutions.
The highest compliment to the young ladies of
the College would he a simple statement, of the
manner in which they acquitted themselves-on ev
ery occasion.
On Friday, the examinations were conducted
on a novel plan, which combined the double ad
vantage of giving longer time to each class, yeC
shortening the aggregate time_of the whole. In
few words, the work of three days was accomplish
ed in one. Although called private, many visit
ors were psesent. The examiation was rigid and
impartial; so conducted, that none could haVe the
slightest intimation of the subject to he propound
ed until appearing on the floor. The prompt and
correct recitations evinced a thorough acquaintance
with the subject under consideration.—Such pro
ficiency had been attained in the various depart
ments of study as almost to preclude a selection
for a particular notice. We would suggest, how
ever, that this institution deserves the highest en
comium for the high position which it has assigned
to the mathematics. This instructive and useful
department of science, receives hut a subordinate
attention in the most of Female Colleges, being
thought too difficult to he extensively pursued, ex
cept by masculine intellects. The opinion, how
ever, can he no longer entertained by any of those
who witnessed the recent excellent examination of
the young ladies in the abstruse branches of anal
ytical geometry, conic sections, and plain and sphe
rical trigonometry.
The system of Mnemonics, as taught in this in
stitution, deserves particular attention. A practi
cal exhibition of the success of the ladies who at-
August