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JOSEPH WALKER, E DITOR.
Yol. XXXYI. —New Series, Yol. 25.
Cjit Christian JnkL
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY,
AT MACON, GA.,
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GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION.
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Cnmtstt&nu.
For the Index.
Duty of Church Members to attend
THEIR CONFERENCES REGULARLY.
We argue in the first place, that it is
the duty of church members to attend
their Conferences regularly, because they
have given themselves to God and the
church, and said by so doing, that they
were willing to be governed by the deco
rum of the church with which they have
united. Now the decorums of the most
of our churches say, that it shall be the
duty of ever male member to attend the
meetings of the church, especially the
conferences.
We argue in the next place, that it is
the duty of church members to attend
their Conferences regularly, because these
are meetings appointed by the church for
the transaction of the business of the
church. Now if the church has a day
appointed for business, and fails to meet,
this business must be neglected, no mat
ter how important it be. Perhaps some
member may come to the conclusion that
he can stay away and this business can
be transacted as well without his presence
as with it. Now if one member has the
right to stay away, (unless he is provi
dentially hindered) and leave the business
of the church for the balance to perform,
another has the same right, and another,
and so the whole church has the same
right, and according to this rule, our
churches would soon die ; and remove our
churches and the preaching of the Gospel
from our land, and *we will soon become
idolatrous, and be placed on a level with
the Pagan nations of the earth.
We further argue, that it is the duty of
church members to attend their confer
ence regularly, because this is the only
place that they have an opportunity of
discharging some important duties that
are resting upon them as church mem
bers. It is frequently the case, in our
conference meetings that we have a call
for contributions to defray the necessary
expenses of the church. We believe it is
the duty of every member to contribute
something to defray these expenses. We
are taught in the Scriptures, that we
should “ be ready to communicate,” will
ing to contribute. We are also taught
that “ the Lord loveth the cheerful giver,”
and that w the liberal soul shall be made
fatand we have abundant Scriptures
teaching us that it is our duty to give ;
and that there should be “ equality” in
giving. Now if wc are absent from our
Conference meetings when these calls are
made, we not only fail to discharge our
own duty, but we burden others with du
ties that we should perform ourselves.
Church members should attend their
Conference meetings, regularly, because
it is very important in dealing with disor
derly members that the whole church be
present, that if a member has been guilty
j'’ ‘’ ~ ~ ‘
of a crime that he ought to be excluded
from the church for, he mav be excluded
by the whole church, and not by a portion
of its members, and afterwards say he did
hot have justice, because he was excluded
by a few members of the church.
It is also sometimes the case that a
member will be absent from his confer
ence-meeting, and the chiirch will exclude
a member, or transact some other import
ant business, and he will icomplain at the
action of the church, and say, this thing
was not done right, it ought to have been
done some other way. AH we have got
to say to such persons is, attend your con
ferences regularly , and have things done
as they ought to be done.
The doors of our churches are always
opened in our confererffc meetings, and
it is certainly the duty of the members of
the church to be present, if any should
offer themselves for membership (and are
worthy of a name and a place among
God’s children) to welcome them and
show to them that they are loved, to
encourage them to persevere in the great
cause they have espoused.
We are taught that we are “bought
with a price” and that we should “ there
fore glorify God in our bodies and in our
spirits, which are God’s.” By punctual
attendance at Conference meetings, we
“glorify God,” and show to the world
that we love God, and that we love his
cause. If we fail to attend our conferen
ces regularly, we displease God, grieve
his spirit, and our souls will become bar
ren, and it robs us of peace, and we will
be very apt to get into a state of spiritual
apathy, and our influence will be bad on
our brethren} withering in its effects; we
will affect others, and lull them into the
same state of lethargy. Thus we shall
injure the church, take away its vigor,
render its influence almost powerless, and
rejoice its adversaries. And our influence
will be bad on the world. Men will see
that our religion ia not the religion of
Christ and his Apostles. We will hinder
the conversion of souls, harden skeptics,
and confirm infidels. If these things be
so, it is certainly the duty of church
members to attend their conferences regu
larly. J. N. EMBREY.
For the Index.
The Doctrine of Election.
God’s elect are to be gathered into his
fold, and the preaching of the Gospel is
the ordinary means by which God has
purposed to save his elect to the ends of
the earth. For it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them
that believe : 1 Cor. i: 21. I wish here
to ask the objector a few questions: Do
you believe that the sinner can save him
self? You answer no. Do you believe
those that are saved, are saved by the
grace of God through the merits of
Christ ? You answer I do. Do you
believe all men will be saved? You will
answer no. Why? Because God has
said : “ Except a man be born again he
cannot see the Kingdom of God.”—John
iii, 3. “He that believeth not shall be
damned.”—Mark xvi, 16. “ All men
have not faith.”—2 Thes. iii, 2. It is then
evident that all will not be saved. Do
you think God could save more if it were
bis purpose to do so? Certainly I do.—
“Then it is not of him th&t willeth, nor
of him ‘that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy.”—Rom. ix, 16. “ Not by
might nor by power, but l>y mj- oplrlt,
saitli the Lord of host.”’- —Zech. iv, 6. —
Here then is the doctrine under consider
ation. Why should it alarm or be objec
tionable to any ? Do let God work in his
own way to save For if he does
not save then are all lost, yes forever lost.
“ There is none that seeketh after God :
they are all gone out of the way, they are
together become unprofitable: there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.”—Rom.
iii, xi, 12.
“Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man :
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.
Grace first inscribed my name,
In God’s eternal book:
‘Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.”
Then let all sing,
“ Grace ’tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear.”
I am still aware that there will be ob
jections and difficulties that will come up
in the minds of some. But friend, Avho
art thou, that repliest against God ? This
doctrine does not destroy your moral
agency, for the one is as clearly taught in
the Bible as the other. Let me give you
ORGAN OF THE BAPTIST COJSrsnBHTTOUT OF THE STATE OF GKEOHOOLA.-
a few passages: “ Choose you this day
whom you will serve.”—Josh, xxiv, 15.— |
“Wilt thou be made whole.”—John v, 6.
“We will not have this* man to reign over
us. - ” —Luke xix, 14. “ And ye will not
come to me that ye might have life.”—
John v, 40. “ After thy hardness and
impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thy
self wrath against the day of wrath, and
the revelation of the righteous
of God.”—Rom. ii, 5. Now if the sinner
will not have Christ for his King: If he
will not come to Christ that he might
have life, let none blame God if he is lost.
There is no want cf merit in the blood of
Christ. The sinner that will come may
come. But sinner, it may be that you
have chosen and love the way of death,
more than the way of life.
The doctrine of election and man’s mor
al agency unite and harmonize I have no
doubt: but the link that connects them
I do not profess to see. There seems to
be a wrapper around the link that con
nects the two together so that I can’t see
precisely where the unite, so I will wait
until I get to Heaven, then I will see and
still sing grace, grace. lam also aware
that, there are some that think the Gospel
is not preached unless predestination and
election are proclaimed in every discourse.
What a mistake. There are other great
truths that must be preached. The fall,
total depravity, repentance, faith, obedi
ence, all preached and believed and done,
that God has taught and required; but
trust in no human effort as meritorious.
We must come to Christ in the spirit of
the poet :
“ Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.”
C. C. WILLIS.
Steam Factory, Ga.
Southern Baptist Sunday School
CONVENTION.
3rd. It is found, in all other public en
terprises, to be indispensable.
What Hid we ever do in the cause of
missions, either at home or abroad, or for
publications, or in the cause of education,
until conventions, societies, &c., were
formed for their promotion. How is it
that politicians raise such excitements as
to move to the centre a whole nation?
It is done by holding political conven
tions, auxilary clubs, Ac., &c., and then
herald on every breeze, through their pa
pers, their sentiments. And my candid
opinion is, after many years anxious study
of the subject, that the great reason why
so little has been done in the cause of
Sabbath Schools by us in the South, has
been owing to the want of some means of
co-operation and general plans of labor;
just such as may be furnished by jliis pro
posed Convention.
The success which has attended the
limited efforts of our Sabbath School Com- j
mittee in Georgia has clearly demonstra- j
ted this proposition.
4th. The relation we sustain to other
denominations in this peculiar work makes
it important.
In some important respects, all other
denominations, even in the South, are far
in advance of us. They not only in ma
ny places have the, advantage in their su
perior number of Sunday Schools, hut
they have hundreds of the children- of
Baptist familes in them. But more than
all, they have their own publications, each
denomination distinctively, by which
they teach positively and distinctly their
own peculiar v lews “or THe Bible. Where
as Baptists have not a Sunday School
Book to their name. The best we can do
is to use the “Sunday School Union
Books,” and we are the only denomina
tion that do use them. There may be a
few little Baptist hooks at the North, but
by no means suitable to onr wants in the.
South.
Now, my brother, are we always’ to sub- ;
mit to this humiliating state of things
And how can it more likely and more
speedily be remedied than by the forma
tion ot a general Sunday School Conven
tion. There the united wisdom, piety,
talent, money and efforts of our people
would be made available in supplying
these deficiencies, and also devise w r ays
and means by which these means might
be put into effectual operation.
sth. The relation we sustain to the
North makes it important.
What can we look or hope for by any
longer turning our eyes,’ especially as Bap
tists, to that quarter. It avails us not
that we have given them thousands and
hundreds of thousands of dollars, to build
up their publication and other interests.
MACON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1857.
Have we not been forcibly reminded of
the man who was deeply stung by the
reptile which he laid in his bosom to re
store it to life ? Has not the last link been
broken recently, that bound us to the
North ?*rhe course left us to pursue is
plain and inevitable—we must look to
our own resources—we must raise our
own money, must have jour own publica
, tion societies— Southern Baptists must
write our own books and Southern Bap
tists must use them.
Is it not high time, then, my brother,
that we had awaked out of sleep and gone
to work —yes, go vigorously to work,
there is- no use longer to talk over these
matters without it; and in order that we
may understand what to do and how to
do it, and that we may walk in concert,
let us send up a strong delegation from
Georgia to organize this Nashville Con
vention. I have just read a letter from
those dear brethren who aided in making
this appointment. They propose for each
Association which may meet before that
time, to appoint delegates; also for Sab
bath Schools to send at least one, and for
as many ministers and other brethren that
can volunteer to go to that Convention ;
and as Georgia is the first State in the
South to move in this great and good
cause, surely she will not he behind now
in aiding to form this Convention which
she has for three years invited her sister
States to aid her in forming.
Come, dear brethren, let us just this
one time come up to the help of the Lord
against the mighty. To the cause of Sab
bath Schools, to the Baptist cause, which
is the cause of Jesus, this is an important
and auspicious crisis. Now is the accept
ed time. And let brethren remember
that in locating any interests pertaining
to this cause it is important that we should
have a voice therein.
j You will do me and the friends of the
I t>wsc aTavOT,"~my~Tn r^
I this article, hastily written, in the Index
|as early as convenient. The South-West
ern Baptist and Tennessee Baptist will
please copy.
Yours in the love of God,
J. E. SHARPE.
For the Index.
Keeping the Sabbath.
“And he said unto tlffem, The Sabbath
was made for man, and not man for the
Sabbath.” Mark 2 : 27.
“In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth,” the light, the fir
mament, the sun, the moon, the stare,
fish, fowl, beast, cattle and man. Having
finished the work of creation, “He rested
on the seventh day from all his work
which God created and made.”
This was the first Sabbath and was kept
|by God himself, sacred and holy. In Ex
! odus, we are commanded to “remember
the Sabbath day to keep it holy: Six days
shalt thou labor and do all thy work: But
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daugh
ter, thy man servant, nor thy maid ser
vant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that
is within thy gates; for in six days the
Lord made the heavens and the earth, the
sea and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day and hallowed it.”
We observe in the first place, that as
man was made before the Sabbath day,
subsequent to man’s that the
Sabbath was not made and set apart, an cf
then man made on purpose to regard it
with veneration, —not that the Sabbath
was appointed that man should consecrate
it, as if he had been created designedly
to reverence it, —but man was first made
and then the Sabbath was instituted in
order to benefit man by giving him hours
of rest, hours of devotion, which will, if
observed, advance his interest, happiness
and spiritual improvement. Hence, we
see clearly that it was instituted chiefly to
encourage in man the fear and love of
God, by giving him leisure for religious
exercises and appointing their observance.
Whatever is enjoined upon man in regard
to the Sabbath, which has not for its
end man’s instruction in religion, his com
munion with his God in worship, which
debars him from necessary bodily refresh
ment, and would disqualify him for giv
ing utterance to praise and expression of
gratitude to his master, would be making
man inferior to the Sabbath, the servant
of a day, a ceremonial distinction without
purpose or effect; whereas, by not fixing
the attention upon the true end of the in
stitution, it is made subordinate to its
primitive and noble intention, to-wit:
The promotion of piety, peace and holi
ness ; and it appears that the Sabbath was
made for man —was appointed by God for
his spiritual and eternal benefit.
In Nehemiah 9: 13, 14, the Levites
make a religious confession of God’s good
ness to them, in making known unto them
his holy Sabbath and giving to them pre
cepts, statutes and lajvs by the hand of
Moses. The prophet, Isaiah in chapter
58, declares to the Jews, what promises
are due unto Godliness and keeping the
Sabbath.
Again, in Ezekiel the twentieth chap
ter, God promised the rebellious Israelites
that if they would hallow the Sabbath
and would walk in his statutes, and keep
his judgments and do them, “that they
shall be a sign between me and you, that
ye may know that I am the Lord your
God.”
We would however remark, that al
though it is said in Scripture, that the
Sabbath was made for man no laxity of
religious regard for the Sabbath can be
, justified by the sentiment.
Woe to those who thus pervert the
words of truth and mercy. ALPHA.
Dialogue.
Christian Era. —“ Who ever read that
Paul ordained Timothy for the Baptist
denomination ? though we do not doubt
that Timothy was a Baptist.”
Christian Index. — “ Who ever dream
ed that Paul ordained Timothy for the
Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic or Epis
copalian denomination ? when none of
these sects existed in his time.”
Era. —“We lack the evidence that to
not re-ordain and accredited minister com
ing to us from an evangelical denomina
tion, is inconsistent with custom, good
reason and sound faith.”
Index. —“ Well, in the absence of all
other evidence, will not that of common
‘ swiwe srrfli'ce 7
Era.— “ But we deny that there is any
Scripture authority for re-ordaining a Gos
pel minister; and without such authority,
consistent Baptists will never do it any
more thpn they, will re-baptize one who
has been immersed in the Gospel order.”
Index. —“ Consistent Baptists will both
baptize persons coming to them from Pe
dobaptist churches, and re-ordain Pedo
baptist ministers before they will accept
them as Baptist pastors.”
Era. —“ Will our brother deny that
there are Gospel ministers in other de
nominations ?’’
Index. —“ Certainly, unless our brother
has found anew meaning for the word
Gospel .”
Era. —“ Does he never recognize them
as such ?”
Index. —“ Never as Gospel ministers,
for the reason that they never preach the
whole Gospel.”
Era. —“ The practice (now almost en
tirely obsolete) of re-ordaining a man
whom we have for years spoken of and
recognized as a minister of Christ, is the
deformed offspring of bigotry and exclu
siveness.
Index. —“ This logic invites the conclu
sion that long continued indulgence in
error may change error into truth, and
heresy into souud doctrine—“ the deform
offspring of a senseless charity.”
Era.— “ So far as our personal knowl
edge has extended, we must say we have
never known of a single instance of re-or
daining of a minister coming to us from
an evangelical [Pedobaptist] denomina
tion.”
Index. —“ This may all he true, and it
only shows that you have been surround
ed by erroneous influences as to this ques
tion, and that your personal knowledge
ot Baptist faith and practice has not been
very extensive.”
Era. —“ When Ilackett, Remington
and Jewett came to us, were they re-or
dained ? No verily.”
Index.—Consequently—notwithstand
ing their talents and high standing—not
one of them could ever officiate as the
pastor of a Baptist church in the South,
till ordained by a Baptist Presbytery.”
Era. —Crowell (see church member’s
Manual, pp. 105-7,) says the essential act
in ordination is the calling of a man by a
church to the ministry. Tli e formal ordi
nation service is simply a recognition of
the inward calling by Jesus Christ.—
Haynes takes the same view and says,
‘The re-ordaining qf ministers, though
sometimes done is neither necessary nor
proper;’ and these views are probably
correct.”
GEORGIA TELEGRAPH STEAM PRESS
Index. —“ And who, pray, has ever/.re
garded these works as standard authorities
on this point? Why they are but sel
dom heard of, and less frequently read.”
Era.— “We must receive them” [Pe
dobaptist ministers] “just as they are—
we cannot receivethem as anything else.”
Index. •“ I bat is, ot course, as ordain
ed by an presbytery, to sprin
kle water upon the heads of unconcious
babies! Dear brother Era, would you
not better rusticate for a season on the
classic hills of Jericho?”
N. S. Presbyterian Convention.
The following are the preambles and reso
lutions that were considered in the New
School Presbyterian Convention, at its late
session in Richmond, Virginia:
Whereas, all acts, resolutions and testimo
nies of past General Assemblies, and espe
cially the action of the last General Assembly
whereby suspicions and doubts of the
standing and equal rights and privileges ot
slaveholding members of the Church, or im
putations or charges against their Christian*
character, has been either implied or express
ed, are contrary to the example and teaching
of Christ and h*s Apostles, and are a violation
of the Constitution of the Presbyterian
Church.
And, whereas, the relation of master and
servant, in itself considered, or further than
the relative* duties arising therefrom, and
slavery as an institution of the State, do not
properly belong to the Church judicatories r
as subjects for discussion and enquiry.
And whereas, iu the judgment of this Con
vention, there is no prospect of the cessation
of this agitation of slavery the General As
sembly, so long as there are slaveholders in
connection with the church—therefore
Resolved. That in the judgment of this
Convention, nothing can be made the basis
for discipline in the Presbyterian church
which is not especially referreifto in the con
stitution as crime or heresy.
Resolved , That Ike General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church has no power to
pronounce sentence of condemnation on a
lower judicatory or on individual, for any
cause, unless they have been brought before
% Assembly in this way prescribed by the
Constitution.
\ Resolved, ThatTbeTJonvebtion recommend
to all Presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church
which are opposed to the agitation of slavery
in the highest judicatory of the church, to
appoint delegates in the proportion prescrib
ed by our form of government for the ap
pointment of commissioners to the Assemblv
to meet at Knoxville, Tennessee, on the 3d
Thursday in May, 1958, for the purpose of or
ganizing a General Synod, under the name of
“The United Synod of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America.”
Resolved , That the members of this con
vention adhere to, and abide by, the confes
sion of faith of the Presbyterian Church, as
containing the system of doctrine taught in
the Holy Scriptures ; and that we adhere to
the form of Governmedt and Book of Disci
pline of said church.
The Beautiful.
Come in the calmness of the twilight
hour, when the zephyrs gently play among
the branches of moving trees —when the
birds are caroling their evening songs
and muse on earth’s beautiful objects.—
All nature is lovely, from the blue sky
above us to the springing grass at our
feet; from the mighty ocean to the rip
pling streamlet passing gently by among
the shrubbery. And charming indeed is
the cool fragrant air of the morn, and the
gentle breezes of evening. The spark
ling ray of the sun, and the pale silvery
beams of the moon and stars, that lend
their influence to illuminate our earth are
beautiful. Even the birds, as they tune
their sweet voices, teach us a lesson of
cheerfulnest—inspire within our breasts
a love of the beautiful. The rosy diin
pied-cheeked child enjoying its innocent
plays—the ruby, noble spirited youth, and
even the aged with heads already blos
somed for the graVR. each feel that life has
some sunny spots—some halcyon days.
Some tell of the disappointments,
the partings, the bitter tears; they may
tell ot death and the grave, but you who
are good, say, is not this a happy world of
ours after all ? Do you not remember some
bright joyous day, when the world seem
ed as one pleasant dream, and no cloud
dimmed the clear sky ot hope and
’ perity ? Does not memory recall the in
nocent sports of childhood, the happy
hours spent with young companions, and
the kind friends who hovered around
stiewing our path with flowers of tender
ness and affection ? Think ot the pleasant
smiles, the hours ot sweet communion
with the loving ones of earth, and then
join the song of all nature that beauty
dwells in every path. Ye who say it is
bitter, cruel, think O! think again—gaze
on all lite s attractive objects, taste the
pleasures of a well spent life, and joyous
will be your meditations, calm and serene
your spirits. Life will pass as a pleasant
dream, and death will only be a passport
to a more genial clime—angels will waft
your spirit, on their glittering wings to
the Elysian fields above, and there soft
strains of music shall foreverfall in sweet
accents on your ear.— Ex.
. NUMBER 40.