Newspaper Page Text
JOSEPH VALKEE, Editor.
Vol. XXXYL— New Series, Yol. 25.
Cje <%islian strtrtT,
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY,
AT MACON, 6A.,
BY A COMMITTEE OP BRETHREN, FOR THE
GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION.
TEKMS-
Fifty numbers in the year are mailed to each subscri
ber for $2.50, or $2.00 In advance. * < TT ****'<
Discontinuance may be ordered by the subscri
bers at the close of any year, provid'd all arrearages
have been paid, or by the Editor, at his discretion,
whenever more than one year’s subscription is due.
Any person who remits $lO in advance for five
new subscribers, may receive the paper for one year.
Any minister of the Gospel who remits $8 in ad
vance for four new subscribers, may receive the paper
one year.
Advertisement at the regular charge will be One
Dollar per square of ten lines or less, for the first in
sertion, and Fifty Cents for each subsequent insertion.
All advertisements not specified as to time, will be pub
lished until forbid and charged accordingly; A liberal
discount allowed to those who advertise by the year.
Communications should be addressed to the Chris
tian Index, Macon, Ga.
Professional and Business Men*
Professional and Business Cards will be inserted
under this head, at the following rates, vis:
For three lines, per annum $ 5 00
“ Seven lines, do 10 00
“Ten lines, do 12 00
“ Twelve lines, do ...16 00
No advertisements of this class will be admitted, un
less paid for in advance, nor for a less term than twelve
months. Advertisements of over twelve lines will be
charged fro rata. Advertisements not paid for in ad
vance will be charged at the regular rates.
The Office of the Christian Index is on Mul* I
berry Street, over Baptist Book Store, and next door
to the Lanier House. Persons having business with
the office will find the Editor ready to receive them
during the usual business hours of the city.
Cmmwiaifw.
For the Index.
The Lord’s Supper—No. 2.
In our last, speaking of the nature of
the Supper, our first proposition -was, that
it is a specific rite. We now propose
showing in the second place, that the Sup
per is an ordinance of the church. • If
this proposition be true (which all admit)
then it follows that the celebration of the
Supper can only take place when a church
have convened together for the purpose
of transacting business, and therefore in
conference. This view of the subject is
sustained by God’s word. In the last
great commission, Christ commanded his
Apostles first to teach or disciple; 2d, to
baptize (the taught); and lastly, to teach
them, (the baptised) all things, &c.—
Amongst all the things to be taught, those
who were baptized, stands the Supper.—
Thus the inspired Apostlesunderstood the
last commission of their Master. Paul,
in writing his first letter to the church at
Corinth, reproves and instructs them, (the
church) toucliing the Sacrament. Thus
he writes: “Fear first of all when ye
come together in the chwchfi &c., (that
is in church capacity). Thus the Apostle
goes on to instruct the Corinthians re
specting the manner in which they were
to approach the holy communion ; he tells
them, “ If any man hunger let him eat at
home,” &c. But why need we labor to
prove a thing acknowledged by all Protes
tants, viz: that the Sacrament is an ordi
nance of the church.
We are often told by members belong
ing (they say) to the different branch
es, (a term not known in Scripture) of
Christ’s church, that the Sacrament is
the “ Lord’s table,” and . therefore all his
dear people should be invited. We are
all agreed as to its being the duty of the
church to invite all her members to par
ticipate in celebrating the Sacrament.—
Why then are- Baptists called close com
munists ? We answer, it is from the fact,
that we do not recognize every organiza
tion that call themselves branches of the
church as really belonging to Christ’s
chnrch. Then we are all equally liberal
as regards its being the duty of mem
bers of the church of Christ to partici
pate in the communion of the Snppeiv—
Here is the point of difference: Thepedo
world can see a great central church, from
which flows a multiplicity of “ branches”
all dependant upon, and amenaMe to this
great center. Notwithstanding, the dif*
ferent “ branches” may differ as widely as
light and darkness, in regard to essential
doctrines, and the ordinances of Christ’s
church, yet we are told they are all
branches of the same vine. How. incon
sistent such strange logic! Baptists re
cognise no such unscriptural churches as
branches, differing widely in their views
of doctrine, Ac. They recognise each
churchas being Mdependentin itself *,iaad
hence amenable to nohierarchy or bishop,
save the only lawgiver in Zion, Christ Je
sus. Again, Pedobaptists pretendthat
there is but little difference in regard to
baptism, the initiatory rite in to the church.
They say (by their acts) that the water
may be applied to the candidate, or the
condidate to or into the water ! Again,
our pedo friends tell us that it is not es
sential whether you baptize children or
adults, beljeyers .or unbelievers! Bap
tists contend that there is but “ one bap
tism,” and but one class of subjects, viz:
adult believers. What is the affinity be
tween Baptists and Pedobaptists ? Does
the union of the two authorize commun
ion f Would you have communion where
there is no union ? Does not God’s word
admonish Baptists to commune with those
only who are consistent ?
Why are Baptists attacked by pedoes
upon the subject of dose communion, in
stead of the true issue: As. to who are el
igible to the Supper, or who are members
of Christ’s church, and therefore entitled
to the Sacrament ? Is it for want of per
ception upon the part of the pedoes, that
they will not attack us upon the true is
sues ? Or rather, are we not driven to the
conclusion that all the “ hue. and cry”
that constantly salute our ears, is designed
mainly, for affect ! It is fonnd to be the
surest method of souring the minds, of the
against the Baptists. “Nar
row hearted,” “ close,” and “ selfish,” are
terms calculated to make a bad impres
sion when applied to a sect of Christians.
As Baptists, we deny the correctness of
any of the above harsh terms, and stand
ready to vindicate ourselves against such
foul stigmas. It seems to us the appella
tions above alluded to would better suit
those from whom they emanate. In two
respects at least, we contend that our pe
do friends are closer than Baptists. First,
they are not willing to award to others
what they claim for themselves. They
claim that baptism must precede the Sup
per ; we claim the same, and yet we must
be called selfish! Again, they are closer
than we, because they do not invite all
whom they baptize. Do they bring sprin
kled children to the communion ? Cer
tainly not. Then here is the large class
of their own recognised membership, who
are never invited to commune at the
Lord’s table! O consistency, what a
jewel! J. M. S.
For the Index.
Seeping the, Sabbath.
The universal obligations of the Sab
bath are unequivocally asserted in these
words r “ The Sabbath was made for
man ;” not for Jews only, or for any one
class or nation of people, but for the whole
of mankind; for man even in his inno
cence, therefore, for all his descendants;
for man considered as a moral and accoun
table being, who needs to hold special in
tercourse with his Maker, who ought to
be detached from worldly cares, that he
may do thiß with a calm and collected
spirit, and who is under obligations in
public assemblies to acknowledge God,
and to keep np the knowledge and influ
ence of truth in the world from age to
age.
This is the meaning of God’s “ blessing
and sanctifying the day,” consecratipg
and setting it apart for such hallowed ser
vices as should bring man into close com
munion with God, and thus secure his
constant blessing.
It is often the case that men abuse this
consecrated day by seeking after worldly
gain ; and take the leisure. hours of the
Sabbath to accomplish their design, of
saving a day in the week. It is often made
a feast day by many professing Godliness;
thus perverting the use and design of its
institution.
I do not suppose it would be sinful for.
a Pastor to dine with one of his flock,
provided there had not been a heavy and
laborious exercise on the part of the ser
vants in preparing the repast; but custom
now-a-days has made this day almost ex
i clqaively a visiting day among relatives,
and hence, the servants are made to work
harder on this day than any other in the
week.
Others employ the day in doing all their
writing. Corresponding and business let
ters are fabricated on the Sabbath, toge
ther with traveling from one place to
another, and many other innovations upon
this holy day, but I forbear.
Is this “ remembering the Sabbath day
to keep it holy"?” Is this regarding the
or THE BAPTIST OOTsTX7TE]SrTXOiT OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
countries because they had not executed
Iris judgmenfß, “ Dttt had despised my
statutes and had polluted my Sabbaths
and their eyes were after their father’s
idols.”
It is recorded in Jeremiah : Thus saith
the Lord; “ Take heed to yourselves, and
bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor
bripg it in by the gates of Jerusalem.—
Neither carry forth a burden out of your
houses on'the Sabbath day; neither do
ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath
day, as I have commanded your fathers.
But they obeyed not, neither inclined
their ear, but made their neck stiff, that
they might not hear nor* receive instruc
tion. And it shall come to pass, if ye
diligently hearken unto me, then this city
shall remain forever, but if ye will not
hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath
day, &c., * * * then will I kindle a fire
in the gates thereof, and it shall devour
the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not
be quenched.”
From this passage it seems that the
keeping of the Sabbath was every thing;
as if it comprehended or would secure
obedience to all his commands ; this to a
great extent is really the case; for such is
the nature of man, such the institution of
the Sabbath, and such the effect which
the keeping of it has upon man, that if he
be obedient to God in this thing, he will
be obedient in other things. “ Then are
ye my friends, when ye do whatsoever I
have commanded you. But if ye do not
hearken to me and do my will, then are
ye my enemies and have no part in inv
resurrection. ~~ ALPHA. ‘
Jefferson Cos., Ga.
Rearing Boys.
We submit the following, in four chap
ters, as it has such a capital local applica
tion just now, and may be read with prof
it by many:
CHAPTER i.
“ What! stay at home for that squal
ling young one ? Catch me to.” And
the young mother threw on a bonnet and
shawl, and humming a gay air, sauntered
out on the promenade. One and another
bowed and smiled as she moved along,
flushed, triumphant and beautiful. A
young man met her iust as she was pass
ing the shop of a well known firm.
“ Ah! out again, Deliah,” he said ear
nestly. “ Where is Charley ?”
“ With Hannah, of course. You don’t
expect me to tie myself to him,” she re
turned.
The young man’s face grew cloudy.—
“ No,” he returned, with a half sigh ; but
I can’t bear to have him left with ser
vants.”
“Qh l well, I can,” she said, and with
a radiant smile left her husband hard at
work, and flitted on.
CHAPTER 11.
“ Answer all his questions? make my
self a slave, as I should be obliged to ?
Oh, no, can’t think of it. If I give him
Mb breakfast and plenty of playthings, I
consider my duty done. I don’t believe
i ininssing over cmldren—let them find out
things as they grow up.”
“ Thorefe the danger,” replied the dear
old la<jy, casting a pitying look upon the
richly embroidered cloak her son’s wife
had, been bent over all day, “they’ll find
out* things that ruin them, unless the
mother be constantly imparting the right
kind of knowledge.”
“ Oh, you want to make him a piece of
perfection like his father; well, I can’t
say I do. I don’t like these faultless men.
See—now isn’t the contrast beautiful ?
Come here, Charley, lovey, he shall have
the handsomest cloak in the whole city.”
chapter in.
“A cigar! bless me, what a boy, and
Only twelve! Are you sure you saw ‘him
smoke it ? Well, I dare say it made him
sick enough: boys will be boyß, you
know.”
Yes, but to think you should allow
him to go to the theatre without my
knowledge!” and the husband groaned.
“ Dear me! why what a fret you are
in; do let the child see somethinsr of the
world!” °
CHAPTER IV.
“la jail! my God ! husband—not our
boy,!”
“ Yes, in jail, for stealing /”
MACON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1857.
“ Not our boy! not our Charley! no
it cannot he! Let me die—kill me—but
don’t tell me our Charley is a vhief.”
The boy was sentenced to the State’s
prison, and the mother may yet be car
ried to the lunatic asylum.— Gin. Gaz.
A Specimen from Mr. Spurgeon.
f's an illustration of the style of sermo-
Jnizlig which characterizes Mr. Spurgeon,
|th©l.iollowuig will answer pretty well,
H&thjn respect to matter and manner;
Now,” we quote from one of the"recent
sermons, “ If I wished to test you Ml, and
might ask you, only one question, I would
a6k this: What is your righteousness ?
Now come along, in single file. What is
your righteousness ? On, I am as good
as my neighbor. Go along with you ; you
are not my comrade. What is your
righteousness ? Well, lam rather better
than my neighbors, for I go to chapel re
gularly. Off with you, Sir! you do not
know the watchword. And you, next,
what is your righteousness ? 1 have been
baptized, and am a member of the chnrch.
Yes, and so you may ; and if that is your
hope, you are in the gall of bitterness.—
Now you, next, what is your hope ? ,01
do all I can, and Christ makes up the rest.
You are a Babylonian ; you are no Isra
elite; Christ is no makeweight; away
with you. Here comes the last. What
is your righteousness ? My righteousness
is filthy rags: except one righteousness
which I have, which Christ wrought out
for me on Calvary, imputed to me by God
himself, which makes me'pure and spot
less as an angel. Ah, brother, you and I
are fellow soldiers. I have found you out;
this is the watchword—“ Your righteous
ness is of me, saith the Lord
Singular Visitation by a Bird.
m the statement of Captain Johnson of
thejßark Ellen, we find the following in
cident related:
‘f Just before six o’clock on the after
noon of Sept. 12, I was standing on the
quarter deck with two others of the crew
on deck at the same time, besides the man
at the helm. Suddenly a bird flew over
and around me, just grazing my right
shoulder, afterwards it flew around the
vabel, and then again it commenced to
lij around my head. It soon flew at my
fa:e when I caught hold of it and made
it a prisoner. The bird is unlike any
bi*d I ever saw before, I don’t know its
name. The color of its feathers was of a
dark iron grey; its body was a foot and a
half in length, with wings three and a
half feet from tip to tip. It had a beak
fu.l eight inches long, and sort of teeth
like a small handsaw. In capturing it, it
gave me a good bite on pay right thumb.
Tvo of the crew who assisted me in tying
it* legs were also bitten, as it showed to
bi;e at everybody. I had its head after
wirds cut oft and its body thrown over
board.
The bird’s visit regarded as a warning.
—When the bird flew to the ship the bark
v&s a going a little North of North East.
IRegarded the appearance of the bird as
ai) omen, and an indication to me that I
mist change my course. I accordingly
haded to the eastward direct, I should
n&, have deviated from my course had not
th bird visited the ship, and had it not
ban for this change of course , I should
net have fallen in wxth the passengers of
th Central America.”
Female Influence.
The character of the young men of a
community depends much on that of the
young women. If the latter are piously
cultivated, intelligent and accomplished,
tie young men will feel the requirement
that they themselves should be upright,
gentlemanly and refined, but if their fe
male friends are vain, frivolous and silly,
tie young men will be found dissipated
and worthless. But remember, always,
that a sister is the guardian of a brother’s
integrity. She is the surest inculcation of
a faith in woman’s purity. Asa daugh
ter, she is the true light of the home.—
The joy of the father is oftenest centered
on his daughter. She should, therefore,
be the sum and substance of all.
Happy are they
To whom the will and power are given,
Os showing sinful man the way
Which leads to holines and heaven ;
Happy are they! -
Honor to whom Honor is ‘Due.”
The inconvenience, in. rapid “ mail
writing,” of prefixing and appending all
the honorary attachments to which the
doctor, the minister, the officeholder, and
in fact, almost everybody in these days,
are accustomed, as part and parcel of their
names gives rise to frequent but usually
bothered dissatisfaction among the reci
pients of newspapers. A Western editor
proposes to heal all such injuries, and do
more “for a consideration.’’* He offers to
Write “ Mr.” before any subscriber’s name
for the moderate charge’ of twenty-five
cents per annum extra, or will write “Mr.”
before and “Esq.” after, for fifty cents.
Degrees, such as “D. D.” “M. D.” &c.,
are to be charged special rates. “ Hon.”
will be prefixed only on a credible certifi
cate of public service in some capacity not
lower than Town Representative, with a
fee graduated according to circumstances.
• m iiilip.;.
The most consistent men are not more
unlike to others than they are at times to
theifiselves; therefore, it is ridiculous to’
see character mongers drawing a fall
length likeness of some great man, and
perplexing themselves and their
by making every feature of his conduct
strictly conform to those lines and linea
ments which they have laid down: they
generally find or make for him some ru
ling passion, the rudder of his course ; but
with all this pother about ruling passions;
the fact is, that all men and women have
but one apparent good. Those indeed
are the strongest minds and are capable
of the greatest actions, who possess a tel
escopic power of intellectual vision, en
abling them to ascertain the real magni
tude and importance of distant good, and
to despise those which are indebted for
all their grandeur olely to their conti
guity.
Good faith is the richest exchequer of
princes, for the more it is drawn upon, the
firmer it is, and its resources increase
with its payments. A falsehood from
royal lips, is to a nation, the mis
take of a signal is to an army ; the word
of a kingis as a Pharos to the mariner ;,
to withhold his word is to withhold the
light, but to give his word and not to ful
fil it, is not only to withhold the true
light, but to Set up a false one.
The society of dead authors has this ad
vantage over that of the living, they nev
er flatter us to our faces, slander us be-
Mnd our backs, intrude upon our privacy,
or quit their shelves until we take them
down. Besides, it is always easy to shut
a book, but not quite so easy to get rid of
a lettered coxcomb. Living authors,
therefore, are often bad companions ; if
they have not gained a character, they
seek to do so, by methods often ridichlons,
always disgusting; and if they establish
ed a character, they are silent, for fear of
losing by their tongue what they have
acquired by their pen ; many authors
converse much more foolishly than Gold
smith, who have never written half so
well. — Lacon.
The Vatican. —This immense pile of
building is beyond all imagination. I was
told its extreme length through the apart
ments, and not duplicating a single room,
was 76,000 feet, or nearly 14 English
miles. It has 4000 rooms, hhd 2,000 flights
of stairs. This immense pile contains most
of the antiquities of Rome, as well as
most of the celebrated statuary and paint
ings of the early as well as the modern
artists. The sculpture is great; the in
imitable Apollo Belvidere, and the truly
great dying Gladiator, with 10,000 more,
some very fine and others common ; all _
the Caesars, and all the Roman Emperors,
Presidents and Senators, as well as the.
orators, and poets and a host of gods of
sea, land and air. The whole is a world
of the line arts, on a much greater scale
than any other cky can bojfet of—in fact,
than all the cities of Christendom to
gether.
Aligator Oil. —It has lately been dis
covered, which, however, has been long
known to the Indians, that an Alligator is
valuable in liis way as a spermaceti
whale; their oil is said to be better for
lamps than even whale oil, and a good
sized’animal Will yield from a barrel to a
barrel and a half. A war upon the race
will doubtless be commenced forthwith.
Dean Swift says a woman may knit her
stockings but not her brow,—she may
darn her hose, but not her her
hair, but not her lip,—and thread her
needle, but not the public streets.
An aristocratic Irish absentee, speaking
of his native country, said it was an exe :
crable place ; in fact the only thing worth
owfting was the whiskey. “You mean to
say, then,” said a waggish friend, “ that
with all her faults you love her still.”
Dow, Jr. says of a mean man:—“ If
he had the power and could enrich him
self thereby, he would brush the silver
stars from the firmament, snatch the gol
den sun from the sky, and sell the moon
for old brass, and if six pence was requir
ed at the gate of heaven, rather than pay
the entrance fee, I verily believe he would
rise from his resting place at midnight,
and pick the lock with a ten-penny nail.”
[ He that dies a martyr, proves that he
was not a knave,but by no means that he
was not a fool; since the most absurd doc
trines are not without such evidence as
martyrdom can produce. A martyr, there
fore, by the mere act of suffering, can
prove nothing but his own faith. If, as
Was the case with the primitive Christian
martyrs, if should clearly appear that the
sufferer could not have beenhimself de
ceived, then, indeed, the evidence rises
high, because the act of martyrdojn ab
solves him from the charge of wilfully
deceiving others.
IT WJJ.’ II ‘
GEORGIA TELEGRAPH STEAM PRESS
to tTs. 7 -
Dr. Bethune, the Rochester Advertiser
says, has been giving the young candi
dates for the ministry in the Rhetorical
Society of the Theological Seminary a
lecture. He said, among other things,
that when he was young, no preacher ever
went into the pulpit in boots, but always
wore shoes ; and he believes there was as
much of comfort as custom in it. No one
can preach well in tight boots. He in
veighed against the “ white choker,” as
UTtCTS,B@ica] and imdefensible. The writer on
ancient customs tells nothing about ban
dages for the throat, and in early days
none hut slaves and felons wore the “hal
ter.” There is no reason, therefore, why
the clergy should garrotte themselves in
these days. The ladies protest against it
by their own disuse of the neck-band, and
bear the whi(e column gracefully as a
Idly s stalk its flower. Disuse of long
waisted words and rhetorical flourishes,
and rigid adherence to the plain Saxon
vocabulary were advised.
The above will all do save the boots
and cravats. Those were rather small
themes for a great main— Ed. Index.
‘* : .<■.
A Word Fitly Spoken.
The following anecdote Illustrative of
the pulpit discrimination of the late John
M. Mason, D. D., has never before, we
think found its way into print:
Preaching on the text, “What shall it
profit a man,” &c., Dr. Mason referred to
tjie various apologies offered by the im
penitent in excuse for their refusal to ac
cept the gift of eternal life. Among these
lie mentioned the common plea: “We do
not want to profess Christianity because
many dishonor the profession. Wedonot
want to be hypocrites. We are candid
men !” And said the thunderer : “ You
ape willing to go to hell as gentlemen of
candor” A distinguished lawyer, now of
this city, then a young man, felt the sharp
thrust of the preacher’s words and at once
renounced the hypocrisy of unbelief for a
sincere faith in the Son of God.”— Chris
tian Intelligencer.
Mangling Good Names.
A word of praise spoken of any one,
however meritorious, is but the signal for
these vultures to bring out their tainted
morceau as a set-off to the compliment.
None escape their leprous touch, except
the favored few whom they are pleased
to regard as special friends. The pent-up
gall and acid must find constant vent.—
The unfortunate husband of a censorious
wife is doomed to listen from day to day
to doleful, acrid diatribes on the stupidity
of Mr. A. the extravagance of Mrs. 8.,
the bad housekeeping of Mrs. C., the pre
tension and snobbishness of Mr. D., the
frivolity of Miss C., the unruly children
of Mrs. E., the dull sermons of Dr. F. the
neglect of pastoral duties of Dr. G. or the
ambition of the Rev. Mr. H. Even in
the presence of her own children, she can
not refrain from laying the lash on any
and everybody, and other guests are en
tertained with the same edifying conver
sation .-—Presbyterian.
ISF* Our religious papers render them
selves disgusting, oftentimes, by the sick
ening compliments they bestow upon
preachers and others who take part in
public meetings. The compliments are
not generally graded according to the
merits of the performances themselves,
but according to the position of the speak
ers, and the prominence they have in pub
lic life. A young man in the country
will be faintly praised; a city minister
will be elaborately puffed ; a Doctor of
Divinity, will be actually baptized in—
soft-soap.
About the seasons of Associations, and
the time of College Commencements, we
expect to see the record of “ able efforts,”
“ massive discourses,” “ unequalled pro
ductions,” “ brilliant orations” and “ un
surpassed oratory. Much of this stuff
means nothing, and must be as disgusting
to those to whom it is applied, as to the
readers of the journals making the re
cord.—Christian Era.
• Excellent.
A man named Andrew Tillner was on
Friday last, in St. Louis, fined SSO for us
ing obscene language on the street while
ladies were passing. The magistrate who
administered that sentence should have a
monument.— Baltimore American.
We say ditto, and beg leave to add that
a smaller fine should be the penalty in
every State for improper remarks made
of passing ladies, their general appear
ance, dress, &c., which is too frequently
tfie sole employment of street idlers, halt
grown men and overgrown boys, in al
most every city of the Union.— Columbus
Enquirer.
“ How is it,” said a man to his neigh
bor, ‘that our parson, the laziest man liv
ing, can preach such long sermons?’ Why,’
said his neighbor, ‘he is too lazy to stop.’
Mirth should be the embroidery of the
conversation, not the web; and wit the
ornament of the mind, not the furniture.
NUMBER 41.