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VOLUME XL. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, SAMUEL BOYKIN, Editor. A RELIGIOUS FAMILY NEWSPAPER: PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT MACON, QA.. BY A COMMITTEE OF BRETHREN, For the Georgia Bap. Convention. Rev. F. M. Haygood, General Agent. All Baptist Ministers are Agents; and any one remit ting $8 00 and the names of four new subscribers will be entitled to an extra copy. By Clubbing six persons with one addi ess, can procure the paper for $lO 00. Orders for change or direction must give the Post Of fice, county and State to which the paper has been, and and is to be sent. Money due the office, may be sent by mail at the risk of the paper. Notice. —To send money with safety—seal the letter carefully and mail it yourself, saying nothing lo any one about the money, not even the Post Master. Don’t reg ister. Address ‘"CHRISTIAN INDEX,” Macon, Ga. RATES OF ADVERTISING. The space necessarily occupied by 10 lines of the ad vertising typo is a square ; in short transient advertise ments a less number than 10 lines w'ill be counted as a square. l tiine 3~ts. 1 Mo 2 M 3Mo 6M012 Mo ~ 1 SQUARE $ 1 00 $2 00 $2 50 $5 00 $7 00 $8 00 sl4 00 2 so’bs 2 00 4 00 5 00 7 50 10 00 12 00 22 00 3 so’rs 300 6 00 7 00 10 00 12 00 16 00 30 00 4 so - its 4 00 700 90012 00 15 00 20 00 36 00 5 sq’RS 5 00 900 11 00 14 0J 17 00 21 00 42 00 6 sqrs 6 00 10 00 12 50 16 00 19 00 28 00 46 00 7 sq’rs 7 00 11 00 14 00 17 00 21 00 32 00 50 00 8 SQ’RS 80012001500 19 00 22 00‘35 00 54 00 9 sq rs 9 00 15 00 16 00 20 00 23 00138 00 57 00 10 sq’rs 10 00 16 00 17 00 21 00 24 00[40 00 60 00 Professional and Business Cards, nut exceeding five lines, $5 per annum; each additional line sl. Special Notices, fifteen cents per line, for the first insertion ; ten cents per line for each subsequent inser tion. School Advertisements.— Our charges for School advertisements will lie the same as for others, when not paid in advance. When paid in advance we will deduct Twenty-five cents in the dollar from our regular charges. All advertisements on which the number of insertions Is not marked, will be published till forbid, and char ged accordingly. . No advertisements from a distance will be inser ted unless accompanied by a remittance. WHITHER BOUND. BY THE AUTHOR OF U A GRANDSIRe’s GIFT BOOK.” Whither bound? Ask’d an angel of the dew That he met as forth he flew, Bound on Mercy’s errand new— Whither bound? Whither bound! To the reigions lofty where, In the rainbow spread out there, I may shine in colors rare : Thither bound. Whither bound ? Ask’d the angel of a stream, As he flew on golden beam From the throne of the Supreme : Whither bound ? Whither bound! To the ocean broad and deep, Where the mountain billows leap O’er the dead beneath that sleep: Thither bound. Whither bound ? I Ask’d the angel of thj breeze, As it sped its way with ease, Through the foliage of the trees : Whither bound ? V * Whither bound 1 For the parch’d and feverish cheek Os the way-worn and the weak, Os the haughty and the meek : Thither bound. Whither bound ? Ask’d the angel of a man, As adown life’s plain he ran ; Answer reader, if you can: Whither bound ? Whither bound! That I cannot surely tell, For I’ve never ponder’d well If for heaven alone, or hell, I am bound. Whither bound ? Prompt, the breeze, the stream, the dew, Can all answer well and true: Man immortal! answer you: Whither b’ound ? Whither bound ? Point not to the grave below— Quoth the angel—well we know Far beyond it all must go: Whither bound ? Whither bound ? Ask’d the angel hovering nigh, Till the man with lifted eye, Cried, while pointing to the sky, Thither bound. Whither bound ? With the angel’s wings spread wide O’er the man, from ills to hide, On they journey, side by side, Heavenward bound. THE RIGHTS OF CHURCHES ASSOCIATED AND UNASSOCIATED. A STATEMENT AND DISCUSSION OF THE ORGANIZATION, POWERS, POLITY AND RIGHTS OF GOSPEL CHURCHES.* BY DR. J. S. BAKER. Article 6. APOSTOLIC AND MODERN VIEWS CON TRASTED. The views of apostolic and modern Christians, appear to me to differ,•fur ther, in the following particulars : 1. The views of apostolic christiaus were more enlarged than ours. The sole object for which they labored (with a view to the advancement of the Redeemer’s glory,) was the extension of Christ’s earthly kingdom, by multi- ? lying the subjects of that kingdom.— he forming of local churches was nev er an object with them. It was not ne cessary that it should be made one.— According to the plan instituted by Christ, those who were introduced into his kingdom would as naturally con gregate together, and adhere to each other, as would a bird released from its cage fly away to mingle with its kindred tribe in the forest; or as would 6heep, gathered from mountain ranges, nnite together in flocks, and feed to gether, when turned into the same pas ture. In modern times, the prominent ob ject with ministers of the gospel, and other Christians, appears to be the building up of local churches. Their views of the Redeemer’s kingdom seem rarely to extend beyond their immedi ate vicinity, or the sphere of their own operations. When it does oecur to their mind in all its vastness, it is only as a sequence of the establishment of local churches. They make primary that which apostolic Christians made secondary, and that secondary which, by apostolic chri9tians, was ever made primary.* 2. In apostolic times, the true disci ples of Christ felt their responsibility, both to God and their fellow Christians, as soon as they received the badge of discipleship; and it was a sense ot their obligations and responsibilities that led them to congregate into churches. Under our modern systems,professed Christians seem not to feel that they are under any obligations, or have any responsibilities, until they formally unite with a particular church ! They evidently have views of the origin of their obligations very different from what apostolic Christians had. Is not this difference of views ascribable to the difference in the system of opera tions adopted by modern Christians from that established by Christ and acted out by his apostles ? The an swer to this question involves much.— It is hoped that the reader will not,dis miss it from his mind, until he has ful ly reflected upon it and formed a defi nite opinion, first, as to the existence of the difference to which reference has been made; and, secondly, as to the cause of it, if it be admitted to exist. I may err in my views, but it does most certainly appear to me that the whole Christian world has been thrown from the divine track laid down torus in the word of God, and that, instead of seeking to repair and right the bro ken car, we are lying amid its ruins, squabbling about its disjointed fabrics, and seeking like unruly children, to “tear each others’ eyes.” That it is in the power of any mortal man to “re pair the ruins of the fall,” I do not be lieve, but certain it is, that it cannot be right for us either to rest contented in our present state, or to waste our time and energies in ruinous personal contests with each other. Far better would it be for us, and for the cause of Christ, were we to get down together upon onr knees, and with united heart and voice cry with the Psalmist, “ It is a time for thee, Lord, to work : for they have made void thy law.” Far better will it be to be found thus em ployed, when the Son of God shall make his second appearance, than to he found indulging in sloth, or in vain and shameful wranglirfg. V J. S. B. ♦ *1 fear I hare not presented the contrast in a light sufficiently clear to strike the mind of the reader. The difference to which I have al luded appears to me an important one. I wish Bro. Mallary, or Bro. Dagg, would turn their attention to it, and present it to the pub lic more clearly , more fully, and more practi cally than I have done. A * Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1860, by Samuel Boykin, in the Clerk’s office of the District for the Southern District of Geor gia. RECEIVING EXCLUDED MEMBERS. Dear Bro. Boykin: I see that my old friend and brother, Dr. Mell, has quoted from an old num ber ot the Index, an article of mine in reference to excluded members, to sustain him in his position, that no church has a right, under any circum- to receive an excluded mem ber. I have greatly overrated my good brother’s intellectual acumen, if he is incapable of seeing that the quotation does not reach the question at issne between himself and my other good brother, Dr. C. I retract nothing con tained in the article quoted Irom the Index, but thank Dr. M., for endorsing the positions therein taken. I stated distinctly what a church ought to do under certain circumstances. * (Please construe the word ought as Dr. Dagg has done in his Church Manual, vol. 2, p. 288.) The question, what should other churches do, in case the church which excluded the member refuses to do what I have said she ought to do, has not been reached in the quotation introduced by Dr. Mell! I hope to reach it, after a time, in the series of articles which I am now writing for your paper, if life and health, (which are precarious,) are continued to me. Your readers, I trust, are too honest to Buffer their minds tp-be biased against what I may have to say on the subject by any representations made of opin i _)ii3 formerly entertained or expressed by me. I have not changed my views of this subject; but if I had, I see not why my opinions fifteen or twenty years ago, should weigh more than the opinions entertained now, in more ma ture life. We should suffer no local or person al interests to influence the principles which we hold and teach; for we, and all local and present personal interests will soon pass away; but th e principles we inculcate will live after us, and their effects, be they good or evil, will be felt by untold numbers— FOßEV- Eß. JOS. S. BAKER. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. Family conversations, embracing the import ant part taken by Baptists, in the History of the past, in regard to the great principle of Soul-liberty. [This series will run through two months, and is from the pen of one of the first men and authors of our De nomination, and was written expressly for the Christian Index. We call par ticular attention to the series, promis- MACON, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1861. ing a rich mental treat to its readers. • Ed. Index.] Susan. Ma, what is religious liberty ? Mother. It is the right to worship God according to the dictates of our own consciences—freedom from re straint in religious matters : that is, we are said to enjoy this freedom when we attend on whatever ministry we please and are not -bliged to obey laws enacted by government that op press the conscience. Charles. But have not all people this privilege? We go to hear Parson G. or D. whenever we please—there are no laws to compel us to read prayers or attend mass. Mother. But there have been cruel persecutions on account of religion in France, Spain, England, and thousands of Christians have suffered, been taxed, whipped, imprisoned, hung on the gib bet and burned at the stake, because they differed in religious thiugs from the established laws of the country.— Some have been taxed in these U. S. Susan. What is established religion? M. The Romish religion was once established in England in the early ages: but in the 16th century, Henry VIII declared himself head of the church, and now the Episcopal religion is in the ascendency ; -no one could hold office, graduate at the colleges, be an officer in the army, unless in the establishment ; that is, unless he be lieved in the 39 articles : the govern ment directs the articles of faith to be acknowledged—makes provision for the support of the clergy—lays under disabilities all that do not conform.— They can- prevent any one’s preaching unless licensed by their bishops; hence Banyan, we have been reading every'lUpitWhis winter, was imprisoned 12 years in Bedford jail. C. But Pa does’nt pay our minister according to law, does he ? I saw him subscribe $25 on Mr. Selden’s bok.— He said he thought S2O was his part, but then he remembered the death of Col. Wilson Stokes and others, and it would be difficult to raise the $450. — Now if this matter was arranged by law, the tax collector would say how much one had to pay, just as it is in Ireland. Yon know we saw the pic ture of the constable taking off the poor Paddy’B cow for church rates. Was’nt that cruel and wicked to drive away their only cow from that poor family of 10 children, to pay a man they had never heardjpreach ? But if this is es tablished leligion, then I am glad there is none in this country. S. But Ma, did’nt Christ say “ My kingdom is not of this world ?” and if not, why should worldly rnlers that don’t understand religion take it in charge? I don’t thiuk our legislators religious men, it you had been at the capital last* winter and seen how they acted, you would not like to have your religious concerns iu their hands. Why,Ma,they drink, and curse, aud— M. That will do, daughter—never mind. C. But Ma, you said some had been taxed in these U. S. to pay ministers, but surely not in our own dear New England. Possibly in the South where the folks are only half civilized it may have been the case. . M. My son, you have never seen the papers published by the Historical Societies of the New England States, else you would not make these asser tions. Persecution has raged in these States, but it was many years ago, and few of the inhabitants remember it, and all regret it now; but we can’t help what has passed. All unite in condemning the course pursued by the early settlers ; they may have thought they were right, though they erred egregiously in judgment. They did not understand religious liberty as well as we do now, and supposed if they tolerated more than one denomination to hold meetings, it would ruin the government. But Mr. Jefferson main tains that error can do little harm where truth is free to combat it. S. & C. Do Ma, tell ns about this subject, please do, Ma, for we have no book that talks about the persecutions. M. I can’t now, but perhaps your father will to-night, if yon get good lessons this morning. Beside, Capt. Mather who is well versed in ecclesias tical history will be here to tea and we can discuss the whole subject in de tail. LEXI. SLEEPY CHRISTIANS. A DIALOGUE —PASTOR AND DEACON. BY OBSERVER. Monday morning. Pastor. Good morning, Deacon. I have been wanting a private conver sation with you for some time, and am glad to meet you thus alone. Deacon. If I can serve you iu any way, I am sure it will afford me no or dinary pleasure, for your labors are ar duous, aud your encouragements mea gre. lam sure you do not receive ei ther the sympathy or co-operation which your responsible position and persevering labors demand. * Pastor. Well, the matter about which I wish to consult with you, tho’ small, apparently, gives me a good deal of distress. I allude to the habit of sleeping in church, which obtains among some of our good members. — Is the reason to be found in a want of interest in my sermons? In their own indifference to the word of God, or to temptations of Satan ? I want to know the reason, and if possible, apply the remedy so as to remove the evil; for I assure you it is a very sad one. Deacon. Ido not think it is an ab sence of interest in your sermons, from the fact that they always sleep, wheth er your tame or element, common-place or original and striking, the reason must be sought somewhere else. I think it is two-fold —their in difference or cold-heartedness— and the temptations of Satan. Ido not think a Christian who goes to the sanctnary on the Sabbath with a praying heart, after asking the blessings of God to aid the minister in preaching, and accom pany the truth to the hearers, will be come drowsy during the delivery of the sermon, frjr he is watching for the answer to Lis player. Ido not mean that if a brotypr merely put up a for mal petition to this effect, bict if he pray. Then again-rit is one ot the plans of the adversary to hinder the good work, and how qan he more effectually accomplish his purpose than by caus ing the disciple not to hear the word of God, or by so stupifying his senses as to prevent its becoming fruitful in the heart. I have regretted often when I have heard yon setting forth the rich es of the gospel, the precious promises it contains, the f*#idrmi'ontal doctrines’ of salvation, anefthe obligations on us, growing out of when I felt my soul fed from the very table of the Lord, and made strong for the duties and spiritual conflicts of life, to look round and see some of our members either nodding, or evidently stupid as to have lost aTTintei’est in the truth. I have then felt, “an enemy hath done this.” Yes, Elder, there can be no doubt but it is one of the most master ly strokes of Satan, putting a Christian tosleepin the honsfe of God, which is the “very gate of hsaven,” in order to thwart the good puiposes of the Holy One. Pastor. Well deicon, I agree with you as to the evils, as well as the caus es already mentioned, and I might add how sadiy it effects ; me from the pul pit after laboring and praying, and studying and thinking till my head aches, and my brain throbs with ex citement in preparitig a sermon, to see’ my brethren, and a few sisters, fall asleep under it.'TTui’you know I some times take it as an evidence that I am not called to preach, and am tempted never to enter the pulpit again ? then again, I think it an indication that the brethren are tired of me, and that therefore I ought to resign and seek another field. In a word, there is no one but a Pastor who knows how very very discouraging it is. But here couie§ one of’-Biesieemr onee —we will meet again aud tdra: over the remedies. A FINAL REPORT. // yx * As I have-declined acting any long* eras evangelist, under the rycomnien dation of I beg leave to columns of your paper, a reportff my labors since the last session of th*Uonvention. My labors, since our meeting in May last, have been confined principally to East Florida. At the special request of friends and bre&ren in and about Gainesville, on Railroad, I have given them one Sabbath in each month, and paid them one or two ex tra visits. I have also preached six times in Lake City; once in the Meth odist house of worship, three times in that of the Presbyterian, and twice in the Court-House. In the town first named, a subscription has been started for a Baptist meeting house. Ido not think that much can be done in either town without a stalfeffed ministry. I have also spent two Sabbaths and the intervening week, with the church in Thomasville, Ga. I have evidence before me that ray labors there were not wholly in vain. I have also preach ed three or four SAbbaths to the desti tute and unfortunate church in Jack sonville, Fla., and one Sabbath at Fort Clarke. In addition to these labors, I have attended the sessions of the fol lowing Associations: The -Concord, Santa Fee, Florida, Alachua and Sun bury, and have been engaged in two protracted meetings, one in Quitman, Ga., and the other in Waltbourville, Ga. Brother J. H. Campbell labored with me in both, and at the latter sev eral of the ministers who attended the Sunbury Association labored with us. Among them was our brethren S. Lan drum, D. G. Daniel, and their mission ary, brother Williams. The pastors of the churches were with us and engaged heartily with us in pray ers and labors-* 0-results of those meetings eternity will disclose. They were well attended, and deep feelings were manifested both by saints and sinners. I have been absent from my field of labor one month. Neither my labors nor receipts while absent will be no ticed in this report^ It appears to me to be due alike to my brethren and myself to explain the cause of my declining to act longer un der the auspices of-the Convention. It will doubtless be remembered, that the recommendation of me to the church es as an evangelist, in case I should conclude to act as such, was made of their own accord, without any solicita tion on my part. I did not decide to act as suggested, until after two weeks of prayerful consideration. The mani festation of the Divine presence and blessing at the. meetings held by me within those two weeks, induced me to believe that it was my duty to enter the work to wJiiekJhad been com mended. I have reported, within the eighteen months that I have labored as an evangelist, 150 professed conversions, at meetings attended by me. As conversion is the work of God, I considered this, perhaps erro neously, as indicating the Divine ap- proval of the work in which I was en gaged ; but circumstances have oc curred, at the late session of our Con vention, which have led me to feel it most manifestly my doty to deline act ing any longer as an evangelist under the recommendation of our Convention. These I will explain. At a late hour, on the last day of our session, a letter was read from a brother who had left, recommending the appointment of our most excellent and talented brother, F. Johnson, as an evangelist, and offering to become responsible for S4OO towards his sup port. The appointment of a co-evan gelist would have met with my cordial approbation , but to appoint one with a salary, and recommend the other to rely on the voluntary contributions of the churches, would be a virtual reflec tion upon the latter. It would be say ing, louder than words could express it, we deem the one worthy of your support, and the other, though not worthy of a salary, worthy of your char ity ! I never have been willing to be considered an object of charity ; for th’S would be to distrust the faithful ness of that God who, during my ut most poverty and heaviest afflictions, never suffered me to want for either friends or the means of supplying my daily wants. The Board of the Convention, I am persuaded, from my knowledge of the brethren who compose it, however much they might desire the services of brother J , would be unwilling to make an invidious distinction between him and their former evangelist. To re lease them from a\l embarrassments ou this account, I formally notified them, (as the overture had been turned over to them,immediately after the adjourn ment ot the Convention,that I declined acting any longer as their evangelist. Ilenceiorth the world shall be my field. I shall ever be ready so assist in holding a series of meetings with any church, either in or out of the State, when requested so to do, and when iu my power to comply with their request. My past experience convinces me that but little good is done by preaching a solitary sermon at any place, however ample may be the remuneration tendered. I have now invitations to attend and hold meetings in two other States, one con tiguous to ours, and one remote from it. • receipts. • ~ —“ ‘ v I have received, since our meeting in May, sums as follows : Hon. S. A. Smith, Thomasville, Georgia, $l5O 00 Other brethren in do 20 00 Jephtha Davis, 1 00 Coi J. B. Dawkins, Gaiusjriffr’ Florida f JO J “Wm r ‘jkp* Mos 63 Ramsay^T^^Bß(|JPP*"^Wo Church at Quitman, Ga., - 20 00 Rev. C. S. Gauldin, Quitman?? Georgia, 10 00 Sunbury Association, 25 00 Rev. J. M. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia, 15 00 Bro. Marvin, Munticello, 10 00 Total receipts, since May, $269 00 My memoranda of expenses are not at hand. I paid traveling expenses, however, within the last two weeks, to the amount of sl6 60. In conclusion, I would respectfully tender to the friends and brethren, among whom I have gone preaching the Gospel of Christ, my unfeigned thauks for the courtesy they have ever extended to me, and for their hearty co-operation in the good work in which I have been engaged. May the Lord reward them a thousand fold,and abun dantly bless the labois of my successor. JOSEPH S. BAKER. SELECTIONS. WHAT ONE FOREIGN MISSION Board has done for the Sandwich Islands. Just 42 years ago, missionaries sail ed from Boston to the Sandwich Is lands. The people of those Islands were then without a written language; without moral principle; in great dark ness, ignorance, filth and ruin. The missionaries have given them an al phabet, a spelling book, a dictionary, a Bible, The common ‘school, a select school,- afl®|MS&lkgewffiiey have as sisted the king in giving a constitution bo the people, and in making treaties with the civilized nations of the earth. They have baptized nearly the whole population of those Islands, and admit ted to the Lord’s table more than 35,- 000 of them. And the inhabitants of those islands are now as fully entitled to be called a Christian people as any nation on the face of the earth. Form erly.the land all belonged to the king, and all kinds of property and even life it6elfwere subject to his caprice. Now, under the influence of the gospel, a constitutional monarchy has been intro duced, aud the lands have been divi ded among the chiefs and people, a fee simple title being given in each case. An enlightened system of laws has been adopted, regular courts of justice being established throughout the Islands, with a Supreme Court at the metropolis. Taxes are light, and life and property are as safe as in any nation on earth. The Lower House of the Legislature, which meets biennial ly, is chosen by the universal suffrage of the people. Industry, comfortable houses, a civilized dress, and the num erous other blessings which belong to the Messiah’s kingdom, are now found there. The government nave adopted the , mission seminary and the whole sys- tem of common schools as their own, and they furnish them a liberal sup port and an efficient superintendence. The people build and keep in repair their own houses of worship, and some of these would do credit to any village in New England. They now support in whole or in part, most of the mis sionaries found there. Indeed only two missionaries now receive their en tire support from the Board, all the rest being supported partly or entirely by those Sandwich Islanders. Six years ago these native churches commenced an independent mission at the Marquesas Islands, some 1,500 or 2,000 miles off. And they have sent out 15 missionaries from themselves, some of them being the most efficient of their own native pastors. All these are supported entirely by themselves, these island churches contributing an nually for this purpose some $3,000 or $4,000. Less than 40 years ago, they were all naked savages. Less than 40 years ago, they were all pagans of the low est grade, now they are an enlighten ed Christian nation, and the tabernacle of God is pitched among them. Such, ladies and gentlemen, was the very small beginning, and such the present enlarged and elevated position of the A. B. C. F. M. ‘A little one has become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation.” REVIEW OF THE RELIGIOUS WORLD. ITALY. Here there is indeed an open door, and with the exception of Venetia, and the city of Rome, the word of God and the preaching of the gospel is no long er bound. In Sardinia, there has been since 1848, a constantly increasing re ligious toleration, and the gospel has been preached in Piedmont without,let or hindrance; but now, in Tuscany, where but three or four years ago the Madiai were imprisoned and tortured for reading the Scriptures, there are evangelical churches, and in its. capital a Waldensian theological seminary.— Rev. Mr. Arthur, who visited Italy the past summer, reports that even in Rome the Scriptures were sold, pri vately indeed, but very freely. The young tyrant of Naples has fled, and God’s word Jo ~o 1-jtjgcx’ prontbited in the two Sicilies. Much of the reaction in favor ot Protestantism in Italy is undoubtedly political and temporary, but in hundreds of cases, the good seed now being sown will spring up and bear fruit to eternal life. AUSTRIA. In this motley and crumbling Em pire there indication! for good. — -ru* \iuuflmtll of the Hapsburge, which seems imminent, can hardly fail to turn out to the furtherance of the gos pel. In Hungary the Protestant church es are active and earnest, and their numbers and piety exhibit a marked increase. In Bohemia, the land of the martyred Huss, the seed long buried in the dust seems springing to life; whole villages have abandoned the er rors of Romanism, and organized Pro testant churches. GERMANY. There is here much to encourage the Christian. The labors of our Baptist missionaries have been abundantly blessed. The last annual report of the Missionary Union states that sixty-six churches are now in existence in Ger many, founded by them, with a mem bership of over 15,000 persons, and ef ficient Sunday schools. These labors have roused the miuisters of the Es tablished Church, in many cases, to ac tivity, and the rationalism which once seemed ready to sweep over the whole land, and visit it with destruction, has spent its force, and now offers little comparative opposition to the spread of the gospel. PRUSSIA. Is in much the same position of the other States. The great bulk of her population, though nominally Protest ant, have been really infidel ; bnt a change is taking place; the rational ism heretofore proclaimed from the pul pit, too often, is giving place to a liv ing vital Christianity; among the ablest religious writers of the present day in Prussia, are some who, having fathom ed uie quicksands of skepticism, have made good their escape to the still wa ters of a true religious faith. The pres ent reigning Prince is a bigoted and narrow-minded man, a member of the Reformed Church, but sincerely hon est, and it is thought, really pious. HOLLAND. In this lafid, where once almost the whole population were sound in doc trine and reputable in practice, where the Synod of Dort, creed was so thor oughly an embodiment of Calvinism, was held, the vitality of Christianity seems almost extinct. Os 1,500 minis ters, says a recent writer, over 1,400 deny the divinity of Christ. Thus fee bly does a sound creed protect a church, when divorced from an active, living, earnest Christian spirit. Hollaud is emphatically a land to be prayed for. BELGIUM. Here Catholicism predominates, tho’ Protestantism has been increasing with considerable rapidity, under the wise administration of Leopold, who is him self a Protestant. The Belgian unites the earnest, almost fanatical spirit ot the Spaniard,to a vivacity almost equal to that of the Frenchman, and when he becomes a Christian, he is an active, zealous one. But among the Catholic Flemings, the most absurd traditions of the miracles of the Saints of the Ro- N. S., VOLUME 29, NO. 1. mish calendar .find full credence. Ro manism has made great efforts to its supremacy in Belgium, but the scale is fast turning in education and intel lectual power to the Protestant side. DENMARK. The progress of evangelical christi-” anity in Denmark has been rapid since the passage of a toleration act, in 1850, which enabled dissenters to organize congregations. The ministers of the Established (Lutheran) Church, find ing their people deserting them for the dissenting preachers, have themselves become more active, and many of them who were formerly irreligious, have become truly pious. Mr. Oncken and his fellow-laborers have toiled success fully in Denmark, and during the past year there has been a very general re vival in the peninsula of Jutland. [N. Y. Examiner. TO THE UNCONVERTED. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord f “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord Micah, vi. 6. You wish to come before God with acceptance —to come and find a wel come. You ask, What shall I bring? What shall Ido ? Bring!—bring no thing, but come just as thou art. With ’ all thy sins upon thee, with all thy guilt within thee, come. Come in the name of Jesus. Come, and plead the blood and obedience of Jesus. Come, and confess thy sins, acknowledge thy desert, tell out all thy fears, express all thy desires —keep nothing back.— Tell the Lord the worst of thy case.— Make no excuses ; and, having honest ly told the Lord the worst of thy case and condition, plead for mercy. Be seech the Lord to have mercy on thee for the sake of Jesus. Pray that he would honor Jesus by pardoning thy sins for his sake, and by sanctifying thee in his name. He has met all the claims of the law, he has satisfiod all the demands of divine justice, he has removed every impediment out of the’ way of thy acceptance; and now, God can be just, and yet justify the great est sinner that believes in Jesus. Come in no name but the name of Jesus.— Plead nothing before God but what Je sus has done and suffered. Expect nothing from God but through the mer its of his Son. Cast thyself entirely on his mercy in Jesus. Promise no thing. Attempt nothing. Think of nothing but of Jesus and his perfect work. In this way acceptance is cer tain, pardon is sure, salvation shall be thine. Come through Jesus, and tiro’ Jesus only; for he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man com ieth unto the Father, with acceptance, ‘but through him. Nor can any one, however sinful, come by him, and be rejected. “ Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men,where by we must be saved.”—Acts iv. 12. HOW CAN MAN BE JUST WITH GOD ? “How should man be just with God?”— Job ii. 2. He is cited to appear before God’s bar. He is charged with numerous crimes. The charges are clearly proved. He can not, he dare not, deny one of them. The law says, “The soul that sinneta, it shall die.” Justice is there to pronounce the sentence of God’s law. The case is clear. The sinnerV doom appears to be certain. How can he escape ? How is it possible for him to be Acquitted, to be justified? The Son of God appears ; he takes the sin ner’s nature, holds the sinner’s place, and undertakes to obtain the sinner’s freedom. He does what the sinner ought to have done, —he suffers what the sinner deserves to suffer. Tlis di vine nature imparts an infii io merit to, and stamps an infinite dignity upon all he does. The Father agrees to the substitution, accepts his vicarious obe dience and sacrifice, and engages to place it to the account of all, and each one, who believes on his name. Jesus now, turning to the sinner, says, “ I have done what you neglected to do ; I have suffered what you suffer. I make over my. obedien4P||j| you : I rffSrits to yous ac” count. Believo r thiß, and be Ivappy, trust me, and yon are safe.” The sin ner receives the word, believes the tes timony, pleads the life and death of Je sus before God, and he is justified.— Christ is to him the end of the law.— The blood of Jesus is an atonement for all his sins. The resurrection of Jesus is a receipt given by the great Credi tor, —a proof that sin is put away, that justice is satisfied, that peace with God is made, and that death is conquered. Simple faith in Jesus entitles us to the whole work of Jesus, and so man be comes just with God. Thus, we are justified by faith in Jesus, and not by the deeds of the law, and being justi fied by faith, we have peace m 2 A God, and we joy in God. “Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”—Romans iii. 24. Horrible Tragedy at Wetumpka, Ala.— We learn that a man named Peter Schwine, a butcher, long a resident of Wetumpka, shot his wife and a negro woman, with a double barrel shot gun, on Sunday. No cause for this horri ble tragedy is assigned, as far as we have been able to learn, but many suppose him to be la boring under a fit of insanity. Neither of hia victims were expected to live at last accounts. Schwine made his escape. —Montgomery Mail. The Paris Conelitutionnel says that France ’ Will never suffer the return to offensive policy I by Austria in Lombardy.