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BY SAMUEL BOYKIN. VOL XLII.-sNO 37 CONTRIBUTIONS. Richmond Correspondence of the Index. Richmond, Sep. 5, 1863. You will not fail, I presume, to call the attention of your readers to the fact, that the present rate of contribution to* our Foreign Missions will not secure, during the year, a sum equal to the annual expenditure of the Board. Such a result might well excite profound regret, not only on account of the embarrassment to which it will expose our efforts hereafter for the evangelization of die world; not even chiefly on that account; bnt because it will betray a melancholy decline of the spirit whieh cannot be content, except as the day seems to be approaching, when “at die name of Jesus, every knee shall bow T of things ip earth.” Take your loudest edi torial cymbal—not the mean gipsey instru ment to which correspondents must plane down their ambition—and sound it in the ears of the churches,until they are thorough ly awake to their duty in this matter. Baptists, who, within the last quarter of a century, have removed from North Eastern Virginia to Georgia, will unite with their brethren of this State, in sincerely bemoan ing the demise of Rev. Cumberland George. They will remember him as one of our most popular pulpit orators, as a Christian of irre proachable reputation, as a minister second in influence and usefulness to no one thro ughout his section. In early yean, he was of the Methodist “persuasionbut his con version to Baptist principles was thorough, reaching beyond questions pertaining to the ordinances and the form of church govern ment, and embracing the grand, evangelical “doctrines of grace” as our fathers held them —as the Scriptures set them forth. It would have been wejl for us, if all onr accessions from the Methodist church, and especially from the Methodist ministry, had been of this character. We should not have had such frequent and painful occasion to lament that while Paul or John has served our pul pits with a text, Wesley, or the still more er ratic Clarke , or the still more cloudy Wat son lias preached! The information as to the Baptist minis ters of Baltimore, communicated, some weeks ago, on the authority of a gentleman sent Sooth of the Federal lines under suspicion of that patriotism which the N. usurpation stig matizes as disloyalty, appears to have invol ved several errors of fact that demand cor rection. From the “Religious Herald” of yesterday, I learn that Rev. Thos. H. Pritch ard has reached Charlottsville, having been first sentenced to Fort Delaware, but after ward banished to the Confederate States, as | jfrnan “dangerous” to the young but vigo rous and growing Abolition Tyranny. Thia gentleman states that Rev. G. F. Adams did take the oath of allegiance to the United States, as the condition of his release from prison—a release which he accepted on these humiliating terms, for the sake of his wife, who was alone and unprotected in the midst of thousands of demoralized negroes and hundreds of thousands W lawless soldiers.— He states also that Rev. Franklin Wilson, though favorable to the reconstruction of the Union as it was, regards that as now beyond hope, end gives his voiee for stopping the war by the recognition of Southern indepen dence. He states finally that, while Rev. R. Fuller, D. D., through devoted attach ment to his church, the most prominent members of which are hostile to our cause, “has on one or two public occasions seemed to trim a little,” he is known, by those who know his sentiments, to be true to the South, and irithin the past six months, has avowed hhnselt to Secretary Chase as the author, and as still holding the sentiments, of ths Resolution on the State of the country, adap ted by the Southern Baptist Convention at Savannah. * It is both unusual and ill advised, that of the seven Baptist pastors of Richmond only one should be at present in the city. Their simultaneous absence, for weeks together, places our denominational interests at disad vantage. The summer is long enough, sure ty, to permit a wiser arrangement. If they were in the army, we might excuse them for leaving all our pulpits at the same time - vacant, with no certain supply except in one or two instances: but I regret to say that there is but a single pastor at work among the soldiers. However, I did not design to find fault with the brethren, who, doubtless,worn down by pastoral and extra pastoral labors, need to recruit tkeir strength by this tempo rary respite. I cen&ss to no tittle disappointment, in view of the reluctance of our Virginia far mers to sell their wheat to the Government, at die rate of $5 per bushel fixed br the as sessors. One of their number has even ap peared in the public prints, denouncing this price as inadequate, unjust and oppressive, because $5 in onr currency is rather less than 30 cents in ’ gold ! This I regret as neither wise financially, nor patriotic. What if the same spirit should spread through the army ? What if our heroic, self-sacrificing soldiers should say, in a bony, that they will not fight Tor the government, because sll per month is only a little more than 60ets. in goU—aaam inadequate, unjust and op pressive, in the ease of men who are called to endure manifold privations and to put their lives in constant jeopardy? Where then would these farmers be? Let the Northern purpose to crush the spirit of the South utterly out, let ite sweeping Confisca tion Acte, furnish the answer. And is it not a right, as honor aide, that the soldier should fight for gold, as that the fanner at a time like the present should plough, and sow, and reap for gold ? Is it no*, in the long run, as fatal to owr cause that this sel fish spirit should pervade the eountry, as that it should pervade the army ? This subject recalls to iny mind a sermon which a friend reports to me, as having been preached on fast day by a Chaplain in the army of Northern Virginia. After pictur ing the speculation and extortion which fill and defile the land, the reverened gentle man asked his regiment if they were willing when the w*r was over, to return home for a lile. of poverty and toil, while “the miscre ants” who are fattening on the distresses of the people ‘should roll in ill-gotten wealth ? He exhorted them to chastise this crime with the strong hand—to go back into the bosom ®f society as avengers of the wrongs of the poor—to confiscate every dollar of the riefees amassed during the war! This agrarianism, you”pereeive, was not the gos pel of God It was a blow at the founda tion of oven human law. But if Divine wrath has reserved us for such a time of anar chy and ruin, shall we be able to pity those who, having sown the wind, shall then reap the whirlwind ? Shall wc not feel that their share in the overthrow and desolation of the country, is just and righteous ? Shall they not feel it then ? I understand that the Pedobaptist post chaplain, in this city, who will not suffer the inmates of the hospital to be approached on the subject of connecting themselves, at the churches of their choice,, and who las substituted for this a Soldiers’ Christian Aassociation, without baptism (for that would opeu the question of immersion,) but not without tipi Lord’s supper (for that affords an opportunity to lend open commun ion a helping hand,) now says, when he in vites the soldiers to enrol their names among the members of the Association, that be. is “opening the doors of the church .’’’ The ehureh ? What church ? One founded by himself merely ? W esley,Calvin, Henry viH are ignorant of “it. Christ acknowledges, it not. | 1 have beard of a Virginian, who, when he,contracts for carrying the mail were let— contracts always awarded, you remember, to the lowest responsible bidder—put in a pro position to carry the mail on a certain mute for ohc cent a year. “Self-sacrificing patrio tism I’’ methinks I hear one of your readers exclaim, “a miracle of love of country, will ing to serve it without fee or reward 1” Now, be it known to that reader, that mail-con tractors are exempt from military service, and this “patriot” was simply seeking to keep out of_tbc army. He was -right from one point of view : the army was a place too good for hiip ;he ought to e been seut to the penitentiary for the war ! ...... SEMEI. $ w >| For the Christian Index. A Statement. „ , * Dear Bro. Boykin.— The irrpnn— of the Board are very heavy —about fifty mis sionaries at work in the army, several in the Domestic field, and some thirty in the Indian. Besides this corps of laborers, the Board has paid out not less than SIO,OOO for Bibles, Testaments and Tracts lor the use of tlie ar my, 5 Within the last four months. We ap peal to our brethren and friends to sustain this glorious work. The cost of carrying on sis voth is not less than $6,000 a month. How can we keep it up without large con tributions ? We have reduced our funds in the treasury to a very small amount, and we must replenish. Who will aid us ? Send THE PASTOR’S A I ii: THE CHRISTIAN'S GUIDE: THE SINNER’S FRIEND. irntm t !■"! i ~ ( ■ — — : -•.- j MACON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 1863. your contributions, dear brethren, by mail, or Southern Express, via Selma, Ala, fe Ttay will come safe. May God give to hi# child ren a liberal and ‘enlarged heart to spread the Word of God before the soldiers of our Confederacy. Yours, truly, SEINER, Cor.&e. P. S.—Don’t forget the Domestic Board at yrr HAfoofektions, brethren. Brethren of W expebt much from you. -i M T ’ ,avv t iIA “ WHtoto for the Cfcrwtian Index. Tts aoldtnCa jtjT. Pt. 162 / 19. They made a Calf in fforel. (Continued from our last.) It may be thought inexplicable, too, that Aaron, after this, should be ordained the mgk Priest. But let it” not be forgotten that theric was a providence in all this.— What Aaron intended, we do not know. What God meant is much more plain.— Aaron is tried, and proved unfit in himself for his office. He undergoes, like the peo ple, a probation, and for similar reasons. As they were not chosen for their merit, so neither was he; and the distinct manifesta tion of this from the outset was needed, that he might not be high minded or pre sumptuous, a lesson which the course that he and Miriam took afterwards proved to have been needed. (See Num. 12.) More over, the peculiarity and imperfection which ©leaved to his, and to all human priesthood, was to be brought out from the very first, namely ; that the priest, who made atone ment for the sins of others, needed atone ment for himself as a sinner. And now let us look at the great lesson of the incidents before us. The sin of Israel was a great sin It was not only forsaking Gpd, it was not only worshipping an image, it was a low, debasing idolatry ; “they made a calf.” And yet it was committed in view of the most amazing tokens of the divine glory, “in TLoreh!* We have reviewed the facts with some detail, to impress upon you this idca—how solemnly, how affectipgly (hay —yet how Speedily, and strangely they fell. It was strange indeed. Our temptation to forsake God are indif ferent. We are not likely to degenerate in to adoration of stocks and stones as Gods ; but we are not less in danger of idolatries of the heart, as pernicious, as absurd, as sin ful. We have seen that the sin of worshipping the Golden Calf was peculiar. It was i<lol atry, aggravated by ail the mighty motives against it which the recent history and the scenes before them were adapted to suggest;, by the light which*they enjoyed; by the blessings which bound - them to love and gratitude ; by the solemn covenant they had made to be the Lord’s. I need scarcely re mark that my objeet has notbeen amply to impress upon you the sinfulness of the an cient Jews, but to draw some instructions for ourselves. Wherein do we, in condition and character, resemble those who made the Calf in Ijoreb ? Aftd how we trace a parallel in our National Advantages and National Transgressions? We have had unusual light to show us. right and wrong, and unusual blessings to win us to gratitude and obedience. Few nations, if any, of ancient or modern times, have had so much general enlightenment,so pure a gospel preached, so free an opportunity to make every kind of honorable advance ment. In our formed political relations, as a part of the United States, notwithstanding some things to dislike and resist, we had much to rejoice in, much for which to be thankful to God. Almost unexampled prosperity, and growth, had raised our country in a few score of years to equality with those powers that numbered their age by centuries. And bad the compact made by our fathers been faithfully adhered to, no separation would have been desired. But unfortunately a par ty had been for thirty years working into power, first stealthily, afterwards more open ly, Who avowed subjection to “the higher law,” which forbade them to fulful their oaths, and carry out the constitution. Now Ido not deny that their is a higher law than any human ordinance; that we ought to obey God rather than men. But these people .sought in there own moral convic tions, based on prejudice and misinforms don, that higher law-whieh they disdained’ to acknowledge in the Scriptures of truth. They erred consequently as to what the high er law really enjoins, assuming that it com mands the subvfcftion of those relations in society which Moses recognized, aa<i Jesus sanctioned. They erred even more serious ly, as to the way of obeying any injunction of the true higher law. They took for gran ted that it. enjoined not the denying of them selves, but the despoiling of their neighbors —not the entire abandonment of a compact whieh they had become persuaded was sin ful, but the abandonment of that part which enured to the benefit 6f others, while retain* ing and vehemently insisting on, and main taing even with sword and fire, all that con tributed to their own benefit. But I need not dwell on this say now that the blessings which’ we enjoy ed, and whieh we were driven by the injus tice and covenant breaking of the North to abandon, can be better estimated than be fore, by comparison with the sufferings and apprehensions incident to the present “state of war. ■ ... * ‘ ‘* ‘ • . , A parallel may be drawn between our po sition and that of the Israelites, closer than is commonly supposed. It is not generally perceived, I think, by cursory readers ofthe Bible, that the bondage of the Israelites m Egypt was not domestic servitude. It was rather political subjugation, something like the case of India, or Poland. The family of Jacob went thither as freeman, invited by the monarch, and admitted to equality with any in the kingdom They were nev er distributed as menial laborers among the families of the Egyptians; but settled at first in a favored, part of the country, and there continued to the end. They had, even when the rod pf oppression was heaviest, their own individual property, their flocks and their herds, their own personal supplies of abun dant provisions, their flesh pots, and onions, their leeks and garlic, their own separate or ganization, their princes of tribes,their heads of families, their other officers; and this po litical organization, so far from being broken up, was used by the Egyptians as the instru ment and machinery of their own tyranny; for the officers under the leading “taskmas ters,” or contractors of Pharoah, were clear kDracliW and not Egyptian. Forced lev ins were demanded ; heavy tribute was ex acted ; they were required to build the treas ure cities, in which thewealth extorted from them was to be stored, and the fortresses by which their subjugation was to be ensured; (the dread of tneir rising power was only kept in check by the gain which was still secured by the connection;) the suspicion ■ of “rebellion” became sufficient to secure the penalties of treason; the babe unborn was guilty, because tie would inherit the hated name; in short, the whole may be amply summed up in that concise description of the Psalmist, “they that hated them ruled over them.” (To he CoTitinucd.) fror the Christian Index. Report. # Millwood, Ga., Aug. 29,1863. Beo. Boykin. —Please allow the follow ing a place in your columns. It is my 2nd month’s report as missionary to the Georgia soldiers, fr .m the Houston. Association: Dear Brethren.* —ln consequence of the 23d Georgia regiment being ordered from James’ Island to Morris’ Island, S. C., I did not. remain as long as I expected, and therefore I only can report twenty days’ ser vice j but I would have been glad to remain longer in order to reap the fruits of my la bors, for I left many anxious souls besides some that were converted tluft had not been baptized. I seemed to possess the entire confidence of the regiment, and when I was about leaving many of them bung around toe, weeping, wishing me to stajrwith them and begging me to again visit them. They seemed loth to give me Op, as children to give up their father. Dear Brethren, preaching the gospel to soldiers is a delightful work ; the soldiers are so anxious and confiding, and in their confined, exposed and dep&?dent condition are most shamefully neglected, especially by the ministry, and I am sorry to say by the Baptists. There are few Baptist chaplains, comparatively speaking, in the army, and hence our cause is suffering, These things ought not so he. I have only to report as follows: , Baptized, since my last report 7 Sermons preached ...., 13 Pages tracts distributed.. ...6,896 . Hymn Books 62 8ib1e5.:.....- 2 No. of (Jays emp10yed........ 20 Yours, truly, Mt THOMAS ALDRIDOE. ’ v ‘ ‘ For the Christian ItHde*. T To the Central Association. Headquarters 12th Ga. Req , > : . August 14th, 1863. j •Dear Bro. Bovkun —As the Associa tion will soon meet ; n Macon, I desire that you would eaH the attention of that body to the fol owing facts : That there are in this brigade (Dotes’) six companies tbat are made up within the bounds of the Central Asso ciation ; three of these companies belong to the 44th regiment, which’ has no ehaplaim the 4th rod 21st regiments are also •ithout chaplains. j, I want the brethren, while they are to gether, to remember that these six couapa fties have special claims upon them, and that while they ought to make Special effort for the soldiers from their own bounds, they can at the same time do a great deal for other Georgians. Baptists uught to remember that among the soldiers is the place for them to labor— -Ist, because the Soldiers have made great sacrifices in leaving their homes and fami lies; 2d, because they are exposed to great danger and to death, and, lastly, they are begging for the gospel. I am the only chaplain in the brigade, and have tried to the best of my ability to supply the whole brigade with preaching; and have preached so much that my voice has begun to fail me, and still there are the strongest reason*’ why the gospel should con tinue to be preaehed. lam now having meetings twice a day, and have large and at tentive congregations.’ We have preaching in the morning and prayer meeting at talght. Now, Bro. Boykin, I want the Associa tion to make some arrangements by whieh some ofthe brethren can come on and preach at least for a while-. Rev. Mr. Evans, of the M. E. ChuToh, of Macon, whs in our camps the other day, and preachecb two very good sermons. The Methodist and Presbyterian brethren are sending their best ministers to the army. The plan is a good one, and it is hoped that the Baptists will not be behind in -etrte good work: * Let the best preachers come on at. once to preaeh to the soldiers. There are more de mands for preachers now, perhaps, than there ever has been since the W’tr commenced.— Since we got back from Gettysburg there sea great interest manifested in religion, but a great many, of the chdplains remained in Pennsylvania, and therefore there is an in creased-demand for ministers. 1 I hope, dear brethren, that you will do something towards preaching for the brig ade, composed of so many companies within the bounds of the Central Association. I wrote some time'ago to you about the Index. It has not reached me yet y I hope soon to welcome it as a visitor. Best you may not have received my letter, I would again suggest that you pay the postage on the Index before starting it. ! I remain yours, truly, A. M. MARSHALL. its. For the Christian Index. Domestic Mission Board S. B. C. Receipts for Domestic and Anny missions and Colportage, from Georgia, from May Ist to Sept. Ist, 1863. - ,t Scr W H Robert, collected $325,40 Washington Baptist Association 58,10 James M Clark 50,00 A Richardson. ...10,00 Georgia Baptist Convention.. 2,768,80 Rev W N Chandoin 15,00 MrsT S C011ey..., 10,00 Mrs M S Robert. 5,00 M G R0bert................ ........10,00 Missionary mass meeting S B C... 2,891,10 Sunbury Baptist A550ciati0n.........200,00 Mt Gilead Baptist church 25,75 Shiloh Baptist church 45,00 Rev J E Carter, Collected 128,00 Rev A DCohen 6,45 Columbus Baptist church 314,00 Bethel Baptist church 202,85 Macon Baptist church....-.,.,.. * *,..,,287,05 Forsyth Baptist church.,,,92,70 Thomaston Baptist church 56,00 Barnesville Baptist church .......53,15 Griffin Baptist ehureh................. .152,00 Ist Baptist church, Atlanta 216,00 2d “ “ “ .1,212;75 Ist Baptist church, Augusta 7,16,00 2d “ “ 40,00 Central Baptist Association 837,85 “Two Friends” 0,00 Rev C M Irwin.. 50,00 T J Edwards 10,00 B Palmer 10,00 i i FOR INDIAN MISSIONS. Western - Baptist Association $20,00 Georgia Baptist State Convention ...382,2b Mrs |l Davis... 10,00 Rev H ATupper,*,.... 150,00 Central Baptist Association 10,00 M T. SUMNER, Cor. Sec. TERMS, $.5.00 IN ADVANCE 50 NOS. IN A TOL. For the Christian lades. Tribute of Respect. At a meeting of the members of Cos. G, 15th Ala. Reg., Lieut. T. M. Renfroe was called to the Chair, and Jas. R. Morris re quested to act as Secretary. Lieut. T. M. Renfroe explained the object of the meeting, and to this end a committee of five was appointed, consisting of G. C- Renfroe, J. C. Whatley, E. R. Brantly, J. J. Wofford and T. H. Acree, to draft’reso lutions expressive of the sense of the meet ing, who reported the following, which were unanimously adopted: * ‘ That, whereas, it has pleased God in his infinite wisdom to remove from our midst our beloved captain, Henry C. Brainard, Ist Lieut. John A. Oats, and 2d Lieut. Barnet H. Cody, who died at Gettysburg, Pa., res pectively on the 3d, 25th and 23d days of July, 1863, of wounds received in battle on the 2d of July, 1863. Resolved, Tbat we have heard with deep and painful sensibility of the death of Capt. Henry C. Brainard, Ist Lieut. Jno. A. Oats and 2d Lieut. Barnet H. Cody, and do mourn .the same as a” sad and heavy loss to the coun try and company. Resolved, That as soldiers and officers they occupied a high position ; as gentlemen and friends wc recognized in them a high type of moral excellence, and those whose virtues commend themselves justly to ns for our imitation. Revived, That they were actuated by that pure and devoted patriotism which has ever characterized the true soldier. They participated in the ever-memorable campaign of Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, in the Spring and Summer of 1862; also in the battles around Richmond, Cedar Mountain, Hazel River, the second Manas sas, Harper’s Ferry, Sharpsburg, Freder icksburg, Suffolk, and, while facing the in solent foe at Gettysburg, fell mortally wounj ded, while nobly discharging their duties as as officers. j ßesolved, That though their death is felt to be a heavy loss to their company and the country, yet we receive it as a dispensation of God’s all-wise providence, and will seek to bow in humble submission to the same, — trusting what is our loss may be their eter nal gain. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be presented to the relatives of the deceased, with the assurance of our sincerest sympa thies to them in this great calamity, and with the further assurance that their memories wiH be embalmed in the hearts of their mourning comrades in arms whom they so faithfully served. Resolved, That this preamble and resolu tions be published in the Spirit of the South, Eufaula, Ala., and the Christian Index. T. M. RENFROE, Chm’n. Jas. R. Morris, Sec’y. For the Christian Index. To the Baptists of Georgia. Sparta, Ga., Sept. 1, 1863. Dear Brethren. —Having occasion to visit this State, I have been requested to re present the cause of Foreign missions while here. I hope you will be satisfied with the simple statement from me that these mis sions are in a prosperous condition. In Cen tral Africa the accessions in the last two years have been double that of all the other time preceding. A way has also been effect ed for the transmission of funds without the loss of the ruinous exchange to which our currency is now subjected. May I not, therefore, expect that the churches will send up to their AssociationsHberal contributions •for this object. Shall the reproach cf our enemies, that the Spirit of the Lord has for saken us, and that our religious enterprises are going to ruin, he realized? We have put our hands to the plow, and we must not now turn back, especially at a time when the Lord has so abundantly blessed the labors of our missionaries. Money is abundant, and we can easily sustain our army and foreign missions without neglecting either. I shall endeavor to attend the sessions of as many Associations as the means for pub lic conveyance will allow me. In the other Associations the funds contributed to this object can be placed in the bands of the Treasurer, who may either communicate with me at this place, or send them on to Richmond in the usual way. • U. H. STONE. P. S.—l should be pleased to receive a letter from any brother who desires to cor respond with me on this subject. R. H. 8.