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38 fttfcx ml ffaptfet J. J. TOON, --- - Proprietor. Rev. b. SHAVER, R.fr., Editor. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1867. TEBMB: For one year, (50 Nos. in a volume) $4 00 For six months 2 00 For three months... 1 00 To any Minister of the Gospel we will send the piper one year for $3. jjy* Subscriptions invariably in advance. Remit tances carefully made, at the risk of tut Proprietor. ADVERTISING RATES. One square (8 lines) one in5erti0n........... .$1 00 For a longer period than one month, a discount of 33J per cent, will be made. In no case will advertisements be inserted with out payment m advance Persons at a distance wish ing to advertise can mark the number of squares they wish to occupy, and remit the money accordingly. To Correspondents. —All communications for the paper, and all letters on business, must be addressed to J. J. Toon, proprietor. Charitable and Religious Lotteries. The ladies of Columbus, Ga., with the char acteristic generosity of their sex, have con certed measures for averting warit from the household 'of the distinguished Prisoner at Fortress Monroe. The end which they pro pose to compass is laudable. Jefferson Davis suffers only for what he did at the behest and in the name df the Southern people. The failure of the cause in which he served them can not warrant, on their part, a frigid indif ference to his fate. Even if that cause, on “ sober second thought,” were recognized as wrong, it would be a very questionable type of repentance, which coldly abandoned his family to retributive pains and penalties equally deserved by all. The ladies of Co lumbus, therefore, have done well, in aiming to alleviate, as far as lies within their power, the hard doom which threatens the little fire side flock of our Leader through the stormy days of war. But, while we approve their purpose, we regret the method by which they seek to ac complish it. The plan devised by them is obnoxious to weighty animadversion. A sense of duty as Christian journalists, constrains us to enter our earnest protest against it. It is, unmistakably, a lottery, with tickets on sale in the cities and towns of the South, but with out sanction of law. The case is too plain to require dfscussion. Benevolence should resort to no illicit scheme —no scheme which a wise regard for the con servation of public virtue has placed under ban—-no scheme which has been interdicted because of its palpable tendencies toward cor ruption of morals. And does not the lottery bear this character ? In almost every Chris tian country abated as a nuisance, condemned by stringent legislative enactments, and hunt ed even from the hiding places of society ; in the few exceptional instances of toleration, shut up within narrow limits and staked round with vigilant precautions, we might say with repressive provisions ; —the ethical judg ment of the age, alike in State and Church, has/ gone decisively against it. Who that calmly weighs the question, then, can fail to see, when Benevolence has recourse to it, how sadly she stoops from her high, pure sphere, and trails her garments of beauty in the mire ? These are not 1 times when any doors that lead in that direction, may be safely thrown open. All the foundations of the moral world seem out of course. It looks as though the bands of obligation were loosening visibly from the mass of mind: society threatens to part from her anchorage and drive unchecked before the gale of evil influence : we appear to be entering on a universal carnival of crime. Especially does “ a wide-spread lottery ma nia,” disguised under the specious name of “ Gift Enterprises,” infect popular sentiment at the present juncture. Shall we help for ward this process of deterioration ? Shall virtue and religion fall more and more into decay, because we lend our aid to the unscru pulous agencies that take them in their toils! At such a crisis of impairment to sound mor als, shall men be invited to gamble in the heaven-bright name of Charity ? Shall, the invitation come from Woman—the “ human angel ” —with her matchless powers of per suasion ! In this “ gambling revival,” as even the sec ular press has styled it, professed Christians, we grieve to say, are not without fault. They have winked at it—have taken part in it. One of our exchanges states that “ in the Chicago Opera House Lottery the church and the world invested in about equal proportions ! ” From another we learn that ‘ the names of some of the most fortunate ticket holders in the Soldiers’ Home Lottery were withheld from the public, because, in view of their re ligious surroundings, they had conscientious scruples about letting their names be known!’ Is this “ the Bride, the Lamb’s wife,” or the Adulteress, the World’s paramour? Carnal compromise in this matter has taken a more open and, as we conceive, a more cen surable form. The peccant humor breaks into blotches on the very face of the church. Not only have her children stolen away to participate in gambling among ‘those who are without:’ they have imported it within her sacred precincts. It has an ac knowledged place by the side of the altar. “ Fairs held for religious objects derive a large portion of their proceeds from raffles and other kinds of lotteries.” To such lengths has this worldly conformity run, that (if we may credit the New York Evening Post) ‘ some of the “ Gift Enterprise ” managers, as arrant a set of knaves as live outside of the State Prison, have signified to the managers of Christian benevolent institutions their readiness to undertake lotteries in the interest of charity, or piety, for a fixed commission, or for a share of the profits.’ When the church sinks to so low a level that Vice feels emboldened to ply her with such humiliating overtures, “ how is the gold become dim ! how is the most fine gold changed ! ” The question takes even a darker aspect. We are at a loss to decide which party is the seducer in this case. Has the world tempted the church aside ? Or has the church led the world astray ? The stream is floating both along; but who unsealed the fountain? “The gambling spirit,” says the Watchman and Reflector, “ has been born and nursed some times at religious fairs, by various methods of raffling in vogue; and these larger enter prises are a natural result of the laxity al lowed by those who ought to set a better ex THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28,1867. ample.” And the Episcopalian writes : “It is a disagreeable reflection that the present popularity of these lotteries may be traced to the abominable Church Fair system, which has familiarized the minds of even the reli gious community with games of chance, for the benefit of this or that charitable, philan thropic, or religious object.” If these repre sentations are correct, —nay, if there be but space for thd intrusion of a doubt as to their falsehood, —“ it is high time to awake out of sleep.” Individual Christians should heed the imperativesummons, to wash their hands from the smutching taint. The voice of the churches should ring out in tones of faithful warning and stern prohibition; and if that voice is dis regarded, the knife of discipline should un sparingly sever this fungus from the mystical body of the Lord. As Zion values the favor of her King, as she guards her honor in the midst of a gainsaying generation, as she hopes to train her children for the skies, or to re cover an alien race to the loyalty of faith and the fruition of glory, she must not—she can not—leave a shadow of uncertainty overhang ing the question, whether, as regards the spirit of gambling in any of its developments, she can deliberately consent that the world shall ensnare and mislead her. Still less can she permit an ambiguous haze to cloud the ques tion, whether, in this matter, she can play the part of misleader and ensnarer to the world. The season for compromises is past. Prompt action and inflexible fidelity are the demand of the hour. Heaven help her to show them! A Remarkable Case. Last summer, a pastor in one of our South ern cities, paid several visits to a youth of fourteen years, a member of the Sabbath school, who had been wasting away, through weary months, under an attack of disease des tined to prove fatal. In the earlier interviews, the sufferer, a living skeleton in appearance, seemed rather averse from conversation. He gave no token of Christian hope, and but little of religious sensibility ; for the household was ungodly. The Lesson of the Two Mounts— of Sinai and Calvary—was impressed on him: he was instructed to view himself as a con demned sinner, and yet a sinner redeemed. Prayer in his behalf was offered at the bed side. These counsels and intercessions were renewed, again and again, by his teacher also, —for some time, with slight apparent effect. * r During the last visit of the pastor, however, while he was speaking of Jesus as the friend of sinners, the little boy, with an air of timid hesitation, said, “ Preacher, I have something to tell you.’’ Encouraged to unbosom himself freely, he proceeded, “ My little brother and sister, who died some time ago, came to see me.” “ You mean,” suggested the pastor, “ that you dreamed you saw them !” “ No,” he replied, as impetuously as his difficult breathing would permit, “ No—they came." Raising his wasted finger, he pointed just above the ted, and near the window at its foot, “ They were there. I saw them. I knew them.” “Very well,” rejoined the pastor, “let us alb about it.’^ “ They said to me, ‘ You are going to die. Mother tells you, you are not. She only hopes so. You will never get out of that bed, until you go into your coffin. We want you to come where we are, and be happy. But you can not come as you are. Your heart is too bad. You must pray to God, and ask him to give you anew heart for Jesus’ sake —a heart to love Him. Then when you die you will come and be with us, and with Him.’ ” Here he paused, and the air of timid hesi tation returned. “ And have you done as they directed ? ” asked the pastor. .“ O yes ! ” burst out the dying boy, his face kindling with a light which did not so much suffuse the pallor as shine through it; “I have asked God to give me anew heart! • And He has done it! When I die, I shall be with brother and sister, and with Jesus, in heaven! That's what I wanted to tell you ! ” A day or two after, he died. If Peter and John and James feared as they entered the bright cloud, in the place of transfiguration where they saw their Master, with Moses and Elias, this little boy did not fear as he entered the dark cloud which hangs over the grave; a cloud through which he was to pass to the Third Mount—“ Mount Zion, the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem ” —where he should see, not only Moses and Elias, not only Peter and John and James, but their Lord and his—see them and Him, and share their transfiguration in eternal glory ! The question occurs to every thoughtful mind, Was this appearance of a deceased brother and sister an illusion, or not ? Who shall presume to say ? The two worlds—the natural and spiritual—interlock. We are girt about with invisible hosts. Only this veil ftf flesh hinders us from seeing them. How shall we assure ourselves that God “ who giveth not account of any of His matters,” never lifts this veil, for purposes of mercy ? And if He does, on what ground shall we rest the con clusion that it was not lifted, in that hill side hovel, to save a young soul where neither father nor mother made mention of His name? We leave the question unanswered. The an swer to it must be written by a bolder pen than ours. Ours can only write—we do not know—we dare not say. This case speaks especially to parents. Was not the testimony which this little boy bore, —the gift of anew heart, by the power of God, for the sake of Jesus, —“ the principal thing,” and, for one about to die, the only thing ? Was it not a pledge that he was lan guishing into life! Did it not warrant his hope that he should exchange the hovel for heaven ? Could you desire more for your own children ? Are you willing that they should live—nay, that they should die—with out it? Do you seek it for them with impor tunity of prayer ? Are you making any ef forts to awaken in their bosom a sense of ita necessity,—to guide their feet to the all-cleans ing Fountain of Blood, where they may se cure it ? O, bethink yourselves. Give them not over to the devices of Satan and to their own waywardness, lest they perish before you are aware of it —perish through your fault. The young, too, are admonished by this case. Death may come to you, as it came to the little boy on the hill-side. In a very short while, you may be called to lie in the grave. Are you ready for it? Have you prepared yourselves, when you leave this world, to enter into a better ? Have you asked God to give you anew heart for the sake of Jesus? and has He done it—as He always does, when we ask it with repentance for sin and with faith in the Saviour ? O, be fore death comes to you, come to Christ! Death may come to-morrow; therefore come to Christ to-day! Our Southern Zion—in Our Exchanges. Missouri. —A meeting at Pisgah Church, Ray county, which “ had not met in a church capacity since June, 1862,” resulted in 9 accessions.— There have been 12 additions to Hopewell Church, Audrain county; 18 to Wyaconda, Lewis ; and 32 to Providence, Marion.—The past year, Rev. L. Elledge re-organized four churches which had been entirely destitute of preaching for a long time. Tennessee. —The Baptist states that Rev. A. J. Hall, late pastor of the Jackson Church, is Gen eral Agent of the Sabbath school interests con nected with the Board of the West Tennessee Convention. —Rev. M. Hillsman has accepted the appointment of Evangelist within the bounds of Big Hatchie Association.—Unity Association re ported about 150 baptisms in the churches the past year; and after the close of its session, at Walnut Grove, Hardeman county, a meeting was held, resulting in 34 baptisms.—From four to six hundred baptisms during the year were reported to Central Association. Among the ministers at tending its session was Rev. John Randolph, only about three months from the Methodist ranks. Kentucky. —Rev. Henry McDonald, pastor of the Danville Church, has accepted a call to the pastorate of the church at Shelbyville.—A new church with 23 members has been constituted in Simpson county.—The church at Owensboro has had a recent accession of 33 members, and gave bonds to the amount of $1,050 for Greenville The ological Seminary, during a recent visit of the agent, Rev. J. F. B. Mays.—Rev. J. F. White has gone to the “Hard-shell” Baptists. —Rev. Wm. Haw, late of Indiana, accepted the pastorate of Fox Run (or Eminence) Church ; Rev. T. Ram baut, LL.D., late of Georgia, the pastorate of the East Church, Loufsville ; and Rev. Geo. Hunt the pastorate of Bowling Green church.—There have been 13 additional baptisms at Walnut Street Church, Louisville; 15 additions to Big Spring Church, La Rue county ; and 15 to Mt. Washing ton. West Virginia. —A revival at Coon’s Run Church brought 15 souls into the fold ; and one at Hepbzibah Church, near Clarksburg, 12. Virginia. —We regret to learn from the Herald that the Senior Editor, Rev. J. B. Jeter, D.D., has been in feeble health for some weeks. —The Ports mouth Association reported 4,307 members and 378 baptisms during the year ; the James River, 21 churches, 2,851 members, and 150 baptisms. The proportion was, in the former, not quite one baptism for every 11 members, and in the latter not quite one for every 19.—Rev. J. E. Hutson, recently ordained, has assumed the pastoral care of the Second Church, Petersburg. North Carolina.— The Goldsboro church re cently contributed $l2O to State Missions.—Rev, P. Oliver has been released from his labors on the farm, and is engaged all his time as missionary in the Western part of the Beulah Association. — Rev. A. D. Cohen has baptized several within a short time atNewbern. —Rev. N. W. Wilson pro poses to open a permanent Musical Chapel Hill. South Carolina. —The Associate Reformed Presbyterian states that a prospectus has been is sued of anew Baptist paper, to be published at Columbia, and edited by Rev. J. L. Reynolds, D.D.—Two young men were recently licensed by the Sumter church; one a son of Rev. R. Fur man, D.D., the other a grandson of Judge Rich ardson. Os the latter a correspondent of the Bap tist says: “ His relatives are all Pedobaptist, but, after a thorough investigation of our distinguish ing peculiarities, he was led by the stern convic tions of duty to connect himself with our denom ination. He graduated at the South Carolina Col lege the first year of the war; passed safely through many scenes of privation and peril; through grace, has been brought to the knowledge of the truth ; and now, in the strength of his early manhood, he dedicates himself to the min istry of the Lord Jesus..” Georgia. —Rev. S. Landrum, Savannah, writes to the Religious Herald : “ Our church is gain ing in strength and becoming efficient. I collected last month $l5O for foreign missions. Alabama. —During a recent visit of Rev. M. T. Sumner to Montgomery, the First and Second Baptist churches contributed SBOO to the Domes tic Mission Board. Mississippi. —The First Baptist church of Boli var county was “scattered to the four winds” du ring the war; but the few remaining members think that $1,500 or SI,OOO can be raised for the support of a good, pious minister, and are inquir ing for a pastor through the Christian Watchman. —A discussion on the question of the depravity of infants has sprung up in the Mississippi Asso ciation and transferred itself to the Watchman. Some ministers vehemently deny the doctrine, which to us is a matter of equal surprise and pain. Texas. —There has lately been a very interest ing meeting at Farmington.—Concord and Clear Creek churches “ engage the entire time of their pastor, not to preach every Lord’s day for them at their houses of worship, but to preach also in the more remote and destitute neighborhoods where members live, including the territory be tween Centreville and the Navasota River. This is a proper step, and in the right direction.”— There is virtually no Baptist church in LaGrange, where some of our best ministers have labored.— Since the constitution of the State Convention in 1848, funds have been contributed to the amount of $85,000 only ; but its missionaries “ have been instrumental in the organization of five or six Associations and between forty and fifty churches, and in the erection of from twenty-five to thirty meeting-houses. They have ordained from twelve to fifteen ministers of the gospel, and from twen ty-five to thirty deacons. Six hundred converts were baptized in one year by them, and about twenty-five hundred in all. Arkansas. —Enon Church, Bradly county, con stituted in October with 9 members, has now 18. —The Bartholomew Association, which met at Mt. Zion, Ashly county, received two new church es, making 25 ; has 14 pastors within its bounds; and enjoyed glorious revivals in some of the churches, where the baptisms ranged from 10 to 45.—A church was constituted Jan. 20th, at Tyro ( Drew county, with 11 members. The Wat They Pdt it. — The Irish corres pondent of the Nashville Christian Advocate, in allusion to the change of Dr. Strickland from the Methodist to the Presbyterian min istry, says: “He has changed the broad, boundless expanse of Methodist theology, ir radiated all over with the light of God’s re deeming beneficence, for the circumscribed field of Calvinism; all but entirely embraced m the cold gloom of inexorable decrees.” •limpeaflf Jty <sin In Quest of “Ui/)ns.” —lt is said that Bap tist clergymen of have invited Spurgeon to visit bhat city at the time of the May anniversaries ;jand that Ritualistic Epis copalians have extended an invitation to Dr. Pusey. There au&Jbpes that the former will accept: the health <#• the latter wilkprobably compel him to dectfie. The Pen. — writes from Bremen to the Methodist 7*^l l is difficult to tell when the German sceptieKleep. They seem to be always writing, always talking. They man age to write hugejblumes at very brief in tervals ; and if "not frequently furnish lengthy articles for ijie Reviews m their inter est, they neither nor receive much cred it for great literari ability.” We devoutly wish that Christians, within the range of our circuldpon, realized in some such sort the power of tfi pen. Pulpit Fellowship.— The council of the Dutch Reformed Clufrch, Holland, has passed a resolution admittab the ministers of every recognized denomination to its pulpit; and an English minister recently preached in one of their Amsterdam ebjWges —the first instance of the sort in that Jky since 1619. Religious LiterJlure. —Of the 4,204 new works and new edHufrs of old ones which appeared in EnglatHuast year, 849 were on the subject of religuEj. Dancing.— A cWjtfra&n of Philadelphia represents to shrivel up all man's moral digi™®tln the Maine Chris tian Convention a nSgfcer “ told of a revival which followed his fiflhful rebuke of dancing.” New Hampshire —The statistics of last year show 56 castors, 81 churches, and 7,320 members ; an ncrease of 2 pastors and 10 churches and a d< grease of 246 members. “The Greatest % Curse.” —The Journal and Messenger avo’Vjg; the belief that “ the greatest curse the Western and Southern churches have to OD’bend with is covetous ness.” 1 - Baptism. —A corre^p on( )ent of the Nation al Baptist relates th£ following conversation with “ a learned and-candid Presbyterian “‘ Do you know of language, or do you think there is any lan|. ua g e> which has in it no word for so common ty n action as dip ?' He replied, ‘ No.’ ‘ls mA the Greek language the most perfect in t# wor ] < j fHe replied, ‘Yes.’ ‘lf the Gree%- wor( j baptizo do not mean to dip, is word, in that lan guage that does ?’ J| e replied, ‘ No.’ ‘Do you know of any langffi&y. which has any word to express the appli<|f lcm 0 f water in any mode ?’ He replied,^ No- . « Now,’ sa id i ? ‘that will do. Go onjp n( j sprinkle your ba bies, and call it baptjl n > «Pooh !’ said he, ‘ don’t talk to me of bftt'lzing babies : I don’t hold to it. I hold to t believer's baptism, and none other. My chil‘JL’- have not been bap tized ; and will not beJE]} jt is their own vol untary act.’” Northern and SoutCJern Baptists. —Wm. Johnson writes to Au Religious Herald: “ Northern Baptists acknowledged to me that the Baptists are more cor reei in those at the North.” - Giving. —The NortA Carolina Methodist Episcopal Conference ’pronounced members who neglected to make reasonable contribu tions, proper for discipline.—The New Orleans Christian says: “Who ever can bring back, ok discover the way to collect regularly, at intervals of one week, any given sum, from member of the church, will have done more for the benefit of mankind than James Watt did by inventing the steam engine.”—A Presbyterian pastor of Virginia tells his people’that five cents a Sun day, by every church mduiber, would keep the Southern church afloat Without foreign aid.— Rev. E. Dodson writes* to the Biblical Re corder : “An agent comes to a protracted or a camp meeting. The ministers do not wish him to make a public collection, as it will lessen the money to be raised for the preach ers. An agent made a large collection at a certain place. The preachers also got $23. At another great meeting the members would not let the agent collect, as they wished to help the preachers. The agent was disap pointed, and the preachers received $15.” Denominational Preaching. —Rev. C. B. Crane, of the South Baptist Church, Hartford, Conn., on the first Lord’s day morning in every month, preaches on some of the distinctive sentiments and practices of the denomination. Ice. —ln a recent baptism at Beaver Lake Minnesota, ice was cut feet thick. Strict Communion. —The Strict Commun ion Baptist College at Bury, Lancashire, Eng land, commenced less than a year ago, has called to the chair of Ecclesiastical History, Rev. Benjamin Evans, DfD., of Scarborough, author of “ Early English Baptists,” “ Letters on Romanism,” etc. On the Wane. —Rev. I. T. Ijecker, a Ro man Catholic priest of New York, in a popu lar lecture delivered in Brooklyn recently, declared the Yankee race to be on the wane; — which might be accounted mere rhetoric, smoothing the way for his assumption that “ the unity and perpetuity of this glorious Republic depend on the spread of Catholi cism.” But may we as lightly dismiss the following statement by Dr. Thos. E. Bond, in the Baltimore Episcopal Methodist, who re fers, for his facts, to “ the New York Observer, Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, and the late work by Dr. Storer, of the same city “ We hope in God never to see New England ideas, spiritual or temporal, dominant here. They are now eating out the very life of Mas sachusetts, and if not altered will, in a few generations, extinguish the descendants of the Pilgrims in the boasted Old Bay State Where the American deaths exceed the births, and only half the children beach maturity, the race is doomed. Foreigners in Massachu setts have three children to an American one, and the New England writers, from whom this extraordinary fact is obtained all attrib ute the rapid declension of the population to the prevalence of secret srime unknown to the South.’ ” Creeds. —The Radical s|ys: “We see no escape from the meshes of a greed hut through the open door of the church out into the world.” Well: that is the right place for the. opponents of creeds; and the opposition will always, when legitimately developed, end just there. Romish Superstition. —Rev. Jos. E.'Car ter writes to the Biblical Recorder, an account of a recent visit to the Abbey of La Trappe, Nelson county, Ky., in which he says, describ ing the monks’ chapel: “ The most prominent figure of this magnificent room, is the monster crucifix. There, in full life-size, executed by one of their monks, is represented Christ on the cross. I have seen in their cathedrals in other places, great pictures and monster cru cifixes, but this excels all. The mouth, eyes, and tongue, all touched with the finest skill, and painted in the image of death, seem to speak though made of wood. The dripping blood from the hands seems almost reeking on Calvary. No temple-god in China will be more of an idol to the poor followers of Con fucius, than will this crucifix be to the blinded Trappists of Gethsemane. Sunday Schools. —ln seven or eight of the chief Northern cities, the Methodists have es tablished Home Sunday School Normal Class es, classes of teachers who are trained for the effective discharge of their office.—During a recent revival in the Baptist church at Sag Harbor, N. Y., on one Sabbath “more than half the Sabbath School were upon the anxious seat seeking salvation.” Another Revision Demanded. —ln the Scotch Established Church, (Presbyterian,) the Duke of Argyll, Rev. Norman McLeod, Principal Tulloch and Rev. D. Robert Lee, have pronounced a revision of the Westmin ster Confession of Faith a mere question of time and an event which can not much longer be delayed. These views were echoed 1 by Rev. Dr. Edmond, at the last meeting of the London Presbytery, (United Presbyteri an,) who urged the movement to get rid of antiquated phraseology, and to secure the omis sion of statements not needful now, and the insertion of fresh matter to meet the require ments of the present day. Slavery. —A new religious periodical, the Panoplist, has been commenced in Boston, and claims to stand in advance of all religious journals, on this one “ vital ” point—that it will utterly exclude from church fellowship all who uphold the institution of slavery. Northern Methodists. —The journals of this church claim* that, every Southern State either in whole or in part, is now embraced within the bounds of an Annual Conference of their connection. Bishop Simpson completed the circle recently by organizing a Texas Con ference, which he did by joining some German* and some colored preachers with one preacher transferred from a Northern Conference. Medicine and Missions. —Acting on the belief that missionary stations can ‘never be properly equipped until there are more medi cal missionaries, New York clergymen are uniting in a series of discourses for the bene fit of the medical students in that city, who number not less than 1,000, and among whom a Christian Union with forty members was formed during last year’s term. Ministerial Candidacy. —An article on Vacant Churches, in the Christian Intelligen cer notices ‘ the recent ’case of a minister, of good talent, popular address,consecrated heart, a true disciple, who is sent for in a very flat tening way, by a churoh wishing a patefcor, to visit and preach with a view to a call. He goes and finds that six others have been be fore him, all of whom had gained friends who stood ready to push them through. After running the gauntlet, he said : “ Let me go to Siberia and freeze, to Sahara and burn, to the Micronesian isles and be eaten by cannibals, to the territories and be tomahawked, but save me from ever preaching again as a candidate.” ’ The No-Creed Party. —The First Unita rian Church, Troy, N. Y., has recently adop ted articles for its government and guidance, from which we clip the following: “ The be lief being entertained by many persons that, in order to become members of a church, it is essential to make profession of faith, and to be received and acknowledged personally by the church, and, on the other hand, a different belief prevailing with many, namely, that church membership is spiritual only, and that the best profession is that which is made by a good life, we leave it to the conscientious convictions of each individual member to de termine what kind of profession he shall make. . . Whereas, some of our members believe religion is a spirit to which established forms are not essential, and such persons are, therefore, not persuaded of the obligation to join in the use of what are known as the ‘ Christian Ordinances,’ and others believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are obli gatory upon all, we leave it to the conscien tious convictions of each member to use these ordinances, or to abstain from the use of them.” The Fun Islands. —There are now in these islands no fewer than 90,000 professing Chris tians, 36,000 young people in the Wesleyan schools, 1,700 school teachers, 1,500 class leaders, 1,200 local preachers, and 35 native missionaries. They have also a theological institution, where 40 promising young natives are being trained. The entire Bible had been reprinted in the native tongue. Strong Drink. —There are 800 “ grog shops ” in Hartford, Conn., one to every 50 inhabitants.—Of the 930 drinking saloons in Chicago, 230 are on two streets, and nine tenths of the arrests made in the city take place on those two thoroughfares. London. —There are 3,000,000 of people in this city, of whom 1,000,000 live in habitual neglect of the means of grace, and only halt a million make public profession of faith. The neglecters of worship, if placed in a line four a-breast, would reach from London to York, a distance of 200 miles. In Bethnal Green, within a brief walk from St. Paul’s, there are persons whose only conception of the Al mighty is, that ‘he is an old man with silvery hair, who has been alive for a great many years,’ persons who have never heard His name except in an oath! Church Decoration. —A gentleman of liberal education and extensive European travel recently remarked, with respect to the painting, etc., of the inside of Madison Square Presbyterian Church, New York, that it was “like nothing he ever saw, but a North River steamboat.” The Ministry. —The Irish correspondent of the Presbyterian Witness represents a defi ciency in the supply of preachers and mis* sionaries, as the experience of all religious denominations, endowed and unendowed, in the three kingdoms. ■ djarmpondenq.. : ' ' -4 , Letter from the Valley of Virginia. Religious sta'.us of this part of the Valley—Prejudice against Mm Baptists—Misdirected efforts— Brighter day dawuilg—Effect of the war upon Baptist inter ests in th9J7alley—lllustration—More readiness to hear and tcrWnbrace our views—New corps of labor ers likely to lfe more permanent—More men wanted Can’t Georgia furnish some? Dear Brother Shaver: —You are /amiliar with the past history and present status of the Baptist cause in this region, but a few items in that direction may be of interest to your readers. This part of the alley was settled originally by Scotch-Irish Presbyte rians, and each successive generation has fol lowed in the footsteps of their fathers until this may be called with truth,the “Gibraltar of Presbyterianism.” For several counties around they have the numbers, wealth, intelligence and social position necessary to “ possess the land.” There is a considerable Methodist influence, a few Episcopalians and a few Lutherans. The Baptists have but few churches, and they are generally small and feeble. For some years the Virginia Baptist State Mission Board have efforts to build up T .-Qur cause in this but the success hair hitherto been obstacles have been, very the efforts have not always be%i welt directed. The ig norance of our views and of our people has been very great, and the prejudice against us very strong. It has been currently believed that we teach Baptismal Regeneration, Infant Damnation, etc., and that we are an illiterate, bigotted sect, composed of the lower classes of white people and negroes. Several years ago one of the most prominent citizens of this county, on hearing a visiting Baptist minister preach, exclaimed in surprise: “ Why he is an educated man ! ” Last August the Albe marle Association met at Goshen BridgA in this county, and it was a matter of astonish ment to many of the people that the ißaptists had such men as the brethren who preached on the occasion. This ignorance of qa • has been perpetuated from year to year, withput any opportunity (in most cases) of removing it. There are large districts of country where the voice of a Baptist minister has never befen heard ; and unfortunately some of the pjjgfich ers we have had in this section have notulen at all calculated to remove the popular j>{eju dice; against us. *’*- *"We have had sonie noble brethren wfto have labored for a season in this part of the Valley, and who, if they had remained, might have accomplished a great revolution in bur favor; but unfortunately most of them re mained but a short time, and then sought more congenial fields; in some cases leaving feeble churches that they had organized to languish and die. But I am persuaded that a brighter day is dawn ing upon our cause in this splendid country. The war brought the young men of the Valley in contact with Baptists from Eastern Virginia and from other States, and this contact served to give them more intelligent views of our doctrines and our people, to dissipate the prejudice against us, and in not a few instances v to cause them io unite j ThefwriterJ remembers several striking instances of this in his own personal experience. One may be given. I administered the ordinance of bap tism upon one occasion in the presence of a large crowd of soldiers from this section, read ing simply the proof passages of Scripture without a word of comment. That evening a very intelligent sergeant called at my tent and made the following statement: “ I was raised in the belief that Baptists were an illit erate set of bigots, and that immersion was contrary both to the Scriptures and to com mon sense. I never heard a Baptist minister preach until I came into the army, and never witnessed an immersion until to-day. But association with Baptists has done away my prejudices ; the passages of Scripture which you read to-day., and the scene which I wit nessed have convinced me that I have never been baptized, and I come to ask that you will baptize me at your earliest convenience.” The next day I led him down into the liquid grave. God spared him through the war, and I saw him last summer a useful member of a promising Baptist Church, which was organ ized in this region during the war by an army chaplain. The people through this entire section are more willing to hear, and more ready to em brace our views than ever before. And I trust that we will have hereafter a corps of more permanent laborers. Brother A. B. Woodfin, known to many of your readers as the efficient chaplain of the 61st Ga. Regi ment, located about twelve months ago at Mt. Crawford, (fifteen miles below Staunton,) and has added nearly one hundred to his church. Brother George B. Taylor, who in eight years has built up an efficient church of two hundred members from a company of only twelve at the start, retains his post at Staunton, despite many calls to go elsewhere. Brother John H. Taylor, chaplain of the 35th Ga. Regiment during the war, has recently taken charge of Williamsville and Healing Springs churches, and enters upon his work with every prospect of a permanent and use ful pastorate. Brother John W. Ryland (a young brother of fine promise and none the less qualified for this work, because during the whole of the war he was a gallant Con federate soldier,) has succeeded the writer of this (who now gives his whole time to Lex ington,) in the care of “Goshen Bridge ” and “ Deerfield.” Thus you see we have four new laborers added to the little band who have been toiling here for the truth as we hold it, and we are determined to stick to our posts unless forced by plain providential indications to leave. As soon as our Missionary Boards are in condition to make the necessary appropria tions, there are a number of other points which we wish to occupy with suitable men. We are making arrangements to have six or eight of our best preachers from Eastern Virginia spend next summer in laboring as evangelists in this region. Are there not of your young Georgia preachers who marched and fought along this magnificent Valley during the war, and who would like to make it the scene of their future labors? Georgia owes us several to pay for brethren Gwin, Wharton, Shaver, etc. But-enough (and I am afraid your readers will say more than enough !) for the present. J. W. J. Lexington, Va., Feb. 14, 1887. Our Cause. Brethren :—We address you upon the sub ject of the evangelization of our people, for the most part unapproachable through any other organization but their own. Immediately after the war, the Board of Domestic and Indian Missions of the South ern Baptist Convention applied itself to the duties assigned it by the Convention; and re solved, as far as the means would justify, to enter upon a vigorous prosecution of the same. In May, 1866, it was able to report 53 mis sionaries in the field, with the sum of $23,- 053 28 received into the treasury during the preceding six months. Since the meeting of the convention, some 120 missionaries and evangelists haye been under appointment for a longer or shorter period. At this time 107 men are employed as pastors, missionaries and evangelists, at an annual expense of not less than $60,000. The most satisfactory results have attended their labors, and we have every reason to believe that the Divine favor has rested upon them. These brethren are scattered throughout our Southern Zion : not a State but is reaping the fruits of their labors. During the quar ter ending June 30, 1866, they reported the baptism of 283 whites and .44 blacks.; for _ quarter ending Sept. 30,643 whites and.2l4 i blacks ; and for last quarter, ending Dec. 31, 464 whites, and 181 blacks—making a total of 1,829 baptisms in 9 months. Is not this an evidence of the Divine favor 1 What Christian heart does not swell with grat itude to God ? Now, my dear Christian friends, shall this work be continued 1 If not, whom shall we dismiss? Your pastor, or yours, my brother— my sister 1 It will require not less than $15,- 000 to sustain this number of laborers till the Ist of April next. There is'but a balance of SI,OOO in our treasury. $14,000 must come, if these dear brethren are paid, and must come from the Baptists of the South, in the main. Will you, my brethren, come up and meet this crisis ? It is a noble work ; you may be required to make some sacrifice in sustaining the Board in this endeavor to keep eur ministry employed, but can’t you do this, for whom Christ died ? Talk not of sacrifice ; think of the value of the souls of men—of the interests of our beloved land—of the cause Os God’s truth—and do all you can, and do it for Jesus, and you shall receive the reward of a disciple. I Remilr byjnail or express to my address— .. Marion, AHa.—and God bless you ! s Yours frujy, M. T. Sumner, Cor. Sec. . Letter from Eastern Yirginia. Dear Brother Shaver :—For the pleasure I experience in the weekly reading of the Index I wish I could make adequate remuneration. I have been receiving it only since the begin ning of the year, yet jf it fails to come at the expected time, as it has done once, I am sadly disappointed. I was a subscriber to the old Index some years ago, but it came very ir regularly. I am glad to say every number has reached me this year, one only having .been delayed a few days. And.wbenit«omes, how rich it is, and how beautiful its face. No other paper that I see, religious or secular, compares with it in typography. I lent a copy the other day to an old brother, and he ex claimed, as in glad surprise: “ I can read it without my spectacles! ” and after reading it, he expressed himself delighted with its con tents. Ido not despair of getting some sub scribers for you in this far off country. Its excellence and its beauty must win favor. By the way, speaking of spectacles, a recent number of the Religious Herald has an article with the startling title, “ How to avoid the necessity of using spectacles at the change of life.” As one who after a while might have to incur this necessity, I read the prescription carefully. The amount of it is, that we must exercise our wills and resolve not to have our eyesight grow dim. We must not let our eyes lose their power. It is argued that, “ when a man of resolute will and of naturally strong muscular energy determines that he will resist the inclination to relax his activity, to stoop, to swag in his gait, and to allow the grip of his fingers to become weak, his power over his faculties is perpetuated! ” What a tran scendantly wonderful discovery ! Now I move that we make short work of it, and resolve with double vim that we will not grow old at all. But, alas ! the day will come “ when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,” and “ man goeth to his long home.” In this part of the world general quiet pre vails in all the various departments of life. The churches (in the country I mean, not be ing posted in town matters,) are only having their regular Sunday services ; most of them two or three Sundays a month. After a month or two the Sunday schools will be reopened, and soon thereafter the summer campaign of protracted meetings will begin. Last summer and fall many of the churches received large and valuable accessions. God grant an increase of a hundred fold during this year! The farmers have not commenced yet to plow their fields, though the weather at pres ent is mild and favorable, and the plowman will soon be busy, unless winter returns again. I reckon the gardens in some parts of Georgia are beginning to look green with vegetation. Many weeks will pass before such is the case here. As to political matters, they are rarely the subject of discussion. O that all our Southern people would continue to let them alone se verely. If we mourn over the grave of con stitutional liberty, let it be silently; it will not be therefore the less deeply or sincerely J. R. G. King and Queen county, Va., Feb. 14, 1867. The Truk Sunday School Spirit.— The extract which we make from the letter of brother J. W. E.—Mayfield, Ga., evinces a commendable zeal in the Sunday school cause on the part of the members of theElim Bap tist Church: “We have quite an interesting Sabbath school. Not long since, at a review and pic nic of the school at Elim Church, a class of seven repeated fifteen hundred and ninety nine verses of Scripture. We have kept up this school all the winter in an open house, without any stove; meeting in the months of January and February twice a month. Would that every church could feel the worth of Sab bath schools!”