Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

58 Ififa Mil Jppttet J. J. TOON, - ■ - - Proprietor. Rev. D. SHAVER, D.D., Editor. THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 186 7. A Question of Consistency. A correspondent of the Presbyterian Wit ness argues that the “ Christian liberty ” of individuals does not Vacate ‘ the perfect right of the church to defend herself and the truth from determined opposition within,’ and that she may lawfully deny membership to regen erate perils, whom “ remaining ignorance and corruption” have betrayed into error. One of his illustrations runs on this wise : « Here is a man you have been laboring with. He at length gives evidence that he is a child of God. In nine cases out of ten he will embrace that system of doctrine and those practices, which.you, his spiritual father, em brace. But there is an occasional case differ ent. He is a parent, and, all you can say or do, he maintains that he ought not to have his children baptized. Having failed, instead of saying we will make an exception in your case, tell him * that you can not repeal, but must enforce this law. Ihere, however, is a Baptist church, in error as you believe in this; but that you would an hundred fold rather see him in a church of Christ, though in some things in error, than without.’ He will feel then that it is principle not party, which in fluences you, and it will give that man a con fidence in you more probably than any one else. And the world—and the world has keen eyes —will say, ‘ That man is in earnest in his convictions, and loves souls and the truth more than party.’” Pedobaptist sects generally, as is well known, do not pursue the course which this writer counsels. They welcome to member ship parents who ‘ maintain that they ought not to have their children I aptized,’ and “ wink at” the life-long neglect of what they are pleased to style an “imperative duty” and a “ precious privilege.” Shall we say, then, as his language implies, that ‘ it is party, not principle, which influences them ’ —that they ‘ love souls and the truth less than party 1 ?’ We remit that question to the bar of One who is alike their Judge and ours. He will decide it, in the day, when “ His eye lightens forth controlling majesty ” before an assembled world; when He shall show that lie has “ casketed His treasure ” within all ecclesiastical organizations, and pass sentence, without bias of partiality or preju dice, on the matters of reprehension from which none are spotless. Let it suffice us, awaiting that verdict, to lay the enquiry on their consciences, as a point of personal con cernment to themselves alone; and with it, the rebuke which rises from their own ranks, as a self-preferred indictment, not to say, con fession, of guilt. Have they taken the ques tion, in solemn anticipation, to the Judgment Seat, and weighed and settled it (so to speak) there , with something of the awe that must enclothe the weighing to which no error shall cleave and the settlement from ap peal* shall lie ? Southern Baptist Convention. This body meets at an important juncture, and every consideration of sound policy de mands that it should be large in numbers, wise in counsel, strong in faith. Take a brief outline of the train of thought which justifies and demands this view. We live in a time of transition. One era passes away ; another enters. What changes have come over us in the political and social world ! What changes may lie before us! Such a time is, with emphasis, a crisis. It separates from the past; it decides for the fu ture. Instants are moments: the Now moves! What is ha* tens to transfigure and lose itself in what will be. Nothing is ineffective, nothing trivial, at such a time. Every thing waxes causal. Action and inaction, alike, become Influence; and a year may give color to the century that follows it. You remember the magic tent of which we read in Arabian fable : “fold it, and it seemed a toy for the hand of a lady ; spread it, and the armies of powerful sultans might repose beneath its shade.” Our daily perfor mances or neglects now, are the tent folded —so slight are they in seeming ; the history of generations to come may be simply the spreading of the tent—so resistless is the po tency that works through them ! At such a time, no error is little. Those which we most contemn as unworthy of re gard in the calculation of the forces that affect society, may prove ‘ like the grain of mustard seed, which, when sown, is less than all the seeds in the earth, but when it groweth up, is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree.’ In the sphere of religious activity, we need now —with regard to what men ac count minor faults—especially with regard to omissions of duty for a season, salved by the promise of repair through fidelity in times to come—the watchfulness necessary in the sphere of health, when, at certain stages of dis ease, the oversight or slumber of the nurse for an hour, entails on the patient lingering re lapse or inevitable death : for if we turn aside from the straight path but a handbreadth, who shall tell us * whereunto it may not grow,’ as our own feet and the feet of our children fol low out that deflection ? Now, Christians do not live at such a time by mere accident. Divine Foresight and Sovereignty place them in it, and impose the special responsibilities of the position on them. They are raised up by the Lord, to see to it that Zion takes no harm amid the convulsions that shake the world. They are his chosen priesthood, to bear the ark in safe ty, through night and storm, until He cries, “ Peace, be still,” “ until the day break and the shadows flee way ” before the manifesta tion of His presence. Oh, high and holy function ! Let us not dream that we may forego, or postpone it. It must be discharged, arid discharged now. Not to address ourselves to it, is to refuse the per ere Ifr ■ THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: ATLANTA, GA„ THURSDAY, APRIL 4,1867. bring together brethren from every quarter of the South. The fidelity and zeal of our people should represent themselves there. The numbers in attendance should testify that we are alive to the danger and the duty of the hour—that we ‘ prefer Jerusalem above our chief joy ’ —that the work of the Lord enlists our sympathies, commands our means, is our acknowledged, our beloved life-work—that no clouds overhanging o»r temporal interests have power to obscure, for the eye of faith, the crown held forth from the skies by the Captain of our salvation, but, under and through their shadow, we press forward to win it. To argue that the meeting is of slight con sequence ; to forget that the showing we make at Memphis and the spirit which breathes forth from those who assemble there, must, in great measure, decide whether our Boards shall, or shall not, tread backward steps, in their labors for the evangelization of the land and the conversion of the world; to act as though the work of the Convention may be adjourned fpr two years, or performed per functorily—for the mere sake of getting through, no matter how : what is this but to assume that the great Converter and Evange lizer has no use for the body, or for those who are its constituents, at present 1 And if that lesson be learned, in this connection, how may not the evil leaven spread ; how must it, as a canker, eat out the heart of all our Christian activities 1 We plead, then, for a full Convention—one in which our whole brotherhood may speak, or by which our whole brotherhood may be influenced—one which shall ‘devise liberal things,’ and give a mighty impulse to the cause of missions at home and abroad. But to secure this end, churches, in most cases, must meet the expenses of, at least, the min isterial delegates. Very few of our pastors have the necessary means; but to how many of their congregations will it be “ a crying shame,” if they withhold them 1 We hope that a spirit of wise liberality will be mani fested by our people in this matter. The Love of Money. ‘ William Derby, a wealthy and eccentric Englishman, seven feet tall and broad in pro portion, died, at Vienna recently, four days after a fall inflicting fatal injury ; but, during that interval, he sold his body to a museum of natural history, and received the money for it.’ Surely, that was money which an heir that loved him would shudder to inherit. How could a wife bear to say, “ This is the price of my husband’s body?" a son. or daughter, “My father sold his body for this 1 ” There would be equal pain in spending it, or keep ing it. But is there not a far more common case which ought to trouble the spirit more pro foundly, and yet does not, —the case of those who bequeath to others the riches which have been the price of their souls 1 Are there not thousands who accept and enjoy an inheritance, and never pause to think that the soul was wickedly, madlsr, givenin exchange fj>r it 1 ? Yes ; say that he was a fool to sell his body —that nothing but a blind, fatuous love of money could prompt him to it! Pride yourself on being wiser; and then go—prove that insanity a thousand fold worse than his has smitten you, by getting gain in sinful ways, and thus, for love of money, selling your soul ! Such is the power of self-delusion with men. When will they break its fetters ? when rouse them selves from its dreams 1 The Breach of the Law of Immersion. Laxity in one form leads to other forms of laxity. We can not stand on the line of di vergence from Divine appointment: we move —and must move —farther and farther from “ the direct forthright ”of obedience. In the matter of the ordinances especially, not to ad here with scrupulous fidelity to that which is laid down in the word of God, “ so, and no more, and no less, and no otherwise,” is to set out on a path of aberration, which, little by little, but surely, runs into the total surrender of Scriptural requirement. We have just met with a case in point. The Free Will Baptists of New England, at their rise, while observing the law of immersion as to church membership, disobeyed that law as to communion. But what are the present tendencies of usage among them ? A writer in the Zion's Herald, (the Methodist organ at Boston,) states, as “ a sign of the times,” that ‘Free Will Baptists now and then receive members from other denominations, who have not been baptized by immersion.’ He tells us that ‘ one minister of note, where a case of the kind was before several brethren for ad vice, said he was accustomed to admit such persons to membership as candidates for bap tism, implying an indefinite postponement of the rite;’ that ‘a Yearly Meeting sustained the action of a church in their reception ; ’ and that ‘ the enquiry, whether the General Con ference would not condemn the course, was met by the answer, “ No, we have long been accustomed to do that.” ’ This writer argues from these facts, that ‘ the Free Will Baptists are changing front, and will soon form an im portant part of the great Pedobaptist army.’ A correspondent of the Morning Star, (the organ of the denomination at Dover, N. H.,) in reply, says : “ If some few have been ad mitted to church membership from other de nominations who had not been immersed, we do not judge the matter, not knowing the pe culiar circumstances in such cases. . . If persons not immersed are received without very satisfactory reasons, the way is open for the reception of many who have not been im mersed, and looseness and disorder may be the result.” And from this reply we infer that the statements of the Methodist writer are true: that instances of the surrender of the law of immersion in the matter of church membership have occurred, and that even those who have not taken part in such instances virtually concede that “ peculiar circumstan ces” may furnish “satisfactory reasons” for them—which must induce their rapid multi plication. The first wrong step has smoothed the way for a second, and given an impulse it. To tamper with the law of im- point, is to put in motion an ' i, . drives steadily toward its neg- Wksingle waiver is inchoate abo e is—inflexible fidelity f ► .. Ak people will not tail to read their duty in the light of this example. The duty discerned, they will discharge it. Another in point deserves passing notice. The validity of immersion as “a mode” of baptism, is not impugned by the Standards of the denominations around us, or by the schol arship which in some respects has gone for ward in advance of the Standards. But while this is held as lawful, an equal lawfulness is recognized as attaching to sprinkling, or pour ing. Here is a breach of Scriptural injunction : the Divine appointment is brought down to a level with human substitutes for it. And what is the practical result 1 In the professed observance of the ordinance, the human sub stitutes are exalted above the Divine appoint ment; they are administered with far greater frequency, and it is thrust more and more into discountenance, until Rev. R. Boyd, in the Pittsburg Christian Advocate , feels authorized to say: “So far as I know, the Methodist is the only Pedobaptist church that grants their people the privilege of immersion.” If this be even approximately true, the Scriptural law is substantially set aside. First, it was modified to authorize an unwarrantable usage ; and then, the usage, by reaction, stamps obe dience to the law as itself unwarrantable. Such is the path in which the Free Will Bap tists have taken the first step : such the path on which we are asked to enter, when men urge us to depart from the law of immersion in the matter of communion. The question is, whether we will throw ourselves into the current which sweeps on toward the utter ab rogation of the law. There can be no hesita tion as to the answer which should be return ed. We feel no doubt as to the answer which will be. The present generation of Baptists will not deal a suicidal blow against their own life, and the life of the truth to which their fathers bore witness even unto death. Our Southern Zion—in Our Exchanges. Arkansas. —Rev. A. J. Cansler, recently of North Carolina, writes from Batesville that since his settlement in the State, he has baptized six persons. Kentucky.—Rev. J. D. Arnold, of Simpson county, “proposes to visit portions of the adjoin ing counties, to solicit aid for the suffering South.” —Rev. A. S. Worrell writes to the Texas Baptist Herald: “Georgetown College is gradual]}- in creasing in numbers, and will, I think, attain its former numerical prosperity within a few years. This Institution you are aware, is under the direc tion of Dr. N. M. Crawford, and to this fact, doubt less, much of the prosperity of the College is owing.” He also states that more than 300 of our churches in the State are represented as without pastors!—Rev. J. S. G. Watson reports “the present of anew worsted quilt and calico squares enough to make another” to his wife, from the la dies of Mortonsville, including all denominations and non-professors.—Rev. G. F. Bagby, as Agent of the Domestic Board to the churches of Bracken Association, has received subscriptions amounting to s2,62B.—Rev. F. W. Stone, pastor of Maysville church, is superintendent and chorister of the Sabbath school.—Chestnut Street Church, Louis ville, was to have been dedicated last Sabbath af ternoon ; and for the two Sabbath nights preceding, more than 40 had been baptized in the Walnut Street Church.—Rev. N. M. Crawford, D.D., re ports a revival, with 22 baptisms, at Georgetown. —A church constituted on Cumberland river, Pu laski county, last December, with 21 members, has received 15 additions by baptism. Makyland.—A Baltimore correspondent of the National Baptist says : “ There have been some recent additions by baptism to our city churches. Dr. Fuller has frequent occasion to ‘ trouble the wa ters.’ Dr. Williams of the First Church, has enjoyed a season of refreshing, in which 20 have been con verted, and Dr. Wilson who has been temporarily supplying the Franklin Square pulpit, has bap tized five candidates within a brief period. The Baptist cause, after a long season of depression, seems again about to move forward in Baltimore and Maryland." —Rev. W. E. Hatcher, recently of Manchester, Va., was installed pastor of the Frank lin Square Baptist Church, Baltimore, March 17. Mississippi. —“ Memoirs of Rev. S. S. Lattiinore” have been prepared by Rev. W. C. Crane, D.D., to be published for the benefit of his widow. They will contain an account of his debates, and some of his sermons and notes of sermons. Missouri. —A pastor, serving four churches, re ports to the Journal, revivals in all of them, with an aggregate of 100 conversions and 56 baptisms. —A revival in a church, constituted lately in Barton county with 9 members, increased its membership to 46. —Thirteen additions were made to Clear Creek church, Marion county, during a meeting last month, and others await baptism. North Carolina. —Rev. Jno. Ammons is teach ing at Mars Hill, between Ashville and Burnsville, and serving several churches. —Prospects are not encouraging at Ashville, where Rev. T. Stradley is pastor.—The church at Hendersonville prospers under the ministry of Rev. S. G. Jones. —Rev. F. P. McGee has been appointed a missionary for this State, by our Sunday School Board at Green ville.—Dr. S. Wallen, a popular physician of Madison county, has entered the ministry.—Rev. H. Rogers died recently in Moore county. —The Memoir of Rev. J. L. Prichard is passing through the press, and will be ready for delivery in a few weeks. Price $1.50. Address Rev. J. D. Huf ham, Raleigh. South Carolina. —Seven converts were baptiz ed recently at Anderson, by Rev. Mr. Beverly.— Rev. J. 0. B. Dargan, D.D., General Agent of the State Convention, fears that its missionaries are not doing as much as might be desired, from want of support. Texas. —Rev. D. B. Morrill, in the Baptist Herald says: “In Palestine, an old dilapidated, weather-beaten church house, with the windows broken out, with one or two male, and perhaps a half dozen female members, with scarcely the sem blance of true piety, are all that is left of a once large and flourishing Church.” We have a min ister residing there who preaches once a month in the Methodist house of worship.—Of Rusk, he says: “ The Baptists have not even a 4 name to live.’ It was my purpose to preach here several nights and stay over Sabbath, but no one felt suf ficient interest to procure a house. I would have been willing to preach in the court house, a private dwelling, or a work-shop, but preaching seemed not in all their thoughts. LikeDemas, they have loved this present world. Only a little over one year ago we had * report of quite a revival and a flourishing Church at this place.”—Rev. J. B. Daniel preaches at Rockwall, Kaufman county, in a bouse of worship used by five denominations ! Six additions were made recently to the church at Huntsville ; 25 at Towash, Hill county; 15 by baptism and quite a number by letter and resto ration at Farmington, Grayson.—Rev. W. C. Crane, D.D., is collecting materials for “Memoirs of Sam. Houston,” a work which he hopes to com plete within the next two years.—J. H. L. Wes ley was ordained at Antioch church, Smith coun ty, March 3.-Rev. J. W. D. Creath writes to the Religious Herald: “ The Baptists are fast increas ing in numbers from emigration, conversions and baptisms. Among those coming in, are many ex cellent brethren in the ministry, young men of talent and of deep piety, who come to labor for Christ. We have quite a number of young men in our colleges who are licentiates. The organization of new churches is almost of daily occurrence with us. There seems to be an increasing desire with many of our ministers to consecrate themselves more and more to the work whereunto God hath called them. The membership of the Baptist churches, as a general thing, are ready for every good work. Agents for the Bible, Foreign Mis sion, Domestic Mission, and Sunday School So cieties, as well as for our State Convention and Edu cational interests, are daily visiting the churches. All are aided to some extent. All our institutions of learning, both male and female, are doing well for the times in which we live and the circum stances by which we are surrounded.” Virginia.—The First church, Washington street, Petersburg, which was destroyed by lightning sev eral years since, Has been ‘reconstructed,’ and was dedicated, the,24th ult. Rev. T. H. Pritch ard, pastor, preached the sermon.—The baptisms in the Fredericksburg church amount to 70; more than half of them, of young men ; and about 25 of them, of persons connected with the Sabbath school, which now numbers 339 teachers and scholars. Glimpses of the Times. Sensible Co-V&rtnership. — A minister writes to the Nashville Christian Advocate: “I have fallen upon anew plan, which I be lieve will succeed in furnishing the Advocate and Visitor to many of our members who could not obtain it otherwise—viz : where sev eral families live*tn one neighborhood, to sub scribe conjointly. There are many who are able to pay fifty cents or one dollar, that are not able to pay three. ‘ Where there is a will there is a way.’” This is practical good sense. Why should two neighbors go with out the Index akd Baptist because neither T one is able to it, if the two have ability to take it in co-partnership ? Infant Baptism. —Prof. Phelps, of Ando ver, in his recent work on Regeneration, says : “We must rank among the tokens of intel lectual disease, we must regard as a degrada tion in a civilized mind, that taste which leads one to protrude a Christian baptism, or the imposition of consecrated hands, or the pro fession of a Cbxistian creed, or communion with a Christian church, or the reception of the Lord’s Supper, in advance of that work of God’s Spirit by which a sinner is born again.” The National Boptist replies: “Now this is precisely what iMvit, baptism does. It is the head and frontoffending, that it ‘pro trudes Christian baptism in advance of that work of God’s Spirit by which a sinner is born again.’ gainst that ‘ bad taste which leads’ to this thrusting of the symbol before the thing symbolized, the Baptists have borne, and continue to their solemn testimony.” Nor is it withiu* our communion alone that this “intellectual disease,” this “degradation in a civilized min®’ is seen in its true colors. Rev. R. Boyd, «the Pittsburg Christian Ad vocate. says regard to his brethren, the followers of Wtiley : “Strange to tell, there is probably no branch of the Pedobaptist churches, in proportion to numbers, where so few baptized children are found. This mat ter is neglected, but by some it meets greater opposition in the Meth odist church than from any other source.” “ At writeMfi the Evangelical repudiates as “ new,” “ un-Lutheran” and “ anti-scriptural,” the doctrine of Dr. Mason that “ the children of Christian parents are born members of the church, and that their baptism is founded on this membership.” The Young.—A writer in the Episcopal Methodist remarks : “ It has been said —and I fear with much truth—that Methodist parents are more indifferent in regard to the religious training of their children than any other de nomination. Thousands have been baptized and thereby been constituted, or acknowledged members of the church, but how seldom are they reminded of the fact by their pastor. No classes are formed—not even a list of their names can be obtained.” Is this the boasted efficacy of infant baptism 1 Mockery. —A writer in the Witness, the Cincinnati organ of the United Presbyterian Church, says: “Families must be brought up in the church. At each baptism the parents are required to renew their professions of faith, come under a promise to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. What a solemn mockery ! This child is taken out and is seen very seldom in the public sanc tuary thereafter.” Loss.—A writer in the London Watchman adduces the faets, that the Wesleyan Confer ence minutes contain no question relative to the children, and that there is no report of the numbers in the Catechumen class, to explain the loss of so many of their baptized children, of whom not a few drift into the Established church and others become utterly worldly. “ Natural ’’Membership. —At a Unitarian Conference in Suffolk county, Mass., recently, a speaker, said that “ half the population of this country wbf> go nowhere to church, natur ally belong to the Unitarians ; and the Unita rians mean to have them !” Nobody belongs naturally to the Baptist church: nature must be renewed to confer a title to admission. This speaker employed phraseology allowable only on the Pedobaptist hypothesis of heredi tary memberships and if that hypothesis were suffered thoroughly to 4 Judaize’ Christianity, would it not end in Unitarianism—or worse? Baptismal Salvation. —A sermon preach ed a few weeks since, against the doctrine of regeneration by baptism, recalls the fact that once the question was gravely discussed in the Theological Faculty of Paris, whether if an infant be in danger of death, and no water at hand, it would not be better to throw it into a well with the sacred formulae, than to leave it to expire and perish everlastingly for the want of them ! Those were the times and those the men, whose acceptance of infant bap tism is used a£ an argument to prevail svith the modesty of its rejectors, and silence them ! Without Warrant. —A correspondent of the Journal and Messenger quotes Henry Ward Beecher sas having said, in a sermon re ported in the Independent, June 23, 1864, (at which time waif cut off the communication be tween the two sections,) with reference to in fant baptism: flt is not commanded by Scrip ture. It is not’ brought down as a substitute for circumcisiojn. And there is no well at tested case of ?its administration in the New Testament-” .|. “ God gives every church and every mar| the right to do every thing that is good. *f any body asks me where is your texL children? I reply, there is none. And if lam asked, then why do you baptize them ? I say, because it is found to be beneficial. And if any man says to me, do you think the baptism of children is a Divine ordinance ? My reply is that I believe an ox-yoke is a Divine ordinance. I practice it not on account of any Scriptural command, but because Scripture confers on me the right to use any thing which is good and beneficial.” Communion. —ln an article on the union of the Old and New Schools, the Missouri Pres byterian says: “ We recall that in 1856 the two Assemblies were in session in New York, and it was proposed in our Assembly that overtures be made to the other body for a joint communion. Dr. Philips, pastor of the church in which our (the Old) Assembly was sitting, took the floor immediately and oppos ed the motion with so much vim and earnest ness, as something that ought not to be thought of for a moment, that it was at once laid on the table.” Doubtless some of the ministers who helped to lay it there, expressed them selves, in the course of the same year, as shocked by the bigotry and bitterness of Bap tist close communion. Close Communion. The Episcopalian (Evangelical) urges non-communion with the advanced Romanizers of its own church : “ There is a duty to perform, and that is to abstain from Ritualistic observance of the sa craments. Withdraw thyself from what is not the table of the Lord.” It sounds rather queer —this advice to introduce close commu nion between different parties of the same denomination! Close communion, then, is not altogether and necessarily evil. It may have a proper sphere, and do a proper work. Baptists of Oregon. —There are in Oregon 4 Baptist Associations, 35 churches, 31 or dained ministers, and 1,300 communicants. Laxity. —Says a writer in the Congrega tionalist: “l am credibly informed that con verts have been recently received by two Baptist churches in this region, when it was known that they believed in open communion and would practice it.” The Christian Era, w'hile pronouncing the supposition that open communion view's are making progress among Baptists “ really amusing,” says : “We should have supposed that a man living any where in New England would have known of Bap tist churches which would receive just such inconsistent members as the above mentioned show themselves to be. Such Baptist churches there always have been, and we suppose there always will be.” There, are none of them in this section, so far as we know. English Baptists. —Rev. John Stock writes from Devonport to the Christian Era : “ In the Baptist denomination l hear of nothing worthy of special note. We certainly are not becoming more Calvinistic, but the re verse. The tendencies of religious thought in this country in every denomination, are very largely in the direction of Broad Church views. With a wide theology we are getting lax practice. Many members of Baptist churches in this country think an occasional visit to the theatre, or opera house, or a game of whist, or dancing at balls, not inconsis tent with their Christian profession. The sign! is not a propitious one.” African Mission. —The American Baptist says: “ Rev. T. A. Reid, for many years a missionary of the Southern Baptist Board to Yoruba, Africa, is about returning to that country with a company of colonists to pro secute missionary labors there. His enter prise is endorsed by Drs. Anderson, Backus, Weston, Armitage and Kendrick, of New York, and by Isaac T. Smith, president of the Metropolitan Savings bank, who will receive all moneys contributed for this mission. The Yoruba people are estimated at three millions, and all speak substantially the same lan guage.” Has he dissolved his connection with our Board at Richmond —which, by the way, has held no communication with the Index and Baptist for three months and more? Immersion. —A correspondent of the Nation al Baptist states, that a recent baptismal occa sion was afterward referred to by eight per sons, as the time of their being awakened to a sense of their need of a Saviour. Baptists of the North West. —In Ohio 11 per cent, of the present members of the churches are received by baptism during the past year, in lowa 10 per cent., and in Minne sota 7 per cent. Seventh-Day Baptists.— This denomina tion, at its last General Conference, reported 68 churches, 33 pastors,7,oo4 members; the contribution of $2,302 42 to the Missionary Society during the year, and an accumulating fund in the treasury amounting to $7,264 74. How to Stop the Leak. —A contributor to the Times and Witness proposes that “ all churches, in giving letters of recommenda tion, shall mail them to the church instead of entrusting them with the individual whom they recommend.” This is the plan by which he thinks we may remedy the evil of having so many persons retain their letters of dis mission for years when they change their res idence, and not connect themselves with the church in whose bounds they settle. Scarcity of Ministers. —Nearly one-third of the Baptist churches in this country are destitute, says a writer in the Journal and Messenger ; nor are they likely to be supplied at an early day. In Indiana, for example, in 1865, there were 460 churches and 235 min isters ; in Illinois 719 churches and 398 pas tors ; while in the latter there were only 28 and in the former only 14 licentiates. An Enviable Distinction. —A minister of our denomination said, not long since : “ The Baptists of St. Louis are the most consecrated set of Baptists to be found in the United States.” Let our membership in every city tremble lest the Heart-Searcher and Works- Knower should deem them the least. Welsh Baptists. —The Glamorganshire Association has a constituency of more than 15,000 members. The total membership in the 11 Associations of the country is 67,621 ; and since 1852 the sum of $60,000 has been subscribed as a permanent Loan Building Fund, to aid in the erection of churches. Destitution.— Rev. W. P. Harrison, of Atlanta, writes to a Southern Methodist ex change : “ There are nearly sixty ministers and their families that must suffer in this State alone, without some efficient aid reaches us from abroad. I could take you to a place within a day’s ride, where the only church service is held at night, for tlm reason that the whole (^armpond^nrft. Southern Baptist Convention. Dear Brethren: —As the time is rapidly approaching for the meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in our city, we feel called upon to address you a few words of affection ate exhortation and invitation. That the interests of the Redeemer’s king dom in our own country, and the great and glorious work of preaching the gospel in all the world and to every creature demand now greater concert of effort on the part of all our churches and people, we sincerely believe; and, in order that the work of the Conven tion be fully and faithfully performed, we all need a more lively appreciation of our re spective duties and responsibilities. The mysterious dispensations of Provi dence have devolved upon us opportunities such as have fallen to but few of our brethren for the accomplishment of good—the exercise of the true Christian spirit —that of love and forbearance—-and for the exhibition of all the ennobling virtues of our holy religion. Liv ing in a land most terribly afflicted and deso lated by the ravages of war, famine and flood, surrounded by thousands of our impoverished and suffering brethren, and multiplied thou sands of poor, lost and ruined sinners, perish ing for the bread of life, and calling upon us to send them the gospel; broken and scat tered churches to bo regathered and supplied with good and faithful pastors, and destroyed meeting-houses rebuilt; many crushed and bleeding hearts to cheer and console with the exceedingly great and precious promises of the jgospel, and many of our dear brethren in the ministry are anxiously waiting an op portunity to go into destitute places and there lift up the standard of the cross, preaching “ good news, glad tidings of great joy,” and enlisting soldiers in the grand army of our King ; shall we not loose their bonds and let them go ? Provisions must also be made to sustain our noble and self-sacrificing mission aries, whose labors have been so signally blessed of God the past year in winning souls to Christ, and in building up and strengthen ing small and dependent churches. And the Macedonian cry is coming to us from all parts of our own country, and from heathen lands, “ Come over and help us ! ” To which we must hearken and respond with whatever ability God has given us, or prove recreant to our high and holy trusts. Truly, “ the ways of Zion do mourn,” and we are most solemnly called upon to “ strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die.” Great and momentous respon sibilities are pressing upon us; and, although we have lost much—suffered much—are poor in worldly goods—if we are rich in faith, we can “ rise and build.” “ Oar God He will fight for us." Though He has suffered us to be sorely chastised, terribly afflicted, He is our Father, and loves us with everlasting love. “ For lam the Lord ; I change not; therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” O, let us return unto Him with all our hearts, prostrating ourselves before Him, obediently submitting to the dispensations of Providence, ever remembering our dependence upon His grace, and we shall find the way open before us, that we may go up and possess the land. Only let us rely fully, confidently upon Him, and the means will be furnished to carry for ward all our denominational enterprises. And let us never forget that the most trusting, be lieving soul lives nearest Heaven, and is sure of abundant supplies of spiritual bless ings. The approaching Convention will be one of very great importance, and the whole South ern country should be fully represented. Let all our churches esteem it a privilege and a duty to represent themselves ; and let provis ions be made to send as many pastors as pos sible. Churches should see that no faithful pastor is kept from the Convention for want of money to pay his expenses. Will not the churches attend to this at once '{ The breth ren here will make ample arrangements f or the accommodation of all who come. A com mittee of reception will announce, in due time, where delegates will be met on their arrival in Memphis. Homes will be ready for all; and we now say, in the name of our people, and in behalf of the Convention, come, breth ren, come one and all; and may the Lord be with us all ! A- Miller. S. 11. Ford. Memphis, March, IBt>7. J- R- Graves. News from the Piney Woods. “ All quiet along the” Flint,at least in the “regions round about” Albany. About the towns and villages there may be some lively discussion and speculation as to political mat ters, but in the piney woods, or country, it’s very quiet. There is, in some neighborhoods, a degree of excitement in the way of a friend ly rivalry among the planters. I find in my “ diocese ” —I am a Bishop —that even the freedmen have caught this spirit, and it has a very salutary effect. The planting interest or~ bur*section is pro gressing well thus far. My observation ex tends over a considerable portion of country, and, all in all, I am prepared to “ second the motion” of brother Sweet, the editor of our paper —the Albany News —“ that the freed men are doing better this year than last.” I am glad to report a religious interest in one of my churches among the freedmen, where I yesterday “ buried with Christ by baptism” thirty-four. And I must state, as a collateral fact, that there is more quiet, less trouble, and more work done in that very neighborhood than any, perhaps, I know of, and it is close to the Bureau, too. I have heard the opinion frequently expressed, of late, that the negroes “ were doing better right here than any where I can hear from ; ” mean ing in South-Western Georgia. I am dis posed to think they are doing as well as any where, and better than in many places. Now, I ma y—yes, I will —be considered fanatical, but I do say, it is attributable to the religious element among this people in our section. On this I could say hnuch, but desist for the present. Ever and anon we meet with romance in real life. Yesterday, in two miles of my meeting, a lady died ‘who, only about fifteen days before, was led to Hymen’s altar. Your readers, many of them at least, have read “ Hervey’s Meditations among the Tombs/L some of them may have^j^B most impressed by his meditations at the tomb of the “lovely Sophronia,” who died under circumstances so sad; in the striking language of the author, becoming at once “ a Mother and a Tomb.” But in the case alluded to, it was, if possible, more sad. The passago from the bridal to the tomb—how sudden ! The rich attire of the bride clothes the corpse how soon ! How soon the bridal party are become a mourning group ! “ Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death!” “At an hour when ye think not,” . . . W. N. Chaudoin. Cottage Home, near Albany, March 25, 1867. Return of Bro. Hogue to the Choctaw Nation. Armstrong Academy, C. N., I February 14, 1867. j Rev. M. T. Sumner, Cor. Sec. : Dear Brother: —Yours of January 3rd reached me yesterday, being forwarded from Linden. I had written you three several times before leaving Texas, but no word from you. On the 15th of January I left Linden, en route for this place, hiring transportation on a credit. The weather was favorable for the season, and we arrived here without any serious mishap. I have rented a place for S2OO, the only one to be had except little log huts, situated in the bottoms, and just vacated by the refugee Indians. The Choctaws seem to be in pretty good spirits, and at this time are manifesting un usual interest in religious matters. They are now at work repairing their preaching places with a zeal that is truly encouraging, if they will only hold out. They are showing more signs of interest in neighborhood schools than they ever have at any time heretofore. I am inclined to think favorably of your plan of conducting our missionary associations. In a conversation had with Peter Folsom last November, we were consulting on that sub ject, and a similar cause was suggested, with out any reference to the number of white mis sionaries. Shall I try to secure the services of a regu lar interpreter ? If so, what salary must I allow ? While the war continued, I was much of the time troubled to get interpreting done. The one that served me most was an old man, who would act when present without charge. When I could not do otherwise, I paid for such service. The Choctaw' to whom I sold our cld sta tion, and whose notes l still hold, now thinks that it will be some time before he can pay for it. He wishes me to take it back. He has suffered the place to go to rack greatly. Whether to give him longer time or to take it back and rent it, I know not. I can not occupy it again myself. In your next, please communicate all the necessary instructions in regard to your plans, and the course desired for me to pursue in reference to the above matters, etc. If this reaches you safely, I suppose you may venture to address me as heretofore, at “ Armstrong Academy, C. N.” The “ outfit” of which you speak, if it reached Linden, will be forwarded to me by a friend at that place. It would relieve me much to have it in hand. I sincerely hope that the set time for the Lord to favor Ins work Jo just <>t band, and that the reasonable desires of his people will be fully realized. Hoping to hear from you soon, or in due time, I remain, Yours truly, etc., R. J. llogue. P. S. The above letter will be read with interest by the friends of brother H. The Board must forward S6OO to brother H. in a few days. This will be necessary to meet his present demands, or to render him at all com fortable. lam pleased to read the letter or appeal of brother Muse, president of the Ex ecutive Board of the Bethel Association, in be half of this mission. Every pastor in the As sociation should take up a collection in his church to aid in sustaining this work. Brother Hogue tnust be sustained. We have bound ourselves to see his family provided for. I hope to see brother Muse with a full hand and encouraged heart at the meeting of the General Convention in April. M. T. S., Cor. Sec. Baptism. ST. FRANCIS BTa EE x CHURCH, MOBIEE, ALA. A young girl of some 15 years was bap tized on the evening of the 24th of March. She was a Sunday school scholar, and member of a Bible class, the teacher of which is a ven erable, white-haired Georgian, Deacon Cuth bert. The father of this dear girl, who was the Treasurer of our church, was buried by us on the 24th of November last—just four months prior to the baptismal burial of his child. Two weeks prior to his death, while ho was at family worship, praying for his children, and especially for this daughter, the prayer was answered. Conviction was there begun, to be deepened by the sad loss of the father so soon afterward. The relation of her sim ple, child-like gonversion to God, and her bap- wroug'hrov. u-mill for good v S. Explanatory. Rev. R. Fuller, D.D., writes, under date Baltimore, March 27: “I hope your readers will not infer from your editorial of the 21st inst. any sort of unwillingness on my part to do every thing and any thing in my power as to Mr. Peabody’s donation. The simple fact is, that I have received, acknowledged, and forwarded, as I might with commendation, a very large number of applications. At times I felt myself overwhelmed by the inunda tion; but I willingly worked at it. A great many letters, however, from institutions and individuals simply request me to write an ap peal and state their cases—which is impossi ble. After all, if a case be clearly stated and addressed directly to Mr. Winthrop, it will be carefully examined; nor would any such general recommendation as I can give as to most of the schools be of any consequence.” Mercer University. The undersigned earnestly requests all who are in arrears for interest to Mercer Univer sity, or to the Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia, to make immediate shall be at Columbus at the Convention, where I hope many, lb-mit any time by “ 'll not 1' ' ’ i: