Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

94 Jala mi pafffeil j. j. TOON, * - - - Proprietor. IteY. D. SHAVER, D.D., Editor. THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1867. “The Fever of Philosophic Theology.” Dr. Board man, as he presents himself be fore the readers of the Baptist Quarterly for April, seems to have been at least slightly smitten with “the fever of philosophic the ology.” He regards the tripartite division of human nature, (as comprising “ awga, and medfia. — body, life or living principle, and spirit,”) in the light of a Revealed Metaphys ics, a Divine Science of Man % # He sees a “profound theological bearing” in it; holds, that it “cast* a flood of light” on the state of our race as fallen, the new birth, the relation of the flesh and the spirit, the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and natural immortality, with “ many other problems ; ” and informs us that numerous “ scriptural passages dis close new volumes of meaning” under its illumination. It is the thread which will -avail to guide us through the labyrinth of mortal speculations, “ Dark and intricate, Puzzled with mazes, and perplexed with errors,” on these high questions ! We, by no means, share this hope. The Doctor, we fear, is chasing an ignis fatuus. The theory of human triplicity does not now come forward to play its part in theology for the first time. It has a record in “ the his ory of doctrines,” and a record which lays it open to challenge. While rejected by ler tullian, the founder of “ Latin Theology,” it was espoused by the “ Alexandrian School, and figures prominently in the per. icious ef fort of Origen and his followers, to recast Pla tonic and Gnostic elements of thought in Christian moulds. In that earlier Gnosticism, too, of which we might almost say that in evecy thing except name it was heathen, this theory held a “ post of honor.” The spirit reflected God, and the body, matter which two were eternal : the (soul) reflected the Demiurge or world-fashioner an apos tate intelligence which stood midway between the two, and was mistaken by Judaism for the former, by atheism for the latter ! And then, the race was parted into three classes, which could never merge into each other, according as the one or the other of these principles wielded a natural and invincible ascendancy in the bosoms of the individuals who com posed it! We do not refer to these things as a proof, or even as a presumption, that the theory of triplicity is false. They are brought forward simply as a presumption, nay, as a proof, that this theory, if true, will hardly show itself the illuminator of Scripture and clarifier of theology, which Dr. B. supposes he has found in it. By the way, we venture to suggest that he should not linger too long over the article, in which he promises to establish the claim he makes for this “ anthropology ” —this “ somatology, psychology and pneumatology combined ! ” fiis thunder may be stolen be fore he launches it. Almost simultaneously with the appearance of the April Quarterly, we noticed an outline and defence of the the ory in a paper devoted to (the ultra wing of) “ the current Reformation.” Now, if the Doc tor suffers his pen to sleep, may not this cher ished theory be appropriated beforehand by that Reformation, which, to say the least, is far from being “pneumatic”—in doctrine 1 ? Will he, by delay, throw his attempt to illus trate its conspicuous relation toward evangel ical truth, under the disadvantage incident to anew instance of its no less conspicuous fa cility of alliance with rationalistic error? But we are dwelling at too great length on this particular topic, and turn from it, to say a word or two in connection with the gen eral subject,—without reference, let us add, to Dr. B. “ The fever of philosophic theology ” is a phrase not without meaning—not without grave meaning. The disease is a real and dangerous one. A brief statement will make this plain. Scriptural Christianity appeals simply to faith : philosophic theology proposes “ the at tainment of truth by the way of reason.” Scriptural Christianity rests doctrine and fact alike on authority : philosophic theology, on the evidence which “ the science of principles and causes” supplies. Scriptural Christianity demands the recognition of its grand verities in virtue of the Divine testimony : philosoph ic theology, for the sake of the light which the intuitive and discursive faculties of our intellect shed over them. For Scriptural Christianity the sole ground of certainty is —“ the mouth of the Lord has spoken it: ” for philosophic theology, the ability “to trace” religious teachings, like other “branch es of human knowledge, to their first princi ples in the constitution of the human mind.” Is it not clear, then, that this changes the very basis of the system of revealed truth; re moves it from the appointed foundation, and provides another—“ which is not another ? ” Say, now, that philosophic theology accepts all the truths of Scriptural Christianity, ac cepts these truths alone. Still, this body of doctrine is placed on a footing not only un warranted, but inadmissible. Not ‘because HE has said it,’ but ‘ because we have seen it — that is the reason why it finds acceptance with us; and is not that the spirit of unbelief? Is it not to demand yvioaiq —knowledge, and to refuse xtam —faith ; which was the precise, distinctive ground assumed by the earliest aud grossest of all the heresies ? And is not heresy the legitimate issue, when the body of Christian doctrine is thus wrenched from its true fundamental basis ? When the voice of the great Revelator is not recognized as the sufficient and final proof of verity—when the witness which that voice bears is subjected to intuitional and ratiocina tive tests, as necessary to confirm or interpret it, —when the human intellect is thrown for ward into a sphere, where it must grapple with the invisible, supernatural, infinite and eternal, under the disabilities of limitation to thought, because finite, and the bias of per version in feeling, because depraved,—surely it would be the most wonderful of miracles, if philosophic theology did not sin, now by excess, and now by defect ; did not with one THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1867. hand take from the system of Scriptural Christianity, and with the other add to it; did not reject Divine teachings here, and em brace “ fond inventions ” there—exemplifying that two-fold tendency to Scepticism and to Superstitiof at which men indulge surprise, but whichjal|we may hereafter take occasion to show) fe*the natural and inevitable out growth of apostate mind. *-■# \ Hard Speeches. * If there are, under the sun, any things w.hich deserve to be cal led new, “ hard speeches ojm sqyeoine into the list. They are older than YKe flood. Those who uttefTthem can trace - their line of succession back- to she times (though not to the person) of “ Enoch, the seventh from Adam.” If antiquity be a lawful substitute for right, let traducers and revilers plume themselves on.the hoary age -of the class whose mantle—not to say, whose infamy—they inherit. “ Hard speeches ” have been of prolific growth. What a library they would make up, if He who has heard them all should write them in books and hand them down to earth ! They have lost nothing, in this respect, by lapse of time. They are as abundant as ever. And as bitter. A full share of them, of course, has been poured out on the South. Instance a recent issue of the American Baptist. A correspondent of that paper says : “ If we can be justified in fellowshipping unrepenting rebels and slaveholders in the church of Christ, who may not be? Os what greater crime is it possible for any one to be guilty ? Would it not be more consistent, to give up the idea that repentance is essential to salvation, be come Universalists, and open wide the door to receive all on a basis of universal brother hood, irrespective of their moral character, exercising that charity which covereth not only a multitude, but all sins ? ” And the editor : “ The Southern people were profess edly very prayerful, and, in their view, pious, when they were selling men and women, or carrying on a rebellion by perjury, and starv ing and murdering the unfortunate prisoners of Andersonville and Libby. Those acts, in our view,;destrayed all claim to religion, quite as much as any other kind of theft or murder. . . . The history of the South ex ceeds in cruelty, crime and corruption, that of any people, civilized or barbaric, known in the annals of time, and that cruelty, crime, and corruption were wrought out under and had the sanction of their highest ideas of re ligion ! ” We take these things in good part. In fact, we are glad that our “ brethren ” are so outspoken. If they entertain such views, we hope they will give expression to them. Let them daguerreotype their inner man for the ages to come! Let Posterity see their souls without a mask, and even without a veil. It will help “the truth of history ” to assert itself. If, in future years, the course of the South shall be deemed to need extenuation, that extenuation will be found in the fact that we sought to cut ourselves loose from the spirit, which, two years after the close of war, and amid legislative triumphs even more signal than the military, could voice its gentleness (?) and charity (?) in terms such as we have quoted. “ The God of peace” send to these troubled and troubling spirits, peace with Himself— peace with all who love Him ! A Correction. One would think that the business driven by colleges now-a-days, in the manufacture of “ Doctors of Divinity,” was sufficiently brisk to satisfy every reasonable demand—and even some demands that are unreasonable. But editors occasionally outstrip the rapid march of literary institutions in this regard. A contemporary, we notice, confers the title on the dead of a hundred years ago, and con fers it without distinction of sex. Miss Anne Steele appears, in his list of Baptist Hymn- Writers, as “Dr. Steele.” We rather like the idea. Her womanly meekness and un worldliness would not be out of place in the titled fraternity; and they may fitly welcome her to their ranks, as a spur to the emulative culture of these graces, which are more and better than all gifts. Room, then, room for Miss Steele among the Doctors ! The more especially as she will not lack congenial soci ety there—fellow pupils in the School of Sim plicity, men of like spirit with herself. Atlanta Religious Statistics. From Barnwell’s Atlanta Directory for the present year, we compile the religious statis tics of the city. The Directory omits the aggregate membership of the First Baptist and “ Christian ” churches : the former we sup ply : we have no present means of supplying the latter, and therefore drop it from the list. With this correction and this deficiency, the strength of the denominations stands, on a de scending scale, as follows: Methodist: Wesley Chapel, (Rev. W. P. Harrison, pastor,) 337; Trinity, (Rev. W. M. Crumley,) 257 : total, 594. Romanist: Church of the Immaculate Con ception, 500. Baptixi: First Church, 225 ; Second, (Rev. W. T. Brantly, D.D.) 196 : total, 421. Presbyterian: First Church, (Rev. J. S. Wilson, D.D.,) 162; Central, (Rev. R. K. Porter,) 125: total, 287. Episcopal: St. Philip’s, (Rev. C. W. Thom as,) 127. The aggregate of the five denominations is 1,829. We take these figures as represent ing their white membership alone; and, as the total white population of the city, accord ing to the census of December and January last, is 10,940, the proportion of professors of religion to the whole population of this class is about one in six; (or, if we deduct the 3,- 641 children under 12 years of age, very few of whom are registered church members, the proportion is about one in four.) The proportion of the several denomina tions to the white population, is approximate ly : Os Methodists, one in eighteen; of Ro manists, one in twenty-two ; of Baptists, one in twenty-six; of Presbyterians, one in thirty eight; of Episcopalians, one in eighty-six. Dividing the religious public as the accept ance or rejection of papal dogmas divides it, we find that the proportion of accepters to the white population is (as above) about one in twenty-two, and of rejectors something less than one in eight. Divided into the two classes that practice and that repudiate Pedobaptism, the propor tion of the former is something more than one in eight, of the latter (as above) about one in twenty-six. A few questions naturally suggest them selves. Is the spirityal influence of the pro fessedly Christian element among us as great as it should be, when that element stands to the white population above the age of twelve years in the proportion of one to four ? Are the institutions of the gospel as liberally sup ported as they should be ? Are the means of grace as largely attended? Are the enterpri ses for the diffusion of the truth, for the estab lishment of places of worship and centres of religious influence wherever the necessities of this population call for them, as vigorously prosecuted? We fear that to these questions a negative answer must be returned. Let each one of our city readers, then, ask himself how far Ac should bear the blame of this inefficiency ? and w hat lies within the power of his hand to inaugurate an era of more earnest zeal aud more rapid progressin the great work of evant gelizing the city—of saving the souls that per ish around us? Our Southern Zion—in Our Exchanges. Alabama. —A correspondent of the (Tuscum bia) Herald proposes the formation of a Sabbath School Convention, in the bounds of the 'General Association of North Alabama. —The Warrior River Association, at its last session decided that “for professors of religion to retail intoxicating liquors, or use them as a beverage, or to visit and drink intoxicating spirits in retail drinking shops, are bad examples, such as should not be tolerated by the churches.” —The (Memphis) Baptist says of Rev. J. L. M. Curry : “He is the coming man of the Convention. He has already won his posi tion in the denomination, and that second only to brother Fuller. He is an humble Christian, thank God, a logical thinker , a sound theologian—a thorough Baptist in sentiment, and an impassion ed orator. He speaks to you through every mus cle, every feature, every gesture, every movement of the body. He does not seem even to study the effect of a gesture or a bodily movement. He seems forgetful of all these—of himself—so in tent is he to make you see and feel as he sees and feels, and the result is, you do. He sweeps you unresistingly along with him, taking captive all your convictions, and you embrace his conclusion before he has announced it. As an orator, as a preacher of the Gospel he is transcendently supe rior to Beecher.” Georgia. —A correspondent of the (Richmond) Herald , from Hawkinsville, writes: “ The Baptist cause here is gradually advancing. The member ship has, by letter anti baptism, run up, in the last six months, from 80 to about 120, while we endeavor to maintain a strict and impartial discip line. One peculiarity of the church is that her religious interests are looked after—her prayer meeting, Sabb*ath school, and Bible class attended and supported—mainly by the younger members. We have had our church repainted inside and re carpeted, and the design is to enlarge the present building or erect anew one so soon as our finances will permit” Kentucky. —The Southern portion of Graves, Calloway, Fulton, Hickman, and Ballard counties, as we learn from the (Louisville) Recorder , is sadly destitute of Baptist preaching. —A minister, from the interior of the State, writes : “There is not a minister in all this country, and especially, in Goshen Association, that is being sustained u>” “Notone that does not have to do some thing else for a living, besides preaching. Alas ! alas ! when will the churches properly care for their ser vants.”—Ther eare men and women in the moun tains of Estill, Clay, and Jackson counties, forty years old, who never saw any person baptized.— The charter of the Baptist Education Society for the State has been amended, restoring to its mem bers the power of electing the trustees of George town College.—The missionaries of the General Association reported, last year, the baptism of about 1,500 persons, and the formation of 86 Sab bath schools.—Rev. L. J. Crutcher retires from the editorial conduct ol the (Franklin) Baptist. He carries our kindly wishes with him. Mississippi.— s4o,ooo, in money and provisions, were raised, the past year, for the Orphans’ Home, at Lauderdale Springs, writes a correspondent of the (Raleigh) Recorder ; and there are now in it 136 children of deceased Confederate soldiers. — The endowment of Mississippi College was lost by the war, and a debt of several thousand dollars hangs over it, with the certainty that the property will soon be sacrificed and lost, if Baptists do not hasten to its relief. —A correspondent of the (Jackson) Watchman , reports a recent revival at Cooper Institute, Spring Hill, the Principal of which is a Presbyterian. The school numbers over one hundred, and almost every one, professors and pupils, who was not a church member, made a profession o/ religion to the number of between 50 and 60. Rev. T. G. Hand labored, as the rep resentative of the Baptist cause, in the meeting. Missouri. —The (Palmyra) Journal says, “It is a shame to speak of some things which are allow ed in our churches. Some have no deacons ; some do not meet once in two months; some in the ab sence of the preacher will disperse instead of spending the time in prayer and exhortation and discipline; some allow the grossest violation of the I ord’s day and the indulgence of vices and habits of doubtful propriety, which refined socie ty does not tolerate.”—Atchison, Mississippi, Newton, Nodaway, Ray, Scott, and Vernon coun ties report no Baptist ministers within their bounds.—The Old School Baptists are erecting a church building in Palmyra, and propose to erect another in Paris.—A church constituted in Green County, last February, with 9 members, now has 50, and will build a large and comfortable house of worship.—Four converts were baptized recent ly, and two deacons ordained, at North River church, Shelby County. North Carolina. —The Baptists of the State have given four times as much for Home Missions since the war as they did before.—At the Con vention, Wilmington, Rev. W. T. Walters, the Corresponding Secretary and General Agent of the State Mission Board, said that in one section of this State there were twenty-one towns and villages in which the voice of a Baptist preacher is never heard. He believed that less than one tenth of the population of the State bear Baptist preaching.—The pledges to the endowment of Wake Forest College amount to more than $16,000. —The colored Baptists of Bertie county have in creased since their emancipation, probably 75 per cent., by converts mainly; but largely by addi tions from Pedobaptists, not being allowed to join the Baptists while they were slaves.—A writer in the (Memphis) Baptist says: “ The church in Windsor worship in a handsome edifice, supplied with steeple and fine toned bell, and the spire sur mounted by a cross ! When I saw this first, my feelings were somewhat shocked ; but on mature reflection, it occurred to me that it was a fit em blem, and although Romish arrogance has usurp ed it, must Baptists, who profess to be guided by the precepts of Him who suffered thereon, yield it to their own use ? Not for an hour.” South Carolina. —Rev. J. O. B. Dargan, D. D., in a speech at the Memphis Convention, stated that he had been teaching in a colored Sabbath school for 15 years.—The (Anderson) Baptist announces the death of Col, G. J. Elford, of Greenville, Sat urday, a severe illness of only a few days. Us&ul in every sphere, he was espe cially so in the superi.:tendency of the Sabbath school, which grew, under his hand from some 30 scholars in 1843 to 344 at the time of his decease. Persons who are restrained from active effort by a morbid sense of deficiency, may learn a valuable lesson from the history of his entrance into the field of his pre-eminent success. When he first attempted to open the school “he broke down at the reading of the second verse of the hymn with which he began the opening exercises, and the school did not get opened that morning. But the necessity of the case, and the requests and en couragements of the female teachers (there were no male teachers in the school at that time) in duced him to trv again, and do the best he could, until somebflrfJSjfcould be got to act as Superinten dent.”—Rev. Manly, Jr., D. D., has taken charge, of the Chair of Ancient Lan guages in Ftfrtjtin University, left vacant by the death of Prof v C. Edwards. Tennessee —-’ev. D. B. Hale has resigned his Professorship id- Howard Female College, Galla yp. to return tiATexas. f Texas. —TbejHouston) Herald says: “Is there a Baptist bookA*re in the State ? With the ex ception of a feiJrVmoks kept by the Sunday school Board at BrenhaZn, we know of none. Do Bap tist inercffanMKrchase our books to sell in their respective even one Our-people are without books* try to obtain them.”—One of the W. A. Mason-, Johnson coun ty, has had 14 Secessions, the fruit of a recent revival.—The Mkald says: “In the State of Texas, to-day, tfle are not less than five hundred destitute childreSof Baptists, made so by the late war, and there isjEii) provision made for them by their own people! It is no apology for us that others neglect thifr duty.” Virginia. — Jno. M. Roane, of Spotsylva nia, is very sick, but the rumors of his death are unfounded.—Elevfn persons were recently bap tized at Kentuck church, Pittsylvania county ; making 46 since the meeting last fall, two-thirds of whom were Sabbath school scholars. —The experiment of a separate organization for colored persons, at Arbor, Pittsylvania, is work ing well. Glimpses of the Times. Imitation. —A correspondent of the Morn ing Star writes,4n reference to the recent an nual conference of khe students past and pre sent of Spurgeon’s College: “At the Con ference, an Ind(-.pendent minister who was present said : ‘ What struck him as most re markable was the strong family likeness be tween the students and their President. If his eyes had hebn. closed, he should have thought they were being favored with a series of short speeches from Mr. Spurgeon himself. Both in manner, style, wit, and phraseology, they were so much alike.’ Mr. Spurgeon himself has observed that it is needful for him to be very careful in all his habits and for hjs young inen follow him. On this Account, though once addicted to the use of a Virginian weed, and not a rejecter of the gifts of still, vintage, and inalt-tub, he is now an abstainer in the matter of both. He wears a soft felt wide-awake ; so do his stu dents. He suffersAhe hair to grow upon his upper lip ; so ten rests otfe leg as he is standing to speak and makes the other do the work of both ; so *<u also do his students.” , Worldliness. Rev. J. C. Hiden, of Portsmouth, Va., in a notice of a revival in the Fourth Street Church, furnished to the Religious Herald , says: “ Among the en quirera!* an old man of sosaie eighty years, who has been attending our church for some time past. He has spent a long life in sin, and in his latter days has been so badly par alyzed as to be barely able to hobble alogg. Seeing him evidently concerned on the mat ter of his soul’s salvation, I urged upon him the claims of the gospel, the all-sufficiency of Christ, and the need of an immediate deci sion. He said he felt as if he could trust the Lord, and at one time during the meeting ex pressed his determination to confess Christ; but when the time arrived for him to take the step, he told me in a manner which I shall not soon forget, ‘ I can not give up the world yet! ’ What a commentary on a life devoted to the world ! This poor old creature, with one foot in the grave, can not give up the world ! ” Church Unity. —Rev. S. H. Tyng claims it as the distinguishing characteristic of the church of the Holy Trinity, New York, of which he is rector, “ that it is a family of families —a ‘ household of faith ’ —in which every member shall have a home feeling and take a brother’s or a sister’s interest.” Mercersburg Theology. —The N. Y. Ob server thus describes the Theology taught in the German Reformed Seminary, Mercers burg, Pa*: “ Aecprding to Mercersburg the ology, as defined by its advocates, ‘ neither an outward reformation nor an inward change of heart and mind constitutes regeneration. These are but results of regeneration ‘ re generation is the communication of Christ’s life to believers fey the operation of the Holy Spirit.’ ‘ The sacrament of Baptism is the divinely instituted means by which the life communication takes place ; and this is the be ginning of that process by which Christ is formed within us the hope of glory ; and that life is especially fed and nourished by the Bread of Life communicated to us in the sa crament of the body and blood of Christ.’ This view of Christianity, as a continual re production of the life of Christ, necessitates the establishment of ‘ the church as an object of faith,’ because it is in the church that this life is reproduced ; and the church is, there fore, viewed as ‘ a continuation of the mys tery of the incarnation.’ In the ministry we have, according to this scheme, a continuation of Christ’s offices as prophet, priest, and king, and Christ is actually present in His minis ters, and thus gives to them an authority which all men are bound to recognize. Such a church, with such ministers, decides what men shall believe.” The Ministry. —ln a recent sermon, Bishop Simpson said : “ I am satisfied more of later years than I was in my earlier ministry that a congregation never assembles before a min ister of Christ but some hearts in that congre gation are sent prepared to receive a special message. If God sends the minister to the people, He sends the people to the minister. It is as easy for Him to create a longing in some heart to know and feel the truth, as to make a longing in my heart to declare to them the truth of God.” Political Religionism. — W endell Phillips, in a recent speech, spoke of a prominent of fice holder who had told him'*4fta< in religion he was an Episcopalian, but in politics a Methodist. Southern Presbyterians. —This denomi nation reports 66,528 communicants. The additions of the year, average 7 to every church and to every minister and licentiate. Another Gospel. —Henry Ward Beecher, in a recent sermon, published in the Exami ner and Chronicle, says : “ Preaching in this age, that was exactly an interpretation of the preaching of the Apostles, would be a preach ing that, indicated that there was nu power or growth in men’s ideas or in society. He that preaches the gospel must not preach it as Christ and His Apostles did. It is common school education, it seems to me, that is the peculiar gospel of to-day." “ Hard Speeches.” —The Northern Chris tian Advocate says : “ Neither humanity nor Christianity, requires that we feed the assas sin of our first-born, while at liberty, and who boldly justifies his murderous act, and is ready to lie in wait to repeat the slaughter on the only son left us. We are to do good to our enemy, but we are not to feed and clothe him while he is lying in ambush to burn down ourmvelling, yea while he is con tinuing to rob, maltreat, and murder our friends. That this is the attitude which the South maintains toward the North is eviden ced by repeated acts since peace. was pro claimed.” This editor seems to be of the same type with the minister, (of whom the Baltimore Episcopal Methodist tells us,) who “ declared before an applauding audience of clergy and pious laymen, his purpose of em ploying himself at the day of judgment in ‘ grinning at the secessionists as they go down to hell.’” France. —Edmond de Pressense says: “The myral state of the French nation in spires the most painful anticipations. Cor ruption in high places, unbridled license in low places, atheism joining, hands with im morality, and all developing formidably under the pressure of circumstances—such is the prospect which is arrayed before us. Should an}’ event, which might easily occur, open afresh the revolutionary arena, it is not diffi cult to imagine what might happen any day in such a state of French society. We have a secret impression that God, in the often se vere methods of His goodness, is about to al low us to try the doctrines of positivism and materialism, so fascinating to the present age, and to leave the country to drink to the dregs the turbid and bloody cup of infidelity.” That is good news for Millenarianism : it will help the church, as Dr. W. R. Gordon expresses it, to lose “ faith in her own fondly-cherised doctrine of reducing the whole world to the obedience of Christ by her own efforts.” It will prepare the way for the belief in the ne cessity of the personal coming of Christ in order to the Millennium ; a view by the way to which the Christian Intelligencer objects “ that (a) it invalidates the power of the Bi ble, which is the sword of the Spirit; ( b ) of the ministry, whose weapons are mighty, through >God, to the pulling down of strong holds'; (c) of the tfffßrlh, against which the gates of®hell can not prevail; and ( a nd) of the Holy Spirit himself, who can raise up a stand ard against all enemies.” Our Future. —A writer in the Christian Era argues, that through the prevalence of “the horrid crime of infanticide” in the North- East and North-West, the Anglo-Saxon stock is fast giving place to the Teuton, which is ra tionalistic,, and the Celt, which is Romish; and that the colored race will be the main pillar of Protestantism. 'Prayers for the Dead. —The London let ter of the Presbyterian Banner says : “Two priests were recently prayed for at a Tracta* rian church. The dates of their decease on the church wall were appended to a notice beginning, ‘ Os your charity pray for the names being added. The leading Tracta rians were present, and the whole service was essentially Romish.” The “ Dark Ages ” still here. —The Westminster Gazette, devoted to Romanism, lays down the broad doctrine that “ the cler gy ” (meaning, of course, the Romish clergy) “ are, by divine right, exempted from lay judicature.” That is, a priest may commit murder, or any other crime, without being called to trial before a civil court. Extempore Prayers. —One would think that the fetters of a written, unalterable, ex clusive liturgy somewhat gall the Western Episcopalian, when it says: “ The excellent advice of Dr. Muhlenburg, in the Spirit of Missions, to introduce free extempore prayer into missionary meetings, that when stirring speeches have moved the audience, the voice of prayer may ascend to God with the natural gush of earnest desire, ought to be adopted, not only by the delegate meetings and convo cations, but in every parish. Anonymdus Communications. —A writer in the Nashville Christian Advocate states that “Bishop Soule never read anonymous articles”—so thoroughly principled was he against the custom of publishing what men wrote, while their names were concealed. Traffic in Ardent Spirits. —The sale of liquor in Pennsylvania returns, in license money, $289,894 annually. But it makes 50,000 drunkards each year—so that the State authorizes the ruin of that number for a gain of less than $6 each. Liberality. —lndependently of its own ex penses—the pew assessment was $19,000 — the church of Dr. Wm. Adams, New York, contributed last year to missionary and other purposes $96,697. Jewish Sunday Schools. —The three Rab bis of Baltimore have inaugurated, under the auspices of the Hebrew Education Society > schools among the Jewish children, held on the Christian Sabbath. Presbyterians in Ireland. —The Irish Presbyterians have increased from not more than 300 churches in 1822 to 556, with 559 ministers; and the collections for missions from £l3B to £45,780. English Wesleyans. —The Sunday schools of the Wesleyans show, in ten years, an in crease of 127,000 scholars, and their churches an increase of 67,000 members. The number of the former is 643,000 ; of the latter, 331,- 000. Pulpit Plagiarism. —The same sermon, word for word, was preached, not long since, by two clergymen of New York. The hypo crites f New ENGLAND.—Henry Ward Beecher, in his novel, now appearing in the New York Ledger, says: “ Perhaps nowhere in the world can be found more unlovely wickedness —a malignant, bitter, tenacious hatred of good than in New England.” Trinitarians.— A Unitarian writer in the Liberal Christian, N. Y., says, ot lrinitari ans : “ If a crusade against them were requir ed to commence to-morrow, and recruits were required for their defence, I would volunteer my services in their behalf, for I acknowledge cheerfully and always that they are doing the chief Christian work in the world, and that the world could no more do without them than it could without coal.” Strange that this should be true if Trinitarianisrn is false. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Lay Preaching. — A correspondent ot the Boston Journal, writing from London, dis closes a wonderful mixture of zeal and disor der in the lay preaching of that city : “ Mr. Henry Varley is one of the leaders of this, lay work. He has a chapel that will hold two thousand people. He has been in it for four years. He preaches, baptizes, and cele brates the communion. He has been ordain ed by no one. He is a butcher, and has one of the largest butcher shops in the city. He attends the markets and has made money. But he preaches for nothing ; he gives to the poor food, as well as the gospel. He and his father-in-law built the chapel in which he preaches. On Sunday nights Mr. Varley preaches to crowds in Exeter Hall. Mr. Car ter has become celebrated for his work among thieves and the low and dissolute persons in London. He has an audience of over eight hundred. Many have been converted, and these in turn go out and preach to their own class with great acceptance. Richard Weav er is one of the most successful lay preachers. He is a converted collier; has a wonderful power, with rude eloquence, and can command an audience of immense size. The leading Baptist and Congregationalist churches en courage this lay effort, even to the celebration of the communion and baptizing.” A Call for Consistency. —The National Baptist, with much justice, says : “It is de manded by the national government, that the States lately in rebellion, before they resume their places in the federal union, shall give the right of suffrage to all their inhabitants without regard to color—that they shall make a black man and a white man equal in the eye of the law. If this is demanded of the Southern States, ought not the same principle to be applied to the Northern States ? Is there any reason why a black man in the South should have secured to him by the national government advantages which are not secured to the black man in the North? It seems to us a singular inconsistency to retain on the statute books of some of the States distinc tions which can not be tolerated oirthe statute books of other States.” “Spiritualism.” —ln reference lo Spirit ualists, the Boston Recorder says : “We are confident that there is no apprehension what ever in any of our evangelical denominations, that the exertions of this class of our country men is to have any perceptible effect in weak ening the church. -According to our obser vation, the larger part of those who believe in and adhere to Spiritualism, were formerly unbelievers in the Christian system. Their accessions from our churches, never numer ous, have come to an end.” Riches. —Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas, at a recent Educational Meeting, Washington, D. C., said : “ He wanted the colored men to get rich. The Jews were hated in England until they began to get rich ; then their daugh ters began to get handsome, and people would ride with them, and so it would be with the colored man.” o[orm]?oiuUnq. A Letter from Dr. Crawford. Dear Brother Toon: —These Conventions are very tantalizing concerns. You see just enough of old friends to make you regret that you did not see more. You have so many things to ask and tell that you forget to ask and tell three-fourths ; and when it is too late, you find that the very thing you most wished to ask is the very thing which, by some inex plicable law of the human mind, you entirely forgot. Well, it was very pleasant to meet, even in this unsatisfactory way, a few of the old Georgia friends. But where were the multitude? The dura, res of which Queen Dido complained (not in the same form with hers, however,) kept at home many who would be ornaments of any Christian assembly, and to call whom friends the best and greatest might esteem an honor. Os the old Merceri ans, (besides those who still remain in the province of Georgia) there was brother Reed, from Africa, looking any thing but like-a sav age after his ten years of self-exile; and Com pere, from among the Indians, a missionary by inheritance, full of earnestness, and vainly endeavoring to get even a hearing upon a work lying heavy on his heart. Every body sympathized, but nobody helped. Then there was Shackelford, from North, and Spalding, from South Alabama. The former honest, conscientious, and earnest as ever ; the latter loving and being loved wherever he goes. Perhaps there were others, but lain not wri ting a Homeric catalogue. Have you told my old friends how com pletely reconstructed I am ? For I hope, (D. V.) some time this summer, when the weather gets warm enough to do withodt a fire, (for the first time this spring, we did not kindle the coal this morning,) to run down into Georgia, and I don’t want to be utterly unrec. ognized. In the first place, then, lam recon structed in the material of my dress; for I have worn out (could not throw them away) all my jeans clothes, and now wear store clothes altogether. In the second place, lam reconstructed in the fashion of my coat; for I have laid aside the dress-coat—vulgarly called swallow-tail —(which had almost been a part of me for thirty years) and have donned the frock coat. In the third place, lam recon structed in the matter of a head-piece, and have laid aside the time honored beaver— basely called stove-pipe—and have ensconced my cranium in a broad brim soft hat. Is this reconstruction complete? I apprehend that I hear Prof. Woodfin exclaim : “ The Doctor is demoralized ! ” Let me haste, then, to pro pitiate him. lu the fourth place, lam recon* structed by allowing the beard to grow on my upper lip: so that I am now “ bearded like a pard.” Is not the work complete now ? Will Thaddeus Stevens or Charles Sumner require more than this? I must in candor add that my family is not altogether a unit in regard to this last improvement, and it is not impossible that I may “ fall from grace.” But such as I am, will my old friends know me ? Will brother Bunn give me lodging for a night? Brother Stocks, lam sure, will not know me till 1 tell him who 1 am. We have heard nothing as yet from the Chicago Anniversaries. But three thousand Baptists, in the month of May, in a city where they have no spring, and when winter has ended and summer not begun! What would our Georgia sisters do ? The race of chickens would have to be exterminated, and, instead of corn and cotton, a crop of English peas cultivated. Beef and potatoes, however, will put our Northern brethren through. But what a sum of money these anniversaries, on such a scale, must cost! Probably not less than forty dollars a head, or a sum total of a hundred and twenty thousand dollars ! Enough to sustain two hundred missionaries, or to support at school six hundred orphans ! N. M. Ckawfokd. Georgetown, Ky., May 29, 1867. Ink Drops in Transitu, f The wheat in south * westerii Georgia is cradled and shocked? The crop is a very fair oue. The oat crop is just coming in, and will greatly aid the farmers who have been so hard pressed to get food for their stock. The farmer has been greatly oppressed by selfish and unfeeling Shylocks, who have taken advantage of the necessities of the laboring class. They have proposed to aid planters by supplying them with corn and meat upon certain conditions. These conditions were, a mortgage of the plantation and stock, and a lien on the growing crop, and all the cotton must be sold by them, and their commission allowed. When these conditions were complied with, then corn is priced at $2 f>o per bushel, and meat at 25 cents per pound. Many farmers have been compelled to submit to these un reasonable terms, or lose their crops. Can a people ever prosper who are guilty of such acts? Many farmers will be in straits for next year. It will take all they make this year to meet these unjust arrangements, and they will be without provisions for another crop. This eagerness to make money is greatly damaging the prosperity of Zion. The brethren will not cease to gather up the trash ot earth. They are putting forth every effort to regain their lost fortunes. Their minds and hearts are fully engaged in devising ways and means by which to make money. They can not pay the pastor, nor defray the contingent expenses of the church, nor make repairs, nor sustain missions, nor give any thing to the cause of Christ; but they can loan money at three and five per cent per month, and sell provisions at the highest prices. Can religion grow and flourish in such soil? We should never be surprised to find such members cold and in different in religion. They can not come, to church if there is any thing that hinders, and they can not endure long services. They are absent from conference, and from all meetings that may conflict in the least with their busi ness. Can the churches prosper with such members? And yet their name is legion. How long will the glorious cause of our Lord be subordinated to worldly interest? I thank God that all the churches are not har rassed by such members. Many churches have been awakened, and are faithfully labor ing in the vineyard of our divine Master. May the Spirit of the Lord breathe upon the dry bones and give them life! “ Viator.” Georgia Baptist Convention. It. is pleasant for an elderly man, who has watched its progress from its commencement, to see its growth and usefulness. For many years after its formation in June, 1822, only two or three associations were present at its meetings —the Georgia, Sunbury, and Ocmul gee. The latter, though in the organization, was driven off in 1830 by the rabid spirit of anti ism ; though several auxiliary societies in the Flint and other Associations attended. The Sunbury joined in 1824, but, owing to its remoteness from the place of meeting, failed to be present occasionally. The Sarep ta, in which the Convention had its original suggestion, October, 1820, at Ruckersville, Elbert county, sent corresponding members a few years; did not unite till toward 1840. I see not a name at its late meeting which was present at its formation. The earliest at tendance is that of J. H. Campbell, in 1828, then a youth, and soon began theological studies at Eatonton. Now fifteen associations and some societies. The early places of meeting, if memory is not at fault, were: 1822-3, at Powelton; 1824-5, Eatonton ; 1820, Augusta; 1827, Washington; 1828, Monticello; 1821), Mill edgeville; 1830, Bethesda, Greene county; 1831, Burke county ; 1832, Powelton ; 1833, McDonough ; 1834, Indian Creek, near Mad ison. May it live and ittcrease in usefulness, multiply its numbers, and be the means of sending into the vineyard 5,000 men, called of God to take an active part in ushering in the effulgence of the millenial glory. A. S. St. Louis, Hay 27, 1867. Report of Collections in May. Rome—Collections and Subscriptions # 89 90 Griffin “ “ 42 50 Cave Springs “ “ ........ 60 60 G. W. Cook, subscriber to M. B. Wharton.... 20 00 R. T. Asbury, “ Flint River Assoc’n 500 Jas. Callaway 1 $297 40 Nearly two weeks of this month were spent in a series of meetings with the church at Newnan. The churches I have visited were as liberal as their circumstances would prob ably justify. Those who subscribed to brother Wharton will please remit to me at Americus as early as possible. I publicly acknowledge my gratitude to brethren for their kindness and hospitality whilst proseebting my mission. May the Lord bless you ! G. T. Wilburn, Agent Domestic Missions. Americut, Cfa., May 2l>, 1887.