Newspaper Page Text
38
Jula ami ffurtfel
J. J. TOON, - - - - Proprietor.
Rev. D. SHAVER, D.D., Sditor.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1868.
The Op'eh Conkmunion “Fiasco.”
It turns out precisely as we expected. The
Church Union recognizes the open commun
ion service, with which Rev. Charles Howard
Malcorn and his flock closed ‘the Week of
Prayer,' itt Newport R. 1., as the beginning
of the movement, before whose march the
“ restricted ” practice of our denomination
“ must skulk hack to the dark ages whence it
came.” This , then, is the first peal of the
“ thunder all around,” which is to startle, if
not to stun us, before the year ends! We
are sorry even to seem discourteous, but ne
cessity is laid upon us. Our “New York
and Brooklyn” contemporary —(a single city,
a ‘pent-up Utica,’ would ‘contract its pow
ers,’ we suppose)—must be remanded to its
elementary instructors in the Philosophy of
Mind. Has it forgotten that “the rumbling
of a cart at a distance may be mistaken for
thunder,” and may ‘ produce an equal feeling
of sublimity’ as long as the mistake lasts?
That is just the state of the Union at pres
ent; and when the illusion leaves its ears, it
will smile, as we do now, over the ludicrous
blunder.
The Union does not blunder, however, as
ludicrously as some others of our contempo
raries. It avoids, for example, the snare
which took thefeetof the Nashville Christian
Advocate, when it characterized the leader in
this movement as “a learned and distin
guished Baptist minister, the Rev. Dr. C. H.
Malcorn!” It speaks of him as “educated
at Princeton indeed, but as “yet a young
man ” —too young, we may add, either to have
won or to have deserved a title—such a young
man, in fact, as “ we have by the dozen,”
(always baing the hereditary oddness which
turned his steps astray in this matter.) But
why, we may ask, was the inauguration of the
movement left to him, if the Union told us
truly that “a large number of leading Bap
tist divines are convinced, the time has come
to move?” Were these divines ‘talking, or
pursuing, or in a journey, or asleep,’ that
they suffered the wreath of glory encircling the
inception of this “solemn,” “ beautiful” (and
“trenchant”) “Catholicity,” to be spirited
away out of their reach, and twined around
the brow of one who never has been and never
can be a leader?
The Union steers clear, too, of the incon
clusive reasoning of the Independent, which
argues from this case, that “an increasingly
large number of Baptists” prefer (what that
paper styles) “the whole-hearted Christian
fellowship of their great apostle, Spurgeon.”
(Is not an open communion “apostle,” by
the way, taken, of necessity, from modern
times —because the earlier ages, and their
Christianity, knew nothing of that sort?)
The Union frankly confesses that ‘the New
port congregation was left open communion
by Choules,’ and that the present pastor ‘ ha3
quietly followed the practice for years.’ So,
then, there is positively no increase of its ad
herents in this instance! Quite different is
the hope of the Union, in this passing stage
of things—the hope, namely, that there will
be an unmasking of those who have been its
secret favorers now of a long time—that Rev.
Mr. Malcorn “ will be sustained by hosts of
men in the Baptist denomination whom the
Sanhedrim of that sect count upon as their
own !” He is to play the part, then, of Rod
erick Dhu, at whose shrill whistle,
" On right, on left, above, below,
Sprang up at once the lurking foe”
until Fitz-James found himself girt about by
“full five hundred” armed warriors, in what
had seemed a “solitary glen.” Well: he
has made trial of his power; and from his
own city, Newport, comes back the answer,
that “ the First and Central Baptist churches,
together with the Shiloh church, adhere, with
fidelity and firmness, to ‘restricted commun
ion.’” The tide is called for, but not the
faintest ripple betrays the flow of its first
wave. We wish the Union a merry time, as
it waits for the coming in of the flood which
is to sweep over the wh<4e land, and wash
away the bulwarks qf Baptist consistency
everywhere!
But after reducing the blunder made by
our “ Tale(-teller) of Two Cities ” to its least
dimensions, enough remains to answer as an
illustration of the usual infirmity attaching to
men of “ one idea or of one sentiment,
rather. They pile mountain on mountain, to
scale the heavens, after the fashion of the
Homeric giants; but not with the sound judg
ment of their ancient prototypes. For Pelson,
though the least, is placed at the foundation of
their structure* and Ossa, the larger, sur
mounts that; and this, in turn, is crowned
with Olympus, the largest. Now, on the
supposition that the misshapen bulk should
not totter and fall, who can scale its heights,
(capped, alas, with clouds,) except the builders
lend them the wings of their own wild imag
ination, (in which case, the winds, full likely,
would evern>ore toss them to and fro within
the folds of the cloud-cap aforesaid)? To
vary the figure—these men are great in*the
building of pyramids; but they uniformly
invert them; j,)ie sharp pointed apex is made
to serve as the base, and the huge breadth
of base towers in the air as the apex. They
topple, of course, on the heads of the luckless
architects, ai)d bury them in the debris for
life, or crush out the faith of the soul and be
come to it a grave of that spiritual death
which no resurrection'visits !
We roust do the Union, however, the jus
tiee of saying that it has not erected this pyr
amid of prevalent open communion, without
at least an undefined, dim consciousness that
the apex-base needed some widening to fit it
for its purpose. Hence, about the time when
the Grand Exhibition of (Pseudo-) Catholicity
came off at Newport, Rev. Mr, Malcom pre
pared an article pleading the cause of the
laxity he practiced, and the Union, through
its “ mammoth extra of one million, two
hundred thousand copies,” sowed it broadcast
through the land. But this seems to have
been merely adding toes of clay to the image
—if, indeed, the image is not constructed of
that material throughout! The only effect
produced by the article, so far as we are ap-
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AHD SOBTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: ATLANTA, GA„ TH URSDAY, MARCH 5,1868.
prised, is—the offence which it has given to
Pedobaptists. It says, for instance, that our
denomination has “never persecuted other
bodies of Christians;” and the Nashville
Christian Advocate twits it with “ignoring
certain ugly passages of Anabaptist history !
It affirms, also, that, demanding “ a thos
Baith the Lord for every belief,” our people
have “ become the Protestants of Protestant
ism and a correspondent of the Union re
bukes it for ‘glorifying the Baptists’ and
‘holding them up as the beau-ideal of Bibli
cal perfection,’ in “statements not only dog
matical, but very invidious and presumptu
ous!” Will this, then, further the interests
of open communion—this proof that even
when we surrender the fortress to its enetnies>
there can-be no peace for us, but on condition
that we cover over in silence the memory of
its illustrious defenders through past ages,
and the justice of the cause in whose support
it was reared? The Inaugurator of the New
Era is greeted with unfraternal admonition
that to do full work as an open communion
ist, he must no longer even speak as a Baptist,
whether for his fathers or his principles. The
Union, for aught we know, may think there
is some gain for the movement toward laxity
j n that— for it is largely endowed with the
imagination of the Irishman, which, with no
strain to itself, stretched “the month of Au
gust” through “six long weeks,” and extor
ted the incessant cry, “Water! Water!”
from lips all the while “ speech less?’ But
whatever the gain, that paper is welcome to
make the most of it.
War Rhetoric since the War.
It is matter, now of amusement, now of
pain, according to the variations of one’s
mood, to notice how certain religious writers
of the North, lard their productions with il
lustrations and allusions, borrowed from the
facts—and especially from the fictions —of
the recent conflict between the two sections.
They overlay the path of every high enquiry,
ethical and theological, with a grotesque mo
saic, to which, in lieu.of more seemly mate
rials, the war contributes a marvellous supply
of ‘small pebbles, Cockles and shells,’ but
slightly tractable under the hand of Taste.
Dr. McClelland once said, of a popular
preacher, that he ‘was never in his company
fifteen minutes, but his vanity not only peeped
out, but boldly carne forth, flapped its wings and
crowed :’ an apt figure for the part which the
misapprehensions and animosities, the preju
dices and pretences of our unhappy strife
play ir. the case of these writers—flapping
their wings and crowing from every page and
paragraph!
As an instance of th« trait to which we
refer, the reader will accept one or two sen
tences from an article in the Bibliotheca Sa
cra for January, by Re’v. S. C. Bartlett, D.D.,
of Chicago, on “ the present attitude of
Evangt lical Christianity toward the promi
nent forms of assault.”
“Scepticism, like some rebel army, has
often had its transient jubilee, and made its
short-lived panie. But step by step has
abandoned stronghold after stronghold, and
seems now to be looking more anti mo’re dili
gently for the ‘last ditch.’”
“And now that in the neighboring capital
of literature and of liberalism the lance is
exchanged for the lancet, the too fervid argu
ments of departed Doctors of Divinity for
the icy sneers of lively Doctors of Medicine
disguised as Guardian Angels of hazardous
maidens; we remember how the boasts of
the rebel capital too were never louder than
just before her great leader adorned himself
with female attire.”
We do not suffer such things to ruffle us.
They, by no means, tempt us to adopt the
style of the Massachusetts Baptist (of whom
Gov. Briggs was wont to tell,) a prominent
leader in the circles of prayer, who, during a
season of neighborhood misunderstanding, in
troduced his public supplication for an offend
ing brother, with the words, more emphatic
than fraternal, “ Thou knowest, O Lord, that
is a great liar!” The only question in
our mind is, whether we should deal with
them in the spirit of the laughing, or of the
weeping philosopher—should smile, with De
mocritus, at the personal weaknesses betrayed
by these writers, or sigh, with Heraclitus, for
the hurt and wounding they inflict on the
cause of “ Evangelical Christianity ?” “ That
is the question who will help us to solve
it?
Several incidental questions may be stated,
meanwhile, as bearing on the solution.
“ There is a “magnanimity that naturally
follows victory.” But souls are found, at
times, of too ignoble a cast to feel it. Is
this the secret of the course which these wri
ters pursue?
Quinet tells us that the Spanish clergy,
during the war with Napoleon, “ responded
to the spirit of the country and the times;
but when the battle was over, their lips, ac
customed to the hymn of hatred, could no
longer speak the words of peace and recon
ciliation; and in the Christ cursing, they
could not find again the Shepherd of the
world.” Have these writers, then, so warped
their better natures by the indulgence yielded
to malign passions, through years of bitter
ness, that now they cannot purge the bosom
of the terrible perversion? Shall “Evan
gelical Christianity” show itself as impotent
as the effete formalism of Spain, for the ex
pulsion of this venom from the blood ?
Charles Dickens, in his “American Notes,”
said : “Quiet people avoid the question of the
President, for there will be anew election
in three years and a halt, and party feeling
runs very high; the great constitutional fea
ture of this institution being, that directly
the acrimony of the last election is over, the ac
rimony of the uextone begins.” And is it in
this acrimony that the spirit of these writers
roots itself? Are they draggling ethical and
theological discussion in the heat and spleen
and falsehood of the war, for the sake of
partisan success? Will they not suffer the
smoke of battle to clear away even from the
atmosphere which fills the temple and floats
around the altar of the Lord, that under cover
of the. haze (darkening the vision of His
truth and love) their own school of politi
cians may make a pathway for themselves to
the Presidential Chair, and cement the union,
not of the country, but of their “following,”
with “the cohesive power of public plun
der ?” If this be so, then Scepticism may
well consent to look for a ‘last ditch’ and lay
its body in it; for, by strangest transmigration,
its soul has already taken to itself anew
body—even a section of the “ Evangelical ”
church and ministry !
But enough. We forbear to expostulate .
with these writers. The tide of our prefer
ences does not set with sufficient force in the
direction of impossibilities for that. It the
grand and touching presence of the most
holy truth—the presence of Him whom the
truth brings with it—cannot avail to charm
away the evil passions kindled by the torch
of war, they must be no less impervious to
remonstrance and entreaty than John C.
Calhoun himself, though he had been (as a
Northern statesman once said he appeared to
be) “made of nail rods!” Even Sidney
Smith who supposed that a surgical operation
might get a joke into a Scotchman —an
achievement whi b, in facetious hours, he
pronounced otherwise impracticable—would
have thrown up this case as hopeless: he
would have seen at a glance that to get into
these writers feelings respecting the South at
all consonant with personal spirituality, or
with charity toward others, is a (ask passing
the power even of surgical operations.
Let them hold on their way, therefore,
without fruitless attempts to check them.
But we do incline to ask, whether there are
not at the North clearer-headed and larger
hearted Christians, who can at least give dis
countenance to this mistimed War Rhetoric?
Are there not those who will train popular
sentiment to a just perception and warm ap
preciation of the truth, that to show how
much we love God by showing how much we
hate our brethren, is not the “ more excellent
way ?” Frankly, we think it is time for such
to speak out. They harm themselves and us
by silence. The cause of Christian charity
- takes detriment from it. It fans no spark of
awakening fraternity, at least—it quenches
no brand of discord.
Our Zion—in Our Exchanges, etc.
Georgia.
We regret to learn that Rev. A. P. Woodfin,
pastor of our church at Rome, is disabled by ill
health from, the discharge of pulpit labor, and is
now on a furlough ot three or four weeks, as a
means of more speedy and effectual recovery.
Alabama.
Rev. Jos. Shackelford has purchased the entire
interest in the Christian Herald Printing office,
and proposes to enlarge the paper, reducing the
subscription price, umil thje enlargement takes
place, to $2.50. We shall rej'oice in his success.
Arkansas.
A Presbytery, ordaining a deacon recently at
Pleasant Hill Church, has published a card advis
ing ministers and churches to demand, as qualifi
cations fur the office, the custom of holding family
prayer, a readiness to conduct the meetings of the
church in the pastor’s absence and to look after the
wants of the poor, and abstinence from the “social
glass.” It also calls upon all deacons in office who
cannot or will not do these things to resign.
Kentucky.
Rev. J. W. Jolly reports fifteen additions to
Pleasant Ridge Church, and fifty-nine to Flag
Spring, both in Campbell county; and Rev. W. T.
Underwood eleven at White Oak Valley, “ three
of Methodist families and one from a Methodist
church.”
Louisiana.
The First Baptist Association of New Orleans,
(colored) reported at its last meeting nineteen
churches, and has organized 36 since, making a
total of 55; to the membership of which 1,398
persons have been added by baptism and 338 by
experience, running the aggregate up to 5,224;
with a church property worth $9,854.
Missouri.
Rev. J. T. Williams has disposed of his school
at Louisiana, to devote his entire time to the min
istry.—A new church was constituted, Feb. Ist, in
Davies county, with the name, “White Oak;” and
another in Monroe county, Feb. 3rd, with the
name, “ Mt. Airy.”—Rev. A. P. Williams, D.D.,
reports a revival in Miami ClTurch, following the
dedication of their new house of worship, with
twenty-four accessions; and Rev. W. Cleveland,
a revival at Mt. Pleasant Church, Lewis county,
with thirty.—Rev. Norman Fox is associated with
Rev. A. A. Kendrick, in the editorial conduct of
the Baptist Record, St. Louis.
North Carolina.
The Tuckasiege Association, at its last session,
recommended two Indian candidates for the min
istry, as beneficiaries of W ake Forest College.
James Telegeskah and John Elarchea—The Bibli
cal Recorder mentions a Baptist church in the
State, of which not a single member has, for some
years, taken a religious paper; and thus describes
the (natural) result: “The poor, unfortunate church
has grown smaller by degrees, until now it neither
contains half so many members nor enjoys half
so much religion as it did ten years ago. The
pastor of this church, an able minister of the
Word, a faithful feeder of his flock, has not receiv
ed from his people salary enough to feed the
horse he rides. Is it any marvel that this church
is in a sad consumptive state ?”—Rev. J. F. Hard
wicke has removed from Virginia to Person
county. —Rev. W. L. Fitcher becomes pastor of
Shiloh Church, Chowan Association.
South Carolina.
A missionary of the American Baptist Publica
tion Society reports two colored churches “on the
way” in Fairfield District; for one of which the
son of a man who onced owned seven plantations
and over five hundred slaves, gave a piece of
ground, the privilege of cutting timber, and the
use of his wagons.—The pastor of our church at
Yorkville writes: “Six months ago, our infant
church, few in numbers and poor in worldly goods,
had neither house to worship in, nor money, nor
credit Now we have a house nearly completed,
for which we are thankful to God and grateful to
our helping friends.”
Tennessee.
The pastoral care of Cherry Street Church,
Nashville, has been accepted by Rev. Lewis
Dupre’, from North Carolina.—Our churches at
Fall Branch, Jonesboro, Zollicoffer, and other
points in East Tennessee are “working,” and our
church at Bristol gains ground daily.—Our Col
lege at Mossy Creek is about to be revived by Profs.
Bryan and Harris, who have a school their of 70
students.—“ Chronic dyspepsia, of the most dis
tressing character,” compels Rev. A. B. Cabaniss
to relinquish the Presidency of Brownsville Fe
male College, for some pursuit requiring air and
exercise.
Virginia.
Anew church was constituted, Feb. 23rd, at
Glen Allen, Henrico county, ten mites from Rich
mond ; Rev. A. H. Sands, pastor. —Rev. P. Warren
has resigned the care of his churches in Accomac
county.—Rev. G. Gray becomes pastor of Mill
Creek Church near Fincastle. Our Sabbath
school in Fredricksburg has 400 children in it, a
larger number than in all the other schools of the
city —Rev. G. W. Leftwich, of Bedford county,
died Feb. 21st.
West Virginia.
The church at Webster has had a revival, for
the third successive year. Nineteen accessions
were made, and ninety-five per cent, of the adult
population are now professors of religion.—The
Flemington Church reports eleven baptisms; and
has suffered somewhat from a “raid” of the Free-
Will Baptists, under the leadership of Rev. David
Powell, an Arminian pastor of the church in days
gone by.—Rev. J. B. Hardwicke, recently of North
Carolina, has entered on his labors as Correspond
ing Secretary of the State Mission Board, preach
ing “ with fine effect.”—Rev. J. Stump reports four-
teen additional baptisms at Little Creek, Roane
county, and a revival in progress at Mt. Pisgah,
Gilmer county, with eight baptisms—Rev. J.
Swiger, reports 14 baptisms at Ebenezer Church*
Jackson county.
(Slimpes of tfe <§intes.
BAPTIST.
Folly. —ln prayer recently, Spurgeon referred
to our refusing God’s mercies, and said: “ Lord,
we are fools.”
Communion. —A late sermon by Rev. E. J. Good
speed, Chicago, contains this statement: “Not
long since, an intelligent Presbyterian layman
said to me, ‘ Ijlong ago ceased to have any ill feel
ing against your practice of communion, for I
learned that we all stood on the same platform,
and that you could not be consistent to hold your
views of baptism and do otherwise than restrict
your invitations to the communion to immersed
believers of orderly walk.’ ”
A Faulty Custom. —A correspondent of the
Evangel , San Francisco, says that the practice of
immersing believers in behalf of Pedobaptist min
isters and into Pedobaptist societies is “not very
uncommon,” and says of it: “We believe im
mersion to be the initiatory ordinance into the
Church of Christ. What right, therefore, have
we to immerte into bodies whom we do not con
sider as true churches of Christ? Or, do we re
gard Pedobaptist bodies as such ? What right,
then, have we to remain separate, thus making a
schism in the body of Christ? ’
Union. —In the London Freeman, Rev. Charles
Calder urges a union of all the members of the
great Baptist family, a£jgr the pattern of the Pres
byterians. Does he think that consistent Baptists
are parted from open conimunionists, for example,
simply by “the assertion of the Englishman’s
divine right to be as anarchic as he pleases”—the
ground on which a letl£r-writer from London of
another denomination seems to place it? If this
be hris view, he has not yet caught even a glimpse
of the problem which he aspires to solve.
The Communion Question. —The Examiner &
Chronicle says: “For*every American Baptist
who goes over to the p£jcticeof open communion,
we are very sure that twenty Pedobaptists come
into the close communion fold; and the commu
nion question agitation, in the form of scolding
newspaper paragraphs,#nd things of that sort, is
kept alive by the Pedobaptist press.”
PRESBYTERIAN.
Missionary Standing. —Says an lowa corres
pondent of the Presbyterian Banner: “The Old
School Presbyterian Church has lost her standing
as a missionary church. She has become a by
word and a reproach. This, at least, is my sor
rowful conviction, and fiferhaps that of every Old
School Presbyterian minister West of the Missis
sippi. A church may lose her standing even
while progressing, by moving so slowly as to al
low others to pass her by. Ours has called a
halt, and is even now retreating.” Let Baptist
churches at the South consider this language well,
and look to their own reputation as friends of mis
sions.
Pafer-Walls or Defence A correspondent
of the Central Presbyterian calls for “popular
and readable adapted to the capacity
of those on whom” Episcopalians and Baptists
“prey, and exposing plainly the preposterous
pretensions, and the spirit in which
this, work of proselytism is conducted.” Clearly,
he wants to see no or Judsons, No
els or Fullers, coming efier to uS, because none of
the gifted class to whicljt he belongs interposed to
preserve their “ capacity” (humbler, of course,)
from being made a .Just as clearly he
wishes to reserve the “piepostwjMs* ? ' and “unchris
tian” work of “ proselytism !, men as the
zealous intjjviduftl Yurk
Sunday School Teachers’ Institute, a week or
two since, distributed gratuitously* a reprint oi
Willison’s Catechism, Baptism”
as “A sacred washing, op sprinkling with water,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost.”
A Blunder. —The Synod of Alabama, in its
Memorial of Rev. Dr. Sparrow, says, with respect
to the failures»f his churches to give him the com
petent support they promised: “He believed
that the Christian men and women composing
these churches were honest, and meant what they
said. It is to be feared that in this our brother
committed a most grievous blunder; and the
blunder seriously Jaiaeged his usefulness as a
minister.” Are there any of our churches, of
whom men are warranted to use such language
as this, because they keep back “the hire of the
laborers” in the vineyard of the Lord ?
Soundness. —An advocate for Presbyterian
union says that the younger ministers from the
New School institutions at Auburn and New
York are generally “ Presbyterian in doctrine and
polity;” but that a present consummation of the
union is undesirable, because many older minis
ters of that School retain the laxity that led to
the separation.
Blasphemy. —The New York Observer thinks
that if the fine prescribed by law were collected
for every oath of profane swearers, it would pay
off the national debt! -
Communion. —The Oid and New School Presby
terians in Cincinnati held recently a union com
munion—the first instance of the kind since the
rupture nearly thirty years ago. This was a long
reign of practical close communion between them
—while all the time denouncing close communion
as Baptists observe it!
Strong Drink. —Rev. Dr. Cuyler, in a recent
speech, referred to “the use of intoxicating drinks
as one of the alarming and growing evils of our
times; as hindering the extension of Christianity,
and causing more backsliders than any other one
thing.” He urged, as a means of prevention,
proper instruction on the subject of temperance
in Sabbath schools, and the formation of Temper
ance Societies among the children.
EPISCOPAL.
Amusements.—A writer in the Church Journal
ascribes the greater growth and prosperity of the
Methodist denomination, as compared with the
Episcopal, to the fact that the communicants of
the latter are among the foremost patrons of the
theatre and kindred amusements. Let every
church know that it loses spiritual power and
moral influence, in proportion as it becomes
known as a church addicted to worldly diver
fcons.
•Episcopal Dissensions. —The Nashville Chris
tian Advocate says: “ The parties, real schisms
and irUeconclable differences, now existing within
the Protestant Episcopal Church, are equalled
only by th«x state of things among the Campbell
ites, man hath his doctrine and his
interpretation to suit himself. One of its ablest
weeklies, the Southern Churchman , confesses its
inability to reduce ‘the variations of Churchman
ship’ to a reasonable number of classes,” But
tiie Advocate anticipates a reduction of their num
ber, on this wise: “The day is not far off when
the evangelical element of the Protestant Episco
pal Church will find a home in our church, and
right welcome will they be.”
Natural Development. —There is a rumor in
the public prints that “Slippery Sam” Wilbcr
force, Bishop of Oxford, has gone over from the
English to the Romish Church—that is, bodily,
for in spirit he went long ago. We hardly credit
it, as he was a more efficient helper of Romanism
without.
“Calling Names.” —“The Synagogue of the
Libertines” is the title given by a correspondent
of the Churchman to the signers of the recent
Declaration against the Romanizing and Ritualis
tic perversions of the High-Church party.
Fraternity(?) —As a parallel to the declaration
of Rev. Dr. Tvng, of New York, some months
ago, that he would as soon put “his foot in hell
as in one of the Ritualistic churches,” Rev. Hugh
McNeile, D.D., known for years as a prominent
Evangelical leader in the Church of England,
wrote, not long since: “I am so conscientiously
persuaded that what is called the high celebration
of Sc. Alban’s, Holboin, is idolatry, that I could
no more consent to share in it than I could to he
wilfully guilty of Sabbath-breaking, adultery, or
theft.”
“Wisdom.— The Archbishop of Canterbury, in
a recent ‘ pronunciamento,- praises “the cautious
wisdom” of the framers of the Liturgy in refer
ence to the Eucharist, as well as otherwise. This,
we suppose, is in comparison with the Commu
nion office of the Scottish Episcopal Church,
“which, in its language, endorses transubstantia
tion with even greater emphasis than Rome.
CONGREGATION ALIST.
An Active Church. —On the return of New
man Hall from this country, he found no less
than one hundred converts who, during his brief
visit here, had been brought to Jesus through the
labors of his church members. “A living church
works , and a working church lives.”
Written Sermons.— “ The New York Inde
pendent hopes Congress 4 will lay as high a tax on
| sermon paper as on whiskey—in conformity with
I Napoleon’s rule that the vices should be taxed
high.’”
A Wonderful Change. —Since the days of
President Dexter, an extraordinary change has
passed upon New England, if we may believe,
with the Congregationalist, that “a minister may
be in good and regular Congregational stand
ing, who does not see his way clear to Pedobap
tist views.”
Dismission. —Baptists have been denounced “for
not granting clear letters to all sorts of associa
tions calling themselves churches.” What shall
be said, then, of the following ? A correspondent
of the Congregationalist asks: “Can a member
of a Congregational Church, in Boston, for exam
ple, claim a letter of dismission and recommenda
tion in this form : ‘To any evangelical church in
Boston with which he may see fit to connect him
self,’ not specifying what church he designs to
join ? In the case supposed, the member contin
ues to reside in the same place, and seeks dismis
sion for other reasons than change of residence?”
And the Congregationalist answers, “No; such
a letter is always irregular, and never ought to
be given.”
METHODIST.
Itinerancy. — Zion's Herald finds a plea for
itinerancy in its agreement with the American
custom of “ rotation in office.”
A Baptist Leaven.— The Canadian Baptist,
rebuking the Guardian, a Methodist journal, for
its “wit and sarcasm” with reference to baptism,
asks: “Is it because there is scarcely a class
meeting in your connection, but contains one or
two who reject infant sprinkling and hold to be
lievers’ immersion ? Is it because every now and
again Methodist ministers have to immerse their
converts or lose them?”
Deliberative assemblies.— Bishop McTyeire,
writing of the East Texas Conference, says: “ Pi
ety is better than parliamentary law, in facilita
ting business. Who has not observed the influ
ence of Sunday’s demotion upon Monday’s pro
ceedings? Naturally, there is an impatience at
the heel of a session, and seeing through creates
a desire to get through. Yet, a hard and tangled
question, an important motion, is more easily dis
posed of on Monday than on any other day. Who
has not observed in individuals and the entire
body the prevalence of that heart-state most favor
able to a righteous verdict, and even to business
dispatch ? There is patience in doubt, delay in
assertion, a conciliating temper, and mutual sub
jection and forbearance, with a clear mental vis
ion, purged of passion.”
Want of Hospitality. —A writer in the South
ern Christian Advocate says: “I have heard
6ome of Georgia’s ablest preachers and best pas
tors say, that they have often been compelled to
solicit invitations at their country appointments,
or go home dinnerless. And, on one occasion,
Georgia’s noblest and most honored divine rode
twenty miles to an appointment where no Metho
dist would offer to entertain him; and he was
compelled, if I remember cprrectly, to seek lodg
ing with a poor widow, a member of another
church.”
ROMANIST.
The Sckiptores. —Archbishop Purcell, of Cin
cinnati, purposes to join the Bible Society and to
aid in the circulation of the Scriptures: so, at
least, an exchange states, though we can hardly
credit so strange a movement on the part of a
Rotnish dignitary.
Freedom from Caste. —The Catholic Telegraph
claims that “only in the Roman Catholic Church
is found true practical religious equality. There
no distinction, because of race, or color, or nation
ality, is made or permitted. This is demonstrated
at the Propaganda in Rome, on whose benches,
on terms of perfect equality, sit clerical students
from all quarters of the globe, representing all
existing races and colors. An Ethiopian last year
carried off one of the highest prizes in this insti
tution.”
UNITARIAN.
Orthodoxy. —The Christian Register says:
“ Orthodoxy in New England is one thing, in New
York, another, while in the West it is something
still different from either—and who shall describe
the hard, inhuman, heathen Orthodoxy which has
prevailed in some parts of the Southern States?”
Creeds. —Rev. J. F. Clarke, in a recent sermon
said: “I have sometimes thought, that if I were
going to have a creed (and l do not intend to have
any creed at present), I would take the two para
bles of the ptodigal son and the good Samaritan.
I should be satisfied with that creed, and should
believe that I had in it about the whole essence of
Christianity; for one of those parables would
give me all of Christian piety, and the other all
of Christian morality.”
DISCIPLE (“ CAMPBELLITE.”)
Not A Church.— The American Christian Re
view decides that Baptist churches are not of “the
kingdom of God.” It says f“A body founded on
a human creed, with a name derived from an or
dinance, that does not receive its members on
Christ but on experience, and narrows its commun
ion down, not to those in Christ , but to those
wearing the same sectarian name and having the
same sectarian order, is only a party, or schism,
and not the body of Christ, nor even ‘a Church
of Christ.’ Nothing is a Church of Christ, not
founded by the authority of Christ, and he
never authorized any man to found a Baptist
Church.” This is refreshing, for the fun of it.
Generally reputed as straying “out in the cold”
itself, the Review seeks the not very ennobling
pleasure of demolishing its neighbors’ houses—to
bring them down to its own level!
MISCELLANEOUS.
Meeting the World more than half way. —A
secular paper of this State, referring to a fair in
progress to obtain aid in building a church, says:
“Among the grand prizes offered, will be one for
the Minister of any denomination who shall re
ceive votes to the amount of $200; a Fireman’s
trumpet; and a raffle for SSOO in gold.” We
grieve and blush to read it.
Slander.— “A brother, wellknown and reliable,”
according to the Standard , "a former resident of
the South and now again residing near Washing
ton, Ga.,” writes: “The spirit of the white people
here is very much of old ; religious feeling is a
little changed ; for now indeed they do not preach
up slavery, but they do hold up in nigh every ser
mon and prayer the old slave-holders as the per
secuted people of God. As for that gospel which
is good will to all men, they never yet have had
a glimpse of it. And as for the colored people in
th?s vicinity, oh, how ignorant, how poor, and
how friendless. It is even a boast that no man
here cares for a negro.” It is precisely by such
atrocious slanders that the breach between the two
sections is kept from healing. Areeven Christian
men when they become politicians, equally obnox
ious with others to thecharge preferred by Wilkes'
Spirit of the Times: “There are many of them, of
course, who will not steal, hut experience does
not justify us in believing that there areany who,
under strong party pressure, would hesitate to he.
That is a leading branch of the machinery of party
politics.”
“Model” Wit.— An unmarried clergyman of
Brooklyn, N. Y., Rev. S. A. Hunt, received on
Christmas day from the members of his church,
an India rubber model of a young lady stinted
with SSOO in greenbacks.
Without Wine. —Schuyler Colfax, Speaker of
the House of Representatives, Washington, has
revived Gerrit Smith’s practice of giving official
dinner parties without wine.
The Modern ' tandard. —“‘One thing, young
men,’ said a prolessor to his students, in one of
the Northern Seminaries, when they graduated,
‘you may be pious, but j-ou must he smart, to get
an eligible position in New England.’ That man
was the author of one of the best devotional tracts
in the language."
New Books. —The English publishing houses
brought out, in 1867, against 410 novels, 849 re
ligious essays and pamphlets.
Rum in New York. —•“ It was recently stated in
a public address, that the ruin shops of the city,
if placed in line, would extend on both sides of
Broadway from the Battery to Central Parjt
ten miles of death—six stories high—four above
and two under. The estimated earnings of these
slums of distilled damnation is not far from $20,-
000,000 per annum."
Over-eating.- Dr Dio Lewis presents the follow
ing rule as a remedy for this vice : “ Before you
take the first mouthful, place upon your plate all
you are to eat, and eat but twice a day.” The N.
Y. Evening Gazette , however, says: “There is a
better rule yet—the only natural and effectual
rule—which may be told in two words, eat slow
ly.”
<tyorre&jond«nq.
Items from South-West Georgia.
Death of Deacon Willis Curry.
Returning from my field of labor in Macon
county, to visit an aged mother, the writer met,
in the city of Macon, a worthy young brother
trying to procure a coffin for our estimable broth
er, Deacon Curry, of Barnesville Baptist church.
Being one of my best friends upon earth, I hasted
to the home of his family to “ weep with them
that weep.” And on the evening of the 18th of
February, joined with that faithful Soldier of the
Cross, brother Jesse M. Wood, in paying some
tribute of respect to the memory of our departed
brother.
Deacon Willis Curry was born in June, 1798,
and died at his home in Barnesville, on the morn
ing of the 17th of February, in his 70th year.
About 1835 he professed faith in Christ, and
was baptized in Wilkes county, by Rev. Sylvanus
Gibson. Soon he moved to Houston county,
where his prudence, piety and zeal gained for
him such a hold upon the confidence and affec
tions of his brethren, that they honored him with
the office of deacon. And truly may he be said
to “have used the office of a deacon well.”
He was violently attacked with Pneumonia, and
being old and very feeble, in spite-of the best
medical skill and attention, he soon sunk in death.
In the first of his illness, he told his aged com
panion, that he could not recover. He said, “it
is a great thing to be a Christian “he believed
every man ought to have his business so arranged
to-day, that he may be ready to die to-morrow.”
He endeavored, repeatedly, to comfort his affec
tionate wife, when he saw her weeping by his
bedside. And when she saw he was fast sinking,
she said to him, “ husband, you are almost gone
—will soon be in heaven ;” and raising his cold,
trembling hands high up toward heaven, he ex
claimed, “Yes, I’ll soon be in Heaven, sweet
Heaven.” And, on the morning of the 17th, he
died in the triumphs of faith in Christ.
He leaves an aged, worthy, pious wife, two
daughters, one living son, and many friends to
mourn their loss. Truly can we say, “ Blessed
are the dead that die in the Lord.” The church
and his country favored him with offices of trust
and honor upon earth, but he is gone, I believe,
to wear a crown of unfading laurels in Heaven.
Why TnE Pastor is not Supported.
So much has been said and written upon this
important subject, with but little effect, that it
may seem useless to add another thought. But
the writer believes the subject is not exhausted.
The Ministry claims a.support for Pastors: the
churches readily admit the claim. There is no
disagreement upon this point. Both parties stand
upon the same great platform. “Even so hath
the Lord ordained that they which preach the
gospel should live of the gospel.” 1 Cor. ix. 14.
Christians have the spirit of the Lord, are mem
bers of the body of Christ, and desire to do their
duty ; and will do it , when made to know and feel
it. Why is the duty not performed ? If the
Bible makes it a duty for churches to support
their pastors, and that duty is not performed,
“sin lies at the door” somewhere.
Numerous articles have appeared in the Index,
and in other religious papers, goading the churches
up to their duty, but very few have been written
exposing the faults of the clergy in this matter.
Now while it must be admitted that the churches
are not innocent, the Pastors, in our humble opin
ion, are more guilty. How ? Ist. Because the
great mass of so-called Pastors are neglecting the
churches, and have gone out into the world to
make money. And some of them are sharp as a
brier at it, too —the world even calls some of them
“sharpers.” Some are teaching school to make
money, others are planting to make money, and
complain bitterly that the church does not sup
port her pastor. “Like Priests, like people.”
Who is to blame ?
The writer does not condemn the profession of
teaching, planting and writing, but he feels that
Pastors should not blame the churches when they
themselves are guilty of the very same thing.
“A word to the wise,” etc.
2. Another reason why Pastors fail to get a
support, is, that they will not “condescend to
men of low degree.” They will not visit the poor
as they ought, nor will they let the wife and chil
dren do it. They prefer to visit families that
move in the upper circles of life, where sumptu
ous dinners are furnished, costly apparel displayed
and splendid halls decorated with the richest
tapestry. The poor see they are neglected, and
feel it, too. And soon or later the weight of their
influence will be felt by the Pastor. The number
of contributors to his support grows distressingly
small, and his congregation dwindles down to a
favorite few.
If he would win the hearts of his congregation,
let him imitate the example of his Lord, who as
cheerfully partook of a frugal meal with a poor
Laz arus, as of a sumptuous dinner with a rich
Zaccheus. Or, do like our worthy missionary,
brother Morrow, who, in a circle of Indians, sips
soup from a common spoon, if necessary.
3. Again, some Pastors are too exacting—too
contentious. They seem to forget that they “are
ambassadors for Christ,” and that, “in Christ’s
stead,” they must teach a dying world by exam
ple as well as by precept, the Christian virtues of
patience, meekness and love. They sometimes
contend for rights, when they should “rathef
take wrong. Why do ye not rather suffer your
selves to be defrauded ?” 1 Cor. vi. 7.
A Pastor not long since sued a brother for the
sum of sl3. The claim was righteous, but the
preacher was injured in the struggle. He sold
his influence too cheap.
In another place a preacher became obstinate;
refused to pay the small sum of sd. His brother
sued him and recovered the claim. In this trial,
the preacher was charged with lying and fraud.
His influence in that community is ruined. His
reputation for truth and honesty was worth a
thousand times that paltry sum. He, too, sold
his influence for a “ mess of potage.”
It is very unfortunate for Pastors to get in a
“tangle” with freedinen, and be brought up by
them before Bureau Agents. All such are in dan
ger, like the man spoken of by the prophet, that
got among the pots, of getting smutted. Better
compromise—better “take wrong.”
All those things work heavily against a Pastor,
If he is the victim of these follies, he need not
complain that his church does not support him.
llow to Support a Pastor.
The Pastor and his congregation are all poor
together: now how is he, with a large family, to
be supported ?
Brother Editor, will it be out of place to give
you the result of our experiment in this matter,
down here in the piny woods?
Last (all two neighboring churches in this
county decided to try to engage the whole time of
a Pastor. They made known their wishes to him,
and he heartily approved the move. Quite a
number of the members of tbe'church, however,
thought the people were too poor, and endeavored
to discourage the project. They even advised the
Pastor not to risk it, for many of the brethren
would subscribe but never pay. But an amount
was promptly subscribed which was thought to
be a reasonable support, and the preacher resolved
to trust his brethren and the good Lord for a sup.
port.
Accordingly, he moved into their midst with a
large family, early in January. The brethren
were told that the Pastor and his family were frail
and erring, just like other people; lived on the
same kind of diet; wore the same kind of appa
rel, and had feelings just like other people; that
he h»d moved into their.midst to do them all the
good he could, and no harm whatever.
Now he and his wife are laboring in good earnest
for the religious welfare of the people, and they,
thus far, are doing their duty. The brethren say
they are “broke,” “have no money,” “can’t
do anything,” and all that, but they are support
ing their Pastor, handsomely. Let him give you
a transcript of his diary for a couple of weeks in
January:
Lord’s Day, Jan. 19.—Tried to preach. Text:
Job vi. 15,1(5, 17. Subject: The Pictures of Life
a Grand Panorama of Disappointment. Religion
sure.
Monday.—Much rain. Rec’d from brother 0.
a bucket of 12 lbs. butter. Rec’d from W. S. TANARUS.,
cash S2O.
Tuesday.—Rec’d from brother Dr. T. G. C., 1
sack meal. Rec’d from friend, 1 sack peas for
cows.
Wednesday.—Rec’d from Judge B. (not a mem
ber) a lot of nice potatoes.
Thursday.—Rec’d of brother, Dr. I. G. C., 485
lbs. peas and corn ground together for milch
cows, llec’d of sister C., 2 doz. eggs—poor sis
ter.
Friday.—Pretty day : devoted to pastoral visits.
Saturday.—Rec’d of Mrs. M. one sack of tur
nips—nice.
Sunday.— Text, Rev. xx. 14.: Death and Fune
ral of the Soul.
Monday. -Rcc’d of sister L. M. F. one largo
bucket full of lard. A few days before, a large
waiter loaded with fresh ribs and sausages. Rec’d
of brother John C. a keg (5 gal.) of syrup. Rec’d
of brother S. (Methodist) a lot of potatoes.
Tuesday.—Rec’d of brother B. M. (J., marriage
fee, $lO. Rec’d of sister Sp. (Meth.) waiter full
of sausages.
Wednesday.—Rec’d of Mr. S, W. (not a mem
ber) cash $35. Snow nearly two inches deep.
Thursday.—Cold. Studied sermon for next
Sunday.
Friday.—Sister L. M. F. presented a double
gown to little daughter Josie.
Saturday.—Engaged in Pastoral work.
Sunday.—Text, Matt. xxv. 48.
Seldom a day passes but the Pastor’s family is
remembered, and a nice present comes to supply
their wantg.
Now, cannot other churches do likewise?
w. c. w.
February 2G, 1868.
Report of Sunday School Missionary.
By the blessing of God, I have been allowed to
do much as Sunday School Missionary, during the
year commencing March 1, 1867, and ending
February 29, 1868. At one time it began to look
as if my work on earth was nearly over. In Oc
tober last, I had two congestive chills, in twenty
one hours of each other. It required care and
skill to keep off the third. But by the kindness
of God, and good nursing, it did not come. Death
was apparently near. I remembered God’s prom
ises and felt that all was well. There are now
many assurances of God’s kind care and protec
tion over me.
During the year I travelled 4,000 miles, circula
ted 5,000 volumes, and 40,000 pages 6f tracts;
preached 109 times, delivered 125 addresses, vis-
ited and labored with many congregations, Sun
day schools and families. Sunday schools are
greatly on the increase. Only two persons have
said in my presence, that they were opposed to
them —one an ignorant woman, the other a drunk
en boy. Find no trouble to organize a school
whenever I can find a congregation that has none.
The great trouble is to get suitable superinten
dents, teachers, choristers and fast friends to the
cause.
I am an advocate for every church to have a
pastor, and every pastor a church, and not four
churches. When a church cannot sustain a pas
tor, we recommend them to do as the brethren at
Traveller’s Rest and Marshallville have done.
During the past year I visited Traveller’s Rest,
Macon county, Ga., an old church, in the country.
They have recently agreed with the church at
Marshallville, to sustain their pastor, (Rev. W. C.
Wilkes, a well known and gifted laborer for
Christ,) at a salary of eleven hundred dollars,
each church to pay five hundred and fifty dollars,
the pastor to divide his time equally between the
two churches. We aided in the organization of
a Sunday school at Traveller’s Rest. They bought
two libraries, one for the Sunday school and the
cither for the church. Small and large, young
and old, joined the Sunday school. It is hoped
that many other churches will follow' the example
of Traveller’s Rest, and purchase a library for its
members. By doing so, its younger members
may be greatly improved in piety and church
history.
Allow me, in conclusion, to tell one Baptist
story. A teacher told me of an incident which
occurred some time since. He is a man of truth,
and vouches for the correctness of the statement.
At a Sunday school in which he was a teacher,
there was a little boy whose parents were Pedo
baptists. The little boy lived with Baptist rela
tives. The teacher gave to his little pupil a copy
of the New Testament. Ho carried it to his home
at his relatives’ house. At a subsequent time,
the little boy came with the book to the teacher
and said, “ Here, you may take this book,” hold
ing up the Testament, “it is a Baptist book, and
I don’t want it” When the teacher met the
mother, he told her that her son was far ahead of
her, for he had found out that the “Testament
is a Baptist book.” F. M. llaygood.
Macon, Ga., March 2, 1968.
Brown University. —Rev. Dr. Caswell suc
ceeds Dr. Bears as President of this Institution.