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CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. VOL. 48—NO. 29. A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER. PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA. QA. TERMS.— CIubs of Four, ($3.00 each) per annum...sl2.oo Clubs of Three, ($3.33 each) per annum... 10.00 Clubs of Two, (3.f)0 each) per annum 7.00 Single Subscriber 4.00 J. .X. TOON, Proprietor. Life. Life, truly, is a varied scene; A web, indeed, of mystery. A play whose unity is seen Only in its diversity. There’s many a joy along its passage gleams, And many a sorrow which that joy bedims. Life is a stage, where hopes and fears, Poverty, wealth, weakness and power, The smiles of joy, and sorrow’s tears All meet and pass in one short hour. Like troubled ghosts, not long with us they stay; Their bidding done, quickly they haste away. Wealth builds his palace, weaves his bower, And decks his grounds, Pleasure to woo ; But seen on every plant and flower, la disappointment’s sickly hue. No care or skill of hoary-headed sage, ' Can beal the blight of man’s sad heritage. In the proud dome, with gilded crest, Silk-curtained and ambrosial bed, Walks many a Lord illy at rest— Lies many a sleepless, aching head. Oft shines the diamond in a troubled breast, And bleeds the heart, wearing joy’s stolen crest. We see the child three summers old, Gamb’ling in childhood’s merry mocd; We turn; then look again. Behold! An object of decrepitude. Close to the cradle stooping age does lie, And rocks the slumbers of sweet infancy. Behold the blooming, blushing bride! What pleasure sparkles in her eyes. Turn o’er a leaf—the husband’s pride A sheeted corpse before him lies ! O, life! vain life ! such mockery thou art! Thy smiles delight but to betray our heart. List! The dread Corsican, whose speech Shook the affrighted earth and sea, Does from his rocky pulpit preach Earth’s deep and hopeless vanity. Hear, all ye lands ! O hear, thou earth and sea! For well he knows the truths he speaks to thee. Mould’ring together are the bones Os vassal and proud potentate. Palaces, prisons, scaffolds, thrones, Compose your history, ye great! Reproach and glory, crowns and beggary, Weave the ensign which waves o’er Royalty. But yet, my soul! with opened eyes Launch boldly on this troubled sea ; Across its waves the bright land lies— The land of immortality. O rise, ye billows! roar, ye wild winds, roar 1 Ye waft me home! Crowd, crowd the sailß still more! O, land! bright with the smiles of God; Sweet land! I stretch my hands to thee. There sin a id sorrow ne’er have trod, Or taint is known of vanity. 0, the bright faces of that happy land ! O, the sweet friendship of the white-robed band ! Press on, my soul! each danger face; Though rough the road, the goal is bright. Press on ! press on 1 in such a race; Press on, the City is in sight. Behold the shining crowd ! They are in view I Come in! they cry; come in, we wait for you 1 Away, ye joys of earth, away ! I spurn you from my rising heart; I look for an unfading day For joys which never shall depart— A home for which, on earth, we vainly sigh, Where sorrow never comes—friends never die. W. H. J. Oxford, N. O. Essay on the Eldership of the Churches. (Read before the Union Meeting of the Second Dis trict of the Florida Baptist Association, and published at its request:— Rev. W. B.lbweti.) In writing upon the above subject, I pro pose to lay before the Union meeting, the teachings of the Scriptures upon the whole Gospel ministry, in order that we may the better understand that particular class de nominated Elders. There are four terms employed in the New Testament to represent the Ministers of the Gospel, in their various official positions in the kingdom of Christ, viz.: Apostle, Bishop, Elder and Deacon, with their corresponding terms in the Greek, Apostolos, presbuteros, Episcopos, and Diac onos. Apostolos, in the Greek Scriptures, oc curs fifty six times, and is translated messen ger twice; he that is sent once, and fifty - three times, Apostle. Presbuteros occurs forty-three times; old men once, Presbytery once, and forty one times it is translated Elder, Eldership, &c. Episcopos occurs eleven times; translated visitation twice, overseer once, oversight once, looking dili gently once, and six times it is rendered Bishop, Bishoprick, &c. Diaconos occurs, in all, in its various inflections, seventy times ; And is translated servant four times, service three times, serve and serving three times, office once, relief once, and Deacon four times; and the balance, fifty-four times, it is rendered by minister or some of its inflec tions. It is worthy of remark, that in the Acts of the Apostles, the whole Gospel ministry ap pears to have been included under the terms, “Apostles and Elderg.” A reference to a single chapter, (the 15th of Acts,) will abun dantly show the accuracy of this remark. Five* times in that chapter are the terms Apostles and Elders used in connection with, and in distinction from, each other, as would seem, to represent all classes of the officers of the churches. In the 2d v. of that chapter, we have the church at Antioch appointing Paul and Barnabaas to go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders, about the question of circumcision. In the 4th v. we have the Apostles and Elders coming together to consider of this matter. In the 22d v. we have the Apostles and Elders sending chosen men down to Antioch; and in the 23d v. we have the Apostles and Elders sending letters by them to the brethren of the Gen tiles at Antioch, &c. Let me ask, just here, if there were no Bishops and Deacons in the church at Jerusalem at this time? Certainly there were; for we have the fullest proof of the existence of both Bishops and Deacons, at this early period of the history of the church. If this be so, does it not seem that both Bishops and Deacons were included and represented by the term Elders? It might as well be stated here, before we go farther, that the Apostolic office, with its inspiration and miracle working power, sub sided and ceased with the death of the Apos tles. This is fully admitted by all, except Catholics, and perhaps the modern ritualistic Episcopalians, who, of late, seem to have let go the dogma of Episcopal succession, and have fallen back with the Catholics upon the more tenable dogma, (as they may think,) of Apostolical succession. With this hasty disposition of the Apos tolical ministry, we turn back to pursue our investigation of the Eldership of the chuiches, which we have found, so far as we have gone, uniformly used in connection with, and in distinction from, the Apostleship. As wc never find Apostle and Bishop, or Deacon, used in connection with, and in distinction from each other, so, (mark you,) we never find Bishop and Elder, nor Elder and Dea- FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1869. con, used in connection with, or in distinction from each other. But we do find Bishop and Deacon together, and in contradistinction ; for the obvious reason that they are distinct classes of officers in the churches ; but Elder is never used in connection with, and distinct from, either Bishop or Deacon, but always singly and alone; except when used in con nection with Apostle. Now, I ask, how can this invariable and uniform usage of these terms in the New Testament be accounted for? I answer, the easy and natural conclu sion is, that Elders include both Bishop and ! Deacon. Give us your attention, while we shall en deavor to bring some other passages of Scrip ture to your notice, which we think yield ad ditional support to this view of the Elder ship of the churches. In Acts xiv, 23, it is said that “they ordained them Elders in every church.” This ordination took place in newly organized churches, where Deacons were necessary as well as Bishops. The same may be said of Paul’s direction to Ti tus, to ordain Elders in every city. See Tit. i: 5. Again, in Acts xi: 29, we find the church at Antioch sending relief to the breth ren in Judea; and they sent it to the Elders, when Deacons had been appointed in the church at Jerusalem, for the express purpose of receiving and distributing such contribu tions, so that the preaching Elders might be relieved from such business. And in proof that the Elders were divided into the two classes here indicated, we refer to Ist Tim., v : 17, which reads, “Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor,” &c. Now it must be admitted, that the plain import of this passage is, that some Elders preached, while others did not. Now, if it be admitted that there were but two classes of officers in the churches at this early age, except the Apostles, viz., Bishops and Dea cons, and if it be admitted that there were two classes of Elders, then we are forced to the conclusion, that the two classes of Elders were one and the same with Bishops and Dea cons. While much more might be said in support of the views here presented, yet I think enough has been said to elicit investi gation and discussion; and I will, therefore, dismiss this part of my essay, with the ad mission that I am aware that objections lie against this view of the subject. We now proceed to consider the vastly more important subject of the rights and du ties of the Elders of the churches. By rights, we mean the official authority with which the Elders or pastors are clothed by the great Head of the church. By duties, we mean those obligations involved in their offi cial authority. In approaching the discussion of this part of our essay, we must confess that we feel embarrassed by a sense of our inability to treat the subject as its solemn im portance demands. And I feel the more em barrassed from the fact, that I apprehend, that we as a people, both ministers and pri vate members, have not, nor do we now, ap preciate as we should, the official dignity and authority of the Gospel ministry. I appre hend that the prevailing opinion among us is, that a minister is nothing more than a ser vant of the churches, with no more rights or authority in the government of the churches than the humblest private member in them. I would ask, with qll due deference, Does not this view dishonor and degrade the dignity of the ministerial office ? With these preliminary remarks on this part of our essay, I proceed to discuss the following questions: Ist. What are the powers with which the Elders are invested in the government of the churches? 2d. From whence do they derive their authority ? It is fully admitted that ministers are the servants of the churches, and that they are forbidden in the exercise of their administra tion to “Lord it over God’s heritage.” But this prohibition by no means implies that they have no ruling authority, but on the contrary, admits the authority, and forbids the abuse of it. We are no advocate of Episcopacy, &c. For we regard the powers claimed by Episcopal Bishops not only as unwarranted by the word of God, but as criminal usurpations of authority in the church of Christ. According to the Scrip tures, one minister has no right to take Episcopal jurisdiction -over other ministers and their churches. For nothing is plainer than that the great Head of the church es tablished perfect equality among the ministers whom he appointed. That we may not be misunderstood in our future remarks, I set forth the following negative propositions : Ist. A minister, then, has no right to take jurisdiction of any church, without the choice and consent of the same. 2d. A pastor has no right to pass judgment upon or excommu nicate a delinquent member. The church alone has the right to receive discipline and expel its members. 3rd. A minister has no power to enforce his authority by any coercive measures , either civil or ecclesiastical. The pastor’s authority is moral, as distinguished from civil or military. He has no coercive power over the persons or property o'" those he has a right to rule. This is truly a pecu- liar authority. Leaving the negative, we come to the posi tive side of the question. That Elmers are clothed with ruling authority, the following Scriptures abundantly show : Acts xx : 28 : “Take heed to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers.” Heb. xiii: 7 ; “Remember them who have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God.” In tLe same eh, and 17th v. we have, “Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves ; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account.” Ist Tim. v: 17, “Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor” ; and in chapter iii, we' have, “If a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he know how to take care of the church of God ”; thus showing, that in the church, a pastor should exercise an authority analogous to that possessed and exercised by a father over his family and household. Now, my brethren, what do you think these passages of Scripture really mean ? Do you think they teach any real and proper ruling authority, on the part of ministers, in the af fairs of church government? Or is it not to be feared that our opposition to Episcopacy has led us to depreciate and' practically repu diate any such thing, as a real and proper ministerial rule and government in our churches. But we must not annul and break the force of God’s word so plainly given. We must find some way, and some place in truth and verity, for ruling Elders to exercise their ruling authority among us; for the Scriptures saith not in vain, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit your selves” And again, “Let the Elders that rule well,” &e. But it may be asked, “how ? wherein ? in what respects ?” There is no use to talk about authority to rule, without ade quate power to enforce the authority. Well, bear with me, and 1 will try to show some respects, at least, in which the Scriptures give ruling authority to ministers— Without stopping to authori ty of Elders to preach administer ordinances, plant churches, “ ordain Elders in every church,” although of great impor tance in our discussion, we come at once to consider, in addition to all these, their author ity to teach the disciples of Christ. In two places—l Cor. xii: 28, and Eph. iv : 11—it is said, God gave to the churches apostles, prophets and teachers. If God gave the churches teachers, shall they not teach by authority? The truth is, baptized believers are disciples or scholars, and God’s ministers are the divinely constituted teachers. But it is asked, what does this divine authority to teach amount to ? for no one is bound by their teaching, but each and all are free to receive or not receive their teaching, as they may choose. We know that this is the com mon and loose way of thinking and talking about this matter. But stop and think more seriously; '>r.the subject demands serious thought. Let me ask, When a church calls a pastor, do they consider him as a teacher sent from God, or do they look upon him as a teacher of their own make, possessing no higher authority than themselves? Does God give the churches teachers, or do they make their own teachers ? If they make their own teachers, then, of course, they may re ceive or not their teaching, as they please. But if God gave them, then they teach with a more solemn authority. Let us try to set this matter right. It is freely admitted that each individual Christian, and the church collectively, have the unquestionable right to judge and try false teachers, and it is further admitted, that they are not bound to receive the speculations and opinions of true minis ters, but in reference to the plain and settled teaching of the Scriptures, the pastor speaks by authority, and the church is bound to re ceive his teachings. It is sometimes the case that church members refuse to be governed by the teaching of their pastors in reference to the plainest principles of doctrine and church government. It is to be feared that it may justly be said of them, that they “de spise governments, and are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” Our conclusion, then, is that God’s true ministers teach the way of truth by divine authority, and that this au thority involves the duty to receive and obey their teaching. I come in the next place to notice, that ministers have authority to reprove and re buke offenders. In 1 Tim. v: 20, Paul charges Timothy, “Them that sin rebuke be fore all, that others may fear.” In 2 Tim. iv; 2, we have “ Reprove, rebuke, with all long suffering and doctrine.” In Titus i: 13, we have, “ Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in faith.” Again, in Titus ii: it is said, “ Rebuke with all authority.” Surely these are sufficient to settle the question, that ministers have authority to rebuke offenders. It is the right and duty of private members to rebuke an offending brother in private, but open and public rebuke is the exclusive right and duty of the pastor. It should be known and remembered, that this sort of public and official rebuke is the highest, severest and most solemn form of corrective discipline known to the church, except, it may be, excommunication itself. This official form of rebuke is ijieant in that passage in Timothy, “Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others may fearand in Titus, “ Re buke them sharply,” etc. And yet, where is the Elder or pastor among us, that dares to exercise this solemn prerogative of his office ? Or where is the church-member that will suf fer his pastor to single him out and publicly rebuke him before all ? There is one other particular in this con nection, that is of sufficient importance to require notice; but which can be, only, bar - ly mentioned; and that is the right of the pastor to preside over the church and give direction to her deliberations; for in this capacity he is the expounder of the law of the gospel on all matters of discipline. Yet it is to be feared that the pastor, in this re spect, is regarded by some but little more, if any, than the chairman of a debating society. We now consider the last head, and that is the origin or source of ministerial authority. Among us, we have had a class who have been called High Church Baptists, who teach that ministers derive their authority from the churches, while another class has held that ministerial authority is not derived from the churches at all. There is more involved in the issue between these classes, than appears at first sight. The question of regular church succession is involved in it. And this in volves an unbroken line of ordinations from apostolic times until now. And this involves the question of valid baptism. Seeing, then, so much involved in the issue, we will en deavor to state the grounds of difference be tween these two classes as plainly as we can. The first class named admits that ministe rial authority may originate in a divine ball of the Holy Spirit; but without church ac tion and regular ordination by the Presbyte ry, his divine call gives no authority to preach the gospel, or officiate as a minister of Christ, in any way whatsoever —that a man may be truly called of God, but his divine oall gives him no authority as a minister of Christ without the authority of the church. On the other hand, it is held that the minister de rives the whole of his authority from Christ, the Head of the Church, and that the Holy Spirit not only calls and qualifies, but invests the minister with complete authority and full powers as an embassador of Christ, without any additional finish or ratification by the church. In this essay we shall assume the side of the completeness of the Divine call. It may be said that our side has the appearance of being adopted in order to escape the difficul ties of a lost succession, etc. Let this be as it may, we think we shall be able to show, pretty fully, that God, at no age of the world, has committed to any organized body of men an official authority, to be transmitted to their successors in office, in such a sense as to in terfere, in the least, with the Divine preroga tive of calling and appointing ministers to do his pleasure. The prophetic office, in the former dispensation, answers, we think, to the ministerial office under the gospel, and there was a regular order of induction into that office; but who will take it upoq himself to say that no man had a right to prophesy without that order of induction, or ordination, if you please ? The truth appears to be, that a man had just as much right to proph esy without that ceremony as with it; pro vided God called him. The case of the prophet Elijah, to say nothing of Eldad and Medad, fully warrants us in saying that the consecration of the Holy Spirit gave full right to prophesy, without the sanction of any or der of men on earth. The prophet Elijah was a prophet of Israel, and rose up among the ten tribes after their revolt, when they had not a vestige of the true worship of God among them, and the prophet was not bound to regard the existing order of things as he found them; but his right and duty was to restore the true worship of God, which had been lost, and he derived this authority di rectly from God, without the intervention of any human authority whatever. And if it could be proven that from the third to the seventeenth century, there existed no regular gospel churches, it would not invalidate in the least the authority of Roger Williams, provided he were called of God to the work of the ministry. But what shall we say of the apostle Paul? What church or presbytery ordained him to the ministry? Here, in the midst of regular churches, God calls the great apostle of the Gentiles, and sends him out to preach the I gospel, without either church or ministerial authority. As in the case of the’ apostle Paul, so, we hold, is it in the case of every other divinely called minister—ail the au thority is derived wholly from God. As we argue about baptismal regeneration, so we argue in reference to ministerial authority. In one case we say regeneration is complete without baptism —that baptism is an outward sign of the complete inward work. And in the other case we say, the call of the Holy Spirit is complete in itself—that church ac tion or ordination confers—«o authority ; but simply recognizes the complete authority which already exists. The ministry, in its order and nature, stands back and before churches, and does not o from them, but comes down from heaven. Thus it is seen that we hold that the ministry is a dis tinct class of men, derivh j their authority directly from the great Head of the church. Let no one think, from what we have said, that we think lightly of that regular order of the churches, which we find established in the Scriptures by Christ, for the government of his people. Let no minister think, for a mo ment, that he is at liberty to disregard that order, thus established by Jesus Christ for the observance of his ministers. If God has called him, He has called him, not to set up anew order, nor to change in anywise, the established order; but to ot*Vve in all good fidelity the institutions of Lie gospel which Christ has already furnished to his hand. But, mark you, here is what we say: Sup pose the true minister, with.the word of God in his hand, finds himself in the midst of an order of things very different from what he finds in the Scriptures, is he bound to observe that unscriptural order as he finds it? Is he not, rather, bound, like Elijah, to disregard the existing church order aqd set about the work of restoring the Scriptural order which has been lost? The true minister is bound to observe the Scriptural order wherever he finds it, and is bound to restore it wherever lost. Here we stand. But it may be said, this is not a supposa ble case, for the reason that God has prom ised to perpetuate the its purity. I deem it sufficient to reply, that God as fully promised to perpetuate his truth and worship under the former dispensation, and yet so far as outward form and visible organization are concerned, the true worship was repeatedly lost, and even the ark of tjbe covenant was lost; so that we must conclude that God’s promise did not include - seoeHty against ex ternal corruption in the church. We conclude in the language of another. “ In the view which we have takSn, the Chris tian ministry is an institution of surpassing importance. It is a gift sent down to‘man kind from the ascended Saviour. He gave some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. To these heaven-be stowed ministers, the Spirit_\vhich qualified them for their work, gives testimony, And the ministry and the church become joint witnesses tor God to the world. Whether these two witnesses have lived throfigh all the dark period of papal persecution, I leave others to inquire, but if they v/gre ever slain, I doubt not that the spirit of .God "has reani mated them, and will enable them to con tinue their testimony to theen,: of the world.” They Say. 4 WORD TO T A.LE-B E/ AaS. * • They say, —ah ! well, suppose they do ; But can they prove the story true ? Suspicions may arise from nought, But malice, envy, want of thought; Why count yourself among the “ they,” Who whisper what they dare not say ? They say, —but why the tale rehearse, And help to make the matter worse? No good can possibly accrue From telling what may be untrue; And is it not a nobler plan To speak of all the best you can ? They say, —well, if it should be so, Why need you tell the tale of woe ? , Will it the bitter wroug redress, Or make one pang of sorrow less? . Will it the erring one restore, Henceforth to ‘‘go and sin no more?” They say,— Ohl pause and look within, See how thine heart inclines to sin ; Watch, lest in dark temptation’s hour, Thou, too, shouldst sink beneath its power; Pity the frail, weep o’er their fall, But speak of good, or not at all. Tire Word, Prevent, in the Bible. There are many words in our common English version of the Bible which have changed their meaning, or use, very materi ally since the translation was made. Among these words, none are more prominent than the vtorA prevent. In some places it sounds awkwardly, and to one who is only an Eng lish scholar, many passages make either non sense, or appear as palpable contradictions. This is owing to the change in meaning which the word has undergone since Ring James’ translation was made. The English word, prevent, is derived from the Latin pre, before, and venio, to go ; and meant, prima rily, to go before. Bat many’ of the old meanings of that word are now obsolete. Some of those obsolete definitions are, to go before, precede, to seize, to take hold on, to succor, or help. Let us notice a f ew passages illustrating these statements. Psalms Ixxxviii: 13, reads thus : “But unto thee have I cried, O Lord ; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee,” that is, go before thee. Also, Psalms cxix: 147, “I prevented, the dawning of the morning/ that is, I went out before the dawn ing, &c. Again, Psaltn cxix: 148, “Mine eyes prevented the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.” In both these pas sages, the Psalmist is made by the translators to say what ue never thought of saying, nor claimed the power to do ; that is, to disallow the breaking of day, and the guards from holding their positions for public safety, He simply means that in his devotions, he was out before the dawn of day, and retired for private meditation before night fall. Let us read these two verses with this meaning, and the sense will appear altogether natural. “I went out before the dawning of the morning and cried : 1 hoped in thy word, Mine eyes went out, (eyes put for the person,) before the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.” Matthew xvii : 25, affords another illustra tion, with a different meaning, however, to the word. Instead of lt preventedf the word anticipated should be used, as follows ; And when he, (Peter,) was come into the house, Jesus anticipated, (not prevented) him, say ing, What thinkest thou, Simon ? Os whom do the kings of the earth take'custom or trib ute,” &c. The object of the Saviour, no doubt, was to convince Peter of His omni science, by taking up, or introducing the sub ject, before Peter could have time to do so. The propriety of this rendering will appear more forcibly when the whole subject is pre sented. “And when they were come to Ca pernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, Doth not your Master pay tribute ? He saith Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus an ticipated- him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? Os their own chil dren, or of strangers ” ? Ist Thessalonians, iv : 15, affords another instance, which reads thus: “Forthis we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep.” That is, those Christians who are, or shall be, still alive in the flesh at the com ing of Christ, shall not enter into glory with Christ, before those Christians whose bodies are in the grave. Oh ! that all the words of God’s law, (the whole Bible,) were written very plainly !—Deut. xxvii: 8. W. M. Howell. Pleasant Valley, Ga., April 6th, 1869. Water or Fire. “ Be immersed in water, or else you shall be immersed in the lake that burns.” This is the teaching, substantially, of some calling themselves Baptists. It is mainly on this ground that they base their exhortations to the unbaptized. For this reason, the Baptists are often placed on the same level with Campbellites. For this reason, too, we may suppose that many, tfho have doubts as to the validity of their sprinkling, refuse to ac cept Christ’s ordinance, having their bitter feelings aroused at the alternative of immer sion in water, or else in fire. Now, the truth is, that baptism —I mean immersion—depended on as a work for sal vation, is not only of no service, but is a sin before Gcd. Just as far as an ordinance be comes our Saviour, just so far it takes the place of the only Saviour—Jesus. It is made the rival of that only Saviour. It is a false god, in no wise better than Dagon or Baal. Away forever, then, with the idea of salva tion by water, or by any other work or works. What is the inducement to the believer to be baptized as Jesus was? It Is that of love. “If ye love me, ye will keep my sayings.” “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The believer does love his Master; so well, too, that he would go to prison and to death for Him. If the Master tells such an one to be immersed, will he refuse to obey ? Yes, very often. Can this be possible, when Jesus says, “If ye love me, ye will keep my sayings ?" It is. possible. Nor is this all; it is natural ! If the young believer were taught, concerning baptism, only the plain Scripture, and there were exerted over him no influence of family or friends, he would never fail to be im mersed. External influence controls his ac tion. The reason why he does not set aside the example and teaching of others, is that he is in ignorance of the Divine teaching in the case. Once bound to a religious organization, the religious feelings and prejudices being the strongest in our nature, as a matter of course the convert will look for no blemishes in the church to which he attaches himself, but will defend her laws and ordinances with the zeal of a faithful son. He is at once in the situa tion of an old Methodist brother, of the wri ter’s acquaintance, who said, “ If i am wrong, Ido not wish to know it,” Upon such an one all the logic of the schools, with the whole Bible as an auxiliary, would prove powerless to change his principles. It is to be desired for many and powerful reasons, that all Christians would accept the baptism of Jesus, and we should not fail in trying to induce them to accept it. There are but two methods to pursue. The one is to pleac| the love of Jesus to them. The other is to call them into a candid investiga tion of the subject, as the Bible—not human glosses—presents it. W. M. D. Reading Through. The N. Y. corres pondent of the Presbyterian says : It is the boast of the adherents of Emanuel Sweden borg that no one ever read thoroughly through all his works without becoming a convert to the opinions they assert and advocate. Doubt less this is true*—for, as Swedenborg wrote seventy folio volumes, he who can hold on in perusing all the wild vagaries they’ contain, must have either accepted the position of a follower of their author, or else have closed them in despair long before he has reached the seventieth volume. The End without End. Augustine, in “De Civitate L>ei,” (“ the City of God,”) says; “Ibi vicabimus;, ibi videbimus; ibi gaudebimus; ibi iaudabimus: et hoc erit in fine sine fine.” (“ There we shall be at lib erty ; there we shall see; there we shall re joice; there we shall adore; and this will be in the end without end.") A Hymn with a Moral, We invite our friends who have any sort of patience in listening to the slow, dragging singing in some of the church services, to sing the following stanza, writ ten by Rev. Alfred Taylor, to the tune, “ Joyfully;" Dismally, dolefully, downward we drag. Making our music most mournfully lag ; Singing the sonjs ot salvation so slow, Groaning aqd grunting along as we go ; Painfully poking o’er pious old poem, Weary, the worshippers want to go home; Droning so dull they don't know what to do, Pleased when the plodding performance is through. The Rainbow. My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky-, So wag it when my life began, So is it now I am a man, So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die! Tbp child is fa'ber to the man t And 1 could wish mv days to be Bound each to each by natural piety. Wordsworth. The Old Times. — Rev. A. L. P. Green, D.D., in some reminiscences of his early years, at a recent meeting of children, said : I recollet a long time ago, when furs were first introduced. The preacher had never seen any before, and he didn’t know whether fur capes belonged to meetings or not. The question had not been settled, and along came a j a( jy—very likely a good woman—and she was about to come into the church. The preacher had no time to make an examina tion of the question and settle the morale of the case, and so he looked at her awhile, and she looked at him, and at last said he, ts Come in, sister, cat-skins and all.” Deferred Items. BAPTIST. Dr. Baron Stow. —A letter from Boston, in the San Francisco Evangel, says: I have heard from time to time for twenty years, that Dr. Stow was not with the great mass of his brethren on the communion question, and his name has been very freely used by those not friendly to Baptist views and prac tice. But last fcU he preached before the Boston South Association, upon the “New Testament Model of a Gospel Church.” I never heard a sermon more thoroughly Bap tistic. 1 said to him after he left the pulpit, “Dr. Slow, if you were a young man and preached such a sermon, you would be called radical.” His reply was, “I am a Radical Baptist and always have been.” When I re minded him that sentiments had been often impjitad to him very different from those of his sermon, he said, “I know it; but the man or woman does not live who ever heard me in public or in private express views differing from those I have now preached.” I may add that many of the able editorials in the Watchman and Reflector on the communion question a few months ago, w ere from his pen. Indirect Influence. —Rev. J. Chaplin, D.D., writing of a trip iu New Hampshire, says: The indirect influence of the Baptists in New Ipswich may be seen in the fact that during the five years’ pastorate of one “or thodox” minister of that place, five infants only were “baptized,” two of the number be ing his own children. Household Baptism. —A household of eight persons was immersed recently, upon a profession of faith, at Williamsville, N. Y. “Coming.— -The Chicago Advance says: “The time seems to be coming when Baptist churches will modify some of their close communion articles.” The Examiner & Chronicle replies: “A German astronomer predicts, as will be seen, that this respectable old earth of ours is soon to have two moons. To him this new lunar phenomenon ‘seems to be corning .’ When it comes, our friends of the Advance, or their snccessors, will see it; and about the same time they may look for that other lunar phenomenon which they hope to see in our Baptist churches.” A Church-Extension Tent. —“Some active and enterprising Baptists in Kansas have or dered a large tent or tabernacle from Chica go, which a corps of efficient evangelists will pitch successively at various county-seats throughout the destitute portions of that State. They will tarry at each place long enough to preach the word, and if possible, gather and organize a church, ana inaugu rate the building of a house of worship.” Our Fathers. —Rev. R. S. Storrs, D.D., Congrei?ationalist, sending to the Watchman & Reflector a letter of Rev. Dr. Baldwin for publication, makes the following reference to the service rendered to the cause of spiritual Christianity by the Boston Baptist churches, at the time of the New England Unitarian apostacy : “It will at least freshen the recol lections of some as to the state of religion in your city sixty-five years ago, and inform others of what they have forgotten or never knew, of the instrumentality God employed to save Boston and the Commonwealth from those -who had seduced His people, saying peace when there was no peace ; and who had built up a wall and daubed it with aw tempered mortar for defence against Heaven’s threatened judgments on the godless and pro fane ! Something of vital godliness remained in Brattle Street and Old South churches; and their pastors dared to speak for God— yea, and speak to Him, as a man to his friend ; all the other Congregational churches slum bered and slept! Only the two Baptist churches heard the Bridegroom’s voice, and obeyed ! 'Honor to whom honor’ is a precept never to be forgotten by a whole-souled Con gregationalist.” Union Movements. —One of our exchanges writes: “We once heard a brother, accus tomed to make quaint speeches, say that ‘when Baptists ride the same horse with other denominations they must always ridebehind ;’ it might also be added, or be thrown under the horse's feet'' Communion. —The Chicago Standard says : “There are some important considerations in favor of restricting the communion to mem bers of the church where it is administered. So far as the ordinance is an expression of church-fellowship, it is an efficient means of protecting such fellowship from abuse ; while it is quite a question if the logical conse quence of the Scripture theory that the Lord’s supper is strictly a church ordinance is not, that it is therefore an ordinance to be ob served by each church, as an expression that ‘truly’ their ‘fellowship is with God, and with his son Jesus Christ, and with, each other' Yet we have never, ourselves, taken this ground. ’ PRESBYTERIAN. Influence. —The Banner of Peace, (Cum berland Presbyterian,) says: We say it not in a vain-glorious spirit, but we are proud of the Presbyterian church ; and were we asked to-day what body of Christians is exerting the most powerful influence upon this conti nent, we would feel compelled to say the dis ferent families of the great Presbyterian organization. And in thus answering, we venture the assertion we would express the sentiments of every unprejudiced mind. Dancing. —At a recent “Grand Ball” at the Annapolis Naval Academy, George H. Stuart, of Philadelphia, late President of the Young Men’s Christian Association of that city, took part in the dance. He was suspended last year by the General Synod of his church, (the Reformed Presbyterian,) for loose communion. Is he not carrying loose communion forward to its perfection, i.e., to communion with tlie fashionable wickedness of the day ? Baptism. —The United Presbyterian church, with 20,525 families, reports for the present year 4,171 infant baptisms—about one bap tism for every seven families connected with the church. MISCELLANEOUS. Education. George Peabody, adding $1,000,000 more, to his gift for education at the South, says : “l beg to take the opportu nity of thanking, with all my heart, the peo ple of the South themselves for the cordial spirit with which they have received the trust, and for the energetic efforts which they have made, in co operation with the Trustees and Dr. Sears, for carrying out the plans which have been proposed and matured for the diffusion of the blessings of education in their respective States.” A Strange Lack. —There are in Ireland, no “religious newspapers,” in the current ac ceptation of that term. Learning a Trade.— “lt is stated in the Report of the Prison Association, lately is sued, that of 13,496 prisoners confined in the penitentiaries of thirty States in 1867, 77 per cent., or over ten thousand of the number, had never learned a trade. It is not the skillful mechanic who is a burdeu or a pest to society, but the man who knows no trade, and must ‘live by his wits.’ ” WHOLE NO. 2449. French Protestant LiBERALiSM.-Pressense writes from Paris to the Watchman and Re jlecter : One of the journals, Le Protestant Liberal, in a reply to the Revue Chretienne, when it demanded of the radicals of the Re formed church in France whether they ac cepted the principle that a man could be a member of that church without believing in a personal God, declared that “liberal Protest antism in Germany, France, Holland and German Switzerland, would not reject Serve tus under the pretext that he did not believe, in the orthodox sense, in a personal God.” Now it is well known that Servetus did not believe in God in any sense, —that he was absolutely a Pantheist. Our Colleges. —According to the Yale College Courant, “Few are aware of the vast amount of Rationalism among the students of American Colleges. Were the facts known to what proportions such infidelity has reached among the students of our Colleges, the Christian church would be startled with the announcement.” The Modern Type of Politics. —Not long since, in the Florida Legislature, in a debate on a motion to close the session, one negro, opposing it, sneered at the anxiety of mem bers to get home to their wives, and said, that his wife might stay at home and starve if necessary. ‘l,’ said the sable orator, ‘will stay here, and protect Ood and the country.” Now, among the Romish politicians of France, it is customary to say, “Let us vote for Jesus Christ," when the meaning is, “Let us vote in favor of the temporal power of the Pope.” Which is the more blasphemous ? The Stage —Olive Logan, for years an ac tress of considerable repute, says, in a recent letter, that she “would not advise any woman to go upon the stage ; for the demoralizing influences there prevalent are daily increas ing, and its prizes are won by brazen-faced, yellow-haired, padded-legged creatures, while well-qualified and decent actresses cannot earn a living.” She says that “merely honest, modest girls, whose parents have left them the not very desirable heritage of the stage,” when they apply for a situation, are rejected unless they can answer in the affirmative, the following questions: “1. Is your hair dyed yellow ? 2. Are your legs, arms and bosom symmetrically formed, and are you willing to expose them ? 3. Can you sing brassy songs, and dance the can-can, and wink at men, and give utterance to disgusting hall words which mean whole actions? 4. Are you acquainted with any rich men who will throw you flowers, and send you presents, and keep afloat dubious rumors concerning your chastity ? 5. Are you willing to appear to night, and every night, amid the glare of gaslights and before the gaze of thousands of men, in this pair of satin breeches ten inches long, without a vestige of drapery on your person ?” Church Growth. —The following table shows the rates of increase of the population of the United States and of the four princi pal denominations : Year Popula- Method- Baptiste. Presby- Episco tion. ists. terians. palians. 1790 1800 35.02 12.60 85.21 1810 36,45 168.99 46.00 1820 a3.12 48.89 51.63 1830 33.49 83.21 34.05 41.62 26.37 1840 32.67 fe.BB 52.63 22.45 79.31 1850 35.87 13.08 43.33 54.16 62.24 1860.. 31.77 44.20 16.90 43.73 54.93 1865.. 30.32 * 6.55 2.83 19.00.. 51.84 A TAraint iifiJJS .mm 31X0 CI.S4 The Colored People. —“ Every eighth man in the United States is of African de scent.” Are we doing our whole duty to so large a class of the population ? Puritanism. The Historical Magazine says: “In the olden time and in the new, the Puritans have never ceased to destroy the peace of every community which they could not control, and to employ any means, no matter how base their character, which prom ised them a successful termination of their undertakings.” Business and A Chicago busi ness firm has undertaken the entire support of a foreign missionary.” Boston. —The Editor of the Church Un ion writes from Boston that it holds “cer tainly the most self-conceited aggregation of humanity in the country.” Queer Executorship. —Rev. T. L. Cuy ler, D.D., of New York, speaks of the mem bers of the American Anti-sFavery Society as “the executors of the bones of the late ‘pe culiar institution.’ ” Bitterness. —The Chicago correspondent of the Free Christian Commonwealth quotes a Northern newspaper “deliverance.” —“The churches which christened slavery a divine institution, are no more fit for holy commun ion than the crucifiers of Jesus.” Japan. —Dr. J. C. Hepburn, Presbyterian missionary to Yokohama, speaks hopefully of the missionary work and prospects in Japan. A great revolution is going on in the politi cal, social and intellectual condition ot the eastern nations, opening avenues to mission ary effort and promising success in mission ary labor of which the Christian world scarcely dreamed a few years ago. Woman Teaching.-: —As an argument for Christian girls’ schools in China, Miss Fay, an Episcopal missionary at Shanghai writes : “It seems a curious fact, little noticed by writers on China, that the women are almost the only teachers of idolatry ; they take their own children or their friends to the tempies of instruction ; sometimes even before they can speak they aro taught to lift their hands, to bow and prostrate themselves before the idols. The duty is imposed on the mothers by the priests, who take a special interest in the religious education of all the children. The priests themselves rarely teach, except classes of boys, who live in the temples, and are destined to succeed them in the priest hood.” England and America. —ln a population of 23,363,000, Great Britain has 36,200 min isters, or one to every 673. In a population of 27,000,000 the United States has 43,600 ministers, or one to every 619. “Absolute Religion,” Absolute Infidel ity.—R. W. Emerson, in a recent lecture at Horticultural Hall, Boston,said: “Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity are essentially the same, differing only in forms, mytholo gy, rites and miraoles; but the time is com ing when no man, comparing his own with another religion, will care to expose these parts of it. He will let the miracles go, — their abundance makes them cheap.” Giving. —“ The native Christians of India and Asia Minor, give more in proportion to their means than those of any part of Eng land or America. The custom of dedicating a tenth is rapidly becoming universal, and many churches make it an item of their cov enant.” An Exotic. —The Chicagoan, the new lit erary paper of Chicago, maintains that the Christian religion, being transplanted from the shores of Judea, is an exotic plant and cannot flourish in the western soil, and that the attempt to make it flourish is like plant ing in the ground stumps of trees that have been cut down—“lumber” as the editor calls it. Christianity an exotic 1 Yes—one trans planted from heaven, and growing through heavenly influences.