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CHRISTIAN iii he* AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
VOL. 48-NO. 80.
A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER,
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA, GA
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Come to Jesus.
Say, poor wand’rer, sadly sirayiug,
From thy .Saviour’s arms away,
Why, oh ! why ft* long delaying.
Why not seek his face to-Oay
Come to Jesus, -
Seek his loving face to-day.
Has not Jesus for you given
His most precious, priceless blood 7 „
Bought for you a home in heaven ?
Opened up the way to God?'
Come to Jesus,"
Seek the way that leads to Gtjd.
Oh ! how can you grieve that SAviour,
AHd refuse to hear his voice?
Why not now accept his favor,
In his pard’ning love rejoice?
Come to Jesus,
In his pard’ning love rejoice.
Through life’s journey he will guide you,
And be with you all the way;
What a friend to have beside you,
Travelling with you day by <ky 1
Come to Jesus,
Journey with him day by day.
Seasons passing-' summers flying,
Time is speeding, oh how fast!
All to thee, poor wand’rer crying—
"bays of grace will soon be past."
Come to Jesus,
Ere thy days of grace be past.
—.S'. L. Ciithbert In Presb. Ban.
A Reminiscence of Rev. John E. Dawson.
About the year 1841 or 1842, brother
Dawson preached to Providence church, Jas
per co., Ga. He made it a rule, I believe, to
preach controverted points only once a year,
and gave notice that he would preach on the
subject of baptism on a certain Sabbath. The
day was fine and many were out,. The ser
mon was very able and excellent, and ended,,
in a sentence and an argument I never shall
forget. J ust before the close of his discourse
he alluded to the notion that John’s baptism
was not Christian baptism. He observed)
that the Saviour’s baptism was good enough
for him. Then, with a vim indescribable, he
uttered these memorable words : “And can
VOU BELIEVE THAT THE SAVIOUR SUBMITTED
TO ONE KIND OF BAPTISM, AND SENT OUT HIS
DISCIPLES TO PRACTICE ANOTHER?” It WaS
like heaven’s artillery, quick and powerful.
We had been entranced for two hours, but
now were electrified. It was like putting the
key stone into the arch. If there is an argu
ment stronger than this to prove John’s
essentially Christian baptism, and only dif
fered as to the formula— i. e. in the Name, of
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—l am igno
rant of it. William B. Richards.
Kai, De ami Te.
In the Index of the 10th of June, there is
a criticism on the above Greek particles, by
brother G. T. Wilburn, in a reply to brother
A. Chandler, to prove that the sth verse of
the lOtli chapter of the Acts of the Apostles
is not the language of Paul, but of Luke, the
historian. Brother C., professing to know
nothing of Greek, places the opinions of Dr.
Gill and A. Fuller against those of brother
W., and retires from the discussion. It
would seem, however, that if brother W.’s
criticism is correct, it settles this vexed ques
tion, and is of too much importance to be
passed over so unceremoniously.
To prove his point, brother W. states that
the Greek words kai, de and te are used in
the first six verses as connectives ; that de, as
is shown by the second,, third and fourth
verses, is not used to connect the act or discourse
of the same individual; and because it con
nects the fourth verse, which is the language
of Paul, with the fifth, therefore the fifth is
not the language of Paul, but of some other
■person. He further maintains that this posi
tion is strengthened by the use of kai, which,
without saying it, he claims does connect the
discourse of the same individual; that it
(kai) connects the sixth verse, which, it is not
denied, is the language of Luke, with the fifth ;
which, therefore, is also the language of Luke.
The final conclusion which he reaches seems
to be legitimate, if there is no mistake about
the first. But is it true that de does not con
nect the act or discourse of the same indi
vidual ? Is it not employed in many instan
ces in this same chapter, as elsewhere, in
precisely the same connections and with the
same meaning as kai and te ? Let the fol
lowing sentences decide: 6. And (kai) when
Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Ghost came on them ; and (not in the orig
inal) they spake with tongues and (kai)
prophesied. 7. And (de) all the men were
about twelve. 8. And (de) he went into the
synagogue, and (not in the original) spake
boldly for the space of three months, dispu
ting and (kai) persuading the things concern
ing the kingdom of God. 9. But (and, de)
when divers were hardened, and (kai) believed
not, etc. 10. And (de) this continued, etc.
11. And (te) God wrought special miracles
by the hand of Paul, etc. Such is the indis-"
criminate use of kai, de and te, in numerous
instances throughout this chapter and the
New and Old Testaments, and everywhere
in the Greek language. Now, if Luke uses
de in the above verses to canned his discourse,
as lie certainly does, then what becomes of
brother W’s first conclusion, that de does not
connect the discourse of the same individual?
And, as Luke does use it to connect his dis
course in verses 6,7, 8,9, 10, 11, etc., why
might not Paul employ it to connect his dis
course in the 4th and sth verses? Why
should de be more accommodating to Luke
than to Paul? Will brother W. explain?
T. B. Cooper.
P. S.: In the sth verse (Common Version)
de is translated when. In the original the
aorist (past) participle is used, and the verse
might be translated, And (i/e) having heard
this, etc. In the 4th verse it is translated
then, which might he, And (de) Paul said,
etc. The third verse is, And (te) he said unto
them, Unto what were ye baptized? And ( de)
they said, Unto John's baptism. You observe
that the connections of the 3rd, 4th, sth and
Oth verses are exactly similar to those of the
following verses, as quoted above.
T. B. C.
Conyers, Ga.
Goodness. —“ None can be good too soon.”
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA„ THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1869.
" .. . 4
Moses Translated.
“The tradition, sanctioned by several an
cient Christian writers, and apparently favored
by some moderns, that Moses did not die,
but went to heaven alive, as Enoch and Eli
jah did,” has obtained, I discover, among
some of our Teachers. Moses translated !
This sounds like a “new thing under the sun”
if “it hath been already of old time.” Poor
human nature ! To sustain a favorite dogma,
how it will “strain” at some things, and
“swallow” others. What a gulp to receive
this tradition of men, with the following in
spired obituary and sepulture before us : “So
‘Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in
the land of Moab, according to the word of
the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in
the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor ;
but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto
this day Deut. xxxiv :5, 6. Something
must be done with “this Moses,” or his
“talking with Jesus,” on the Mount, in the
transfiguration, will interfere with the inter
mediate-sleep dogma. Why not just have him
awake for that occasion? Jude tells us of a
contention over the body of Moses, and it
seems; with this before us, thata waking, or even
resurrection, for a while, would be more
plausible than a translation theory. It is to
be feared that some of these brethren Jjave
permitted their admiration of Whately’s
Logic to carry them into his “Future State.”
- J. H. H.
Newnan. .
Short Paragraphs.
People do not like to be startled out of
their accustomed way of thinkjng. „ They
feel as indignant as does a drowsy r3an, when
rudely aroused from slumber. Many men
are as much shocked by the propounding of
anew idea, as'Ahey would be by the explo
sion of a bomb. Hence, very original men
are not generally popular ones. They dis
turb the serene equanimity which delights in
platitudes and is always well pleased with
itself. Those who have coined the world’s
thoughts have not been the recipients of the
word’s highest honors. .
All the men whom we are accustomed to
regard as monsters of wickedness, were not
men of bad motives. The conclusions to
which men may be led by sophistry, defy all
the conceptions of a soundly rational mind.
It is no rare thing for people to assign very
good reasons for the commission of very bad
deeds, and to plead motives worthy of angels
for actions which would disgrace demons.
Religion is assuredly the noblest of causes;
yet to what acts of barbarous cruelty have
not men been driven by religious zeal ?
Patriotism is an elevating sentiment; yet has
it often caused men to disregard the plainest
dictates of humanity. Liberty is a word
which may well fire in the mind a generous en
thusiasm ; yet has it frequently, in the world’s
history, been the pretext for the commission
of the most horrible outrages on human rights.
It is not, perhaps, very unusual for men to
perform acts of kindness or benevolence from
motives which they would not like to have
too closely scrutinized; but it is almost as
common for them to do mischievous deeds
with good intentions.
The life of one consistent Christian will
outweigh the logic of a thousand sceptical
philosophers, and will silence the witticisms
of a thousand scoffers. It is sometimes as
serted that Christianity does not make men
better; but let those who say this, point out
one truly good man who is not in reality, if
not in name, a sincere believer in the reli
gion of Christ. Every professor of -the
Christian faith should strive so to live that
his life will be a cumulative evidence of its
truth.
Shall men, who daily prove themselves ut
terly destitute of the spirit of religion, be
kept in the church because of a fear that they
might become worse if let loose from all re
straint? So say some who plead fora lax
discipline. We suspect, however, that a church
that keeps a discipline of this kind is but little
felt in a community —that the standard of
morals will sink almost as low as if no or
ganization of Christians existed. “ Better,”
plead some, “ have a large church, the bulk
of whom are decently moral, than have a
small church, all of whom are devotedly pi
ous.” It is a question about which different
views may be entertained ; but we are in
clined to think that the small band of pious
men will exert the greater power.
The love of money is not greatest in those
in whom reason would say it ought to be
greatest. Men who have large families to
support, it would seem, ought to be the most
anxious to accumulate; yet men so circum
stanced have looser purse-strings than those
who have a few or no dependents. Real
misers are almost invariably unmarried men,
and as a general rule you are.more likely to
receive a large contribution from the man
who has ten children, than from the man who
has only one.
The writing of an infidel book is an act of
wanton wickedness, compared with which the
poisoning of fountains where millions drink
would be a deed of benevolence. It is an
attempt to take away the only source of con
solation, upon which mankind can surely rely
amid this world of tempests and sorrows.
Were it granted that religion were wholly
false, and revelation altogether a fable, a wise
man would wish to spread its influence and
perpetuate its existence. For were men de
prived of the hopes it holds forth, and of the
incentives which it furnishes, what would life
be worth? Why would not a universal sui
cide depopulate the globe?
What meant the Saviour when He said
that faith, like a grain of mustard seed, would
remove mountains? Why, He meant that a
sincere conviction of being right would beget
an earnestness that can accomplish things
apparently as impossible as the removal of
Mount Blanc by a word. And the history of
mankind justifies His saying. Earnest men
•have done wonders in this world, aud few
have accomplished auything worthy of note
who were not in earnest. Earnestness is the
lever of which the Syracusan philosopher
dreamed. Even when the cause for which it
is enlisted is bad, and the ends for which it
strives wicked, it is powerful. How r much
more powerful ought it to be, when it is on
the side of truth and justice? When we
consider how very little many men, of good
lives and commendable motives, accomplish,
we are painfully impressed with the belief
that they cannot be in earnest. Thousands
of those who claim a call to preach the gos
pel must not be in earnest, or they would
surely do more. We fear that many of them
dc%noi believe the momentous truths which
it is their duty # to enunciate. Oh! if the
Bible be true, it is a solemn thing to proclaim
it to dying men. It should awaken all the
enthusiasm, and inspire all the zeal of which
the human heart is capable. He must be in
earnest, thoroughly in earnest, who would
persuade *jen to eschew evil and love right
eousness. L.
Making D.D’s.
A farm is thought to be a poor concern
when it produces nothing for market. On
the same principle, it may be, we are to
a poor College which can’t make a
Doctor of Divinity. If our institutions must
carry on this business—if they cannot live,
or be big, without it—l suppose we
must let them go on with their manufacture.
Better have the lion’s skin on the wrong man
sometimes, perhaps, than not have colleges.
But, really, while ‘the name Dr. may make
some men feel much wider and taller than
their fellows, occasionally one is found who
does not want the name. He may murmur,,
complain, protest, or what not, but the thing
holds on like Sinbad’s old man of the sea.
Now, is it charity to put a name on a brother
when he does not, want it? Would it not be
better to consult him beforehand ? As one
who can never have Dr. put to his name, I
make a motion, (considering the whole Bap
tist family in Convention on this great ques
tion,) that our College people divide the
whole country into districts, and get the
names of all Baptist preachers who can de
cline ego, and consult them, by a travelling
agent, (candidates will pay his salary, of
course,) on the question whether they would
like to be elevated ! In this way, is it not
plain that no more such cases as that of dear
old brother Baker would occur?
Were I a D.D., the feeling produced on
me by the great increase of my order would,
I think, affect me very much as the freed
men of former days were affected by the is
sues of the war—freedmen became too com
mon a thing—there was too much of a good
thifig! Do those who confer Doctorates
know that the newly honored are worthy ?
How can they know, when the recipients of
their titles may be hundreds of miles away
—may be personally unknown to them !
The truth is, that America makes a Dr. for
Europe sometimes, and vice versa ! This is
doing business at long range.
If the title of D.D. be “ a good thing," as
Beecher says of infant sprinkling, the Bible
to the contrary notwithstanding, I make an
other motion—that whenever a preacher is
ordained, he receive the title D.D. from the
ordaining committee! This will save the
colleges a deal of trouble. And besides, as
freshly ordained ministers feel little, and much
embarrassed sometimes, a large title may
help them along wonderfully ! Most of us
have seen the time when help from almost
any quarter would have been acceptable. It
may be that a title was the very thing for us.
What a pity we could not have it!
The list of Doctors is quite a feature in our
great convocations now a-days. How grati
fying to small vanity to have great kindred!
When Baptists were a “ feeble folk,” we
heard of brother So-and-so, or old brother
So-and-so, but now it is Dr. Are we not
going up? Baptists have established a peer
age. Does not the king come next? Breth
ren who once refused to be called Dr., and
fought the name, now seem to rejoice in it.
A brother is to preach, or lecture. He is in
troduced to the audience, not simply as
brother A., or 8., but as Rev. Dr. B. ? One
poor sinner, if saved at all, yet “ scarcely
saved,” calls another poor sinner in like cir
cumstances, Rev. Dr.! Where are Baptists
going to?
There is one consolation left us, though a
poor one: it is easier to say “ Doctor ” than
it is to say “brother,” and feel the sentiment
that the word brother ought to carry with it.
W. M. D.
Medley.
Some years ago, a Romanist in England ob
served to a friend, “lam going to-night to
witness a miracle .” “What?” enquired the
friend. “Yes: a clergyman prove Infant
baptism from the Scriptures alone !”
A nian stole an axe and desired of his em
ployer time to go to Boston and 'confess : he
was advised to restore the axe, but refused,
for he might not obtain one so good ; confes
sion, in his estimation, would cure all. Con*
science plays some queer freaks.
Another, living in a free Stale, said he
never would cross the river and pollute his
feet by walking on slave soil; but not long
after, it was ascertained that he had been liv
ing in gross adultery and breaking the heart
of an excellent wife. Is conscience, unless
enlightened .and controlled by the Bible, a
safe guide ? 4
Is there not what might be called a secta
rian conscience ? that is, one. (hqt clings so
closely to our sect that it wifi swallow the
most silly fallacies, and think them to be Bi
ble teachings and logical arguments? God
commanded Abraham, a believer, to circum
cise his family, and they became members of
the church ; therefore, we have Bible author
ity to baptize our children ! Does it not seem
to be a logical sequitur , especially when the
conscience is jaundiced by sectarianism ? Is
there no cure for this disease? We are quite
unwilling to try the remedies prescribed.
Would not this one be of service, named in
xvii Acts, to modify or remove our infirmities?
True, a believing perusal of the volume
might aid us ; but this, impediment lies in the
way:
“A man convinced against his will,
Is of the same opinion still.”
Is there such a word as far-reading ? Well
then, there is a far-reading conscience: one
that compassionates distant sufferers, that
distils its tears of kindliness and feels an ir
repressible desire to benefit those afar off;
while those near us are overlooked, ignored,
disregarded. You see many pity the poor
Cuban revolutionists, (not insurrectionists,
that is to. harsh an adjective,) and mean to
furnish relief, even if it should provoke a
war with Spain ; regime of the
severest kind is just what other deserve, even
if it crush out manhood and extinguish vital
ity.
Has Politics a conscience? Yes : Politicians
have consciences made to order, which sit very
easy on you, as the tfiat -rial is an oriental
gum, so pliable that they (lever disturb your
slumbers nor day dreams. Statesmen have
principles —the others meife opinions to suit
the times.
How does a Catholic and Protestant con
science differ ? Very little from the time of
old Hal of England till 1869; the party in
the ascendant was quite sure to hang and
burn their foes; but especially those that
tried to follow the N. T. both in the materials
and ordinances of the churches.
“A refutation of th* doctrine of total he
reditary depravity, by Aylett Rains, V. D.
M,” issued in a sermon some 30 years ago.-
If Mr. R. were now', methinks he
would find evidences enough in the conduct
of men to overthrow his own views and show
much depravity, if not totah
Have you ever run over Ecclesiastical
History in order to-find the curiosities?
What was the color of the Virgin Mary’s
hair? Did she understand the Book of Sen
tences as published A. D., 1200? Blazing
meteors announced th: nativity of St. Dom
inic, and heaven hung out two or three ex
traordinary suns and moons by way of illu
mination ! He fed multitudes miraculously,
and turned water into wine in childhood!
Mary once secured the entrance into heaven
of a wicked monk, wlten Peter and all tlfe
saints and martyrs h id,. failed ! St. Peter
came down from heavei and consecrated the
church at Westminster: Proof, the attesta
tion of the ferryman who carried him over
the Thames ! The house in which the Virgin
was born was transported by angels from
Nazareth to Loretto ! The rod of Moses—a
feather from Gabriel’s"*-wing—the slippers of
Enoch which he wore while fie walked with
God—a tear shed over the deceased Lazarus
by the Saviour—a flame of the bush which
Moses beheld burning—all’ tjiese things and
many others me to ifc’Vriund in Yhe Pope’s
dominions!!! It is presumed Dr. T. would
have been glad to have seen the slippers, be
fore his “gospel” in the prophet was com
pleted. Morad.
Behold, I Make all Things New. Rev. 21 :5.
Blesssed promise! Gracious Lord, 2. Cor. 1 : 20.
In our souls fulfill this word ; Luke 1: 38.
Work in us to'will, to do, Philip. 2: 13.
And in truth make all things new. 2 Cor. 5 . 17-
Give us hearts by thee renewed, Ezek. 36 : 26.
Give us wills by grace subdued, Ezek. 36 : 26.
New desires for things above, Col- 3 : 2.
New jbedience, and Dew lose. Rom. 7: 6.
Thou new comfort canst impart, Zech. 1 : 17.
Send newjoy'to every heart, Neh. 8 : 18.
Speak new peace to every breast, John 14: 27.
New refreshment and new rest. Matt. 11 : 28.
Take from us our sin and shame, Ezek. 36: 2. r >.
Write upon us thy new name,-, Rev. 3:12.
Cause thy love new hope to bring, Heb. 6:19.
Teach us the new song to Sing. Rev. 14: 3.
Entrance, Lord, to us be given 2 Pet. 1 : .11.
Into thy new earth and heaoen ; Rev.’2l: I. i
There, when death our souls shall free, Phil. 1': 23,-.
We shall live and reign with thee. Rev. 22: 5.
—American Messenger.
The Cross upon the Grave.
“Hail hallowed cross, accursed no more ;
Rich tree of life to all our race ;
Blest tree of Paradise, which bore
The choicest fruit, the gift of grace.”
While in attendance upon our State Con
vention, at Cuthbert, Ga., I found a home,
with other brethren, a real Georgia-Virginia
home, at the residence of Deacon R. S. J.,
M. D. There was a missing one in that
house—a void that we, as temporary inmates
of the house, could not fill, although we wept
in sympathy with the sad family. No ! no !
The angel-form of “Kiltie L.” was missing;
her lute-like voice was not heard. Death had
claimed her, and on the 24-th of Match, at
the interesting age of .nineteen, she died.
One lovely morn, accompanied by the father,
I visited the grave. Sacred spot! With how
much truth may the words of Johnson be
written on thy tomb :
“Underneath this stone doth lie
As much of virtue as could die.”
But my attention was attracted by a design
on that new-made grave, of a green, growing
cross. Ho>f often had I seen that emblem on
the neck all breast, suspended from the ears,
or attached to a watch guard. Frequently
in a city it indicates thfe‘worshipping place of
a sect, appreciates the precious
truths of which it is th^.synonym no more
than others. Often, too, have I seen the
same device upon the marble, but ngger was
I so impressed as by this cross of beautiful
grass growing so soon upon the grave, and
right over the heart, of the sweet sleeper.
How appropriate this design for Kittie L.,
who at the age of fourteen felt herself a sin
ner, and found relief at the Cross, which she
embraced in the arms of her faith, upon
which hung her youthful hopes, and realized
the sentiment of the couplet, even in great
affliction and death,
“The Cross ! it takes out guilt away;
It bears the fainting spirit up.”
Nor was the design less comforting to the
designer than appropriate to the sleeper.
Gethsemane and Calvary ! let me visit them
in trouble. The Cross ! let me fix there my
gaze, when sorrows roll high. In the Cross
let me glory, when pious friends fall asleep in
Jesus. The Cross !
“The balm of life, the cure of woe,
The measure and the pledge of love.”
“When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive and fear a annoy,
Ntarer shall the Cross forsake me,
Lo 1 it glows with peace and joy.”
The Cross ! The Grave 1 Beautiful associ
ation of ideas to pious relatives bereaved.
Jesus went front the Cross to the grave, but
the grave could not hold him. Just as una
ble will it be to hold, in “the first resurrec
tion,” our dear ones, who by faith go from
the Cross to the grave. The evergreen
dropped in, or growing upon the grave, is as
sociated in our minds with the soul’s immor
tality. The floral wreath is emblematic of,
and is associated with the wreath of glory,
“the crown of life.” But sweetest of all is,
the cross upon the grave. Believer, the power
that renewed you in the inner man, when you
turned the eye of fiiith to the bleeding Cross,
was the same that raised Christ from the
dead. And the power of the Cross, flowing
into and making dead souls alive to God, is
the pledge, the earnest, that the same power
will also “quicken our mortal bodies.” Tlfe
Cross—the grave —and the resurrection.
Wm. N. C.
Enquiries
In the Index and Baptist for July Ist, ap
pears a communication under the head of
“Faith,” written by W. M. Davis; and I wish
to ask him a few questions, as I am anxious
for more light on that subject. Ist, What is
the true meaning of “believe?” If I say, I be-
lieve there is a God in Heaven, and that He
gave His Son to die for sinners, is that saving
faith ? “He that believeth shall be saved and
he that believeth not shall be damned.*’ Now
does that mean to say, he that is converted
shall be saved, and he that is not converted
shall be damned ? It is admitted by all that
the Apostles were converted and belonged to
the Lord, and yet they believed not at the
Lord’s resurrection, Luke xxiv : 41. And
Thomas would not believe till he saw the
Saviour’s hands and side, (John xx : 24—29,
The next question is, —Can a man believe
and not be converted, or must he be con
verted before he can believe,_or how is it ? 1
might go on further, but this is enough
to be understood. Cupio.
Progress of Trutli.
Among the pleasant and profitable things
connected with the late -Ministerial Institute
at Chicago, the following was not uninterest
ing, at least to the writer:
Twdhty-eight. years ago, in a village in
Western New York, four persons were dwell
ing and acting in their respective professions;
one a Baptist minister, another pastor of the
Congregational church, one editor of the vil
lage newspaper, Whig in politics; the last,
but not least, a rising young lawyer belong
ing to the Democratic party. While thus act
ing and before leaving the place, the editor,-
on profession of his faith in Christ, was re
ceived into the Congregational church by its
pastor, who sprinkled a little water on his
forehead,* say ing: I baptize thee, etc. Some
mouths later the lawyer also made profession
of faith in Jesus, and was baptized by the
pastor, of the Baptist church. In a short
time all left, the place; qne *t.o the remote
East, another to what was thefi the remote
West, the other two swinging, pendulum-like,
from one to the other. During all these
years, the four have never had a meeting un
til during the gathering of the Institute. The
original Baptist pastor was on the ground
first, and is not behind in anything. The
editor, editor no longer, came in on Monday,
with pleasure greeting his old friend. On
Wednesday, his old pastor came in, and du
ring the same evening the remaining one of
the quartette was greeted by his old friends,
and listened with them to the interesting lecture
of Dr. Samson, on Bible Lands. Comparing
notes, it was discovered that all the old de
nominational divisions had given way, and
the Baptist ranks acknowledged them all.
The old Baptist pastor, still at his post, is
the universally known, Rev. H. K. Stimson,
of Kansas. The editor is now known as the
Rev. J. L. Barlow, pastor of the Baptist
church in Dundee, Kane county, 111. The
once Congregational pastor, is now the Rev.
L. P. Judson,the respected and beloved pas
tor of the First Baptist church in Stillwater,
N. Y., and the lawyer is now the universally
known ex-United States Senator Doolittle of
Wisconsin.— Central Baptist.
Tlte Baptist and Presbyterian.
In one of the villages of Kentucky recent
ly, a Baptist minister and a young Presbyte
rian clergyman preached in the same house
“night about,” both preachers being present
at each meeting. One evening the Presby
terian, after a discourse on infant baptism,
proceeded to baptize several babes. The lit
tle candidates made a great outcry, which, of
course was noted by the Baptist man. Next
day a number of the converts of the latter
were to be immersed in the river near by.
At the appointed hour a large concourse
gathered on the banks, the Presbyterian be
ing of the number, and standing close by the
water’s edge. After the candidates had been
immersed the Baptist took hold of his Pres
byterian colleague, and said, —“Now sir, 1
will immerse you.” The latter amazed, de
murred. “Come along; lam in a hurry !”
replied the damp divine, and dragged his
brother into the water. Alarmed and indig
nant, the young Calvinist declared at the top
of his voice, that he “did not believe in im
mersion, was opposed to it, and would not
submit to it.” The audience were much ex
cited by the scene. The Baptist released his
hold, and said, —“Young man, l will not im
merse you to-day; but if ever again I see
you baptizing little ones against their will,
and spite of their cries and kicks, as I saw
you do last night, I will dip you into the wa
ter as sure as there is a God in Israel. Let
us Pray !”— Harper's Magazine for June.
* . __
The Trne Position.
Correct logic often influences aright in re
ligious duty. Honest men forsake their
errors, and old associations built upon them,
when they see truth ih its proper relations to
ordinances and administrators. An instance
of this occurred a short time since in the
town of Aurelius, Ingham county, which
shows the power of right principle. A gra
cious revival was enjoyed in the Baptist
church in that town last winter, and many
are being baptized, among them a number
from among the Methodists and United Breth
ren. The minister of the latter people con
eluded he must try and save his membership,
aud if possible gain more. He therefore an
nounced publicly to his people that if any of
them were dissatisfied with their baptism and
wished to be immersed, he would immerse
them. Or if any one who had never been
baptized wished to be immersed, he would
accommodate them. One of his class-lead
ers immediately arose aud stated that he had
once been sprinkled, but had never been sat
isfied with it, and wanted to be immersed.
The minister got up and said—“ I was im
mersed, but have never been satisfied that it
was baptism; and if I was to be baptized
again I would be sprinkled.” The class
leader said no more, but went to the next
covenant meeting of the Baptist church and
offered himself as a candidate for baptism,
stating that he would not permit his former
minister to baptize him, for he did not believe
in immersiou as baptism, and therefore he
did not consider him a fit person to adminis
ter the ordinance. Last Sabbath this class
leader, with several others, was to be bap
tized. He took the true position in regard
to the subject. A man that does not believe
in not fit to administer it; and if
he does actifi'lhister it he acts dishonestly, and
gives the lie either to his faith orJiis deed. —
Bap. Tidings.
Blasphemous Pretensions of Romish Priests.
At the fiftieth anniversary of the first cele
bration of the mass by Pope Pius IX, last
April, Father Searisbrick, at St. Peter’s,
Liverpool, said the power possessed by the
priest was so great, so prodigious, that in his
exercise of it he spoke not as man, but as
and he took the place of God when he
said, “ 1 i\J>solv6 thee from thy sins.” Ilis
power was greater than that of the angels.
The heavenly spirits, though superior to the
priest by the excellence of their nature, had
nothing at all in their functions which could
compare with the function of the priest—they
had to look on from a distance with faces
veiled and bowed to the altar. The angels
adored what the priest held in his hand. The
priest was the agent of God; and he it was
who bound and unloosed in God’s name.
After alluding to the power exercised by
Moses and Joshua in prayer, the reverend
gentleman said the priest could do still greater
things. He could call down from heaven Him
who was God in part, equal with the Father,
and he became incarnate in the hands of that
priest, and allowed himself to be immolated
by him, to be placed here or there wherever
that man pleased ; to be given to whomsoever
he pleased ; and to be done with as he (the
priest) liked. Joshua only told the sun to
stand still once, but the priest ordered Jesus
Christ to come down from heaven to earf'
every time he pronounced the words of'<tfo?
Gospel. That was the power of the priest.
What was it that could raise up a man when
he had fallen ? Call upon the angels and
archangels, upon St. Michael himself even,
the conqueror of heaven, could they say to a
man, “1 absolve you from your sins?” No,
they could not. Call upon the blessed Vir
gin Mary, the queen of heaven and the terror
of hell, she could and she would pray for
them, and her prayers would have great
power before the throne of God, but she could
not absolve from any sin. She could not,
but the priest could. The responsibility and
dignity, and position of a priest were far be
yond that of a magistrate, an embassador, a
prime minister, or a sovereign, because his
duties were far more important; he was the
first Lord of of heaven.
When was She Poorest?
There is a story in the Domestic Annals of
Methodism of a woman who was always
erous in her gifts for the service of God,
while she was poor. She had a fortune left
her, which the ministers heard of, and it gave
them great joy, because they felt tnat now
some good things that had to struggle for a
little help would be released. It socm came
to pas« that one of them had to wait on her.
He knew what she had spared before out of
her poverty, and his heart was all aglow
thinking what she would certainly give him
out of her riches. She gave him just half
the usual amount. “ Madam,” the hapless
man said, “how is this you gave me so much
when you were poor, and this now?” “Ah,”
but she said, “ 1 have to be careful now. I
cannot give as I could then. Wealth has
brought great responsibilities. You must
take that or nothing,” and he had to be con
tent. Every man is in danger of this paral
ysis who is growing rich, but is not maintain
ing a steady balance between what he is re
ceiving from the good Providence and what
he is giving for providential movements and
things. Once let the passion to accumulate
master the power to dispense, and no man
knows where it may land him.
The Old Slander.
In a recent discussion on Chrfstianity be
tween Mr. Linscott, a member of the Bible
Defence Association, and Mr. Antill, of Judd
Street, London, it was asserted by the im
pugner of Christianity that Rev. C. H.
Spurgeon had declared that “there are infants
in hell a span long.” Mr. Linscott having
disputed the assertion, wrote to Mr. Spurgeon
for his authority to contradict the statement,
and his'letter has elicited the following reply ;
“I have never at any time in my life said,
believed, or imagined that any infant, under
any circumstances, would be cast into hell.
I have always believed in the salvation of all
infants, and l intensely detest the opinions
which your opponent dared to attribute to
me. 1 do not believe that on this earth
there is a single professing Christian holding
the damnation of infants, or if there be he
must be insane, or utterly ignorant of Chris
tianity. lam obliged by this opportunity of
denying the calumny, although the author of
it will probably find no difficulty in inventing
some other fiction to be affirmed as unblush
ingly as the present one. He who doubts
God’s word is naturally much at home in
slandering the Lord’s servants.”
Methodism as it Was.
We can recall the time in which there were
but two collegiate graduates in our ministry,
and not a single title of Doctor of Divinity ;
in which a theological seminary would have
been considered a fatal, practical heresy; in
which there was not a single steeple or cu
palo on our churches, and no pews, except in
the village of Lynn, Mass., (and that exam
ple was denounced, not only by the General
Conference, but by the New England Con
ference itself;) in which there was but one
bell on all our church edifices, and that was
at the private chapel of Perry Hall, in Ma
ryland, used to call to worship the slaves of
the large plantation of Harry Dorsey Gough;
the time when Asbury, hearing the second
bell, in Virginia,„mourned at the sound, as at
the funeral knell of the denomination, and
imprecated the curse of God on the innnova
tion ; when the sexes sat apart in our congre
gations, separating Christian families, and
that by solemn prescription of the Discipline ;
when the preachers wore their hair in style
traditionally sacred, and the people had a
costume as rigidly maintained as Quakerism ;
when our churches or chapels were built like
barns, and architectural taste or ornamenta
tion was esteemed worldliness, and tacitly, if
net openly, reprobated.— Methodist Paper.
Popery in China.— lt is said that the suc
cess of Romanism in China is partly
referable to the peculiarities o! the Buddhist
ceremonials. According to the Journal of
the Asiatic Society (vol. xvi., p. 263) Budd
hism had already familiarized the mind of
John Chinaman with the use of “the cross,
the mitre, the dalmatic, the hood, the office of
two choirs, the censer of five chains, the ro
sary, the celibacy of the clergy, spiritual re
tirement, the worship of saints, fasts, proces
sions, litanies, holy water, and the benedic
tion of the priest by placing his right hand
on the head of the faithful,”
WHOLE NO. 2450.
Nothing Lost.
Nothing is lost. The drop of dew
That trembles on the leaf or flower
Is but exhaled to fall anew
In summer’s thunder-shower;
Perchance to shine within the bow
That fronts the sun at fall of day ;
Perchance to sparkle in the flow
Os fountains far away.
So with our deeds, for good or ill,
They have their power scarce understood ;
Then let us use our better will
To make them rife with good;
Like circles on a lake they go,
Ring within ring and never stay.
Oh! that our deeds were fashioned so
That they might bless alway.
Call Things by Their Bight Names.
If cider and brandy and logwood,
With drugs of all degrees,
Caa do the human system good
By driving out disease;
If sugar of lead and beet-root juice,
With opium combined,
Compose a draught of healing use
To sick and sore mankind;
Then use it ve with hope and fear
Whs in affliction pine;
But, in the name of all that’s dear,
Don't «all that mixture “Win*.”
—Jpnerican Temperance Advocate.
Heavenly Hope.
Reflected on the lake, I love
To see the stars of evening glow ;
So tranquil in the heaveus above,
So restless in the wave below.
Thus heavenly hope is all serene,
But earthly hope, how bright soe’er
Still fluctuates o’er this changing scene,
As false and fleeting as 'tis fair.
Good Advice.
Do not look for wrong and evil—
You will find them if you do ;
As you measure for your neighbor,
He will measure back to you.
Look for goodness, look for gladness,
You will meet them all the while ;
If you bring a smiling visage
To the glass, you meet a smile.
Hasting to be Rich.
My own observation in mercantile life, of
more than half a century, has convinced me :
1. That eagerness to amass property usually
robs a man and his family of much rational
enjoyment; tempts to doubtful and disrepu
table acts; enslaves a man to business and
corroding care; injures his disposition and
temper; makes him selfish, unsocial, mean,
tyrannical, a bad neighbor and but a nominal
Christian.
2. That it destroys that calmness of mind
and that sound judgment which are requisite
to success in business; thfß it tempts men to
take hazardous risks which often involve
themselves and others in perplexity and
ruin ; that it leads to suretyships, which pro
duce inquietude and ofteh result in bank
ruptcy. .
3. That it leads to neglect of domestic, so
cial and neighborly obligations; neglect of
children, neglect of prayer and the Scrip
tures, and neglect of one’s health of body
and soul.
4. That men of this description are seldom,
if ever, spiritual Christians, however talka
tive they may be on the subject oT religion,
or however lavish they may be in occasional
charities; and, on the other hand,
5. Men of moderate views, as it rgspects
business, snd diligent withal; men of cau
tion, industry, economy, contentment; men
who are faithful in all the relations of li(e, as
husbands, fathers and church member;, jaer
who seek first and habitually the kingdom of
heaven, and give freely and cheerfully to good
objects, as the Lord prospers them, in obedi
ence to his commands and in faith in his
promises, are the men who have “the prom
ise of the life that now is and of that which
is to come.”— Tcippun.
The Three-Fold Cord.
Says Dr. Cramp in his notices of the Bap
tist martyrs of the “ Revival Period,” “ They
sought Bible truth, spiritual life, soul-free
dom. This three-fold cord will guide us in
the labyrinthine darkness of the middle ages.
Wherever we can lay our hands on it, we find
the grace and power of God.”
A more complete statement of the ele
ments of a New Testament church could not
be made; a more distinct outline of the con
stitution, guarding and inspiring the faith of
our churches and the life of our people, could
not be desired,. “ Bible truth ” —rising above
tradition, in constant conflict with worldly
philosophy and shining amid the darkness of
the most corrupt periods. There is one cord,
“ Spiritual life ” —such as no priesthood, nor
sacraments, nor penances, nor spiritual ances
try, nor church alliance can impart: spiritual
life, the gift of God—which reveals to us the
significance of regeneration, repentance, faith,
obedience, and the peace that passeth all un
derstanding : spiritual life—the necessary
qualification for church membership and the
only sign that we are the children of the cov
enant. Here is another. “Soul-freedom”—the
birth right of every disciple, scorning alike
the tyranny of councils and the invasion of
the State : soul-freedom secured by the
precious blood of our only Prince and main
tained by thousands in every century, whom
neither power could bribe nor flames intim
idate. Here is the third cord, and, together,
they make a three fold cord, not easily bro
ken. Wherever we lay our hands upon it,
whether in the early age of a primitive faith
or in the transition period when errors crept
into the churches, or in the obscure centuries
of priestly servitude, or in the revival and
reformation period, when the fires of Rome
illuminated the cities and valleys of Europe
—there we find the grace and the power of
God. There we distinguish communities of
faithful men, preserving the ordinances in
their purity and maintaining the simplicity of
gospel customs; and there, we may add, we
find, if not the flames of Rome and the pris
ons and fines of State religions, what is
scarcely less formidable, the opposition of
the world and the secret enmity of false
churches.
Expense. —There lived, a great many years
ago, in Clyde, Wayne county, New York, a
man of good education and considerable
property, whose besetting sin was penurious
ness. He was a sound Presbyterian, but
strenuously opposed to all societies requiring
contributions of money to keep them alive—
not even excepting missionary societies.
Once he attended the monthly concert of
prayer for foreign missions, when the minis
ter asked him to pray. He complied at once,
and made a prayer after the usual style, en
tirely unexceptionable, until the very close,
when his ruling idea came out in these words;
“O! Lord, may we all act in such a manner
that by our lives we may preach Christ and
Him crucified to the whole world, and thus
save considerable expense''
Rationalism. —With regard to
the of Germany, during the preva
lenctSHHfftionalism, “it is said that Christ
mas was taken advantage of, to connect the
sacred story of the child born in a manger,
with the most approved methods of feeding
cattle; and the appearance of Jesus walking
in the garden, at the break of day on the
Easter morning, with the benefit of rising
early, and taking a walk before breakfast.”
Hate and Fear. —According to Rev. Dr.
Musgrave, a Romish priest once said to him :
“ We hate the Methodists, but we fear you
Presbyterians.”