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|jßlex mi Jfxpttot ,f .3. TOON, • • - - Proprietor. D. SHAVER, D.D., Editor. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1869. -Theory of “Accommodation” in the Life of Christ. Theologians of the “Rationalistic” or “Lib eral” school, have long held that Christ, in His teaching, accommodated Himself to the light of His age on points of doctrine. They would have us believe that He connived at popular prejudi ces—made use of them as a basis of argument and appeal—without designing to clothe them with the sanction of His authority. By this pro cess they cast aside the existence and influence of angels, good and evil, —the immortality of the soul, —future punishment,—the necessity of atonement,—the incarnation of Deity,—the doc trine of vicarious sacrifice, —all that is distinctive of Christianity, in fact, —as a mass of false no tions which Christ pressed into service for the timet but set no seal of truth on them, and which, in the clearer light of our age, we are at liberty to repudiate and denounce. Such a view must stand condemned, at the bar of reason for its absurdity, and at the bar of de votion for its impiety. But an “Evangelical” writer of our own day has avowed a view, strik ingly akin to it, and if possible even more perni cioin. We refer to Rev. James H. Fairchild, D.D., President of Oberlin College, who, if we rightly catch bis meaning, maintains that Christ, in His lift, accommodated Himself, after some such man ner, to the light of His age on points of morals. Let us see. In his recent work, “Moral Phllos- 0 »y, or, the Science of Obligation,” he says: “The authority of examples, of the actions ol good men recorded in the Bible, extends to the principle of action ulone—subjective duty, not objective. Abraham was obedient, walking Jac cording to his light. Wo are to take his life as an indication of his spirit, and cherishing the same spirit, must walk according to our light. So of all the good men of the Bible; their out ward life Ls not our guide, but their inward obe dience. The good man, under our clearer light, can be as good as the faithful of old, only by pre senting a better outward life. Is it not possible that a similar principle ap plies even to the Saviour’s example? In appear ing among men, His outward conduct must be such as could coinmend itself to the judgment ol the good around Him. In order to this, He must walk by light accessible to them, not by His own clearer vision. Upon any other principle than this, His character would have been misunder stood, and His conduct would have raised ques lions not pertinent to His mission. He came to exhibit the spirit ot love and obedience. It was just as necessary that Ilia life should take on forms which the people could comprehend, as that He should speak to them in n language which they understood. His life w'as tuch at the beti of Hit time would approve. It is not certain mat His style for dress as a man or His work as a carpenter should be accepted by us as a model, or that ice should use wine because He made and used it. Though gifted with infinite knowledge, Ho was obliged in a great degree to conform His outward life to human judgment." This conception is simply shocking. The hu man naturo of Christ was gathered up into a divitie personality. Os all dwellers on the earth, Christ alone possessed the glory of an absolute; unsullied sinlessness. Christ came that, in Him, humanity might have a fresh beginning—a be ginning in holiness, through a Head whose char, actor forms the ideal of faultless perfection and whoso example is the ethical model of the race. And jet, (according to the view of Fairchild,) Christ shaped His life in conformity with “hu man judgment,” as embodied in “ the best of His time,” though these were smitten with that inborn taint of evil which must needs darken the moral vision ; and, to this end, He put aside,. He re rased to leao7~”a better outward hfo," which His infinite knowledge apprehended and His spot less purity prompted 1 This “ better outward life,” too, through . light accessible to the pres ent age, we are competent to discover—discerning a higher plane of excellence in action than thai on which Christ walked—and, therefore, con tracting on obligation to lift ourselves above Him and lead more lofty lives than His! It follows, also, that if Christ should return to the earth now, with the way of His feet subject to judg ment " under our clearer light,” He would pie- sent to the eye of men and angels, “ a better outward life” than of yorel We repeat, that this conception shocks us. Dr. Fairchild, indeed, virtually represents the rejection of his view, to follow scrupulously the steps of our Great Pattern in the sphere of mor als, as no less a weakness than the construction of “a model” for ourselves out of ‘the work ol Christ as a carpenter," or “ the style of His dress as a man.” But to us, its acceptance looks like an inlet of wickedness and blasphemy. And If this be the “new climate of opinion” created by modern ethics, we cannot but feel that deadly m-ilaria “rides on every breeze,” and fear to in hale it. Where such an “accommodation” of the Vfe of Christ is held, dogma, if it could be saved, which we seriously doubt, would no longer be w orth the saving. But granting that doctrinal unbelief would not follow on the track of this view, it must smoothe the way for practical licen tiousness. (To refer to the instance to which Fairchild appeals,) far sooner lot Christian duty In the matter of abstinence from wine pass unen foictd, than assume for its enforcement the obli gation, or possibility, of “ presenting a better outward life” than Christ’s: For, a perfect Christ we must have —or all Christian duties will, ir due season go by the board; and those who be gin by attempting to rise above the One Divine- Human Example, must, in the end, sink more and more, below themselves. Surely, such Evan gelism as this and modern Rationalism stand to / atch other as “Lauda intersected by a narrow frith and we need not marvel if men, with growing frequency, betake themselves to the task of build ing causeways across the frith, and make the lands but one. Independency. The discussion on “lay delegation,” in the Northern Methodist church, has brought out some developments of marked significance. A corres pn.dent of the New York Christian Advocate , for example, represents Bishop Simpson and Dr. MiClintock as advocating two principles—one “directly asserted,” the other following by “inev itable logical sequence.” These principles are: “1 The supreme governing power of the Church is deposited with, and belongs to, all the members of the Church wi'hout distinction. 2. The tenn Church, when applied to an organ ization, does not belong to a plurality of Churches under onejuVisdiciion, as a Methodism, or Presby tei’iamsru, etc., but to the body of Christians com posing one congregation only ; that the Church thus composed possesses all ecclesiastical power— the power to make all the rules and regulations necessary for Church government, and to admin ister Church discipline; and that each particular Church forms by itself a little republic, indepen dent of all oilier Churches.” To “another writer, supposed to be Rev. Dr. Vail,” this correspondent ascribes the following positions: “U hat the passage ‘tell it to the Church’ must have reference’ to ‘the followers of Christ’ ‘in a •ingle locality that the term Church is never u.-cd in sacted Writ in the sense ol a plurality of Churches in one org. r.llation independent snd complete in itself, as ‘the Gallican Church, the Cheek Church, the Church of England, the THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND' SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: ATLANTA, GA„ THU RSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1869. Church of Scotland that ‘the plural number it invariably used when more congregations than one are spoken of, unless the subject be the whole commonwealth of Christ.’ The correspondent of the Advocate, very prop erly, styles all this "pure Independency;” and there are one or two inferences which its appear ance in so unexpected a quarter seems to war rant. 1. No matter how entirely the polity of a de nomination may be a matter of mere human in vention—when circumstances arise to attract en quiry toward the testimony of Scripture on the question of church government, Independency will succeed in impressing itself on the convic tions of men. It shines in too clear a light of inspiration, not to make headway even among the adherents of other and hostile systems. There is, then, “a future” for it: the little leaven, in due season, will leaven the whole lump. 2. If men are driven to use the weapons of In dependency, in order to effect a change in that feature of the government of their “church” which makes it (to use their own phrase) an “oli garchy”—do they not furnish evidence that there is no effective and Scriptural safeguard against “spiritual despotism” except Independency alone ? In upholding this polity, then, we do battle for the freedom of the sons of God, in His houge. VVe are hastening the time when all yokes framed by device of man for the necks of His people, shall be broken. Once a Tear* What a church does only once a year—we In cline to say—it does not do at all 1 It is crowded into too narrow a space. It is left too much at the mercy of what happens to be the state of things just at the time. It enters too seldom into the trains of thought, and is not seen now from one point of view, now from another, —as is necessa ry, if we would comprehend a subject in its full import, and have the inventiveness of the mind quickened with regard to it It does not appeal sufficiently to the feelings in their varying moods, or improve the favorable seasons when, because the heart is stirred, the hand opens most liberally and labors with greatest diligence. The work, therefore, is not done—as to its best effect. It is not done—as respects the thorough devel opment of the capabilities of the church in the premises. • With many of the members it is but half-work, or even less than that. And some of the members take no share in it whatever. Do we speak too strongly, then, when we say that it is not done at all—since it is, by no means, the work which the church ought to do, und could do, and has promised God it will do ? In that sense, it is not done. It is not done in many cases, we are sure, be cause the effort is-to do it once a year only. More frequent trial would achieve better results. If it were made matter of action at intervals less wide, it would come much nearer being done—done to the full extent of the ability and obligation of the church. For example: contribution to Christian purposes ought not to be annual, but quarterly, or monthly, or weekly, according to circum stances —for then men would feel able, and would in fact be able, to do more during the course of the year. The salary of the pastor, too, should not be left for settlement by a single payment when the year ends: it should be placed in his bands, by instalments, during the progress of the twelve-month, —for in this case it would be less burdensome, —it would even grow, without bur dening any one. In these, and other matters which will occur to the reader, let all act on the principle, that nothing is done— done fully—but that which the church does at many times— at times which are not parted from each other by the space of a whole year 1 P. S. Action in conformity with this princi ple encounters many hindrances. One of these was so admirably put by a speaker in the recent National Baptist Convention, at St. Louis, that we cannot refrain from allusion to it. When the obstacles to Sunday school progress were under discussion, he rose and delivered the following speech: “ Laziness^” That one word was his entire speech; and it strikes us as so apposite no less to our theme than to his, that we do hereby adopt it as largely ex plaining the once a-year policy, and say : “ Laziness t ” Why some Persons cannot see some Things. The heart affects the eye. We are largely apt to recognize in those around us only that which we feel in ourselves. A quality may be so utter ly quenched in the bosom of a man that he shall be no longer able to see any mark of it in others. And this, perhaps, is the clearest of all proofs that it has been plucked up by the roots as it were, and lies dead on a soil which has lost hence forth the power to nourish it. A thousand in stances might be cited to show how the last and worst extreme of a feeling, or a want of feeling, takes the shape of blindness as to its opposite— a blindness none the less total because sharing the character of the “willing ignorance” which the apostle rebukes. But these, the thoughtful reader can recall for himself. To keep this truth in mind would serve to check the disposition to censure others. If we felt, as we should, that our failure to recognize excellency in them, might be due to the lack of their better qualities in our character, —that we might be only lifting a veil from our own hearts and showing their darker or weaker aspects, when we pronounce judgment upon those around us,— that when we condemn them we might be sim ply, by an act of self-revelation, certifying our want of sympathy with a higher type of mind or a loftier mood of soul than ours—how many a sharp and bitter word would die before it rose to the lips l . Queer Portrait of a Bishop. A correspondent of the Home Monthly furnish es “Pencil Sketches” of the Southern Method ist bishops, as assembled, several weeks since, in St. Louis. We quote a strange paragraph from the delineation of Bishop McTveire—but advise such of our readers as think there is sin in laugh ter to pass it over: “Take him all in all, he is a carious man, and curious in that which makes no other man curi ous ; he is a wonderful man, and wonderful in that which makes no other man wonderful; he is a polished man, and polished in that which pol ishes no other man; he is a powerful man, and powerful in that which gives power to no other man; he is a great man, and great in that which makes no other man great He will-live where other men die, and flourish amid surrounding de cay. His name will be fresh and green when the names of others are forgotten. ‘Some men are born great, others achieve greatness, and others still have greatness thrust upon them.’ Bishop McTyeire was born great. If he never achieves greatness, it will be his fault; and if greatness is ever thrust upon him, it will be done by a future generation, and not by this. To be appreciated, he must be looked at through several generations. It is fortunote for him that there is a Methodist ebutch, and fortunate for the church and the world that he is a Methodist Bishop. He has no exact type in any generation, or in any distinct class of men. He is about a good cross between Elijah and Daniel; between Socrates and Dio genes; between Sam. Johnson and Carlyle; be tween Andrew and St. James; and yet every element and feature is recast, and comes out Mo- Tyeire — sui generie." Scarcely since characters were first drawn by historians,—a species of composition beginning (as Dr. Johnson supposed) with Xenophon’s “Re treat of the Ten Thousand,’’—was there ever char acter which we might more appropriately regard aa having been not only drawn, but quartered Intemperance and Discipline. Several weeks since, we expressed a willing ness to have the discipline of the churches, by way of experiment, regulated according to the rule which Dr. Pendleton lays down ; namely— that members convicted of intemperance should be excluded notwithstanding their confessions of guilt and promises of amendment, and should be come eligible to fellowship again, only when the testimony of a reformed life bears adequate wit ness alike to-their sincerity &nd stability. An exchange characterized this position as “ex treme,” and, not being ‘fully persuaded in our own mind’ on the subject, we forbore to justify it We are not about to enter on any justifica tion now. Our purpose in taking up the pen was, simply to mention that Dr. Nettleton—who, as a Revivalist, could have no tendency toward ex cessive rigor—gives his suffrage for the course ol which we were willing to make trial. In bis let ter to Dr. BeCcher, as published in the Spirit of the Pilgrims, he says : “A public confession of Intemperance, I think is about nothing, and ought to go for nothing. The only evidence of repentance in such cases, is a continued course of entire abstinence from ar dent spirits of every kind.” Unsearchable Truth. In the sun, as Herschell would have us believe, there are mountains six hundred miles high. If transported to their base, while clogged with these forms of flesh, could we hope to clamber upward along their steep ascents, until we stood, at last, on the summit ? Perhaps, an adventur ous spirit might prompt the attempt: but would not our energies flag and our resolution fail us, as days grew into weeks, and still the rugged slopes stretched out above us, to task, if not to baffle and defy, tbe toiling step? But such a work as this lies more within reach of human endeavor, than that undertaken by “the cold Disputer of words styled Theology,” (if we may borrow the phrase of Erasmus,) when it es says, without the insight of the new heart and the tuition of the Holy Spirit, to scale the heights of Christian truth, in the character of God, the scheme of redemption, and the economy of prov idence. Here absolute impossibility bars the vain aspiring. These mountains of the sun no foot can ever ascend, and even no eye take in, un til the flesh is dropped—if not as we shake it off in death, yet as in the new birth it is shaken off. Nay; only when the Divine Spirit—like the eagle that “fluttereth gver her ymung, spreadeth abroad her wings, tuketh them, beareth them on her wings”—lifts us above ourselves and into His own sphere, can we so much as descry from afar, these inaccessible summits of light and glory. Be it enough for us, then, that humble faith grasps the certainty of these things as they fix their firm foundation in the testimony of God; and let others, if they will, chase the wandering marsh-fires of proud speculation—or gaze, with fruitless quest, on the stars, and stumble into the slough of errors manifold. Our Zion—in Our Exchanges, eto. Georgia. The Covington Enterprise states that Rev. W. D. Atkinson has resigned the care of our church there, and that Rev. D. E Butler has taken charge. The pulpit of the First Baptist church, Atlan ••ta, was occupied, on Sabbath night, by Rev. Mr. Bogden, a Nestorian, born in Bethlehem of Judea, and agent for the relief of the 50,000 Cretan refugees in Greece. . He gave a graphic account of the sufferings of Eastern Christians under Moslem tyranny. —The new house of worship, in process of erection by our church at Carters ville, is now being plastered.—Rev. M. J. 'Well born has been called to the pastoral care of our church at Nevvnan.— baptist church, Atlanta, is plastering Its house of whordbip, to make it comfortable in winter. Alabama. Rev. Mr. Morgan, formerly of England, whom many of our readers will remember as having been at the Southern Baptist Convention, Macon, will settle in this State; where, we do not know. —One student went on to our Seminary at Green ville directly from the meeting of the State Con vention at Oxford; and others will be there from different parts of the State before Christmas.— The Executive Board of the General Association of North Alabama has appointed Rev. P. M. Mus grove missionary within the bounds of the War rior River Association and Rev. R. T. Gardner evangelist at large. Kentcfckt. Rev. G. W. Harris, of Shelbyvillo, who has been sick through the year, a long time with lit tle hope of recovery, writes to the Richmond Herald: “I never recovered from the effects of my unrighteous imprisonment at Fort Delaware, where, for a period of seven months, we civilians, against whom no charge was alleged but that we refused to take an oath of allegiance to a govern ment at war with our own, were kept on insuffi cient and sometimes loathsome food, in open board sheds, through which the wind whistled and the snow blew terribly, lying on boards, de nied the privilege of a pallet of straw, even if procured at our own expense, with one fire on an average to one hundred and twenty men, with other hardships too numerous to detail. My re cent nine months’ illness is in great part due to that seven months’ sufferings.”—Rev. P. S. G. Watson and Rev. Baker, Lexington, propose to publish a monthly, with the title, The Pro phetio Key. We shall say more of it hereafter. Louisiana. A friend, just from New Orleans, informs us that Rev. Dr. Dixon has visited that city, preach ing with much acceptance in the Coliseum Place Baptist church ; that he has been unanimously called to the care of that church; and that he has signified his purpose to accept the call. Ii this information is correct, Greene street church, Augusta, will lose him, notwithstanding the announcement that he had decided to “pitch his tent” there. Marti, and. Rev. John Berg writes to us from Baltimore, Dec. 4th: “The Baptist churches of this city have been bolding special services each night for the past two weeks. Mr. Earle is expected to visit Baltimore next Saturday, 11th inst.” Mississippi. Mrs. Frances Ann Lattimore, relict of the well-known Rev. S. S. Lattimore of this State and daughter of Rev. Lee Compere, died at North Vernon, Indiana, Nov. Brd, in the fifty-first year of her age. Missouri. Rev. J. M. 0. Breaker has been unanimously called to the pastoral care of our church at Lib erty.—Rev, W. R. Rothwell resumes charge of the Huntsville church.—:>it Nebo church, Cooper county, has had 15 accessions by baptism; Mt. Olive, Centreville, Clay county, 88; Union Hall church, Green county, 18.—At Dayton, Cass county, a small town burned during the war and since rebuilt, where a church was organ ized last January with only a few members, there were 19 accessions during a recent meeting.—L. A. Thorp was ordained to the ministry, Nov. 7th, at Rock Spring United Baptist church, Reynolds county. North Carolina. A speaker in the Baptist State Convention said that “the churches in this State and Virginia ought to exclude 25 per cent, of their members.” —There have been V baptisms at Society church, Iredell countwlS at Eaton’s church, Davie county; 19 at,’providence church, near Catawba station. —Rev. *hn Mitchell has been called to the care of ounhurch at Newbern. JJouth Carolina. W. D. Thompson was to have been ordained to the ministrwit Union church, near Yorkville, last Sabbath ;\pd, we presume, was.—Barnwell Association n fie up $44, as a free-will offering to sustain the %rking Christian. —The churches of baptized nearly 400 during the ye* “There had been a revival at all the misstorvWtions. In one case where only sls of missioffvy money was expended, more than thirty baptins were reported, and a flour ishing church 1 s been constituted.” —Most of >ur Associations n tbe'State, this year, reported nearly double ti amount of their usual contri butions, and sot .of them four-fold. —Rev. L. H. Shuck, of Burnii 11, has been unanimously called to the First cli rch, Charleston. Rev. R. Fur man, D.D., has far recovered as to be able to atteud tbe sessia of the Charleston Association, a Texas. The Raleigh worder states that Rev. T. E. Skinner has ac(IR a of the church awiusun. f Tennxssgb. Rev. J. M. D.w ates < > n the Tuscumbia Herald, says of denomii**° n!| l affairs in Middle Tennes see: According k the reports received from the churches and Associations, it is evident Zion is in a more condition than it has been for years past lis true that the accessions to our churches the present year aie not very great, most of them have enjoyed refreshings presence of tbe Lord, and have been encou*g e d and strengthened spiritu ally. There is n*v more life, energy and deter mination manifeslpd by our brethren than has been since the v nr. They are becoming more and more interest*! in reference to the dissemi nation of the trut in destitute portions of our country. Our mi isiers have contended earnest ly for the faith wt|ch was delivered to the Saints, and exposed the dfitrines of false teachers. The result of such poaching has been good; the truth has been hei&i and received by many, the members of our cAurehes are becoming rooted and grounded in (bo doctrines of Christ, and firmly united in faand practice. The increased interest which ia hying manifested on the subject of Sabbath schoolijknd weekly prayer meetings, is a decided indication of life and energy in our churches, and of fiture prosperity. In connec tion with this, the pause of missions is revived, missionaries are-befcg sent out to preach to the destitute, and the brethren are determined to sustain these servants of Christ whilst they are laboring in destitute regions. New churches have been constituted, and more young men are preparing for the w«*k of the ministry than Ibave been for many ytaripsst.—By a resolution of the General Association cf East Tennessee there will be a meeting at Ricevillo on the 25th of Decem ber, for the purple of organizing a Sunday School Convention, £to meet semi-annually ; the object of which shall be to stir up the churches to a lively action in fTiis work of Jesus.” Virginia. The Richmond Herald ‘gives its suffrage against the compulsory introduction of the Bible into schools.’ —The View Baptist house of wor ship in Fulton, (the eastern terminus of Rich mond.) was dedicatyi Sabbath, Nov. 28th: ser mon by Rev. J. L. Burrows, D.D. Some sixty persons propose to Ve organized into a church there. —Rev. Lovell Earders, of Prince William county, died Nov. 22m1, greatly esteemed by the community.— been 22 at LibeVtY, Carbine at Hunting Creek, and 12 at Chestnut HTI, Bedford; 14 at Hebron, King William; 18 at Fork, Fluvanna; 12 at Woodlawn, Fairfax, (a church in a “house.”) — Rev. H. W. Dodge, D.D., writes from Upperville: “In this place I baptized an interesting young lady a few weeks since, who, belonging to a Meth odist family, has been counting the cost of union with the church since our meeting in May last. I am the more delighted to know, if any influence was exerted, it came not from our side. Our young people and our old people need the truth more than education. Veins of thought they can work with profit, as do our miners in coal and gold. You will rejoice when I tell you that this young lady makesHhe eleventh of oiy wife’s Bible class who, during the year, have been added to the church, und are walking worthy of their profession.” W est Virginia. The West Virginia Baptist Record, (which, by the way, we never see now-a-days,) has been con siderably enlarged and improved by the editor, Rev. Jno. B. Hardwicke, who has associated with him Rev. C. Rhoadsvss-ftunday school editor. Reviews and Notices. Moral Philosophv ; or, The Science of Obligation. By (Rev.) Janie* H. Fairchild, (D.D.,) President of Oberlin College. New York : Sheldon & Cos. Pp. 326. For sale, At ha it a, by J■ J. fS. P. Rich ard*. President Fairchild gives, in this work, the most thorough delineation we have ever seen of the system of ethics maintained by Edwards, Hopkins and Dwight—in the form in which that system has been taught at Oberlin from the be ginning. He holds that .the well-being, satisfac tion, happiness of sentient beings—beings en dowed with sensibility-o-is the final, ultimate, absolute good; that benevolence, or voluntary regard for this good, li«3 at the foundation of right moral character, and constitutes it; and that all virtue or vice centres in making or refu sing to make the choice, which fixes on this good as the proper end or object of life. We do not concur with Dr. FaircuilA in this view—but we confess that wo are indebted to him for his lu minous and logical presentation of it; and those who des.re an exact knowledge of the system will do well to consult fcjs pages. There are references to the war and to the South, however, (on pages 58 and 270-1,) which must restrict the circulation of the volume among us. Thb Dogmatic Faith. Inquiry into the Relation sub sisting between Revelation and Dogma. The Bamp ton (University of Oxlord)-Lectures for 1887. By Edward (iarbett, M.A., Incumbent of Christ Church, Surbiton. Second Edition. . Pubiisehd by the Kiv ingtons, London; imported! and for sale by Smith, English db Cos., Fkiiaddphui. Pp. 807. These lectures maintain the existence of a con sistent body of truth, docttinal and practical, ne cessary to make men “wise unto salvation”—a frith, in contrast, not but with sight and sense—a eomplete faith, given “once for all,” and admitting neither of addition nor of diminu tion—an authoritative faith, because a revelation from God, “delivered," not discovered, and there fore changeless as the God from whom it comes. This faith is defended, in Six lectures, from the Protean arguments of modem Rationalism, which ascribes the production, progress and results of Christianity to (1) the influence of a ministerial or priestly class, (2) the force of a natural reli gious sentiment, (3) the discoveries of the intui tional faculty, (4) the conclusions of the specula tive intellect, (5) the accumulative power of a pro gressive civilization, or (0) the instincts of human conscience. The author shows (1) that the dog matic faith is no creation of the church, (2) that it is not indebted for its influence to the instinc tive sentiment of religion, (8j that its truths are Dot the spontaneous discovery of the human mind, (4) that its sUtteuenU do not mt oa the same basis as the results of speculative philoso phy, (5) that it is not a mere passive result of a civilization far advanced equally for good and evil, and (6) that it is not a subordinate instru ment of instruction over which the natural con science rules as an authoritative judge. The work is thorough and of great value. We take pleasure in commending to the pat- ronage of our readers, the firm of Smith, Eng lish & Cos., Philadelphia, who (with Gould & Lin coln, Boston,) have imported an edition of the “Dogmatic Faith” for the American market The present members of the firm, Messrs. J. A. Eng lish and E. D. Collom, are active Christian busi ness men, and they are both Baptists. They have on hand the most complete stock of Theological and Religious works in the country, are able to procure all books issuing from the homo or for eign press, and are in the way of obtaining any rare publications which may come into the mar ket from public or private libraries. Rev. W. T. Brantly, D.D., of this city, from personal acquaint ance, and the Professors in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Greenville, from business transactions with them, unite in the assurance that they will give courteous and prompt atten tion to orders or requests, and deal with all par ties in a spirit of justice and liberality. Their Priced Catalogue, issued in 1566, and the three annual supplements since that date, will be for warded on application to any who may desire it. Blackwood’s Edisburoh N»w York. The Leonard Scon Publishing Company. Terms. $4 a year; with any one ot ihe British Quarterlies. $7; with the toer Quarterlies, slfl. Contents for November.—l. Earl’s Dene— Pari I. 2. The Jewish Reformation and the Talmud. 3. Cornelius O'Dowd, (Dr. Cuuiming and the Council, —The Claims of the Fenians.) 4. The Land Question of Ireland. 5. John—Part I. 6. Saint-Eloy-surles-Dunes. 7. The Faroese Saga. 8. Scotland in Parliament: the Poor-Law In quiry. The North British Review. Publishers and term* as in notice ot Blackwood. Contents for October.— l. Juventus Mundi. 2. Ihe Massacre of St. Bartholomew. 8. The Different Schools of Elementary Logic. 4. Mr. Browning’s Latest Poetry. 5. The Pope and the Council. 6. The Constitutional Development ot Austria. 7. Literature of the Land Question in Ireland. 8. Contemporary Literature, (anew and valuable feature, containing, in this isttue, notices of 71 recent publications.) Destitution in Alabama. Rev. Dr. Manly reports to the Richmond Herald, the discussion on this topic in the State Convention at Oxford, as follows: Brother Mclntosh, of Marion, Perry county, said that there was, in the range of his personal labors, a greater depression in religious affairs than he had ever known before, in a ministry ol over thirty years. The churches and the Asso ciations have been thinly attended. Within easy teach of Marion there are half a dozen churches, once vigorous and active, now without pastors, and dying or dead. Brother Shaffer, of Carey Association, Clay county, said that there was, doubtless, much true piety in his section of the country, but in a very sa d condition. Os twenty-live churches, seven have lost regular preaching during last year and the year before. Some of these had been once quite prospeiouß, but are now very poor. The war destroyed them. All the men of that sec tion had to go to the war. Many never returned, and this has left half our membership widows and orphans. The people being poor, and the preachers poor, too, the latter have been com pelled to use a large part of their time in some secular pursuit, to make a living. And this con dition of things is growing worse and worse. But there are some churches able and willing to help the others. We have employed a missiona ry, and he is doing some good. There are about six Sunday schools in the Association. The Bap tists are the prevailing people;—it is generally so in the hill country. Brother- Garden , (Shelby Association,) has been laboring voluntarily as a missionary. Between Columbia and Montevallo, embracing the Cahaba Valley, there is a region about twenty by fifteen miles, in which there was, in 1868, not a single Baptist church. Limeville, Shelby Iron Works, and Shelby Springs, are all important destitute points. While men slept, the enemy has been sowing tares. We have prayed over the matter, and tried to do what we could. There are some what brighter prospects now. I have been in four meetings this year, in which there were fifty conversions. One great evil is drink. I know of one body that has the name of a church, but no pastor, no meetings; but there are three flour ishing groceries within half a mile. The mis sionary went to preach there, after circulating the notice. About twenty-five hearers came out almost all women and children, only three or four men. Brethren Hand and Armstrong went, and they had but one single man to hear them. The church members will not attend their own meetings, —but the groceries thrive. Brother Waldrop, (Canaan Association.) The great drawback in our country is the want of ministers. There is no division or contention. We are not starving. It is not so much the lack of piety, or of means, as of men to work. There are but two active ministers in our Association, which was once a strong body. We have a few good old brethren almost worn out, and no young ones scarcely coming forward. I have been liv ing there over fifty years—ever since Alabama was a Territory—and am travelling most of my time to and fro, preaching the gospel. I want the brethren to do something for Elyton. It will be a place of some importance, and that before long. Once the Baptists had a little church there; and there is a good old brother Byars living there, so superannuated and feeble that he don’t know his own family, but he loves Jesus, and preaches about Him to everybody that comes in. And there are two or three other members, but no organization. Everything has been slum bering there for the last twenty years. That region is now waking up. Two railroads of im portance will centre there. The mineral resour ces of that valley are inexhaustible and wonder ful. Twelve monied men from Pennsylvania were to bo at Elyton last week, and the iron and coal will draw the capital into that region. Shall we sit still and let everybody come before us in the ground that was once ours? As to Sunday schools, we have some good ones; but there are few that hold out long with us. We sometimes make a start —get up a little school; it struggles, and struggles awhile, and finally dies, and it is only harder to start again. And that is about the history. The ministers that were there be fore the war, are not there. Our preachers have not quit their work. There are three old men that cannot labor; but cf the rest, some have moved away, and most have died ; and there are no new ones coming on. But one licentiate is coming forward, that I know of. The Warrior Association, just north of us, has about twenty ministers, while we have only about five or six. They are pressing forward, and spreading out, to take that country. They have been trying to do something towards educating their young minis ters. The great fault in our country is, we have too many little perishing concerns, with nobody to take care of them; and they are not strong enough to take care of themselves. Brother Phillips, of Africa: I hear of great destitution here at home, in Christian lands; of the increase of vice, of strong churches going down, of their being reduced to twenty or fifteen members, of their not being able to pay pastors. Why is all this ? It is said that Romanism is on the increase—that the Jesuits are creeping in that the Bisters of Charity are strengthening themselves in our finest regions. Brethren, let us learn a lesson'from their activity and self-sac rifice. See how they visit the poor, attend to their wants, give to those that are in distress, while Baptists sit down—and because they know they have the truth, fold their hands—and say: “ Truth is mighty and will prevail.” Is reiigion retrograding in the world? Romanism certainly is on the increase. Vice is certainly on the in crease. Why do we ait still? Why can’t we put our hands into our pockets and get out that ten cents a week ? Ten cents a week from each Alabama Baptist would sustain a whole army of missionaries. But with four-fifths of our mem bership, the destitution culls out neither prayer, nor action, nor giving. Our charities are being dried up in this way every day. Here and there we get up a protracted meeting. We are going to have a mighty praying time we say. We pray and preach and sing for about eight or ten days. And, if we are to judge by the results, we would conclude that pastor and people all had got enough religion laid up in store do them a whole year. We meet and talk about these things, we mourn over the destitution and the drunkenness, the superstition and the increasing error, and we put our hands in our pockets and—let them stay there! Let us all turnout to be missionaries— not only be in favor of somebody else going as a missionary, but go as missionaries ourselves, right he*e, and now, to our country and people. Let us do as the missionaries do with the gospel in foreign lands—talk about it all the time, work all day and every day. A Yisit to the Churches. I have just returned from a visit to the churches at Bethlehem and Dublin, Laurens county. Our congregation at Bethlehem, on last Friday evening, was large, considering the inclemency of the weather. 1 had the pleasure of forming the acquaintance of brother Joseph Smith, the almost idolized pastor of that church, and found him to be a very agree able Christian gentleman. I preached in Dub lin on Saturday, at eleven o’clock, and again at candle-light. During the conference, held immediately after the morning sermon, a gen tleman, whom we will call Judge D., related the most affecting experience of grace, that 1 remember ever hearing. He. arose and ad dressed the church, as near as 1 can remem ber, in the following words : “ Brethren, with much embarrassment, I come before you. I was once a member of your church. I came here as a penitent; believing fully that I was not converted, l demanded baptism at your hands, with the hope that that ordi nance and membership would aid me in corn ing in possession of the pearl ot great prio«. You granted my request. 1 remained with I you awhile. But, ah! soon it happened to me, according to the true proverb, ‘ The 9ow that wa 3 wushed has returned to her wallow ing in the mire !’ I again rolled in sin. Yes, became a worse sinner than before. It appears j to me that I was the worst sinner in the coun try. It became necessary for you to expel me from your church. But I trust God has since then called me from nature’s darkness, to the marvellous light of the Gospel, as it i.* in His dear Son. There is one thing 1 know, ‘ that w hereas 1 was blind, now I see.’ I know a change has taken place. ‘Old things have passed away ; all things have become new.’ During my prodigality I did not read the Bible, but took pleasure in sin ; now my de light is in ‘ the law of the Lord, and in that law do I meditate, day and night.’ lam deter mined, by God’s help, to serve Him the rem nant of my days on earth. I beg you, breth ren, to receive me into your number, but not j as an expelled member. I wish you to re ceive me as anew member. When I was baptized I was not a believer in Christ; now, 1 trust, I believe. Please give me a believer’s baptism.” It is hardly necessary for us to add, that this brother was unanimously re ceived by the church, and baptized on the following morning. We had service again in the church, on Sunday at eleven o’clock. The congregation wa* large and attentive. We were called on to attend the funeral ot sister Guyton, a mem ber of long standing in the Dublin church, at four o’clock, Suboath evening. Sister Guy ton was much beloved in Dublin. She was recognized as a Christian lady, and we feel sure that our loss is her eternal gain. There is no more pain aud suffering lor her, but peace, happiness, comfort and felicity waits her forever and forever. Dublin is a pleasant little tovtn, situated on the west bank of the Oconee River, in a delightful and healthy country. The town and adjoining neighbor hoods arc principally under Baptist influence, there being but a small Methodist oiiuron in the place. The members of our church ap pear to be warm hearted, devoted, working Christians. We never received a more cor dial welcome at any place than in Dublin. We mu9t close, as we have already occu pied more space expected when? w e began. Please pardon our prolixity. W. L. GrXIOSB. No*. KM, 1669. News From the Field. Early in the past mouth, I stopped at Rev. J. J. Hyman’s, Glasscock county, Georgia. He settled there a few years since. He teaches school, an J preaches so four churches. He will not preach to a church that does not. keep up a Sunday school. He is a great worker, and has done much in building up the churabes in his field. It is a poor, piny-woods section. 1 think I have neverlnet with any one man, who can do as much as he does. He has a large family of children, and four pa rents to maintain. The parents are his father and mother, and his wife’s father and mother. All are nearly helpless. He and his wife are cheerlul and happy. He labors publicly every day ; teaches five, and preaches two, each week. He is a living type of the strength and capacity of man. His churches are try ing to increase their pay to him, so that he may not be compelled to teach school. They are now taking religious papers, for them selves and children, and have arranged to put stoves in their meeting houses. Our city preachers do but little, comparatively with our brethren in the country. Yet those in the city, receive much more pay than a like talent in the country. Those in the city do not get too much, but those in the country get far too little. 1 had a very pleasant time with them, and hope ere long to make them an other visit. The people in this section were recently visited by a Universalist preacher. But they say they like the good, old fashioned Baptist doctrine much better. Many asked to be remembered in my prayers. May the Lord bless them all, aud bring them to Christ. F. M. Haygood. Mown, Ga , Dee. 1.1860. A Pastor’s Field. Rev. J. M. Muse, Sand Hill, Ga., writes: I have no religious news of much interest. All the churches I have charge of this year, have had some accessions, 'l'he congregations have been large, orderly and attentive, and in some churches much interest is manifested. At one, the last of August, 32 professed faith, and only two united with the church. The interest is still great in the neighborhood. The brethren keep up a weekly prayer meet ing, in the settlement, which 1 hope, and be lieve, will result in great good. Permit me, in the language of a mail of God, to say, “ Oh ! that men would praise the Lord for His good- Dess, and His wonderful works, towards the children of men,” by meeting and praying with and for one another. Anciently “ they that feared the Igord, spake often one to an other, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written for them,” Where His people meet in love, the Lord meets with them, Do, brethren, be lieve ill If so, let all churches meet often in prayer, and try Him, and see if He will not pour them out a blessing. J. M. Muss. Sand Bill, Ga., Nov. tilth, 1869. A Parting Qttrd* You will please suspend my Index and Baptist, after your issue of the 2d of Decem ber prox., as 1 expect to leave with my family for West Texas, about the 10th of the month. 1 feel too sad to attempt an expression of my feelings, upon the eve of my departure, from among churches and brethren in Georgia, and especially my ministering brethren, with whom 1 have lived and labored for the last thirty years, on terms of the happiest fraternal intercourse. But 1 go, hoping to find relief from a persistent vertigo, arising from an old dyspeptic habit, which has followed me for the last twenty years. My hope of relief is based upon the fact, that when 1 travelled in Texas in the summer of 1867, I found immediate, perfect and permanent relief, so that, for two months, while there, 1 experienced not the slightest disturbance of my stomach. My correspondents will write no more to me un til 1 give them notice, through the Index and Baptist, from my new home, in Texas. I beg an interest in the prayers of my Georgia brethren. Yours in Gospel bonds, W. J. Blewstx. ThomcuvilU, Get. Items. Education. —Dr. Howard Maloom says: “We Baptists have swung from neglecting ministerial education to tiegbcting an unedu cated ministry.” We should be sorry to think it. Frkk Will Baptists. —The denomination now comprises 1,375 cnurohes, and 60,091 communicants, an increase of 97 churches and 5,447 oommunicants during the past year. Loobb. —Warren Association, R. 1., after adopting “ strict communion” resolutions, ap pointed, as the preacher of the introductory sermon next year, R«v. Dr. Stockbridge, who confesses, freely and publicly, his adherence to loose communiou. High Churohism. —A writer in the Louis ville Observer dc Commonwealth, (Southern Presbyterian), says: “ The High Churchism of Presbyterians is worae than that of Epis copalians.” CoNPlßUatiob. —Rev. Dr. Anderson, when in Berlin, met with a document written by a pastor in that city, “ appealing for sympathy for the poor, in which he naively admits that several of those whom he has confirmed du ring the past two or three years were known by him to be liars and thievos, and some of them were even addicted to worst crimes.” The “ Laitt”in the Church.—“Theques tion of the admission of theiaity of theChuroh of England to a share in the government of the church seems to be rising in importance. It is said that upwards of fifty clergymen have met the Archbishop of Canterbury, to discuss the expediency of parochial meetings of tho clergy and laity for the purpose of consider ing diocesan matters.” Strange Choicr ot a Homb.—Rev. Dr. Tuttle, Episcopal bishop of Montana, will re side at Salt Luke City. Compliments. —Bishop Williams, of Con necticut, instructs the Churchman to omit from its dioOesau news all compliments of himself or his services, on the ground that if deserved, they are needless; if not deserved, they are false; and in either case they are su perfluous. Baptism. —The Arkansas (Southern Meth odist,) Conference reports for the year 504 in fant, and 1,111 adult baptisms. Reading Sbrmons. —The recent National Local Preaohers’Convention, (Northern Meth odist,) deplored the practice of reading ser mons, as “an injurious innovation, rendering the truth of God less effective, and robbing the Methodist pulpit of what wo believe to have been in the past its chief cleraontof sue cess—extempore preaching.” | Relics.—ln reference to tho reputed relics of some saiuts said to have been murdered in the reign of Diocletian, sent by the Pope to the Romanists of Montreal, the bishop ot that city says, iu substance : By having their bones here, we have also the benefit of their presence, as the saints, although never losing sightof heaveu, like to be near where their bones are. Papal Blasphemy. —Archbishop Manning, uses this language, in speaking of tin: Pope: i “ The Roman Pontiff that is, the whole Church of God, for it is all contained in him, and where the head acts all act with hnn.’ Again, he puts in the mouth of the Holy Father the following modest assumption: “I claim to bn the supreme judge a id director of" the consciences of men —ofihc tills the fields, and the prince that sits oil tho throne; of the household that lives in the shade of privacy, and the legislature that makes laws for kingdoms. lam the sole, last, supreme judge of what is right and wrong." Univbrsalism. —Rev. O. B. Frothingbtfir. New York, iu his sermon on the Avon :ale C0,.1 mine disaster, which smothered to death 150 workmen, said : “God is a Universalist. He means that all men shall go to heaven. He uses two methods for getting them there. Ou the one hand He invites, on the o:h«r He compels.” Decline. —“lt was publicly stated in the Kentucky ‘Campbelliie’ Miss unary Sooety, at its last annual meeting, that iu one county, from which thirteen hundred additions had been reported, there was but one church in the county, and that one orgatiiaed within the last year.” Numbers. —At the American Missionaiy Society, (“Campbellite”) held in Louisville, a member from Ohio said that they had claimed forty thousand Disciples in his State but that when they made an estimate there were only twenty-eight thousand. Dr. Pinkerion said that it was claimed that there were seventy thousand disciples in Kentucky, but that to the best of his knowledge, and ho had known them long and well, thirtgfivi thousand would be much nearer the mark. A Mormon Congregation. —Rev. Way land Hoyt, who visited the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, writes : How does the congrega tion look 1 Such a gathering together of stolid, unillumined ignorance, l will defy you to find outside of Utah ; such u brutal, bullish, domineering aspect iu the men, such a hope less, helpless, pitiable, slavish appearance in the women. 1 have seen the most degraded gatherings which Water Street in New York can show ! 1 never looked upon such beasts in human shape as when I stood surrounded by Brigham and his apostles. Keen, cute, long headed looking men they were, but “ earthly, sensual, devilish.” Soibnob and Infidelity. —Prof. Agassi*,, in opening his course of lectures at Harvard, this session, remarked that “he wished no student as a member of his olass who accepted, the correctness of the Book of Genesis, as 16 is written.” Thb Last Extreme ot AbsTThdity.- A cor respondent of the (Adventist) Crisis, asks: “Where was the divine nature of Cnrist, while He was under the power of death 1 Did He sleep in the grave, or did His divino;na ture asQend to heaven t It is said God is im mortal, and cannot die.” The editor replies, shockingly : “ It is not proper to speak oflho divine nature of Jesus as an entity, or being, that could live as such while He was dead, any more than it would be proper to speak of the humanuature as something that lives by itself when the man is dead, The simple Bible story reads that “Jesus died and rose again,” and this Paul requires us to believe, 1 The**. iv:H. If only His physical organism died, then we have in Him ouly a humuu sacrifice.” Jewish Chronology.'-— I The Hebrew com munity of London have been admonished by the Rabbi to desist from tho practice of in scribing the Christian year upon the tomb stones of their relatives, in addition to the Mosaic year, as in this manner they impliedly recognize the Christian era. Schism (?). —Says the N.Y. Observer: “An Episcopal clergyman informed us a few day* ago that five Bishops of the Protestant Epis copal church are prepared to unite w ith the clergy of the Evangelical party in forming a new church organization.” Dr. Tyng think* the separation of High and Low r church inev itable. Assault and Battery.—A presiding elder is under arrest iu Michigan for assault and battery, he having suatched a pipe out of th« mouth of ous of his audience.