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Jnlex ail ffajjfoii
J. J. TOON, .... Proprietor.
PUBLICATION ROOMS—4 & 6 SOUTH BROADWAY.
Editor: Rev. D. SHAVER, D.D.
OOBRKSPONDINO EDITORS :
Rev. J. J. D. RENFROE, Talladega, Ala.
Rev. S. HENDERSON, D.D., Fayetteville, Ala.
THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1870.
The Seven Ordained by the Apostles in the
Church at Jerusalem, to Serve Tables.
Will you answer the following queries fully ?
They are intended as leaders to a matter of great
interest to our denomination. If any brother who
does or will write for your paper, should not agree
with the views taken by you, I hope he will for
ward hjs views for publication. Let others of our
leading brethren do the same, till all are satisfied
that true gospel answers have been given. I hope
brethren will not treat this matter with indiffer
ence.
Query Ist. Did it become the duty of the
“ Seven,” after they were ordained and thus con
secrated to that service, to do as the Apostles had
done while they superintended it? to-wit: to ex
amine into and decide upon the merits of every
claim presented to them, for support out of the
“common” fund—“to distribute to every man
as he had need” —to see that all donations to that
fund were faithfully delivered to them, and that
none, who were entitled to a support, should be
neglected—and to bring before the church for
dealing, all who wilfully kept back part of their
gift; as in the case of Ananias and his wife, in
Acts v.
Query 2nd. If it was their duty to report mem
bers for this particular sin, was it not equally
their duty to report those who had sinned in any
other matter, whether connected with that service
or not ?
Query 3rd. Were not their qualifications such
as to justify the Apostles and the church in as
signing to them a general supervision over the
spiritual condition of the church? And did they
exercise these functions?
Query 4th. If they did not, who did? and how
and when were they authorized? What is their
name and that of their office ?
Query sth. Were these “Seven” the first offi
cers ordained in, and by the church at Jerusalem ?
If not, who were the first, and when ordained ?
Query 6th. Is it not the universal practice of
Baptist churches to enjoin upon their officers, now
called deacons, to watch over the spiritual condition
of their brethren, to labor with offenders in the
spirit of the gospel, and to report the obstinate
and unrepeniing to the church for her action ?
And is this practice founded upon the practice of
the “Seven?” If not, upon what authority is it
founded? Deacon.
1. As we understand the matter, the church at
Jerusalem was, at first, simply a body of believ
ers, associating for purposes of worship, “ with
out any visible organization properly so-called.”
The apostles were the only officers, and “ the
whole arrangement and administration of the
affairs of the church proceeded from them.”
They held, not of the church, but of Christ with
out the intermediate agency of the church, and
were, therefore, in action, independent of it and
authoritative over it. This was to be for a sea
son only: organization was to follow. And or
ganization came by degrees, as experience showed
that it was necessary, and the Holy Spirit, through
the apostles, indicated the shape it should assume.
The first step in the process, so far as we know,
was the appointment of the Seven, to perform a
portion of the work previously performed by the
Twelve. The Seven were chosen to that position
by the church, as a testimony that their official
action must be in subordination to the authority
of the church and could claim no independent
authority. They were successors of the Twelve,
then, only as regards a particular function ; and
that function was limited in their case, as it had
not been limited in the case of the Twelve, by
this subjection to the church’s supervision and
control. Hence, in ‘the service of tables’ they
could not do all that the apostles had done, be
cause they lacked the independent authority
which the apostles bore with them as well in that
service as in every other, and because the church,
investing them with office, must, of necessity,
possess, in the last resort, a right to direct and, if
need be, to overrule their action.
2. What Peter did in the case of Ananias and
Sapphira, was not done as a servant of tables, (in
which character alone, as far as the record informs
us, the Seven succeeded the Twelve.) It was
done as an apostle. It was not the arraignment
of the culprits before the church for disciplinary
pain and penalties; but a supernatural exposure
of guilt and an infliction of supernatural punish
ment. The Seven, therefore, could not have been
invested, on this ground, with any official pre
rogatives in relation to the report of offences and
the prosecution of offenders.
3. The Seven were simply the eye and hand of
the church, in her work of charity within her
own communion. Spiritual qualifications were
requisite, to ensure their fidelity, impartiality and
diligence, to preserve the confidence of the breth
ren in their official action, and to improve the op
portunity, which a ministry to temporal needs
afforded, for words of instruction, counsel, reproof
and exhortation in the divine life. But there is no
intimation that, in addition to the special work
with which they were charged, a general super
vision over the condition of the church spiritually
was conferred on them ; and their appointment
to care for the needs of a particular class—those
who were dependent on the daily distribution—
the poor—could scarcely have left them sufficient
time for higher functions with regard to the mem
bership at large.
4. 5. At the date of the appointment of the
Seven, the general spiritual supervision appears
to have remained in the hands of the apostles;
aided by that diffusion of gifts throughout the
fellowship of believers, which, at first, supplied
the lack of officers entrusted with regular func
tions of ruling and teaching. Ten years later,
however, —fthen Christians at Antioch sent a
collection to their brethren in Judea,—we find
“elders” in the church at Jerusalem. We have
no record of the institution of their office. In this
silence of Scripture, it is held by one class of ex
positors, that they were the Seven (to whom Luke
never applies the title, “deacons,”) with their
associates and successors; by a second class, that
the one office developed out of the other, or that
the deaconship expanded into the eldership ; and
by a third class, that a distinct office was created,
with powers of general spiritual supervision,
when the progress of events had made manifest
the necessity for its creation. We incline to the
latter opinion. There was no necessity for an
account of the introduction of the office—as the
principle of election by the church itself in pur
suance of apostolic instruction, as applicable to
all church offices, had been placed on record in
the case of the Seven—and as the Scriptures else
where sufficiently distinguish the eldership from
the deaconship, and point out the functions of the
presbytery within the congregation , the body of
“overseers among , not over the flock.”
6. If we mistake not, there was in every apos
tolic church, when visible organization became
complete, a plurality of elders; all of whom, ac
cording to the measure of their qualifications,
labored, more or less publicly, in word and doc*
trine, watching over the spiritual condition of the
church, and constituting, in the discharge of the
functions of their office, a band of bishops, or
pastors, and teachers. These teachers, pastors,
or bishops—members of the congregational pres
bytery—were distinct from the deacons, (Phil, i;
1,) and were the “ elders of the church,” (Acts
xx ; 17, 28—30.) This forbids the idea that the
deaconship expanded into the eldership, retaining
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SODTH-WESTERN BAPTIST: ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JUNE 16,1870.
the old function involved in the service of tables
and combining with that the new function of
spiritual supervision. And as deacons inherited
the service of tables, which, if we adhere to the
record, must be regarded as the sole function of
the Seven, we cannot hold that “ the practice of
the Seven” is the foundation on which Baptist
churches, (not universally, yet generally,) require
deacons to discharge in some sort the function of
spiritual supervision. The explanation of the
matter is, we think, that Baptist churches have
blended the deaconship and eldership in a single
office, to which the name of the former is given,
while the duties of both (with an important ex
ception) are committed to those who hold it. We
regret this departure from what strikes us as the
apostolic model of a church perfectly organized
for Christian work; and hope that the time is
coming when the denomination will return to it.
This hope is the more earnest and this regret the
deeper, for the importance of the exception already
referred to. Labor in word and doctrine, public
ly and from house to house, which was originally
the common function of the members of the
church presbytery, according to the measure of
the gifts and opportunities of each, is now regard
ed as the exclusive official duty of a single man,
who monopolizes the title of pastor, and alone
carries the burden of all the responsibilities asso
ciated with it. In this way, an amount of work
in study and in visiting is bound on his shoulders,
which no one man ever was or ever will be compe
tent to perform, and our churches lie, of necessity,
in large degree, as fields untilled. How fearfully
the progress of the church and kingdom of Christ
has been retarded, and the diffusion of the truth
and the conversion of the world have been ob
structed, by influences originating in this quarter,
perhaps no mind will ever adequately conceive in
the present life.
We give these views with some diffidence, since
it hardly becomes us, or any other individual
thinker, to regard the great mass of the brother
hood as laboring under mistake on such a ques
tion. But they are the result of long-protracted
enquiries, and we submit them to the “sober
second thought” of all students of Scripture
among us, for just what they may be worth.
Once, we believe, the bulk of American and Eng
lish Baptists held them; and we only ask our
brethren to examine the subject, before reaching
a final decision on the enquiry, Whether, in later
times, they have been rejected rightly ?
A Query on Succession.
I have no apology for the following, but that
I am a young “ Timothy” in the ministry, seek
ing the instructions of a father “ Paul.” I bave
received much light from the discussion which
has been going on in your paper, in regard to a
“ succession of organized churchesor, ‘Whether
the Scriptures teach that a succession must exist,
unbroken, from the apostles down to the end of
time ?’ Os course I cannot venture an opinion in
this article. There is this about it, however: I
am strongly attached to the old idea of “ apos
tolic succession, ” but I am more strongly at
tached to the “ truth;" and I must confess that
your reasoning has taken a great deal of the former
(apostolic succession) out of me, because it seems
to be weighty with the latter (truth.) But there
is another dark place, through which I wish to be
led: If all other obstructing differences vanish
from the faith and practice of other denomina
tions, can their baptisms and ordinations become
valid, if scripturally performed as to mode and
subjects, without coming to the Baptist ministry
for qualification ? Timothy.
“Timothy” is not alone, in the state
ment he makes with regard to the effect of the
discussion on “ organic and visible succession.”
Other thoughtful minds, we are gratified to know,
confess a partial or entire conversion to the
view advocated by us—the “ old idea” held in the
seventeenth century by “ the greater number” of
our English fathers —against the necessity of suc
, cession in thpt form. The brethren who attacked
our position and compelled us to defend it, have
simply assisted its wider diffusion and acceptance.
The contingency, to which “ Timothy, - in his
query, refers, is one altogether unlikely to take
place. In fact, the universal and simultaneous
return of “other denominations” from all errors
of “ faith and practice,” lies beyond th»-range of
possibility, without a special and mighty work of
Divine grace for that specific end. And w-hen
Divine grace puts forth its power to this extent,
it will leave them in no lack of light with respect
to “baptisms and ordinations.” In our judgment,
it will guide them—we would not say, “to the
Baptist ministry for qualification , ” but —to
Baptist churches (inclusive of the ministry) for
order. Our correspondent, of course, perceives
that, with the modification of phraseology sug
gested by us, we answer his query in the negative.
A word of explanation may seem necessary :
The Saviour’s promise of perpetuity is given to
the church as “the aggregate of the elect;” and
perpetuity, in the sense of that promise, includes
the right to churchship in the positive elements of
organization. Where there is, then, a company
of the elect, with the visibility of holiness but
without (scriptural) organization, they possess a
right to churchship in its organic form. The as.
sumption of this churchship, if they are within
reach of scripturally organized churches, must,
for the sake of order, take place through the in
strumentality of these churches. But if no such
churches are known or accessible to them, or if
accessible and known churches refuse, without suf
ficient cause, to aid in their investiture with organic
churchship, then they may and should take it to
themselves, on the single warrant of the word of
Christ, through the indefeasible title of holiness
to organization—the inherent right of the perpet
uated church to assume and perfect its external,
positive form. In these cases, necessity intervenes
to cut off the application of the rules of order—
rules not made for such exigencies, and therefore
not controlling them; and this necessity throws
a company of the elect back on the rights of Inde
pendency which no absence and no wrong action
of other companies can vacate or destroy. Now,
the right of churches to be, in organic form, with
out the intervention of other churches, where ne
cessity precludes the application of the rules of
order, does not, and cannot, involve the right to
set these rules aside, where no necessity calls for
it. In the former contingency, (which covers the
ground involved in our argument against the ultra
demand of organic and visible succession,) lines of
baptism and ordination may be originated; in the
latter, (which covers the ground included in the
query of “ Timothy,”) they may not.
Justification through the Death of Christ,
Will you please dispel the darkness from the
following theological point: What kind of rela
tionship exists between Christ and the sinner, that
the death of the one justifies the other f Accord
ing to the acknowledged principles of justice, both
human and divine, “ the soul that sinneth it shall
die.” lam joyfully aware, that as far as the sin
ner is concerned, the merits of Christ’s death are
his by faith. But if A. commits an offence worthy
of death, what benefit is it to him for B. to take his
place, when the law, through the judge, has said
he shall die? If forty good citizens were to die
for him it would not render him less criminal.
Divines sweep over the point, and never show how
Christ’s death can affect the sinner’s relation to a
broken law, which continually thunders in our
ears, that the soul that sinneth it (not another)
shall die. Please explain.
A succinct treatment of grave questions in the
ology is not likely to be a clear one; but we have
no leisure, at present, for any other. Our corres
pondent, we trust, will accept what follows, as the
best we can do in the few hurried moments which
we can spare to the subject.
The dealings of God with mankind have proceed
ed, from first to last, on the principle of represents,
tion. He has shown that His law, as given to our
race, admits of a Substitute, as regards both obe
dience to its precept and subjection to its penalty.
Adam was such a Substitute. His vicarious obe
dience to the precept of the law was recognized as
a proper ground for the-bestowment of blessings
on his descendants; and through his failure in
obedience, the blessings were forfeited, not for
himself only, but for them. Christ, also, was
such a Substitute. His vicarious subjection to
the penalty of the law was recognized as a proper
ground for the removal of the curse from His peo
ple ; and when He filled up the measure of that
subjection, hot He (who knew no personal sin) but
they (who were destitute of personal righteous
ness) were rescued from the curse. Thus has
Divine Justice testified, by the essential constitu
tion of “ the covenant of works” and “ the cove
nant of grace,” that, under the principle of repre
sentation, on which both covenants proceed, a
Substitute may rightfully involve us in ruin and
rightfully bring recovery to us.
But where enters the principle of individual
accountability? From birth, the covenant of
works holds us in the bands of the ruin in which
our first Substitute or Representative involved us,
and the covenant of grace offers us an entrance into
the free and perfect recovery which our second
Representative or Substitute provided for us. In
dividual accountability deals with the question,
Whether we will accept this recovery or remain
in that ruin? The soul that sins rejects the gift
of life held forth by the covenant of grace, and con
firms the sentence of death pronounced by the
covenant of works. It dies legally. If it sins per
sistently, in impenitence and unbelief, the death
comes upon it in its own person, according to the
covenant of works and through the Substitute or
Representative under whom it decides to stand.
If repentance and faith follow its sin, the death,
through the covenant of grace, is accounted to the
Representative or Substitute under whom it has
chosen to stand, and in its own person it is
spared because that death has been endured by
Him for it. The accountability in the determina
tion of this question is strictly individual. Every
soul determines for itself—that is, no other soul
determines for it —whether it shall have life,
through the Representative of mankind under the
covenant of grace, or death through the Represen
tative of mankind under the covenant of works.
The words of the prophet,—“ the soul that sin
neth it shall die,” (Ez. xviii: 4, 20,)—must be
understood in harmony with the principle of rep
resentation which marks both covenants of God
with our race. They do not mean that we are
not condemned under the first covenant through
the sin of Adam ; nor that we cannot be saved
under the second covenant through Christ’s death
for sin. They mean only that each individual
soul settles for itself the question of salvation
through the one or of condemnation through the
other. The Jews, contemporary with the prophet,
were suffering the vengeance of God; and they held
that this vengeance was provoked by no sin of
theirs, (for they falsely claimed to be innocent,)
but by the sins of their fathers, (whose guilt they
falsely represented as entailed on themselves.)
This plea the prophet rejects, and announces the
great truth that it is the sinning soul that dies—
the soul of the father and the soul of the son, alike,
for its own sin, and neither for the other’s sin. Os
course, he cannot be construed as in any way
throwing doubt over that relationship of Repre
sentative or Substitute which Christ bears toward
the penitent, believing sinner, which makes the
death of the one, under the covenant of grace, the
ground of justification to the other.
A Temperance Incident—An Episode in the
Life of Dawson.
If the following incident could be dramatized
bv* one of the first geniusejj of the age, the effect
coifld never equal the real occurrence. Akhough
eighteen years have intervened, the recollection
of it is as vivid upon our mind as if it had been
yesterday. It was at the period when the order
of the “ Sons of Temperance ” was in the full
tide of its prosperity and usefulness, and when
the announcement of a favorite speaker would
draw thousands of people to any accessible point.
Those were happy days, and the mind lingers over
them with pleasing interest. Will they ever re
turn ?
In the year 1851 or ’52, the annual meeting of
the Alabama Baptist Convention was held in the
town of Tuskegee. Dawson and Mallary were
both present as corresponding messengers from
the Georgia Baptist Convention, and as they were
both known to be among the" ablest temperance
speakers of the country, it was arranged that on
the last night of the meeting, we should have a
grand temperance rally. The fame of the orators
attracted an immense assemblage at the Baptist
meeting house, at an early hour. As nobody was
ever willing to follow Dawson more than once in
his life, it was arranged that Mallarv should lead
off. It is enough to say of Mallary’s speech, that
it would have been pronounced grand but for
what followed. The speaker must have realized
a kind of intuitive impression that Dawson was
in first rate trim for the occasion, for he cut short
his speech, and in a manner perfectly inimitable
for its gallantry and kindly humor, introduced
his friend Dawson to the audience.
To describe that speech were simply impossi
ble. Its alternate sallies of convulsive wit and
withering sarcasm —its massive eloquence and
exhaustive argument —its thrilling incident and
melting pathos—its life-like pictures of the evil
he was exposing, and of its consequences upon des
olated hearts and homes —held that vast audience
in absorbed attention for nearly two hours. But
it was when he passed from the rum-drinker to
the ram-seller that he surpassed even himself.
All the suffering, wretchedness and woe which he
had described, were but the outward manifesta
tions of that fell spirit behind the screen—the
rum-seller—who, for the greed of gain, had mort
gaged soul, body and spirit to Beelzebub to dis
tract the harmony of neighborhoods—destroy the
happiness of families, make demons of husbands,
converting their homes into earthly hells and con
signing their wives and children to poverty and
want. Here, here, was the hissing head of the
deadly serpent! Here the speaker invoked the
whole moral artillery of both temperance and re
ligious organizations. Destroy this traffic, crush
the head of this serpent, and you stop that whole
machinery that sends fifty thousand drunkards in
this nation, annually, to the drunkard’s hell, and
bequeathes to the country hundreds of thousands
of widows, orphans, paupers! At this point the
speaker paused a moment, and glancing his eye
over the congregation, with a countenance all
aglow with the noblest enthusiasm, he asked—
“ls there a man in this house so lost to every
noble impulse, so steeped in crime, so hardened
that neither the cries of woman nor the pleadings
of infancy can move him—who is willing to say
to this audience, for the sake of money he is ready
to pursue this deadly traffic ? If such a man is
present, and will publicly avow himself, he shall
have this and its contents,” said the speaker,
holding up his pocket-hook. At the back part of
the house, a well-known man arose, and entering
the aisle, slowly walked up to the speaker, and
said, “I will take that pocket-book.” The inter
est at this point was painful. It was evident that
neither speaker nor hearer had calculated upon
such an* occurrence. Dawson threw upon the
claimant one of those withering glances that no
man desired to provoke, and then turning to the
assembly, said,-—“ Gentlemen and ladies, allow
me to introduce to you a man who publicly avows
his willingness, for the sake of money, to destroy
the peace of your community and households,
multiply crimes by wholesale, fill your jails and
penitentiary with criminals, send your husbands
and sons to perdition, and fill the hearts of your
women and children with that grief which hath
no mitigation 1 Here, sir, take your prize,” hand
ing him the poefcet-book. “Hold, hold!” said
the gentleman, “lam happy to inform you that
lama Son of Temperance! I only wanted to
see what you would do in such an emergency,
and was willing tp endure the odium, for a mo
ment for the salip of such a conclusion to your
masterly speech. Take back your pocket-book
with my thanks for your address.”
The effect upon the audience must be imagined.
It surpassed anything we had ever seen. We
need scarcely add that, at the next meeting of the
Sons of Temperance, not a few applications for
membership were presented. H.
Reviews and Notices.
Life in Utah : or, tjie Mysteries and Crimes of Mor
inanism. Being an Expose of the Secret Rites
and Ceremonies of the Latter-day Saints, with a
full and authentic History of Polygamy and the
Mormon Sect from its Origin to the Present time.
By J. H. Beadle : Editor of the Salt Lake Reporter,
and Utah correspondent of the Cincinnati Commer
cial. Pp. 540, with a Map and 37 illustrations.
National Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Chi
cago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Boston, and (Broad
street) Atlanta , Ga.
A residence of fifteen months in Utah ought to
qualify the author of this work for the task to
which its pages arts devoted. Seven chapters re
count the history of the sect; four recite the inci
dents and impressions connected with the first
weeks of a visit to Ahe territory ; one analyzes
Mormon theology occupies another ;
two deal with and practical polygamy ;
the theocracy andAflfce recusant sects which have
broken its yoke engross two ; two sketch the geo
graphical features and material resources of the
country; one reports the “ mysteries”—the oc
cult rites of initiation into “ the Aaronic and Mel
chisedec (falsely so called;) a second
gives an estimate of the present condition and
prospects of this strange people; and a third closes
the volume, with an account of the not-unhopeful
missionary efforts of Evangelical Christians in Salt
Lake City. On all these topics, Mr. Beadle fur
nishes a great mass of interesting and apparently
authentic information—and we hope to make'some
use of it hereafter.
We would have liked the work better, and have
felt a stronger persuasion of its impartiality and
accuracy, if the following sentence had been
spared : “ The Baptists, who were hardy pioneers,
have so entrenched themselves about as to be sep
arated from other denominations in sympathy,
and almost from tke world, leaving themselves
open, at least, to the charge of following ‘the
water-god of exclusive errorists.’ ” This is an ex
pression of Mr. Beadle’s own opinion, and it has
been some time since we met with one more gra
tuitously and grossly insulting.
The Sunday Magazine. Edited by Ur. Guthrie.
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Cos. Terms:
$3.50 a year : 30 cents a single number.
Contents for June f 1. The Struggle in Ferrarm
by W. Gilbert: xx—xxii. 2. Prisoners of Hope,
by the Editor. 3. On the Miracles of our Lord,
by G. MacDonald, LL.D.: ix, the Government of
Nature. 4. Diana Coverdale’s Diary, by B. Orme.
5. A Life in Earnest, by W. G. Blackie, D.D.
6. Waste, by M. B. ~DeLys. 7. Episodes in an
Obscure Life : Being Experiences in the Tower
Hamlets, by a Curate: xxiv—xxvi. 8. Ques
tions that are always Turning up, by Rev. Prof.
Millegan : iv Grosser Sins. 9. Dr. DeSanctis, by
Rev. D. K. Guthrie. 10. How to Study the Old
Testament, by W. Li^dsay-Alexander: Numbers
—Analysis of the Bbok. 11. The Companions of
St. Paul, by J. S. Howson, D.D.: ix Onesimus.
12. At Caesar’s Bar, t>y Mary Senior Clark. 13.
Supplement: Notes for Readers Out of the Way.
We repeat —we wish we knew how to empha
size—our of this highly valuable
periodical.t i
Our Zion—in Our Exchanges, etc.
Georgia.
A brother writes to us from LaGrange, June
6th: “Brother Hornady has preaching every
night in our church at this place; the interest in
creasing, the congregations large and very atten
tive.” Rev. W. N. Chaudoin writes to the
Richmond Herald: “ It is a pleasure to me to say,
that since the close of the war, I have not seen
people more attentive and tender, and more easily
impressed by preaching, than during this year.
Whether the effects produced by preaching are
more because the state of the hearers is better, or
the ministers more earnest, I cannot decide ; but
I think there is more life, more earnestness among
our preachers.” At the last conference meet
ing of our church at Washington, the whole time
was given to the reception of members. “ Thir
teen have joined,” says a letter to us, dated June
10th, “and with others yet to join, will be bap
tized on Sunday evening. Only 3of the 13 are
fully adults.”
Alabama.
Revs. H. K. Tribble and S. P. Callaway con
stituted a colored church of some forty members,
five miles west of West Point, in Chambers county,
on Saturday, May 28th. At the same time and
place, Gilbert Huguly (colored) was ordained to
the ministry, taking charge of the newly-formed
church, and John Jackson and Elias Jackson
(colored) were set apart as deacons. The church
received the name of “Greenwood.” A cor
respondent of the Richmond Herald writes from
Talladega: “ The church is in a better condition
than it has been for four years. Bro. Jr J. D.
Renfroe is the efficient and beloved pastor. The
congregations are large; the Sabbath school is
good; the weekly prayer meetings are well at
tended. Anew house of worship, much needed,
is soon to be let to contract. The members seem
to be alive to‘the importance of having anew
house, and generally have made liberal subscrip
tions. The colored Baptists are also building a
neat house of worship. They are orderly and
well-disposed, and enjoy and appreciate the preach
ing of Bro. Renfroe.”
Arkansas.
Three years ago, the Association of which the
church in Fort Smith is a member, numbered
about 200, now it reports over 1,400.
Kentucky.
It is the Chair of Languages which Rev. T.
W. Tobey, A.M„ takes in Bethel College, suc
ceeding Rev. E. N. Dicken. Rev. A. Henrich,
of the German Baptist church, Louisville, bap
tized 7 converts, on a recent Sabbath. Our
church at Fox Run has had 28 accessions, and our
church at Little River, 5. John G. Kendall
was ordained to the ministry at Graysville, Todd
county, May 29th: sermon by W. W. Gardner,
D.D. Wm. Borthick was ordained to the min
istry, June 4th, at Lake Spring, Simpson county:
sermon by Rev. E. Petri. Rev. H. Manjeau
has been installed as pastor at Newport: sermon
by Dr. Jeffrey.—At Georgetown and Bethel Col
lege there are 35 young men preparing for the
ministry. Rev. N. M. Crawford, D.D., has re
signed the Presidency of Georgetown College, to
take effect the first t>f Dec. next. We hope
Georgia will regain him.
Maryland.
Rev. J. B. Hawthorne resigns charge of Frank
lin Square church, Baltimore, and goes to the
First church, Albany, N. Y.
Mississippi.
The Baptist State Convention met at West
Point, Thursday, June 2nd; Rev. M. P. Lowry,
President; Rev. J. M. Lewis, Secretary. The at
tendance appears to have been large, and an ex
cellent spirit prevailed.- Os the students at
Mississippi College, Clinton, 13 have the ministry
in view.
Missouri.
In St. Louis there are 8 white and 6 colored
Baptist churches, and 16 Baptist Sunday schools,
5 of which are colored. At Pacific City, where
the Presbyterian and Methodist churches have
been disbanded, a Baptist church of 22 members
was organized recently. At the recent Com
mencement of William Jewell College, it was
stated that $50,000 had been added to the endow
ment since the previous Commencement. John
T. Ford was ordained to the ministry at Goshen
church, Cape Girardeau county, May 27th: ser
mon by Rev. J. Reid.
South Carolina.
Rev. L. H. Shuck, of Charleston, has been and
is still very sick. A week ago, last Sabbath,
Rev. E. T. Winkler, D.D., baptized 12 converts
and gave the hand of fellowship to 3 others. The
daily meetings still continue in his church.
Texas.
Through the efforts of Rev. F. Keifer, Bren
ham, our German brethren have organized a
“ Texas German Baptist Book and Tract Society.”
There is now, as never before, a spirit of inquiry
among German immigrants into Baptist princi
ples.
Tennessee.
On Sabbath, May 22nd, anew house of wor
ship was dedicated, for the use of our church at
Eagleville: sermon by Rev. D. 11. Selph.
Samuel J. Norton was ordained to the ministry
at Mossy Creek, Sabbath, May 29th. A move
ment is on foot to appoint at least two additional
Professors in Union University, Murfreesboro.
Rev. T. C. Teasdale, D.D., Cor. Sec. of our Sun
day School Board, in a speech at the Virginia
Baptist General Association, (as reported in the
Richmond Herald,) “ wished it distinctly under
stood that his Board cared nothing for the doc
trines of ‘old landmarkism,’ or about the ques
tion of ‘alien immersion.’ Those things belong
to the ‘paper gladiators.’”
Virginia.
Edward L. Baptist was ordained to the minis
try at Bethel, Mecklenburg county, May Bth :
sermpn by Rev. A. F. Davidson. At the Gen
eral Association, the five Boards reported aggre
gate receipts of about $14,000, an increase of
about $1,200 over last year. 11. K. Ellyson,
Mayor of Richmond, was re-elected Cor. Sec. of
the Association, and Rev. R. 11. Bagby, D.D.,
appointed his Assistant. The Education Board
during the year aided 27 students for the minis
try. The State Mission Board was empowered,
if deemed expedient, to establish a mission among
the German population of Richmond. The ses
sion of the body, next year, will be held in Pe
tersburg.
New York.
Rev. W. R. Williams, D.D., has a History of
the Baptists in an advanced stage of preparation ;
and has entered into contract with the Harpers
for its publication. We shall await the issue of
it with not a little interest. The first volume will
be ready for the press in one year, the second in
two.
Our Church at Brunswick, Ga.
As it may be interesting to you and your
readers to learn something of what is going
on in this portion of the Lord’s vineyard,
I have taken the liberty to drop you a line,
more or. The Baptist church was organized
here about twelve yearsago, with a very small
membership. With the liberal aid received
from friends abroad, a neat and commodious
church building was erected. The war scat
tered its members and broke up its organiza
tion. In 1866, an effort was made to re
organize the church, with only partial suc
cess. Last July, a meeting of the Baptists was
called here and vicinity for the purpose of re
organizing the church. The number in attend
ance was small, hut they . went tQ work Jn
earnest. Within a month, they organized
and called a pastor —Rev. E. B. Barrett, who
entered upon his duties in October last. The
church, at its organization, had only seven
female and one male member. It has now
41, an increase of 33 in about seven months,
of whom 20 have joined by letter, 12 by ex
perience, and 1 by recantation.
A meeting has been recently held which
continued three weeks, in which the pastor
was aided a few days by brothers D. G. Dan
iel and W. O. Darsey. Our Methodist friends
assisted us on several occasions. The inter
est manifested was deep, but not loud. We
regret that sickness and engagements at home
prevented us from receiving that ministerial
aid we so fondly desired and expected.
Our church has been recently repaired and
painted. Our citizens, with much liberality
and cheerfulness, have kindly aided us in
making these repairs, and we now lack but a
hundred dollars or so of completing the pro
posed improvements, which will give us the
largest, most commodious, handsomest and
best church in our embryo city. K.
jßrunswick, June 6th, 1870.
Virginia Baptist Anniversaries.
I promised you a letter from Norfolk, giv
ing some notice of the Virginia General As
sociation. But my stay was so short—arriv
ing there Thursday morning and leaving
on Frriday evening—and so little busi
ness was done before I left, I can send
you only a meagre sketch. The Association
meets in the Freemason street church, Dr.
T. G. Jones, pastor. Some two hundred del
egates were present. The old officers reelect
ed ; that is, Hon. R. L. Montague, Moderator;
A. Pope Abell, Secretary, aidefi by Rev. C.
C. Bitting.
The report of the Foreign Mission Board,
and the Bible and Sunday School Board, were
the only ones read while I was present. Stir
ring speeches were made on each. The Virginia
Baptists wisely pay great attention to the
Sunday school work. The laymen are in
earnest in that direction, and as far as I could
see, the ministry is in full sympathy with
them. The Secretary had only partial re
turns from the schools. These represent
35,000 children in Sunday schools —Baptist
Sunday schools in Virginia. Here, then, is a
standing army of 35,000. The real number
is, perhaps, 50,000. What a field for useful
ness! With the blessing of heaven upon
faithful instruction, nearly all of these will
be brought into the church. "If we would
progress and be a power in the land, we must
take care of the children.
Dr. R. H. Graves, our returned missionary
from China, made a telling speech on Foreign
Missions. Dr. Graves is a modest, retiring
man, but a man of power. He must be
known in order to be appreciated. He holds
‘that the commission is “to 00, and disciple
all nations”—“ to go" not to stay ; .and it
is the duty of a minister “to go," unless he
can show cause why he should stay at home.
That the special call should not be to become
a missionary; but the special call should be
to stay home. His commission is “to go,”
the “ special call niust be to stay.” Hat ing
been so long among the Chinese, and so un
accustomed to speaking his native language,
his voice is peculiar. But you must listen
to what he says, not how he says it.
Rev. W. M. Cotes, M.D., from Paris, was
present and made several stirring addresses.
He is a very interesting young man. By
request of Dr. Taylor, quite a large number
had a conference with him concerning a Bap
tist mission in Paris. He gave us many in
teresting and encouraging facts. It is a prom
ising field, and I hope our Board may be able
to enter it. Italy, Spain, France and Ireland
need the pure gospel. They are inviting
fields and accessible. Why should they be
neglected 1
Dr. Teasdale, of Memphis, and Dr. Black
all, of Chicago, were evidently at home among
the Virginians. After a speech of about fifty
minutes, setting forth the claims of the Sun
day School and Publication Board, Dr. Teas
dale asked permission to take up a collection
or to secure pledges. The privilege was re
fused, by a small majority, not because the
Association was not in sympathy with the
Board, but because they did not think that
the proper time to ask for a collection.
It was understood by all, and so announced,
that he should have the privilege at some
other stage of the meeting. A. E. Dickin
son announced the presence of Dr. Teasdale,
and moved that he Be invited to address the
Association. He and Dr. Poindexter advo
cated his taking up a collection. This is the
second meeting of the Association I have at
tended in twenty years. I looked over the
body with mingled emotions of pleasure and
sadness—pleasure to meet so many of my
old friends and fellow laborers again, in the
flesh—sadness to see the change in their per
sonal appearance—the evidences of age and
toil and trouble. Poor fellows, what trials
they have passed through since we last met!
They have lived forty years in the last ten.
But they are loyal to King Jesus, devoted to
their Master, and zealous in His cause. My
heart ran out to them. 1 could not help em
bracing some of them. God bless the Vir
ginia Baptists! J. W. M. W.
Baltimore , June 4, 1860.
Memorial.
Elder Peter Patrick Butler was born in
the County of Elbert, State of Georgia, about
the year 1807, and departed this life at his
residence in Oglethorpe county, Ga., on 30th
of April, 1870, aged about 63 years.
Elder Butler was a Baptist about 40 years;
was ordained to the gospel ministry about
1832, at Falling Creek Baptist church, Elbert
county, Ga. He was, for a number of years,
the regular supply of the following churches :
Dove’s Creek, (Elbert,) Bethany, Cloud’s
Creek, Millstone, and Salem, (Oglethorpe
county.) The first 20 years of his ministry
was marked with abundant success—hundreds
were added to his churches by baptism. His
ministry was blessed with frequent and pre
cious revivals. Elder Butler was an efficient
worker, a sound Scriptural preacher, and an
eloquent exhorter. In revival seasons he was
untiring in his efforts. During these precious
visitations, there are many pleasing recollec
tions of the zeal, fervor and spiritual power,
with which heappealed to dying men, exhorting
them to flee to Jesus for salvation from im
pending ruin. His voice, soft and musical,
gestures natural and persuasive, on these oc
casions his whole soul seemed to overflow
with love, and ardent desire for the salvation
of his audience, till it was melted down.
During his latter years Elder B. had been
the subject of painful bodily afflictions; but
was in usual health until less than one hour
before his emancipated spirit was called away
from the earth. Being suddenly seized with
difficulty of breathing, he remarked to his
companion, he should die. Efforts were
speedily made to relieve him, but in vain.
He requested that he might be permitted to
lie down and to die easily, which he, to all
appearance, did. In a few moments after ma
king the request, his body lay in the cold em
braces of death; but a calm and serene im
press was left upon his face after the vital
spark had fled. Elder Butler has a son now
living in Tennessee, who is esteemed an able
and efficient minister of the gospel.* He has
left an affectionate aud pious widow, and eight
living children—two sons and six daughters,
all members of the Baptist church. They
mourn over their departed husband and father,
but not as those who have no hope. “ Blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord.” A. C.
* Rev. Joseph B. Butler.
Ordination.
On SabbathTThe sih of June, 1870, breth
ren John Cumbie, W. H. Clark, L. J. Rob
ert, P. J. Leverett and A. R. Callaway, met
with the Baptist church, Webadkee, Troup
county, Ga., and her pastor, R. A. J. Cum
bie, for the purpose of ordaining brother C.
D. Johnson to the gospel ministry. The
Presbytery being organized by inviting R.
A. J. Cumbio to the Chair, and A. R Cal
laway to act as Secretary, proceeded with the
ordination as follows: Rev. A. R. Callavay
preached the sermon, the pastor examined
the candidate on religirus and ministerial ex
perience, Rev. John Cumbie examined in the
doctrines of the Bible, Rev. W. 11. Clark led
in prayer, followed by the imposition of the
hands of the Presbytery. Rev. L. J. Rob
ert delivered the charge, Rev. G. J. Leverett
presented the Bible, and C. A. Johnson, the
brother ordained, closed with the benedic
tion. A. R. Callaway, Sec.
The Baptist will please copy.
Revival Tidings.
At our regular church meeting, (First Bap
tist church) last night, an application was pre
sented from one of our citizeus for the use of
our baptistery, in which to be immersed, by
Rev. Mr. Patterson, a Iligh-church Episco
pal priest, in this city. The question was
debated at considerable length, and it was
finally decided not to grant the request. What
think you ?
Our revival here continues. I have bap
tized every Sunday night for five weeks, and
am to baptize again next Sunday night.
Eighteen baptisms thus far. Interest spread
ing. We have had no “ anxious seats.” The
work has been decidedly the most quiet that
I have known. I have had no ministerial
aid, except that brother B. G. Covington, in
passing through, preached an excellent sermon
on Thursday night before last.
J. C. Hidkn.
Wilmington , N. C., June, Ith , 1870.
District Meeting.
Our district meeting, composed of dele
gates from eight churches of the Alabama
Baptist Association, met, according to ap
pointment, with Bethany Baptist church,
Lowndes county, Ala., on Friday, May 27th,
1870. The regular programme, adopted at
our last meeting, was entered upon ; Elder W.
C. Cleveland preaching the introductory ser
mon. After an intermission of an hour and
a half, for refreshments, the meeting was reg
ularly organized, by calling brother W. B.
Haralson to the Chair, and brother John A.
Cassey to act as Secretary. The next subject
in order being the “ Importance of an Ever
green Sunday school in every church,” on
which deacon H. W. Cassey read an able es
say, opening the discussion, and warmly ad
vocated by several brethren ; among whom
were old, gray headed men, deacons in Bap
tist churches, who, having never had Sunday
school privileges in their younger days, felt
the importance of these privileges, and were
so deeply interested in, and satisfied of, the
importance of Sunday schools, that they were
regular attendants of Sunday schools now.
On Saturday, meeting being convened, the
programme was continued; the next subject
for discussion being, “ Duty of Pastors to
Churches,” Elder B. H. Crumpton. Adjourned
for dinner. In the afternoon, after devotional
exercises, the next subject for discussion was
“ Duty of Churches to Pastors,” by Elder W.
C. Cleveland,and warmly and feelingly further
discussed by several of the brethren. The
exercises of to-day were very interesting, and
so much feeling displayed, I firmly believe
they will be promotive of much good to the
cause of our Lord and Master in the churches
represented in this meeting. The Moderator
returned his thanks to the brethren for the
manner in which they had discussed the sub
jects, and wished that Baptists everywhere
could have heard them.
On Sunday, the morning hour was em
ployed by Elder T. M. Bailey in Sunday
school exercises on the uniform lesson plan, the
whole congregation the school; after which,
brother Bailey delivered an address on the
subject, showing that “Sunday schools should
comprehend the entire membership.” After
dinner, the exercises of this meeting were
brought to a close, Elder T. M. Bailey preach
ing the closing sermon, from the parable of
the talents.
It was agreed that this mooting hold its
next session with Bethsaida Baptist church,
Wilcox county, Ala., commencing on Friday
before sih Lord's day, July, 1870, the pro
gramme of exercises for which are:
Friday, 11, a. m., introductory sermon, on
“The importance of the Spirit's presence in
our churches,” Elder B. 11. Crumpton.
2, p. m., “ Growth in grace,” Dr. Puri
foy. Saturday, a. m., “ Benevolence enjoined
by Christ on his followers and illustrated by
his example,” Dr. H. W. CafFey. 2, r. m.,
“ Baptists the true exponents of Scriptural
communion,” Elder W. C. Cleveland. Lord’s
day, a. m., “Sunday school exercises,” Elder
T. M. Bailey. 2, r. m., “Closing sermon,”
Elder T. M. Bailey. J. A. Caffky, Sec.
Rev. J. H. DeVotie, D.D.
Resolutions offered by J. J. Slade, at a Conference of
the Ist Baptist Church, Columbus, Ga., held June
9th, 1870, and unanimously adopted. •
In consideration of the faithful services of
our beloved pastor, Dr. J. H. DeVotie,
whose untiring devotion to the cause of Christ
and laborious efforts for the advancement of
His kingdom among us for the last fourteen
years, have, under the blessing of God, resulted
in bringing into the church a large number of
converted persons, including some of the
brightest lights of our membership, in endear
ing himself to the hearts of many, in giving
to the denomination favorable prominence
in the community, and spending upon us the
choicest years of his life and strength—
Resolved, Ist, That we learn with unfeigned
regret that he feels it his duty not to with
draw' his letter of resignation ; that we de
plore the existence of any cause which has
led him to answer unfavorably our unquali
fied request to remain with us.
2d, That in yielding to the very sad and
painful necessity of parting with our beloved
pastor, we have faith to believe it is “ God’s
will concerning us,” and we pray that our
punishment may end here ; and in parting,
we can but revert, with tender and fraternal
recollection, to the past period of his angelic
ministry with us, running back through years
—long years of private and public distress,
during which he has shared with us, as a bro
ther and spiritual father, some of our joys and
all of our sorrows. Experience, which sug
gests these questions and answers: When
have the poor been neglected while he was
with us? Who among us have not heard his
spiritual consolations in distress? With
whose tears have not his own mingled in be
reavement ? Only those whom war, or pesti
lence, or time, has left without a severed tie,
who have not lost a friend. They only—if
such there be—have not had these special
sympathies. What heart among us has not
felt his love and acknowedged his self-denying
devotion to the cause of Christ? Witness
the many he has led into the baptismal water
and buried with Christ, and the many his con
solations have taught to tread the Jordan of
death with the song of triumph and home at
last.
3d, That, in view of all our beloved brother
has been to us in a stainless life and spotless,
and faithful, useful ministry of fourteen years,
we recommend him in love and confidence to
any sister church who may obtain his valued
services, and pray God that Ilis blessing may
attend his ministry wherever his lot may be
cast.
On motion, it was Resolved, That the fore
going resolutions be spread upon the minutes
and ihe Clerk be directed to transmit a copy
to the Index, at Atlanta, and the city papers
for publication.
A true extract from the minutes.
J. Marion Estes, Ch. Clerk.
The Dayton Monument,
In response to the appeal made in the In
dex, by brother W. N. Chaudoin, for contri
butions to erect a monument over the grave
of our lamented brother, Dr. A. C. Dayton,
I have received the following amounts, which
I desire to report through your columns: E.
J. Barksdale, $1.00; W. 11. Cooper, $1.00;
J. L. Warren, $1.00; Mrs. A. E. Warren,
$1.00; J. G. Cheeves, $1.00; R. J. Bacon,
SI.OO ; B. M. Milner, $1.00; W. J. Northen,
50c; G. A. Nunnally, 50c; J. J. Davis, 50c;
J. W. Duggan, 50c; S. J. Lawton, $1.00; J.
M. Wood, $1.00; D. Shaver, $1.00; J. S.
Jackson, $2.00; M. J. Welborn, $1.00; T.
H. Murphy, 50c. Total amount, $15.50.
This is but a very small beginning. I hope,
inasmuch as the proposition has been made,
that it may not prove a failure. Are there
not four or five hundred Baptists who can
spare one dollar each for this noble enter
prise? I believe there are. Send on your
dollar, brethren, or sisters either, and I will
report every cent received ; and when a suffi
cient sum is obtained, I will take pleasure in
attending to the work of having the monu
ment erected. If a brother in each church or
neighborhood will take the trouble to act as
voluntary agent to assist in raising the money,
the monument can soon be placed over his
grave
It would be a shame to the Baptists to suf
fer his noble daughter to expend her hard
earned means to do this work, when there
remain several of his children yet to be edu
cated and cared for. Let us not allow this
to be done. One dollar is but a trifle to each
of us, while four or five hundred would be
quite a burden for her.
When brethren send sums of more than
one dollar, let them raise a sufficient amount to
justify the purchase of a money order, or reg
ister the letter and there will be no risk in
receiving it. I will make monthly reports of
what I receive until a sufficiency is obtained.
Forward to me at Albany, Ga.
N. A. Bailey.
June 9 th, 1870.
Sunday School Convention.
On last Friday our Sunday School Conven
tion met and organized, as you will see from
inclosed slip from our county paper, the West
Alabamian. The Spirit of the Master seemed
to pervade the meeting. The churches and
Sabbath schools were not as fully represented
as we could desire, but this was a beginning,
and we hope that progress and improvement
will crown our efforts with great success. I
hope your valuable paper will find its way
into ail these Sabbath schools.
W. Ashcraft.
Carrollton, Ala., June Ist, 1870.
The last Union Baptist Association, in order
to awaken more interest in Sabbath schools,
recommended the churches and Sabbath schools
within its bounds to appoint delegates to meet
with the Sabbath school at Carrollton, Friday
before the sth Sunday in May, 1870, to or
ganize a Sabbath School Convention. In ac
cordance with that resolution, the delegates
met at the Baptist church in this place on
last Friday, and organized permanently by
the election of Rev. Wm. Ashcraft, President,
and W. G. Robertson, Secretary. A consti
tution was adopted. The object of the organi
zation, as announced in the constitution, is the
establishment of Sabbath schools within tho
Union Association, and to co-operate with the
State Baptist Sunday School Convention.
The object is to establish a flourishing Sabbath
school in every church—to adopt the best
books and the best mode of teaching—to unite
the efforts of the churches—to encourage each
other, and to confer together for mutual im
provement in the great Sabbath school work.
The Committee on Religious Exercises