Newspaper Page Text
CHRISTIAN IN DM AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
VOL. 49-NO. 27.
A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER,
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA, OA
AT $3.00 PER ANNUM,
Invariably in Advance.
J. J. TOON", Proprietor.
Life or Death.
“I am in a strait betwixt two.”— Paul.
*****
To live or die
Which of the twain wilt thou prefer?
That question seta ray thoughts astir.
] know not which ’t were best to choose;
I know not which I should refuse:
I cannot tell —not I.
To live, I might
Hum soft notes like the little bee,
Sip nectar from each flower I see,
Inhale their various odor* sweet,
Load with their hunevdew ray feet,
And—lose all in a night!
Again, to live,
1 might, like tiger-hunters, find
Amusement for my languid mind,
Spend in the chase the livelong day,
And, if at last I bagged the prey,
’Twould much of pleasure give.
But—sad the thought!
To run the tiger sometimes spurns,
On his pursuer fiercely turns.
And gives the pleasur.-seeker fight,
Unless he takes to speedy flight—
His pleasure’s dearly bought.
• ’Tis ever so
Withal I the sensual joys of earth,
To one who knows no second birlb.
Earth’s pleasures often end in pain,
Our losses far exceed our gain,
Our wealth procures us woe.
Death brings repose
To all who’ve lived a life of faith—
(-to the Eternal Spirit saitb)
Rest from the cases and toil of life,
From all the i Is that here are rife,
And from reveugeful foes.
To live or die?
The question I refer to Thee,
Oreat God, decide Thou it for me.
Thou knowest best—what in Thy sight
Appearetb good, I know is right:
I do on Thee rely.
Thus God decides:
“ Live thou thy God to glorify,
Till called —then bow thy head and die;
The.dead in Christ shall live again,
Aud with me in my kingdom reign :
There bliss supreme abides.”
ABDIEL XEKODA.
"Why not have a Church Edifice Department In
our Domestic Mission Work J
Dear Index: Repeated calls come tome,
as to most of our pastors, for help in build
ing church edifices. “The Home Mission So
ciety” has three distinct departments. One of
these is “The Church Edifice Department.”
This has secured, during the past twelve
months, the building of anew house of wor
ship for each week in the year. For S4OO
they bought a house, not built by Baptisi
money, worth $2,000. They have secured
building sites free of cost, or at small cost, in
growing centres. Read the following, from
the Macedonian and Record:
“The Union aad Central Pacific Rail Roads
have deeded to the Society land sufficient for
a meeting house and parsonage in every town
or city along their extended route of thou
sands of miles; and passes were furnished
your Secretary over these roads that he might
make selection of such lots. Over two months
were spent in this service. ... In some
cases, entire blocks have been deeded to the
Society with reference to the erection ofbuild
ings for seminaries, or higher schools of learn
ing, etc.”
Conversing, recently, with one of the few
men who own the railroad running from
Shreveport westwardly into the heart of
Texas, and destined to go on, it is thought, to
California and the Pacific, I learned of their
perfect willingness to do somewhat of this
same sort along their route. Why may the
Southern Baptists not have a Church Edifice
Department as at the North and in England.,
to secure such valuable donations, and to col
lect funds for building ? If Dr. J. L. Burrows,
for example, were the head of such depart
ment, lie would probably receive SIOO from
many who now conttibute an occasional dollar
or the fraction of it.
Let some effort be made to establish a
woi king force which shall have theoffieial over
sight over this department of labor, and we
would greatly gain thereby.
In what l have written I intend no reflec
tion upon the Domestic Mission Board, whose
whole strength is earnestly at work, but I
simply desire to see this new department—
this division of labor, so that more might be
brought into requisition.
A. T. Spalding.
P. S.—lt might not be amiss to locate this
new department in Atlanta, and let it have
ramifications and agencies in each of the large
cities.
To tlic Baptists of Georgia and Alabama.
The following paper from the Foreign Mis
sion Board was presented at the recent meet
ing of the Convention, and referred to the
Committee on Extended Operations:
The Board of Foreign Missions are pro
foundly impressed with the necessity of a
greatly enlarged influence in the work com
mitted to their hands, and regard it as worthy
of the special and prayerful consideration of
all the churches of the South. Were a score
of men, properly qualified, now presenting
themselves tor appointment, the positions are
ready to be occupied. Cod is opening a wide
and effectual door in anti-christian and Pagan
lands for the proclamation of the gospel.
He is thus calling upon his servants to exer
cise the true spirit of their Redeemer in an
unselfish solicitude for the saving of millions
who have no knowledge of His mercy. It is
His will that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in His name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. We
have begun at Jerusalem. Jerusalem is filled
with the doctrine. All our population have
heard of Christ and His salvation, and now
we have need to spread the tidings in regions
beyond; that to whom lie was not spoken,
they shall see; and they that have not heard
shall understand.
The churches with which we are identified
need this very exercise to develop their re
sources. These resouces are wonderful, but
are as yet unknown to themselves. The
slightest calculation will satisfy even the scep
tical that an exceedingly small aveiage con
tribution on the part of each church would
avail to sustain one hundred missionaries
among the heathen. All history and experi
ence go to prove, too, that in proportion as
the world-wide spirit of benevolence suggest
ed by the go-pel is cherished, will be the
growth of every excellence in the Christian
fraternity. If one hundred missionaries were
sent by our churches to heathen lands, the
reflex influence would be such that every de
partment of the home work would be pros
pered in a tenfold measure.
Impressed by these considerations, the
Board agree to the adoption of the following
resolutions:
Resolved, 1. That the Board of Foreign
Missions regard it as their duty, in reliance
on the Divine blessing and on the contribu
tions of the churches, to appoint every well
qualified applicant for service in the Foreign
field.
Resolved, 2. That as suitable men for this
service is now the great want of the times, it
{s3 00 A YEAR. 1 FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1870. {s3 00 A YEAR.}
be urged upon the churches to pray the Lord
of the harvest for an increased number of
laborers, and t ) foster the gifts which may be
found among them.
Resolved, 3. That an endeavor should be
made to interest every church within our
limits in this work, so as to secure, as far as
possible, a free will offering from each of its
members; and that the influence of our
brethren in the pastorate ought to be called
into requisition in bringing about this result.
Resolved, 4. That the Southern Baptist
Convention, at its approaching meeting, be
rtquested to take in special charge this whole
subject, and to give it their prayerful consid
eration.
The Convention at Louisville, in its report on
extended operations, endorsed the sentiments of
the above paper, and I am glad to say, that the
Board, in beginning their work this new fiscal
year, still maintain the purpose to do all their
brethren of the South will allow them, in the ex
tension of the truth as it is in Jesus, in anti-
Christian lands. We now need volunteers of
courage and self-denial, to take the lead in storm
ing strongholds of the Wicked One. Are there
no young men in the South who, counting the
cost, are willing to take up their cross and “go ”
to heathen lands ? We are waiting to hear the
response.
We need, also, funds to sustain the men who
go forth at our request. Already, measures are
instituted for commencing anew mission in
Southern Europe. Will the churches fail to hold
up the hands of their Board ? I am sure they
will not. All that is needed, is action. If the
pastor, or some right-minded brother, or sister, will
commence the movement in each neighborhood,
the church will not fail.
Brethren, let us hear from you in reference to
this thing. Let all remember that, “he that
watereth, shall be watered also himself.”
On behalf of the Board,
Jas. B. Taylor, Cor. Sec.
Richmond, Va., June 20, 1870.
The Autobiography of an Old Pilgrim.
( Continued.)
MY INNATE DEPRAVITY, AND FIRST WILFUL RE
JECTION OF CHRIST.
44 The grace cf God has done a great deal
for you, brother Nekoda,” said the late ven
erable B. M. S. to me, on one occasion. I
was both surprised and startled by the re
mark—surprised, for the brother had known
me personally but a few years : and, as I had
resided beyond the bounds of my native State
two and twenty years, he could have known
but little of my antecedents. I had not ac
quired a reputation for superior sanctity,
either at home or abroad, nor had I, by my
acts, rendered myself pre-eminent for my per
sonal piety. How could he, then, know what
God’s grace had done for me? Ah ! thought
|— an( j [ felt sad and somewhat mortified at
the thought —I must, in some unguarded hour,
by act or word, have flung open the door of
my heart, or carelessly left it ajar, and thus
allowed him to discover that old giant, my
evil human nature, bound within me by di
vine grace, but struggling to burst his bands
asunder that he may resume his reign in and
over me. I must be more guarded hereafter
—more circumspect as to my words and acts.
I was dumb. The remark of the brother
awakened remembrance of many acts of wan
ton, wicked rebellion ugainst my rightful Sove
reign, and of base ingratitude to the best of
Fathers, the most gracious of Benefactors. 1
could not gainsay it. 1 could offer nothing
in t.ie way of extenuation of my past sins ;
for I had been brought up most religiously by
a fond mother, who adored her Saviour and
adorned His doctrines by her godly life. She
had labored indefatigably to infuse into me
the principles of that gospel which had lighted
up her own soul with the joy of salvation, and
which had sustained and comforted her in her
lonely widowhood, amid the many dark scenes
through which she had been called to pass.
That God’s all-abounding grace to the chief
of sinners may be made manifest and be mag
nified, 1 will depart from the course usually
pursued by modern biographers* and autobi
ographers, and record some of the evil traits
in my character which the grace of God had
to overcome, ere 1 could be qualified to be
initiated as a disciple of Christ. The work is
not a pleasant one to perform, but if God may
be glorified thereby, or one poor soul be led
to seek after and trust in Jesus, the sinner’s
Friend, 1 shall feel amply repaid for all that
is unpleasant in its performance.
The Bitale teaches, most unequivocally, that
we all come into the world with depraved
hearts—with hearts as prone to evil as the
sparks to ascend upwards or the streams of
the mountains to roll downward—that we are
shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin—that
we go forth from the womb speaking lies,
etc. The truth of all which my own past ex
perience abundantly attests.
One of my earliest recollections is that of a
lie that 1 devised and acted out, to avoid the
necessity of silting to hear a sermon read by
my step-father, on the afternoon of a Lord’s
day. I was then, I think, in the third year of
my age. lam certain I could not have been
over three years of age. I was still under the
care of a nurse, and well do I remember the
laugh that would be produced whenever I
would call upon her to give me some water
—occasioned by the inarticulate substitutes
I used for the name of my nurse and for that
of water.
My mother, before I could read, taught me
the Mother’s Catechism, and labored to im
press upon my mind the truth that the young,
as well as the old, were liable to die, and that
unless we loved God and sought to do His
will on earth, we could not be admitted to
heaven to dwell in His presence, and in that
of His holy angels, in a state of perfect and
never-ending happiness, but would be cast
out, with all the vile and abominable beings
of earth, into a place of torments prepared of
old for the devil and his angels. She told me
the story of the Saviour’s love, and labored
hard to enkindle in my heart a love for Him,
and a desire to live with Him forever after
death.
The first wilful and deliberate rejection of
the overtures of mercy, of which I have a dis
tinct recollection, occurred, I think, when I
was about five years old, or in my fifth year.
1 remember I was playing in the yard when
the thought of death, and the recollection of
what my mother had taught me of the Chris
tian’s happiness, here and hereafter, occurred
to me; and a something within me seemed
to interrogate, “ Do you want to be a Chris
tian?” I answered, “Yes;” but the thought
< fthe self denial required of the Christian oc
curring to my mind, 1 added, “ before I die,
but not now.” I thought, to be a Christian,
I should have to give up the sports of my
childhood. I loved them, and wished to en
joy them as long as I could, but—“l want to
*The usual course is, to say all the good you can of
the subject of your biography, but not a word to inti
mate that he had any detects Paint tps virtues in
the most glowing colors, but cast, it possible, an im
penetrable shade over his faults. Apologize tor wbat
you cannot conceal of them, and wash them well
with “ while lies,” to prevent the adhesion to them of
any odium.
When 1 read modern eulogistic biographies, so far
from being encouraged by them to aspire alter higher
spiritual attaiuinents, I experience feelings of dis
couragement. 1 sigh and say to myself, -- Ab! these
men, (or women ) if I may credit their biographers,
uever had an evil Dean like mine with which to con
tend. They, it would seem, were bom, and bred, and
lived, and died angels—or something near akin to an
gels—but, like the Old and New Testament saints,
whose deeds, evil as well as good, are recorded iu the
sacred Scriptures, I was born of au apostate, de
praved, sinful race of mortals.” Give your modern,
eulogistic biographies to saints to read, but give to
me tux Bible, that tells ol evil as well as good.
be a Christian before I die, but not now,” was
the language of my heart. I turned again to
my sports, banished thoughts of death from
my mind, and soon became as oblivious of
my soul’s eternal interests as ever! How
foolish was I! I preferred the sports and the
pastimes of childhood, its toys and its trink
ets, to the favor of God and eternal life ! And
why this choice ? Because, at this early age,
1 had imbibed erroneous notions about the
religion of Jesus—its nature and its require
ment—notions not the less erroneous because
held in the present day by many advanced
in years. Whence did 1 imbibe those notions ?
Not from my mother, I am sure, nor from
the word of God, nor were they infused into
me by the Spirit of the Holy and Just One.
1 derived them, no doubt, from that arch-liar
who imposed upon our first parents a false
hood for truth, and whose whisperings in tn\
soul, as I I ty in my cradle, probably, led me
to fret and cry at every little bodily discom
fort I experienced.
The erroneous notions to which I refer are :
1. Tnat religion deprives one of worldly enjoy
ment; and, 2. That it is a cheerless thing
that affords no equivalent for the enj >yments
of which it deprives us. The first is contra
dicted in the constitution of our own minds,
and in that of every object around us, as well
as in the acts of Jesus, as recorded in thegos
pels.
The Lord has formed us capable of deriv
ing enjoyment from the objects around us,
and imparted to those objects the quabtie.-
that adapt them to the gratification of our
cravings for enjoyment. This it is incredible
He would have done, had He been the mo
rose being (which Satan would have us be
lieve Him to be) who wills to deprive us of
worldly enjoyments. The words and acts of
Jesus, also, while He was on earth, evinced
a merciful regard for the temporal as well as
the eternal interests of His creatures. The
Lord denies us no present enjoyment that,
would not eventually injure us, and only re
quires of us, m the use of the world, to ac
knowledge, with grateful hearts, our obliga
tion to Him for the benefit or enjoyment we
derive from the world. He whose heart is
most devoted to the Saviour ever has and
ever will derive most enjoyment from the ob
jects with which he is surrounded in life.
Show me a man who does no. enjoy the things
of this world, and I will show you a man who
is unhappy,discontented, and devoid of the love
of Jesus Christ, though men may number him
among the disciples of Christ.
As to the cheerless nature of religion, 1
will only say, if you wished to satisfy your
self relative to the flivor of fruit set before
you, about which a diversity of opinion had
been expressed, the surest and best way would
be to ta-te it yourself. So with regard to
religion : —if you cannot credit the testimony
of those who have experienced its consola
tions, I would say to you, as God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and
the bride of the Lamb, (the church,) have said
before me, come and test it for yourself.
“ Come taste and see that the Lord is good
and gracious.” Do this, and you will say.
as the Queen of Sheba said of the riches, and
wisdom, and splendor of Solomon's court,
“The half hath not been told me,” You will
join with new ardor, and with feelings never
before expressed, in saying.
, “’Tis religion that ran give
Sweetest pleasure while we live;
’Tis religion must supply
Solid comfort when we die;
After death its joys shall be
Lasting as eternity.”
Abdiel Nekoda.
Reply to Brother Shaffer.
This article is not designed as a reply to
the objections which brother S. offers to my
views, presented under the caption, “The
Sufferings of Christ;” but to correct a mis
apprehension as to my meaningupon one point,
under which he, an J perhaps others, are labor
ing, owing to the clumsy manner in which
the thought is expressed. As to the positions
assumed, they need, it seems to me, no other
defence than the strong hedge of Scriptural
proof-texts brought forward then, and to
which many others might be added, if neces
sary, to secure them against any attack lhai
may be brought, unless we bring them to the
tribunal of human reason for trial. If reason
is to be the judge, then I admit they .nay be
swept away. But that is not the tribunal
where judgment is to be passed upon things
pertaining to God. The Scriptures and expe
rience furnish the only tests. While subjects
of faith are not contrary to sound reason,
they are often far above it. Reason would
have devised a very different remedial sys-tem
from the one presented in the Bible for our
faith to lay hold upon; but will any one say
it would have been better—as good ? Who,
by searching, can find out God ? “ His ways
are not as our ways.” “The foolishness of
God is wiser than menwhile “ the wis
dom of man is foolishness unto Him.” We
must take what God says, because He said it;
and be content to believe it whether we un
derstand it or not, just as we receive the doc
trine of the united Divine and human natures
of Christ, taught by the Word, proved by
the facts in His history, letting reason stand
silent, not being able to deny the testimony,
nor having strength to soar to the lofty sum
mit.
To the misapprehension: Brother S. un
derstands me to assume that the bodily suf
ferings of Christ had no respect to the be
liever, but His soul sufferings alone. My
design wa> to state that the bodily sufferings
of Christ had a relation to the bodies of all
men, believers and unbelievers. That there
by the natural life, powers, and pleasures of
all men are secured to them. That from this
fact the bodies of all would be raised from
the grave by the power of His resurrection.
The body of the believer, raised as the lm
mortal habitation of his purified, sinless soul,
or spirit, would, with it, enter into endless
bliss and life. The body of the unbeliever,
raised as the immortal habitation of his im
mortal but sinful soul or spirit, would be
condemned to endless misery, the second
death, together with it.
I desire to call my good brother’s attention
to two errors into which he fell in his article,
knowing that if he sees them as errors he
will abandon them. Speaking of the suffer
ings of Christ, he says: “ They were pot the
sufferings due to us at all; they were radical
ly different.” How, then, did Christ come
to die ? W ithout sin there can be no death ;
for “ the wages of sin is death.” Christ
died. Whose wages did He recieve? His
own? Certainly not; for “He was without
sin—knew no sin”—fulfilled all the law.
How, then, came He to die? No wages
were due Him, of that kind ; yet He received
them. Why? Because He took our sins
upon Him, to suffer in our place, as well as
to obey for ys, Therefore He received our
wages. “He being made sin for us," “He
was wounded for owr transgressions ; He was
bruised for our iniquities.” “ The Lord laid
on Him the iniquity of us all," “Who
(Christ) bare our sins in His own body on
the tree.
Again, brother S, says; “All things that
are tran-piring in the world are not according
to God’s will,” I cannot conceive how any
thing in antagonism to the controlling will of
an absolute sovereign, within whose domin
ion all things live, move and have their being
alone by His permis.sion afi"d po ver, can ex
ist. By a breath such an antagonism could
be removed, and a second thing created whiel.
would not thwart tb§ purposes of such a
sovereign. In short, if anything can be, dom
in despite of the will of God, 1 cannot see
how His purposes of eithenereation or grac<
can be accomplished. Such a thought shear?
God of His maj-sty, glory ajid strength.
I freely admit that men do multiplied mil
lions of things of contrary to the revealed
will of God for our government, but ever
these transgressions shall woikout the pur
poses of both creation and gra’e. The trans
gressors are, nevertheless, justly entitled u
pnnishment; for they consulted and grat fied
only their own desires, and" that in violation
of the law given for thgir government, with
out any knowledge or care fir the hidden pur
poses in the Divine mind, and, as far as they
knew, in the very face of these purposes.
Man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord
iirecteth his steps.”
Brother S. a-ks, “Is it for the glory of
God for men to sin at all ?” ’ J will answer
oy asking some questions also, knowing that
but one answer can be given, which will be a
sufficient refutation of the implied negative
in his question. Was it for the glory of God
and fulfillment of His purples, that Joseph’.-
brethren should, through jealousy and hatred,
sell him into Egyptian Hmsfyge? That Pha
raoh should disobey the express command of
God* delivered by Moses, to let the people
of Israel go? That the people of Israel
should reject God and His counsel, and choose
a king, thereby bringing tb-the throne David
and Solomon, through whom the Saviour was
to come? That the Jews should have reject
ed and crucified Christ, who had been sent to
them? Questions might be multiplied in
definitely, bringing forth instances, both from
profane and sacred history, where men have
acted in plain violation of God’s commands
but which He has caused to workout for His
glory and the good of His people. “The
wrath of man shall praise Him, and the re-*
mainder of wrath will HeA^strain.”
Geo. E. Brewer.
Rockford, Ala.
Beauty.
Beautiful faces, —they that wear
The light of a pleasant spirit there, —
It matters little if dark or fair.
Beautiful hands are they that do
The work of the noble, good aud true,
Busy for them the long day through.
Beautiful feet are they that go
Swiftly to lighten another’s woe,
Through summer’s heat, or the winter's snow.
Beautiful children, if rich or poor,
Who walk the pathways, swtyt and pure,
That lead to the mansions strong and sure.
“Free Indeed”
True freedom is to be found only in Christ.
“ If the Son, therefore, shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed.” J<fhnviii:36. The
complete freedom which Christ, gives, how
ever, comes progressively. In regeneration,
'he chains of sin are broken, the dominion of
Satan over the soul is destroyed. But the
-ffects of the former state—the habits of the
physical, menial and moral nature —are not
at once rooted out. A most glaring evidence
of this, to mention only one, is that fear ot
man which bringeth a snare and' oftentimes
deters from the full discharge of duty. We
cannot serve two masters. And for the time
being, he is really our master whom we most
fear. “ His servants ye are to who'm yeubey.”
Rom. vi: 16. A professed minister of
Christ ficmly believed a condemned criminal
to be innocent of the crime charged, yet for
fear of the odium that would be incurred, he
refused to take steps to secure justice for the
condemned. We ought to obey God. And
if through fear of man we fail to obey God,
we are yet in bondage.
He, then, alone is “free indeed,” who,
putting aside the fear of man, does his whole
duty in all things as unto the Lord. To do
this incurs the hatred of men, and not sel
dom, pecuniary loss. It is true. But faith
fulness in duty has its compensation. As sin
carries with it its own punishment, so faith
f'ulcess in duty bears, its o*?n reward. A dis
ciple in endeavoring to do his duty incurred
public odium to that degree that but very
few in the place where he lived would give
him personal recognition. For weeks, he
was literally alone with Gnd, whose approv
ing smile he constantly enjoyed. And this
was in reality the pleasantest and most com
sortable season of his whole Christian expe
rience. Who would not ever pray, l ‘Lord,
make me “free indeed?"
A Bible Baptist.
“ What Strengthens Us ?"
Wbat strengthens us to bear the woe,
The cares, the ills that chequer.life ?
Mr*. M. J. Bryan.
What strengthens us f Have ye not heard
of Him of old who spake as never mortal man
gave utterance ?—He whose sweet words of
love and tenderness did fall like drops of
balm on wounded souls, that besought
Him, pleading for His love, to make them
whole once more —give back again to their
bent, stricken forms and palsied iimbs the
strength and beauty of their earlier days,
which, by a siugie word, He kindly did ?
When He shall come again, at the last day,
the blind shall sep, tlre'larms shall be made
whole.
What strengthens us t Do ye not knew
that He is speaking still, and that the same
sweet voice doth kindly say : “ All ye that
heavy laden are, and ye who weary in the
march of life, come ye unto me and I, who
once was weary, but had qot where to Jay
my aching head, will give you rest 5” and the
calm peace of God, which Ho man compre
hendeth m its full measure, shall forever more
abide and reign within the inmost recesses-of
a heart made strong by faith in God’s own
Son.
What strengthens us? The thought that
when this mortal with immortality shall be
clothed, we shall awake in His own glorious
iorm, and be like Him in all that makes the
outward man delightful to the eye ; and that
we shall think no more of earthly suffering—
that the eye was closed to all the beauty and
the grace by which we were surrounded ; that
the foot refused its office, and the palsied arm
hung lifeless at out side; that whatever \ye
of these, the ills of life, haye bqrne, though
we go up from weary beds of lingering pain
and death, we “ shall be satisfied ” —oh !
what a glorious, blessed promise—when we
awake in the likeness of Him who hath bought
us by His most precious blood, and redeemed
and strengthened us to bear “ the ills that
chequer earth,” by the rich promise of im
mortal youth and beauty, where sickness and
death, and sin, and sorrow, and parting are
never known ! Florence Lyndon.
Troy, Ala., 1870.
Baptism- — Dr. w, £. Rees, not long since,
applied to Rev. Mr, Cartwright, vicar ot
Braintree, to perform the marriage oeremony,
who refused, (and on appeal was sustained by
the Bishop of Rochester in the refusal,) be
cause Dr, R, had never been baptised. An
Episcopal minister of Pennsylvania, also,
who had been a Baptist, when oal'ed to offi
ciate in the marriage service, asked for a
bowl, and proceeded deliberately to sprinkle
the parties before uniting them in matrimony.
The Baptists Dying Out—again.
In further response to the inquiry of the
editor, as to whether the Missionary Baptists
in this region are really “ dying out,” (as was
recently announced by Bishop Pierce,) i take
uicasion to state, for the information ot all in
terested, that the statistics of Methodists and
Baptists, in the territory known as the 4 * Bain
bridge District,” show that the Methodists
dive a little over tu>) thousand white mem
bers, and the Missionary Baptists a little over
three thousand. 1 have not been able to ob
tain the starisiics of the “Hard-shell,’ or
Primitive Baptists, but it is safe to a-sume
that they number at least one thousand white
nembers in the region indicated. lam satis
fied that, as the case now stands, the Baptists,
tn point of numbers, are'double as strong as
the Methodists in the Bainbridge District,
It is not a matter of much consequence;
yet it may be well enough to have it under
stood that the Baptists have not yet got their
consent to give up the country, which the
worthy Bishop says they once had, and that
we trust God has not yet left them to die out.
It is freely admitted that the Methodists of
this section are a devoted, earnest and zealous
people, and that they are enjoying cotisidera
ile prosperity. Yet I think my good brother
s mistaken, when he claims that “ the whole
land before us lies.” Or, even if the land lies
open to the Methodists, the Baptists need not
•>e discouraged so long as the waters lie open
to them, which, in this section, are abundant.
J. H. Campbell.
Thomas* ills, July 4,1870.
Hollins Institute.
It was my privilege, on last Wednesday,
June 29th, to be present for the first time at
the Commencement exercises of Hollins Insti
tute, in this county. Any written descrip
tion will convey but a very feeble conception
of the character and surroundings of this beau
tiful and spacious institution. The buildings
occupy three sides of a square, and are con
structed upon a plan which is at once a pledge
for all home comforts, and of the most ample
facilities for health and exercise to the stu
dents. It was a cheery sight, on entering the
large hall of the main building, to see the
many joyous faces assembled there to witness
or shaie in the interesting exercises which
closed the session. These were of a somewhat
varied character, consisting mainly of music,
vocal and instrumental; reading of essays by
full graduates; and a noble oration of blended
pathos and humor from Rev. N. W. Wilson,
of Richmond, Va. Six diplomas of full gradu
ation were delivered—an unusual number, by
che way, for a school whose standards are so
high and the conditions of full graduation of
so difficult attainment. I heard it remarked
by competent judges, (I myself not being a
oonnoiseur,) that the musical exhibition was
of the very highest character. I can confi
dently say, so far as I could judge, that for
purity of style, chasteness of diction, origi
nality of thought and general excellence of
composition, I have rarely listened to any
productions equal to those of the essays that
were read.
It may be proper to remark, that the next
session will open about the latter part of Sep
tember, with greatly enlarged facilities for the
accommodation ol pupils.
So far as the premises, etc., are’boncerned,
the main building is almost complete ; and for
amplitude of proportions, chasteness of struc
ure, and all the general appointments and
appliances of a first class institution of learn
mg, the well-known energy and indomitable
perseverance of Superintendent brother Chas
L. Cocke, have left nothing to be desired.
By common consent, this school, so charm
ingly situated in the very midst of the lovely
and fertile valley of Virginia, ranks first
among all the colleges and schools for female
culture in the South. Its professors are nu
merous, efficient, laborious and conscientious;
its religious facilities are most ample, em
oracing ministrations from preachers of all the
evangelical denominations; and, in short, it
is just such a school as is fitted, in all respects,
to command a patronage from every part of
the South, where there are daughters to be
educated and properly trained for the duties
and responsibilities of life. H. D. D. S.
Salem, Roanoke Go., Va., July hth, 1870.
Peter and the Rook.
What did oqr Saviour mean when he said,
“ Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church?” (Matt. 16: 18.) And
was it or the rock, against which
the gates of hell were not to prevail ? And
does “ My church” mean the same as 44 king
dom of heaven,” in the next verse ? These
deeply interesting questions have not yet been
so conclusively answered as to preclude fur
ther inquiry.
The word petros, (Peter,) or Cephas, (John
1 : 43,) means a s'one. Many explain the
passage to mean, “Thou art rook, (Peter,)
and upon this same rock (Peter) 1 will build.”
To this way of taking our Lord’s figurative
words there are strong objections, not only
doctrinal and historical, but the words them
selves seem intended to express another mean
ing.
To make this plain to English readers, bear
in mind that when He says “ Thou art a rock,"
He uses the word in the masculine form ; but
when He says 44 Upon this rock I will build,”
He changes to the feminine form.
These two forms of the word, in Greek,
have not the same meaning. If our Lord’s
meaning was that Peter is this rock, the same
form of the word in both parts of the sen
tence would have expressed it; hut by chang
ing from the masculine to the feminine, He so
changes the meaning that the stone in the first
part is not the same as the rack in the second
part of the sentence,
To illustrate —if the passage were translated
thus : 44 Thou art a masculine rock, and upon
this feminine rook I will build,” eto., then the
reader of the English would see that our Lord
did not mean that Peter is the rock on whiuh
He would build. Well, this is just what He
did say, literally and fully translated.
But what is the difference between a mas
culine rock aud a feminine rock ? The usages
of the Greek language supply the answer.
The masculine is petros, the feminine is petra.
Liddell and Scott define petros 44 a pieoe of
rock, a stone ” such as may be thrown by the
hand, or from a sling. But petra is 44 an im
bedded rock, a ledge, or shelf of rock.” The
same critics say, “ There is no example in
good authors ot petra, in the signification of
petros , for a single stone,” So that the rock
cannot be Peter.
The difference in meaning of petros from
petra is like that in English between stone and
rock. When geologists speak of 44 the primi
tive rocks,” “ the tertiary rocks,” we know
that they mean huge masses, of which stones
are fragments. “In popular language,” says
Webster, 44 very large masses of stone are
called rocks ; small masses are called stones,"
We are familiar with this usage, as “They
stoned Stephen,” 44 Let him cast the first stone,"
etc. But when we say,
“ Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee,”
we think of a great mass, or ledge of rook.
So that the meaning is, keeping up the fig
ure, 44 Thou art stone —a specimen fragment
of the rock —-and upon this rock— of which
thou art a sample—l will build,” etc. If His
meaning was that He would build on Peter,
as the rock, why did He employ a word with
a different meaning? If Peter was the rock
on which He would build, why did He not
use the same masculine word, so as to expres
that meaning? As He did not say thi-, bui
took care to sav something different, He meant
something different; that is, He meant what
He said.
Some attempt to evade this conclusion by
claiming that He spoke in Syriac, and this
change of form was necessary in translating
His words into Greek. But who has a right
to go behind the inspired writer? And wh.
sets himself up to criticise the Greek or the
Syriac of Matthew ?
Bengel says, “ Petros elsewhere signifies a
stone ; but in the case of Simon,a rock." A mere
opinion, not su-tained by facts. The distinc
tion ofnouns as masculineor feminine,in Greek,
is that of size. Yet it would seem that Beu
gel was misled by some such notion, when he
says, “It was not fitting that such a man
should be called petra, rock, for this has a
feminine termination.” And what if it has?
Did not our Lord say of Himself, 44 1 am the
true vine,” “ I am the door.” 44 I am the way,
and the truth, and the life?” all of which are
feminine nouns. Why could not Peter be
called petra, rock, pray, if our Lord meant to
compare him to the rock instead of a stone ?
The common notion, therefore, that Peter
is the rock on which our Lord would build
His church, will not stand this first test. It
any critic can tell why He so signally changed
His word unless He changed His meaning
also, let him do it. We are bound to believe
that our Lord used words in their customary
meaning, till the contrary is proved. Can it
be proved?— Dr. Crowell, in Watch, dk Ref.
Church Recognition.
While the spirit of Christianity is emi
nently a spirit of love, it is also a discrimi
nating spirit—not confounding the right and
wrong together, nor holding in the same rela
tions the true and the false. The extent of
ecclesiastical fraternity must be even more
closely circumscribed than personal charity,or
even individual religious recognitions. Chris
tian character, no doubt, often subsists in the
absence of a sound Christian creed ; and,
t lerefore, while it would be altogether right
to recognize and confess the persons who are
examples of this anomaly as true Christians,
it would not be right to extend our Christian
recognitions to associated bodies into whose
organic life great and destructive errors of
dootrine enter. The apostle John, though
recognized its the loving disciple, admonishes
Us that “If there come any unto you and
bring not this doctrine, receive him not —nei
ther bid him Codspeed and in the Apoca
lypse the church of Ephesus is commended
because of its intolerance of false apostles;
and the church of Pergamos is reproved be
cause they had among them those that held
pernicious doctrines. Our Lord, in His an
swer to the disciples who had forbidden cer
tain ones who cast out devils in the name of
Christ because they followed not with them,
seems to cover the whole case. Christian
work performed in the name of Christ is the
test of Christian discipleship. The creeJ,
without its legitimate fi uits, will not suffice,
and of the fruit, in the absence
of the faith that confesses Christ in His proper
character, is hollow and and ceptiye. True
Christian union must be based upon Christian
truth j attempt, \t in fh** «Ka**nno of thiit is
to dishonor Christ and to betray Him with a
kiss. Doctrinal unity, as respects all the
great elementary truths of religion, is an es
sential condition to Christian union.— N. Y.
Chris. Ad.
Infant Baptism.
This practice obscures aud confuses the
doctrine of baptism. The Presbyterian, Dr.
Cunningham, (Hist. Theol. vol. ii., p. 45.) is
compelled to admit that “ as there are un
doubtedly some and fficulties in the way of ap
plying fully to the baptism of infants the de
finition usually given to the sacrament (in the
Westminster Confession of Faith,) and the
general account commonly set forth of the
objects and ends of baptism, we are very apt
to be led to form insensibly very erroneous and
defective views of the nature and effect of bap
t am, as an ordinance instituted by Christ in
His church, or rather to rest contented with
out any distinct or definite conception upon the
subject.” Further on, he adds : “If we were.
in the habit of witnessing adu’t baptism, and
if we formed our primary and full conceptions
of the import and effects of the ordinance
from the baptism of adults, the one sacrament
would be as easily understood and as definitely
apprehended as the other I’—i. 1 ’ — i. e., as the Lord’-
supper. He oloses the paragraph from which
we quote with the remark, that the manner
in which men commonly (in Scotland) see the
ordinance administered— i. e., to infants,
“ leaves the whole subject in a very obscure and
confused condition in their mind.” And this
is so everywhere. Pedobapti-ts have no de
finite conception of the significancy of bap
tism. They cannot have, so long as they ad
mini-ter it to a class of subjects Jesus never
intended.
The Road to Rome.
The Southern Churchman published an
elaborate article to prove that hardly any
persons brought up in the Episcopal church
leave it to join the Church of Rome. Nearly
all these perverts, it is claimed, first left the
Presbyterian. Methodist, Baptist and other
churches, tarried a while in the Episcopal
church, and then landed in Rome, The Cen
tral Presbyterian aptly replied : Are not the
ministers and members of the Episcopal
church in duty bound to give Presbyterians
and others solemn warning of the danger from
entering their church? If, as now affirmed,
they are likely not to stay long in the
Church—that there is somehow a peculiar
tendency among them to “goon to perfec
tion” in Rome, then we submit that the path
of duty is very plain. Can Episcopalians be
so indifferent to the perils, momentous as
eternity, surrounding our straying members
as to lift up no warning voice ? It seems to
us they would do well to place conspicuously
over their door beacon words, something of
this sort: Presbyterians, Methodists,
KTO„ ARB WAUNKD THAT THIS IS, TO THEM, THE
gate downward to Rome ! We may be ex
cused for urging this duty upon our Episcopal
brethren the more emphatically sinoe, if com
mon report does not greatly err, they have
heretofore grievously neglected it. In fact, it
is said that instead of warning words, our
members receive earnest invitations to ft po
sition now admitted by those giving it to be
one of extreme peril.
Remission in Baptism.
A correspondent of the American Chris
tian Review , (“ Cainpbellite,”) asks : “ Is bap
tism valid where the candidate knows not
where the Lord pardons his sins and where
he is quickened together with him! See Col.
ii: 13.” The Editor replies: “Where the
person ‘believes with all the heart, repents
and is immersed,’ the baptism is valid,
whether there is a dear understanding where
the Lord pardons or not. When the person
does what is required in order faithfully and
honestly to please God and that he may be
saved, it is valid and acceptable.” Here,
then, is pardon in an outward act, even when
the inward sense of pardon is wanting. How
loose and dangerous a system 1
WHOLE NO. 2497.
I Did this for Thee.
What hast Thou Done fob Mk?
I gsve my lif« for thee. Gal. ii: 20.
My precious blood I abed, 1 Pet. i: 19.
That thou might’st ransomed be, Kph. i: 7.
And quickened from the dead - Kph. ii: 1.
f (five my life for thee; Tit. ii: 14.
What hast thou doue tor Me 7
I spent lons'years for thee 1 Tim. 1: 15.
Iu weariness aud woe, Isa. lit i: 8
t hat an eternity John xrii: 24^
Os joy th. u mightest know. John xvi; 22.
I spent I..tig years for thee: John i: 10, 11.
ilastlhnu spout one tor Me?
Mv Father’s home of light, John xvii: 5.
Mv rainb<>w-bow circled throne, Pev. iv: 8.
I left tor earthly night, Phil, it: 7.
For wanderings sad and lone. Matt, viti: 20.
I left it all for thee: 2 Cor. viii: 9.
Hast thou left aught for Me?
T suffered much for thee, Isa. liit: 8.
More tnan ihv tongue may tell, Matt, xxvi:
Os bitterest agony, Lukexxo: 44. j
To rescue thee from hell. Bom. v: 9.
I suffered much fi.r thee: 1 Pet. ii: 21-24.
What caust thou bear for Me?
And I have brought to thee, John iv: 10-14.
Down from my home above, John iii: 13.
Sa'vation full aud free, Bev. xxi: 6.
My pardon aud my love. Acts v: 81.
Great gilts I brought to thee: Ps. lxviii: 18.
What hast thou brought to Me?
0, let thy life be given, 1 Pet. iv: 2.
Thy years for Him be spent— 8 Cor. v: 15.
World-tetters all be riven, Phil, iii: 8.
And joy with suffering blent! 1 Pet. iv: 13-18.
Bring thou thy wortlile-s all: 1 Cor. vi: 20.
Follow thy Saviour’s call. Matt viii: 22.
Bible Revision.
A committee appointed by the Church of
England Convocation, at the session held the
6th of last May, has itself had a meeting,
and made arrangements for entering immedi
ately upon the work. In accordance with the
rules adopted by this committee, the. Old
Testament and the New Testament are each
to be revised under the direction of a sepa
rate subcommittee. It is also determined
that the portion of the Old Testament to be
first entered upon shall be the authorized ver
sion of the Pentateuch, while in the New
Testament, the Gospels come first in order
for the revision. The Committee for the
former embraces the Bishops of Sr. David’s,
Llandaff, Ely, Lincoln, Bath and Weds, with
Archdeacon Rose, Canon Selwyn, Dr. Jebb
and Dr. Kay. For the New Testament, the
Committee are the Bishops of Winchester,
Gloucester, Bristol and Salisbury, the Deans
of Canterbury and Westminster, and Canon
Blakesley. Among the scholars and divines
chosen to assist in the revision, we find two
Baptist names—Drs. Angus and Benj. Davies,
of Regent’s Park College; the latter for the
Old Testament, the former for the New.
Fearlessness of Truth.
Twenty-seven years ago, when 1 first con
ceived the idea of editing the Greek text of
the New Testament, I received from a dear
and valued friend a piece of advice which 1
cannot frrget. It was this: “Do not point
out difficulties; pass them over and ignore
them : it is not time to be directing attention
to them.” My answer was, 1 can consent to
no such procedure. As every difficuly arises,
I wiil state nothing but the plain truth : for I
am persuaded that the cause of Christ never
has been and never can be served by any
concealment or warping of truth, nor by any
equivocation or reservation soever. And
every one of the seven-and-twenty years since
has confirmed this persuasion. From that
time to this, as events nave umoiaea tnem
selves, every bit of concealment, every stroke
of tactics, every cleverly contrived plot to
mask or hold back the truth, hits been a loss
to us: while by every concession to truth and
justice, every sacrifice of the conventional for
the real, in a word, by every act done on first
principles and with no by-end, we have ap
peared to short sighted persons to be losers
at the moment, but we have gained immensely
in the end.— Alford.
Heavenly Character Revealed in Chrsst.
There is in Rome an elegant fresco by
Guido —the Aurora, It covers a lofty ceil
ing. Looking up at it from the pavement,
your neck grows stiff, your head dizzy, and
the figures indistinct. You soon tire and
turn away. The owner of the palace has
placed a broad mirror near the floor. You
may now sit do*n before it as at a table,and
at your leisure look into the mirror, and en
joy the fresco that is above you. There is
no more weariness, nor indistinctness, nor
dizziness.
So God has brought otherwise inaocessible
celestial truth to our world through Jesus
Christ. In Him, as in a glass, we may be
hold the glory and truth and grace of God.
He is Himself “the Truth.” Like the Ros
piglioso mirror beneath the “Aurora,” Christ
reflects the excellency of heavenly character.
In all essential elements He was on earth
what they are in heaven. And through Him
we may not only know what the saints there
are, but be assured tiat “we shall be like
Him for we shall see Him as He is.”—Sun
day School Journal.
/
Ordination. —The Church Calendar says:
“There is but one way in which it c»n bo
known for a certainty that a man is called to
the ministry, and that is by the fact of his
ordination. Until that fact is accomplished,
he and others may imagine what they please
about him; but they do not know anything.
‘But are not many persons ordained who
prove quite unworthy and unfit?’ Unworthy
and unfaithful they may be, (so much the
worse for them!) they are none the less
‘called’ of God and set apart.” That is—
without Episcopal or Romish ordination,there
is no true, and with it no false, ministry !
W hen men write in this style, it does not sur
prise us to read, that, at a late Episcopal fair,
New York, when a gold watch was to be vo
ted for, to be given to the most popular can
didate, Pope Pius IX received 444, out of
2,736 votes cast! The wonder is, that he
did not receive more !
Episcopacy. —Lightfoot, Professor of Di
vinity in the University of Cambridge, Eng
land, in his recent commentary on Philip
pians, arrives at the following conclusions :
1. Neither Scripture nor the early Fathers
countenance the idea that the Christian minis
try is a priesthood ; 2. The Bishop of the
sub apostolic age was only a presbyter invest
ed with the office of President of the Presby
tery —something like the Presbyterian Mode
rator; 3. Bishop and presbyter are synony
mous in Scripture, and there is* not the
shadow of authority for the doctrine that
bishops are the successors of the Apostles.
Pastoral Letters. —ln a notice of the late
Rev. Baron Stow, D.D., a writer says : How
many times I have heard candidates for bap
tism, as they related their religious expe
rience, say, “My first religious impressions
were received from a letter written me by the
pastor.” I have no doubt there are hundreds
of these letters now treasured as valued me
mentoes of him who has gone. Able as he
was in the pulpit, successful as he was as a
preacher, the last day, I think, will reveal the
fact that his personal labors as pastor were
blessed quite as much as his pulpit ministra
tions.
Immersion. —During the month of May.
forty persons were “ baptized by immersion”
into Pedobaptist churches, in the vicinity of
Lake Mills, Wisconsin.