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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.