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of Brethren,
has it never occurred to you that all this is the
practical result of your having driven your pastors
from their pulpits to the school room, the farm,
the workshops, for that support which God has
“ ordained ” that you should supply? If, there
fore, you want new life breathed into every noble
enterprise involving the prosperity of the cause of
Christ, begin here. Strengthen this right arm of
your power; yield to what God has “ordained”
in this respect; release your pastors, and you
will soon see that prosperity comes just in pro
portion as you are in harmony with the ordina
tions of Omnipotence. H.
Judgment at the House of God.
The introduction of Christianity into our world,
established on earth a tribunal of pure and rigid
justice—a throne of righteousness among men,
with authority to judge the world. This tribu
nal was placed by the King Eternal in the king
dom of His saints, where He Himself rules with
“power over all flesh.”
With the Word of God in hand, it is the duty
and the exalted privilege of the churches and
ministers of our Lord to proclaim the principles
of righteousness and the offers of salvation to all
the world, and lie restricts the privileges of His
kingdom, with its hopes and promises of eternal
life, to those who love His authority and surren
’der~ to His rule.
This at once elevates His churches to a position
of transcendant sublimity, lifting them far beyond
the sphere of all other moral institutions. There
may be much good in this or that institution; yet
the churches of Christ, comprehending the ele
ments of all good, move on a plane not to be
reached by the institutions of men. Now, the
Divine arrangement which makes the kingdom of
the Redeemer the custodian of truth, justice,
righteousness and holiness, brings with it fearful
and tremendous responsibilities; and these re
sponsibilities are distributed to the whole mem
bership, so that “none of us liveth to himself.”
We are set to judge the world, but we are not to
forget that “ the time is come that j udgment must
begin at the house of God.” It must begin with
us in the judgment of ourselves —our own hearts
and lives—our relations to Christ and His cause.
If in this investigation and judgment our own
hearts condemn us, let us fear and tremble, for
God is greater than our hearts, and He will also
condemn us. Many Christians say, “0, lam so
sinful that I cannot pray, I cannot take an active
part in the work of the church, I cannot go to
the communion table.” Well, perhaps you are a
better judge of yourself than anybody can be of
you; and does your heart condemn you ? Then
go in haste to God, repent and do thy first work.
In this condition you are scarcely prepared to
judge the worst sinner, or to bear any successful
part in spreading salvation.
We are are to judge the world. Very well;
“ thou that sayest another shalt not steal, dost thou
steal ?” Thou that sayest another shalt not do
thus and so, dost thou do it ? Men of the world
will judge us while we are professing those prin
ciples which condemn them ; they will know what
our professions are, and they will know much of
what our life is. They come to the house of God
to make judgment begin there. They look right
into your worshipping assemblies and judge you
there. They see you in the walks and business
of life, and there they judge you. They hear
from your Sabbath school, or conference, or prayer
meeting, and learn that you were not there, and
they judge you. They see the subscription for
pastor’s salary, or for some other object, and they
say you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Good men and women—faithful and true—will
quietly judge us with righteous judgment, in the
house of God; and how dreadful is their modest,
forbearing sentence! And the God of all purity
keeps us under his eye; alas for those who are
not what they pretend to be I Joy for those who
walk worthy of their vocation !
“As many as walk according to this rule, peace
be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of
God.” Their devotion to Jesus condemns the
world. Their love of truth and righteousness,
their correctness of life and Christian simplicity,
reprove, and yet charm others, and mako the
churches of God powerful in the earth. If we
would bring the moral force of God’s word to
bear down on the consciences of men, we must be
consecrated to its holy principles. If we would
show forth the excellencies of the house of God,
we must first show that it is composed of “a pe
culiar people, zealous of good works.” Then it
shall be seen that “ out of Zion, the perfection of
beauty, God hath shined.” And all men shall
see His glory. . R.
Our Theological Seminary.
We commend, earnestly, the appeal of Rev. Dr.
Boyce, which the reader will find in the column of
Special Notices Why should not our churches,
in cities and towns, take up the collection in be
half of the Southern Baptist Theological Semi
nary, for which he asks, on the Fourth Sunday in
February, and our churches in the country at
their February meeting ? The cause is a good
one, and it is needy. Not to help it, is to harm
ourselves and the churches of the future.
Our Zion—in Our Exe^B
Georgia.
Rev. J. T. Robert, LL.D., has
Presidency of the University,
lowa, and removed, for the present, to
Washington, in this State. He desires a pas
toral or professional location in Middle or
Central Georgia; and we take pleasure in
calling the attention of our churches and institu
tions to his name. Rev. H. C. Ilornady has
accepted the agency for Mercer University and
resigned charge of our church at LaGrange.
On application of the Trustees, Judge Cole, of the
Superior Court, Macon Circuit, has amended the
charter of Mercer University, so as to allow the
removal of that Institution to Macon. Rev. M.
B. Wharton, of Eufaula, Ala., occupied the pulpit
of the First Church, Atlanta, last Sabbath.
The health of Rev C. M. Irwin, we are glad to
learn, has so far improved, as to warrant the re.
sumption of pastoral and pulpit labor at Madison.
Rev. G. C. Needham, the Irish Evangelist, re
ports to the Richmond Herald a meeting in Au
gusta, with prospects of “ large blessings.” And
Rev. Dr. Dixon writes to us, under date Jan. 7th:
“Twenty-six were received to-day at church meet
ing, and I baptize 19 to-morrow. They are not
more than half the number converted, and more
are seeking.”
Alabama. „
Rev. S. Henderson, D.D., entered on his duties
as pastor of our church at Jacksonville, the first
Sunday in this month. Rev. J. P. Shaffer, of
Lineville, “ recently baptized a man 63 years old,
who had been quite wicked all his life.” Our
church at Greenville has secured as pastor, Rev.
C. A. Kendrick, of Atlanta, a student of the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev.
B. W. Whilden, of Marshallville, Ga., visited the
Chinese laborers on anew railroad in this State-
He found from 700 to 1,000, and held a religious
service in Chinese. He says: “ Mistakes doubt
less I made in conveying my thoughts; but I
know that I imparted to them some of the truths
of the gospel in an intelligible manner.”
Florida.
Bev. P. P. Bishop writes from Pilatka to the
Examiner and Chronicle: “ With one exception
—that of the church at Madison—there is not a
Baptist church in Florida which can raise SI,OOO
a year for the support of a pastor. In almost
every village, however, a Baptist nucleus could be
gathered, and a living church could be set at work
now, by the aid of comparatively small appropria
tions. As to some growing towns, I cannot re
concile myself to further delay. Baptist families
are coming in, and finding no churches of their
own faith, are drifting into connections by which
they are lost to us. It is well known, too, that
persons who have passed through such experi
ences, are seldom good for anything in their new
relations ; hence, we may set most of them down
as lost to the general cause. We are trying to
remedy this state of things as fast as we can. The
sum of $1,500, from the Church Edifice Fund,
divided equally among three village churches, is
helping us wonderfully.” The Baptists, white
and colored, number quite one in twenty of the
population of the State; while in New York, the
proportion is about one in forty.
Kentucky.
“There are one hundred and six students at
Georgetown College, which is in a prosperous con
dition. Finely located, with a strong corps of in
structors, and an endowment of $155,000, in ad
dition to real estate of great value, it may be con
sidered asuccess.” Washington Street Colored
church, Paducah, has had 109 accessions, (76 by
baptism) ; our church at Middleburg 24; Robert
son’s school house, Breckinridge, 19; Hall’s
school house, Robertson, 42; Hopewell, 26 ; Mt.
Pleasant, Henderson, 24. Rev. T. M. Vaughan
goes, as pastor, from Simpsonville to Danville.
Maryland.
Pastor Chiles has baptized 26 at Nanoemjy,
Charles county, including many of the most inter
esting young men and women in the community.
Three of our churches in Baltimore are vacant;
Franklin Square by the resignation of Rev. J. B.
Hawthorn, High Street by the resignation of Rev.
R. B. Kelsay, and Broadway by the resignation of
Rev. J. E. Chambliss.
Mississippi.
Rev. T. G. Sellers, Starkville, was bereaved,
Nov. 28th, by the death of his wife, Mrs. Mary E.
Sellers. She was born in Limestone county, Ala.,
Oct. 29th, 1836, united with the Baptist church
at the early age of fourteen, lived a life of Chris
tian consistency, and resignedly fell asleep in
Jesus.
Missouri.
A church, New Liberty, has been organized in
Laclede county, eight miles southeast of Lebanon;
another “on the Fountain, at the Toral P. O.;”
another, of 36 members, (19 recently baptized,)
at Yarber school house, Lewis county ; and yet
another at Osborn, DeKalb county.——Three
Rivers church, St. Genevieve connty, has had 11
accessions; Pleasant Hill,Cass county,24; Hickory
Grove, Johnson, 16; Syracuse, Morgan, 14.
A revival at Liberty, chiefly in our two Institu
tions there, has resulted in 14 baptisms by Pres.
Rambaut of Wm. Jewell College and 10 by Pres.
A. Machett of the Female College.
week on all the leading
and contains much valuable miscellaneous reading.
Brother J. J. Toon, the energetic proprietor, is a
Charlestonian, and is a fair representative of work
ing Carolinians. Dr. Shaver, the principal editor,
is a Virginian, and was formerly editor of the
Richmond Herald. He was born an editor.
None of our readers need to be afraid of insulting
the Working Christian by subscribing for our
nearest neighbor, the Georgia Index.”
Tennessee.
Mrs. Talulah Burns, relict of Rev. D. E. Burns,
died Jan. 2nd. “For years past she has been
suffering from a pulmonary disease, which has
issued in her death. In addition to this, she has
been nearly blind, scarcely able to distinguish the
features of her children. But, so sadly afflicted,
shehas been a most patient sufferer, and for years
not a murmur has escaped her lips. Her prayer
of life has been, ‘Not my will, but thine be done.’
The great shock occasioned by the death of her
husband was too much for her feeble strength,
and hastened her dissolution. She has, during
her whole sickness, been remarkably serene and
tranquil, and enjoyed a perfect consciousness and
balance of mind to, the very last.. Her last hours
were delightfully sweet, peaceful and blissful.”
Virginia.
Rev. Addiscn Hall resigns his churches in the
Northern Neck, after a service of nearly forty
years, and goes to reside with his married daugh
ter in South Carolina. Rev. J. L Johnson be
comes pastor of Fork Union church, Fluvanna.
The visit of Rev. A. B. Earle has been erown
ed with a revival in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Rev. T. G. Jones, D.D., at Freemason Street
church, Norfolk, has baptized 35.
■West Virginia.
“At the close of the war there were about ten
thousand Baptists in the State. Now, we have
twenty thousand, —much more thoroughly organ
ized for working now than at any previous period.
Many churches, that a few years since were mis
sion stations, are now self-sustaining. Many new
points have recently been looked after, and hew
churches are already being organized at centres.”
At Pott’s Creek, twenty-eight have been bap
tized, Bluestone twenty, Fayetteville eight, Coal
Marsh eight, Sewell fifteen, and many more at
other places. Jno. P. Campbell has been or
dained to the ministry, and elected pastor of
Springfield church, Monroe county.
China.
Our missionaries in China everywhere “are
having as many baptisms per annum as pastors
on an average in America;” and our Board has
some $40,000 worth of property there, or more.
We hope that those who account the Chinese mis
sion a failure, will ponder these facts.
A Request.
“ Is any sick among you? let him call for
the elders of the church, and let them pray
over him and the prayer of
faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up.”
The Christians of Montgomery would
earnestly request their brethren everywhere
to pray for our beloved brother Wm. P.
Chilton, who is now suffering from a severe
fall down the stairway of one of our commer
cial houses. The extent of his injury has not
yet been fully defined. He has much pain,
and at times is very restless, yet there is some
improvement in his case. Pray often, and
with importunate faith. D. W. Gwin,
Coliseum Place Church, Kew Orleans.
Knowing the deep interest you have felt
and still feel m the Coliseum Place Baptist
church, in this city, in which I still hold
my membership, I thought 1 would drop you
a line about it.
The Coliseum church, after long waiting
and faithful praying, God, in His infinite good
ness, has answered those prayers by sending
to them one of His own heritage, a devotedly
pious and zealous servant as their standard'
bearer, in the person of the Rev. Edward G.
Taylor, D.D. He is a man of God, and
“ knows nothing among men save Christ and
Him crucified.*’ He was received here by
the church and congregation most kindly and
cordially; and'his fervent pietv and great
•zeal has been such as to cause him to grow in
public favor daily. He is truly “ the right
man in the right place.”
At the church meeting on Wednesday night
last, it was resolved to set apart and hold the
present week as a “ week of prayer;” a week
in which so many thousands in this and other
countries unite in sending up their petitions
to God for the outpouring of His Holy Spirit
upon the world. I am just from the first meet
ing, and confidently tell you that all felt “ it
was good to be there,” and glad when they
said unto us, “ let us go up to the house of
the Lord.” As the result of these meetings,
all have strong faith that God will “ open the
windows of heaven and pour out a blessing,”
particularly as our membership have resolved
to bring all their “ tithes mto the store house
and prove the Lord, and see if He will not
pour them out a blessing.” Although our
dearly beloved Earle, the Evangelist, is ex-
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PPPI— ——
I New Year’| Gift 9.
a little space to spjF that they are
P!ming, and I want to say still they come”
several times. How lightTt is, to get a let
ter like this: “ Tithings s,|rr A New .Year’s
gift $5, between the three byards. The Lord
bless His work and the v Jrkers. Mission
ary.” I have a number 0.-’ the same light
giving character. A youngjady who teaches
a Sunday school at home writes: “I read
your piece in the Index, ‘ To Baptist Fami
lies in Georgia,’ to my little Sabbath school
yesterday afternoon, and each member of the
little band decided to sencPa Christmas gift
to the missionary cause.’? And the dear
teacher and “ every one,” sore enough, sent,
and 1 have the “gifts.” AM some gave “ all
they had.” The -Saviour v 4L-hless that young
sister and those precious children. Let others
send. New Year won’t be out for sometime
with the “agent” and Unci . Shad. Let such
letters come on to Albany. » The letters with
“ gifts” will be apt to come safely.
Chaudcin.
Minnesota News Notes.
At 12 o’clock to-night tt-Jear 1870 expires,
andco-morrow will bring HjAh a new year to
those who survive to see .-It T flow grateful
we ought to feel to our H«H[enly Father for
His giiodpess and have been
.liTu s' o.u t ’TTm nu’
up. It, no doubt, would Ixnpleasing to God
for all His people,.this night, ere they retire
to rest, to bow down around the family altar,
and in their closets, and offer up to Him
grateful thanks for the blessings of the past,
and reconsecrate themselves to His service
for the future. As the year is about out, I
am reminded that it is about time to renew
my paper, so enclose the money for its con
tinuance to me here. I have read it with
much interest, more than ever before. Wheth
it is because it is more ably conducted, I away
from my native and Georgia, or my
mind and heart have beeJßUrer to Jesus, 1
know not. Would it may*/e the latter.
I have been here, as you are aware, since
forepart of April. Tnis is tiue most important
city upon the Upper Mississippi; has a pop
ulation, by the late census, 20,045, is situa
ted on the left, or east hjknk of the great
Father of Waters, 2,080 mi-', s from its mouth,
and ten miles below the Pali sos St. Anthony,
upon a beautiful plateau of land, and envi
roned by a semi-circle of hills, making out
from the bluffs below, and extending round
to the bluffs above. From many points, es
pecially what is called Sum mit Avenue, Day
ton’s Bluff, and a few other*piaces, the scene
ry is grand and enrapturing. The surround
ings of St. Paul, are admitted by almost all
who have been here, to exceed in beauty and
grandeur, those cf any othei'city in the Union.
Minnesota is anew, but a great State; has a
territory cf about 88,000 square miles.
There are hundreds, and I might say in truth,
1 have no doubt, a thosand of beautiful chrystal
lakes, abounding in various kinds of fishes.
This is the season of the year for venison.
There are a great many meat, butcher shops,
in the city—how many I know not, but at
at least two, three, or four score. In all
these venison abounds, and besides, in many
of the family groceries I have seen saddles of
venison that weighed 125 pounds. I have
seen as many as 14 heads
off, lying in a pile inside of the sidewalks.
It is not uncommon to ship*a car load of sad
dles of venison to the Efst, and tons of
dressed poultry come herJ“for consumption
and shipment. f
Minnesota is a beautiful name, and signifies,
in the Dakota Indian tongue, “sky-tinted
water.” From two-thirds, to perhaps three
fourths of the fertile an jf tillable land, is
prairie. These prairies are generally very
fertile, and present to the eyes of a stranger
to them, a scene of beautiful sublimity *>nd
loveliness. I have been 165 miles North
west, to Alexandria. (If have a map of
the United States, turn your eye to Alexan
dria, though it is anew place, and I doubt if
it is marked down.) It is about 60 miles
from the Red River of the North. 1 travelled
from St. Cloud, 75 miles North, to Alexan
dria, 88 miles from St. C/wud, in the stage,
on the night of the sth ani morning of the
6th inst., and seven-eighths of the way on a
beautiful prairie, apparently eight to ten miles
wide, the timber visible on -ach side. From
Alexandria, I took the stage in a south west
erly direction, 48 miles, to Benton, the pre
ent terminus of the fiigt-.jivision of the St.
Paul and Pacific-Railroad, IS6 miles west of
North from St. Paul, where I remained at a
very pleasant hotel. The head of my bed
being near a window, I awoke and pulled my
window curtain aside to see wh< it was
light, but could not tell. The inside of the
window glass was as thick as a knife blade
with frost—the first frost 1 ever saw in
side on a window glass. Tt’is place—Benton
—is 65 miles into the and almost in
terminable prairie. I have been, also, 125
miles south west, into the great prairie, down
towards Sioux City—have been where the
eye could see not a tree, or shrub, or twig.
In spring or summer, when these praries
are arrayed in all their gorgeous costume,
carpeted in living green, aid bedecked with
beautiful !*ed, .'*;ite, purple, yel
low, and pink,
beautiful scene. Mat I amt con.e to a con*
■ *■*"' \.v; .
H'', Atlanta,- ga., Thursday, janury 12, im
elusion. This city has, I suppose, not less, in
and of all kinds, than twenty churches-
Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian, Bap
tists, Catholic and Universalist. There is
both our regular Baptist church and our
branch of it—a mission. For the last two
months, the Baptist church, being without a
regular pastor, the church procured the ser
vices of the Rev. E. F. Hulbert, a native of
Chicago, and who is a graduate of the Baptist
Theological Seminary there, and last Wednes
day night the chnrch gave him a unanimous
call as pastor. Mr. Hulbert is 26 years old,
and, lain persuaded, is the very ablest man
of his years—l had like to have said, years or
no years —I ever heard. And what is still
better, he has been, and is, under Divine unc
tion —preaches the gospel‘of Jesus Christ like
it is preached by our ablest and holiest min
islers in Georgia. He has no politics in his
sermons. 1 trust my heart’s desire and prayer
to God is, for the prosperity of His cause in
all the earth, especially in my native State.
Excuse imperfections, which are many.
J. J. Scarborough.
rv. St. Paul, Minn., Dee. 3Uf, 1370.
. Ordination of Judge B >nd.
The first day of January, 1871, will long
be remembered by many who were present
at the Baptist church at Brownsville, Tenn.,
as a day of unusual religious interest. It was
the day set apart by the. church for the ordi
nation of Judge W. P. Bond to the ministry
of the gospel. The clouds that had obscured
the sky on the preceding day had all disap
peared, and sun shone cheerful and bright,
imparting a spring like temperature to the
atmosphere. This, with the comparative
novelty of an ordination ceremony, and the
singular fact that the candidate was one long
known in the profession of the law, and who
for years had presided on the Bench as a pop
ular Judge of the Circuit Court, who had sud
denly abandoned the law for the pulpit, added
interest to the occasion and drew out a large
audience. ,
A presbytery' was present, consisting of
Elders George Young of Durhamville, J. F.
B. Mays of Jackson, Mat. Hillsman of Tren
ton, I. R. Branham of Brownsville, and
Owen of Haywood county. At 11 o’clock,
the presbytery having previously organized
by appointing Elder Hillsman to preside and
conduct the ceremonies, took their seats upon
the platform. Eider Hillsman proceeded to
deliver the ordination sermon, taking as a
text 2 Cor. v : 10. “ Now then we are am
bassadors for Christ,” etc. After which he
descended from the pulpit to the platform,
and announced to the church that the presby
tery was ready to proceed. Deacons lhomai
and Smith then conducted brother Bond to
the front and presented him before the pres
bytery, when Elder Hillsman proceeded to
examine him in the hearing of the congrega
tion on his views of the doctrines of the gos
pel, embracing the whole range of theology,
and clearly developing what is distinctively
Baptistic.' All of which proving eminently
satisfactory, Elder Young led in prayer, the
hands of the presbyters were laid upon the
head of the candidate, the words of ordination
solemnly pronounced, and the ceremony was
completed. Elder Mays delivered an impres
sive charge, and Elder Branham, with a brief
but touching address, presented the candidate
the Bible as his future guide and text-book.
A hymn was then sung, during which the
presbyters and the members of the church
gave to brother Bond the hand of fellowship
and recognition in his new relation.. The
subdued but deep feeling which had pervaded
the congregation throughout the service, now
overflowed, and the congregation was flooded
in tears. It was a most touching scene w hen
the son of brother Bond, a grown young man,
came forward,and in tears grasped his father’s
hand and thew his arm's around his nf ck and
sobbed aloud. Indeed, the scene was one of
indescribable interest.
Brother Bond is now past middle life, has
been more than ordinarily successful in his
worldly pursuits, but gives, as his experience.,
that the duty of preaching the gospel has'fol
lowed him from his youth, and ofun so strong
were his desires for the work that he became
disgusted with all other pursuits, and longed
for the church to call him out. Althnugh en
tering the ministry late in life, yet his thor
oughly trained mind, extensive learning, fa
miliarity with religious and theological sub
jects, acquaintance with the Bible, deep piety
and the habit of public speaking, give pro
rnise of a large measure of usefulness. Are
there not in the churches all over the country
men who ough', to preach the gospel, and who
would enter the ministry if pastors and
churches would do their duty in calling them
out? M. H.
Trenton, Tenn , Jan. 3,1871.
Rehoboth Indian Mission,
Being an invalid just now, I will do that
which health has prevented for some time:
viz., write to the Index the condition and
prospects of the Rehoboth Indian Mission.
The year has been a very active, and, I trust,
a profitable one. My own general health,
and that of the native assistants, has been
very good, even during the sickly season, and
we have tried to return active gratitude to
God for this blessing, by constant service in
His vineyard. Camp-meetings have been
held at all the old churches belonging to our
field in the Choctaw Nation, and an active cam
paign has been opened in the Chickasaw Na
tion, new ground, which has never before
been occupied by Baptists. Our churches in
the Choctaw Nation are in a healthy state.
Brother James Williams, one of my assist*
ants, has been diligent in the work, and has
reaped an abundant harvest. Here is an ab
stract of his report for the quarter ending
SnptemberSOth, 1870 : Days of actual labor,
45; Sermons preached, 32; Exhortations,
12; Baptized, 35; Miles travelled in per
formance of labor, 392; Restored, 10; Ex
cluded, 5. This brother is now supported by
the little church worshipping at Rehoboth
Mission Station.
Two Chickasaws have been licensed to
preach, brotheis Humphreys Colbert and
Anderson Porter. These are men of good
character —the former the son of the ex Chief
—humble, zealous and pious, and give prom
ise of much usefulness. They will be sup
ported by the sisters of Rehoboth Associa
tion, and, I trust, will receive their prayers,
as well as their alms. The Chickasaw Na
tion is engaging the especial attention now,
of the friends of this mission. It has been
neglected so long, it is large, it is ripe, it has
opened so auspiciously. Will all the friends
of Indian Missions, and especially the mem
bers of the Rehoboth Association, make spe
cial prayer for the little plant God has planted
among tho Chickasaws? May God indeed
increase it abundantly.
The freedmen in my field of labor are also
claiming attention. In the treaties made be
tween the U. S. Government and the Choc
taws and Chickasa-vs, a provision was made
by which the Government agreed to remove
the freedmen from the bounds of the two
nations. This the Government has failed to
do, and they are still here in a state of de
pendence and helplessness. They are dis
posed to be quiet, industrious and religious.
In my field there are several large churches
composed-entirely of freedmen. I preach for
them occasionally, and find them remarkably
free from superstition, and anxious to be
taught aright. Their children are growing
up in ignorance, however, and if some of the
aid now so freely extended to the freedmen
by Northern societies, could be secured for
these , it would be worthily bestowed.
Brother Hogue has reached his Indian home
in safety. His children are all well, and were
awaiting him at his home, having come over j
from Texas to meet him. The return trip
was pleasant, and all of his many friends here
rejoiced greatly at his safe return. We are
very much astonished and grieved to learn
that a surrender of his mission was deter
mined upon by the Bethel Association, and
trust that Providence will still open the way
by which he may be permitted to remain.
We are too few now, and instead of withdrawal,
the mission should be reinforced.
I was made to rejoice greatly, a few weeks
since, at receiving a letter from brother Lan
ier, of the Middle Association, Ga., inform
ing me that that body determined, at its re
cent session, to sustain a native Indian
preacher, and requesting me to engage one
tor them and set him at work. 1 have gladly
complied with their request, and secured the
services of one of the oldest and best in the
Territory. I was reared within the borders
of the Middle Association, baptized into the
fellowship of one of its churches, licensed to
preach by the same, and hence feel peculiar
joy at this action of the body. Let me sug
gest to other Associations, or churches, or
individuals who wish to aid in the conversion
of the Indians to Christ, that this is a very
cheap and efficient plan : viz., to employ the
native Indian preachers to travel and preach
to their people. These native preachers need
to be supported, but it requires but little to
support them—from SIOO to S2OO. A few
need more than this, but most of them can
live on this amount, and are glad to get it.
They make excellent missionaries, faithful
and effective. In some respects they are su
perior to whites. How many churches will
adopt a native preacher ? »
J. S. Murrow.
Ah to ha, G. N., Deo. 16HA, 1870.
News from the Field.
My labors for this month were commenced
at Madison, Fla. 1 felt quite at home there.
The Baptists have considerable strength.
Rev. C. Smith is pastor.
Valdosta, Ga., has a live Baptist church,
a good Sunday school, and an excellent house
of worship. Brother J. Mcßride is pastor
here and at Quitman, another beautiful vil
lage, with a first-rate church, wide awake to
the interests of the Baptist cause.
Thomasville, an old town, in Southwestern
Georgia, is, so far as the Baptists are con
cerned, in a cold state. When I was there, I
thought of the muchcriticistd sentence of
Bishop Pierce, and think his remark is true,
so far as relates to that place : ft The Baptists
are dying out.” Rev. W. H. Clark is their
pastor. He is hard at work. But it is
lilie the seed cast in ihestony place. 1 worked
for the Sunday School Board one day and
night, but not one cent did I get.
Visited Rehoboth church, Randolph ooun
ty. Brother Powell is pastor. They are
building anew house; yet they gave me
money. At Brooksville, I stopped with Dr.
Sales. Had two remarkable meetings and a
pleasant visit. Brother Binion, the pastor at
Benevolence, was kind to me. His is a nice
cross-roads church. They were so benevolent
that they gave rue ten cents. Brother Kees
has my thanks for carrying me to Lumpkin,
(twelve miles,) where 1 had an excellent visit.
Rev. T. H. Stout is their efficient pastor.
They are repairing their house of worship.
They gave me money, which always makes
an agent happy.
Visited First church, in Macon. Its pas
tor (Rev. E. W. Warren) helped mo to take
a collection, which was good for a very, very
cold day.
Now', I close my report for this month.
Indeed, this closes a term of service for twen
two years in the Tract and Sunday school
cause. 1 now close my connection with the
Sunday School Board. 1 cannot be idle.
To morrow I enter the pastorate of the Se
cond Baptist church, in this city, Rev. S.
Boykin having resigned its care. Shall con
tinue my depository of religious books, and
would request and solicit all who desire Sun
day school or other books, and especially
Baptist ones, to give me a call. Dear reader,
as agent and missionary, 1 bid you farewell.
May the g'iod Lord bless us all. Pray for
me in my new field of labor. 1 hope still to
be useful, and that you may hear from mein
tny new sphere of work.
F. M. Haygood-
Macon, Ga, Dec. 31, 1870.
Board of Education of the Alabama Baptist
Convention.
Origin. At the recent session of the Ala
bama Baptist Convention, this Board was
constituted and located at Montgomery. It
consists of 9 members, viz: D. W.Gwin,
President; J. C. Stratford, Secretary and
Treasurer; Win. M. Davis, J. M. Newman,
Wm. P. Chilton, A. H. Johnson, B. B. Da
vis, W. T. Hatchett, W. L. Chandler.
Object. It is the object of this Board to
raise and distribute funds for the support of
students for the ministry at Howard College,
and of Alabama students at the Southern Bap
tist Theological Seminary at Greenville, S.
C. No aim can be more laudable, none more
profitable. In sustaining young ministers
and thereby enabling them to become “ thor
oughly furnished,” Christians sustain in em
bryo every other benevolent enterprise. We
must, expect our foreign missionaries to be
educated men, or they cannot overthrow the
venerable and subtle religious systems of the
heathen. At home, every imaginable error
is creeping in upon us. Many religious bat
tles in behalf of long accepted doctrines must
be fought over again. With what impunity,
for example, do men assail the doctrine of
plenary inspiration ! No man is prepared to
successfully defend this doctrine without a
critical knowledge of the languages which
God gave to “ holy men” of old.
But we have an Appeal.
Will not every pastor in Alabama take up
a collection for this object as early as possi
ble? Please, dear brethren, or some young
men may be constrained to abandon their work
of preparation. Many at Opelika promised
to send me their collections raised during this
month. Do not break your promise, breth
ren. D. W. Gwin.
Montgomery, Ala., Jan. sth, 1871.
Letter from East Tennessee.
Perhaps a few items from this portion of
the vineyard may be acceptable to your read
ers.
There is much in the present condition of
things in East Tennessee to encourage the
hearts of God’s people. There has been a
wonderful change in the view sos the brethren
on many important points connected with our
general work. Our missionary operations
are succeding finely. We have now fourteen
active, efficient men in the field, and twice the
amount of money raised during the last year,
has already been pledged for the work of the
General Association for next year. These
results have not been attained but by the
most indefatigable efforts, and are largely due
to the influence of Dr. Sumner’s labors in our
Convention last summer, and subsequently,
at the meeting of the General Association.
Whenever the Baptists of East Tennessee are
fully aroused, and do “ put on their strength,”
we shall do wonders here.
Our educational interests are looking up
too. Chief among our schools is the time
honored Institution at Mossy Creek. This
College has now more than 100 students, and,
under the able management of its present
efficient Faculty, is moving rapidly forward.
To this College we must louk for the educa
tion of our future ministry; for it will be
some time before East Tennesseeans get ready
to abandon their own beautiful hills and en
chanting valleys to seek for education else
where.
Among the signs of improvement, it is lair
to include the change in the views of the
brethren in relation to the “ pastoral” woak.
Quite a number of our churches have arranged
to have preaching twice a month, who former
ly, and, indeed, until quite recently, had onl\
monthly preaching.
The revival spirit has been manifesting
itself largely this fall. Many of our churches
have had large accessions. Several are re
ported as having doubled their membership
in a few months. Our protracted meetings
are better conducted too. There is less of
the “ wild fire” style, and more of the plain,
gospel teaching that people need, to under
stand what they must do to be saved.
The weather has been much colder h» re
than usual. The Hols ton river, some dis
tance above here, is reported frozen for miles,
and wagons are crossing on the ice. The
ponds have been frozen here for weeks, and
the skaters have had a fine time. Lare quan
quantities of ice put up. M.
Bethel Sunday School Meeting.
Programme for the Ministers’, Deacons'
and Sunday School Meeting, of Bethel Asso
ciation, to be held with the Pine Bluff church,
commencing Friday before the sth Sabbath
in January, inst.
Essays to be Read. —lmportance of the
Spirit’s preseuee in the Churches—Elder W.
H. Cooper. Systematic Benevolence, as il
lustrated by Christ and the Apostles —Elder
F. M. Daniel. Evidences of Christian Char
acter—Elder T. Muse. Growth in Grace—
Elder N. A. Bailey. The Importance of an
Evergreen Sunday School in every Church,
and the Means by which it is to be kept up—
Deacon R. D. Mallary. The Duty of Min
isters to each other—Elder T. H. Stout.
The Duty of Churches to have regular Prayer
Meetings—Deacon J. H. Ingraham. Per
sonal Holiness : its Importance,and the Means
to Secure it—Deacon D. A. Vason. Family
Prayer: the Duty of Christian Parents re
specting it— Elder J. 11. B. Shackelford. To
whom was the Great Commission given?
Elder W. N. Chaudoin..
Arrangements for preaching will be made
by the meeting. All the brethren are earn
estly requested to write on the subjects as
signed them, and to attend the meeting.
N. A. Bailey, Chairman .
Ordination.
An Ecclesiastical Council convened at the
Long Cane Baptist church, in Troup county,
Ga., on the 12th ult., consisting of brethren
H. C. Hornady, of LaGrange, A. R. Callaway,
Long Cane, S. P. Callaway, of West Point,
and the writer, and ordained to the work of
the gospel ministry, brother G. W. Robert
son. The charge, delivered by our West
Point Bishop, was preeminently sound in
theory, cogent in argument, and happy in ap
plication. Brother S. P. C. is certainly a
man of towering intellect, brilliant imagina
tion, rare elocution, deep-toned piety, and
i deserves one of the very highest positions in
our denomination. L. J. Robert.
Long Cane, Troup county, Ga., Jan. 2, 1871.
Lights and Shadows.
Associations are occasions of lights and
shadows. lam convinced that the custom of
changing moderator every year is bad ; so
much of the interest and pleasure of all delibe
rative bodies depends upon the president,
moderator, or chairman, (or speaker, if he
does not speak much.) Those Associations
that, like the Georgia, Bethel, Rehoboth and
others, seldom change, dispatch bu-iness more
rapidly and orderly than those who change
annually ; and it is necessarily so, as a rule.
A competent presiding officer is so seldom
found, it is best to keep one when found. It
is no disrespect to others, and no respect
especially to the officer to do so, except as an
officer; and if competent, he is entitled to
•that. New moderators, new teachers, and
new pastors (with new doctrines sometimes)
may meet a morbid desire for novelty, but 1
incline to t%e opinion—no, I do not incline, l
stand strait, square up to the opinion—that
such a custom cultivates “ itching ears,” and
very soon it becomes hard to find one that
can scratch those itching ears in the right
place.
1 have forgotten for some time to give the
readers of the Index a very wonderful illus
tration of the powers of memorizing. A son
of Enoch Cunningham, Esq., living ten miles
from Nashville, Tenn., a youth fourteen or
fifteen years of age, in two months, committed
to memory and repeated to his teacher the
New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. He
was a Sunday school scholar in the school at
Goodletsville, and a prize was offered for the
largest number of verses committed in a given
time. The statement above was made at a
Methodist district meeting at Goodletsville,
and was published in the Nashville papers,
where I saw it. A few days afterwards, 1
saw brother C., whom l have known from my
boyhood, and asked him about the correctness
of the report. He told me it was true, and
furthermore, that his son made a full hand in
the field during the time he was accomplish
ing this feat. Will this be taken for a light
or shadow ? I regard it as the most wonder
ful intellectual feat 1 have heard of in a long
time. Any one wishing further particulars
and additional confirmation, can get them by
writing to Enoch Cunningham, sen., Goodlets
ville, Tenn.
Some people, brother Editor, are influenced
by my recommendations and suggestions, and
a great many people—myself among the
number—by yours. We all can influence
some or.e for good or evil. For a long time,
(ever since I read it,) 1 have been recom
mending “ Night Scenes in the Bible” as one
of the best, sweetest, most instructive and
spiritual books I ever read. Now, I wanted to
say this much for it in the Index— have long
felt I ought, but an old “thief” that has robbed
me of many valuable moments, has not ceased
his depredations on me yet, and I might not
have said what I have, but that 1 have just
received the last work of Dr. March, “ Our
Father’s House, or The Unwritten Word,”
and have read two chapters in it. The new
work is not so emotional as the first named,
but never will I look at the heavens, or think
of the deep again, but with more pleasure and
more spiritual instruction than before I read
the chapters : “ God's Glory in the Heavens;”
“His Wonders in the Deep.” Those who
are fond of nature will be more interested, it
may be, in the new work. Tho style is easy,
the language beautiful. Ido hope they will
be generally read. For a book full of light
to head and heart, I can experimentally re
commend both the above, and have and will
yet send the works to those who may not
have the opportunity of getting them from an
agent, or will furnish those who want Horace
Widle, by Mrs. Mallary, (a charming Baptist
work,) or the Revised Testament, Psalms, or
Genesis. How charming a book for young
Christians is Horace Wilde; especially if
they are Baptists, or not Baptists.
I had the pleasure of hearing my dear bro
ther Baily, of Albany, read a sermon Sabbath
night last. “ Pleasure, did you say ?” 1 hear
some one remark. Yes, pleasure—really a
pleasure it was, for the sermon was good, and
the reading very good. He reads well—ex
ceedingly well, and, what is rarely the case,
with more animation than he speaks, because
he rends faster than he extemporizes. He
has action enough, ever looks at his audience
more than many reading preachers, and is
in danger of “ falling in love” with it, and his
people too. Now, I am not advocating the
practice, but I would rather hear a good ser
mon read than some “ blistering, blustering
sermons” extemporized. If my readers want
to know what I ineau by “ blistering, bluster
ing sermons,” I will reler them to a brother
at West Point. The expression is not origi
nal. “ Well, do you use expressions you do