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CHRISTIAN uSiAX AND SDUTH- WESTERN BAPTIST.
VOL. 50—NO. 8. {s3 00 A YEAR.I
A RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY PAPER,
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN ATLANTA, GA
AT $3.00 PEE ANNUM,
Intariablv in Advance.
,T. J. TOON", Proprietor.
“Jesus Knows.”
She is standing on her watch—
Faith, the meek-eyed child of day;
With an ear attuned to catch
What the far-off echoes say—
O’er her feet the surges breaking
Os the reatless sea of li.e,
Throats and towers around her shaking
In a world’s tumultuous strife.
Not one silver streak of morning
Lifts the sombre veil of night—
Tet she watcbbth for the dawning.
Yet she waiteth for the light.
Will it never come—the glory—
Stealing o er that gloomy sky?
Will it never cease—the story
Os a world-wide misery ?
On her lips the answer glows—
Jesus knows.
Art thou standing on thy tow’r,
Pilgrim soldier of the King!
There to “ watch one little hour,”
’Till His advent-bells shall ring?
Faint not, though thy breast be heaving
With the sob of mortal woe;
He to whom thy soul is cleaving
Told thee that it must be so,
Told thee that through tribulation,
Baptism of tears and blood,
Lay the path of consecration,
Lay the highway back to God.
Blessed be the foot that findeth
That asoending track of gold,
Brightening ever, as it windeth
Through the desert to the fold,
Whose beginning and whose close
Jesus knows.
Hast tbou found Him, 0 my soul—
Him, the new, the living way ?
Art thou speeding towards the goal,
Out of darkness into day?
Lord, Thou knowest the poor measure
I have yielded back to Tbee,
In return for all the treasure
Thy rich love hath beeu to m©j
Yet my heart-strings twine about Thee,
Day by day, with eloser cling;
AH the world were blank without Thee,
Life itself a blighted thing,
.Here am I—’tis love’s surrender;
“ To Thy garden come and reap,”
’Neath the wing of her Defender,
“Give Thou Thy beloved sleep."
Here, for aye, would she repose—
J ESUS KNOWS.
—K. H. Willis.
Symmetrical Culture—No. 111.
Another obstacle to symmetrical culture is,
111. An Erroneous Idea of the End of Ed
ucation.
Many people seem to think that the object
of education is to enable one to create a sen
sation —to get up a stir. According to this
view, the negro waiter in Afartin Qhuytlewit,
when he beat his gong for dinner, at the Now
York boarding-house, was a fine specimen of
the highly educated man; for he certainly
did get up a stir. The distinguished Pro
fessor of Moral Philosophy in the University
of Virginia, used to illustrate the matter thus:
If you put a baby on a bed and give hirn a
stick, he will beat the head board, and be
delighted with the noise. Presently he will;
try his stick on the pillow; but, finding that
it makes no noise, he becomes disgusted, and
returns to the head-board. Now, this is what
we do after we are grown up. We spend
our liyes whacking away on whqtevcf will
make the most noise.
The ordinary idea of the great man is, that
he is the man that gets puffed in the papers,
and fills a large space in the eye of the pub
lic flat the puff is not food; often, it is not
even a stimulant. It is a sort of literary
galvanic battery, producing only a grim car
icature of life in its abnormal contortions of
the dead; and in this direction it is equally
effective, whether the subject be frog or fa
natic, philosopher or fool.
The best-developed men are not necessari
ly notorious. They may be —commonly are
—not much noticed, unless a special emer
gency arises, when they are sure to be brought
oqt, because they qre scarce. That body,
which dashes wildly through space, astonish
ing the vulgar natives, is not a solid planet;
it is a wayward comet, made up maiqly ot
gas, sham and shadow. The planet is synv
metrical. We can count on it.
When the sailor hqs lost his repkoning in
the tprrjbje tornqdp, he does not count on
JEueke’s coiqet, splendid as it is; he looks for
a planet, or a star, that he knows can be founcl
in place. It is not the circumference of the
circle, but the asymtote of the hyperbola,
which can be produced to vast distances; but
the solar circumference encloses space; and
the solar asymtote doesnaf, though produced
to infinity, Washington and Lee were cir
cularly developed, and probably would have
been little known, but for the stormy periods
w hich called them out.
The notoriety, which we often nickname
“reputation,” is too frequently the result,
and the cause, of an inordinate development
of some special conceit. The time was, in
the history of our language, when the word
“conceit” suggested no disagreeable ideas.
It signified simply a thought —a conception—
something found within the mind, as the re
sult of some mental process. From this
primary, and entirely innocent signification,
t|ie word passed to a secondary one — i. e.,
« thought peculiar to the producer of the con
ceit. The word is eveii now used in this
secondary sense without involving the idea of
over weening self esteem ; as when we say of
some eccentric person that “he is full of
conceit',” or “ that is only one of his con
ceits.”
But when a mental habitude is peculiar to
a man, when he becomes aware that such
habitude is his own, and is not the common
heritage of the vulgar herd, he is at once
under a temptation to make a special pet of
this peculiarity in his mental structure*—to
turn it over and over, view it in various lights,
and finally to conclude that, because it is very
rare, it must be very valuable. This non
sequitur frequently makes one proud of a
style of mental furniture- whose sole recom
mendation (?) is its rarity. In some respects,
it is a misfortune to any man to differ in his
mental structure from his kind; and this mis
fortune is seriously aggravated, if the man
be weak enough to confound the idea of rar
ity with the distinct one of value. We do not
know that we ever saw a one-legged stool
placed in a pailor for general use. VVe sup
pose they are extremely rare. But if a man
should take up the idea that his parlor ought
to attract the admiration of all visitors, be
cause it was liberally supplied with these
unique seats, to the exclusion of chairs, set
tees, etc., we should be likely to conclude
that his head was not exactly level, or else
that he was taking extraordinary pains to
make a fool of himself. The attention of
visitors would most certainly be attracted by
such a display ; but their admiration is quite
another thing, and would be more likely to
be attracted by a mahogany sofa, a rosewood
piano, or a marble mantle. To attract alien
iion, one need only do, say, show or be some
thing unusual; to obtain admiration, be must
exhibit unusual excellencies. Our attention
is attracted by a hideous canoer, an enormous
wen, or an ugly scar ; our admiration, by a
clear complexion, a well-formed face, or a
fine color.
We suppose that no sensible farmer would
pay as much for Barnum’s woolly horse, as
he would for a horse which nature had provi
ded with plain, honest, common-place hair;
and a calf with three tails would hardly com
mand, among sensible butchers, a higher
price than would be paid for an animal of the
same size and condition, and possessed of only
the single, regular, constitutional caudal ap
pendage.
We have seen children hold up to view
their arms, sore and swollen from vaccina
tion; aid sometimes they will boast of the
possession of a larger srre than their com
panions can exhibit. But we did not consid
er such cases as worthy of any special admi
ration, except as connected with Jenner’s
remarkable and valuable discovery,—an ele
ment of admiration totally overlooked by
the juvenile showmen who had the sores on
exhibition.
Now, this confusion of rarity with value,and
of attention with admiration, has resulted in
the present and most common signification of
the word “conceit.’* Men discovered that cer
tain of their mental habitudes, or capacities,
were rare, and that they attracted attention ;
and hence they hastily concluded them to be
valuable and admirable. The world is full of
evils which may be traced to just such aeon
fusion of tongues. Rarity is not excellence;
attention is not admiration; .notoriety is not
reputation ; and one sided, abnormal devel
opment is not solid, symmetrical education.
The word “ conceit,” in its downward pro
gress. furnishes another example of human
frailty, to be classed along with resent, retal
iate, villain, knave and the like—all instances
of unsymmetrical development. How sad a
monumeut of the fearful corruption of man’s
nature, that the words of his mouth, which
are but the products of the meditation of his
heart, should be obliged to pass through such
a process from generation to generation!
The history of words, like that of nations, is
but too often a history of corruption, demor
alization and perversion. Their origin is
frequently pure, honest, simple and natural;
their progress from age to age is often through
impurity, weakness, subterfuge and perver
sion. The language of man is, like his na
ture, fallen; and of the languages of the
earth, living and dead, the unprejudiced schol
ar must say that the trail of the serpent is over
them all.
But we should not allow the perverseness
of human speech to deceive us into the false
view, that the use of education is to make
men notorious. The mightiest agents work
quietly. The blessed sun sends down his
rays of light, and life, and joy, more quietly
than the sleeping infant breathes. The mar
vellous power of gravitation binds the sweet
influences of Pleiades, and forges bands for
Orion ; but we hear no stroke of hammer in
the great workshop. The heavens give their
silent testimony to the God who speaks in the
“ still, small voice.” “No speech; no lan
guage ; their voice is not heard.” These
majestic agents of Jehovah work quietly ;
but they work continually; they work sym
metrically, and they don't wear out. Well
will it be for our young collegians, who are
taking their places in the ranks of this fast,
furious, fussy age, to learn a lesson from these
calm, majestic workers.
They will soon be called to act their parts
in scenes of turmoil, confusion and distress.
May we point them to an heroic example of
quiet endurance which recently stood out
prominently before the world—the old State
of Virginia. She was overwhelmed, crushed,
humiliated. The blood of her sons spilt, in
a loved, lost, and lamented cause cried from
the ground. Unknown adventurers, contend
ing madly for the spoils of her offices, poured
out ••heir fierce yells to mingle with the plain
tive wails of her widows, and the starved
cry of her orphans. But there she stood in
her matronly dignity, obstinately refusing to
dishonor herself ; folding her spotless robes
about her grand form, and calmly awaiting
the unknown issue of her fate. When we
look at her history for the last few years of
toil, and agony, and sweat, and blood, we
know not which most to admire, the majestic
energy with which she works, or the god like
patience with which she waits.
Time-honored Old Dominion,
What heroes bast thou borne?
Slower! thine eye is weeping,
Thy lovely bosom torn;
B«t still thy brightest jewel,
Thine honor thou mayest save,
Tby sons will wear it grandly
In freedom, or—the grave.
J. C. Hicen.
Wilmington, N. C.
The metropolitan Pulpit.
Permit me to give you my impressions of
three Metropolitan preachers, whom a recent
visit to New York enabled me to hear.
Having a Sabbath to spend in the city, and
guided, more by curiosity perhaps than by
devotional feeling, 1 determined to make it a
day of sight-seeing, in one sense of the word,
and selected what-1 considered as three of
the specimen preachers of New York, though
two of them were in Brooklyn.
The first of these, of course, was Henry
Ward Beecher, whom I ventured to go and
hear, though some of my friends have said
they would no sooner go to hear Beecher on
Sunday, than they would attend the theatre
The story about his beginning a sermon,
“This is a damned hot day,”—after a long
pause, “so l heard a man say this morning,”
prefatory to a sermon on swearing, which
has gained such universal currency and helped
to give him an unenviable notoriety in cer
tain directions, I may just remark, in pass
ing, I noticed contradicted, the other day.
Theatre, or no theatre, however, I determined
to go and hear the second most popular
preacher in the world. So many have writ
ten about Beecher, that there is only one
excuse for daring to ventilate one’s impres
sion, viz , that on such themes the public
seem glad to have the opinion of every fresh
observer. While everything else grows
trite, I have noticed that people seemed never
to tire of hearing the impressions made by
celebrated persons, no matter how common
place the observations may be. Os course,
1 had heard, like everybody else, about the
large, plain room, the crowded congregation,
the congregational singing, the galleries around
the sides of the house, the camp stools in the
aisles necessary to seat the overflowing con
gregation, the argan behind the pulpit, the
boquets on the stand, and all this I found as 1
had heard so often described. Although I
knew Beecher was an old man, if I had ever
stopped to think, yet I had never so imagined
him to myself. And here was where my
previously formed impress’ons had to be cor
rected. From all that I had heard and read
of the man, 1 had filled up in my mind the
outlines of a large, fine-looking, muscular
man, with a look as though he would take
the world with nis otyn hands, ap.d mould it
to suit himself; whose preaching, dealing
largely in anecdote, would be such as mostly
to appeal to the emotional and fun-ioving
part of our nature. I saw before me a benevo
lent-looking old man, with mild features, and
hair smoothly combed upon his head. That
expression of force and energy which I had
expected to see, was not there. So my an
ticipations, as to the style of his address,
were equally at fault. lie presented to me
the appearance of a lecturer or essayist.
Calm, collected, mostly unimpassioned, his
words clear, I might say, in the main, exqui
sitely modulated* his style conversational,
with no effort, with not a single loud word
in the sermon. Here was nothing of that
dramatic style—of that intense attitudinizing
—of that strong appeal to the emotions, es
pecially the mirthful, though, once or twice,
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLAMA, GA., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1871.
a vivid figure would arouse a smile. There
was nothing of these, nor of those bursts of
expression and voice that I had expected to
see. And I wondered what brought those
3,000 people there every Sunday morning
and evening, for these twenty years. 1 think
Fuller’s power lies in his dramatic talent —in
his power of concealing the art of his sermon
—in his hiding the plan, in skillful arrange
ment of thoughts and incidents. He is a
general with his army, skillfully arranging
his forces for the greatest effect in battle,
bringing the heaviest onset at the cri
sis of the conflict. Rambaut’s power, I
think, is that of a rich and copious mind,
richly stored, a large and noble heart, and
perfect mastery of English composition, so
as to be able to develop all of its wonderful
and varied, to the novice often hidden pow
ers. These three, I think make Rambaut.
John A. Broadus brings you in contact vsytkr'
exquisite susceptibilities of every kind. His
is that fine organism which, more than that
of any of these men, deserves the name of
genius. His sermons are prose poems. His
soul is intensely susceptible to all the finer,
and higher t&pests of all truths. To
him is to hear a strain from a heart wnwH
chords are delicately vibrating to the touoH
of eternity's truths. I have spoken thus oB
these great Southern orators, but Beecher is
an essayist—a theological lecturer. Where
is his power? Well, I have not time to say
much more. I will just say this: It’s like a
father with a company of children around
him, explaining something they do not under
stand; patient with their ignorance, not wea
ried with their endless questions, going over
the same thing again and again. Thus pa
tient and painstaking is Henry Ward Beech
er, before his Plymouth congregation. There
is not a notion floating through the undisci
plined popular mind, not a vague trouble on
the superficial popular heart, which he does
not take the pains first to find out, for they
were not capable of the analysis to do this;
then define, for they floated like dreams be
fore them—dreams which, though they could
not precisely recall, yet troubled them like
spectres, whose shadowy nature did not di
miriish the uneasiness they inspired ; and then
to explain, as carefully as to a child. I think
I know twenty preachers who would not take
all this trouble, if they knew it would pur
chase them equal distinction. His theme
was Providence, when I heard him, and he
took all the aspects of God’s interference in
human affairs, His sovereignty, and catching
at the troubles which disturb men’s minds on
this subject, he attempted to satisfy them all.
I have not time, nor is it needful, to analyze
the sermon. He seemed, at some times, to
be opposing orthodoxy. But I doubt whether
any evangelical Christian would not have said
all that he did, if they had deemed it neces
sary. I opine that many of us would have
thought it tt waste of time. But it was not
a waste of time. The people were grateful
tohimforit. This is just my Beecher. Every
man, of course, has his own. And mine may
have taken color from the particular subject
discussed. There were no extravagancies,
no Beeoherisms, in the sermon I heard. There
wa3 some little bid for the popular ear
some little attempt to meet the demand for
more highly seasoned food than the gospel.
But not much. Or. tire was a got*?
sermon. B.
Isn’t It Fearful?
The fact that sixty-two millions of dollars
are received yearly, into the United States
treasury, as tax upon the manufacture and
sale of distilled and fermented liquors, isap
palling. The quantity consumed would be
incredible. The misery and crime resulting
is beyond the power of computation. This
point is clearly set forth in a little tract on
the subject, an extract from which we give:
“The appetite for strong drink will so in
crease that the person indulging it will become
a slave to it. A drunkard was once urged
by his affectionate wife to give up his vile
companions, and not leave her and his chil
dren for the dram-shop. He replied, “ Mary,
1 know lam going to ruin. I know the way
lam in takes hold on hell. 1 see it as plain
as you do; but J can't help it." Had he not
lost freedom of action and power of resist
ance? Was he not a slave? An indulgent
father who used liquor his
little son the sugar that was left in ihe glass.
The boy grew up to be a man, and the love
of strong drink “grew with his growth, and
strengthened with his strength.” He became
an habitual drunkard, and brought his father
to shame and broke his mother’s heart. Hav
ing become a slave to strong drink, then fol
lows
The ruin of worldly prospects. A beau
tiful and thoughtless girl put temptation to
the lips of her lover; and she was soon drag
ged from an abundance to want, from social
position to social degradation, from joy to
misery, by a drunken husband. A youthful
couple were marsied, and for years they were
prosperous and happy. After a while the hus
band began to neglect his business and his
family. The property he had accumulated
passed into other hands, and his family were
obliged to leave their beautiful home and
dwell among strangers. A respectable and
influential man early in life adopted the hab
it of using a little ardent spirits daily, be
cause, as he thought, it did him good. He
and six of his children, three sons and three
daughters, are now in the drunkard’s grave,
and the only surviving child is rapidly fol
lowing in the same way to the same dismal
end.
Strong drink tends to pauperism. Three
fourths of the inmates of our poor houses
were brought there by intemperance. God’s
word declares, “The drunkard and the glut
ton shall come to poverty.”
Strong drink leads to the commission of
crime. It is ardent spirits that fills our jails,
our penitentiaries and our State prisons, and
furnishes victims for the gallows.
The drinker's mind is enfeebled and ruined.
Well may we sav, in view of many cases
winch might be named, “ How are the mighty
fallen!” Strong drink has ruined many a
fine mind, and destroyed many a brilliant in
tellect. Some of the most cultivated, best
educated, and noblest minds in our country
have thus been destroyed. Men of the high
est station have been brought into the very
dust; and some who were exerting the great
est influence in the political world, have been
made objects of pity and scorn by becoming
victims of this debasing evil. ThatdreadfuT
disease, delirium tremens, finds all its victims
among those who use intoxicating drinks.
This disease is insanity in its most appalling
form, and every successive attack weakens
the mental powers, until the sufferer becomes
hopelessly a maniac, or dies a horrid death,
perhaps by his own hand.sgj
Every drunkard is a self-murderer. It has
been estimated by those who hate had the
opportunity of forming a correct judgment,
that onc-third of the insane in our land were
made so by the use of intoxicating liquor.
The body is destroyed by it. By this I
mean that men die from the effects of strong
drink. In the United States, from thirty to
forty thousand die every year from the effects
of ardent spirits. But for this cause they
would have lived perhaps many years. When
the cholera and other fatal diseases visit our
land, physicians testify that by far the largest
number of and death are of
those who use ifdttKating drinks.
The soul is the class of per
sons of whom it jsrwgblared in the Scriptures
that they the kingdom of
God, drunkards
the authority we say that intox
icating drinks ru sod.. A drunkard is
often incapable Aimself sufficient
ly to escape fromfthe ingulfing waters or the
destroying flametapd thus his life is lost.
In the same mamMite loses his precious stub
Strong drink uniiJK||tm for the required heart
power and raentafpower necessary to escape
from the wrath t|J*ome. We are required
to flee from the c&ing wrath. The drunk
ard is con&taaHyyfbshiQg onto it. He feels
within his bosomlthe forebodings of it, but
still he presses. He is dragged along as
an unwilling to the slaughter. And
’ thBB. be r H|yloathsome body is covered
in ih e' g r alef%is polluted soul goes to the
bar of God to reciSve a drunkard’s doom.
“ Who hath wo® who hath sorrow ? who
hath contentions? Jvho hath babblings? who
Jinth wotlT.a#*.. l "'ll'’ hath red
.< ? that tarry long at the
wine* thev fhaifpf' to Bee h mixed wine.”
the inevitable fruits
of the use of dtsAaedand fermented liquors,
suggest to the patlmt aud the Christian the
enquiry, “ How opi this plague be stayed ?”
ThßUurmurer.
Some fretful tettpWWinoa at every touch,
You always or t6o much;
You speak trip jif&au hopes to entertain.
Your elevatedAwitgfeoes through the brain ;
You fall at onp.jnW* lower key,
That’s afonVpipe hr a bumble-bee.
The southerrinjgj^h'whits too strong a light.
You rise ’tis night.
He shakes wfcjpriEwoh stir the fire, and strive
To make a Wait*—tfljft’s roasting him alive.
The Gt»Ueetio| for the Seminary.
The following letter is intended for every
Baptist South. It states
some reasoßS why gfe collection should be
faithfully taken up*M£he request that this be
done in each ohurchfnight certainly not to be
refused. What is asked for is neither a large
amount from any inpvldual nor any church,
but simply a collecapn of what the congre
gation may be indfigpd to throw in after a
statement of the objdjjst. I ask the pastors to
make this statementjjyW take up this collec
tion in each of the cjSpshfs to which they are
preaching at the npetipg of February or
March. Is there a cSureh which cannot thus
be induced to contrijaite’ten or twenty dol
lars for so importanfcßut object ? lam anx
ins not to be compelfipp go around among
the churches colleett^Pfor this purpose. I
have not now the tinfpaid the matter presses
upon us* We must Adke immediale pay
ment of these liabilitßL This is my scheme
to pay them in the most, rapid an I
most equitable way tjtbur churches. Will
the pastors arid tldHplturches cooperate?
Where there is no ng|iw, will the deacons
present the subject ?.jßwfplore brethren not
to pass by this appcSßi.Ut to present it and
recommend it in eacwMSrch that they serve
—not one only, but
One othek me the
uting the amount, and in it is to
be acknowledged.
Dear Brother: lam exceedingly anxious
about the collection I have asked in behalf of
our Seminary. Will jL’UA,ot be sure to take
it up, on some Sunday id February, or, it not
possible then, at some time in March? I
would ask it, especially where practicable,
upon the fourth Sunday in February. The
money collected should be sent immedi
ately to me, either in drafts on New York, of
by express, or post office orders, or in a reg
istered letter. I shall need :
For Professors’Salaries $4,600
Fo. debt already due on a building occupied by
Students 3,500
And for other indebtedness 7,000
Total mount..../. $15,000
All of which must be h'get by April. All or
it is now due, save $2,500.
This large.amount of debt has accumulated
because the bonds given &> us have not been
met as promised, and we have had no agent
in the field to raise the money. I cannot
leave my place to collet it. This is at all
times inconvenient, especially so during the
necessary absence of Dr. Broadus. We have
tried to save the expanse of agents; but it
seems we shall in no other way be able to
get money, for our nee«tssary expenses. Our
experience in the past has shown that we can
always get what we need if we can go or send
after it. But this is, impossible just now.
Cannot the churches, by a collection in each
one, raise this sum for us, and send it at
once? I am sure they will do so, if urgently
appealed to by their pastors. Will you make
such an appeal, and up a collection at
the time stated ? Pei nait me to suggest the
following reasons why we should thus be
helped:
1. This Seminary belongs to all Southern
Baptists. It was established by a Conven
tion of all the States. Its Trustees are taken
from all the States. Its students represent
every Southern State.) It is not a local Col
lege of South but belongs to every
other State as well, j
2. Its Professors sr« doing the work which
they have been requested to do by the Bap
tists of the whole South. It is due them that
their brethren faithful! y sustain and support
them in it. There are no charges to students,
and the only support-*? the Professors is from
the contributions of th e brethren for this pur
pose. 1
3. A large part of this debt has been in
curred for buildings by which each student
saves one hundred dollars or more each year
—an amount thus far saved to the denomina
tion equal to three times the amount paid for
the buildings, which will, besides, continue to
save, in like manner, annually hereafter. The
property of this kind bought could now be
sold for several thousand dollars above cost.
4. This Seminary is the only place at the
South in which a thorough theological educa
tion is furnished by Baptists.
5. God has so blessed it, that it has now
a greater number of Students in attendance
than any other Baptisjt theological school in
the world. > •
6,. Its plan opens its doors to persons of
various degrees of culture, thus fitting it for
that ministry of all classes and grades which
Christ established, and for the value and use
fulness of which Baptists have always con
tended.
7. In it first this- idea was set forth, but,
since its success, other Seminaries, both of
Baptists and others, have seen the advantages
of its plans, and have, in some measure,
adopted them.
8. These peculiar plans have proved suc
cessful ; and had there been the means of
.supporting them, double the number of stu
dents would now be present.
9. The students who have gone forth have
manifested the value of the Seminary by their
efficiency in the pulpir|,and especially in their
pastoral work. The Universal testimony has
been, that young meni learn to
pastors at GreenvilleJ- I
10. The Seminary aas accomplished aw ol
this, being yet k|C its infancy. Every yV*’
must increase its power to do God service,
every year enable it to educate more men,
every year fit its teachers better for their
work, and every year enable them to lay up
stores of learning, which,wrought out and sent
forth in books, will instruct the membership
of Christ, maintain and defend His truth, and
show to the world the sure foundation of the
distinctive views of Baptists.
11. The Seminary, therefore, is a power
which God, by most singular exhibitions of
His Providence, has put into the hands of
His people. Ought not every sacrifice to be
made, rather than let it be lost, or even tem
porarily crippled ?
Did I not deem these reasons sufficient,
and were I not afraid of wearying you, I
might add many others. The truth” is, l feel
very deeply upon this subject, and am filled
with anxiety that the Seminary should ob
tain immediate relief.
Will you not share that anxiety, and beg
—earnestly beg—your people to help us at
once? As to the final success of the Semi
nary, I have no fears; but I am anxious to
see it carried through these \ ears of trial and
poverty at the South without being too much
crippled. A little from every one will do.
And I therefore ask simply a collection,
(please make it as favorable as possible,) for
even a trifling sum from each member —a
small amount from each church will be am
ple for our relief. Yours, truly,
James P. Botce, Treasurer.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Greenville,
S. C., Leb. 14, 1371.
The Baptists Alone.
I preface what I have now to write by
happy words employed sometime by
the Index: “When that which is moral ex
ists without the positive, we should give it
recognition in the things that are moral; but
recognition in the things that are positive
should be given only where the positive and
moral exist together.” 1 write with prayer
on my heart. I would not give offence to
one of the least that believe in Jesus.
There is a conflict coming. I do not ex
pect to see it in its strength. 1 may be sur
prised. I did not expect to see the conflict
of arms North and South. The Baptists are
to be left alone when the belligerent forces
are mustered. Ritualistic Episcopalianism
is gravitating towards Rome; evangelical
Episcopalianism is seceding, but, like other
sects, not giving up every badge of its origin.
Baptists alone hold that, what is unexpressed
in Scripture, is forbidden. Their controversy
with others is wholly about humau additions
to the sacred record. Whatever elevates a
human precept, theoretically or practically,
is, they hold, so far, in alliance with Rome.
It is the alleged fault of the Baptists that they
are obstinately wedded to a strict constnfc
tion of God’s word. Their faith confines
church membership to believers, baptized on
profession of their faith in Christ—terms that
have been declared “impracticably strict.”
It is not merely immersion that distinguishes
them, but a severe conformity, in faith, to
every precept of the New Testament, and the
eschewing of everything not therein required.
When they hear God requiring that every
thing in the typical dispensation of Moses
shall be conformed to instruction, “ See thou
s4e*ke ,jll thing! according to the* pattern
showed thee in the mount,” they fail not to
see that it is at least equally obligatory that
the ts ‘ ' , mfied accord with the divine pre
scripts Pliny could not see why so small
a thing as the throwing of a few grains of in
cense upon the altar dedicated to the empe
ror should be pertinaciously declined. Nei
ther can Protestants see why our people,
humble and illiterate often, should obsti
nately, as they regard it, firmly, unwavering
ly, refuse to affiliate with anything savoring
of additions to the inspired words. The
Spirit, say they, is the essence of the matter:
Why be careful about the letter also? It
avails not with many to reply, “To obey is
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the
fat of rams.” The whole tide of uninstructed,
unsanctified human feeling is with our op
posers. * Compromise, for the sake ot unity
and peace in human affairs, is seen often to
be a clear duty : Why not, say they, in things
divine? They have not stopped to meditate
the difference between human wisdom and
divine teaching: the one, at best, proximately
right; the other unalterable because unerr
ing. Feaifhl to human weakness may be the
day of trial. Brother may betray brother to
death, and the father the son; and the chil
dren may rise up against their parents, and
cause them to be put to death. When I see
Baptists conforming their church relations to
family convenience, I think of these things.
1 see nations looking upon nations oppressing
nations, and lifting not up a voice of remon
strance. I fear me, that when the day of per
secution shall come, many will stand by and
seal their lips in prudeni silence.
In the main, many Chr stians may be with
us; but can we expect more? Can we ex
pect them to discriminate between fidelity
and obstinacy ? Can we hope to escape the
imputation of assuming a righteousness be
yond others ? Can we escape from the charge
of bigotry when we refuse to yield in com
promise a single tenet?
There is no consistent theory opposed to
our own but that of Rome, claiming divine
authority to modify the institutions of Christ,
in conformity to supposed convenience. The
dogma of papal infallibility, upon what does
it rest but the “ whole idea” of apostolical
succession ? And whence are Protestant
ordinances derived but from the claimed suc
cession of this priesthood ? What difficulties
have not been raised about the reception or
rejection of Romish baptisms ? I place con
spicuously, at the close of this article, our
supposed offence : For earnestly refusing to
modify the ascertained form and place of the
symbolic profession of Christ, and earnestly
endeavoring to make Christian churches out
of Christians alone, are we accused of the peo
ple. E. B. Teague.
“ Help, Lord!"
It is with a sad heart 1 refer to the death
of three of my dear brethren, with whom I
took sweet counsel, when I first came to Ala
bama —-Rev. Wra. McCain, W. P. Chilton,
and Walker Reynolds.
' Rev. Wm. McCain was one of nature’s
great men, with liberal endowments by Al
mighty Grace. Raised up under the most
untoward circumstances, and with only a ru
dimental education, he rose to an intellectual
and Christian manhood which the most gifted
might covet. Ilia usefulness was apparent to
all men. But few men have been more in
strumental in the salvation of souls. Never
shall 1 forget my ministerial intercourse with
this dear brother, and will cherish his mem
ory till we meet in heaven, where separation
will end.
The death of W. P. Chilton soon followed
that of Elder McCain. In their lives they
were united, and in their deaths they were not
long divided. Os brother Chilton I need not
speak, only to relate an incident to illustrate
his unbounded liberality and thoughtfulness.
When the Baptist State Convention held its
first session in the town of Talladega, between
/1840 and 1845, the time that the proposition
was first made to found Howard College,
Rev. J. H. BeVotie preached the missionary
f. g**«tly moved the
big, benevolent heart of Elder McCain, as
well as all others. Elder McCain said to a
money-loving, calculating brother by his side,
“ I have but five dollars in the world, and I
mean to give it all.” “ No,” said brother
Closefist, “ give only a part, it is too much.”
“ I’ll give it, and trust the Lord,” responded
the confiding McCain. The benediction was
pronounced, and before the audience left the
house, the heart of W. P. Chilton was moved
to make a contribution to Elder McCain,
which he had often purposed doing, not
knowing what had happened in regard to the
contribution. Said he, “ Brother McCain, ac
cept of this little contribution. I feel it my
duty to aid men like yourself, who give them
selves wholly to the ministry.” Elder Mc-
Cain received it, sought out Mr. Closefist, and
said in holy triumph, “See here, I gave the
Lord five dollars, all the money I had, and
before I got out of the meeting house He gave
me ten. do you say now?” When
two such men die unstained, such things
should be told.
And Walker Reynolds ! “Alas! my bro
ther.” I never had a better friend on earth.
Not a fussy, pretentious friend, but a friend
in need. It would be ton personal for me to
relate all his kind and considerate acts toward
me, but they do my soul good to think of
them. A solemn thought now takes hold
upon my heart: I preached, I suppose, the
last sermon he ever heard. On a visit to that
section, I preached at the church of his mem
bership, and he was present, listening with
that earnest, deep and pious attention which
ever characterized him in the house of God.
A few days after, his sudden departure oc
curred. 1 have thought over that sermon,
and, thanks be to God, I was prevented from
saying anything foolish.
And such is my love for these worthies, if
tears and strong crying could bring them
back, I would place them in their various
spheres of great usefulness. 1 speak from
my stand point. But from the Sovereign
Disposer’s stand point, it is all well. They
rest from their labors, and their works do
follow them. “ Help, Lord!” Raise up
others to fill the breach. H. E. T.
Try Prayer.
An unbelieving lawyer was once present at
a meeting for prayer, when much interest
was felt in the congregation. Whether some
what moved himself, and so rendered more
bitter, or from some other motive, he arose
and said:
“ I have often heard of the power of prayer,
and I don’t believe one word of it; but if
you want to take a hard case, take me.”
He was asked to come forward, but re
plied :
“ l shall do nothing of the kind ; but if you
have power in prayer, try it on me.”
The minister desired all to pray for this
man at a certain hour, and requested him to
remember that they were praying for hirn.
On the third evening, he was again present,
earnestly seeking for salvation. The result
was, that he became a most useful preacher
of the gospel.— -Sunday School Times.
Notes from the Field.
“ The earth is ripe for the harvest.’’—Btv. xiv: 10.
Yes; and Me whoiL John saw seated on a
white cloud, with a golden crown on His head
and a sharp sickle in His hand, is now engaged
in reaping it, and an army of cheerful labor
ers are working with Him and under Him.
He that reapeth filieth his arms, and he that
bindeth sheaves his bosom, with the golden
grain. All are happy, very happy in their
work. Even the little ones that carry bread
and water to the field, and go around distrib
uting it to the reapers as they have need,
participate in the general joy produced by the
abundance of the harvest, and join in the
songs of praise that are sung to the Lord of
the harvest.
Reader, do you envy them their happi
ness ? Do you desire to be one of their num
ber? If thou dost, thou mayest. There is
room and work enough for thee. “ Whoso
ever will let him come,” says the Lord of the
harvest. Do not sit down there moping, and
mourning, and murmuring because of the
little ills of life you are called to endure, or
because of the superior happiness of others.
Up! gird up thy loins, put on the clean linen,
—which is the righteousness of saints, —fly to
the field, report thyself ready for labor at any
work that may be assigned thee, and in any
department of the Held.
“The Master hath need of the reapers,
And He calleth for thee and for me:
O, haste while the winds of the morning
Are blowing so freshly and free;
Let the sound of the scythe and the sickle
Re-echo o’er hill top and plain,
And gather the Bheares in the garner,
For golden and ripe is the grain.”
Come, and welcome; but take thy pur3e
with thee, as the Saviour directed the seventy.
Luke xxii: 36.
Cheering news comes to us from Spain.
The dollars and dimes that have been con
tributed to aid in circulating the pure word
of God among the Spanish-speaking nations
of the earth have not been contributed in
vain. The seed of gospel truth that the Bible
Onion has been enaoltd, through the liber*
ality of the few, to scatter broadcast in that
priest-ridden and anti-Christian country, is
already springing up and bearing precious
fruit to the glory of our great Redeemer, as
will be seen from the following extract, clip
ped from the Macedonian and Record for
February : “ Mr. Knapp reports that new
fields are opening in Spain in new directions,
and that letters come to him from various
places, inquiring about Baptist views. At
Madrid the chapel is crowded and the schools
number from seventy-five to eighty regular
attendants. Nine were to be baptized Dec.
4th. The most popular preacher in Spain, a
gentleman of culture and power, has become
thoroughly a Baptist in opinion, and will soon
submit to the ordinance. He has been
preaching in Madrid, under direction of Mr.
Knapp. Another, a promising young preacher,
is about to be baptized, who has raised a large
congregation in one of the provinces of Spain.
He has a catalogue of five hundred believers,
all of whom desire to be baptized. ‘ Thus,’
says Mr. Knapp, ‘ the fields are opening by
the Providence of God, and we must enter in
and possess them.’
The pure version of the New Testament in
the Spanish language is also accomplishing
great good in Mexico. Its truths have proved
to our brother YVestrup a shield and buckler.
After his union with the Baptists, some of his
Pedobaptistco laborers seemed more disposed
to war against him and his gospel baptism
than against the Roman church and her cor
rupt principles ; but, blessed be God ! he has
not been delivered up as “ a prey into their
teeth.” In a letter' from him, published in
the last number of the Macedonian , he says :
“ In the strength of Jesus, we will try to do
good to the injurious even while injuring us.
Five persons from Cadereita are here now,
and stand as tough supporters of strict Bap
tist principles. This is a specimen of what
the Pedobaptists have to hope for.”
The Bible Uuion is in great and immediate
need of funds to enable them to meet the nu
merous pressing demand* made on them, by
Baptists and Pedobaptist3, for copies of their
11 Nuevo Pacto. Many thanks to those read
ers of the Index and Baptist who have re
sponded to my appeals for funds to aid in oir-
{s3 00 1 YEAR.} WHOLE NO. 2528.
culating pure versions of the word of God, in
the place of the impure versions that have
been hitherto circulated in many professedly
Christian nations. I feel thankful, not only
to them, but to that God who disposed and
enabled them to extend aid to this good and
glorious work. While I greatly rejoice in
what they have done, 1 feel grieved in spirit
to think of the large number of dearly be
loved brethren and sisters, who are depriving
themselves of the pleasure to be derived from
a consciousness that they are workers together
with God, in the consummation of Ilis (pur
poses of mercy towards the millions who are
still “ bowed down beneath oppressive Er
ror’s sway.”
From many of them, however, I hope and
expect soon to hear and receive fruits of their
love to Christ and compassion for perishing
souls. To them I will say,
“ While ye tarry, souls are bending
O’er the quenchless flames of hell.
Hasten 1 hasten!—time is wending—
Haste, salvation’s tidings tell:
Jesus now is passing by,
With the joyful tidings fly.”
Funds sent me will be promptly forwarded
to the Bible Union, and faithfully invested by
them in Testaments for circulation in Mexico,
and in other Spanish-speaking nations. They
may be sent with safety in registered letters,
addressed to Jos. S. Baker,
Quitman, Brooks County, Ga.
“Life’s Battle.”
Little by little life’s battle is fought,
Little by little ’tis won ;
And oft with a sinking and weary heart
We put our armor on.
For the narrow way through which we must march
Is darkened by many a cloud.
And hither and thither the arrows fly
While the storms are fierce and loud.
With tear.ul eyes and with bleeding hearts,
We see around us fall
One and another of those we love,
For one arrow pierceth all.
Ye?, stricken they lie on the bed of death ;
The battle is fought, and won;
And the tear-stained face is beaming with smiles
As our Captain cries “ Well done!”
To us who are toilin.< along the road,
With burdens heavy to bear.
He speaks in the tenderest tones of love,
Aud asks our burden to share.
*• Fear not,” He whispers, “ I’ll strengthen thee
If thou wilt hut lean on Me;
The storm is but for a little while.
The joy, through eternity.”
The victor’s palm is already in view,
Aud the victor’s crown so fair:
God graat we may all bear the victor’s palm!
And the victor’s crown may wear!
Interludes in Church Music.
A correspondent of The Singing People,
in the course of an article on “ Interludes,”
says: “1 was attending one of our popular
churches where the good old hymn, “Come
thou fount of every blessing,” was given out,
and as the congregation joined ‘lustily’ in
singing, 1 could but revert to past experience,
and to the many hearts that have been touched
and tuned, as this blessed hymn has been
raised in pure devotion on the wings of its
old consort, ‘Nettleton !’ But, oh ! how sud
denly the spell was broken, and the dear old
hymn and tune that had in a moment seemed
to summon the hallowed associations of
the past, were ruthlessly thrown aside to give
place.to the performance of an artistic inter
lude on the organ, suggestive of llute solos
and operatic performances, that might lead
one really imbued with the spirit and senti
nient of the hymn to conclude that tne ad
versary of souls was trying, through the
medium of the organist, to divert the audi
ence from tender thoughts and penitential
tears. As I have said before, 1 admire an
artistic performance in its proper place, but
in seasons of heartfelt devotion, when such
performances seem only a striving against
the Spirit, how thoroughly disgusting they
appear. In fact, I have yet to learn the real
benefit of an interlude. I am familiar with
the reasons generally given for its introduc
tion, and am willing to admit there need be
no objection to their occasional use—in gen
eral ascriptions of praise, for instance-—if
only a few, very few, chords are played—but
the real trouble is, ‘and I know whereof 1
affirm,’ the organist’s reputation depends, in
no small degree, on his interludes.”
The Ministry. —The ministers with whom
we have been acquainted are, as a whole, as
original, independent and manly iu thought,
and as direct and efficient in action as any
class with whom we have had to do. In nine
cases out of ten the minister is the force in
the congregation in which he serves. We
have, to be sure, known clergymen as big as
bottle-spiders with vanity, and disposed to
cater to anything that would give them repu
tation or notoriety. And possibly somebody
may know, also, a rare instance in which the
pastor of a wealthy church is a miserable
coward, a pitiable parrot, a gloved snob, a
scented bundle of conventionalities.— lnterior.
A False Claim. —lt is even said that Dr,
Gano was in favor of open communion. I beg
leave to say that t have heard Dr. Gano ex
amine candidates for baptism. The questions
were put, “ Do you believe that baptism is a
prerequisite to communion ?” “Do you be
lieve any should bo baptized who have not
been regenerated ?’’ “As you understand
the New Testament, do you believe that im
mersion is the only mode?” At the oom
munion table Dr. Gano would say, “ We are
about to celebrate the Lord’s supper. Mem
bers of sister churches of the s one faith and
order , in good standing, are invited to take a
seat with us.”/ Cor. Watch, and Ref.
Apostolic Succession. —Rev. Thus. Wil
liams, of Providence, now ninety two years
old, is a Congregational minister, well known
for his eccentricity and his intellectual ability.
He once presented the doctrine of Apostolic
Succession in a conference with an Episcopal
clergyman in this wise : “ The difference be
tween us as to a call to the ministry is this :
I believe that a man is called to preach if ho
can preach ; I believe that a man is called to
be a blacksmith if lie can mane a shoe or a
nail; you believe that he is so called if he is
descended from Tubal Cain !”—which was
certainly hitting the nail on the head.
Beginning! Right. —The Chinese converts
are sound theologians if they are represented
by Yam Sing, who was recently examined
before the First Baptist church of San Fran
cisco. In response to the question, How he
found Jesus? he answered, “ I no find Jesus
at all; he find me.” It is unnecessary to add
that Yam Sing’s examination was satisfactory
to the church, and that he was baptized.
A Good lilustration. —Brutus visiting
Ligarius, found him ill, and said, “What,
sick, Ligarius?” “ No, Brutus,” said he, “if
thou hast any noble enterprise on hand, 1 am
well.” So should the believer say of Christ;
what might excuse us from other labor shall
never prevent our engaging in His seiwice.—
Spurgeon.
Pulpit Langor. A minister who had
preached somewhat languidly, yielding to his
faint mood of mind, as he descended from
the pulpit was met by a good brother who
said, “ You have no right to put such evident
dishonor upon your sermon !”
Sklp-Watch. —We heard a friend, the
other day, describe the appearance of Robert
C. Winthrop as that of a man “continually
calling himself to order.”