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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.”