Christian index and South-western Baptist. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1866-1871, December 14, 1871, Image 1

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CHRISTIAN INDEX SOTTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. \ OL 50—NO. 49 A Religious and Family Paper, PUBLI3HKU WISELY IV ATLANTA. OA., AT Threa Dollars per Annum, Invariably in advance. J. J. TOON Proprietor A Strange Good-bye. Colonel Morton sat in his elegant libra ry one morning, with the daily paper in his hai a nd; but, though his eye passed over the column, no idea of its intelligence entered hio brain. He tried to think of what it -poke, but his thoughts wandered so that his utmost efforts were vain. At length, wearied with trying, he threw the paper upon the table in an angry way, exclaim ing, “A man might as well not have any brain as to feel it as numb as mine is this morning. I slept horribly last night; in fact, it wa3 not sleep at all, but a wild nightmare, the whole night through. And this never will do; that’s certain.” “ Business is just about done for,” bo continued, after a pause; “but those notes must be paid for all that. There never A"as a man so unlucky as I am. Everything under the sun fights against me, and all my friends have turned to enemies. And the worst health! fire and fury —every bone in my body aches; and I feel as if I am two hundred years dd, instead of forty five!” And the speaker’s blood-shot eyes looked around upon the furniture and books of the elegant apartment, with a look in which wrath and wretchedness were strangely mingled. At this moment a servant entered te say that Judge Al cott had called. “Just what I expected. There’s no peace for me. Show him in here, then ; for I can t put my foot to the floor this morning, and heaven only knows whether I can ever do it again or not. Pull down that curtain ; I never saw such a glare of sunshine. And I don’t care about being on special exhibition this morning lie muttered to himself, as the servant lelt the rcom. “ Good morning my friend,” said Judge Alcctt, returning the Colonel’s greeting, as lie entered the room and took his of fered hand; “I’m sorry to find you no better to-day. Is your foot no better ?” “ No, Judge, nothing is better. Take that arm-chair, sir. It looks to mo as if all the ills flesh is heir to, and all the bad luck that Satan ever concocted, have come on me at once,” the Colonel replied, go ing on to sp ak of business troubles; concluding with —“and so three notes of vours are overdue, sirt I’m sorry to say that—” “No matter about them this morning; I have no time for business matters, and no heart for them either. I called on a far different errand than to ask of debts vhick you cannot pay, John,” the Judge *■••died, with deep feeling; “for I came iell you good-bye ; and it is one of the blest good-byes that I ever gave in all ' ; v three score years and ten,” said the <>ble-looking old man, with a tremor in his voice. Col. Morton looked up with a startled xpression, saying, “Why, what is it, adge? Are you going away for a long time? Has anything happened?” “No, I'm not going away; but ‘some ' iting has happened,’ and you are going way soon, ami for a long time ; yes, for i.e longest time ; and I lelt I must come ver o day, or I might never see you ag:in, John; never again, neither in this life, nor in the one to come. And I must speak to you about it now, John, for it is tho last time. I never expict to see you again. I have given you up. Yes, you are gone , John , you, the son of the friend who was liko a brother to me ; you, the boy who had as noble a prospect as ever smiled on any lift); you, who began busi ness on a basis that looked as stable as anything humai\ can look; you, who married the loveliest woman in all our circle; you, the father of a child who blossomed into an angel so fitly, so beauti fully, that we could not grieve when sho died ; you, the father of a son who is all that a" son can bo; and may God take him to day rather than let him walk the path you havo done ! “ Don’t stop mo ; I must tell you all now, for it is the last time. I trembled when you began* to take the accursed brandy for your health ; hut you pre sumed upon strength which you had not, and went on after health was sufficiently recovered, and did not put away the snare which was gathering around your feet. Then your cheek took anew color, and vour eyes a look that nobody ever expect •l to see in your eyes, John Morton ; and vour business suffered, for your half sleep brain saw nothing clearly. On the verge of bankruptcy, brought there by nothing but tho fatal brandy, the guilty brandy, you heard all my heart, all my fears, as I besought you for the a ‘ko of business and honor, friends and family, in the view of life and death, heaven and hell, to stop ; to turn around ; to take the reins once moi e in vour own hand, and become masrer of yourself again. But you laughed at my fears, scorned my entreaties, and would not listen. ■•Then the downward road grew steeper, i J when, so soon, you raved in your de lirium and woke to find how low you had been, startled and alarmed, you did stop, and. swore that you would never, never tn #t* another drop. But alas ! you had ijo r 1 penitence, even then, John, only humiliated pride ; for you forbade us ever to refer to the depth from which you had risen, and still considered the fall your misfortune, not your sin ; and still trust ed your own strength to hold you secure ly * Had it been otherwise, had you not been so blind as to your sin, so ‘ deceived ’ by the ‘mocker, wine,’ had you not yrown so unlike your sane self, from usin ' the ‘strong drink which rageth,’ I should have felt sure that you were, as I was fain to hope, safe again. “But you had let appetite become your ini'ter, and I saw in your eyes, before ihe year ended, that you had broken your oath* You avoided me, would not look me in the eye, spoke to me formally, cold ly, when we met, and was angered by my one more remonstrance after that, bo 1 could say no more, do no more, lou knew your danger, on what brink you s'ood f you had voluntarily set your feet there a second ti®t l But 7 0U must U&7 ° {*10!) A YEAR, l seen my plea in my face every time we met; and you know I would have saved you, even tvith my life, John, had it been possible. “You have had warnings, too, John. Several times has your physician told you that you were murdering yourself, and that tho end could not be far off; and yet you went on, even till, often, you have made your home in the dark hours of the night, like a picture of perdition. And your wife, John, —God pity her ! | What has she not endured of every kind of sorrow ? It would not be strange if stung, tortured, outraged, maddened at last with your oblivion of every consider ation of duty, honor, right, she were to fly, to the ends of the earth, if need be, to escape the horrors of the place called home. “No ; I*will not stop. I must tell you all now, for it is the last time : I shall soon be done, and then I shall tell you good-bye —good-bye till we meet at the judgment-throne. I shall not even come to seo you in your coffin, nor stand be side your dishonored grave. I could not have strength to see your face in a drunk ard’s coffin, John, any more thanthat of my own son, if he were there. How strangely you have forgotten your Edward. How could you withstand the pleading, both dumb and spoken, of your son, your only son, a boy, too, of whom any man with a father s heart left in him, would be, must be proud. O, John, John, how has the demon drink stolen your heart away ; for the noble heart of the old John Morton would have taken a thousand dcatli3_sooner than come to this. “You are sobbing, John ! Have you yet a heart left ? Then, 0, here on my knees, let my grey hairs and my tears plead that, even now, though my hope had utterly died out, you will stop even yet, and now this instant, throw yourself into the arms of Infinite Strength ; for, listen : l He is able to save unto the utter most all that come unto Him ;’ and ‘ the blood of Je-us Christ cleanseth us from ail sin.’ From the sin, John—the sin itself; not merely from tho penalty, but from the sin itself. He can , and will, if you trust Him to do it, take away the sin even of loving this cursed drink. Will you, can you, 0, will you, John, throw your lost, helpless self upon His strength, and yet live ?” “ I wish I could, but I have lost the power to turn to Him. I am a slave, •sold under sin,’ —and I have sold my self ?” 0, the despairing, deathly wail in the words ! Thero was not a touch of hope in them. It was as if the stupefied, be sotted heart and brain of this wrecked and ruined man felt for the last tirnp a consciousness of his real situation. The retrospection of his agonized friend was all too true, and John Morton saw clearly for tho moment, the frightful abyss which already yawned to receive him, and see ing it, he" could not but shudder. Still, the realization, though vivid, was but mo mentary ; for, even as his friend—unable longer to endure tho spectacle of doom before him—rose to offer him the parting hand, inebriant clouds had again obscured tho view of danger, and the deadly leth argy stealing back again, benumbed all sensibility. The venerable Judge stood for a mo ment, unable to move, while a tremor of horror passed over him, as if he saw the black death-cap drawn over the face of a doomed criminal; then he advanced and took tho hand of the wretched being who would havo offered some maudlin remon strance to the solemnity of this leave taking, but the agonized expression of the Judge’s face forbade the utterance. The lips of him who had come to say farewell, moved, but no sound issued from them. What a scene was there? The image of the John Morton of but a few years before, in all tho glory of his man hood, the fuliness of intellect, the strength of integrity, rose and stood beside the bloated form and soulless face of the wrecked John Morton of the present; while thoughts of the man’s nearing, dreadful doom deprived his friend of all power to utter the farewell he had come to speak, albeit with a faint hope, unex pressed, even to his own heart, that such a farewell might at last rouse the lust one to some thought. That hope was, he saw, forever vain. Silently, he wrung the fevered band, upon which his tears only fell, and grasp ing it so, as he felt, for the last time, a great sob burst from him, and the words, gasped rather* than spoken, “My God! has it come to this , John, that you are gone—lost forever?” —fell from his lips. And this was the farewell, for in an in stant more the Judge was gone. The parting had passed. These friends, who had once been almost as father and son, were divided now, and divided forever. A feeble attempt at thought, retrospec tion, resolution, prayer, was made when the occupant of the library found himself alone; but the power for such exercises had been despised and rejected beyond recall, and the pain of effort was soon drowned, as all pains and cravings had come to be, in the cup of perdition. It was but a week after that, that a de lirium of two days ended in the doom so long impending. John Morton was dead. His end was that awful one of the drunk ard, who, chased from earth by imaginary demons, finds himself beyond the bounds of this life, in the midst of real demons, a conscious, lost soul. Few and short were the prayers said at the burial. So dreadful were the circum stances attending the death of the hus band and father, that the wife and sc-n •were too ill to be present, and others at tended to the last rites as simply and as silently as such scenes may be ordered- To the thunder of warning in such a history, nothing can be added. Mona. “Cusmism.” —John l r iske, of Harvard Col lege, rejects Atheism, Pantheism, and the Christian Theism, substituting what he calls « Costnism’* as the religion of scientific men. He denies the existence of a personal God. and holds that there is an indwelling power in the world which exhibits itself in every phenomenon of nature. What this power is, he cannot say. The Athenians long ago erect ed an altar to the “ unknown God ” FRANKLIN PRINTING" HOIJ&E, ATLANTA, GA„ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1871. The Scriptures Interpret Themselves. I Cor. xv; 29, 30: “ Else what shall they do which are baptized for ( uper ) the dead, if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they baptized for (uper) the dead ? And why are we in jeopardy every hoar?” The meaning' of the may be determined by L ita use in the fol lowing passages: Acts ix; 16: “For I‘(Christ) will show him (Paul) how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake,” (uper.) Rom. iii; 36: “As it is written, For thy (Christ’s) sake (uper) we are killed all the day long : we are accounted as sheep /or the slaughter.” II Cor. xii; 10: “ Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in distresses for Christ’s sake,” (uper.) Phil, i; 29: “ For, unto you it is given, in the behalf of (uper) Christ, not only to believe on Him, but to suffer for His sake,” (uper.) The baptism is explained by Col. ii; 12: “Buried with Him (Christ) in bap tism, wherein also ye are risen with Him by the faith of tho operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.” The design of the Apostle, in tho 15th chapter of Ist Corinthians, is to confirm the doctrine of the resurrection by the fact that Christ was raised ; to show the interest of His people therein; and to answer or silence the quibbles of the ob jectors., He says: “ For I delivered un to you, first of all, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.” “ But, if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ.be not raised, your faith is vain: ye are yet in your sins.” “Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished.” “ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.” “ Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all ? Why ar.e they then baptized for the dead ? And why are we in jeopardy every hour ?” The context, and the explanatory pas angea, lead to the following interpreta tion : “ Else what shall they (in a general Bense —any persons) do which are baptized for the sake of the dead Christ and them that are fallen asleep in Him, if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they (any per sons) baptized for the sake of them? And why are we (apostle and Corinthi ans) in particular, in jeopardy every hour—killed all the day long —accounted as sheep for the slaughter—for believing and preaching this same doctrine of the resurrection that they believed and preached; and for observing this same baptism that they observed, and which so plainly symbolizes their burial and resurrection, if it be true that the dead rise not at all? If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we (who are in jeop ardy every hour) are, of all men, most miserable.” T. B. Cooper. StoM Mountain, Ga., Nov. 80, 1871. Revival in the Olden Time. “ Doubtless, there is a glorious revival of the religion of Jesus. The wicked of every description have bben despoiled of their boasted coat-of-mail; even deists, who stood in the front of the battle, have had their right arm broken, their hope dis appointed, and theii* prognostications met amorphosed into falsehoods. As the fruit of this work, there have been added to the churches of the Georgia Associations more than 1,400. To those of the Sarepta, more than one thousand a year ago ; we doubt not but that number has greatly in creased by this time. To those of the Bethel, more than 2,000. . . . We are authorized to say, that in six Associations in Kentucky, there are at least 10,000 young converts. O, most mighty Jesus, ride prosperously because of truth, meek ness and righteousness ; and Thy right hand shyL teach Thee terrible things. Thy kingdom come.” Extract from His tory of the Georgia Association, p. 43, date 1804. These were the days of the Marshalls, Mercers, Walker and others who labored in love and faith, days wherein less of worldliness and more of gospel simpli city prevailed. The year previous to this great work, 732 were baptized into the churches of the Georgia Association, indi cating the presence of the revival spirit. Oh for the day, the glad, triumphant day, when such a glorious outpouring of the Spirit shall again be witnessed. C. H. S. Moral Courage and Intemperance. Why is intemperance so universally prevalent in the community at large, and to so great on extent among the members of our churches ? Why is there so little effort being made to counteract its influ ence and to prevent its still greater in crease ? Why do the few who are en deavoring to awaken interest in the sub ject, and to incite to proper and efficient measures for the staying of the destruc tive plague, meet, even in the churches, with general apathy and indifference ? We would not dare, from our own’lim ited acquaintance in the churches, to at tempt an answer to these important inqui ries. But others, reliable correspondents in the Index, furnish the reply. They tell us that ipen and brethren do deplore the evil, but they are “ wanting in moral courage to take a stand against itand “ that there are others, and some in the churches, too, who care for nothing but the dimes.” Brethren, our discouragements are not go much the difficulties in the work itself, God’s Mercy. Go ! count the lea Yes that fall, Or number ail the sands Along the ocean-shore I Then may you tell to all Earth's dreary, toiling lands, His lore whom you adore. Got grasp the planets all Within your puny hands; B<d every shining sphere From its own orbit fall I Beyond them far expands The love His children share. Go! fathom boundless space! Through nature’s vast domain, On tireless pinion rove I There shall be found His grace. And mercy st : ll sustain The offspring of His love. 0 merev, grand, subl me! And love beyond degree I 0 Christ I Thou worthy art; Lustrous Thy cross shall shine, The joy and glory be Os every trusting heart. as in the indifference «es many who ought to be deeply interests, and the fear and timidity of those whoMo feel on the sub ject. Were a friendi or a neighbor, a Christian brother, orfan entire stranger even, walking upon tile, brink of a preci pice, or pit, and in dagger every moment of falling and losing -his life, none of us would lack the eouragaTo hasten and point out to him his periigyQould we, under such circumstances, ||B| courage and be men? And hero,. rSK under our eyes, friends, neighbors whom we profess to love, are tippling the path that leads to inexpressiblSnisery in this life, and woe unutterable Ik the life to come, and neighbors and Christian brethren sit still and see them go down to death and dare not sound a warning note, or make an effort to save ! **’ Brethren, what haye we to fear? If God be for us, —and the work, surely, is His work, —who can. be against us and prosper ? B. W. I. A Final Word. “Be not? wituesa agaiu 5 ** thy neighbor without a cause, aud deceive not wuh v «JjJ Tips. Prov. xiir:** 28. “ I speak that I do know and testify that I have seen." My brother, in hi: communication of the 2nd November, tl> uks it too late now to discuss the question in reference to the opposition manifested against the Oosta naula Association in (he days of its in fancy, and rather deuies that there ever was any official act, either of church or Association, having such a tendency. I will just refer him and all the brotherhood to the Minutes of the Tjostanaula Associa tion held with the church at Conasena in the year 1854, on page 11th, and he or they will find language like this : “ Re solved, that this Association regrets that the said brethren did not take pains to ascertain how this matter stood before they made public statements which were untrue, in our view, tvnd to the prejudice of this Association. And be it further Resolved, that this Association feels that suoh conduct is highly objectionable, and therefore meet 9 its unqualified disappro bation. And lastly, l|e it Resolved, that this preamble and resolutions be publish ed in our Minutes. Your Committo ad vise the adoption of the above report, in hope that our Coosa brethren will see their error and cease their opposition to this Association ; that peace and harmony may be restored among the Baptists of Cherokee-Georgia.” (Committee as fol lows : W. Tate, R. L. Duncan, M. Wright, A. H. Spen-e, H. Lovelace, S. P. Rowland and I. H. Williams.) My bro ther who denies the above is one of the Coosa brethren aIL ded to. This all seems to be official; aud if bis does not show it clearly, I confess I can not make the showing. And I disagree materially with my brother in regard lo words and actions of Baptists. I think their actions ought to be consistent afc&ffieir words truth. As to charging arty blame upon the Convention for the opinions entertained and expressed at the Association at Ar muchee last year by the delegates in ref erence to voting the Association into the Convention without the consent of the churches, I charge no blame to the Con vention for it at all—not the least; but I do blame those that ded advocate any such lordly power, be they who they may. We apprehend no coercive power being exer cised by the Convention to drive U3 into submission contrary to our will, but we trust to be kept out by a better influence. While we have the light of God’s word to guide us, which so clearly defines the sov ereignty of the church and the duties of the church as the instrument in the hands of God by which He intends to accomplish His purposes, we have no fears that we shall ever find it necessary to affiliate with any organization about which the sacred Scriptures know or say nothing. My brother says he desires the connec tion for our good. We thank him for his sympathy, but choose to demur. But show us how our good is to be promoted by such connection. He says, by being united. If we could be united legally upon the principles of the law of Christ, it would be a happy and glorious union. But I pray God that I may never become a party in the formation of a union that is not based on the law of my Master. I think the history of our country, for the last ten or twelve years, is sufficient to teach us an important lesson. When the United States stood united, bound to each other by constitutional law, there was not a nation on earth that would dare to at tack her; but when law was disregarded and division ensued, bloodshed and car nage followed in all its direful train. So t has been, and ma<y still, to a very great extent, with the church. In the apostolio age, the church was of one mind and of one accord, and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine,and in feSwwship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. Why is it not in that condition now ? There is disunion.' Who caused it? The Baptists claim to be the church nearest the model of the apostolic church. What divided the Baptists ? I can well remem ber when there was no division among the Baptists of this country. Every body knows, that has taken the pains to inform themselves, that organizations gotten up by men without Scriptural authority, have been the whole cause of the division. My brother says he expects to continue his efforts to win over his brethren to the opinion, and believes it is right. Saul thought while he was persecuting the saints he was doing God’s service. 1 hope my brother, in his arguments to win over his brethren, will bring forward the law and the testimony, for the Baptists gen erally are a peculiar people, and like to have “ thus saith tho Lord” for evi dence ; and unless such testimony can be brought forward, he will not be likely to be very successful in bringing a very large host under his banner. Your brother is not so much troubled as you might sup pose about being voted into the Conven tion, for he knows very well that the Bap tists are a Democratic people, and seldom ever carry any one where he does not want to go. As for the Association being voted into the Convention at the last meeting of the body, I still contend for what I did in myfformer communication, —that there are at least two-thirds of the members composing the churches of tho Oostanaula Asshelation that are opposed to the Convention ; and it has ever been my understanding among the Baptists, that the majority rules in all cases except as touching fellowship. My brother seems to be a great advocate for union, and if he does what he says he will do in his last piece, he will sow the seed of discord and disunion among the churches ; for already, some of the churches aro nearly divided purely by the agitation of this question. Some of the churches belonging to the Association were not represented in the last session, and it would have been doing what every true Baptist would say was illegal to count even the neutral churches which were represented, and more espe cially those which were not. Let us look at tho merits of the question: Who made the demand upon the churches to come forward to the Association by their dele gates to vote in this matter ? Answer, the Association. Is it a legislative body ? My brother says there is no Scripture for any such body. Then it cannot legislate for the ohurches. Are the churches bound, then, to vote when the power that requires it is ah illegal power ? If the churches do not choose to obey this illegal demand, and act as independent churches have a right to do, are their votes to be count ed whether they vote or not ? If this is Parliamentary in legally organized bo dies, I contend that it does not apply in this case. It is given up on all hands, by all the Baptists, both among the Mission ary and Hardshells, that the Association is only a creature of the churches, and has no legislative power over the churches. If this be true, what right has tho Associa tion to take neutral churches, who did not feel disposed to act under such authority, aud construe their vote to answer her own purposes, knowing as she, the Association, did, that there was division of sentiment in the churches ? It any church does not feel disposed to obey the law of this un scriptural organization, (I mean the Asso ciation, for my brother admits it to be such,) and see3 fit to pas3 its demands by unnoticed, who has the right to say the vote of such churches shall be counted in the affirmative ? Such conduct would be contradictory to all Baptist practice and usage; for all admit that the church is the highest ecclesiastical judicatory guided by the law of Christ. I mean the Baptist church. Shall Associations or Conven tions, in their delegated capacities, enact laws for the government of the churches and bring them under obligations to sub mit to their enactments contrary to the supreme law of God ? God forbid. H. A. Clemmons. A Good Minister. Givo inn the priest these graces shall possess : Os an embassador the just address; A father’s tenderness, a shepherd’s care; A leader’s courage, which the cross can bear; A ruler’s awe, a watchman’s wakeful eye; A pilot’s skill, the helm in storms to ply; A fisher’s patience, and a laborer’s toil; A guide’s dexterity to disembroil; A prophet’s inspiration from ab .ve; A teacher’s knowledge, arid a Saviour’s love. I Must Work. Death worketh, Let me work, too ; Death undoetb, Let me do. Busy as death my work I ply, Till I rest in the rest of eternity. Time worketh, Let me work, too; Time undoetb, Let me do. Busy as Time my work I ply, Till I rest in the rest of eternity. Sin worketh, Let me work, too; Sin undoeth, Let me do. Busy as sin my work I ply, Till I rest in the rest of eternity. Horatiut Bonar. Ministerial Importation. The article calling attention to the ten dency to ministerial importation, was not designed to question the right of the churches to select whom they please as pastors, nor to restrict them within cer tain county, Associational, State or Fed eral boundaries, provided the authority of the Master is recognized, and the interest of His kingdom is not prejudiced. Nor was it intimated that this practice has be come universal, that great “stress” should be laid upon the question, “ Where was the pastor born ?” and that, “ to se cure to him and his message attention and sympathy, it should be announced that he hails from a certain State.” The inde pendence of the churches is a New Testa ment doctrine, and should be “earnestly” contended for, while its exercise is not pressed to the injury of the Master’s cause. It is also granted that “ there are no geographical line3 running through Christ’s kingdom,” but that His “ chosen generation” is selected “ from every na tion, kindred and tongue,” to constitute his “ holy nation.” And yet, after all these admissions, it is a fact that these State lines and geographical boundaries have had, and do have, an important bear ing upon Christian vhort. The chdi4ihes of each State have their own special en terprises, and their own modes of devel oping the resources of heart, mind and wealth within their bounds. Each State has its own Convention, and, so far as practicable, its own newspaper and insti tution of learning. The territory in which these institutions expect to operate, and from which they look for support, is pretty well defined by “ geographical lines.” Our fathers recognized such boundaries when they drafted the constitution of “ The Georgia Baptist Convention of the State of Georgia,” which says, “ The con stituents of this body shall be the Bap tist Associations in the State of Georgia, or as many of them as shall accede to the terms of this Convention. . . . Associa tions and societies located out of the State may be received into the body when their peculiar location and other circumstances may, in the judgment of this Convention, render it desirable and important.” While our fathers did not entirely restrict them selves to State lines, yet they felt that their first and highest objects was “to unite the influence and pious intelligence of Georgia Baptists, and thereby to facili tate their qnioq and 00-operation." The churches of other States have united for similar purposes. There is a fitness of things in the union of the churches of the different States for calling out and making profitable their undeveloped resources; and when they go beyoqd these bounds, except in the great work of missions, there should be some “ peculiar circum stances which renders it desirable and im* portant.’’ Otherwise, instead of “ co operation,” there will be a clashing and a prostration of each others plans and pur poses. The State Evangelist recently ap pointed for Alabama would hardly feel at liberty to expend his time and strength upon Georgia soil. Bro. Hornady would not be apt to put on one of his blandest smiles were he to meet Bro. Davis prose cuting his agenoy in behalf of Howard in the heart of Georgia. Nor would Bro. Davis bid Bro. Hornady a hearty god speed in drawing from Alabama money and students for Mercer. Each would bid tho other to recognize his “ geographical line.” It is a well-known fact that our news papers, in times past, have' speared each other for seeking to secure a foothold upon each other’s territory, until there is now a mutual acknowledgment on the part of all that the local paper should be taken first. If our educational and newspaper inter est may- be injured by this traversing each other’s boundaries, why may not the churches and the general cause be injured by a too constant “ importation” of minis ters from any one locality ? It has been done. Already, the complaint is made that the churches of other States are stripping Alabama of her ministerial strength. Bro. R., of the Index, thinks that Alabama talent must be very popu lar, judging from the effort to import it; and Bro. Mclntosh, in a speech at the recent Alabama Convention, “ the effort to withdraw Prof. Freeman from the College and the State, and felt anx ious that the Baptists should do what they could to keep him.” It is not denied that “peculiar circum stances may make it important and desi rable” to secure certain persions and cer tain orders of talent for certain positions, and that importations may be right and proper even if it be from Ireland. (Alas, poor Ireland ! How urgent should be the necessity which takes from her one of her “ ablest, most useful and most popular pastors !”) Such is the exception. The rule stands good, that it is the province of the churches to call out and make efficient the piety, talents and wealth within their geographical lines. The command of Christ to pray for an increase of laborers, imposes also the duty on the churches to look up and put to work those whom He gives, and not to the neglect of such gifts, to seek from abroad those already en gaged. The thought will press itself, Why shall Georgia churches, unless in some peculiar case, go abroad for pastors, thus disturb ing the peace and harmony of sister churches and calling away men who are fully at tho work, while there are so many in the State but partially engaged—men whose piety is as deep and whose minds as well furnished as those who are sought ? Why seek for pastors abroad while such men as brethren Hillyer, Tharpe, Wilkes, Ryals, Steed, Kilpatrick, Davis and others are on their farms or tied up in school rooms ? The ministry of Georgia is pronounced equal, if not superior to that of any State in the South, and when suoh men are pass ed by, either the churches place too high an estimate upon their own importance, or too low an estimate upon the gifts which God has placed at their door, or these men need a reconsecration of themselves to their Master’s work. At least, so it appears to Native Born. Change from Immersion. Rev. W. 11. Whitsitt, in the Western Re corder, giving a sketch of his visit last May to Lorffelholy Chapel, an alcove of the Church of St. Sebald, Nuremburg, Germany, says: The chief object of interest in it, be sides some striking pictures from old mas ters, was a baptismal font, cast solid, from copper, said to weigh 32 tons. It was orna mented by various reliefs, and is considered one of the oldest works of art in Nuremburg. What particularly attracted my attention, was an arrangement by which fire could be kindled under the font for the purpose of heating the water. “What is the meaning of this?” I inquired, pointing to the fire place. “ O,” said my attendant, “ in former times it was the custom to heat the water betore performing baptism.” “And why has that that custom been discontinued? “Because the churcii no longer immerses as formerly,” was the reply. “ Look at this font, if you please. It can hold water enough to dip a child, neck and ears, and because the weather was often cold, it was sometimes found neces sary to heat it. That was a custom of an tiquity that has happily been abolished.” Here 1 interrupted my usher with the ques tion, “On whose anthority was this custom abolished ? Does not the Bible require those who believe to be immersedt' 1 “O yes,” was the answer, “nobody doubts that, but the Church has taken the liberty to change this ordinance, because it does not suit our •climate. Only look at this font before us. A»uimiocent as it now appears, it was once the occasion of the total destruction of the building about us. On the 11th day of April, 13(51, the Emperor Wenzel, son of Emperor Charles IV, was baptized in it, and the fire which was kindled in order to heut the water, not being watched, communicated to thu floor of the church, and that night the whole of the majestic edifice became a prey to the flames —uothing was saved but this font, the cause of all the mischief.” I ad milted that many inconveniences were insep arable from baptism after the Seripture.mode, but insisted that these were no sufficient ex cuse or occasion for changing what was di vinely ordained. About such questions my attendant insisted that there existed, of right, a difference of opinion, and that such casual ties as the burniug of a great church edifice justified the authorities in adopting sprinkling instead of immersion. W anted—Churchmen. Why ? To secure a vigorous self support. Let any church be without a pastor a year or so, the congregation sensibly diminishes, the Sabbath school and prayer meetings decline, the charities fall off. The fact has a cause. The ohurohes are without churchmen. They have material appliances, members, pious members, too, but no churchmen. The true churchman loves his church. Creed, polity, forms of worship, enterprises, members, all that makes up his church he loves. Its stones and dust are precious in his eyes. Entering it of choice, he hears toward it an ardent, intelligent, unvarying affection. Nobody is half a day with him without find ing out, not that he is a church member, but abhurchman. 1? The true churchman works -iu his church. He is not the originator or patron of new, supplementary organizations. As he under- {53.00 A YEAR, f { stands, a church is the body of Christ, here to do his work. He infers the wise and use* ful course for him ia to be in it and support it. He attends regularly its Sabbath services. Famous preachers, straying into the neigh boihood, do not tempt him away. If the church sustains a meeting during the week, he attends it, participates in it. If wanted in the Sabbath school, and lit for service there, he is in it. Is he elected to office in the church, he does not refuse it for slight aud selfish reasons. Os course he is a mem -ber of the parish, goes to its meetings, keeps himself familiar with its concerns, and gives and plans for its thrift. The true churchman trains himself for church yvork. He studies the theology and history of his church, makes hi<ns»n ac quainted with its peculiarities. He is a fit uiun for moderator of church meetings, for delegate to councils, conferences, convoca tions, is fit to serve on committees. He is oomp.etent to fill offices in the church, is effi cient in church work. He makes himself a good 3aobalh school teacher; takes time to make himself such. He qualifies bimself to aid in supporting the weekly meeting, the missionary ooncert. Ho studies the matter <sf benevolence, the best means of developing it, looks after, labors to increase the dona tions of the church. Like Daniel, the true churchman is trained for the Ring’s business, and, like Daniel, he does it. Trained workmen , that is, churchmen , Are they not wanted in our churches?— Rev. J. L. Jenkins, in Congregationalist. The Soul's Cries and God’s Answers. Woe is me, for lam undone. —lsa. vi: 5, Thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Mh is thine help.—Hos. xiii: 9. . God be merciful to me a sinner. —Luke xviii: 13 : Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.—l Tim. i: 15. 1 have gone astray like a lost sheep. — Ps. cxix: 176. lam the good Shepherd. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. —Johnxi: 11; Luke xix : 10. What must Ido to be saved?— Acts xvi: 30. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.—Acts xvi: 31. Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief. —• Mark ix: 24. I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.—Luke xxii: 32. For thy name's sake, 0 Lord, pardon mine iniquity ; for it is great. —Ps. xxv : 11. Your sins are forgiven you, for His name’s sake.—l John ii: 12. Our backslidings are many ; we have sin ned against thee. —Jer. xiv : 7. I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely.—Hos. xiv : 4. Is His mercy clean gone forever ? —Ps. cxviii: 3. He delighteth in mercy.—Micah vii: 8. Doth His promise fail for evermore ? —Ps. cixxvii: 8. All the promises of God in Him are Yea, and in Him, Amen.—ll Cor, i: 20. Behold I am vile: what shall I answer Thee? —Job xl: 4. Though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. The blood of Jesus Christ Ilis Son cleanseth us from ail sin.—lsa. i : Is, I John i: 7. Mine iniquities, as an heavy burden, are too heavy for me. —Ps. xxxviii; 5. Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. —Matt, xi: 28. Create in me a clean heart. 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me. —Ps. li: 10. Anew heart will I give you, and anew spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.—Ezek. xxxvi: 26.— Edinburgh Presbyterian Episcopal Testimony. The Dean of Westminster says: “In the Nicene Creed, or rather in that later edition of it, which appeared at the Council of Con stantinople, there is a clause which acknowl edges ‘ one baptism for the remission of sins.’ But that clause is worded, not iu the termi nology of ecclesiastical controversy, but is taken direct from the large and general lan guage of Scripture itself. Whatever sense is to be attached to it in the only two passages in the New Testament, where the phrase oc curs—one relating to the baptism of John the Baptist, the other to the baptism by Peter on the day of Pentecost—may be, or rather must be, attached to it in the Creed. The context of those passages, the words employed, the belief of the earlier Greek fathers, the state of theological controversy at the time, —all not only do not enjoin, but almost forbid, the extension ot the phrase (as originally intend ed) from the baptism of adults to that of in fants—from the remission of actual sins to the remission of that original sin of infants, which could only, by the most violent distor tion of language, be forced into connection with the words of the Creed ; and even if it were so forced, the question of the mode of remission, whether conditional or uncondi tional, is still left as open as ever.” Home Review of Sermons. —On a re cent Sunday evening, at a boarding school for yonng ladies, the Principal sat down in the drawing room after tea, with some forty young ladies, And began this exer cise. The room was dark, except as light came in from the adjoining room. The thing was wholly voluntary, and the ut most confidence seemed to prevail One point after another was brought out. Sometimes one voice was heard, and then a dozen at once, as the interest became greater. The Principal of the school quietly called out one part of the sermon after another, until it had really been preached over in that Christian home. Here is power, the power which the church and the pulpit needs. Attention is one of the hardest gifts to cultivate, as it is invaluable when acquired. He who lis tens to a sermon expecting to give some account of it, will listen with tenfold in terest. Why could not every family take up this old-fashioned element of power ? How differently a minister would feel in thinking out, in writing, in delivering his sermon —if he knew that every thought was likely to be roviewed and preached over again at home. This is a good thing to preach about, and to talk about; but blessed are they who have grace to be at home doing it.— Presbyterian. TnE Lord's Day. —“ Three streams of blessing should flow through Sunday into the people.” First, it should be a day of rest from the labors and cares of the week; second, a family-day, when parents and children, separated during the week, might have opportunity of seeing one another; and third, a day, which should draw down upon us Divine grace, through whose strength we are kept amid earthly tQiU “A life without a Sabbath is a desert with out a shade or springs of water,’* WHOLE NO. 2569.