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194 Units and jtajrtist J. TOON, .... Proprietor PUBLICATION ROOMS —4 * 6 SOUTH BROADWAY. M ' Editor: Bey. D. SHAVES, D.D. OOBRKSPOVDIKG EDITORS: Rkv. J. J. and. RENFROE, Talladega, Ala. Rav. S. HENDERSON. D.D ~ Jacksonville, Ala. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1871. Profession and Practice. The Maryland Baptist Union Association, at its late session, adopted an amendment to the Constitution, “ to encourage and promote Foreign Missions.” By this action, the As. sociation merely conformed its profession to its practice ; for, while, so far as constitu tional provision went, it has been exclusively a Domestic Mission body, its churches have ranked among the most liberal supporters of the work abroad. There are many organiza tions among us, we fear, whose practice has been worse, while their profession has been better. Associations have recognized the duty “to encourage and promote Foreign Missionsbut the churches composing them have done little—in not a few cases, have done nothing—toward that end. This is a painful discrepancy; especially painful in view of the fact, that missionaries of our Board, who were expected to sail for China during the latter part of November or early in the present month, have been prevent ed from leaving for want of funds. The work drags heavily on, where it should “have free course”—that work in the prosecution of which, God has given the present genera tion of Southern Baptists, the high distinction of seeing the names of its elect laborers writ ten on the scroll of martyrs ! And yet, these churches and Associations suffer months and years to wear away, without writing their own names on the list of givers ! It is wrong—grievously wrong; and we beg them to weigh well two or three questions. 1. Is it not a dictate, alike of sound morals and of pure religion, that profession and praotice should correspond the one to the other? 2. Where there is an inconsistency between them, will a good conscience suffer us to get rid of it, by narrowing the profes sion within the limits of the (inadequate, faulty) practice? 3. If not, to preserve “ a conscience void of offence” must we not rec tify and enlarge the practice until it harmon izes with the (godly, scriptural) profession ? 4. Should not every church and Association, then, which dees not feel free openly to revoke its profession of the obligation and the pur pose to “ encourage and promote Foreign Missions,” attest its sincerity and vindicate its honor, in practice, by contributions as prompt, systematic and liberal as the pros, perity given of the Lord allows? 5. Will they do it? Will you, reader, if you share the responsibility for the action—or inaction —of any such Association or church ? §3gP*Please return your answer to Rev. C. M. Irwin, (Wootten, S. W. R. R., Ga.,) agent for the Foreign Mission Board in this State and Florida. Baptist Broad Cliurchisui. Rev. A. D. Gillette, D.D., of Brooklyn, writes, as the American correspondent of the London Freeman : “ Several of our pastors have come to the conviction that baptism is not necessarily es sential as a qualification for coming to the Lord’s supper; others are taking the ground that a Christian, having professed Christ in what he believes to have beep baptism, ought also to be admitted to the communion and fellowship of Baptists. A few years ago, the avowal of these views would have awakened a very unwholesome and unlovely spirit of bitter feeling and protracted controversy. Now, while the most of our pastors and churches are as firm as formerly in their own convictions, and as regular in their practice, yet they exhibit a Christian spirit of tolera tion and brotherly love that indicates a con dition of mind and heart among us, grateful to see and admirable to love.” Is this a veritable statement of fact ? Are “ the most of our pastors and churches” in the section for which Dr. Gillette writes, com mitted to the policy of connivance at loose communion? We hold it extremely doubt ful ; we “ are persuaded better things of” the denomination in the region round about “ the city of churches.” Perhaps, it is not surprising that Dr. Gil lette should deem this laxity “ grateful to see and admirable to love,” since he predicts a union, in due time, “ between Baptists and Campbellites, or Disciples as they prefer to be called” —predicts, and ‘ hopes’ for it, on the insufficient ground that ‘ the things where in they differ are fewer and less important than are those about which they are agreed.’ But we are constrained to rate at a much lower figure the sentimentalism which comes in the guise of “ a Christian spirit of tolera tion and brotherly love,” and asks us, in the name of fellowship and fraternity, to counte nance disorder in the positive department of revealed religion. It strikes us as implying “the same sort of wisdom as a priest of Di ana would have manifested, who should have proposed to dig up the celebrated charcoal foundations of the mighty temple of Ephesus, in order to furnish fuel for the burnt-offerinjrs on its altars.” We feel that it should be dealt with, somewhat as Dr. Arnold dealt with sentimental professions of admiration for goodness among Rugby students, when he said : “ I have seen enough of boys that loved God ; commend me now to boys that not only love God but hate the devil.” It is, in prin ciple, akin to the “ comprehension” of the English Establishment, which lovingly folds one arm around the superstition of High Churchmen, and the other no less lovingly around the scepticism of Broad Churchmen ; and, in effect, it must work after the perni" cious fashion of the Patristic “ accommoda tion,” whicli “ paganized Christianity in order to christen Paganism.” This is not a harsh judgment; for how can “ firm conviction” as to divine appointment “join hand in hand” with the practical abrogation of that appoint ment, without relaxing the sense of obligation and obscuring the sanctity of inspired enact ments —thus opening two of the chief inlets to error? Nor is the interval between this form of guilty compromise and the parallels we cite, as great as men would have us think it, on the score that here nothing but an ex* ternal rite is in issue, while there vital doc THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BjfajST: ATLANTA, Cl, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14,1871. trine was involved. The citadel of doctrine in Sciipture is girt around with an organiza tion and external rites, as outworks for its protection; and when these are surrendered, that cannot long stand impregnable. Dr. Emmons has said, with equal emphasis and truth : “ The whole history of the church of God teaches us, that if we suffer the Sabbath, the sacraments, and the positive duties of re ligion to be neglected, perverted or corrupt ed, we shall certainly find that Christianity will die on our hands. This is a solemn con sideration, which ought to awaken the warm est zeal in the breast of all Christians to maintain the purity of all divine institu tions.” Jottings by the Way—Cbildersburg—Mont gomery—Tuskegee. The reader will indulge us in a little gos sip connected with our late trip to the Con vention. Leaving home two or three days in advance, we stopped over and spent a day with our friends at Childersburg, which we found to be rapidly improving in several re spects. Two new meeting houses have been built here during the past year—a Baptist and Methodist—and a Baptist church has been constituted of, we believe, between twen ty and thirty members, and the uew church has called our brother, W. Wilkes, to preach for them. Quite a spirit ot enterprise has been manifested by the citizens of the place —several families have moved in---and they have a large and flourishing school in opera tion, under the charge of our young friend, McMillan, assisted by his lady. The num ber and character ot the new houses, business and private residences, going up, speak well for the place. They are truly a live commu nity, and at no distant day, will make the place not a little attractive. We wish them abundant success in building a large, intelli gent, moral and religious town. Montgomery is taking a rapid growth. We were struck with the rapid enlargement of the city, particularly on the eastern side. Vast numbers of neat and commodious resi dences have been built since our former visit to the city, and we were told that, rapid as had been the multiplication of houses, the demand was unabated. The First Baptist church is greatly attached to its pastor. Bro. Gwin, and is enjoying a reasonable degree of prosperity. They pay him an ample support, and contribute largely to various objects of benevolence. It is, in many respects, or.e of the best churches we have in the State, in the number, intelligence, piety and efficiency of its membership. The Second Baptist church is, for the present, without a pastor. Its late pastor, Rev. W. M. Davis, has felt it his duty to resign. We trust our brethren of that church will spare no pains to have his place supplied at no distant day. The loca tion of the Second church is one of the best in the city, and an efficient pastor could, with the blessing of God, soon build up a large church. After the adjournment of the Convention, we made a little cletonr to Tuskegee, our old home, and spent a night and a day with our old friends. For the first time in our life, we encountered the “Ku Klux.” Having heard much of that mystic, impalpable, un definable monster, which has invoked much legislation, both from our State and national authorities, we were, of course, all attention at our first sight of the horrid thing. Now, will the reader believe us—will the “outrage committee” believe us—will the grand as sembled wisdom of this great country believe us—when we solemnly declare, that the “ monster ” has been captured, harnessed, and put to the most profitable business of com merce ! It is now making regular daily trips between Tuskegee and Chehaw, whistling along tiie road as cheerily as if legislative and Congressional authority had never doomed it to destruction. It is one of the most use ful institutions we have seen since the war, to both negroes and whites, and is making Tuskegee what it was in its most palmy days. And we verily believe that if the “ travelling committee” would make a single visit to that place, they would endorse all that we have said. The East Alabama Female College, at this place, under the Presidency of Prof. Raw lings, is steadily growing in popularity and prosperity. He has one of the ablest corps of teachers in the country. Those best ac quainted with the Institution, affirm that, for thoroughness of instruction, it is unsurpassed. The Professor has only to hold on fora sea son, and such efforts as he is putting forth will be crowned with abundant success. Tus kegee is rising from its temporary depression. Property there has appreciated in value within three years, over fifty per cent. This we know from actual observation. All the houses in the city are occupied. May God bless and prosper the dear old church and city! H. “I Have Learned by Experience.” So said an ancient servant of God in his old age. Ho had a hard teacher—one that he, no doubt, thought was quite tyrannical, often capricious, not to say unreasonable, and who demanded his tuition fees at the hour, w’ithout the least regard to the penury of his pupil. And then he grooved his lessons upon the quivering heart as with an instrument of iron, so that they never needed to be repeat ed. But they are such lessons as all of us must learn, sooner or later, if we ever reach that wisdom that redeems human life from simple inanity. Happy if we, standing upon the verge of life, cau say with the old patri arch, “ I have learned by experience,” and point to the fruits of righteousness to vindi cate the sincerity of the utterance! “ I have learned by experience,” that God’s “ thoughts are not my thoughts, nor His ways my ways.” My most cherished “thoughts,” and my most deliberate “ ways,” are not unfrequently set aside by His. I cannot see the end from the beginning, and hence should be perpetually precipitating myself upon dangers which I could not avert, and obsta cles which I could not remove ; but He sees all, and benignly defeats my purposes, and “ leads me in ways I had not known, and in paths I had not trodand when the issue appears, I am made to submit to the power 1 could not resist, admire the wisdom I could not comprehend, and adore the goodness I could not fathom. And although, while suf fering under affliction, disappointment, pnd bereavement, my inconstant and wayward heard often exclaims, “all these things make against me,” anon, when the “peaceable fruits of righteousness” begin to appear, I see that the Lord “ meant it for good,” and I resolve again, (O, how often has this resolve been taken !) that I never more will distrust His gracious providence ! When will I learn to distrust my own understanding, and ‘•'commit my ways unto the Lord?” How long before my wise, rigid, exacting teacher, “experience,” shall groove these salutary lessous on my heart so thoroughly, that I shall no longer need his tuition ? “ I have learned by experience,” that the “little that a righteous man hath is more than the riches of many wicked ;” yea, that failure with God’s blessing is far preferable to success without it. Weie we to judge of the little estimate in which God holds the riches of this world by the unworthiness of the objects on which He so often bestows them, we should learn to set lightly by them. They are often amassed by injustice, fraud and corruption, and. are as mill-stones that sink their votaries down to the perdition of ungodly men. It is related of a Grecian soldier, who had violated his marching orders so far as to step aside and pluck a cluster of grapes while suffering with hunger, and thus forfeited his life, that his companions won dered as they saw him quietly eating his grapes in the immediate prospect of an ig nominious death—“O, my friends,,’ said he, “ don’t envy me the little pleasure of these grapes; they cost me my life!” So, let not the poorest Christian envy the prosperity of the wicked- -it costs them their souls ! “ I have learned by experience,” what men are, as I have learned from books what they ought to be. And what a “vast abrupt’’ between the are and the ought! It requires the whole of life, wisely improved, supple mented with all the aids that di vine grace can afford us, to bridge the awful chasm. And, alas! how many fall into the turbid waters beneath, in their efforts, unaided by grace, to pass the abyss? In the presence of these disasters, how often has my instructor, expe rience, taught me to tear least I should fall after the same example of unbelief! “ I have learned by experience,” that “ men shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” How often have I seen that world ly success only serves to stimulate desires it never can gratify; and that, as a rule, the most prosperous are the most miserable? There are no positions of fancied security through which the Divine Hand may not break, and write the doom of the revelling voluptuary while, on the other hand, the most squalid huts of poverty may be the scene for the dispensation of favors, temporal and spiritual, which shall constitute the in mates, “ kings and priests unto God the Father.” Finally : “ I have learned by experience,” to say, “Thy will be done,” abeit it sends me reeling and staggering from some cher ished blessing, as I thought, and remands me to a position of sacrifice, toil, unrequited labors, until the master sounds the note of retreat, when all shall be made plain, and I shall then see, as I never have seen, that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” Let me, then, “in patience possess my soul,” until the “day dawn and the day star arise,” that shall bring an ever lasting noon ! 11. Ministerial Ordination. Frequently in our life we have been im pressed with a feeling that too little irnpor. tance, among Baptists, is attached to the manner of service in ordaining ministers. Such editors as Shaver, Jeter, Graves and Worrell ought to instruct their readers on this subject; and our theological professors would render a valuable service to the de nomination if they would impress a plan of ordination on the minds of the young minis ters whom they are sending out. In all our reading in our papers we do not remember to have seen a single article on this subject, ex cept the mere reports of cases of ordination. It may be replied that the Scriptures are plain enough, and that the question of manner is not important. But we have fouud that pres byteries are generally somewhat at a loss as to the course to be pursued ; and frequently go forward without a definite understanding as to how the thing is to be done; and as a consequence, they some times appear to do a work quite awkwardly which ought to be performed decently and in order. A service so solemn, and one which attracts so much attention, and one, too, which is required by the Holy Scriptures, should be performed with such correctness and dignity as will im press its magnitude on the heart of the candi date and the mind of every spectator. A thing of so vast significance, appointed by the Head of the Church, should not be blun dered* through so ungracefully as it some times is. We maintain that few occasions are offered Baptists where they can make a bet ter impression on the public mind than in a well managed ordination. We would have no iron rules that are not taught in the Scrip tures, but let the things that are generally done, be done with that order and emphasis which which will show that we believe the thing means something. We trust that we will be pardoned if we venture a few sugges tions. 1. By private interview before hand, the presbyters should have a distinct understand ing of how the ordination and every thing connected with it is to be managed, and pre cisely what part each one is to perform, and the order in which the several parts are to present themselves; and then every presby ter should bestow sufficient thought on his part to be able to do it with readiness, meek ness and devout dignity. 2. We would have the candidate examined publicly—not in some private place, but in the presence of the church and congregation. And this examination should be led by a clear statement of those doctrines on which the young minister is expected to have a sound understanding, and as they are stated, require him to prove them by Scripture quotations, and when he fails, let him be fully aided by the presbytery. It is here that a better im* pression can be made than in any sermon, because the prejudices of the hearers are laid aside for the reason that they suppose these things to be necessary to the occasion; our principles «re brought out with the reasons for them, and the soundness and the candidate are made to appear to all men. s This examination, begun by reading appro priate passages of Scripture and prayer, may well take the place of an ordination sermon. 3. At the ordination prayer, let the candi date kneel and stand on both knees erect, with the presbytery" standing on their feet around him during the prayer, in convenient posture for the imposition of hands. Let them lay on their hands at a point in the prayer which is previously understood ; and it seems to us that these hands should not be scattered about over the man’s head and shoulders, but on his head, one hand on an other ; and let them not bear down with such weight as to make him yield under the bur den:—we have seeitAhe like. 4. It would be appropriate if a suitable copy of Holy Wrifwero purchased for the occasion, to be presented by the presbyter who delivers the charge; and the charge should be of sufficient length to have some sense in it, and not so long as to weary the occasion. 5. As the presbyters advance to extend the hand of fellowship, each one should have a suitable brief word of admonition, or en couragement, or welcome, to the young bro ther. “ Take part of this work with us.” Now, we do not assume that all this is laid down in the Scriptures, but something after this order is consonant with the teachings of the word of God. W any body has a better plan, we are willing to take that. If it be objected frequently ordaining councils are assembled who are incapable of conducting such an "examination to profit as that indicated above, and that many candi dates for ordination could not stand the said examination, arid that therefore the impres sion would be unfavorable, we reply, that while this is admitted to be true, it furnishes no excuse for those who are competent; and we are admonished'to “ lay hands suddenly on no man.” The minister is to be “ apt to teach,” and he that cannot teach should not be ordained. Os the deacon it is said that he must “ hold the mysteries of the faith in a pure conscience; aud let these first be proved.” Surely no less should be expected of the candidate for ordination to the bishop ric than is required of the deacon. At the risk of bemg tedious, !we will call up an old case which cost us much per plexity. In 185 G, a church of the Cherokee (Ala.) Baptist Association, remotely located on Lookout mountain, sent a young minister to the meeting of the Association to be or dained. Several ministers proceeded with the ordination, and we were one of that num ber. But to make matters quite perplexing, we had to do it agaiu§Ji the modest protest of two distinguished visitors, —men who have since passed from earth to glory, and who left blessed memories behind them. These vistors were no less persons than Rev. Platt Stout, of Wetumpka, Ala., and Rev. Dr. J. H. Eaton, of Murfreesboro, Tenn; the first then agent of Foreign Mis sions; and the othejl President of Union University. Our actVjf ordination was dis tinctly declared by us' not to be the work of the Association, but these distinguished and moderate men pronounced the whole affair to be irregular and dangerous. We went for ward in the face of their mild protest and or dained the man. We now incline to the opin ion that they were right and we were wrong- R. “Alien Immersions.” In the Mississippi Department ol the Mem phis Baptist, a former student of the. South ern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently ascribed the defection of Rev. J. A. Cham bliss from strict communion, to teachings re ceived in that Institution. He said : “Dr. Williams taught in his lectures on church government and pastoral duties, that any man who had been called of God to preach, was authorized by that call to admin ister the ordinance of baptism; and hence the immersions of Pedobaptist ministers were valid, though they themselves had not been immersed.” Rev. J. Wm. Jones, a classmate of Cham bliss, replies, through that paper : “ He certainly heard no such teachings from Dr. Williams, and could not have been influ enced by them. On the contrary, Dr. Wil liams taught distinctly and emphatically, that while any man called of God had a right to speak for Jesus, (or to preach, if we prefer that term,) no one should administer the or dinances, save a baptized believer, regularly set apart by his church for that purpose. . . . As tor the validity of ‘Pedobaptist immer sions,’ I remember distinctly that Dr. Wil liams told the class that ‘there was a differ ence of opinion among Baptists on this question, and that a’T’Srge majority of the denomination was opposed to the reception of sach immersions.’ He did not express his own opinion, either in the class room or in private, that l heard ofy and 1 really did not not 1 now what his view was. (I may say in passing, however, that I did happen to hear Drs. Boyce, Manly, and Broadus express themselves as opposed to receiving alien im mersions, and I knew that our then fellow student, now Prof. Toy, held the same view.)” Politics. —Prof. Faber, as the public prints assure us, has invented a machine, which can be made to talk, to sing, to laugh, to cheer, to hiss, etc. We respectfully sug> gest, as the best means of utilizing the strange invention, that, whenever an election cam paign gets at full blast, each party purchase a sufficient number of these machines to hold its political meetings, while “the sovereign people” employ themselves at their houses, offices, churches, in more appropriate forms of activity. Our vote is cast for Machine Political Meetings, with the hope that, in due course of time, a happy ‘change may come over the spirit of their dream,’ who, under pretence of lifting politics to the sphere of religion, have degraded religion to the sphere of politics. Like to Like. —The editor of the Canada Christian Advocate , a Methodist minister, not long since, by invitation attended the circum cision of a Jewish child, and participated in the ceremony by offering prayer to “ Our Father.” The spectacle was not altogether an unseemly one—a striking of hands be tween Pedobaptism and Judaism, as older and younger members of the same family of error. The prayer which gave qo recogni tion to “ the Son,” also, was in place—for is not the existence 'of both systems the result of disobedience to His authority a9 “ Head of the church ?” Children. —lt was “ a favorite notion ” of Dr. Archibald Alexander, that there ought to b£lr^ a s<s of ministers trained for the instruc tion of childmvalone. He made the declaration in his old age; adding that, if a young man,he would willingly choose such a field for him self, were he worthy of it. Whether this view can be vindicated against all exception, we will not venture to say; but there is something in it. If, according to the New Testament model, there were a Presbytery in every church—a plurality of elders, bish ops, or pastors—a much nearer approach could be made than is possible at present to ward securing the advantages of the plan proposed by Dr. Alexander. The peculiar gifts necessary to an effective children's min isler, (which God bestows more frequently than we conceive, and which are largely lost because our methods of Christian work pro vide no sphere for them,) would be better developed then than now. Perhaps, no com munity of believers would be found alto gether unfurnished with them—flowering out in unlooked for places, where the current theory of the one-man pastorate, as a re pressive frost, forbids them to bud. Per haps, thousands would be raised up, through all the land, to rival, in their measure, the living divine, who sways adults with marked power, and has introduced sixty persons into the ministry, but alleges that his most suc cessful preaching, by great odds, has been that addressed to children. Woman. —The old English romancers in vented a monster—“ Bycorn ” —which fed on nothing but “good and enduring husbands,” and yet was always fat and plump, because there was no lack of its food. The French romancers, on the contrary, invented a mon® ster—“ Chiehivache ” —which was all skin and bone, because it fed on good women only, and its food was so extremely scarce! These things speak badly for the gallantry of the sterner sex. We are rather ashamed of them. But whoever among us may need to purge himself from the suspicion of sharing the spirit which prompted these inventions, Rob ert Collyer, of Chicago, lies under no such necessity. On the Sunday after the fire—as he told the story at Boston—he asked the Lord, in public worship, “ to bless the men and leave the women just as they are!" This was broadly said; but we wonder whether he would include women like the eight who, for some time past, have “ come to daily confes sional ” in Christ church, New York, and with the (Episcopal) pastor (1), Dr. Ewer, have “ kept it a secret.” We wonder, too, whether he would include such women as Victoria C. Woodhull, (the “darling queen ” of Mrs. Hooker,) who, in a recent lecture at Steinway Hall, N. Y., said : “ I am a free lover ! I have an inalienable, constitu tional and natural right tu love whom I may, to love as long or as short a period as I can, to change that love every day if 1 please; and with that right neither you nor any laws you can frame have a right to interfere!” An Evil Sion. —The Synod of the French Free Protestant church closed its late session at nearly three o’clock one morning, having sat through the night. An attendant writes that ‘ the business was interrupted for some instants at midnight,” and the members re paired to a dining-hall, “ where Dr. Gustave Moriod had the kind and excellent idea of pre paring an enormous bowl of warm punch, which came very apropos in the middle of the cold and fatiguing night.” The name, “ Contradiction,” has been given to “ punch,” because it is composed “of spirits to make it strong and water to make it weak ; of lemon juice to make it sour and sugar to make it sweetbut what is this to the contradiction between the use of that beverage and the character of a grave and reverend Christian assembly, professedly called together to de liberate for the Church of Christ? Such things among opponents to Rome must confer on her anew lease of life. “Christianity can never have her rising aright,” amid the fumes of “ enormous bowls of punch, very warm,’ or among any people who do not exemplify the pure ethics of our “ most holy faith” by total abstinence from strong drink. Items. —We regret to learn that the health of Prof. J. E. Willet, of Mercer University, is painfully impaired; we hope, but tempo rarily. On Wednesday of last week, Rev. W. C. Wilkes had a fall down the flight of steps leading from the vestibule of Spalding Seminary to the ground ; the result probably of a slight paralytic stroke. His face was much bruised, but he was doing well when heard from. Rev. G. A. Lofton declines the call to the pastorate of the First church, Atlanta. Rev. T. 11. Morgan, D.D., occu pied the pulpit of the Third church, Atlanta, last Sabbath, morning and night. Rev. W. H. Mclntosh, D.D., of Marion, Ala., ac cepts the pastoral call extended to him by the First Baptist church, Macon, Ga.——-The Sunday School Board, Memphis, has appoint* ed Rev. S. Boykin, Corresponding Secretary pro tern. An excellent arrangement, we think. Read his article in another column.——Read also, the appeal of Bro. Irwin. Is not the plan it suggests, a good one? “ Lost Aets.” —The Round Table, several years ago, pronounced preaching one of the lost arts among the bishops of the Episcopal church. There is another art which they seem to have lost, if we may judge from their recent unanimous declaration with re gard to the term “regenerate” in the bap tismal service—the art of defining words. May we charitably express the hope that the former art shall be recovered only with the latter? Especially since the Episcopalian alleges that '* some of the bishops are favor ers of Ritualism and its chief promoters,” while “ the prospect is that many of them will be brought over to that side, or advanced toward that side a little further !” Alas, that they should be floating on the stream, which has recently borne four Lutheran and five German Reformed ministers to Rome. Old Clothes. —“ Henry Ward Beecher enumerates among the delights of summer rest, the privilege of wearing old clothes. An exchange recollects that a good many minis ters have that privilege the year round.” But Christmas is at hand, with the close of the year, and we hope that many a pastor will lose this unwelcome privilege, through the liberality of his flock. What flock has npt a sufficient number of ladies in it to secure that result? (for there is no St. Nicholas, Knecht Clobefe, Santa Claus, or Kriss Kringlc on the face of the earth, at all equal to a group of Christian women intent upon a ministry of kindness !) We shall look for a number of “ Sunny Side” items from Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Will the sisterhood compel us to in vain ? Our History. —The Bristol, Tenn., News > “ edited by an Episcopalian of the strictest school,” speaks of the Baptist denomination as “a church which has maintained, through out along line of centuries, a lofty and hono able position among th. institutions founded by the Son of God. It vas honorable when Luther was born. It vjs venerable when civilization built its empire upon the Bos phorus.” “ Its mighty roots are imbedded in every land which rises above the seas.” It “ has no reason to fear the press.” To the Kehobotli Association. Bear Brethren and Sisters: Before this reaches you, I will (D. V.) be on my way to our mission field. One of my eyes is en tirely well, and the other very much im proved. Dr. Hooten will furnish me proper medicine to take home with me, and says, with care and attention, my sight will be en tirely restored in a few months. It would be better, I know, to remain under the Doc tor’s care until an entire cure is effected ; but I am anxious to be more actively at work for the Master. My mission needs my presence, my family has claims upon me, and you are struggling to support me, —not in Atlanta, but among the Indians, at work for Jesus. Again. Dr. Hooten kindly and generously does itot charge me a cent for board, and this fact urges me to relieve him as early as the condition of my eyes will permit. I have met with nothing but kindness and courtesy during my stay in Georgia. The good citizens and Baptists of Atlanta have shown me every attention, and made my so journ among them very pleasant. Especially have the pastor and members of the Second church made me feel at home; so that I have occasionally almost forgotten I am an Indian man. Nor have they been kind to me alone, for a large trunk full of beautiful presents goes to the good missionary wife and little boy in the far West. And I will not forget to feel grateful for kindnesses shown me at Greensboro, Mayfield, Forsyth, Travellers’ Rest, and elsewhere in Georgia. God’s chil dren have been good to me, “ one of the least” of His servants. May He smile upon them in approbation, I pray. I leave my little daughter Clara amoung you, feeling confident you will fulfill your pledge and be a true mo ther to her. I know not if, in the providence of God, it will ever again be my privilege to visit Geor gia. I desire to live and die an Indian mis sionary. With this purpose I return to the field, relying upon God and the Rehoboth Association for success and support. Yours in Jesus, J. S. Murrow. Atlanta, D«o. 12,1871. To Georgia and Florida Baptists. Dear Brethren: Your Board of Foreign Missions have, by recent appointment, de volved upon me the work of calling upon you in their behalf. To visit you in person is im possible. Wish I could. Allow me, through the Christian Index, (a paper you all ought to take and read,) to make the following sug gestions: 1. Let every church adopt some permanent plan at once of raising funds tosus tain our Sunday school and missionary work. For example : appoint, annually, an efficient mission committee composed of pious young men (not old) and women, whose duty shall be to call at least twice a year upon each member in the church, male and female, old and young, for a contribution ; and then upon the congregation. This will furnish work for young Christians, and interest them in the success of the Saviour’s cause. 2. Let each church appoint a time, best suited to them, when they will hold a meet ing, say once a month, of special prayer for God’s blessing upon our missionaries at home and in foreign lands. Do this, and your own hearts will be greatly blessed. 3. Let each church send to Rev. J. B. Tay lor, Richmond, Va., a few dollars, and get a few copies of the Home and Foreign Journal, so that you may see and know what i9 being accomplished in the Master’s vineyard. Read parts of this paper at your monthly prayer meeting. This will greatly increase the mis sionary spirit among you. 4. Let each church resolve, at their first conference in January next, the Lord helping them, they will contribute for Foreign Mis sions, during the year 1872, an average of not less than twenty cents to each member. Do more, if possible. 5. The wants of your Board are immediate and pressing. Funds are needed to sustain missionaries already on the field, as well as those now under appointment, but who cannot go for lack of means to send them. In view of this, will not every brother and sister send me a contribution at once? Will not every pastor bring this subject before his church, or churches, and let this be an extra contribu tion? Small amounts can be sent me by mail; otherwise, by Express. My address, for the present, will be Wootten, S. W. R. R., Ga. C. M. Irwin, Ag'tF. M. B. P. S.—l should like to have a Minute of each Association ir. the two States sent at once to me at this offioe, I want to communi cate with the churches as rapidly as possible. The Fatherless ami the Widow—An Appeal. Two interesting sketches of Bro. W. H. Clarke have appeared in the Index, and have been read with interest by many, no doubt— painful interest, it is true, yet it is gratifying to know that our dead so lived as to deserve remembrance and mention when gone. Bro. Clarke deserves this. I knew him intimately, from the time of his return from Africa. We were much together, in various relations,under many circumstances. I loved him. I hope to meet him “ beyond the river.” Strange, that lam spared to write of him! But I am about to forget the ob ject of this article. It is, by request, but quite willingly, to appeal to the Baptists of Geor gia especially, for some assistance of the family of the deceased. I was at Albany last week, just a day or two after good sister B* ** had asked the friends in Albany for funds to supply the family with actual neces saries. Bro. Clarke did exert himself, but Providence did not favor him, as others are favored. He had bought a home, but it is not paid for, by about, or nearly $275. lie went to Albany, when unable, really, to raise money; got some, but could not get home with it, and the next day the land was sold by the sheriff. Sister C. ©an redeem it, if she can raise the two hundred and seventy five dollars. She can only get it by the friends of the “fatherless and the widow” giving it to her. This can and will, I believe, be done, and she will have a hon e on which she can live, or the rent of which will sup port her. Ministers of Georgia, if the surroundings justify, you will bring this matter before your people, I think. And you can invest aome--may be just a little—in this way for your family, Mine or yours may be the next to ask for a little favor. Act promptly. Send money to me, at Jonesboro, Ga., or to Dr. W. W. Twitty, Camilla, Ga., by check, express, or by mail, if most convenient. Bro. Twitty will publish all the funds received. No danger of getting too much. She needs it all. 1 want to say to every one who helps, that the prayers of one of God’s dear chil~ dren will follow them while that dear woman lives. W. N. Chacdoin. P. S.: Sister 0. is at the residence of Bro. Cochran, near where they lived, who kindly sent for her as soon as he heard Bro. C. was sick. She did not, could not see him in his sickness or death. She has two small chil dren living. A babe, burn a few hours after its father’s death, lived on a few days. Thjfll matter of saving her home, will be faithfully! and promptly managed, as will all funds, by Elder W. 11. Cooper, and Deacon W. W. Twitty. W. N. C. To the Baptists of Georgia and Alabama. The Sunday School Board is sincerely de sirous that the two strong and great States of Georgia and Alabama, should, by means of their State Sunday School Boards, inaugurate and perfect a general and systematic method of Sunday school labor, for the purpose of fostering Sunday schools, improving the mode of conducting them, increasing their number and drawing children into them. For this purpose, the Sunday School Boards of those two States are urged to arouse the churches on these matters, obtain their co-operation in the support of a State missionary, or evan gelist, and enlist the hearty sympathy and active exertions of ail the Sunday school men of each State. By means of sermons, circu lars, letters and newspaper articles, let a Sun day revival be effected; appoint a Con vention to meet in the Spring; and district each State, and appoint men to visit every church in the interest of Sunday schools, and, as volunteer Sunday school laborers, to pro> mote the Sunday school cause and report to the State Committee or Board. Let it also be the duty of each missionary, pastor, and Sunday school laborer to see to it that Kind Words is taken by each school, and that every Sunday school is supplied with whatever books and papers may be necesaa ry. Most of this labor can be performed vol untarily, during the Spring and Summer, by the lovers of Sunday schools; but the regu lar missionary must be supported by the churches and schools, to which end, what are called “nickel collections,” should betaken up in every church and Sunday school, at least once each month, and remitted to the State Sunday School Board, to be applied to the Sunday school necessities of the State. Let every pastor and Sunday school superin tendent regard it a solemn duty to make his church or school contribute regularly and systematically to the Sunday school cause, even though the amount be small. Let these hints be carried out earnestly and persistently, and the Sunday school cause will at once begin to flourish, and an interest so general will be awakened, that it will speedily amount to enthusiasm. In behalf of the Board, S. Boykin, Cor. Sec. pro tem. P. S.: lam pleased at being able to an nounce that the Weekly Kind Words is meet ing with general favor, and increasing rapidly in circulation. In it are published lessons for the children, coincident with those published in the Baptist Teaclmr for adults. Every school should take the Weekly Kind Words,. and avail themselves of the lesson papers in it. The paper, next year, will contain many new and beautiful pictures, and will seek, strenuously, to delight and benefit the young. Now is the time to make up clubs. Rcy. 11. F. Buckner. I returned on the 14th ipst., from a thirty days’ tour in Missouri, and found my young est daughter very low with pleurisy. She is yet low, has not eaten a mouthful for nine days; but the Dr. entertains hopes of her recovery, and we join him in this. We have no post office, and the nearest postmaster (42 miles) refuses to send our mail because we have none. This is the rea son I do not write for the Index, nor to my correspondents. I went to Missouri chiefly to get in communication with my Association, (Friendship,) in S. W. Georgia, but failed. 1 suppose Bro. G. F. Cooper did not get my letter. I wish I could hear from him. Ido not know if he received my last quarterly report. The Chicago fire retarded the pro gress of our railroad through this country, and I do not know when we will have a post office. It is hard, but I cannot control the circumslnnces that prevent. I write this without knowing how I can forward it to you, but I will seek the first opportunity. Please state, through the Index, why I do not com municate with my friends in the States, and request other Baptist papers to copy. JI. F. Bb’tKNKR. Micco, North Fork, Creek Nation, Nov. 24, 1871. Ordination of Deacon. —Bro. John Bryanc was set apart to the office of deacon at the ministers and deacons’ meeting held at Mar shallvile, Ga., on the sth Sabbath in October. Elyton and Birmingham. I wish to say a few things to Alabama Baptists, and by your kind permission, will say them through the columns of the Index and Baptist. I remember that at our Con vention held in Montgomery, an hour was fixed to discuss the Elyton and Birmingham mission, to which field Bro. Hilly er has been sent by the D. M. B. S. B. C. At the hour fixed for said discussion, I was called away from the house by the Chairman of the “ His torical Committee,” of which I was an hum ble member, to hold a preliminary meeting in the casement story of the church. When 1 returned to the house other matter was being discussed, and I was left in ignorance as to what had been done. I desired very much to be present at that hour above all other hours of the Convention, and up to this writing, 1 am ignorant as to what was done, only as I gather from your report of the proceedings, tnat there was a u paper lift" given the en terprise. 1 think the time for resolves has past: it is time for action. I am a friend to all the cherished objects of our Convention, and wish and pray for their success; but if we have a field to which we should look with more interest than to another, it seems to me that this field holds a first claim upon us as Baptists. Elyton is the county site of Jes ferson county, Ala., and Birmingham is only two miles away on the A. & C. R. R., and with its surroundings, is compelled to become the Atlanta of Alabama. It is now growing without a parallel in our State, and men and money are on hand to make it a city, and we have no house of worship there ! Oh, let it not long be said. As to our brethren of the place building a house of worship there, it is idle to talk thus. There are very few members who live there. It is true, some that have come, and are com ing, are of our “ faith and order,” but they are coming to make money, not to spend money. Bro. Ilillyer, a good young man, is there; “but what is ho among so many ?” What can he do without a house that he can claim as a Baptist house ? He, I learn, has to preach in the Methodist church in Elyton, and any where that lie can find room at Bir mingham. At this rate, when will we have a church at either place ? Episcopalians, Methodists and Presbyterians have oiganiza tions there; Romanists soon will have,as lam informed ; and shall wo be behind ? Much depends on an early start. We listened to long speeches at the Convention, looking in the direction of retaining Dr. Freeman in Alabama, and I was greatly interested in it all, and would regret his leaving perhaps as much as any one in Alabama, outside of Ma rion, where he has lived and labored so long and so acceptably. We talked of having him