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The Christian Index. THE SOITTH-WESTEaN BAPTIST, THE CHPISTIAET HERALD of Alabama. of Tennessee. " VOL. 54—NO. 8. Table of Contents. Fiest Page. —Alabama Department: Editorial: Noi to be Thought Of-.-Rev. J. S. Baker- State News ; Our Church at Eufaula—Rev. M. B. Wharton ; A Delightful Reunion—A Pros perous Church—Eufaula Baptist; Vital Ques tions Again—Rev. C. M. Irwin; The Star Spltinx —C. W. Hubner ; State Mission Board J. M. Wood; Letter from Macon —Wm. M. Mclntosh; etc. Second Paoe. —Communications : The New Sci ence ; or, Pneumatology alias Spiritualism— G. A. NnimaUv; Brunswick Again—J. M. Wood; Sunday-school Work: Bainbridge, Whigham, Cairo, Thomasviile, Boston—Rev.T. C. Boykin; Children's Hosannas—A. T. Spalding; A Day at the Mission—J. S. Murrow; Errata in Prof. Wil let’s Rejoinder; Pedobaptism, and its Advo cates—Fair Play. Selections: John the Bap tist and Christ; Prevalence of Prayer—Spur geon : etc. Third Paoe.— Our Pulpit; Truth, Mercy, Right eousness and Peace—A Sermon, by Rev. W. N. Reves. of Eufaula, Ala. Mount Tabor- Poetry. Miscellaneous: The Great Salt Lake; Put Not your Trust in Banks. Patrons of Hus bandry ; A Bright Future; Fifth Session of the Georgia State Grange. Fourth Page. —Editorial: The “ Unification Scheme ; Our Pulpit: A Jesuit’s Defense of Jesuitism: Rev. Alfred Webb ; News from Our Churches : The Colored People of Geor gia ; Write to the Point—Rev. D. E. Butler. Infant Baptism—Rev. S. G. Hillyer. Easy and Hard ; Light; Logical Inference ; A Mal practice-Rev. J. S. Baker. To the Subscri bers of the Monthly Messenger—B. G. Ma nard. Our Hymn Book ; etc. Fifth Page.— A Word for The Index ; Chancel lor Tucker's Address ; A Just Complaint; Spirit of the Religions Press—Bev. D. E. But ler. Miss Lottie Moon's House—Miss Jennie H. Clayton. Secular Department: What is Frugality ; Vulgarity in Verse ; Moonshine ; Diversified Farming; Georgia Gossip ; Eu rope in Arms ; Domestic Notes ; Tennessee News; etc. Sixth Page—An Essay; Diversified Farming- Prof. E. M. Pendleton. Seventh Page— Farm and Household: Com paratiV* Prices of Wool: Philosophy of Loose, Deop Soils Retaining Moisture— Rural New Yorker: Mingling the Milk of Different Cows; Experiments in Com Planting: In Breeding of Swine. Eighth Page.— Aid and Co-operation ; Ministers the Best Canvassers ; Women Better Canvass ers than the Bert. Obituaries. Advertise ments, INDEX AND BAPTIST. ALABAMA DEPARTMENT. SOT TO BE THOrOBT OF. If one one would obtain the mastery over his own evil heart, and secure that holiness without which, we are told in Scripture, no one shall see God, he shoubj cvef -remember jjliat it woula be sinful to do, a is sinful to think of doing. As was stated in one of our articles, not long since, all sin originates in the thoughts of one’s heart. If Satan can prevail upon a clerk in a store or a bank office to think of the possibility of ap propriating to his own use, without de tection, a portion of the funds that pass through his hands, and of the great benefit he might derive from the funds, if thus appropriated, he is sure of succeeding, ultimately, in in ducing him to commit the theft. At first, perhaps, the tempted demurs. His conscience whispers, it is wrong it is betraying the trust reposed in you by your employer —it would be en dangering your own reputation as an honest man, and exposing yourself to the severe penalties of the law, in case the theft is discovered and proved against you. Very true, says the wily tempter. I do not urge you to commit the act; but there can be no harm in thinking how you might commit it, if so disposed; and of the means to which you might resort to conceal the theft. The too credulous soul believes the lying spirit, revolves in his mind the thoughts suggested, with no intention, at first, of committing the sinful act. Indeed, if one had suggested the possi bility of bis committing the criminal act, he would, probably, have replied indignantly, as one of old, when told of the atrocities he would commit—“ls thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?” But in process of time his mind becomes familiarized to the train of evil thoughts that have been passing through it. His love of filthy lucre casts a mistiness around him, which conceals from him, to a great degree, the turpitude of the act he is tempted to commit. At length, in an unguarded moment, under some tem porary excitement, which renders him apparently unconscious of what he is doing, he commits the crime, at the thought of which he once shuddered, and he now stands a condemned crimi nal at the bar of his own conscience, the bar of his country, and the bar of his God! —an event that never would have occurred —nor ever could — had he, when first tempted to commit the act, replied, it is not to be ' thought of, turned away from the ! tempter, and sought from the Saviour I some new token of His love, to serve as an additional bar on the door of his heart, to secure it against the admis sion of evil thoughts. It is not to be thought of. Let that be your reply, dear reader —be thou young or old —when tempted to indulge in draughts of that which has converted into a bedlam so many a quiet home, that was once as pure and peace ful as was ever the garden of Eden; blighted so many a brilliant prospect of honor, usefulness, and happiness, and spread over our moral world a desolation far more direful than any that was ever wrought on earth by mil dew or blight, by floods or flames, by war, famine or pestilence. It is not to be thought of. Let that be still your cry when tempted to betray the confidence reposed in you by some innocent fair one whose affections you have won ; and when tempted to enter any of the saloons of sinful folly that are to be found, not only in every crowded city, but in almost every coun try town and cross road village. It is not to be thought of. So let our youthful church members reply, when urged to participate in scenes of revelry in the ball room or elsewhere, or to do anything that would impair their influence for good, by destroying confidence in their Christian character; or that would be likely to prove a stumbling block in the way of sinners; or a source of grief to the more pious members of their respective churches. It is not to be thought of. Such should be the language of every Chris tian, not only when tempted to do evil, but also when tempted to neglect any well known duty, such as attending the meetings of the church, ministering to the necessities of the poor, contributing to sustain their Sunday-schools, Mis sions (Home and Foreign), and paying .promptly.. Ujejr PAfro* I and printer. KEY. VALENTINE MASON. The last item in our article on “ Re volting Scenes,” calls to remembrance an incident that occurred in the life of an old and highly valued brother, the late Rev. Valentine Mason, who for many years acted as General Agent of the Baptist General Association of Vermont. At a prayer meeting in one of his churches, he called on a rather diffident brother to lead in prayer. That brother was a single man, and was very assiduous in his attentions to a sister in the church, whose hand and heart he aspired to win. When called on by his pastor to lead in prayer he shook his head. Elder Mason paid no atten tion to the shake of his head, but bowed, without appearing to have no ticed it, and all the congregation bowed with him. The brother was thus con strained, much against his will, to lead in prayer. He was much embarrassed, offered a short prayer, and brought it to a close with feelings of extreme mortification. After the close of the meeting, he approached his pastor, and remonstra ted with him for calling on him to pray without having previously notified him of his intention to do so. “ Didn’t you see,” hfe enquired, “ how embarrased I was?” “Yes,” replied Elder Mason, “ I saw it, and I knew the reason of it too. Caroline was present, and you desired to secure her favor more than that of your God.” Often have we listened to prayer that seemed to indicate, by the form of words, or the tone of voice used, that the speaker was thinking more of the impressions he desired to make on the minds of his hearers than on the re ception with which his prayers would meet at the Mercy Seat. At the recent meeting of the stock holders of the Selma, Marion and Memphis Railroad, held in Memphis, Col. Porter King, of Marion, Ala bama, who has from the inception of the project, been prominently associ ated with the road, was elected Presi dent, and Gen. E. W. Rucker, General Superintendent. The control of this ; great enterprise is now in the bauds of the Alabamians. Mardi Gras will be celebrated this month in Mobile with great eclat. FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 11, 1875. For the Index and Baptist.] OIK CHIUCH AT EIFALLA, ALABAMA. Editors Index —l have just re turned from Eufaula, where, before go ing to Louisville, I spent five of the pleasantest years of my life. The welcome extended to me after au.ab sence of three years, was, perhaps, the most cordial that I ever received. • All hearts and homes were open to me. A prettier place, a nobler people, a finer church than Eufaula, I have never known. Rev. W. N. Reeves is now the pastor of the church, and no minister ever had a pleasanter charge. The church edifice, the handsomest we have in the State, stands in graceful beauty, though still without its stucco coating. A debt of about five thousand dollars still remains on the building, which should be paid as soon as possible, and from all I can learn, the church and congregation are quite able to do it. Brother Reeves, the pastor, says he will give one-tenth of the whole amouut himself. The building as it stands, has cost upwards of thirty thousand dollars in cash, and but few enter prises of the kind come out with so small an indebtedness as that which now hangs ever the church. There is nothing, therefore, in this feature of the cause that should discourage any one. Besides, the debt is not due yet. It should be paid though, to save in terest, and that the beautiful building should be entirely completed. It af forded me much pleasure to preach ou the Sabbath to tho large congregation assembled; to gaze on the familiar faces of the people, and hear the sweet voices of that splendid choir. I went over to stay a week, but was compelled by the solicitations of my friends to remain two weeks, and finding that the longer I staid the longer I wanted to stay, had to tear myself away with many promises and a firm resolution to return again. If invalids of the North and West would wish me to Yeeommencf a winter home to them, I would name Eufaula, Alabama, in preference to Aiken, South Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, or any other section of our “Sunny South.” M. B. Wharton. A •ir •-[ Ism: f tv-t> B.r ■ A DELIGHTFUL REUNION —A CHURCH. Eufaula, Ala., February 4,1875. Brother M. B. Wharton left us this morning for a visit to your city. His friends in Georgia, Alabama, and Ken tucky, and throughout the South, will be glad to know that his health is much improved, and that the prospect is, he will soon be able to return to the work of the ministry, the noble work he so much loves, and for which he is so well fitted, and so well fitted for it because he loves it so well, He came on a short visit after an absence of three years, the first visit he made us since he preached his farewell sermon, after a most successful pastorate of five years. As may well be imagined, he was most cordially welcomed by his many friends, and it was a source of pleasure to them to contribute in any way possible to the enjoyment of his visit. And his visit was the more agree able to him and to us from the fact that Mi’s. Wharton, (who is scarcely less popular here and elsewhere than her husband), accompanied him. Last Sabbath was a beautiful day, after a long, gloomy, rainy spell, and a large audience was delighted to hear again the familiar voice, and listen to the earnest address of him under whose ministry we sat for five years. Though brother Wharton has lost flesh, and is considerably thinner than formerly, there was no indication of the invalid in his sermon, either as to manner or matter. He gave us a most delightful and profitable discourse. The atten tion was fine, and all were well pleased, and, I trust, profited. Taken all in all, including the sermon, the reunion, the entire services, the audience, the beautiful edifice, the splendid frescoed auditorium, the occasion was one sel dom equalled in this or any other city or section. May our beloved brother’s health and fife be precious in the eyes of the Master; may he be long spared, and may he favor us often with these delightful reunions. Nor is this all the good we have to report. The prospects of our church are brightening— “ Tho sunshine is coming And lighting up the day, The clouds are breaking away.” There is among us a spirit of cheer fulness, hopefulness, and brotherly lote, and the people all seem to have a mind to work. And we are not only working, we are looking for and prav ing for the Spirit’s blessing upon our labors. Brother A. P. Graves visits us soon; brother Fish is to be with us too, and aid us and him. Our people all fell in love with brother Fish and his singing, and ho alone will be a power for good in our midst, and with the combined labors of the mighty preacher and “sweet singer,” we hope for an abundant harvest through the Divine blessing. “Finally.brethren, pray i for us, that the Word of the Lord may have L ee course and be glorified.” Eufaula Baptist. For tne Index and Baptist. I softbmn baptist theological semi -7 SART. '-Greenville, S. C., Jan. 30,1875. Though having stepped aside from the active labors of ministerial life for a briefyti&son, my heart still yearns for the Ijtojperity of the Missionary cause, and, with your indulgence, I desire to call attention of our Baptist breth ren to few thoughts suggested.to my mind: IlDvUncing over the Herald, I find refreshing reports from brethren—A. B. Earl and A. P. Graves, evangelists— of the Spirit’s outpourings in the West and Northwest. I learn, too, that they intend, joort, making evangelistic tours througL the South. Does it not behoove us, then, all over our land, to earnestly pray that the power of the Holy Spirit may be dis played and felt through their ministra tions ? That we, iu the South, may have a repetition of the work of grace which Las so recently swept, like a tided wave, over portions of Europe ? Certainly the necessity for a mighty revolution of that kind is obvious to every one, especially to professed Chris tians* ; |.- -;w ■ > ’look about us we find many in o'djyr-.'-ry midst, seofling at the doc trines of Revelation, “giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of dev ils—speaking lies in hypocrisy.” Sure ly the “gates of hell” are trying to prevail against the Church of Christ. While Tyndaliem, infidelity and Spirit ualhjAoutside, would fain scatter to our holy religion, sealed with thSod of the martyrs, formalism in is palsying, so to speak, of the Gospel. Is it not high time to awake out of sleep,—‘to go forth in the strength of David’ljGod, and put the armies of the flight?” May not this be a ar in Christ, when the shout in the camp of Israel thy fight is come, ■L the Lord is risen upi n Bjfbos' .!' I- Hand prayers ascend, as for power from heaven that will shake our land from centre to circumference, bringing multitudes to Christ in 1875. Amen and amen. J. W. P. Fackler. For the Index and Baptist.] VITAL QUESTION AGAIN. In the last issue of the Index I wrote a phort article headed “Vital Question.'’ Did you read it ? I offer a few thoughts more in answer to the question “ What is to be done ?” Does the magnitude of the work which our blessed Lord commands us to do, and the little pecuniary means we now have with which to do this work, so overwhelm us that we hesi tate; yea, even so appall us that we will, therefore, do nothing? It is true with many of our good brethren and sisters, because they cannot give in i largo sums, as they once did, they will not Jive anything. To such let me say: You remember when our blessed Jesus was on earth, he saw the multi tude' faint, and said to his disciples, “Give ye them to eat.” They replied, “We have no more but five loaves and two fishes.” This is nothing, said they; for so great a multitude. As the disciples had so little food, they would, therefore, give the multitude nothing, although Jesus had commanded them. We are too poor —the supply of food is too small—We cannot give them to eat. Just so j with us now. We are overwhelmed with the magnitude of the work whicl our Lord has command ed us to do, aril say w.e are too poor to furnish the neans needed to supply the world—sc great a multitude with the bread of 'ife. And because of this inability, w will do nothing. So argue many—not all; a few are still willing to stare the little they have with the fainting multitude. What is to be done ? I answer, let us fall back upon God, and call upon Him for such a spiritual rerival as will not only add to ouf uum deal strength, but such a revival as ; ill lead every brother and sister to bring in willingly their tithes and offerings unto the Lord. Baptists of Georgia, let us have a tithe gathering between this and the meeting of our State Convention at Milledgcvill.: in April. Let us cease for a time t talk about our poverty and cor Boards, and bend all our ener gies to v> planish their empty treas uries, and help our missionaries in the foreign liojc., in the home field, and ! among the Indians—to supply the | fainting multitude with the bread of i life. Let r:e respectfully suggest that | we have a day of prayer and (jiving he- | twepn this and the Convention, and us i our: churches in the country have j tnoKhlv m 'dings, let that day be their i meeting in I'larch or April. Brethren j and sisters, what say you? Pastors,' what do you say ? I will cheerfully at tend them as far as I can, if desired. Who will respond to this ? C. M. Irwin. THE STAR SPHINX. Ye stars 1 “ which are the poetry of heaven,” Say, are your ghostly Ups forever sealed ? Must your dread secret Btill remain unshriven, Your plan and purposes be unrevealed ? O, mocking splendors of the Infinite ! Dumb hierarchs of Heaven’s divinest creed !—. Unveil the awful mysteries of your might— Unfold the Book of Life, and let ub read ; Yea! let us read by your white fires, which shone Ere the unfabled myths of Chaos roße, The epos of the Past and the To-come— Fate’s Iliad, from il preface to the close. Tho harps celestial of the shimmering spheres A sadd’uing music breathe upon our mind; The hopes they wake are phantoms of our fears, And lure to what we wish, but dread to find. Impotent, therefore, is our majesty, 0 priesfc-brow'd Stare! ye scorn our human needs; And tho’we wreathe your shrines, and bend the knee, And at your blazing altars tell our beads— Praying the stygian silence may be broken Which, brooding, wraps your cloister solitude— Still the charm’d word we wait for is unspoken, And your pale vestnl lips, like Death’s, are mute. —Charles W. Hubner. • For the Index and Baptist.] STATE MISSION BOARD. The papers submitted to our last Convention, expressive of the views of three members of the Committee ap pointed the year before, to consider the propriety of forming a State Board, are now fairly before the public, by their appearance in The Index of last week. These papers are in agreement in the following particulars: 1. That we should have a State Board of Missions. 2. That seven men should constitute the Board, who should be elected au nuallv by the Convention. 3. That they should organize and have power to employ such agencies as the work assigned them might de mand. The work itself to be the sup plying the destitute regions of the State with the gospel. 4. That the Board should incur no liabilities which would involve it in debt. About these four things there is, of course, no need of particular discussion by members of the Committee. Be tween these, therefore, discussion, o*n *De properly bad u|s® vrte £reemei.t. Those points < will, be ply. sented in due time. But as the massif of our brethren, and espeially those who will probably vote upon the sub ject. at next Convention, may not have given the subject as much thought as the Committee has been called upon to give it, I propose to offer a few reasons why we should have a State Board. 1. There is great destitution (in some portions or our State) of Baptist preaching. The Committee of the Convention upon the “ State of Relig ion,” have, frem time to time, brought this fact prominently before us. A vast region in South and Southeast Georgia is very poorly supplied with Baptist preaching. The same may be said of Northeast Georgia. Besides there is not an Association, in even the favored parts of the State, but has more or less destitution. 2. But very little has ever been done by any existing agencies to supply this destitution. 3. Without stopping to praise any such agency for what it has done, or to blame for what it has failed to do, Georgia Baptists ought to look to this and go vigorously forward, as fast as the Lord will help us, to supply this desti tution. 4. The wisdom and experience of nearly all the other Southern States which have State Boards to do such work, in their respective bounds, ad monish us to go forward. Say what we may, the masses of Christians will work more vigorously, and with more heart for specific objects, which to them are tangible and visible as nearly as may be. A Georgian will give more to supply the destitution in his own State, other things being equal, than he will for Alabama, albeit ho knows that the cause is one, just as a mau living in Atlanta will give more to build a house of worship there, than to build one in Mont gomery. There is a home feeling and home obligation of which we cannot rid ourselves. While there are enough Georgia Baptists who have the ability to supply their own destitution, we can not expect brethren in other States to do it, to the neglect of their own. If Georgians are to furnish the men and means to do the work, and have men of ability to manage it, we ought to do it and not impose upon other agencies already burdened with work, and not complicate our des titution with that which has no home friends able to look after it. Our great State has not been doing a tithe for Home Missions of what we ought to do. Our people should feel the obligation to supply our own destitution, and, in my opinion, nothing will more effectu ally arouse them to this duty than the formation of a State Board. It is foreign to my purpose to censure those who may hone Ily differ from me, and to criticise other agences w’hich have WHOLE NO 2756 been employed to do our work. It is desirable that the discussion should be high-toned, simple and honorable. There are great interests involved, and it should be the earnest prayer of all that we should make no mistake. Next week I propose to notice the disagreements, in the two papers pre sented to the Convention. These dis agreements involve great underlying principles to which the attention of . Georgia Baptists will be called. J- M. Wood. ° For the Index and Baptist.| LETTER FROM MACON. We were favored last week -i v a visit from Dr. DeVotie. On Sabbath he preached a tinder and effective sermon, one that%vent home to the heart, awakening seri ous thought, and suggesting sole on enquiry searching, yet comforting. He is making an effort to relieve the Home Mission Board at Marion. Strin gent as financial matters are, and not withstanding our brethren have recent ly taxed themselves heavily to pay a church debt, he received a good contri bution. All when we could see re sponded promptly to his appeal. There were two things that are worthy of mention. Not a member of this church who was applied to, declined to give ; not one gave reluctantly. Their gifts were accompanied with expressions of sympathy for the Board, and encour agement to our brother, and I think he left us with a feeling akin to that of the opostle when he made the honora ble record of the churches of Mace donia, “that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty ab ounded unto the riches of their liberal ity.” “ The Lord loveth a cheerful giver.” May our good brother’s heart be comforted wherever he goes by a like spirit. He is engaged in a most important mission. The Board must be relieved, or suspend its operations, and suspension is death. How long the Southern Baptist Con vention will survive the loss of one of its Boards, may be a problem which the future alone can solve, and yet there are some of us who thunk iv does not Ivky a<r. aa The dissolution of the Convent io i 7s ifraught with evil, which,, if “ it is nfd- dom to forecast consequences,” welted better seek to avert by arousing in time to a sense of the peril, than by supineness to invoke. When we find ourselves without an organization to combine the energies of the denomination in the South, for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ, if I should be living, I shall not covet the reflections suggested by the de struction of our present plans,cofessed ly imperfect, because they are human, but which have done so much for the development of our churches, and the enlargement of our beloved Zion. Should the Marion Board be crushed, it will be a long stride towards “aeon summation devoutly to be” deplored. This is not all. The honor of the de nomination, as represented by the Southern Baptist Convention, is in volved. The transfer of the Sunday school Board, with its indebtedness, to the Marion Board by the Convention, has increased the liabilities of the latter to their present alarming magnitude. This, together with the State Board poiicy, inaugurated in some States, and agitated in others, diminishing to a greater or less extent the contributions to the Board, has placed it where it is, prostrate and struggling for fife. Shall it live or die ? is the question. The answer will give anew lease of life to the Convention, or strike the first note to its death knell. If the last, nothing is left the denomination but the humil iating refuge of repu my hand re fuses to write the word, as my heart spurns the thought that Southern Baptists would accept such an alterna tive. Say rather, it shall live —-God helping us, the Convention shall live ; its Boards shall five; the Seminary shall five, to perpetuate to our children the blessings they have been to us. Let every friend of the Convention give but a little, and the work will be done. Give brother DeVotie a dime or a dol lar, or as much more as God gives you the ability and the heart to give; or send it to the Home Mission Board, Marion, Alabama, and “the blessing of the Lord, (that) maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it,” be upon your soul and your substance. Wx. H. Mclntosh. A Remarkable Tree. The Australian Gum Tree sometimes reaches the height of 340 feet, and over fifteen feet in diameter a yard from' the ground. It often yields planks 200 feet long without a single defect. It is a rapid grower—one brought to Al giers attained the height of thirty feet in two years after transplanting The wood is hard and presents different colors. After the trunk has attained the height of 100 feet, the limbs shoot out laterally, sometimes 90 feet long, giving the tree the appearance of an enormous umbrella.