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Jf adex and Jfaptist
Bey. D. E. BUTLEB, Managing Editor.
Editorial Cokthibutorr :
Dr. J. S. LAWTON Forsyth, Georgia.
Key. J. S. BAKER. D.D Huitmati, Georgia.
Rev. N. (i. HILLYKR, D.1)., Forsyth, Georgia.
Rev. T. G. JONES, D.D Nashville, Tennessee.
Ret. li. G. MANAKD Bristol, Tennessee.
THAT “ UNIFICATION SCHEME.
Rev. Attieus G. Haygood, a promi
nent Methodist minister, and one of
the leading minds of that denomina
tion in Georgia, in a terse and able
article published in the Atlanta Con
stitution, denies the feasibility, or pro
priety, of Dr. Clark’s “ College Unifica
tion Scheme,” and afiirins that the
Methodists of Georgia have no desire
whatever to merge their denominational
college with the State’s college at Ath
ens.
In this Dr. Haygood, no doubt,
speaks for the great majority of the
thinking men of his Church. It, is evi
dent, that this pet scheme, for the sup
port and aggrandizement of Franklin
College, at the expense of colleges in
stituted by the various denominations,
and supported by thorn iti behalf of
their own peculiar interests, will never
be crowned by success—nor should it
be. All the casuistry —all the alluring
word-painting of the “unification ” ad
vocates, exercised to prevail upon the
separate church powers of the State to
assist in centralizing the educational
means of this Commonwealth, at Ath
ens, will fail, for two reasons—namely :
There is no real necessity for such an
innovation ; secondly, the parties most
effected by this plan of the “ unifica
tionists,’’forgood and sufficient reasons,
do not desire any such change.
Memorials and committees are pow
erless, when they presume to urge any
pet scheme whatever, which is at vari
ance with practicability, and obnoxious
to the common sense and business sa
gacity of tbe people.
VIII I'II,PIT.
One of the most attractive features
•of The Index we hold to lie “ Our
Pulpit.” Under this head will be
found, from week to week, some of the
best, pulpit efforts of our leading min
isters of the Gospel, “ thoughts that
breathe, and words that burn ” with
the hol< inspiration of the Gospel of
truth, and which shall make this spec
ial department of The Index sought
for by all who delight in Divine lessons,
draped in the beautiful garments of
human eloquence.
The sermon on “ Truth, Mercy,
Righteousness and Peace,” by Rev. W.
N. Reeves, of Eufaula, Alabama, in
this issue of The Index, will address
itself with peculiar force to the intelli
gent thousands of our readers.
Logical Inferences. —The late Dr
S. D. Baldwin, says in his Armageddon :
“It is a received maxim, that the best
form of any government for any peo
ple, is the best that its present moral
and social condition renders practica
ble. A democracy cannot exist with
out a high state of morals aud intelli
gence blended together; we repeat it,
they must both exist together.”
An inference might logically be
drawn from the latter of the two sen
tences above, altogether favorable to
the morals aud intelligence of Baptists ;
as they constitute a pure democracy,
and have existed from the days of the
apostles. One not so favorable, Metho
dism, might be drawn from the first of
the above two sentences; but, mark
ye, to avoid giving offence, ice draw
them not.
We call attention to the communi
cation by Bro. Irwin, “Vital Question
Again.” Ho suggests how something
is to be done for our relief in the pres
ent financial distress. The plan is a
good one. If executed promptly and
with a zeal, inspired by the love of
truth as it is in Jesus, God will bless
every effort, and every one who gives.
We repeat, the work must be done, or
Ba; list faith is in great jeopardy.
Brethren in the ministry, begin at
your next conference, and gather any
sum, however small, and on every oc
casion when at all proper, bring the ne
cessities of our Zion before your con
gregations.
Ir your school is taking no Sunday-school
paper, send on for Kind It'orde ; for the young
should !>v all means have a paper. Beside tho
Sunday-school Lessons in Kind llonis are a
groat help in conducting the school. The paper
I is now issue.) regularly and promptly, and is, we
are glad to learn, on a permanent, self-sustain
ing basis. Tho terms may be seen in our ad
vertising columns.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
INFANT BAPTISM.
m.
In our first two articles upon this
subject, we have shown that no argu
ment in support of Infant Baptism can
be founded upon any analogy supposed
to exist between it and circumcision.
We now propose to show that Infant
Baptism is actually at variance with
important passages of the word of
God.
We quote Jeremiah 31st chapter and
31st and 34th verses inclusive. “Be
hold the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will make a New Covenant
with the house of Israel, and with
the house of Judah; not according to
the Covenant that I made with their
Fathers, in the day that I took them by
the hand to bring them out of the land
of Egypt, which my Covenant they
brake, although I was a husband unto
them, saith the Lord; but this be the
Covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel; after those days, saith
the Lord, I will put my law in their
inward parts and write it in their
hearts, and I will be tbeir God and
they shall be my people; and they
shall teach no more every man his
neighbor and every man his brother,
saying, know tbe Lord, for they shall
all know me from the least of them to
the greatest of them, saith the Lord,
for I will forgive their iniquity and I
will remember their sin no more.”
Here, we have a remarkable pro
phesy, setting forth what should be
the relation of God’s people to Himself
under a New Covenant, which He would
make with them at s me future time.
When was the prophesy fulfilled?
Most assuredly under the Gospel. In
proof, notice that our Saviour, when
He instituted the Lord’s Supper, said:
“This cup is the New Covenant in my
blood which is shed for you.” Hence,
these words announce the inauguration
of that New Covenant. And an inspired
Apostle, in his letter to the Hebrews,
quotos the whole passage from Jere
miah, and calls it a better Covenant,
established upon better promises, aud
claims that Jesus is the mediator of
that better Covenant. Hence, it is
clear, that Jeremiah’s prophesy is ful
filled under the Gospel. We do not
think any body can dispute this.
Now, the candid reader will notice,
the peculiar feature of this New
Coyienant is, that under it, God would
write His law upon the hearts of His
people; and that they all should know
Him, from the least to the greatest.
Thus, it is manifest, that infants can
not be the subjects of this New Cov
enant. The language employed clearly
excludes infants. Its subjects have
the Law written in their hearts, i, e.,
they are the subjects of Divine Grace.
They all, without exception, are ex
pected to “kncnv the Lord-,” i.e., they are
expected to be believers. Hence, the
very terms upon which this New Cov
enant is offered to God’s people, imply
intelligent apprehension of it and be
lief in it.
The representatives of this New Cov
enant, as a visible people, are found in
the churches of Christ. Now, the
practice which admits unconscious
babes into those churches, subverts
the fundamental conditions of the Cov
enant itself ; for it introduces into the
churches a very large class of members
upon whose hearts the Law is not
written and may never be written;
and who, when admitted, cannot
“know the Lord,” and many of whom
never will know Him. Infant Baptism
is just such a practice, therefore, it
subverts the fundamental conditions of
the New Covenant; and hence, is at
variance with those important passages
of Scripture which we have quoted.
It may be objected to this argument,
that the advocates of Infant Baptism
.do not claim that baptism makes in
fants church members. But upon this
point, its advocates are not agreed
among themselves. It is certainly true,
that the ancient Fathers, whose author
ity is so often quoted to justify Infant
baptism, did teach that in baptism,
children were regenerated, received re
mission of sins, and were brought into
the church. This sentiment prevails
to tliis day in the Greek, Roman Cath
olic, Lutheran, and in the Eglish and
American Episcopal churches.
John Calvin, however, seems to have
felt the absurdity of connecting baptism
with regeneration and remission of sius
in this manner; and, accordingly, he
has transmitted a sort of Infant Bap
tism to some of the Pedobaptist organ
izations, which is very indefinite as to
any church relations which it estab-
lishes. Hence, many who advocate
this practice, may claim that it does
not make the children church mem
bers; and, accordingly, they may deny
the minor premise of the foregoing ar
gument. But the theory of Infant'Bap
tism involves tbe idea of infant church
membership, to some extent, whenever
it is piacticed. It was certainly held
by the ancient Fathers (so called,)
among whom the practice originated,
that baptized children were church
members, and entitled to the commu
nion. The Greek church holds that
sentiment to-day.
While other organizations do not ad
mit them to communion, still, in a sense
more or less definite, they are church
members. But, fortunately, we are
not obliged, in order to save our argu
ment, to clear away the mist aqd fog
which modern Pedobaptist writenMiave
thrown around the relation which bap
tized children sustain to the church.
It is sufficient for us to make good"this
point; and this is the point in the case,
viz., the advocates of Infant Baptism,
support it, by an appeal to the early
Fathers, who practiced it, and who are
said to have received it by tradition
from tbe Apostles. Now, we claim
that the baptism of these early Fathers
was understood to involve regeneration,.
remission of sins, and adoption into !
the household of faith. Accordingly,
little children were immediately after
baptism, confirmed by the Bishop, or
Elder, if present, and were allowed to
take the Lord’s Supper. Hence, they
were considered members of the church
to all intents and purposes.
Now, if modern Pedobaptists deny
that Infant Baptism makes the chil
dren church members, having already
denied the doctrine of baptismal regen
eration, etc., then they have a baptism
which Cyprian, and those who followed
him, would not recognize. ‘A baptism
without faith, without regeneration,
without remission of sin, and with no
church membership! Such a baptism
tbe Fathers never knew. Such a bap
tism they did not say was handed
down by tradition from the Apostles.
Therefore, for such a baptism, there is
not one vestige of historical eviden/b,
from the days of Pentecost down!),
the days of John Calvin. Tbasrfge toil
all Pedobaptists who deny
memh.-rshq*, ;i’. i .J. .illy
renounce, entirely, the
meat in support of the. institution
which they defend. On the other
hand, those who admit that infants
are made church members by baptism,
are fairly amenable to the argument
above set forth; and are convicted of
upholding a practice which subverts
the fundamental principles of the New
Covenant a.i foretold by Jeremiah, and
expounded by Paul. Our friends may
choose the horn upon which to fall.
— "T- ♦
Easy and Hard. —lt is an ease
thing to knock down one’s reputation,
by circulating evil reports about him ;
but a difficult thing indeed, to build
up again a reputation that has been
thus knocked down.
It is an easy thing to detect blemish
es in the articles that appear in our
columns, but we rather think the most
acute of our critics would find it diffi
cult to write for us better articles than
are some (even many) of those that
have appeared in our weekly issues.
We would be glad to have them over
come our superstition on this point,
however, by sending us articles supe
rior to any that we have hitherto pub
lished. Come, ye critics, step up with
your superior articles, that they mav
serve as copies, alike to our correspon
dents and our editorial corps.
Light.— ln the Sacred Scriptures,
this term is often used to signify
knowledge, especially the knowledge of
Divine truth. It is also used as ex
pressive of joy or comfort. Thus the
promise of light in obscurity, is equiv
olent to the promise of comfort in a
dark season of adversity. He who se
cures the light of Divine truth, will, at
the same time, secure the light of the
joys of salvation. , It is as natural for
the light of Divine truth shed into the
heart, to impart the joys of salvation,
as it is for a flame of fire to yield heat.
Be it remembered, that the Bible is
alike the repository of Divine truth,
and the medium through which the
light of the joy of salvation is im
parted.
Considerable sectional feeling agita
ted the Conference of the Presbyterian
church during its recent session in
Louisville.
A JESFIST’S DEFENSE OF JESUTISSI.
A Jesuist, C. Tanguerv, pastor of
the Catholic church in Dalton, Georgia,
in an article addressed to the Constitu
tion of this city, indulges in a charac
teristic rhodomondate in reply to cer
tain strictures made by Rev. Dr. Left
wich, of the Central Presbyterian
church, on the vicious principles of
Jesuitism, and the abominable ends
aimed at by the Order of Jesus, so
called. The disciple of this order in
Dalton, takes upon himself the impos
sible task of denying the affirmations
of Dr. [Leftwich, as he says, “in the
name of two hundred millions of Ro
man Catholics.” He makes the asser
tion, (disproved by all history,) that
“ the Jesuists are the true disciples of
Him who said : “ You are not of the
world, therefore tbe world hates you.
No, they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you.” And he “lays
the flattering unction to his soul ” that
this Scripture quotation truly applies to
those Janizaries, first armed to make war
upon the civil and religious liberty of
the world by tbe shrewd imposter, Ig
natius Loyola.
It is superfluous to quote, at any
length, the most unimpeachable authori
ties of modern history—not Protestant
only, but tbe testimony of Roman
Catholics, and acknowledged Jesuists
to prove the flippancy and perversion
of facts, so apparent in the fulmina
tions of the Dalton disciple of Loyola.
Does Mr. Tanguery consider it a
“ malieions insinuation ” to say, that
the abominable practices and criminal
acts of the Order he defends culminated
in such an outrageous fashion, as to
calf forth the denunciations of even
the Popes; that bull upon bull was
hurled upon them from the Vatican
throne ; that they were outlawed, and
driven from their seats as the most
dangerous foes of the Catholic hier
archy ? Do not millions of Catholics
even now execrate them, and deny them
the right of speaking as representa
tives of Catholicism ? Surely Mr. T.
presumes too much upon his own igno
rance, or the assumed ignorance of the
age.
The Christian Index offered a rrizc of
j. 7 dollars for Hie best sermon received
certain tiimv ThiiTy-oue sermons
JMfeLzjved. The prize d!is awarded by
■Lttec to Rev. S <l. llillyer, III).
HTh. Georgia. Theme—•• The Rest
■Pcs of ( hristiunity " Our good hmih
■BWlyer wrote (rood sermons even in his
youthful days. We are not surprised at the
decision; but what bothers us is, to guess
how and by whom those thirty-one sermons
were read. The exploit was" worthy of a
martyr. — St. Louis Central Baptist, Fefnj 4.
In order to relieve our Central Bap
tist brother of the “ botheration ” he is
laboring under, we will state that the
names of the awarding committee were
published in The Index with the issue
containing the successful sermon—
namely: Rev. J. H. DeVotie, Rev. E.
W. Warren, Rev. F. M. Daniel.
As to how the offered sermons,
were read, the names and standing of
the awarding committee supply the
only answer necessary. Could the
publishers have entertained the idea
that the writer of the above extract
was capable of appreciating the merits
of a good sermon, or even “ how ” to
read one, they might have included
his name iu the committee of awards.
Let him rest assured that the offense
given to his vanity was unpremeditated
—he should not have expected us to
act on an improbability.
Rev. Alfred Webb.—Correspond
ents of this most estimable aud be
loved brother, so long the moderator of
the Hightower Association, will please
address him in thef uture at Yellow Creek
post-office, Dawson county, Ga., aud
not at Hightower post-office, Forsyth
county, Ga. He has not changed his
residence, but receives his mail at the
new office. Brother Webb, in a letter
to one of The Index company, dated
January 15th, says : “ I love The In
dex.” Speaking of the health of him
self and wife, he says the infirmities of
old age come on very fast, “but, thank
God, we are able to get about yet.”
Father Webb has devoted about fifty
years, to the great work of preaching
the blessed gospel of the living God,
few men living have done so much for
the cause of truth. A glorious reward
awaits this faithful laborer. S.
A sacred concert at the Savannah
Baptist church, on the night of the
26th ult., was a delightful entertain
ment and largely attended. The pro
gramme, which was varied with good
taste, embraced quite a number of rare
pieces of music.
The Georgia University Magazine is
to be revived.
OUR HYMN BOOK.
Is received with great favor everywhere !
Compiled by Bevs. E. W. Warren and F. M.
Daniel, of the First and Fourth Baptist churches
of Atlanta, with a view to meet the requirements
of general worship, it contains nothing but that
which is choice aud familiar. It is the Cheapest
Book on record—Ten Cents per copy.
Send for specimen copies. Address
JAB. P. HABKISON 4 CO.,
_ Atlanta, Ga.
NEWS FROM OCR CHCRCHES.
Bro. A. J. Kendrick, a prominent
and highly esteemed member of our
church, died at West Point, Ga., last
Monday week. He bequeathed one
thousand dollars to the church at West
••Point. His end was peace.
Bro. W. M. Clark was ordained a
minister of the Gospel at Holly Grove
church, Monroe county, Ga., on the
fifth Sabbath in January. Asa deacon
ißro. Clark has, for a long time, been a
tower of strength in our Zion. May
our Heavenly Father give him useful
ness and strength commensurate with
the new and broader field of labor into
which he has now entered.
Blackwood Springs Baptist church is
situated east of the State Road, be
tween Adairsvilie and Calhoun, and is
beautifully located. Before the war it
was a notable Methodist camping
ground. The church was founded
about a year ago, aud under tbe effi
cient and faithful pastorate of Bro. A.
S. Tatum, is now in a prosperous con
dition. The new house of worship is
nearly completed. It speaks well for
the energ;. and devotion of the member
ship. Some means are still necessary
to finish the building, aud all brethren
disposed to help in the good work, can
do so by addressing the pastor, who
will cheerfully acknowledge the aid
given.
At a recent general meeting of the
Baptist church, at Benevolence, Ran
dolph countv, Bro. L. Culbreath was
elected chairman, and Bro. M. Page,
secretary. It was resolved to hold two
meetings within the bounds of tbe
Bethel Association, to begin on Friday
before the fifth Sabbath in May. One
will be held at Shady Grove church,
Stewart county, the other at New
Bethel church, Randolph county. All
are invited to be present.
On Sunday, January 31st, a pres
bytery consisting of Rev. A. L. Mon
ifoff, Her. E. M. Hooten, and "YV. J.
Morecock, met at the request of Holly
Grove Baptist church, in Monroe coun
ty, Ga., to ordain W. M. Clark, a mem
ber, and for several years licentiate of
that church, to the full work of the
Gospel ministry. The examination, on
his Christian experience, call to the
ministry, Bible doctrine, etc., was held
ou Saturday evening at the candidate’s
house, and conducted by the pastor,
A. L. Moncrief. It was entirely satis
factory. The sermon was preached by
W. J. Morecock, ordaining prayer, by
E. M. Hooten, charge and presentation
of the Bible, by A. L. Moncrief, charge
to the church aud congregation, by E.
M. Hooten. The hand was then ex
tended to brother Clark by the pres
bytery of the church amidst many
tears.
Bro. G. R. McCall, Thomasville, Ga.,
writes to The Index for information
concerning the statistics of our church
in Georgia. He wants a collect : on of
the minutes of Associations, and says:
Of the Associations which are mem
bers of the Couvention, I need the fol
lowing, viz : Bethel, Cave Spring, Cen
tral, Clarksville, Coosa, Fairburn,
Friendship’s, Georgia, Liberty, Mercer,
Middle, Mt. Vernon, Noonday, North
Georgia, Oostanaula, Tugals and
Western.
Of those Associations which are not
members of the Convention, I need all
the minutes except tbe Tallapoosa,
Hightower, Carrollton, Nollton, New
Ebenezer, Upsatoia and Pulaski.
Of the Colored, I have the Middle
Georgia, Shiloh, Southeastern, Thom
asville, aud Union. I need the Calvary,
Colored Baptist, Ebenezer, First Afri
can, Mt. Moriah, New Hope, Pilgrim,
Rehoboth, Walker, Western, Zion, and
any other which may be in existence.
A Mal-practice. —lt is supreme
folly for one to attempt to white-wash
himself by blackballing another; and
yet there is, probably, no mal-practice
more prevalent then this. Charge one
with having committed an error, and
nothing is more common than to see
him engage, forthwith in hunting up
your errors and parading them before
the public. By the way, to do this af
fords strong presumptive evidence of
three things: 1. That he is guilty of
what is charged against him. 2. That
he is conscious of the fact; and, 3.
That he lacks the moral honesty neces
sary to lead him to confess his error.
■•A victory o'er himself, ho must have winned.
Who dares to say, peccavi—l have sinned."
THF. COLORED PEOPLE OF GEORGIA.
The following are some of the closing
remarks of Bishop Ward’s sermon, de
livered in the Methodist church at Al
bany, on the 26th ult., and seem to be
at variance with the reports of outrages
that are told to our Northern brethren,
by unscrupulous men, for political pur
poses. We commend this extract to
such as may desire to know the real
feeling that exists between the two
races in Georgia, hoping that the truth
may be speedily established, despite
the efforts continually made to make
falsehood and error triumphant. Hear
what this colored Bishop savs :
“The power of the Gospel is evidenced by
its fruits, destroying the works of Satan and
overthrowing the kingdom of darkness. The
power of this glorious Gospel is seen every
where in the hearts and the lives of the peo
ple of God. You have been told that this
land was not the place for the colored man;
that the white man aud the colored man
could not live iu peace’, and that you would
have to leave the country. You have been
told that you must leave tbe graves of your
fathers and loved ones behind you, and seek
other shores, for that the white men were
hostile to your interests and that thev were
your enemies. Bat the falsity of such teach
ing is seen by our gathering this morning.
Here is your Bishop —a black Bishop,
preaching to you iu a white man’s pulpit.
The white people are friendly to you; the
country needs the black man, and if you
live and exemplify in your lives tbe power
of the Gospel of Christ, you will be recog
nized as ,the children of the same God, and
members of that family of which Christ is
the elder brother. As’ God led Israel by a
way they knew not, so He is leading you,
and He will lead you into the right way. A
better day is dawning for the colored man,
as well as the white man, aud to you He
says as He said to Israel, “stand still and see
the salvation of God! ”
The colored people look to the white men
of the South for protection and instruc
tion.
They were bom and reared together; some
nursed’ at the same breast.
Notwithstanding all that has been said and
done, the two races are getting nearer to each
other iu spite of themselves.
Not as politicians but as Christian breth
ren.
TO THE SUBSCRIBERS OF THE MONTHLY MES
SENGER.
For different considerations, we
have determined not to renew the pub
lication of the Messenger. In doing so,
you are not to sustain any loss, but
gain by it. Hence, we have engaged
The Index and Baptist, a leading
eight-paged paper, published in Atlanta,
Georgia, to fill out all unexpired time.
By this means, all subscribers will get
value received for money advanced in
the interest of the Messenger, and, also,
have an opportunity of becoming ac
quainted with the merits of a Baptist
paper that is seeking their patronage,
and destined to become their organ;
and which, we trust, they will patron
ize when the time of the Messenger has
been filled out.
Our connection with the press for
several years, justifies us in saying
that The Index and Baptist is the
peer of any paper South. It is just the
paper for you to patronize, able, sound
in the faith, and enterprising. We take
pleasure in commending it, and the firm
that publish the paper, as in every re
spect worthy of your confidence and
patronage. B. G. Manard,
Editor Monthly Messenger.
Bristol, Tenn., Feb. 4, 1875.
YTRITE TO THE POI.\T.
The maxim in rhetoric, that the elo
quence which “speaks to the point.”
incisive, direct, void of excessive eu
phonism, is always the most effective,
applies with equal strength to the art
of writing for newspapers. A great
many writers, when they slowly “take
their pen in hand,” seem to forget that
life is short, and that “time is money
aye, r.,ore than money—the golden
thread by which the soul is connected
with the awful mysteries of Eternity
and the hopes of heaven. We say, these
dilatory and prosy contributors to con
temporaneous literature, religious and
secular, forget that brevity is wit, and
that words, words, words, in linked
dullness long drawn out, are as little
appropriate to the wide-awake, busi
ness-like spirit of our age, as the pow
dered wigs and silver shoe buckles of
our grandfathers would be to the
fashionable “make up” of a modern
Wall street broker.
If you havn’t anything to say, don’t
say it; if you have something to say,
say it tersely ; don’t carry the church
all around the town, but go to the
church by the nearest practical route.
You have no right to claim the valua
ble time of any man longer than may
be absolutely necessary; therefore, be
brief, u-rite to the point, aud, rest as
sured, editors will rise up and call vou
“blessed.” J
A Correction.— ln our late notice
of Rev. Edward Stevens, D.D., we
stated that he was the brother-in-law
of Rev. H. J. Ripley, D.D. He is the
nephew of Mrs. Ripley, the Professor’s
wife. We erred through inconsidera
tion, while writing .