Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index
VOL. 55-NO. 3.
Table of Contents.
FniST Page.— Alabama Department : Record
of State Events; Spirit of the Religions
Press ; Baptist News and Notes ; Hold the
Port—Poetry ; Definition of Bible Terms;
Home—Poetry ; The Southern Baptist Theo
logical Seminary; Now I Lay Me Down to
Sleep—Poetiy: etc.
Skoosd Page.— Our Correspondents : A Few
Thoughts for the New Year—lß76 ; From the
Brunswick Miesion—\V. D. Atkinson ; Letter
from Lithonia—J. M. Stillwell; Comparative
Status of the Methodist and Baptist Churches
in the State of Georgia—G. R. McCall ; A
Tragedy—J. H. Kinnebrew; Letter from Brun
swick—W. D. Atkinson. Indian Missions : Re
port of Native Indian Preachers for the Quar
ter beginning October 1, 1875, and ending De
cember 21, 1875—J. 8. Murrow. Select Mis
cellany : One Year—Poetry ; High Education
for Females ; Lost on the Plains—A Child
Eighteen Hours among Snapping and Growl
ing Wolves; The Ideal Editor; New Year-
Poetry ; etc.
Thihi) Page.— Our Pnlpit : The Kingdom of
Heaven—A Sermon, written by Rev. T. B.
Cooper, for the General Meeting of the Third
District of the Middle Association, October
31, 1875, on the question “What is Meant by
the Kingdom of Heaveu, as spoken of in va
rious places in the New Testament
Foutmt Page. —Editorial : Discontent: Inebri
ate Asylum; Sermon—first Baptist Church;
Georgia Baptist News; Raising funds for
Benevolent Objects--Reform Necessary—Rev
I>. E. Butler. A Tale with a Sting ; Centen
nial Hymn—Rev. J. S. Baker. Manna for
God's People—Rev. S. G. Hillyer. The Sin
ner’s Joy—Poetry; One Dollar for our Semi
nary—John It. Kendrick ; etc.
Fifth Page.—Editorial: A Valuable Gift—Rev.
J. S. Baker. To the Churches connected with
the Georgia Baptist State Convention—A. T.
Spalding; Personal; etc. Secular Editorials :
The Governor’s Message; Literary Gossip;
Georgia News ; Georgia Farm Notes ; etc.
StxTii Page. —Patrons of Husbandry : Co-Oper
ation—Resolutions and Rnles adopted at tho
late Session of the National Grauge at Louis
ville.
Seventt! Page.— The Sunday-school: Interna
tional Lessons: David in the Palace—Lesson
for January 23.
Eighth Page.— Our Correspondents : Raising
Funds for Benevolent Objects —Tertius. Obit
uaries. Special Notices, Advertisements.
INDEX AND BAPTST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
The total bonded debt of Selma is $327,500.
Rev. J. DeWitt Broadhead has accepted a
call to the Huntsville Presbyterian church.
The City Court of Selma is to be re-estab
lished.
Howard College is prospering.
Rev. Dr. Henderson serves the Childers
burg church this year.
i—► . * v •' I
Rev. W. Wilkes has resigned the pastorate of
the church at Childersburg.
Rev. James A. Meurer, formerly of Phila
delphia, has been put in charge of the Eufau
la Catholic church.
Everywhere in the State, much of the meat
killed last month has spoiled.
Rev. Mr. Fitzpatrick has accepted a call to
the Presbyterian church at Orion.
The LaFayette Clipper estimates the loss of
pork by the recent warm weather in Cham
bers county, at fifteen thousand pounds.
A little son of Rev. C. Allday, of Coosa
Valley, was killed by falling into a well.
A large number of hands are now at work
on the Muscle Shoals canal, and the contrac
tors expect to complete the work by June.
Northern capitalists are negotiating for
land near Calera.
Rev. B. H. Crumpton, of Greenville, is
working very successfully in his new field of
labor.
A broom factory has been established in
Montgomery.
Rev. J. E. Bell has removed to Georgians,
where his work is meeting with blessed re
ward.
James Gamble, the eldest son of Capt. Ruf
fin C. Gamble, of Mooresville, was recently
killed by the accidental discharge of a gun.
♦ -♦ —•
G“orgiana, a flourishing little town on the
Mobile and Montgomery Railroad, was de
stroyed by fire a few days ago. The fire was
the work of an incendiary.
Mias Fannie Snodgrass has taken charge of
the Scottsboro Herald during the absence of
Senator Snodgrass in Montgomery. Mias
Fannie is a clever jouralist, and sets type.
The Tuskcaloosa Gazette says: Money seems
to be more plentiful in Tuskcalooßa than for
some years. More goods were sold Christmas
week than were in any one week since the
close of the war.
The North Alabamian says : The weather
continues warm, bright and beautiful—noth
ing like it ever known before. Violets, but
tercups, crocuses, japonicas, strawberries and
plum trees are in full bloom, and Bwarms of
“little busy bees” improve the shining hours.
Thomas Simmons and wife, residing near
Jemison, Chilton county, have twenty-four
children bnried in one graveyard. This aged
and childless couple live by themselves and
do their own work.
The Eufaula News says: “John Evans liv
ing in the lower part of the county was found
dead Hear his house one day this week under
circumstances that created a suspicion that be
' met his death at the hands of his son.”
THE SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST,
o? Alabama,
MHO IS, THE 9HKDEBEK ?
Mr. James T. Fields visited Pomeroy, the
boy murderer, in hie jail and learned from him
that be had been a great reader of blood-and
thunder stories. He had read sixty dime nov
els, all about scalping and other bloody per
formances) and he had no doubt these hooks
had put the horrible thoughts into his mind
which led to his murderous acts.
For a long time past we have not
read a paragraph more calculated to
awaken sad and Berious reflections than
the one above quoted. The boy was
found guilty of atrocious murders, and
the law of the land duly condemned
and will execute him. The effect has
been removed—why not the cause also ?
Is the man who voluntarily plants an
upas tree whose exhalations will poison
the surrounding atmosphere and cause
stupor and death, responsible for these
deplorable effe- ts or not ? Is the wretch
who poisons a well responsible for the
sickness and death of those unfortu
nate individuals who, using the tainted
water, are destroyed by it r By parity
of reasoning—to continue our meta
phor—it seems to us that the parties
who planted the upas tree of licentious
“blood-and-thunder” literature in the
fertile heart-soil of this poor boy,
are equally responsible ; and the wretch
es who poisoned the well of his
thoughts with the demoniacal decoc
tions, brewed in their own vile brains,
tainting the clear waters which may
originally have welled there, with
the deadly virus of “ dime novels,”
should be considered the prime influ
encing causes which led to the deplora
ble effects for which the boy is to be
bung. Are these not in essence partici
pators of his crime ? Will not the great
Judge at the bar of heaven, when the
record book of divine justice shall be
promulgated, so rule? Wo to those who
then shall tremble and sink under the
annihilating verdict, but who now flour
sih as a green bay tree, by reason of the
poison fruits they are now cultivating
at the expense of the souls of the
yoatb/of 'r t *
—Thomas Carlyle achieved his per -
manent fame, first, by the publication of
his marvelously brilliant “ French Rev
olution.” It is said on good authority,
that the late Sir William Hamilton
read this book through at a sitting, al
though the book extended over three
volumes, and though it took him thirty
six hours to do it.
From the Report of Hon. J. M. McKleroy,
Superintendent of Public Instruction, for the
scholastic year ending Sept. 30th, 1875, we
learn that the fund for public schools for the
year was $565,042. Of this sum there was ap
propriated to
White schools $315,792
Colored schools 234,021
The number of pupils enrolled was
White children 91,202
Colored children §4,595
The number of schools taught during the
year was
White.. 2,610
Colored 1,288
This is the largest number of public schools
ever before taught in the State. The average
period for which the schools were taught was
four months and four days, and the average
cost of tuition per pupil for the white schools
was $3.09 for the term of ninety days, or 69J
cents per month. That of the colered schools
was 91J cents per school month.
The outlook for the current year is not so
favorable. The fund for this year was re
ported October Ist at $287,281. This is just
about half what it was for 1875, but even this
moiety, under the rulings of Gov. Houston,
has been reduced $111,568, leaving only about
$175,000 available for the schools of 1876.
The Mobile Register says : A series of reli
gious services, which are being held nightly
in the Franklin street Methodist church, by
the United Methodist, Baptist and Presbyte
rian churches, are, we are glad to state, nu
merously attended. Sunday night—the open
ing night—the crowd was so great that many
were unable to obtain admission. Last night
there appeared to be little or no diminution.
The meetings will be continued.
The Meteor is the title of a monthly journal,
edited, published and printed by inmates of
the State Insane Asylum, at Tuscaloosa. It is
a small paper, but is a very interesting one.
Its editorial columns display marked ability
and finer command of English than half the
newspapers of the country can boast.
—A “mission,” another term for revival,
conducted somewhat on the Moody and San
key plan, is being held just now among the
Episcopalians of Cincinnati.
As weeds grow rankest in richest ground,
and fruits ripest in hottest climates, so do sins
grow to the greatest heights where the Gospel
sud climbs highest.
FRANKLIN PRINTING lIOUSE, ATLANTA, GEOI 61 A, JANUARY 20, 1876.
Spirit of the Religious Press,
The Christian Adifocaie says: “It has seemed
to us that scarcely any other class of our church
workers are so completely left out of the reli
gious sympathies of Christian people as are the
conductors of church papers. If the paper is
approved, there is very little thought ofgiving
the editor the moral and spiritual support of
the religious sympathies and prayers of the
church. He is applauded and cried ou ; but
is lie prayed for ? If it is disapproved, he is
dealt with with less of deference than any other,
even the most inconsiderable, official in the
church. In his solitary place he may feel the
need of what it may be suspected he seldom
has —the benefit of the prayers of Christian
readers.
—The Congregalionalist has a penchant for
pressing its inquisitive finger on little sore
spots, as instance the following :
There are a great many peojde who never
would commit a great fraud—oh, no !—who
yet do not hesitate to commit nsmall one. The
woman returning from Europe with lace hid
den upon her person, is one of this class. The
contributor to the Congregaiionulist who sends
his manuscript at printed matter rates, is
another. The correspondent, who writes his
message on the inner folds of a newspaper, and
then mails it simply as a newspaper, is another.
The Post master-General of Great Britain payH
that 14,000 newspapers were detected doing
this illegal service between England and the
United States, and Canada last year. If we
are going to have anything to do with religion,
let us adopt It fairly and fully, and be honest
in all things.
—Relative to the ever-present question of
“ church debts," the Churchman, discourses as
follows.
Commercial principles have no place in
churches, whatever may be said of the" converse
—that church principles have a place (or
should have) in commerce. And the root of
the evil lies just where we have))ut it, in the
notion that a church must pay for and main
tain itself, just as a theatre or opera house, or
concert hall sustains itself. The truth is that
every Christian is bound to maintain public
worship according as God has prospered him.
We do not discuss here the best methods of do
ing this. There are ideal theories of the mat
ter always to be kept in view, but not to be
rashly pressed. But this plain distinction lies
at the bottom of all, that the church is to be
maintained by the people, and not to be “ run”
on business, that is upon remunerative prim
pies. The layman who makes a profit, no mat
ter how small, ont of a church is guilty of sin.
the same sin, in kind, as that of tin priest who
sells its sacraments- And the lay man who
seeks to manage a church so as to spare himself
■ hat can rightly G;„rd.>;,
step, and that a long one, towards the same
sin.
—The Christian Standard closes a teaching
sketch of a young man who was sacrificed o
the demon Rum, with the following trumpet
tones of warning :
This is the picture of thousands in our rum
cursed land to-day ; and Oh ! wonder of won
ders I—thousands more with open eyes, are
starting in the same path ; and thousands of
parents and other citizens are indifferent to the
advances and ravages o! this demon 1 Chris
tians are standing idly by, with sealed lips, and
pulpits say nothing, while the work of destruc
tion goes on. Arouse lor we shall perish 1
—The Standard discusses the subject of tax
ing church property as follows ;
It is not as in monied corporations, like a
bank or a railroad, where the interest of each
individual is exactly defined, and as capable of
exchange or sales as if it were a piece of real
estate. But if the ownership is indefinable in
its nature, the pecuniary advantage of it is
simply nil.. A church property is not a source
of income, in any proper sense of that word, ei
ther to the church, or to its members. What
ever may be derived from it goes, not to the
emolument of either the one of these or the oth
er, but to the promotion of the general aims of
the church, which are purely religious and be
nevolent. To claim a right to tax the proper
ty of churches, is to lay upon these bodies and
the men and women who compose them, the
burden of maintaining religion and morality
in the communities where they are planted,
and then make them pay for the privilege of
bearing this burden. There seems to be no
strict sense in which church property is “ prop
erty,” or is justly liable to taxation.
—The Interior contrasting true worship with
the false doctrines of perverted Science (so
called) says:
The tides of religious thought and duty,
like those of the sea, are recurrent, and aB
once it was the mission of Israel to imprees on
polytheist and atheist the sovereign, only God,
so has that mission fallen to the Church ol this
age. At last the victory for theism as against
atheism or pantheism, is not to come through
intellectual combat mainly, but through the
lives of God’s people, the humblest as well as
the greatest, living before men as in the pres
ence-chamber of God; living an awful faith in
Him, before which the vagaries of infidelity
will vanish like vapors in the light of the sun.
Let this, then, be the endeavor of God’s people
to make manifest a divine life in the world and
walk as Israel did under the shadow of divine
presence.
—The Examiner and Chronicle, commenting
on “Praying Band” missions, i.e. young men
forming themselves into what is called a
“praying band,” and going about from place
to place, seeking by methods of their own to
arouse Christians to activity, and to lead sin
ners to repentance, calls the object praise-wor
thy but the plan objectionable—“wanting in
the large Christian experience which the ma
turer believer brings to the performance of
evangelistic labors, and deficient in knowl
edge of the field they undertake to cultivate,
they are quite as likely to do the wrong as the
right thing— to hit hard when gentle dealing
is moßt needed—to denounce when they Bhould
commend or tenderly persuade. The zealous
young men who underfake these missions may
be.very useful at home, where 'they know the
field and are known. But it is a hazardous ex-
periment to encourage a body of inexperienced
persons to go. traveling about as evangelists,
exhorting, reproving, and seeking to instruct
the churches in their duty toward the uncon
verted.”; And if hazardous, surely it ought not
to be tried.
“We wouldjnot, however, be understood as
objecting in the le; t to the proper exercise of
any and every “ piritual gift” with which
some of these earn, st young brethren may be
endowed. Within their own church and
neighborhood, and under the judicious direc
tion of the pastor and other experienced
guides, tbeyjmay lx; made eminently useful la
borers, and Jdo good service for their Lord.
But until better evidence is presented than we
have yet Jhe efficiency of “praying
band” miesfcns, we shall hold to the opinion
that pastors and churches may safely be left to
carry on t|ie work of Christ without their
aid.”
—The Ckfigtian Intelligencer says:
How mnhy teachers in Sunday-schools ex
pend any efiort to impress upon their scholars
the duty, nr to create in their minds the desire
to attend upon the worship of God in His ho
ly .temple on His holy dav? And yet what
practical results eat flow from the labor that
is given to teach c ddren to “remember the
Sabbath day to kee > it holy,” if nothing ef
fectual is soe to bi ng them into the courts of
His liousd on that holy day 7 The work of
one or twipiourg in Sunday-schools on Sun
days will make but a slight impression—will
too often ! e work va-ted—if, instead of being
supplemejfcd-l'v their dutiful and reverent at
tendance divine service, it is given over,
a-- ,s too jfften the case, to amusements at
home or 6 > walks or strolls along the streets
or in the (fields. We do not advocate forcing
children church, certainly not until persua,
tion and (J example have failed. The cJJIIJ
should baled to it as a privilege, or as a dffl/
whose observance is pleasing in God’s eye, and
whose non-observance is displeasing to Him.
If property trained betimes, the young will as
little think of absenting themselves from
church on Sunday, as of going to their day
school or their week-day work on Sunday;
and such absence will cause a feeling of un
easiness in their consciences, that will operate
to hold them in the right path. Make the
children reali a that Sunday should be spent
in God’s house, if possible, and that a Sabbath
without a church is only a lesser evil than a
church witfiout a Sabbath.
v NEWS AND NOTES.
—A jfmarkably fruitful revival is in pro
gress af the Baptist Church in Marshall, Mo.
—The religious laws of Hungary are to he
the.r-resent session of the Hun
-1 Canadian Pres-"
byterFims find they have too great a variety of
psalm and hymn-books, and are now trying to
unite upon one out of the many.
—An English Quaker evangelist has left
England for a preaching tour through the
United States.
—Four memorial tablets are to be placed in
the Christian College at Aintab, Asiatic Tur
key, in memory of four American missionaries,
the Rev. Messrs. Merriam, Walker, Dodd and
Goss, who dedicated their lives to Oriental
mission work.
—Dr. Jeffry, of Brooklyn, after equivocat
ing and attempting to conceal his views for
several yeare, has at iast taken position square
ly with the Open Communionisls.
—The Baptists of Michigan number
sociations, gathered ; n 307 churches, with a
membership of 21,448. They have, including
7 licentiates, 304 ministers, of whom only 147
are pastors, leaving 157 churchless ministers,
or more than half of the whole number. There
are at the same time 100 paslorless churches.
—Twelve Chinese have been admitted into
the Baptist church of Portland, Oregon, during
the past year, through the labors of Rev. D. I.
Pierce, in his Chinese school, and of the native
preacher Dong Gong.
—Dr. J. W. M. Williams recently celebra
ted the twenty-fifth anniversary of his pastorate
of the First church, in Baltimore.
—lt is suggested that every pas: or provide
himself with a diary for 1876, in which to note
regularly every occurrence of the year, of im
portance to him or his charge.
—Rev. M. H. Lane, the new pastor of the
Central Baptist Church, in Nashville, is meet
ing with the most gtatifying success in his
ministerial labors.
—The Edgefield (Tenn.) Buptist church,
Rev. W. A. Nelson, pastor, closed the last year
in a fine spiritual condition* The church has
245 members, with 250 scholars and teachers
in the Sunday-school. The church has also
two missions, one numbering 118, the other
110, and a week-night prayer-meeting at each.
—As the American Baptist missionaries in
Assam are not making very rapid progress
among the Assamese, they are turning their
attention to other heathen within their reach.
The Kols who cultivate the tea gardens in the
Brahmaputra Valley, seem to be ripe for the
gospel, and the people of the Neya Hills, since
the idea of British occupation has been
ably abandoned, show their former readiness
for Christian teaching.
—The Morrißlown (Tenn.) Bnpiint liejlecior
says: “The Baptist Church at Cleveland
holds a musical concert on the first Sunday
night in each month, and takes up a collection
for Foreign Missions. The plan works well,
and the contributions increase on each occa
sion. W ould it not be well for other Church
es to adopt this, or some other systematic plan,
for raising Mission Funds 7”
—The Moss Creek (Tenn.) College Echo
will hereafter be published in Morristown in
the office of the Htfledor.
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD
of Tennessee. /
General Denominational News,
—The altar now being constructed in Italy,
for th* Filth Avenue Catholic Cathedral in
New York city, will cost $25,000.
—A bill has been introduced in the Ohio
Legislature providing for taxing church prop
erty.
—Mr. Peter Herdie, a millionaire of Wil
liamsport, Penn., made the Protestant Episco
pal Church of that place a Christmas present
of anew edifice, fully furnished, with an organ
and other requisites, which he had built at a
cost of $160,000.
—The Methodist estimates that there are
270,000 families in the Methodist communion
who take no religious paper, and places the
circulation of non-Methodist papers in that
denomination at 90,000, which is just equal to
the united circulation of the official Methodist
papers.
—The Chillian government has passed a
law that neither Catholic Priests nor womea
are entitled to vote in political elections.
—The government of Japan has issued an
edict which sets forth that in consequence of
the many conflicting theories on matters of
faith, “ the existing religion shall continue to
be respected until the trutli of some other re
ligion shall have been conclusively established.
—The receipts of the largest five Foreign
Missionary Societies in England during the
year 1874-’76 were as follows : Wesleyan Mis
sionary Society, $899,730 ; Church Missionary
Society, $879,175; Society for the Prop
agation of the Gospel, $674,130; London
Missionary Society, $517,765; Baptist Mis
sionary Society, $200,000.
—The Moravians have a missionary fund of
$106,900, and 355 missionaries in the field.
—Tlie audiences addressed by Mr. Moody, in
Philade'phia, during a recent week, aggregated
about 130,000; of these, about 3,000 arose for
prayer, and 1,000 went into the inquiry room.
—The American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions have published their Report
presented at Chicago in October. They have
in charge 18 missions, with 78 stations and
498 out-stations They employ 150 ordained
missionaries, six of whom are physicians; there
are more than 200 female assistants; the whole
number of laborers sent from this country, in
cluding 10 physicians not ordained, being 378.
These, witli tiie native pastors and teachers and
helpers, form a working force of 1,434. Under
their caie and instruction are nearly 12,000
1 cUorth ajemh .vs, and- over 22£flP pupils in
schools. Tlie receipts for the past year were
about half a million of dollars.
HOLD THIS FORT.
Ho, my comrades ! see the signal
Waving in the Bkv !
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh!
“ Hold the fort, for I am coming,”
Jesns signals still.
Wave tlie answer back to Heaven,
“ By Thy grace we will.”
See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on ;
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone.
See the glorious banner waving !
Hear the trumpet blow !
In our Leader’n name we’ll triumph
Over every foe.
Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our help is near ;
Onward comoH our great commander,
Cheer, my Comrades, cheer !
DEFINITIONS OF BIBLE TERMS.
A day’s journey is about twenty
three and one-fifth miles.
A Sabbath day’s journey was about
an English mile.
Ezekiel’s reed was nearly eleven feet.
A cubit was nearly twenty-two inches.
A hand’s breadth is equal to three
and five-eights inches.
A finger’s breadth is equal to one
inch.
A shekel of silver was about fifty
cents.
A shekel of gold was $8 00.
A talent of silver was $538 32.
A talent of gold was $13,809.
A piece of silver, or a penny, was
thirteen cents.
A farthing was three cents.
A mite was less than a quarter of a
cent.
A gerah was one cent.
An epah, or bath, contains seven gal
lons and five pints.
A bin was one gallon and two pints.
A firkin was seven pints.
An omer was six pints.
A cab was three pints.
Foil Farmers.— We cull the attention of
farmers to the advertisement of the Empire
Portable Forge and Blacksmith Tools, made
by the Empire Portable Forge Company, Troy
N. Y. The use of these Forges will save a
of trouble and time to farmera; and
by their use a farmer bimsell can readhy do
four-fifths of his repairing. Read the adver.
tisement and send for catalogue.
Sunns, Tubes, Bulbs.—We call the at
tention of our readers to the advertisement
of Messrs. Edward J. Evans & Cos., nursery
and seedsmen, Yoik, Pa. Having had per
sonal dealings with those gentlemen for
years, wc can unqualifiedly endorse them as
honorable prompt and reliable business men ,
The articles they advertise arc all that they
are represented to be, and those dealing with
' them wiU be guaranteed satisfaction.
WHOLE HO. 2803.
HOME.
There is a spot on earth supremely blest,
A dtarer, sweeter spot than all the rest,
Whore man, creation’s tyrant, casts aside
Hiss word and sceptre, pagentry and pride,
While in his softened looks beninly blend
The sire, the son, the husband, brother, friend ;
Here woman reigns ; the mother, daughter,
wife.
Strews with fresh flowers the narrow way of
life !
In the clear heaven of her delightful eye
An angel-guard of loves and graces lie;
Around her knees domestic duties meet,
Ami fireside pleasures gambol at her feet.
Wiiere Bhall that laud, that spot of earth be
found;
Ait thou a man ? a patriot ? look around ;
Anj thou shalt. find, howe'er thy footsteps roam,
That land thy country, and that spot thy home !
Tlie Southern Baptist Theological Seminary—
Centennial Effort.
The Board of the Southern Baptist Theo
logical Seminary proposes to use the Centen
nial movement to advance and complete tlie
endowment of that Institution. It is believed
that tlie Baptists of *he South will join in one
united effort for this purpose.
It will be remembered that tlie proposed re
moval to Louisville, Ky., was conditioned upon
the raising of $300,000 in Kentucky. With
the aid of the Centennial movement in thtt t
State, this will have been secured by the Ist of
May, 1876. remains, then, for the other
Southern States to lulfill the purposes which
4i|ve been expressed—that $200,000, in addi
tion, shall bra raised outside of Kentucky.
There should be neither difficulty nor delay in
doing this. The two hundred thousand dol
lars can be raised at once if one united and
general effort be made. The Centennial move
ment furnishes the opportunity of doing so-
While the various colleges in the different
States are securing larger contributions, as well
as that from tlie dollar roll, it is proposed to
try to secure tlie Seminary endowment entirely
upon the latter plan. It is preferred, unless
absolutely ne< essary, not to ask for large con
tributions. Jhe Seminary has ever sought the
sympathy ami support of the mass of the Bap
tist member hip. An endowment based upon
a universal < ontribution of small sums would
in itself be more valuable than one doubly as
large give by one or a dozen persons, or by
a small poi tion of our membership.
It is in portant that the contribution be
secured in mediately. The Seminary ought to
be in Lou sville by the Ist of September, 1876.
But, accc.i ding to the terms upon which the
removal and endowment are based, it cannot
be located there until the whole amount of
$500,000 has been secured. In it its present
location, and with only its present means, it is
not doing one tithe the work for the denomi
nation which it is believed possible. That it
;• been already successful and useful beyond
hopes of its friends only shows that they
not too sanguine in their expectations of
'its greater usefulness.
That there may be no interference by the
Seminary Centennial with the dollar roll work
of the colleges, it lias been though* best to pre
pare for it a separate form of otrtificate from
any elsewhere used. The pecu'iari'.y which
has been adopted is that of an engraved }>ortrait
of each of the six professors, Boyce. Broadus,
Manly, Toy, Whitsitt and Williams, who have
up to this time taught its classes, has been
printed upon each certificate. These have been
prepared by one of the best artists in America.
Each contributor of a dollar will receive one
of these certificates, worth in itself the amount
of his contribution. At the same time he will
be aiding in the complete and permanent en
dowment of the only Baptist Theological Sem
inary in the South, in which equal advantages
can be secured with those afforded by Baptist
and other institutions in the North.
Bring this matter at once before each church
and Sunday-school. These certificates are
issued in volumes of twenty-one, of fifty, of one
hundred, of two hundred and fifty, of five hun
dred, and of one thousand certificates.
Each church and Sunday-school should have
its own roll book, so that all those connected
with it may be enrolled together. The stub
which is retained in the book when the certifi
cate is cut out is to be preserved as a part of
the roll of those aiding in this work. It is im
portant, therefore, that the church order a
dock of such size as will probably contain the
number of certificates which will be taken.
The object is to secure one dollar from
every member of the church, from every
member of the congregation and from every
child in every such family.
It will be well tht each church appoint a
committee of from three to nine persons to
canvass for this work, to the chairman of which
the book of certificates can be sent. These are
furnished gratuitously, postage paid, by the
Treasurer of the Seminary.
Full explanations for the collectors will be
forwarded with each book of certificates.
Any desired information will be given by
the Treasurer.
Let the application be made soon, stating
the number of certificates which will probably
be needed. Don’t forget that each child in the
Sunday-school, as well as each member of the
church, should have one of these certificates.
The Seminary is asking only for a limited
amount. Only one-tenth as many certificates
will be issued as there are persons under Bap
tist influence in the Southern States.
For books ot certificates or other informa
tion, address James P. Boyce,
17 West Broadway, Louisville, Ky.
NOW I LAY MB DO WN TO SLEMP.
Golden head, so Blowly bending,
Little feet so white and bare,
Dewy eyes, half shut, half open,
Lisping out her evening prayer.
Well she knows when she is saying,
“ Now I lay me down to Bleep."
Tis to God that she is praying,
Praying Him’her soul to keep.
Half asleep, and murmuring faintly,
“ If I should die before I wake”—
Tiny fingers clasped so saintly—
“ I pray the Lord my soul to take."
Oh, the rapture, sweet, unbroken,
Of the soul who wrote that prayer !
Children’s myriad voices floating
Up to heaven, record it there.
If, of all that has been written,
I could chose what might be mine,
It should be that child’s petition,
Hieing to the throne divine.
—ln the Baptist historical rooms in Phila
delphia are large quarto albums, in which are
S reserved liaenesses and autograph letters of
eparted Baptist leaders. Of portraits, there
are 575, placed in three volumes. Of autograph
letters, there are 572, in three volumes.