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The Christian Index! TIELE SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST, THE CHRISTIAN HERALD OF Alabama - of Tennessee. VOL. 55—NO. 8. Table of Contents. Fmsrr Pagb.—Alabama Department: Record of State Events; Spirit of the Religions Presß; Baptist News and Notes; “Bear Up”—Poetry; General Denominational News; etc. Second Pagb. Onr Correspondents : Daily Readings of the Scriptures—Rev. E. W. War ren, D.D.; To the Washington Association— Thos. J. Adams; the Proposed State Inebriate Asylnm for Georgia—Rev. N. A. Bailey; Our Statistical Tables—Rev. G. R. McCall; Gems Reset—Chas. W. Hnbner; Our Foreign Mission Work ; Home Missions; “My Dream;” Three Friends of Mine—Poetry. Thibd Pagb.— Our Pulpit: God—A Sermon, by Rev. W. A. Bißhop, Carthage, Alabama. Dis trict Meetings : Minutes of the General Meet ing of the First District of the Friendship As t sociation; etc. FocßTn Page.—-Editorial: Zeal—Rev. S. G. Hillyer. Geogia Baptist News; Good Humor; Ministerial Support; Don't be a Grumbler— Rev. D. E. Butler. The Human Will—Rev. A. J. Battle. The Iniquity of Public Worship; Truths Felt Out—Rev. G. A. Nunnally, etc. Fifth Page—Secular Editorials: An old Practice Resumed—Rev. J. S. Baker; State Inebriate Asylum; Repeal It; Literary Gossip; Correc tion; Y. M. 0. A.; "The Solitaire'’ Georgia Minerals; Personal; Georgia News; News of the Week—Foreign and Domestio. Sixth Page.—The Sunday. school: Lesson for February 27; Christians and the Sunday-school Work; The Bunday-school Congress. Drink ing a “Jordan” Dry; The Old Canoe—Poetry; Science and Education; Mission Items; etc. Seventh Page.—Agriculture : Poor Lands; Rice Growing Abandoned in North Carolina—A Re sult of the War; 100,000 Bushels of Com Rais ed on one Farm; Cotton Culture in California; Texas Onions. Eighth Page.—Special Contributions: Notes on the Act of Baptism—Rev. J. H. Kilpatrick; The Pastor’s Salary—Barnabas. Marriages. Obituaries. Advertisements. INDEX AND BAPTIST. ALABAMA DEPARTMENT. The daily union prayer-meetings in Mobile continues with unabated interest. Judge James L. Evans has been appointed Clerk and Register of the Selnta City Court. Rev. J. H. Van Hoose has become rector of the Birmingham Episcopal church. The post-office at Coxville, Etowah county, has been discontinued. Many people in the upper part of Henry eounty are in great destitution. Sylvester Nelson has been tried for killing Wm. Berry, in Fayette county, and acquitted. Greene county planters are preparing for more cotton than usual this season. h German emigrants are prospecting in Col bert county. It is maintained that a dog law would give $270,000 to the public schools of Alabama. Enfaula is enjoying fresh fish at unprece dentedly low prices. A Grange has been organized at Demopolis, with J. C. Webb master and ,W. V. Eddins secretary. The “dog law,” now before the Legislature, is earnestly desired by the farmers. Hon. J. M. McKJeory, superintendent pub lic instruction, will address the Alumni So eieey of Howard College during the com mencent week in June. Superintendent Ball, ol the A. and C. rail road, has condemned the road between Eutaw and Tuscaloosa, and forbids the running of trains over it until it is put in good order. In Blunt county, 26th ult., Wm. Kyle’s wife, daughter and one son were killed by a deaf and dumb and insane son about 18 years old. _ The Third Annual Fair of the Mobile Ag ricultural, Mechanical and Horticultural As sociation, will be held in Mobile on the 25th ol April next. . The Troy Messenger of the 17th, says farming operations are going briskly ahead in this section. We hear of some who intend to begin planting corn next week. Mrs. Mary Talbot has become one of the teachers of the Baptist High School in Troy. The Messenger says that this school is improv ing in numbers constantly, and has excellent prospects. It is said that the proprietors of the guano cave in Conecuh county have made prepara tions to work it, and that some gentlemen have gone to begin operations. A quantity of the deposit was used last year on the farm wherein the cave is located, and the results are reported as about equal to those obtained from the best of commercial fertili zers. _ The Grand Encampment of Alabama at their meeting at Huntsville elected as officers: G. H. Sporman, G. TANARUS.; T. J. Scott, G. H. P.; T. R. Powers, G. S. W.; Amos Cory, G- J. W.; D. W. McGanghey, G. J. W.; R. E. Jones, G. J. S.; W. A. Shields, G. J. R; A. E. Patterson, G. I. G.; J. R. Johnson, G. O. G.; R. Berry, G. M. The Grand Lodge at the M me place elected: John R. Thompkins, of Mobile, Grand Master; D. W. McGuaghey, o! Mobile, Deputy Grand Master; Geo. H. Spor yn.n of Eufaula, Grand Warden ; W. A. Shields, of Mobile, Grand Secretary; J. H. Sloss, ofTuscumbia, Grand Treasurer pro tem ; R- L. McKee, of Selma, Grand Marshal; T. J. Scott, of Montgomery, Grand Conductor; John T. Patterson, ol Huntsville, Grand Her ald. Spirit of tile Religious Press, —The New Yo:k Methodist, commenting upon the plan suggested, that the U. S. Gov ernment be authorized to employ agents to search the mails for obscene literature,'and pre vent its transmission through the post-offices, objects to the plan on the ground that- the remedy would be worse than the disease; that liberty of correspondence is fundamental, and a part of the freedom of the press. It says : “Any checks that are consistent with liberty we should earnestly favor, but we should not reason that the smallest responsi bility attaches to the Government for sins committed by the use of a free post-office. The power that is asked for is certain to beabused. The evil must be reached in other ways. Liberty has evils of its own, but it is worth a hundred fold more than the best despotism. The people who would like to suppress sin by main fort e, believe that they would suppress only sin. Pius Ninth believed that he sup pressed only sin while ruling the most vicious and ignorant population in the Italian Penin sula. Despotism may mean well in its sources; it becomes wicked aud corrupt long before it reaches the masses under it. You must meet sin chiefly by moral and religious restraint; a little can he done by a free coun try through its laws, and that little we shall always favor. But we are not willing to sac rifice, or even to put in peril, a free corres pondence and a free press whatever. Parents, teachers and ministers must correct the tastes, protect the ignorance, and promote the purity, of lads and lasses. They cannot invent a ma chine to do their work, or lighten it, or make it easy. It is a mighty task, a war in which there are no truces, a laboring day that never ends, a burden to be borne by each one of us while life lasst, to be borne by somebody so long as sin exists in the world. —The Churchman thinks that if any clergy man is compelled to combine the work of a preacher and that of a man of affairs—and the necessity ought to be inexorable to permit this —he owes to this Order and to the Church at large, that he should not do business with his title as part of his capital stock. We have seen an insurance agent preach on Sunday, and solioit the congregation on Monday, and if he did not wear his surplice, he made un mistakable use of his clerical character as an endorsement. —The Presbyterian has a piquant and a pic turesque way of putting things, as ihe follow ing, for instance; / No body understands how to kill a conver sation, or a prayer-meeting, oria church quicker than a good, energetic controversialist. How efiectualiy his presence acts as a check upon the flow of talk, of feeling, of social life. He switches the trains of conversation off the track. He casta the apple of discord into the meeting for prayer and conference. When, he gets up to speak you know what is coming, and turn to the hymn-book, or put your head down in despair. He rides his hobby right through a church, splitting the people like a marshal in a procession, and leaving a broad wake of dissension behind him. —The Northwestern Advocate trenchantly says: All this modern haste to be rich whicn has so robbed the land of its innocence comes of the greenback era, when money was plenty be cause forty cents deluded us into believing that they were equal to a gold dollar. We are approaching a specie basis, and when we re sume it will be well to also put our business morals on a specie basis. —The Journal and Messenger says: Spur geon’s church is often cited by the advocates of open communion, and pointed to as an il lustrious example of a church where the Lord’s table may be approached with the “ut most freedom.” A visitor thus describes how “open” it is: Not only strangers, but every church mem ber,; has admission to the. communion table only by ticket. Having euppliad ourselves with this “prerequisite,” we duly essayed an entrance at the “open door.” But, alas! we were halted by one of the elders, with almost military rudeness. “Our ticket” surrendered, we were questioned as to our qualifications for the supper in such a manner that had not our sense of propriety, and perhaps something of God’s grace, come to our rescue, we should have turned indignantly away. Asa teacher of religious truth for over a score of years, we hardly felt like sitting among the catechumens even of Spurgeon’s cultivated congregation. We felt that this was a closeness which was far more exacting and far less scriptural than the most restricted communion •of regular Baptist churches. —The Baptist Teacher reflectively remarks: The late Rev. Andrew Fuller, the great Baptist preacher, was in the habit of going al most every year to Scotland to advocate the claims of the Baptist Missionary Society upon the liberality of the “canny” and somewhat hard-headed Scot. On one occasion after his return from the land o’ cakes, a friend asked him how he succeeded. “Very poorly, very poorly,” was the reply. “A man can do noth ing in that country without a monkey.” Per hapH Mr. Fuller was at the moment somewhat in the “blues,” and was therefore ready to say harder things than at other times he would' have approved of. Yet after all it was so not far from the point, only he need not have con fined his remark to Scotland and Scotchmen. There are too many everywhere who need to be tickled and amused into something like lib erality toward any religious or benevolent enterprise. In short, they ruußt in one way or other have their “ monkey. ” —The Interior speaking of pulpit themes and short sermons, says that no ex cathedra length for sermons can be fixed, because a ser mon is not a thing of inches and hours. The question of length or brevity depends upon the state of religion, the pertinence of the subject, in training of the people, and, above all, the FRANKLIN PRINTING ROUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 24, 1876. training, capacity, grasp and invention of the preacher. * * * * Prolix consolations, tedious counsel, long-drawn exhortation, pass away on the air and utterly fail. And much of preaching must partake of that character so long as there is trouble, perplexity and inde cision in the world. How vain, therefore, to apply a measuring stick to sermons 1 The man who runs every sermon in the same mould as to weight and length, had better betake himßelf to running regulatinn army bullets, or some other mono tonous occupation. And the .people, who put their minister through on an inflexible time table, ought to have a wooden preacher, one they can wind up and set to the minute. Then let them go to sleep till the machine runs down and the Jrammer strikes which sends them home to dinner. —The same paper aptly remarks on tne “art of talking;” When we consider that we all are and per force more or less must be talkers, as the neces sity is universal so the grace of it should be most eagerly sought. It is quite within reach -of any one who is more anxious to benefit than to shine; who is willing to say pleasant things that may not he original, and as wil ling to listen though there be no great person al gain in it; and above all who is imbued with a purpose at once earnest and charitable to give something of good and receive it from all with whom we meet. —ln regard to the manner in which the Bi ble should be read, Good Words says: Let prayer not only precede and follow your perusal of inspired truth, but let it ac company it. In a passage of singular pathos, Mr. Wesley has given us a picture of himself as he occupied himself in his most retired hours with the Book of God before him. It is the embodiment of much sacred wisdom and simplicity of spirit; so I adduce it: “Here, then, lam far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone; only God is here. In his presence I open, I read His book; for this end, to find the way to Heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read ; does anything appear dark or intricate—l lift up my heart to the Father of Light: ‘Lord, is it not thy Word ? II any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Thou givest liberally, and upbraidest n< t. Thou hast said, If any be willing to do Thy will, he shall know. I am willing to do, let me know Thy will.’ I then search after and consider parallel passages of Scripture, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. I meditate thereon with all the earnestness and attention of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still re mains, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God, and then the writings whereby, being dead, they yet speak.” —The Independent has the following con cerning the persecution of tire bodies of the dead by the Romish church; treal. borne of their people have been gettiiig married under the laws of the kingdom, with out asking the priests to perform the ceremo ny. Civil marriage has satisfied the parties, but not the church. And now it is to be pun ished by expelling the dead bodies of those who died in such sin from the consecrated ground where now they lie buried. The bodies of all persons who died before February 9, 1875, and who were only civilly married, are to be dug up and removed from consecrated ground. One decision of the “Spiritual Court" upon a case of this kind has already, it is said, been approved by the Minister of Public Worship Now this will be plainly at tended with great trouble and expense. It would seem far better to send for the Bishop of Montreal, and let him curse them as they lie. His last job seems to have been a great success, as Mrs. Gttibord must be very uncom fortable, because of it. We recommend the Bishop to the Spanish ecclesiastics; for, as one of our exchanges says, what’s the use of dig ging, when a top-dressing of the Bishop would do as well ? A correspondent of the Detroit Michigan Free Press, who is one of a party of business men from the Northwest on a recent trip to the South, writes in the highest terms of his experience and impressions in Ala bama. He alludes to Huntsville as follows: This is as beautiful a country as the sun ev er shone upon. The lands, though somewhat worn, are still fertile and producing good crops with little or no cultivation. Planta tions, within three to four miles of the city, can be bought at from fifteen to twenty-five dollars per acre, or can be leased for a nomi nal rent, with the privilege of buying. Hunts ville is a beautiful city of 6,000 population, five churches, two female seminaries, gas, wa ter, etc. It has many beautiful residences, oak forest trees and lancy shubbery. The cli mate is delightful; the thermometer to-day stands at sixty in the shade. The court house square is filled with negroes, cotton bales and cotton buyers —a novel sight to a Wolverine. Our party has received untiring courtesy and attention since our arrival, from every body. How to Make Money. —Under this head the Macon Telegrayh and Messen ger has the following to say : The Eufaula Fern says the Alabama Grangers are considering how to raise fifty thousand dollars to build themselves a hall in Montgomery. The easiest way we can think of is some arrangement to cut down the cotton acreage just about fitly per cent. If all the Grangers and planters could agree to that, we think they would soon have money enough. Such a reduction in area, we suppose, would reduce the aggregate product from twenty to thirty per cent., because under it, the one-half would be made to do largely increased work; and, in fact, in the course of two or three crops, would bring up the gross product to old figures, so that it might be necessary to reduce again. It seems to us that an agricultural league ought to be competent to protect its members from Belf-destruction by a foolish over production—a thing in which every one of them has an equal and a vital interest. If it can’t do that, what’s the use of it? We see the manufacturing and mining interests success fully combine to check ruinous over-produc tion, and it ought to be equally practicable among cotton planters. BAPTIST NEWS AND NOTES. "-The Baptist Reflector (Morristown, Tenn.) says; “Our venerable brother, Rev. J. S. Baker, of Georgia, is in extremely feeble health. When he goes beyond the Beaulah land the world will miss him.” —The Index, noticing Dr. E. W. War ren’s departure from Atlanta, for a “short vis it” to Richmond, Va., suggests that it would be well, for the First Church to keep him at hofqr. There may be real danger of his be ing appropriated by some pastorless church in the Did Dominion.— Baptist Reflector. Brother Kincannon, pastor of the Baptist chunh in Bristol, Tennessee has resigned. Bin article in the Religious Herald begins wi Ithe question ; “Who was Rev. Edmond Bi Lord ?” The writer says lie knows noth ini;*>'v him but what is gathered irom his cor respondence with Dr. Rippon. Bro. W. H. Davts, of Georgia, who sometimes writes for the Herald ran give much information con cerning Botsford, as he preaches to a church named after Botsford, and organized by him, over one hundred years ago. Botsford was well-known by the Baptist pioneers of Geor g- Baptist Reflector —The church at Greenville, N. C, is at present without a pastor. It is an inviting field for a man who will be content with a Brail! salary. —Rev. W. C. Lindsay has resigned the pas torate of the churi h at Barnwell, 8. C., and wilt devote himself to centennial labors in that-State- A Richmond, Va., correspondent of the Bal timorean says that a prominent citizen of that place, having made profession of religion un der the influence of Dr. Hatcher’s splendid preaching at the Third Baptist church, de sired to join the Protestant Episcopal church but believing immersion to he the only true scriptural baptism he insisted on (hat mode of baptism. To satisfy the candidate’s conscience respect, the Rector of Grace Protestant Episcopal church consented to perform the ordinance in the mode desired, but op posed the open air and the river’s side. This difficulty, however, was obviated by the large Christian charity of the Rev. Dr. Bitting, of the Second Baptist church who kindly ten dered his Episcopal brothe. the use of the “baptistery” of the Second church. —The State Mission Board located in Mem plJf has secured Eld. J. H Caßon as general missionary agent for Middle and West Ten net'&e. We rejoice at the appointment. jd G. W. ttudgers has accepted the pas of tire churi-fi u Dallas, Texas, and —Eld. Mayfield says the GraTOPiiitzler De bate will he ready for delivery in April. —On January .'list, a church of fourteen members was organized at Flatonio, Texas. Others expect to unite soon. Bro. A. S. Bun ting becomes pastor. Carson City the capital of Nevada, has a population of about 6,000. It has a Baptist church of sixteen devoted sisters, but no man of God to go in and out before them. —There are 5,289 Baptists in Chicago. —A Baptist church in Kentucky, with three hundred and fifty members, in a good farming district, and with a convenient post office, only takes one copy of a Baptist journal. —New York Baptist State Convention has 54 missionaries in the field. —The fifty-second Baptist church in Phila delphia has just been organized. —The report of the London Baptist Associa tion states that ten years ago sixty-four churches united to form the Association, and that the number had risen to one hundred and thirty-one. The additions by profession last year were 3,236, against 2,727 the year before. The total membership is 32,351, against 30,- 272 last year. The work of church extension was going forward encouragingly. —ln the whole of Canada there are 55,000 members of the Baptist churches, 33,000 of whom belong to the Lower Provinces, and 22,000 to Ontario and Quebec. Now the rate of increase of membership has been growing larger for a number of years, and last year in the lower Provinces the increase was nearly nine per cent., while in Ontario the increase from baptisms alone was over 14 per cent. —All the students of Richmond College, except six, have professed religion. —Rev. J. W. M. Williams, D.D., of Balti more, went to Philadelphia to hear Moody, and says he did not see that he used the Bible any more than a majority of sensible preach ers. Hence he enters his protest against the declaration that Moody teaches ministers a lesson in that he preaches more from the Bi ble. Dr. Williams says he heard of four per sons who had joined Baptist churches as the result of the Philadelphia meetings. The old Philadelphia Baptist Associa tion includes eighty-six churches, and twenty one thousind seven hundred and seventy three members. There were added by baptism during the year, nine hundred and forty-four. Its oldest church was organized in 1688. At the time of the Revolution the Association in cluded seven churches. Dr. Nathan Bishop, who serves the Amer ican Baptist Home Mission Society, as Cor responding Secretary, without salary, makes an ofler to the Baptists of New York State in view of the lamentable decrease in the receipts of the Home Mission Society tor the past eight months. He and Mrs. Bishop will give $20,- 000, their Centennial oflering, to the Home Mission Society, provided the Baptists of New York State will raise their annual contri butions to the Society during the present finan cial year to 40,000. —The Second Baptist church of Chat tanooga was dedicated according to appoint ment. The dedication prayer was offered by the Paßtor, Rev. Dr. D. M. Breaker, after which the sermon was delivered by Dr. Mays, of Knoxville. The collection was not so large as we expected, but the financial pressure may account for this. Dr. Breaker has been laboring very earnestly and successfully in his field, and lias collected quite a number in to the church. —Baptist Reflector. —The Religious Herald, speaking of the re cent revivals in Grace street church, Rich mond, says: The results of the meeting have been glo rious. In a forty years' residence in the city, though we have known more general revivals, we have not seen a more pervasive and pow erful work of grace in any one congregation. It is impossible to estimate accurately the number of conversions in the meeting. The pastor has the names ot more than two hun dred persons who professed to find comfort in believing. Of this number he has baptized about one hundred and forty, many are ex pecting to be baptized, some i ive connected themselves with other Baptist churches, sever al have been carried by their predilections in to Pedobaptist churches, and not a few were visitors in the city. It is fair to estimate that two hundred and fifty persons have made a profession of repentance, and much precious seed has been sown to yield a future harvest. The work has not yet ceased ; and we hope it may not for months to come. "BEAR UP." Cease, oh lips ! that vain repining, Stay, oh heart! that weary sigh ; Clouds have still their silver shining : Better days may yet be nigh. Grief hath gems that joys know never, — As the stars we fondly scan, But for night were hidden ever : Bear up, Brother! like a man. If thy dearest friend deceive thee, Mourn not o’er the traitor blow; If thy chosen one should leave thee For another, let her go, Yet think not all friendship’s hollow, Or all love deserveß thy ban, Be not blinded by thy sorrow, Try and bear it, like a man. Life hath joy as well as trouble, Men are better than they seem, Love is not an empty bubble, Happiness not all a dream; Though thy lot might well bo brighter. Others mourn a drearier span, Tears will make it none the lighter, Try and bear it like a man. Grovelling folly, wrong and error, Clearer shews from suffering’s height; Only in griefs faithful mirror Can we see ourselves aright. Hidden off ’neath piles of sorrow Lies Bomo loving God-like plan ; Wait then for a brighter morrow, l j he.^rtip, Commenting on the “crop lien law” the\fo bile Register says: The passage by the Senate of the bill repeal ing the lien Jaw, to take effect twelve months hence, seems to meet with general approval from the press of the interior, the section prac tically most interested. It is the sentiment of our country exchanges that the effect will be far better than if the repeal became immedi ately active; and they seem prepared to unite in a call upon progressive and intelligent far mers to get ready for the cash system next year. The inauguration of such a system would be followed by great and very gener al advantages; not the least of them being enforced prudence and economy. The Fhie on the Hearth.—The open Stove Ventilating Company, No. 107 Fulton street, New York, have conferred no mean boon upon domestic life by the introduction in our homes and plades of business of “The Fire on the Hearth” stove, which is a most in teresting, valuable and economical combina tion of the open fire and warm air furnace. This stove resembles the good and popular “Old Franklin," but is higher and entirely en closed. A perfect combination of stove and open fire has long been a desideratum among manu facturers ; an invention which would give all the good features of both these means of heat ing rooms, with the absence of any of the ob jectionable features peculiar to each. This has been accomplished to perfection in this patent, and science has thus contributed another im portant and permanent adjunct to domestic comfort and convenience, and to the enhance ment of the public health. All the scientific and technical journals are unanimous in the praise of this excellent heating apparatus, and the voice of those who have proven its merits give to this their unqualified endorsement. The prices for “The Fire on the Hearth” range from sl4 to $45, according to size, inclu ding nickel plated trimmings. Send for circulars. —A recent letter from Yokohoma, says that though Christianity is making no great ad vances in Japan, Buddhism is losing its vota ries. In one district alone, seventy-one tem ples have been turned over to the laity since 1873, and, within the last five years, no less than seven hundred have been converted into dwelling-houses and adapted to other uses. The younger generation of Japanese seem to find that the Buddhist religion, with its wor ship ol idols, is incompatible with the teach ings of modern civilization. —Several Protestan’s in Corrunna, Spain, asked permission of the governor to open a chapel in that town. He positively refused. After waiting a few days they opened the chap el without license, and hundreds attended the services. The governor telegraphed to Madrid for instructions. The reply is reported to be. “ Let them be. It can’t be helped.”/ WHOLE NO. 2808. General Denominational Ness. The committee appointed by the last Gener al Conference of the M. E. Church, to prepare a code of ecclesiastical jurisprudence, and re" port it to the session of May, 1876,'have(met and agreed upon the following: 1. Parish Court; 2. District Appellate Court; 3. Annual Con ference Corn t; 4. Appellate Court, as at pres ent constituted ; 5. A Supreme Court, to have jurisdiction in the trial of Bishops and other officers of the General Conference. —Dr. Curry, Methodist, of New York, dis approves of the present Sunday-school system of the Methodists. He aiso condemns camp meetings and considers camp-meeting commit tees, “ a curse to the Church everywhere.” —The Young Men’s Christian Association in the United States, publish 17 periodicals, and owns fifty-six buildings, valued, with buil ding funds, at about $300,000. —On Christmas day, a Methodist meeting house was opened for worship in Rome. It stands in the Via Poli near the fountain of Trevi, and is described as a simple but grace ful Gothic edifice, capable of seating 250 per sons. The communicants number 90 persons. At the opening service the church was crowd ed, some 300 being present morning and even ing. ’’'—Last year’s circulation of the Bible in Spain, amounted to over 50,000 copies, and in Portugal, too, the sales amounted to over 8,000 copies. —Adviceß from Rome state that Cardinal Simeoni has been instructed to quit Madrid, if the Cortes approves the proposed clause in the Constitution relative to liberty of wor ship. —The late Mrs. Lucretia Creighton, who died in Philadelphia rcently willed $1,500,- 0(50 to endow a college in Dayton, Ohio, for the education of indigent young men who de sire to prepare themselves for the Chatholic ministry. Forthe Index and Baptist-! F. SI. UAYGOOD’S LETTER. To the Baptists in Georgia and adjacent States: I have accepted an agency for The Index ; I desire to do much in its in terest ; I also hope to preach as I go ; I ask and beg the co-operation of all who love our Heavenly Father. Conyers, Georgia, is a little city by the railroad, with three Baptist churches—one anti-missionary, the other missionary—Rev. J. M. Brittain is the, acceptable pastor. Rev. A. J. Beck Is pastor at Decatur, aiuUßew. M. Stillwell is pastor at tain and at Lithonia. Each of theSJr four churches named above, hare Sunday-schools. I expect next to visit Macon, Rey. nolds, Butler, Geneva, Columbus, Fort Valley, Marshallville and other places in Southwest Georgia. More Anon. F. M. Haygood, Index Agent. Conyerß, Ga., Feb. 19, 1876. For the Index and Baptist.) NOTICE. Treasurers who have funds on hand for the Board of Foreign Missions,will please forward at once. H. A. Tupper, Corresponding Secretary, Richmond, Va. A Magnificent Nursery. —ln the front rank of first-class nurseries, of which our country can make special boast, is the Nursery of Messrs. Storrs, Harrison & Cos., at Painesville, Ohio. In extent, variety, excellence of man agement and adaptability of the sys tem to the requirements of the highest standard of science and art, their es tablishment is acknowledged to have no superior in this country. The Painesville Nurseries have been in existence for twenty-five years, and the reputation attaching to them, is as broad as the continent. Orders from all parts of the country are received and promptly filled, and the business is still increasing its dimensions. A3 an instance of the immense proportions of the business done by this firm, wo mention the fact that they are at pres ent propagating over one hundred thousand roses, embracing many new and recently imported varieties. Every known variety of plant, shrub or flow er, old or new, is kept on hand, and there is nothing in the range of their businees, which they cannot urnish to customers eir system of packing is perfect, and complaint of damage in shipping is extremely rare. Those of our readers in want of any thing in their line should send for their descriptive catalogues of fruit trees, shrubbery, flowers, rare plants, etc. This will be promptly mailed. It Roses. —Lovers of flowers can furnish themselves with the choicest kinds, by applying to the celebrated Mattoon Nursery, Mattoon, 111.