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2 <®ur Correspondents. For the* Index and Baptist.] SOT THE“BIMRD QIEBTIOS.” Let that phrase be kept out of ar ticles and discussions bearing upon the plans proposed for increasing the spirit of benevolence in the Baptist churches of Georgia. It is a sort of fossil phrase, that refers to other and different issues, and not to the measures proposed for the. Georgia Baptist Convention. It has done “ benevolence” much harm; and our schemes, or efforts, for arous ing the liberality of the churches have free and full right to feel towards it as Paul felt, and to speak of it as Paul spoke of Alexander, the coppersmith, Oil Tim. iv: 14.) And why ? Because the phrase invariably suggests, and gent rally is intended to suggest, some toet hod or machinery, more or less ;“ut baptistic” outside of denomination /al organizations or operations ; and its Ui, > excites a certain degree of preju ce in many minds, which predisposes , .ein to he hostile to > ards measures roposed. I received a letter, not long ince, from a good brother, who wrote : “I don’t think your plan will collect any more money for Missions than the •present plans.” My plan ! All the plan I have, or that I have ever proposed, for collect ing funds for benevolence, has been simply such as aimed to induce indi vidual churches to collect their own Mission funds systematically and reg ularly iu the regular and usual channel of our denominational operations. I have constantly affirmed that the sup port of Missions, at home and abroad, is a Christian church duty; and, that it is the duty, also, of each church to collect funds for the support of Missions. Not only so, but that it is the duty of each member in each church to give something for Missions. Nor would I go, unnecessarily, outside of our de nominational organizations to effect this end. I think our present denomi national machinery amply sufficient for the purpose. What we want to do, in our denom ination, is to set the churches to work, collecting regularly and systematically their benevolent contributions. And, to effect this most easily and cheaply, what better can we do than use the established machinery of our Associations ? And, as tho Associations co-operate in tho State Convention, how bettor, or more authoritatively, can we influence the Associations, than through the State Convention ? But how, in the name of common sense, can the Con vention do anything without an agent ? If the Convention will appoint a committee to influence the Associations , and thus get tho Associations to influ ence thi' churches, and thus get church es to influence individuals, is it. not ap parent that tho ordinary channels of our Baptist denominational machinery, and those alone, are used, to effect the desired end ? This is all I advocate. How is it my plan t It is all Bap tist usage and custom, as old and com mon as tin l hills. What has the “ Board question” to do with this plan ? The true aud simple question, breth ren, is this: “ Shall the Convention take active measures, at Thomasville, to induce the Baptist churches of Geor gia to contribute more liberally and sys tematically to the mission cause?” I say this is something the Conven tion ought to do. That body should go farther than pass resolutions and recommendations. It should take some steps to secure contributions for mis sions. And why ? Simply because tho Convention is a missionary body? In its constitution it proposes to form and entourage plans for the revival of religion in the State and elsewhere; it proposes to aid and give effect to •eeful plans of the several AsssociationS; and it proposes to send funds and delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention. If all this and >es not constitute it a mis sionary body, what does ? Yet has it a plan for promoting the spread of the gospel in the State ? Has it any plan, or agtnt, for aiding or giving effect to the usifal plans of the different Asso ciations? No. But that is precisely what it ought to have. Take away our educational interests, and our Conven tion is doing almost literally nothing. Ought it not to do more, or try to do more, for missions? Ought it not to try and work up ourchurches to an enlarged liberality in the mission cause ? But to do this it must have a competent agent — a Mission Committee. Shall it not bring its influence to bear upon the thousand churches in connection with it, and upon the 1,500 or 2,000 white Baptist churches in the State of Georgia, in be half of missions ? Let the question be answered affirmatively at Thomasville. S. Boykin. Macon, 6a. Forth* ludox and Baptist ] GalufM>ilie is the Place lor tlio Baptist Female Seminary. Deak Index —Were I called upon to select a place for the Georgia Baptist Female University, self-interest and strong attachments would incline me to fix upon Forsyth. Some of my best friends—tried friends—live there. Some are sleeping there in the city of the dead. A remnant of my old home is there. My first born and two oth ers of younger years is resting there, near the graves of Curry, Martin, Dunn, and others. Stone Mountain has ttractions. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. That mammoth pile of granite near by is a world’s wonder. The Georgia Railroad, the oldest in the State, adds not a little to tho attractions of the flourishing young city. Brother J. M. Stillwell is there, laboring in tho Mas ter’s vineyard. I have not forgotten his excellent sermon on the Lord’s Supper, published in The Index two or three months ago—wish it was con densed a little and published in tract form, for general distribution. Stone Mountain has good water, good society, a good church, and, doubtless, good health, and the citizens very much desire to make the Univer sity their adopted daughter. They would cheerfully give the child a home, would mature it, caress it, and do all in their power to make it grow and feel at home. For many reasons, unnecessary now to name, Milledgville is a desirable lo cation for our University. So is Rome, Griffin, Madison and others. But, brother Index, and brethren of Georgia, self-interest, local attach ments, nor partialities for persons or places, should not have a feather’s weight upon the mind of our Commit tee, in locating the Baptist Female Seminary. As prudent and sagacious fathers, we are trying to provide for the educational and religious wants of coming generations. Let us not make a mistake. Let us try to profit by the experience of the past. Will good brethren bear with my humble views on this subject? I de siietho greatest good to the greatest number. And when I say Forsyth is not tho place, it is not that I love Forsyth less, but tho interest of education more. Forsyth is too near the venerable Wesleyan Female College on one side, the Griffin Female College and the Gordon Institute, in Barnesville, on the other side. Monroe county has probably seen its best day. The land is nearly worn out Forsyth will not grew much more. She has about reached her majority. Tho chairman of the Committee lives in Forsyth, and no doubt he and the good citizens would rejoice to get the Seminary to build up their t.>wn. But it is impor tant to select a thriving town, which will build up the Seminary, and not to locate it to build up a town at the ex pense of the Seminary. Board in Forsyth is obliged to be high. The county is too much exhausted to make provisions cheap. Stone Mountain is too near to the Masonic Female College, the Georgia Female College, in Madison, the flour ishing school at Convers, and tho good Public Schools in Atlanta. Stone Mountain can never be largei than it now is, to afford a large local patron age, because it is in the shadow of At lanta. Commerce cannot build it, up, because it is not backed by a suflicient extent of country. Again, the parents in northwest and northeast Georgia are very timid about sending their daughters down the country, even down to Stone Mountain to bo educated. In my humble opinion, Gainesville is the most eligible place for the Semi nary, of all tho towns bidding for its location. If 1 am wrong, brethren, please pardou my error in judgment. Why the most eligible ? 1. It is a fact that upper Georgia is rapidly growing in population and wealth every year. It is not true, to the same extent, of the middle and lower parts of the State. 2. It is a fact, that parents in upper Georgia will not send their children down the country to be educated, while low eountrv people prefer to send up the country to schosl. 3. Gainesville is not surrounded bv other colleges, which would be likely to divert patronage from our Semina ry- 4. Board for pupils is and will con tinue to bo cheaper here than it can possibly be afforded in Forsyth, Stone Mountain, or any town applying for the Seminary. 5. Gainesville has, as I am inform ed, about 300 females of a suitable age to go to school. Where is tho town, bidding for the Seminary, that can sav as much ? 6. Building material and mechanics labor are cheaper here, from 25 to 50 per cent., than in either of the towns above named. So $25,000 hero would put up a College building, which, in Forsyth or Stone Mountain, would probably cost $40,000. 7. The health, water, society and ac cessibility of Gainesville, altogether, are unsurpassed, if equaled, by any city in Georgia. These are some of our reasons for believing Gainesville to he the most desirable location for our Seminary, of all that are bidding for it. W. C. Wilkes. Gainesville, Georgia, April 1, 1876. 1* the Brethren (espeslug the Tallapoosa Bap tist Association. Dear Brethren—At your last ses sion you resolved to send only two del egates to the Georgia Baptist State Convention, aud to pay their way to and from the Convention ; the meeting of the Convention takes place on the 20th of this month, and your delegates will want the money before they start. If they do not get it, your Association may not be represented in said Con vention. Send the money, brethren, to brother Huey, the Treasurer, at once and let us not be fouud missing in the Convention. H. A. Williams. For the Index and Baptist.] DRY HOT IS THE CHURCH. “If the hundreds of our church men and women who throng depots, rinks, and halls, to attend the services of professed non-de nominational revivalists, would throw a titiie of the same time and energy into our respective churches, there would result more real conversions, the truth would be maintained, and the spiritual power of the cbm ches would be enlarged and made per manent.” The author of the above rather cyni cal utterance, copied from another pa per into The Index of the 23d ult., needs admonition. A cynic, is defined to be “a man of canine temper” —cynical, as “having the qualities of a surly dog.” Proba bly a lineal dependent of the dog in the manger, of classic mention. The species is of ancient origin, and is not likely soon to become extinct. In the time of the Saviour there were certain persons who received, from Him, a se vere rebuke because they would neith er go in themselves, nor suffer those that were entering to go in. If the facts could be fully known and summed up, it would probably be found that those who are the first among “the hundreds who throng de pots, rinks and halls,” to attend Gos pel meetings, are the very siies to whom tho churches are indebted for whatever of spiritual life and activity they manifest. Realizing that the Sa viour intended that His followers should bo workers in the vineyard, and feeling an earnest desire to sea His cause advancing, they would fain in fuse the leaven of their activity into the mass of the membership ; but their ef forts ars too often met with cold arid stolid indifference, with a covert sneer or with quiet opposition. The church is comfortably at ease. The regular routine of public service is maintained The “prominent and influential” breth ren, deacons and others, are occupied with their stock or their merchandize. Their wives and daughters, w T ith dress, adorning, and worldly amusements. Why should they not complacently give themselves up to mutual admiration? and what ails these restless ones, that, they must ever be trying to turn the world upside down ? A handful of warm-hearted Chris tians can accomplish but little under such unfavorable influences, but when a dozen and twenty such handfuls can come together, letting differing views lie in obeyance for the time, and unit ing upon a common platform of devo tion to the Master’s service, and efforts to win souls, they are apt to “m<'ve things.” It is not long before the power of tho Holy Spirit is manifest iu such a way a*’ to compel attention. Not only are souls converted, but pro fessing Christians are drawn within the influence, and led to examine themselves ; to take their longitude, and see how far they have drifted from their true course. All the churches round are benefited. Christian love and Christian activity cease to bo only names, and become realities. And the “spiritual power,” not of an insolated church merely, but of Christ's church universal, is increased aud consolidat ed. L. For Ihe Index and Baptist.; MAN SIBJFI'TEI) TO IUK lA\ f OF SI'FFKK -IXO. By reason of sin, man is brought un der the discipline of sufferings a neces sary to bringing and perfecting us iu all holy obedience to the will of God. In our present condition, the law of suffering is a great universal law of our nature. The history of the world is the record of this truth. The con sciousness of every man is its inward attestation. From the day of the first transgression until now, the family of man has been subject to this law. The first utterances of humanity are cries of suffering—its last expressions are groans and sighs. No favored spot of earth lias been found, no matter how salubrious its climate, how grand aud gorgeous its scenery, how clear its crystal waters, how brave and generous its people—where the wail of suffering is not heard. The generations of men, as they suc cessively followed each other, have ut tered the same lamentations over the miseries of life, and patriarch and sage and philosopher, have all wept over its disappointments and vanity. So uni form, in this respect, has been the ex perience of men, that they have united in designating the sceue of mortal life a “vale of tears.” Tears are the fruits of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste, brought death into the world, and all our woe, with sadness and distress. From the cries of infancy, and the tears of helpless womauhood, aud Ihe wretchedness of disappointed man hood, and the despair of old age, dying in sin, from the cabin and the hall, and the kingly palace, aud the battle field —what an aggregate of suffering does humanity exhibit! And yet all is no f . known, for the artificial caprice of so ciety seeks to hide its sorrows from the gaze of the world, and many a face which is wreathed with smiles would be & false index to the aching heart. Nor let it be supposed, dear reader, that the assertion that humanity ex ists under an universal law of suffer ing, is rebutted by the numerous joys which vary the scenes of life. Neither the existence nor the universality of suffering defends upon it* constant continuance. The very best constitu tion of our nature is such that were man all the time subjected to pain, it would become his fixed habit, aud cus tom renders agreeable what was crigi- nallv unpleasant, and even suffering, if constant, would cease to be suffer ing. So, many, who for long years, have suffered under a painful and incurable disease, become so accustomed to it, as to cease to complain, and bear, with comparative indifference, what to oth ers would be torture. The great de sign of God in placing us under the law of suffering, is best accomplished by an occasional exemption from the severity of its pangs. Yet, while it is adm tted that the sky of human life is not always black with lowering clouds to the humble believer, yet there are bright and beauteous beams upon the pilgrim’s path, aud joyous hope in the Beyond ! Our blessed Redeemer, while He condesended to wear our nature, was not exempt from its severest pangs of suffering. Surely it might seem to our faith and weak apprehension that a voluntary divesture of His glory for a season, and the assumption of our na ture apart from its pains and sorrows, would have been a sufficient humilia tion, and an unspeakable manifesta tion of His love. But not so thought Infinite Wisdom. When He took our nature, He took it with all its lia bilities to ill. It was deemed a neces sary part of His education for the great office He was to fill for us, that He should learn, by painful experience, what are the temptations and sorrows of humanity. He was to drink of our cup with all its bitterness. He was to know our infirmity, to feel our weak ness, to utter the cries for help which we utter, to mingle His tears, to give us sue -or to our prayers and tears, to give help, to shudder, shrink, and fear to die, and to die, and rise again, as evidence of His saving power. Christ, the Son of God, has left us an example that we should learn, by all of our afflictions, an humble obedience to the will of God. We need afflic tion, to teach us submission. By Christ’s sufferings He was made per fect, and became the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, in the temper of mind which the Gospel, the Son of God enjoins, and in the way which it points out. Who, then, can comprehend the love of Jesus, who suffered for our sins and carried our sorrows, and who gave Himself a sacrifice unto God for us re bellious and polluted sinners ! And what ought to be the force and effect of our love to Him ? To relieve and comfort us under the law of suffering ? to save from the cries of eternally stinging death ? —for the resurrection ami peaceful joys of Heaven’s rest! F. C. A. Washington, Georgia. For the Index and Baptist.l TUB HODKL PKAYEB-3IKhTING. How many prayer-meetings become uninteresting to I he young, and to many of the older ones, owing partly to the monotony that usually attends them, and partly to the walit of that nnSst imp .rtaiit element—practicability. It is true the pastor, or some deacon, or lay member, leads the meeting, and does all he cau to make it interesting ; frequently he even gives a short talk upon the subject of prayer. It is just this which makes the monotony. Doubtless some prejudiced persons are re-nly to say : “Will you depart from old customs (landmarks) iu the prayer meeting ? Our fathers did thus and so, aud I think we had better follow them.” Without attempting to defend these so-called departures, (for long defenses appear from time to time in every religious newspaper.) I wish to tell the readers of The Index of a re markable prayer-meeting iu one of our churches in North Georgia. With the brethren of this church the question arises, as I think it should in every church, How can we bestjutilize the prayer-meeting ? To make it use ful they have continually kept two ob jects in view—their growth iu the knowledge of the Bible and piety, and the preparation of the young and the naturally timid, for labor wherever it may be their privilege to have a Chris tian influence during life. For the attainment of the first of ihese objects, a passage of Scripture presenting some forcible point of Bible knowledge is read and diseussed by all who may feel a desire to da so, each brother speaking in a very pointed way, and not occupying a longer time than five minutes. Then, when a brother has visited another church, or held an interesting conversation with some per son, or had some peculiar religious ex perience, he is expected to make a state ment of that visit, conversation or ex perience, for the bentit of the meeting. Thus they are constantly on the look out for something they may do for Jesus. To urge the young and timid breth ren to engage in works for the Heaven ly Master they do not have a standing leader for the meeting, but rather take it turn about till all, even the youngest, have led. Aftor drilling and laboring in this way a year, the brethren think they are prepared to undertake a more ex tended work. They have, therefore, resolved to make mission stations here and there in the neighborhood of the village, and visit them every Sabbath afternoon, except an occasional Sabbath when they meet together for reports, for the purpose of holding prayer meetings and exhorting sinners—iu a word, to work earnestly for Jesus. The advantages of this system above the ordinary system is apparent to every one who will give it that thought it should have; and, as the working season is now at hand, it is important that churches should begin to adopt meas ures for more successful work. Breth ren, fight for Jesus, your inactivity and cowardice does not make the enemy of souls less vigilant. Observer. For the Index and Baptist .] CONCLUDING REPLY TO TERFIUS. It seems to be a very difficult thing for opposing controversialists to under stand each other. I do not propose, now, to waste time or space in notic ing Tertius’ misunderstandings of my meaning, m>r of my miseonceptiou of his, though I thought I was relying upon his plain definition of the word ability, accompanied by an illustration. It seems to me that the sense which, with his present explanation, he gives to the phrase, “ as he is prospered,” is not in accordance with the obvious meaning of the passage, aud is in con flict with every commentary to which I have access, McKnight, Conjbeare and Howson, etc., etc. But, though, so far as I know, he stands alone, I shall not dispute the view he takes, but shall regard the phrase, in this article, as meaning capi.al or income, as the cir cumstances of the case require. Conced ing this, I think he can scarcely sustain the position, that the rule given to the Corintian church is the one aud only rule regulating church collections. I have never said, in any article, that “ there is no rule for benevolent con tributions prescribed in the New Tes tament.” I believe that there are many, and the direction given to the church at Corinth is one among a num ber of others. To present my views upou this sub ject clearly, I begin with the remark that the New Testament contains gen eral and particular commands on the subject of giving. It is beautiful to obseive how an infinitely wise God has adapt and his teachings, in the Bible, to the varying circumstances and con ditions of human life. When He gives a command that is of universal obligation, it can be obeyed anywhere. There is nothing in the climate, the customs, or the national peculiarities of any people, that will render the com mand nugatory. Men are commanded to give. Everywhere, at some time or other, this command can he obeyed. Christians are instructed, “as they have opportunity to do good to all men.” There are times, often recurring, in the lives of all, when by contribu tions they can confer temporal or spirit ual benefits upon their fellow men Christians are commanded “to minis ter” or aid “according to the ability which God gives.” There is no Chris tian who is excluded from obedience to this direction. All universal com mands are so expressed as to permit universal obedience. But when Bible commands carry strict limitations within themselves, they apply only to those who are capa ble of rendering obedience under the limitations. All Christians are com manded to give, but are all Christian;: commanded to give every Sabbath as they are prospered. This would imply that all Christians, the world over, can meet every week, and have means at their command at each weekly meeting. But is this true? Overlooking the state of those who in Arctic regions are shut up for long periods in their homes, is it true of an agricultural people ? Are there not nations of those who depend for a living on the soil, whose property is only available at, certain seasons of the year? When, of old, God specially directed the con tributions of a nation like this, He required payments only on those sea sons when fields and flocks were yield ing their increase. Is there less adap tation to the circumstances of men under the New Testament dispensation, than there was under the old? We can readily see that there was wisdom in directing a church like that at Cor inth, or like those of Gallatia, to con tribute weekly, as they were prospered. But how would this weekly command meet the case of an agricultural people ? On each Sabbath morning perhaps for nearly half of the year, the Christian would be compelled to say, “ I have nothing to give to-day. Months ago I knew I could have nothing to give to day. For weeks to come, I may have nothing to give,” but here is a weekly command given to nations of people who, can only render to it obedience through one-half of the year. Is this like Him, whose infinite wisdom is seen in all that He does and says ? There are commands o* the subject of giving, adapted to meet the conditions of the agriculturist; is this rule, which so inadequately meets the circumstances of his occupation, to override them all? I do not know how I can better answer all of my brother’s arguments on the subject of collections, than by giving a brief sketch of what was done at Corinth. Paul first sends Titus to present to the Corinthian church, the condition of the saints at Jerusalem. Titus then takes a collection and re ceives the promise of a specified amount for the future. “We desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.” II Corinthians viii: 6. “For this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.” The verb ren dered “ forward,” means to will, and is the same word which refers to the promise in the verse next to the one just quoted. Corinthians viii: 10, 11. Some seven or eight months after this visit of Titus, Paul directs the chureh to fulfil their promise by making weekly payments, and tells them that if the amount is not obtained when he comes, he will have “ gatherings.” Probably about three or four months after this first epistle, Paul writes a second epistle to the Corinthians, urging them to make large contributions, to be gen erous, not to put him to shame before the Macedonians, by allowing them to find that the Corinthians had failed to pay the amount which had been prom ised by them. Titus and his compan ions are seat to read this letter to the Corinthian church, and then “ make up the promised bounty.” If the church at Corinth furnishes us with the only rule, as Tertius contends, for benevo lent contributions, he, of all men, should encourage agents to be perpet ually visiting churches and collecting. It is evident that Titus did not simply gather the amounts, already contrib uted, as Tertius seems to suppose, for then there would have been no need of Paul’s urgent appeals for liberal do nations. My brother seems to learn a good many things from my articles, that are not in the communications. He learns from me that notes to a benevolent ob ject are not considered binding. I thought the promise of every Christian, written or unwritten, was binding. I do not think it would be well to write on our notes, “ The signer of this note is expected to break his promise.” It is true, I c.id not reply to the re mark made by someone, “ that many who give are influenced by a desire to have their names on the published roll.” Men make a good many incon siderate remarks, especially in private conversation, and I am not called upon to reoly to such remarks. Whoever the brother may be, I hope he was mistaken. I believe I have replied to every thing else, and with this reply to “ the very successful ageut,” I dismiss the subject. For the Index and Rant Ist. I A REMARK4BLE FACT. There are many religions in the world, and people are sincere in the belief of all of them. False and anti-Christian religions can show as devoted followers, as sincere believers, as Christianity. Many of the adherents of false systems of religion, and many of the rejectors of Christ, die sincere in their be lief. But, is it not very remarkable that faith iu Christ is the only faith that ever makes one happy, triumphant, in death? Is it not denied that re jectors of Christ as Jews and moral ists, die quietly, bravely. Neither do we assert that all professors of the faith of the Gospel die rejoicingly. But faith in the merits of Christ, reli ance on the atonement, does often pro duce joy, peace,even ecstacy, sometimes in death. A short time ago, (January 31st, 1876.) a death occurred in Brunswick, Georgia, that may well be mentioned in this connection. Mrs. Griggs, (her maiden name was Shine,) was an intel ligent, strong-minded woman, not im pulsive, but one who reasoned, a woman of much reflection. She was also a Bible reader, and a well informed Christian, and had exercised taith in Christ as her Saviour, for many years: Her religion was a constant support aud comfort, and this was made the more manifest by her being called to pass through “ deep waters” of trouble and affliction for several years. She retained full consciousness to the last moment, it is believed, though for a few hours was too feeble to give expression of her feelings. Some two days before her decease, she said she “ had always prayed that she might be conscious of her death, that she might talk to her family and friends—did not know she was dying, but she might be, but she was happy if she was dying, for she had no fears of her acceptance of the God she loved, for He was a God of mercy.” She engaged in earnest prayer for some minutes, and after closing said, “Lest ye be cast away, but I shall not be cast away. No! no!! I know I am not cast away, for Jesus loves me.” Here she called her young est daughter, (unconverted,) put her arms around her neck, and told her how she had prayed for her, and requested that she meet her in Heaven. All this was in sweet, calm, serene consciousness, mental consciousness and consciousness of her acceptance with God, through the merits of His Son. Who but a Christian, ever dies thus ? “ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through ur Lord Jesus Christ,” Jesus only can take out, or extract, the sting of death. W. N. Chaudoin. Potter’s American Monthly Illtmtra. tive Magazine. Philadelphia. John E- Potter & Cos. In each issue of this instructive and hand somely illustrated monthly, are to be found a number of deeply interesting articles connected with the early history of our country, as well as short stories and bright poems. Godey’s Ladts’ Book. Philadelphia. Midwinter fashions are presented in the eur rent number, by means of beautifully illumin ated plates. The reading matter is unusually interesting, containing, as it does, contribution! on a wide range of topics, by writers of rips experience and rare abilities.