Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
VOL. 55—NO. 21.
Table of Contents.
First Page.— Alabama Department: Record of
State Events; The Supernatural—Rev. J. S.
Baker: The Centennial Cantata: Spirit of the
Religious Press; Baptist News and Notes; Gen
eral Denominational News.
Second Paoe. —Our Correspondents : Excluding
Members—A. J. Kelly; Bethlehem and the
Divine ' •Governor”—Persia ; Organization of
Sunday-schools—A Superintendent; Ordina
tion—John G. Polhill; A Letter from Gaines
ville—Corinth Church, its Neighborhood and
its Pastor, Rev. D. S. McCurry—W. C. Wilkes;
Help for Destitute Schoolß—Joel M. Butts;
General Meeting of the Friendship Associa
tion—B. T. Jennings, Clerk; The German
• ‘Bund;” etc.
Thibd Page, —Our Pulpit: The Frivolity of the
Age—Extracts from a Sermon, by Rev. J. F.
Conover. Mission Department: Contribu
tions. and Remarks by Rev. C. M. Irwin. Tire
Sunday-school: The Apostles in Prtson —Leß-
son for Sunday. June 4th.
Foubth Page. —Editorial: Georgia, the Banner
State; Mercer University —Anniversary Cele
bratron of the Literary Societies; Roman Ca
tholic Propaganda; University of Georgia;
The New Testament Revision; A Presbyterian
Controversy; Indian Missions; Georgia—Rev.
D. E. Butler. Successful Preachers —Rev. J.
S. Baker; etc.
Fitth Page.— Secular Editorials : The Horrors
of War; Literary Gossip ; Georgia News ;
News of the Week—Foreign and Domestic ; A
Touching Case; etc.
Sixth Page. Select Miscellany : Resources
of the United States—The Department of Ag
riculture at the Centennial Exposition—Chem
istry—Natural History—Economic Museum-
Microscopy—Botany—Statistics. a.
Seventh Page. —Agriculture : Bees— the Bee
Moth—Georgia Grange ; Grange Goßsip ; etc.
Eighth Page. Editorial: Baptist Church at
Thomasville—Rev. D. E. Butler. Correction-
Prof H. F. Smith. Advertisements; etc.
I.NIIKX A.ND RAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
Wheat in Fayette is not yet injured by rust.
The Mobile Register is opposed to the elec
tion of ministers of the gospel to any political
office.
There is some scarlet lever in Tuscaloosa.
Planters in Monroe complain ot bad stands
of cotton.
Selma is now lighted with gas.
A great deal of wheat in Talladega county
is injured by rust.
Oak Bluff has two prosperous schools.
Tecumseh furnace is turning out daily 17
tons pig iron.
The Judson Institute commencement exer
cises take place June 22d.
The strawberry supper given by the Metho
dist ladieß of Birmingham netted $lB5.
Limestone sends Henry Johnson, a negro
preacher, to the penitentiary, for horse steal
ing. *
Rev. Mr. Waddell, Episcopalian, will
preach once a month in Troy.
Rev S. A. Goodwin, of Columbus Mississip
pi, will preach the Judson Institute com
mencement sermon June 15th.
Hiram Russell, of Jonesboro, Jefferson
county, aged 79, celebrated the fifty-third anni
versary of bis marriage the 18tb.
The wheat crop of Lawrence is greatly in
jured by rust.
Capt. James Cook, of Jacksonville, has been
unanimously elected to deliver the commence
ment address before the Literary Society of
the University of Alabama.
The Supreme Court in the Buckley case, de
cided that the act of the last Legislature regu
lating impeachment trials under the new con
stitution, was unconstitutional.
In Madison county, Henry Saunders, for
killing J. B. Corn, about a year ago, was sent
to the penitentiary for eight years.
Gen. Alpheus Baker has been unanimously
chosen to deliver theannual oration before the
literary societies of the University of Alabama
on the 3d of July next.
Rev. E. B. Teague who for years has
been the beloved pastor of the Baptist church
in Selma, preached his farewell sermon there
on last Sabbath.
Mrs. Jackson, widow of the immortal Stone
wall Jackson, and her daughter, Miss Julia,
are visiting her brother, Rev. Mr. Morrison,
pastor of the Presbyterian church in Selma.
During a difficulty between Mr. J. C. Latham,
and R. F. Hodges, both old and respected citi
zens of Gadsden, Mr. Latham was ahot and
killed by Mr. Hodges. The affair cast a gloom
ofsadness over the community of which they
were boih useful members. They were both
Royal Arch Masons.
The Alabama Baptist announces the fact that
it has found a brother who heartily approves
of its treatment of Dr. Baker.
Ah ?— lndex.
Why should you wonder, brother Index.
Do you think that Alabama has not even one
sensible man ?—Alabama Baptist. #
O, certainly; Alabama has a great many
sensible men. This is proven by the fact that
only one brother has been found thus far who
endorses the Baptist's rancorous assault upon
our venerable co-laborer, Dr. Biker.
Rev. E. B. Teague requests that correspon
dents will please address him hereafter at
Wilßonville, Shelby county, Ala.
THE SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST,
of Alabama.
There seems to be a wide spread de
sire among the votaries of science, in
these modern times, to exclude from
their creed, as far as possible, the doc
trine of the supernatural. It is claimed
by some that the matter with its “po
tencies” isj only cause of all that we
behold in the universe. That conse
quently there is no power distinct from
and above nature. Others again, who
do not deny altogether that there is
such a power, would give him just as
little to do in the management of things
as possible. And there are yet others
who seem to be willing to accept a sort
of revealed religion, but who, shrink
ing from the doctrine of the supernat
ural, endeavor as far as possible, to
explain away whatever is claimed as
miraculous in the history of that reve
lation.
These different degrees of infidelity
abound in the current literature of the
day. Such opinions, more or less dis
tinctly uttered, are read by thousands.
They permeate even the popular mind.
They are supported by ingenious, and
apparently, plausible reasoning. The
effect is to disseminate, far and wide,
skeptical sentiments. These writers
would deceive, if it were possible, the
very elect. But the true Christian can
not be deceived. His faith is founded
as a matter of necessity upon the doc
trine of the
SUPERNATURAL.
To say nothing ol those wonderful
facts recorded in the old Testament—
to say nothing of the miracles ascribed
to our Saviour during his ministry on
earth, it is still true that Christianity is
founded upon the supernatural. If
that be swept away it falls to rise no
more. To*see that this is so, we have
only to consider the doctrine of Christ
—the corner stone of the whole fabric
of revealed religion. That doctrine is;
First, that he was bom of a Virgin, by
the direct power of the Almighty; Sec
ond, that he died, and after being;
buried, rose from the dead. And third,
that after spending forty days with his
disciples, he ascended to Heaven in their
presence, and was received by a cloud,
and thus taken out of their sight.
These three facts are absolutely es
sential in the system of Christianity.
Consider first, His miraculous birth.
Had Christ been born of natural gen
eration, he would have been only a
man. There could have been no expi
ation in his blood, no sovereignty in
his authority, and no power to save.
It was necessary that the captain of our
salvation should be “God manifest in
the flesh.” His supernatural birth be
comes at once intelligible as the evi
dence of his Divine nature. Again
consider his resurrection. If this fact
fails us, we are hopelessly lost. For
according to the scheme “He was de
livered for our offenses, and raised
again for our justification.” If he
rose not, our faith is vain. We are
yet in our sins.
Or, suppose we deny his ascension ?
The result is equally fatal to our
hopes. If he did not ascend into Heav
en, as stated, then he [died a second
time, as Lazarus did, and, his body has
perished in the dust —and of course
could be of no value as a perpetual
offering for sin. Nay, if Christ did not
ascend, as stated, all those passages
which describe him as exalted to the
right hand of God are unmeaning. The
mediation and perpetual priesthood of
Christ would be lost from the system,
for these are made to depend upon his
ascension.
These three cardinal facts must stand
or fall together. Upon them Christi
anity is founded. And they are all
supernatural. If true, they show
beyond the possibility of mistake the
exit tence of an all powerful, holy and
omniscient personal God, who is exer
cising moral government over this
world of ours.
Now for these facts we have the clear
testimony of professed eye-witnesses,
given under such circumstances as to
insure its truthfulness. And we have
that testimony corroborated, nay, con
firmed by the clear light of conscious
ness in the workings of Christian expe
THE SFPERN'ATrKAL.
FRANKLIN PRINTING BOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JUNE 1. 1876.
rience. Every truly converted soul
bears witness in itself, that Jesus is
“God manifest in the flesh,” “believed
on in the world, and received up into
glory.” Nothing short of this God
man can ineet our wants as sinful and
accountable creatures.
Thus the supernatural is,. for the
Christian at least, an established truth,
And being thus securely established in
the very foundations of our holy reli
gion, he is able to admit, and accept it
wherever it is claimed in connection
with that religion. The ark of Noah,
the plagues of Egypt, the passage of
the Red Sea, and all the other wonder
ful facts recorded by Moses and the
prophets cease to be mysterious, be
cause we find them all explained by re
ferring them to the power of the. A
lmighty, as sufficient cause ; and to the
mercy and goodness of the Almighty
as sufficient reason why He should use
such means to confirm the reality of
his sublime revelations to his creatures.
The Christian, therefore, need not fear
amidst the speculations of the learned.
Our God is forever God. He is above
nature and distinct from nature, and He
can so control it as to fulfill all His
promises, to those who trust in Him.
THE CENTENNIAL CANTATA.
The National Baptist, of recent date,
gives the following description of the
Cantata, written by Mr. Sidney Lanier,
of Macon, for the Philadelphia Cen
tennial, music composed by Mr. Dudley
Buck. The words and the form of the
poem have been severely criticized, es
pecially by the Northern critics, but it
will be seen from the following, that
the general effect, when words and mu
sic were blended, was imposing and ef
fective.
The work, in spite of its defects, is
an honor to Mr. Lanier, and as Geor
gians, we feel proud of our 'fellow- citi-
The National Baptist says: i
The Cantata begins With a short orchestral
prelude, introducing hints of the subsequent
finale, and then of the vocal opening of the
work, ihe voices entering without accompa
niment, save the pizzicato of the stringed in
struments.
From this hundred-terraced height
Light more large with nobler light
Ranges down you towering years ;
The poet, Mr. Lanier, has conceived Co
lumbia as a colossal figure on a height, med
itating upon the past, and looking forward
to the future.
After a broad and contemplative opening,
the trials and tribulations of the early colon
ial days are considered. The winds and
waves, winter, famine and disease, all op
pose themselves to the purpose of the colo
nists, and cry:
No! it shall not be !
The dramatic treatment of the words at
this point, gives the composer an opportuni
ty which he has not failed to avail himself of.
The music becomes agitated and impassion
ed, and the orchestral accompaniment quite
elaborate.
The opposition of the elements having
been overcome, other influences attempt the
destruction of the future Republic.
War, and his most noisy Lords,
Error, Terror, Rage and Crime.
These are successfully opposed by the Pu
ritans and Huguenots, (North and South be
ing thus symbolized,) who utter a compara
tively calm, but emphatic “yea” to the angry
refusal of the previous lines, and who con
quer through —
Patience, and Labor, and solemn souled Trial.
The refrain of the first choral theme is now
heard in the orchestra, and shortly the voices
enter with—
Praise to God’s oft-granted grace,
followed by the enquiry of how long Colum
bia shall endure. This is responded to by
the “Angel of the Republic,” who declares
that it shall be, so long as Law, Justice and
Human Rights prevail. This episode con
stitutes the only solo of the Cantata, assigned
to a base voice with English-horn obligato,
responsive to the solo voice.
An eloquent apostrophe to music to lend
her voice in bidding “Welcome to the
World” closes the work, the fugue form be
ing employed with a highly effective climax.
Some of the passages were thrilling in
their effect. We have never listened to a
composition of equal length, that is so full of
ready fine contrasts and transitions, all com
bined in a noble unity. As the stfioist, Mr.
Myron W. Whitney, stepped to the front, he
was warmly greeted, and then all were in
anxious expectancy as to the ability of a sin
gle voice to be heard in the open air by so
great an assemblage. All fears were dis
missed as the first notes of his grand voice
were heard, not strained, but full, clegr, solid
anil large. Mr. Whitney is a man of mag
nificent stature and presence, and this added
to the admirable effect of his singing. When
he had finished, the chorus resumed, but the
audience were not satisfied, and Mr. Whit
ney had to sing his solo again, which he did
with undiminislied effect. At the conclusion
of the Cantata, Mr. Buck was warmly ap
plauded.
Cases against 39 citizens of North Alabama
were dismissed at the late term of the United
States Court at Huntsville, in accordance with
the recent decision of the Supreme Court
of the United States on the Enforcement Act.
Spirit of the Religious Press,
The Standard says, in the last Examiner and
-Vlpanicle we find a timely article upon some of
the loose theological tendencies of the present
time. It quotes from the examination of a
Congregationalist minister at Oberlin recently,
these questions and am were:
Did Christ by his death take the punishment
from men, and then secure them salvation?
No. If men sin they are guilty, and their
punishment cannot be transferred to another.
What did the sacrifice of Christ express,
Aken, and what was the force of it?
It‘’expressed God’s love, and its force is to
induce men to lovp God.
To the question, “ What is original sin?’’
the answer given was, “ I don’t know.” These
questions anß answers the Christian Register, a
Unitarian paper in Boston, quotes with much
glee. The Examiner says truly: “As long as the
Lord’s Supper shall be celebrated in remem
brance of His death “ for the remission of
sins,” it will be vain to teach as Christian doc
trine, that the death of Christ had no relation
to the penalty of sin.” We will add on our
own part, that so long as the first chaplers of the
Epistle to'the Romans remain where they are,
it is a shame to any minister, when he thinkß
a question as to “original sin” can be lightly
turned aside with an “I don’t know.”
—Prof. Phelps, of Andover, ventilates his
opinions concerning the clamor for short ser
mons in the Congregutionalist:
No intelligent preacher ever did, or ever
will, discuss the standard doctrines of our faith
in sermon’s of a half hour’s length. Doctrinal
preaching must become obsolete, is now obso
lescent, under the imperious demand of the
popular taste for brevity. The surest way to
make such preaching inanimate, is to crowd its
massive theme into thirty minutes. I once
heard, in the city of Boston, a discourse on the
nature, the necessity, the grounds, the extent
and the moral influences of the atonement , all
within thirty-five minutes. It was drier than
the chips of the ark.
—The Presbyterian Weekly says: “The
church has suffered from sensational men. We
want Gospel and not apologies of it or for it”
—A blessing not in disguise, is a church
Debt, if a writer in the Independent can be be-
Ijeved. He says, “We have a debt on our
(Jiurch. It has been there for a long time,
II will doubtless he there for a long time.
When we are asked to contribute to any objeat,
we refer to the debt, jit has thus saved us a
If ni of money—lnott than the debt itself,
r> 'ny Hmes over." <
Standard protests against the plan of
taxing Christian benevolence ( heedlessly and
indiscriminately. It says:
It is not right to tax Christian benevolence
indiscriminately, indefinitely, heedlessly,
above all unnecessarily. No .appeal to such
benevolence should ever be made that is not
legitimate, just, and thoroughly consistent with
what is plainly due. No man has a right to
ask another to help him where he can help
himself; neither has any church. Apart from
the essential impropriety in so doing, we there
by exhaust and discourage the friendly feeling
or the benevolent impulse to which we appeal.
A like principle applies throughout the entire
sphere of Christian activity in this regard.
The claims and calls have grown to be exceed
ingly numerous. Those who represent the
various interests and enterprises which live by
the Christian liberality of the brethren, should
Beek to so adjust, and time, and proportion
their claims, as that while confusion shall be
avoided, those who give may not be chilled
and repelled.
—The Churchman says :
We read of various Unitarian celebrations of
Easter, the morning after Easter Sunday. Of
course, we have no objection to this. But we
cannot help asking what they are celebrating,
and why they are doing it. It is like a Chin
ese, with the full intention of returning at once
to the celestial land, making great account of
the Centennial memories of the United States.
In fact,, we suppose that very few Unitarians
believe in, or care for, the resurrection of the
body. The “Liberal Christians” or the “Free
Religionists” certainly do not. Any one who
reads and accepts Renan, and celebrates Easter,
is hopelessly and purely absurd.
—The Christian Era, under thestartling cap
tion “ A dollar’s worth of Prayer,” discourses
as follows:
A young man handed a dollar bill to his
minister. This he did, we suppose, in the
kindness of his heart. He had it to spare, and
he thought it would be acceptable, as it doubt
less was, and as such little offerings always are
to ministers, when they come from a liberal
heart. But, in this instance, the receiver did
not at first really understand why the money
had been handed to him—whether as a gift, or
for some benevolent object, or, possibly, in
payment of some indebtedness which the
preacher had forgotten. Accordingly, hold
ing the bill in his hand, he asked the young
man why he had passed it to him. Hisofl hand
reply, playfully made, was, “I want a dollar’s
worth of prayer.” Had the pastor known that
the money, was put into his hands with any
such intention, he probably would not have
taken it, but as it was, he retained the bill and
thanked him for the favor.
But this was not the last of it. Out of the
fullness of that pastor’s heart, prayers ascended
to God for the conversion of that thoughtless
young man. While he was thus engaged, God
visited him in a dream. He caused him to
see, in his dream, as he thought, that minister
bowed in prayer, and pleading most earnestly
for the salvation of his soul. So deep was the
impression on his mind that he was led by tlu
Spirit of God to seek and secure the Jorgiveness
of his sins. He found peace in believing. He
got his money’s worth.
Dr. W. G. Crempien.—Persons afflicted
will do well to read the advertisement of Dr.
W. G.JCrempien, who is now in this city. Hiß
method of cure is most highly recommended
as the best for the permanent cure of hernia’.
Dr. Crempien’s quarters are in the Callaway
House, adjacent to the Broad street bridge
THE OHCBLISTIJAISr ZEUEjZR-.A.ILID*
of Tennessee.
BAPTIST NEWS AND NOTES.
—Rev. Jas. B. Taylor, of Wilmington, will
deliver the address before the young ladies of
the Raleigh Baptist Female Seminary on the
15th of June.
—The editor of the Central Baptist recently
visited the Southern Baptist Theological Sem
inary, at Greenville, S. C. He speaks of its
prosperity and usefulness in the highest terms
of praise. He says the Baptist church of that
city is remarkable for its peculiar interest and
rare spiritual power. It has a membership of
3,260. Of the pastor, Rev. J. C. Hiden, D.D.,
he says :
This honored pastor is a native of Virginia,
the son of an eminent legislator, who was train
ed for the profession of the law, but devoted his
life to the none the less honorable pursuit of a
planter. Dr. Hiden is thirty-eight years of
age, a graduate of the Virginia Military School
and of the University of Virginia. He re
moved from_ Wilmington, N. C., where he
spent six and a half years in a successful pas
torate, to Greenville, where he has now been a
little more than a year, and where he iB not on
ly well pleased but well pleasing. He is an
active pastor, and able preacher. We were
with him in the inftnt class of the Sunday
school, and we ask no other evidence of his
superiority than his manner ot instructing the
inlant mind in the facts and truths of inspira
tion.
—Our British brethren are working for the
spread of the gospel and the prosperity of the
denomination with refreshing vigor and suc
cess. The Bible Translation Society, during
the year, printed anew translation of the Ben
gali Bible, besides other religious works. The
gospels have also been printed in the Garo di
lect. The Secretary, at the recent meeting of
the British Baptist Union, reported as fol
lows :
We have erected, during the year, new chap
els at a cost of £58,804, of which about one
third remains as a debt; we have expended on
chapel enlargement and improvement and on
schools £62,440; debts have been liquidated
to the amount of £7,997, and diminished by
£47,213, making a total expenditure on church
edifices of £175,454. For Home Missions
£7,956 has been raised by Associations ; £5,-
248 by the Home and Irish Society, and
£2,231 by the Scottish brethren, giving a total
of £15,435; for Foreign Missions the Particu
lar Baptists have raised £52,871, and the
Generaljßaptists £9,441, altogether £62,342 ;
to our nine colleges we have devoted £15,665,
and to the augmentation of ministers’ incomes
£2,670, and in aid of ministers and their wid
ows and children £15,161. In round numbers
about £290,000 has thus been contributed for
various denominational objects, the particulars
of which have been approximately ascertained.
But when we consider what iB raised for minis
terial support, probably' at least £170,000 ; at
the Lord’s table for the poor, say £20,000; for
incidentals and Sunday-schools moderately es
timated at £40,000 each ; and for Dorcas and
other benevolent societies, at least £IO,OOO, and
when we take into account the considerable
number of churches which make no return at
all, it may be confidently assumed that not less
than from £600,000 to £700,000 must be annu
ally raised by Baptists for denominational pur
poses alone- There are twenty-four new
churches,’thirty new chapels (a number under
the average), 8,371 more members than last
year, and 20,318 more Sunday-school scholars.
But though ninety-three brethren have newly
entered on the pastoral office, there are forty
nine fewer pastors in the actual charge of
churches than at the same time last year.
Death has carried off fifty-five a heavier pro
portion than ever previously reported; others
have emigrated to America or the Colonies,
and some have retired from service.
Messrs. Lord & Taylor, the well-known
dry goods firm of New York city, announce
that for the benefit of their lady patrons resi
ding at a distance from their establishment,
they are giving special attention to sending
samples of the newest goods by mail, to any
address desired, having the prices distinctly
marked on each. With a complete supply of
samples, fabrics may be selected, orders filled,
the goods carefully packed and sent to the pur
chaser, thus saving time, trouble, and the ex
pense of traveling. They also send free on ap
plication, descriptive catalogues of their ele
gant stock of Underwear, with prices, from
whicli selections can be made, and orders filled
as satisfactorily as if selected in person at the
stores. The high reputation of this house
makes its announcement well-worthy of atten
tion, as we know the firm will do everything
that they advertise to do.
President Porter’s excellent memo,
rial discourse on the life and services of the
late Dr. Bushnell concludes as follows : “On
one of tlie last days of the last year I spent
two or three hours with Dr. Bushnell in what
I believed would be a farewell visit. He was
eheertul in spirit and buoyant in humor, lie
talked of the present and the past with more
than his usual spirit and freedom, with an in'
descrihable simplicity and loveliness. At part
ing he asked me to come again for another
three hours as pleasant as these. I bade him
good-bye, never to meet with him again in
what we call the present life. I know not
when and where we may meet again, nor under
what surroundings, whether in scenes to which
earth’s scenery lias no analogies or in a place
like that where his boyhood was spent—‘aland
of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that
spring out ol valleys and hills;’ but of this I
am certain—that wherever and whatever that
land may be, ‘the glory of God will lighten it,
and the Lamb will be light thereof;’ and of
this also —that the man whose character is
formed more completely by faith in the Son of
God iu this life will be transformed into a maa
hood which is most glorious in the life which
is to be.” ’
WHOLE NO. 28021.
General Denominational News.
Auatralia has enjoyed an unwonted revi
val of religion of late, and the conversion of
large numbers is reported. And even from
far-off New Zealand glad tidings cc.me to us of
crowded religious services .'in the Queen’s
Theater at Dunedin. The Y. M. C. A. in
that city is vigorously at work, with a tpember
ship of some, 200, carrying on a daily noon
prayer-meeting, and giving a helping hand to
churches in that vicinity.
Women preachers have made their way
into the Episcopal pulpit. Rev. Dr. Tyng, Jr.,
of New York, lias two of them. Miss Logan
and Miss Beard, to assist him in revival ser
vices.
—Mrs. Stewart and Judge Hilton have ar
ranged to build a splendid Episcopalian
Memorial church to Mr. A. T. Stewart in the
finest quarter of Garden City, New York, the
church to be both a tomb or mausoleum for
Mr. Stewart’B remains, and a monument to his
memory. The structure is to be a church for
the parish, and is to be used as such for the
benefit of all who choose to attend it. The re
mains of Mr. Stewart will be removed to it,
and buried in a vault connected with it. The
building will be surrounded by grounds some
seven hundred feet square, which will be orna
mented with trees, shrubbery and flowers, and
will be as attractive as nature and art can
make them. A handsome parsonage will be
built on the grounds.
—The London Methodist says: “Militiary
authority has often made light work of priestly
bigotry and interference. For years it has se.
cured the right of Methodist soldiers to be
buried by their own ministeis. We are glad
to see that in the case of one of the military
staff at Presteign, the commanding officer pre
vented the Anglican parson from committing
a great affront to our people, and asserted our
rights. The consequence was, a second grave
was dug —dug in the Non-conformist’s part of
the cemetery, and the service proper to a Wes
leyan was read.”
—An illustrated magazine, by the Faculty
of the Union Christian College, Merom, Indi
ana, is announced. It will be a general litera
ry magazine of the church and a Home Maga
zine for the seven schools connected therewith
in the States of New York, New Hampshire,
Virginia, Missouri, Indiana, and lowa.
The address of the Bishops presented to the
General Conference of the M. E. church'North,
in session at Baltimore, shows 1,642,456 mem
bers ;10,923 ministers; 19,287 Sunday-schools,
and 207,182 officers and teachers. 15,633
churches valued at $71,350,234. Parsonages
5017 valued at $9,731,628.
—The late Dr. Norman McLeod recorded
in his diary that, having been invited
to preach before the Court of Aber
geldie, the!Prince of Wales begged him
in advance “not to preach more than twenty
minutes.”, Upon this the stout Presbyterian
Dean of the Most noble and Ancient Order of
l he Thistle plumply replied that the Prince and
l he Court Bad nothing better to do on Sunday
than no hear him preach, and he'should preach
as long as he thought good for them. He did
in fact preach “forty-seven minutes.” To the
credit of the future Emperor and King of Eng
land, he adds that the Prince listened very res
pectfully and thanked him afterwards.
—A missionary in Japan writes that “if the
whole force of the American Board’s missiona
ries were turned into Japan to-day with lan
guage at their tongue’s end there would be no
lack of hearerß every day in the year.”
—Many Baptist are accustomed to speak of
jnfant baptism as the offspring of the Papacy.
Whereas, the fact is that infant baptism was a
recognized practice as early as the middle of
the third century, and Papacy was not estab
lished till about the beginning of the seventh
century, A. D. 606-’lO.
—The Yokohama Gazette says that “the
second of April, 1876, will be a day note-worthy
in the Japanese calendar, as being the first day
of the week which was observed as a national
holiday, replacing Ichi-nohi. We trust that
the adoption of the Christian holiday will be
followed by that of the Christian religion
throughout this Empire.”
The Akebono Shinbun says: “Owing to the
daily increase in the number of professors of
the Christian faith in Shiba, Tokio, many old
shelves formerly used for the reception of the
family idol are seen for sale in every furniture
shop. Some people throw down and trample
on their Buddhas, and regret that they have
ever bowed down before them.”
The Christian Sunday has been substituted
officially for the Ichi-nohi, as the national day
of rest. From the 2d day of April, Govern
ment offices were closed on the first day of the
week. Saturday afternoon is in the public of
fices also observed as a half holiday. Thus
while a heathen land is becoming Christianized'
there are those among us who are attempt
ing to heathenize this country by promoting a
general desecration of the Sabbath.
The Index tells us that among the at'en
dants at the Ministers’ Union of East Ala
bama was Rev. G. E. Bremer. We were there,
but was not so fortunate as to hear of brother
Bremer. Was he there ?— Alabama Baptist.
It’s a great pity. — Alabama Department.
What is a great pity? That brother Bremer
was not there ? or that vour type said he
was when he wasn’t? — Alabama Baptist.
As you pleased, brother ?