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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 ?