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The Christian Index, THE SOUTH-WESTBBIT BAPTIST, THE CHRISTIAN HERALD' of Alabama. of Tennessee. VOL. 55—NO. 22. Table of Contents. First Page. —Alabama Department: Reoord of State Events; Baptist Anniversaries; Spirit of the Religious Press; Three Little Waifs—Poet ry; Baptist News and Notes; General Denomi national News. Second Page.— Our Correspondents: Romanism in Georgia—The Origin of the Mystery of In iquity—T. B. Cooper; M. S. Carlile; An Admir able Letter—E. W. Warren; Family Religion— No I—Wm. C. Wilkes. Notes or Travel: A Visit to Texas—Mrs. Ella Hinkle. Third Page.— Our Pulpit: The Bible—A Dis course Delivered by Rev. T. G. Skinner, D. D., at the Annual Meeting of the Macon Bible So ciety, May 21,1876. Fourth Page— Editorial: Raising Church Funds —Rev. S. G. Hillyer. Vague Ideas—Rev. J. 8. Baker. Sunday at the Centennial; “’Open Com munion: Queries and Answers; Georgia Baptist News: The Southern Baptist Convention—Rev. D. E. Butler. Personal: etc. Fifth Page.— Seculiar Editorials: Battle on the Will: Virginia Female Schools; Mercer Univer sity; The Service of Song; Millard Seals; Buf falo Lithia Springs; Signs in the East; Litera ry Gossip: Georgia News; Foreign andDomest ic News; etc. Sixth Page.— The Sunday School: The Apostles Before the Council—Lesson for Sunday, June 11th; The Way to Cultivate an Interest in Giv ing to Our Sunday-Schools; etc. Select Mis cellanj: The Simplicity and Plainness of the Scriptures; Artificial Coal Establishments; etc. Seventh Page. —Agricultural Department: Agri culture by Steam—New York Sun; Corn; Arte ficial Clouds of Smoke Protection Against Frost; A Fine Dairy; Co-operative Stores; Rice Culture; Oats; Making Preparations; etc. Eight Page.—Our Correspondents: State Com mittee of Missions—How it was Appointed— Some Objections to the Plan—J. H. Campbell. Obituaries. Advertisements. INDEX AND BAPTIST. ALABAMA DEPARTMENT. A series of union meetings are being held at Montevallo. Many fruitful revivals are in progress throughout the State. Rev. M. S. Andrews has been quite sick at Auburn. Apple and pear trees are dying in Sumter county. Work is progressing on the Talladega Bap tist church. The Methodists of Talladega are holding a series of meetings. Cullman claims a population of eight hun dred. There were twenty-six convictions at the last term of the Calhoun Circuit Court. A splendid vein of coal has been struck near Trussville, fifteen miles east of Birmingham, on the Alabama and Chattanooga railroad. Near Talladega, a nail factory will soon go into operation that will turn out five hundred kegs per day. A man named Hargrove was shot and fatal ly wounded at Munford the 27th ult„ by a des parado named Smith. *• A post-office has been established at the Garden Store, called Garden, Pickens county. John K. Spence is postmaster. Lebannon, Collinsville, Brandon’s Station, and Fort Payne will be voted for as county site of DeKalb. Rev. Dr. Teague, after a seven years pastor ate of the Baptist church in Selma, left on Tuesday for his plantation near Wilsonville, where he will reside in the future. On Wednesday, June 28tb, an inter-State base ball match between picked players of Al abama and Mississippi, will be played at De mopolis. Major Walthall, of Mobile, was elected ora tor for the next meeting of the Alabama Press Convention which recently met in Montgome ry■ t The Alabama Press Association have elected the following officers: —President, J. F. Grant; Vice Presidents, A. Snodgrass, J. M. Macon, W. Brewer, W. M. Meeks, and J. B. Stanley ; Corresponding Secretary, B. H. Screws; Recor ding Secretary, D. W. Mclver; Treasurer, F. M. Grace. The Baptist State Convention will meet in Montgomery, Thursday, July 13th, prox. In an address published in the Baptist brother John Haralson, President of the Convention, says: I appeal to our lay brethren and friends throughout the State to attend our next meet ing. Until within the last two years, theConvm tions since the war have been composed most largely of ministering brethren. Their zeal in behalf of our denominational enterprises have been greater than ours. They desire and re quire our co-operation. They need the energy and the business tact and management of the lay brethren in all our religious convocations. Let it be remembered that our Convention is no ecclesiastical judicature, composed of a priestly representation ; that the ministers ol our church have never claimed for themselves such distinction and prerogation. Ministers and laymen are alike eqoal in the privileges of the assemblies of the church. Don’t be deter red from coming, because you imagine there will be nothing for you to do. Each of you will have as much to do and as much respon sibility for what is done or omitted, as any other representative; and, as for my part, 1 very much desire that the young men and the truest men amongst the laity, may give greater earnestness than ever before to the ministry, that they are willing to share with them the du ties, responsibilities, and labors of our common cause. Come, and we promise you much to injoy, and as much work as you will like to do. BAPTIST ANNIVERSARIES. The meeting of the American Baptist Mission ary Union, at Buffalo, was very interesting. Rev. Barnas Sears. D.D., of Staunton, Va., was the President. The annual report of the Home Department showed the total receipts of the Union for the fiscal year ending March 31, applicable to the work in hand, to be $245,997.23. The total lia bilities for the missionary year, on the foreign field, ending September 30,1876, are $223,176.68. This leaves a balance of $22,820.55, applicable to the deficiency of the last year, reducing it to $30,136.17. This total of receipts is $4,026.69*in excess of the total of last year. In addition to the above receipts for the work in hand, several sums have been received to be funded, the in terest only to be used for the purposes of the Union; also several quite large donations, on which interest is to be paid during the lives of the donors, these sums amounting in all to $12,680.80. This makes the gross receipts of the treasury $258,678.03. The report of the Foreign Department states that the debt of the Union is considerably re duced, though larger than the Executive Com mittee contemplated at the beginning of the year. It strenuously urges reinforcemnt of the missions, and recognizes prayer as the great call of the hour—prayer for the churches, for missionaries and for missions, that they may be received in the apostolic spirit, and brought back to the apostolic methods. On the second day the delegation from the Southern Baptißt Convention was received, and iuvited to take seats in the pulpit. The dle gates are as follows : Rev. E. T. Winkler, D.D.. of Alabama; Rov. W. Howard, of Texas; Prof* 11. M. McDonald, of Kentucky; Prof. J. A. Broadus, of South Carolina. The President made an excellent welcoming address, and spoke at some length of the work accomplished in the South by the delegates present. At the conclusion of his address, remarks were made by Rev. Dr, Winkler, Rev. W. How ard, Prof. McDonald and Prof. Broadus. The addresses were full of fraternal feeling, and the applause was frequent. Strong resolutions were adopted againßt Sab bath desecration at the Centennial. American Baptist Publication Society. The fifty second anniversary of the American Baptist Publication Society developed, in its re ports, its excellent condition and valuable in fluence, The report of the Board announced the completion of the magnifioent new building, which has been erected for the purposes of this Society. The total cost of the ground, building and fur niture is $258,586.68, all of which is either paid or provided lt.r in reliable The total receipts of the Society from all sources for the year ending March Ist, 1876, are $564,063.06. Of this, $73,699.42 were received in the Benevolent Department, leaving $490,- 363.63 as the amount received in the business. But this sum embraces $180,203.57 given espee ially for the building, so that the ordinary busi ness receipts of the year amount to $310,101.06. Eighteen new publications have been added to our list the past year, of which fifty-seven thous and threo hundred copies have been printed. Of former publications there have been printed 'luring the past yearone hundred and fifty-two thousand six hundred copies of books, and one hundred and eighty-three thousand five hundred copies of tracts. The Rev. G. C. Lorimer. D.D., of Boston, of fered the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted by a unanimous vote ; Whereas, The Southern Baptist Convention appointed delegates to attend these National Anniversaries as bearers of fraternal greetings, be it Resolved, That reciprocating, as we do, their brotherly spirit, and appreciating their work and the Master’s cause, we appoint five brethren to be bearers of our fraternal regards to the Southern Baptißt Convention in New Orleans in 1877. The Chair subsequently appointed the follow ing delegates; Itev,. George C- Lorimer, Mass., Rev. R. 8. MacArthur, N. Y., Rev. H. F. Colby, Ohio, and C. R. Blackall, M. D., HI. The Rev. E. M. Brawley, of South Carolina, made a very interesting speech on ‘ 'Sunday-schools as the great and immediate necessity of the Freedmen.” The preachers among the freed men are, as a rule, ignorant and incompetent. They teach much error, and we are losing the young and cultured people. The peculiar dan-, gers that beset the freedmen were vividly de scribed. Sunday-schools for the children, and Bible schools for the older people and the minis try, are the only remedy for these dangers. Dr. J. A. Broadus followed, and in support of the subject he presented I. Reasons on the dark side —(a) Because so little is as yet done for their enlightenment by the public schools; (b) So little by the pastors; (c) So little by the parents; (and) Because they have so little of a restraining and elevating public opinion among themßelves. 11. Reasons on the bright side—(a) The colored children rapidly learn the elementary truths of religion, (b) There is ground for hoping that white Christians at the South will hereafter be less reluctant to aid in teaching them, (c) The Sunday-school children and the oolored teachers will give support to the more intelligent minis ters—they will help each other in the conflict be tween enlightenment and ignorance, (and) To begin with the young is the only way of trans forming a whole rcople, and it is a way which, if diligently pursued, must have great success; but such transformation requires time, and calls for patience. The Hpeakerexplainedsomeof the fundamental and grave difficulties pertaining to the work of public schools in the South. He also insisted that there may be much real piety where preacher and people are ignorant—and in general, that we must carefully avoid extremes as to both the dark and the bright side of the freedmen question. Woman’s Missionary Societies. The annual meeting of the Baptist Woman’s Missionary Societies of the East and West showed refreshing results. FRANKLIN PRINTING ROUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JUNE 8. 1876. Mrs. J. O. Brayman.Bocording Secretary of the Society of the West , reported that “ one hundred circles and a large number of mission bands have been reported during the year. The increase in the number of children’s hands is more marked than among the circles for adults, and their receipts in some cases are surprisingly large,” also that “the receipts for the year are $13,431.80. Of this, $2,000 were raised especially for building pur poses. Unusually largo appropriations have been made this year to build and furnish school houses and dormitories. Two new missionaries have been sent out during the year, and another ap pointed, who left soon after the annual meeting, making eight in the foreign field. Mrs. Alvali Hovey, for tho Society of the East, reported twenty missionaries, thirty-two schools with 1,400 scholars, and $23,000 raised last year. There are 220,000 female members of the Baptist churches in the States in which the Society operates. Interesting addresses were delivered by returned missionaries present. Among them were Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Watson, of the HiuTnah Mission, Mrs. Jewett, of the Teloogoo Mission, and Mrs. Ashmore, of the Chinese Mis sion. The .meeting was large and every way in teresting and hopeful. The Educational Commission. Tho reports of this denominational agency were interesting and instructive. The Examiner and Chronicle gives a synopsis of the remarks made by the leading speakers, as follows; " The Rev. J. A. Broadus, D.D., of South Car olina. was the first speaker of the evening. He said that in this Centennial work all Baptists. North and South, are a unit. This movement had suggested to him many points of similarity between the American nation and the Baptist de nomination. Both have suffered because they are new. and conscious of not being rooted in an hon ored and historic past. No body can be stable without a history. This Centennial movement will supply this want, and show us that we have a history. Our nation has grown rapidly during the century past, yet the Baptist denomination has grown six or seven times as fast. As we re call what our fathers suffered to establish lib erty, lot us recall the sufferings of our Baptist fathers in the causo of religions liberty—recall them not boastfully, hut ” with malice toward none, with charity to all.” But excited emotions that lead to no action are hurtful. If we do nothing we shall only ho the worse for this move ment. Tho speaker closed with a vigorous appeal for the endowment of our educational institutions. The Rev. J. B. Simmons, D.D.. then addressed themeeting. Hospokeof tho similar efforts recent ly put forth by the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations to endow their educational institu tions. He said that the Presbyterians had raised $5,000,000. But there were some abatement of these figures. Much that was given waH not in the way of commemoration, hut of mere ordinary giving. How’ did they raise so large a sum ? They number less than a third as much as the Baptists. The secret was that they all worked. They resolved to do it. and they did it. Subscrip tion papers were presented to every member of every church, lovingly, courageously, faithfully, and in many cases repeatedly. We must follow their ejiunpli). The facts of this educational movement mus* be laid before all. . M will not give, of conri , but all should have's chance.* The address > as an exceedingly practical one. abounding in incidents that had come under the speaker’s observation, and fruitful of suggestions as to methods of work. The Rev. T. W. Goodspoed. of Chicago, spoke of the Centennial movement in the West. They are not beginning there with the dollar roll. The speaker feared that the dollar roll would be hut a delusion and a snare if it were permitted to pre vent larger gifts. It would be better to begin with the thousand dollar rolls, and to close up the last month with a dollar subscription. Rev. D. W. Gwinn, D.D., and the First Baptist Church of Montoomehy, Alaba ma.—The committee appointed by the First Baptist church at Montgomery, Alabama, made the following report: Whereas, In the Providence of an All-wise God, our much beloved pastor, Dr. D. W. Gwin, has seen proper to tender to this church his resignation as pastor, in consequence of a call from the First Baptist church of Atlanta, Georgia, and this church lias exhausied its sincere efforts, without avail, to induce him to withdraw said resignation ; and Whereas, Brother Gwin, by his Godly walk, pastoral cire and faithful discharge of all duties devolving upon him, as minister, friend and citizen, has built up this church and congrega tion, ami thus endeared himself to its mem bers, and the community generally, therefore, be it Resolved, That while we regard his removal from our midst as a severe affliction, and an almost irreparable loss, to this church and community, ttiischurch accepts his resignation with reluctance and sorrow. Resolved, That we sever our connection with him in respect and love beyond expression, and pray God’s blessings upon him and his family in his future field of labor, and com mend them heartily to the care and love of the people of his charge. K. H. Molton, C. B. Ferrell, George W. Thomas, H. A. Howard, T. L. Jones, Committee. On motion it was resolved that the report be received and adopted, entered on the minutes, and a copy be forwarded to brother Gwin, and that a copy be furnished to each ot the city papers, the Alabama Baptist and The Chris tian Index for publication. In the Democratic State Convention sixty two out of Bixty-five counties were represented. Four hundred delegates were present. Gov. G. S. Houston has been renominated tor •Gov ernor, R. K. Boyd for Secretary of State, and Daniel Crawford for Treasurer. They are the present incumbents. The Spencerites nominated J. S. Clark, of Morgan, for Governor; T. T. AUington, o Lauderdale, for Secretary of State; B. Mf Long, of Walker, for Treasurer ; G. P. Plow man, of Talladega, for Auditor ; R. P. Heflin, of Randolph, for Attorney General; and P. J. Glover, of Marengo, for superintendent of pub lic instructions. —The plate collections of the Metropolitan Baptist church in San Frauci-co for the Sun day eveni.igs of six months, amounted to over $2,000, aside from the payment of regular’sub scriptions. Spirit of the Religious Press, —The Enquirer makes the following compar ison between the reciprocal duties of pew and pulpit: If the pew be not as punctual as the pulpit — if there be steps heard in the aisle from the earliest whisper of the organ to the announce ment of the text, and the sound of opening doors keep time with the foot-fall of every new addition dC the audience —there is dis turbance of the quiet, not only of the mimster, but of every devout breast that is turned to wards him. All are conscious of the interrup tion ; and one of the number who has most need to becalm tnd collected, must eminently suffer. Every i ew-comer must affect to some extent, his concentration of mind. In his ef forts for the right discharge of his sacred du ies, everv footstep can but disturb his atten tion The effect will be different in propor tion to temperament; one will be affected more than another; but to all it must be more or less a disturbance. It may be thought to he enougli to be in time lor the chief part of the service, and particularly for the sermon ; hut if, on the part of the pew, we make bold to claim for prayer and praise and importance not second to that of the discourse, the pulpit will not gainsay the assertion. It will concur in the argument that supplication and psalmo dy, chapter and chant, heighten the value and deepen the emphasis of the word of exhorta tion. They promote that receptive frame and attitude of mind which the preacher seeks to possess in the pew. The services which he conducts does not consist of unconnected parts; it is a compacted unity. From the first sylla ble to the last what passes is complete. Every word of morning and evening service has its meaning and intention, and we should deny ourselves no portion of either. We should study the harmony or the whole, and make its quiet a common enjoyment. It is a lyric piece, whose music should flow unbroken to the end, and when the last word of the benediction has fallen with its sweet influence on our ears, let us rest for a moment in hallowed silence, that the thoughts and teelings awakened and kin dled within us may sink deep into our hearts, and remain with as through the whole. We should neither he slow to come nor in haste to go. —Concerning the kind of preaching needed now-a-days, and what is called “the old-fashion ed Gospel,” the Appeal remarks: Much is said now-a-days about the preaching needed for the times. There is great force in the idea that the Gospel must he presented so as to meet the demands of the age. John Fos ter very ably showed that it ought to be preach ed so that the prejudices of educated men should not be needlessly aroused. God has taught us the lesson of adapiedness in Nature, in Provi dence, and in the giving of the Sacred Word Our blessed Lord has emphasized the same ’ ruth in sending silt men to preach his Gospel ' fiili ytiffereifi ;u’ f%; 7’ilmrmes. The apostle Paul ever recojtjifeed i.s his varied audiences. Bui it is the one <7 'pel that is to be preached —the truth in Christ Jesus, who is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The most highly cultured must be saved “through the life whicli regener ates, through the death which redeems,” us well as the most unlettered peasant. There is but one door into the sheepfold. Devious may be the ways ot approach, but through it all must enter. The polished platitudes of a Blair will not answer for the short, sharp, decisive summons of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The “ponderous poly syllables” of stereotyped forms rolling from lips trained to accent, modulation and empha sis, supplemented by a little dainty essay on Literature, Art, or Eihics, will not answer lor the grand, cardinal truth of Paul, “The king dom ot God is not meat and drink, but right eousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” We must not have Plato for Christ in our pul pit teachings ; philosophy for salvation; mor ality for regeneration ; sentimentality for sor row for sin ; a soliloquy with self for prayer ; evolution for the revolution of the new birth. —There are some very wholesome truths, worthy of the earnest consideration of all men, in the following allusion to sores in social life, by the Watchman: The confession of Thomas Piper has given a shock to the public mind greater than that which followed the atrocities of Pomeroy. It seems incredible that such a monster can live in ourday, surrounded by the refining influences of Christian civilization. The humanitarian ism of Boston has not inspired him with no ble views of life, or with kind feelings towards his race. Nor has the training of a Christian family, or the nurture of a Christian church, developed his moral instincts, by awakening a sense of duty, or inciting to the fear or the love of God. No Pagan could be more brutal or more callous. The world shuddered at the barbarities of Hindoo sepoys, a few years ago, in the revolt of India against British rule; but the deliberate crimes of Piper and Pomeroy disclose a darker page in human history. The Calvinist needs no other proof that hu man depravity is not cured by modern culture; or that the strong doctrines of the Bible need to be proclaimed to-day, as in the apostolic age. And all good citizens may well tremble at the moral perils of that false sentiment which ex alts criminals into objects of pity, instead of treating them as subjects for punishment. If crime is the accident of physical organization, instead of the choice of a depraved will, crime ceases to be guilt, and the penalities of the law outrage ju-tice- The theories of religion and morals current among modern reformers are undermining social order, and invoking social ruin. The immunity of Pomeroy has provok ed Piper to deeds of blood, and one shudders to think that scores of similar ruffians may be growing up among our families and churches, cherishing in secret those thoughts of crime which will take shape in fiendish wrongsagainst innocent and unsuspecting victims. If the public peace is to be prefer veil, and the public conscience educated, the mawkish sympathy for criminals must give place to a stern hatred of crime, aud a purpose to avenge it by swift punishment. —The Baptists of England have raised lor all purposes an approxima’e sum of £700,000 or $3,500,000 Of this amount, £200,000, or $1,450,000, have been contributed for strictly denominational objects of benevolence. For the Index and Baptist. THREE LITTLE WAIFS. Once along the stony roadside A velvet heart’s-ease opened wide Its brilliant petals. There it grew Bent sweetly ’neath the heavenly blue That arched above it. Nor seem’d to know Its downy cheeks were all aglow With the richest, softest beauty. This its mission, this its duty. To blossom with its gentlest grace, Questioning not the lowly place That gave it birth. Travelers weary, Toiling o’er the highway dreary, Saw its face so bright and cheery, Walked softly by and seem’d refresh’d, Though whence it came they never guess’d. And wondered how it blossom’d there Amid the stones so bleak and bare. A sorrow-stricken passer-by Took heart again, and look’d on high To God whose love and tender care Nourish’d the lonely flower there. In a woodland, green and mossy. Ere the spring’s young, shining, glossy Leaves opened themselves to the sun, A little fern her work begun On the trunk of a maple old. You could ne’er for your life have told How the little fern so green and bright, With not another fern in sight, Clin b’d up where tho branches parted wide. Found a bunch of moss its roots to hide, And grew and grew and multiplied Till children ferns stood round her side. Some of the ferns aud moss, one day. Were cut with care from the tree away, And sent to grow in a window where They had the gentle, loving care Of a poor lame girl, whose wistful eyes Found something new in this little prize. It breathed such tales to her eager ears Of woods she had longed to see for years. It talked of mossy, pebbly streams That, rippled thro’ her waking dreams; Of summer skies, and flowers wild, W ondrous things to this prisoned child. She loved and watched the tender thing, Aud found new joy in wondering. A rough uncultivated pair, Four children their parental share, Lived : n a cottage bare aud rude; A simple backwoods life pursued. Three childreu like their parents were, ’Like in feature, habit, manner. The fourth a fair and timid child Shrank back from her companions wild, Seemed like one born to other fare, Some nobler, greater, richer share. Incredulity upon them smil’d And called her the “lost,” the “stolen child.” God, gracious in his gifts, had given Eyes shaded soft with blue of heaven, Dreamy, yet so quickly waking With thought’s fight upon them breaking. Clustered iaHlies. parted here aud there As with the weight of tears. In her hair Tints of sun aud gold lay resting Like a crown her head investing With soft glory. Gentle were her ways And pure and sweet her fair young face. They called her strange, and ran away These other three to their rough play. She, to silent rambles in the wood Happy in some gentle, musing mood. The parents couid not make accord Where nature’s strings hung in discord, Nor knew they of the magic art To wake the music in her heart. But harsh and rough they ever seemed To this fair child who only dreamed Of heiJity, love andbyuipatby, . Whiw.t iioirt longed for them vearningly. So, like some poor, mmiated bird ' i By otlior birds alwayH pursued, Flew trembling to the woodland shade Where nature taught her as she strayed Sweet lessons, nor could nature find A better soil than this pure mind.. Thus grew Dora. Year after year A little knowledge here aud there She garnered up. Like flower wild ’Mong weeds she grew, and undefiled Bloomed into maid’hood. Her fertile mind Grew rich in fancy uncoufined And on a bright propitious dawn A Poet to the world was born. In many lives, unseen by eyes, God hides away some sweet surprise. Lila. Vine Cottage, 1876. BtIMTST NEWS AND NOTES. —The First (colored) Richmond Baptist church has two thousand and seven hundred members; the Gilfield has one thousand and seven hundred, and the Third about three hun dred. —The Lynchburg, Va., Star says : “Rev. ■Dr. Montgomery preached last night, by special request, on “The Devil.” A large con gregation was present and paid the profoundest attention to the simple yet sublime arguments advanced by the Doctor. The personality of the devil will not, we think, be doubted by any one who heard the sermon.” —The Western Avenue Baptist Church in Chicago recently adopted the following by a rising vote: Resolved, That this church and congregation communicate to Gen. Jos. R. Hawley, Presi dent of the Centennial Commission, our hear ty thanks for the firmness with which he has withstood the attempts to open the Centennial Exposition on the Lord’s day ; that we assure him, and those who stand with him, of our sympathy, and pledge them our prayers that they may as firmly adhere to the decision al ready made. —The Annual meeting of the Baptist Mis sionary Society of England, was an occasion made noticeable especially by the retirement of Dr. E. B. Underhill from the Secretaryship he has so long, so ably, and with such general acceptableness filled. He has, however, accep ted the office of Honorary Secretary, in which capacity his advice and assistance will sti 1 be available to the Committee. The year was in most respects one of prosperity. The tone ot the report was grateful and hopeful. A defi ciency of £4,602.75 in the treasury is the only drawback to the auspiciousness of the occasion. The annual exhibit of the Baptist Missiona ry Union shows for the fiscal year : Total re ceipts from all sources, $245,997.72; expendi tures, $223,176.68; leaving balance in favor of Treasury, $22,820.55. —The Biblical Recorder says: A brother suggests that the Seminary at Greenville is running the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr Boyce, he says, was President and took pains to put Greenville men on every committee. We suppose it was without de sign. But if Greenville can not only furnish us our theology, hut also run the machinery of of the denomination, why need other people complain ? WHOLE NO. 28022. General Denominational News. —Miss Thursby is to receive $3,000 per an num for singing in the Brooklyn Tabernacle, with carriage and other items of cost in addi tion. This is said to be the largest salary paid to any choir singer in the country. —Seven missionary societies have establish ed Missions in Egypt, Abysinia and Algeria. Mrs. O. W. Merril has been appointed chap.ain and teacher at the lowa penitentiary. This is anew field for woman’s powers. —Prof. Max Muller wrote from India to Dr. Normon McLeod ; “From what I know of the Hindus, they seem to me riper for Christianity than any nation that ever accepted the Gospel.” The Alliance News says over a thousand churches in Great Britain use unfermented wiue at the Sacrament. The late Christian Temperance Convention at Boston unanimous ly adopted a resolution to the same effect. Miss Baxter, cf Dundee, has given the London Society SI,OOO toward the purchase of a suitable building at Amoy, China, for the training of native teachers and school-masters. The Chinese have great respect for learning, and in view of the intelligence of the educated classes, the London Society is aiming to give the native ministers a better education than has hitherto been done. —The financial losses of the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Connecticut, are in a fair way to be made up. Of the fund of $500,000 which its friends desire to raise, the sum of SIIO,OOO has been given within the past two weeks. —The dedication of the new English Church at Constantinople, has been indefinitely post poned, at the request of the British Ambassa dor. who had consulted the Minister of Police on the possible consequences of the ceremony. A young Hindoo, by name Talypala Feeraragava Row, is expected at Harvard College, coming under the patronage of Dr. Bellow’s church. He will receive a collegiate education and return to India as a Unitarian missionary. —Cardinal Cullen has issued a prstoral in which he says: “The world is now filled with alarming rumors of war, and there is danger that the millions of armed men who are so heaven a burden on the nations of Europe will be soon engaged in deadly strife and the earth purpled with torrents of human blood. The iniquities which abound in the world, the blas phemies, the licentiousness qnd general cor ruption whiph prevail, and the recklessness wilh which religion is pnbliclv assailed and the authority if the Creator ignored, hive us reason to fear tines# and oilier scy’irges,** —The debt of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, which was.s9o,ooo a month ago, was reduced before the close of the finan cial year, to $34,000, more than $50,000 com ing in in ten days. One gentleman called at the treasury and said that he had made a lega cy of SIO,OOO to the Board, but he thought it best to be his own executor, and he paid the money. —ln 1776 the Catholics were one in a hun dred of the population ; to-day they are one in five. In the defade between 1850 and 1860, while Protestant church propertv increased 125 per cent. Catholic church property in creased 186 per cent. In 1840 the church property of the Catholic church was worth $9,000,000, the Baptists, $11,000,000, the Presbyterian, $14,000,000, and the Methodist, $14,000,000. In 1870 the Catholic church was worth $60,000,000 ; the Baptist, $39,000,- 000; the Presbyterian, $47,000,000, and the Methodist, $69,000,000. —The newspapers of Rome Reem to have been vehemently stirred up by the opening of the new American church of St. Paul in so conspicuous a quarter near the Royal Palace. There are very different opinions among Ro man editors upon the subject. Thus, while Osservatore speaks of the “reverend charlatan” who preached in the new edifice on the primi tive Christian church, and the Voce della Verita marked it out as destined to be turned into a shop, the Liberia , the liberal national organ, sees in the new building the working of two principles that are of vital importance to the new age and the rising nation —the right of private judgment, and the participation of the laity in the government of the church itself. —The seeming prosperity of the wicked is thus alluded to by the Christian in the World : How often does it happen in the history of these wilful sinners of the flesh, that, after a while all these things seem to smile upon them and prosper them according to their heart’s content. Are they mad for gold 7 —gold seems to roll in upon them. Are they mad for pleasure ? —their Beductive arts are successful, and victims come ready to their lure. Are they mad for drink ? —those around them cease to strive with them, and give them upas hope less. Shame, too, abandons them. It is very wonderful to see how often, if a man is bent on an end, God gives it to him, and it becomes his curse. God does not curse us; he leaves ns to ourselves, that is curse enough ; and from that curse what arm can save us i We will have it, and we shall have it. We leap through all the barriers which He has raised around us, though they be rings of blazing fire we will go through them and indulge our desires; and in a moment He sweeps them all out of our path ; perhaps roses spring up to beguile where flames so lately flamed to wain. Saul is a most frightful example of this truth —Rev. J. B. Saxton has undertaken the Dol lar Roll work for California College.