Newspaper Page Text
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<©ur dlornsponknis.
For the* Index and Baptist.]
MMIH, IMMI.MJ, TIPPLIXG.
Is it right for Baptists to play cards, back
gammon, or chess ?
Is it right for Baptists to dance ?
Is it right for Baptists to vend liquors by
the gallon, quart, or drink?
If it is wrong to do any of 'he above acts,
is the doing < f one a greater evil than anoth
er ; and which is the most detrimental to the
cause ' f Christ?
The above questions have been placed
in in y bauds for such answers as I
might think to be agreeable to the
Word of God, and the welfare of Bap
tist churches and members.
It is greatly to be regretted that
there should be a necessity for such
inquiries, growing out of practices
which are most evidently of an evil
nature and tendency, and which should
therefore, be strictly discarded by all
persons who would “ live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this evil
world.”
If it is a duty to abstain from the
appearance of evil, and it in, then we
have a rule which forbids any worldly
indulgence that is guspected of being
sinful. All games of chance are of this
nature, whether they are cards, drafts,
backgammon, chess, nine-pins, marbles,
or what not. These games are all em
ployed not only by mere worldlings
for passing away, wasting, squander
ing time, but also by professional gam
blers for belting, cheating and swind
ling. All of them consume much
precious time, which no Christian can
afford to lose, and arc invariably as
sociated with evil companions, evil
jesting, and with binful disputing and
wranglings, to say nothing of gambling,
cheating, lying, etc. All poisons who
indulge in them are suspected of gam
bling, or of “bit ing to make the game
interesting and are known to cheat,
dispute, qua're), etc. No Christian
ought, therefore, to be in jjoubt about
the right, or propriely of his indulgence
in them. It is his duty end his sacred
interest to abstain from them. There
are many' other employments which
ought to bo much more agreeable and
recreating to him, and to which no one
can object on the ground of unfitness,
or impropriety, or immorality.
We might put dancing in the same
category, for some reasons, but it is
peculiar in some respects, and may have
a separate treatment. The apostle Paul
gives us the following enumeration of
the works of the ilesh, and avers that
“ they which do such things shall no{ in
herit the kingdom of God ” —“ adultery,
fornication, uncleanness,lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, her
esies, euvyings, murde.s, drunkenness,
revellings and such like.’’
You will observe that several of these
are always attendant upon “ gimmes of
■chance.” ' t
On the last two, Bloomfield thus re
marks : ‘‘The last group is nvgthar
(drunkenne.-s )komar (revellings) joined
also in Romans xiii: 13, and often in
the classical writers. By the latter
are denoted those nocturnal revellings.
usually attendant on an evening of de
bauchery, consisting of licentious sing
ing, dancing, and parading the streets
with drunken riotings.”
The language of Romans xiii: 13, 14,
is this: “ Let us walk honestly, as in
the day, not in rioting and drunkenness,
not in chambering and wautonness, not
strife and envying; but put ye ou the
Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provis
ion for the Jlesh.to fulfill the lusts there
of.”
Notice, also, 1 Peter iv: 3,4, 5 :
‘‘Tho time past of our life may suffice
us to have wrought the will of the
Gentiles, when we walked in lascivious
ness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings
banquettings, and abominable idola
tries ; wherein they think it strange
that ye run uot with them to the same
excess of riot, speaking evil of you ;
who shall give account to him that is
ready to judge the quick and the dead.”
Among the definitions of the Greek
word komar (komos ) Graves gives us the
following: “ Dance and song, wonton
ness, dissoluteness, 'debauchery ;” and
Liddell and Scott: “ A jovial festivity,
with music and dancing, a revel, caron
sal, merry making ’’
You will notice particularly that
both the Apostles, Paul and Peter, as
sociate with dancing the sins which
h ive been its regular attendants in all
ages, countries and places.
Excess of wine, drunkenness, cham
bering, lasciviousness, making provis
ion for the lusts of the flesh, these are
the fast associates of dancing. They
are never absent from her, even in her
most fashionable and respectable enter
tainments- Her hours, her dress, her
manners, her motions, her guests, all
pander to the fancies, and the tastes
and the passions of these, her compan
ions.
How, then, can a Christian dance ?
And if a Chistian cannot dance, how, I
pray you, cau a Baptist dance ? ’ 1
know that some fashionable professors
and churches “ trip it on the light, fan
tastic toe,” and put the apostles and
the cause of Christ and all piety and
dignity to shame; but they are of that
cla.-s upon whom “ religion sits easy,"
and who are opposed to having the
world think that they are too pious.
They are the connecting link, if there
is one, between the world and the
churches. They have one foot and a
smile on one side, and one foot and a
smile on the other. They think that
they can God and mammon, with
out trying particularly to serve either.
They are hybrids. But our Savior and
His apostles were not of this class.
They thought, and they have told us
plaiuly that one characteristic of “pure
religion and undefded before God and
the Father is, to keep himself unspotted
from the world.” James 1: 27.
Dancing i3 worldly in the origin, in
its history, in its haunts, iu its asso
! dates in its fashions, in its Pistes, in
its passions, in its habits, in its man
mis, in its customs, etc. It is worldly
only. It abhors temperance, serious
ness, penitence, piety, prayer, devotion*
holiness—all the heavenly virtues ; and
feasts on the “ lusts of the fi sh, the
lusts of the eye and the pride of life.”
How, then, can a Baptist dance ? or,
teach his children to dance ? Let the
guests of the ball-rooms, bar-rooms,
gambling-hells, and brothels answer,
with the same spirits and the same
tongues; for they all reside on the
same road, a railroad with a downward
grade, whose passage is direct and
speedy. The passengers all meet at
the first station; and many of them
hasten very rapidly to all the others.
They can tell you whether it is wise,
safe, or proper, for a Baptist to dance.
Drunkenness is so closely associated
with dancing that the apostles and the
classical writers, as Bloomfield remarks,
have generally connected the two words
together. The Baptists to-day know
how inseparable are ‘‘excess of wine”
and “strong drink” from the revels of
the ball-room and the “social dance.”
Drunkenness, however, although it
is thus associated iu the New Testa
ment, in history, and in practice, with
dancing and the other works of the
flesh, is universally regarded as the
ringleading sin, because it directly fits
the drunkard for the commission of
every other sin and every other crime.
The apostle Paul commands, “ Be
not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.”
Ephesians v: 18. Again, “ But now 1
have written unto you not to keep
company, if any man that is called a
brother be a drunkard, with such a one
no not to eat.” I. Corinthians v : 11.
Again, “ Be not deceived ; ueither . . .
nor drunkards, shall iuherit the king
dom of God.” I. Corinthians vi; 10.
Drunkards are classed with all the vile
offenders, and drunkenness with all the
abominable offenses which cannot enter
into the kingdom of Heaven. They
all have their portion in hell. It is not
to be supposed, therefore, that the
aiders and abettors, the accessaries of
drunkenness and drunkards are inno
eeut, and hence we find the Spirit,
through Habakkuk (xi: 15) exclaiming,
“ Woe unto him that giveth his neigh
bor drink, that puttest thy bottle to
him, and makest him drunken also, that
thou mayest look on their nakedness !”
All just laws, whether humau or
divine, make it criminal to assist by
any means, or in any way to encourage
eiitpiie, or vice, or immorality. He is
H->t less than an assassin who know
ingly furnishes the knife with which
the hand of another draws the blood oi
bis fellow-man. Ho who voluntarily
shares the stolen goods is a thief, as
guilty as ho who clandestinely obtains
them from their lawful owner.
The mau who iu any way, or by any
means, or in any form, furnishes poison
to another, when he knows that it is
the intention of tho other to use it,
either for his own injury or that of any
other person or persons, is a partici
pator in the injury done and in the
crime committed. These are self-evi
dent propositions which no person de
uies.
“ Strong drink” is a poison, a spirit
poison, a spiritual poison ; it is a thrice
deadly poison. Its direct and certain
effect is the destruction of estates,
bodies aud souls. It dooms its victim
to the loss of every thing which makes
life desirable cr eternity hopeful. A
drunkard is the lowest type of the
human race. He is poisoned, fatally
poisoned in body, spirit, soui, charac
ter, family, property, everything. He
is a curse to himself, to his compan
ions, to ever, body. He is a foul blot
on the fair face of society; an eating,
loathsome cancer on the" vitals of his
would-be nearest and best friends. No
wonder that Revelation assigns him a
place with murderers and revileis and
cxtortiontAs, and adulterers.
But the curse does not rest upon tht
drunkard alone. The same revelation
denounces the woe upon him who “puts
the bottle to his mouth," who “gives
him drink j” i. e., upon every one who
furnishes him with intoxicating liquors.
It make no difhrence in the judgment
of men, wtiether the accessory assassin
gives or sells the instrument of death to
the principal. If he knowingly furnish
es them, in any way whatever, or en
courages the use of them, in any res
pect whatever, he is guilty in the sec
ond degree before the law, and in the
first degree before high Heaven. He
may give or sell spiiit poisen by the tun,
the barrel, the gill or the drink, the ef
fect and the sin are the same. He
“puts the bottle to his neighbor’s
mouth,” whether he does it by the
wholesale or retail, whether for money,
for charity, for friendship or for
popularity; and the woe of the
prophet, the curse of God, rests
upon him, just as certainly and as
heavily in the one case as in the other.
The crime, in every case, is simply
“putting the bottle to his mouth.”
How, then, can anybody ask wheth
er it is right for a Baptist to vend liq
uors by the barrel, the qua-t, or the
drink r ’ The question ought to be,
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOTTTH-WKSTPIRN BAPTIST
“How can a man ‘vend liquors’ and he
a Baptist 1 ” Or, “llow can a Baptist
church tolerate a member who jpakes
it any part of his business to deal out
‘liquid damnation’ to everybody who
will pay him five cents, or ten
cents, a hundred dollars, or ten
thousai and dollars ?” Or “ How can
any man claim that he is a mem
ber of any church, and yet for
money, or a vast amount of 'ttmuey
will deal in the means of besotting
husbands and fathers, of murefering,
and worse than murdering, w ivep and
childieu, and of fitting ail men tor the
drunkards’ grave and the drunkards’
hell ?” Let us answer these questions,
and then it will be the proper time for
us to decide whether it is right for a
Baptist to vend liquors by the barrel,
by the quart, or by the drink; and
whether there can be any crime greater
than that of furnishing the means of
making drunkards, to do the druuk
ards’s work, and to suffer the drunk
ard’s woe.
Baptists and Baptist churches must
share the guilt of this dreadful vice, so
long as they “ company with drunk
ards,” or with vendors who the
bottle to their neighbors’ mouths.”
T. B. Cooper.
Kor the Index and Baptist.]
LKTTKK FROM HILL COUNTY, GEORGIA.
A Second Visit to Corinth Church, in Hall coun
ty—Brother MeCurry a Woudorful Revivalist-
Baptisms—Baptists in Hall—Our College.
Dear Index. —The labors-of the
school room, for the spring and sum
mer session, ended recently, affording
the writer an opportunity to visit coun
try churches and aid the pastors in pro
tracted religious meetings. About a
week now has been spent with Corinth
church about six miles from Gaines
ville, on the road to Dahlonega. This
is our second visit. Tho congregations
have been large night and day. The
church seems thoroughly awakened,
and every member is actively at work
The young brethren, two to five or
more in a body, may be seen between
the hours of service going out into the
forest with an unconverted schoolmate
or friend to pray with him, and to try
to instruct h ; m how to come to Jesus.
Some evenings the low and solemn
voice of prayer could be heaVd by any
one at the church in four or five differ
ent directions.
Here is the secret of success in a pro
tracted meeting—all at work and en
gaged in constant prayer. '.There are
now (the 19th) about twenty candi
dates for baptism on next Suuday (the
20th). Half a dozen or more are ex
pected to join the church to night.
Brother McCurry is a wonderful re
vivalist. Ho certainly excels any min
ister I ever knew. Within the*last two
or three mouths he has baptized and
has candidates awaiting
mbout one hundred and fifty? all within
about seven miles of our city. From
what I hear, I suppose nearly two hun
dred have been added to the various
Baptist churches in Hall county.
Knowing that brother MeC. is well
acquainted with the churches in this
county, I asked him to give me at least
an approximate estimate of the number
of Baptists in Hall. He had a copy of
the minutes of the Chattahoochee As
sociation to aid him, and his estimate
ruus over three thousand. If his reck
oning is correct, Hall is certainly the
banner Baptist county in Georgia :
what think you, brother editor ? All
other denominations, as well as could be
counted up, number from one thousand
to twelve hundred. Of course, a large
proportion of the wealth of Hall county
is in the hands of Baptists. Our breth
ren all over the coun'y are looking for
ward to the meeting of our Baptist
State Convention here next April with
a great deal of interest. The decision
to hold the next. ession in this city was,
in our humble opinion, wisely made.
But my vacation wi 1 soon be over.
On the 28th of August the exercises of
the Gainesville college will be resumed.
We had one hundred and fourteen pu
pils (fifty-sven females and fifty-seven
males) term, and expect a much
larger number .the fall term. Perhaps
it is allowable*to say that the examina
tion aud commencement exercises the
last week in July were very gratifying
to the teachers, patrons and friends of
the college. W. C. Wilkes.
Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 19, 1876.
For the Index and Baptist. |
REV J. W. P. FACKLER.
Cuthbert, Oa., August 14, 1876.
Editors Christian Index— Your
opinions make you Baptists. Mine
make me a Methodist. When we con
fess, pray, or praise, we use the same
vocabulary, and often the same figures
of speech j and if we get together
beyond the Cold River, we shall ascribe
glory and thanksgiving in the same
method, for the same reasons, and to
the same blessed Redeemer. Thus I
have briefly given you the reasons whv,
though a Methodist, I am not strongly
denominational, and only slightly sec
tarian. I have referred to the matter
simply to show your readers that I
have no denominational or sectarian
bias in the subject matter of this let
ter, and no interest not common to all
philanthropists and Christians. Mr.
Fackler is one of the rare productions
of our times. It is no disparagement
to him to publish what all who know
him fully understand, and what many
with motives not too pious are fond of
referring to, that he is of humble
origin, poor in parentage, and poor in
family prestige, poor in the opportuni
ties of early education and training
that so many were unfitted to improve,
and so many have slighted.
He is now thirty-one rears old ; .ran
away to get into the aitny when u wild
boy ; was shot through the body, near
his lung, on the Chickiihominy" in the
31st Georgia Regiment, in 1862, and
is now subject to hemorrhage from the
effects of the wound. He went to the
Northwest after the war, worked as a
printer on Prentice’s Louisville Journal,
and afterwards on the Courier Journal,
then the Cleveland Plaindealer, Arte
mus Ward’s paper, and finally became
a convert to Christianity and a licenced
minister.
He returned to his native State in
1873, and, taking out the time he was
in the Theological Seminary at Colum
bia, has been engaged in the regular
ministry about three years. He is now
the Baptist pastor at Lumpkin, Geor
gia. He is one of the most marked
young men of the clergy now in the
State, andj has but few equals even
among the older preachers. Com
mencing his ministry as an outsider, a
colporteur, or something that caused
him todoa kind of drudgeiy—preaching
iu the streets and to unorganized con
gregations—hejbas followed that mode
(which God has sometimes blessed) in
communities where it was not needed,
and where the regular pastorate and
church seivice would have been more
acceptable and more effectual. But
experience will correct such irregular
ities, if they are objectionable.
That he is pious no fair minded
Christian can doubt. That he is zeal
ous all can readily perceive. That he is
self-sacrificing, devoted to his heaven
ly calling and willing to accept humble
aud hard service, show his true char
acter as an embassador of Christ. But
these are not the points in the charac
ter of Mr. Fackler I wish to speak of,
because they are common to a large
number of Christian ministers of all the
churches. He is distinguished from
most of them in his extraordinary gifts
as a pulpit orator. With a meek and
humble face, rad’aut with true intelli
gence, and commended by the glow of
pious zeal, with a voiee that is not only
musical but of extraordinary volume
and power iu utterance, a person
graceful and agreeable, with a rapid
and spirited delivery that awakens and
continues an intense interest, with a
clearness and perspicuity of thought,
and terseness of utterance seldom
equalled by our best public speakers,
and an imagination and power in the
production of imagery such as have
distinguished the great masters ol
eloquence, Mr. Fackler is the promise
of a great preacher to his church. That
church ought to guide but not attempt
to suppress him. The country, as well
as the particular church to which he
may belong, has an interest in every
man of high order of talents. Espe
o ally isfthis true of a genius sueh as Mr.
Fackler’s. Who do< s nt t feel glad he
is a Christian when he listens to Axson
or Leftwiteh, Pierce, Key, Warren,
Landrum, Lipscomb, Harrison—in a
word, listening to genius inspired and
moved by deep piety, no matter what
church is honored by the man.
Layman.
For the Index and Baptist.
TWEYI Y-THRKE CHILDREN CONVERTED.
I never deal in anecdotes, but in
facts; A simple statement of one of
the incidents of my life, I desire to
tnak' 1 :
Early in my life I was strongly im
pressed with the belief that children, at
an early age, were capable of becoming
Christians. I was solicited to take
charge of a school which was to be open
twelve weeks. I concented on a single
condition: that I might introduce re
ligion among the scholar. A deacon
Phelps, of the Presbyterian church, re
plied, “You are the gentleman we
want ; the board has unanimously re
■ jived to employ such ; the scht lars
are so bad we wish to aim at then
morals. ”
I commenced with reading the Bible,
a few remarks and prayer. I embraced
every opportunity for private talk with
them. Soon some were under convic
tion, among them the deacon’s daugh
tor, Martha, eight years old. She said
to me, “ I am too wicked, the Saviour
won’t receive me.” The next day she
clasped her hands with joy (and those
of the family) in having found the Sav
iour. Her whole soul was bent for the
conversion of others.
At the close of the term twenty
three of the scholars were indulging
hopes in Christ. Most of them joined
the Presbyterian church; some of them
the Baptist, and among these ono be
came a minister of the gospel.
They hvve all, I believe, maintained
an elevated Christian life.
The grand-mother of Martha, one of
the most devout Christians I ever met,
told me she became a Christian when
four years old and joined the church
when nine. H. F. Smith.
N. B. At the examination it was
unanimously stated that the scholars
had made higher progress than ever
before. H. F. S.
Newnan, Ga
APOLOGY.
N. A. B: I have j ust returned, after
some weeks absence attending Associ
ations, and on examination of The In
dex, of the 3d, find I did not say, as I
ought to have said, that the letter from
sister B , which I published, was pri
vate, and not intended for publication.
I regret this omission, and feel an
apology is due that good sister. 11rust
no apology is necessary, still I make it,
because it is justly due.
C. M. Irwin.
For the Index and Baptist.
XOIES ABOi r QimiAY.
Editors Index —Protracted meet
ings have been in successful operation
in this county for several weeks. I
have been unable to attend any of them
except the one at Hickory Head, eight
miles from this place, of which brother
E. B. Carroll is the beloved and suc
cessful pastor. During that meeting
I took cold which sealed on my throat,
affecting me so much that I have not
been able to do more than perform my
regular Sabbath ministrations. Broth
er Carroll baptized several during the
progress of his meeting. I never la
bored in a community, with which I
became more attached, in so short a
time.
Brother White, who is a member of
the Quitnain church, and has been an
ordained minister only a few months,
held a very successful meeting at Oco
pileo church, ten miles north of this
place. He had the pleasure of baptiz
ing several during that meeting. He
also had a meeting at a mission station
some five miles from Oeopileo, and
baptized several at that point. Other
churches around have held, or are now
holding, meetings, but I have not heard
directly from them.
We are looking forward to the time
when we, too, shall be blessed with a
gracious revival. We need it; and
some of us, I don’t know how many,
are praving for it. One favorable
sign, to me, of the near approach of
the blessing, is the good attendance
upon our prayer meetings. It is true,
not many of the brethren will “talk in
meetingbut I hope their timidity
will be overcome after a while, and
t hey will not decline when the opportu
nity is offered. There are quite a
number of the brethren, however, who
will promptly respond when called
upou to lead in prayer. This is a great
relief to a pastor. I believe there is a
Blessing in store for us ; and that the
time is not far off when we shall wit
ness the manifestations of God’s saving
power and refieshing prese cj in our
midst.
I am glad to say the ladies of our
church are taking hold of the mission
work with a becoming zeal that argurs
well for us. We will have a special
conference, soon, to considei the plans
proposed by our State Mission Com
mittee and the State Mission Agent.
I have no doubt the brethren will
adopt the plan recommended, or some
thing very similar. When we can get
our churches enlisted in the mission
work proposed, we may look for much
more life and spirituality among the
members.
I noticed in The Index of the 17th
inst, an appeal from Bro. Boykin in
behalf of Dr. J. S. Baker of this place.
I desire to join Bro. Bakin in this ap
peal. All know the valuable services
Bro. Baker has rendered to the de
nomination. His influence and labors
have been, by no means, local. His
preaching and writings have reached
thousands of hearts all over the
State, I may say in almost all the
States. He and his aged companion
are now prostrated and helpless. But
God will not permit his aged servants
to lack. I believe he has hundreds of
stewards in this State, and out of it,
who hold their Lord’s money ready io
respond to this call that is now made
upon them. I ish to suggest to the
readers of The Index a way by which
they may render Dr. B. material aid,
and, at the same time, greatly benefit
tin mselves. It is this : Some year or
two since, Dr. B. published the first
number of the Christian Enquirer, de
signed to be a Baptist Quarterly. He
did not receive sufficient encourage
ment to bring out another number.
He now has some two hundred or
more copies of this work on hand. It
is a valuable publication, and will
amply repay any ou3 to read it. I
have this proposition to make: Any
one who will send me any amount, for
Dr. Baker, from twenty five cents up
to five dollars, or more, I will send
him or her a copy of this work, by
mail. It is worth fifty cents. This
was the original price, and is as cheap,
at that price, as any of the quarterlies
now published, if not cheaper. This
proposition, if responded to freely,
will entail considerable work on me;
but for Dr. B I am willlingto do the*.
I hope to receive enough responses to
this appeal to enable me to send off
every copy he has on hand, and require
me to write a large number of postals
saying the supply is exhausted. Now,
brother, sister, before you finish read
ing the paper, enclose*me an offering
to this “ father and mother in Israel ”
and you can read the remainder of the
paper with a much better relish. Try
‘L N. A. Bailey.
Quitman,Ga., Aug. 24th, 1876.
For the Index and BaptLt.l
Theological and Normal lustltnte (Colored)—At
tlon of the Colored Baptists of Atlanta.
Avery large meeting of the Baptists
of Atlanta met in Friendship Baptist
church to take into consideration the
action of the Georgia Baptist Conven
tion (colored) in regard to the location
of the proposed Theological and Nor
mal Institute.
Rev. Frank Quarles was called to the
chair, and stated the object of the
meeting, and James H. DeLamotta was
requested to act as Secretary. A com
mittee on resolutions was appointed,
who reported the following
Whereas, The Baptist Convention of the
Slate of Georgia re-affirmed the action of the
Convention in regard to the location of the
Theological and Normal Institute in the city
of Atlanta i Georgia ; therefore
Resolved, That we, the Baptists of Atlanta,
do heartily endorse the action of the Conven
tion, and pledge ourselves to do ail that is in
ourpower, both financially and spirituallly,
for the support of the school, and that we
earne-tly beseech all the ministers and leading
men of the Baptist churches in Atlanta to im
press this matter forcibly upon their respective
churches. Respectfullg submitted.
Rev. Jerry M. Jones,
Rev. William Titlman,
Rev. Robert Grant,
Rev. William Grant,
James Tate.
On motion the resolution was refer
red to a committee consisting of Rev.
Frank Quarles and James H. DeLa
motta for revision, aud to have the same
printedin The Christian Index. Ad
journed.
Atlanta, Ga., July, 1876.
For the Index and Baptist.]
AN APPEAL TO GEORGIA BAPTIST?.
The Baptist church at Milner, Ga.,
was constituted in 1872, with eleven
members. They purchased a beautiful
house of worship. It is an ornament
to the place. The small baud obligated
to give $2,000 for the building; they
hive paid about $1,500 on the debt,
and would have reduced it much more,
but for the death of some of the best
paying members. They are now sued
on the balance due, snd the case will go
into judgment at the October term of
the court. The amount necessary to
be raised to meet the debt, as it now
stands, principal, interest and costs, is
about SI,OOO. The membership of the
church has increased to sixty-five ; the
most of them are young persons. Cir
culars were printed, and a good many
of them sent out to brethren and
friends last spring, but iu consequence
of the great financial panic, it was
thought advisable to wait until this
fall before sending ou f any more. The
treasurer of the chu-ch is now instruc
ted to send these circulars soliciting
aid.
I make this appeal in behalf of the
church through the columns of our
Index to the Baptists of Georgia.
Brethren and sisters,-after the church
here does all it can, I have no idea they
can pay more than half the debt.
This is an important point to our de
nomination. Must the dear brethren
here loose so neat and comfortable
a house of worship for the want of
means to lift the debt ? Brethren, the
house must not be sacrificed—it must
not pass into the hands of other people.
Baptists, dear brethren and sisters,
send any amount you can spare, even if
you have to make some sacrifice. Re
member, “ it. is more blessed to give
than to receive.” The church is mostlv
composed of young people, and they
are poor. The Psalmist said : “Bles
sed is he that considereth the poor, the
Lord willdeliver him in time of trouble.’
It is my opinion quite a number of
good brethren in the country around
here would bring their membership to
this church, thereby strengthening it,
if this embarrassment could only be liq
uidated. They, of course, are willing
to move their membership here with a
prospect before them of loosing the
house. May the Lord incline your
hearts to help in this great and painful
emergency.
Any amounts sent to The Index, to
Elder E. M. Hooten, pastor, or to B.
G. Rivers, church treasurer, will be
duly acknowledged in The Index. The
church here has covenanted to remem
ber every donor in special prayer,asking
the richest blessings of our Father in
Heaven to rest upon them.
The church is now passing through
a gracious revival. John G. Polhill.
Milner, Aug. 24th, 1876.
for the Index and Baptist.|
REV. R. D. HILLARY.
By a letter from my daughter I am
informed that my son-in-law, R. D.
Mallary, has arrived, with his family,
at Rome. He removed to that city to
take the Presidency of Cherokee Fe
male College. Believing him to be a
skillful aid deservedly popular teacher,
I congratulate the trustees and friends
of th? college on their success in obtain
ing h's services. So much I think it
not amis to say ; but the near relation
subsisting between us forbids me to
indulge in language of extravagant
P r a'se. J. L. Dago.
August 94th, 1876.
F* r the Index and Baptist.
HIGHTOWER ASSOCIATION.
This large body of Baptists met with
the Concord church, Forsyth county,
I riday before the second Sunday in this
month.
1. Introductory sermon by Rev. W.
J. Pirkle; a good practical discourse.
2. The venerable Rev. A. Webb, was
re-elected moderator. His brethren
have honored him with this position
ever since the organization of this As
sociation. An honor well bestowed.
3. The letters reported some 280
additions by baptism during the past
Associational year.
This is a strong body of Christians,
and the writer thinks their efficiency
would be greatly increased if those
good brethren would cultivate a little
more the spirit of missions. I.
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GREENSBORO CHURCH
Aged ministers,.sl3; Home Missions,
$18.20; Sunday-schools, $3.35.
C. M. I.