Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index
VOL. 55—NO. 35.
Table of Consents.
Fibst Page.— Alabama Department: Record of
State Events ; Notes on the Act of Baptism—
Rev. J. H. Kilpatrick; Spirit of the Religious
Press ; Baptist News and Notes ; General De
nominational News.
Second Page —Our Correspondents ; The Geor
gia Committee on Missions—S. Boykin : Ten
nessee News—Rev. W. N. Chandoin ; Letter
From Florida—Rev. G. W. Hall; Letter From
Waltkourville—Rev. D. G. Daniel; Our Vir
ginia Letter—B. G. M.; Letter From Thomas
ton—Rev. T. H. Stout; Elder R. J. Hogue—
W. M. Howell; Church Constituted; Sins of
Omission anp Commission—Rev. W. D. Atkin
son ; Query. Mission Lepartment • An Ad
dress to the Baptist Ladies of Georgia—Mrs.
N. A. Bailey.
Thied Page l — Searching the Scriptures : “Epis
copacy Tested”—An Essay on Apostolic Suc
cession—The Baptist Church of the Present
Day—Pedobaptism Considered.
Fourth Page.— Editorial: Feet Washing ; Cor
rection—Rev. S. G. Hillver. D.D.; Broadway
Baptist Church and Dr. Burrows; Georgia
Baptist News ; Rev. G. A. Nunnally; Rev. D
E. Butler ; Remarkable Cases ©f Conviction
and Conversion—Rev. J. S. Baker, D.D.
Fifth Page. —Secular Editorials : Husband and
wife ; Minutes on hand: Mind is Wealth ;
Pray for Others ; Savaunah ; Sustain and Ab
stain ; University of Georgia; Personal; Geor
gia News ; Hymenial—Marriage of Col E. Y.
Clarke and Miss Nora Harrison— Atlanta Con
stitution.
Sixth Page.— The Sunday School ; Lesson for
September 17th, 1876 ; The Sunday-school—its
Governing Idea—John S. Hart, L.L.D.
Seventh Page,— Agricultural Notes ; Horticul
tural-Essay read before Mount Ida Grange
by Miss Ella Dicksor.
Eighth Paoe.— Prejudice : Subscribers, Atten
tion ; J. C. Peck A Cos ; Obituaries and Adver
tisements.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
Some valuable mineral springs have been
discovered near Tuskegee.
Gracious revivals are in progress in all parts
of the State.
The report of a case of yellow fever in Mont
gomery was untrue.
Rev. Robert Blan, ol Troy, was thrown from
his mule and badly hurt.
Anew post-office called Potterßviile is soon
to be established in Pike county.
Fifty-six per cent, of the deaths in Selma in
August were negro paupers.
At Sethel Methodist church, near Cross
Plains, there has been a revival and fifty
three additions.
Mobile last year rece;v.d 371,302 bales of
cotton.
The cotton crop of Chilton county is almost
destroyad by worms.
The Young Men's Christian Association of
M arion is forming a library.
The Demopolis Hem says the cotton crop of
the canebrake has been literally eaten up.
In eight months thirty-one persons have
joined the Tuscaloosa Methodist church.
Prof. W. D. Fonville has been elected to a
position on the faculty of Howard College, by
the Board of Trustees.
A bright new paper,cal led the Enterprise, has
been esiablished at Springville, St. Clair coun
ty, by Mr. T. B. Slade.
—Dr. E. B. Teague has been callpe to the
Montevallo, Alabama church, vacated by
brother J. S. Dill, who resigns in order to at
tend the Seminary.
The total cotton receipts in Selma for the
year ending August 31st were 88,580 bales,
which, at an average of sixty dollars a bale,
represents a cash business of $5,314,800.
—The Big Hatchie Association, Tennessee,
numbering between 5,000 and 6,000 members,
at its recent session, resolved to raise $30,000
to endow the chair of Mental and Moral
Philosophy in the new Baptist University at
Jackson.
Under the ministration of Elder R. Van
Hoose, a meeting of twelve days held with the
church at Round Island, Limestone county,
was blessed with a fine revival. Fifteen were
baptized, a number of whom were Methodists,
one of these a member of thirty years’ stand
ing. |
At a very interesting revival recently closed
at Brundidge, Pike county, forty-one were
added to Salem church ; thirty-eight by bap
tism. It was a grand outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. The revival commenced Saturday be
fore the first Sunday in August, conducted by
the pastor, Rev. E. Y. Van Hoose, assisted by
Revs. A .N. Worthy, li. P. Copeland, and R.
W. Priest.
—The Religion Herald says: “The white
Baptists of Virginia did not give, last year,
more than an average of 15 cents apiece to
Foreign Missions, and most of them did not
give anything, as the little that is contributed
is from a few churches. If we have erred in
putting too much into our columns about the
millions who have not yet heard the name of
Jesus, it has not led our readers to very large
contributions. Is it not true, the world over,
that as the Foreign Mission spirit prevails, the
hearts and purses of the people open to every
good cause?
THE SOTTTH-WESTEBISr BAPTIST,
of Alabama.
For the Index and Baptist.l
NOTES ON THE ACT OF BAPTISM.
BY REV. J. H. KILPATRICK.
NO. XIV.
APPEAL TO THE ORIGINAL —PURIFY CONSIDERED.
The claims of sprinkle, pour and pourupon,
have been brought to the test of original usage,
and have severally been proved groundless.
Indeed, so palpable is the lack of evidence for
these significations, that aflusionists have very
generally, of late, ceased to contend for them.
Well, does this mean that they are going to
abandon their present practice and adopt im
mersion ? Not at all, but rather, seeing the
utter hopelessness of justifyng their practice
on the ground that these meanings are found
in baptizo, they have shifted their position en
tirely, and now declare that the word means
neither sprinkle, pour, pour upon, nor im
merse, but that it is a general term signifying
to wash, cleanse or purify, and that sprinkling,
pouring and immersion, are all modes by
which this one purification may be accom
plished. As to the mode, however, some bold
ly contend that affusion only is authorized,
and that immersion is a profanation of the or
dinance.
The examination of the New Testament
teachings with reference to this whole subject
will come at the proper place—our present
concern is to find out the testimony of the orig
inal language itself, i.e., the original language
outside of the New Testament. And the ques
tion just now is, does the word baptizo mean to
purify ? does it have this meaning in classic
Greek 7 does it have this meaning in Hellen
istic Greek ?
1. The testimony of classic Greek. To
show the absurdity of trying to make baptizo
mean purify, the reader is invited to turn back
to No. xi, and substitute this for baptize in the
examples there given of current Greek usage.
‘‘Shall I not laugh at the man who j
having purified his ship by the abundance of
freight, finds fault with the sea for engulfing
it?”—Ex. 3. “Always, while crossing the
river, he cunningly lowered down and purified
the sacks.”—Ex. 4. “Most of the land ani
mals, being surrounded by the river, perish,
being purified.” —Ex. 7. “A storm arising, and
the ship being in danger df being purified, he
[the shepherd] throwing out all the goods into
the sea, hardly escaped with the empty ship.”
Ex. 8. But why continue these references?
Is it possible to conceive of a more groundless
figment than that baptize signifies to purify?
But are these fair samples? They most
certainly are true and faithful exponents of
classic Greek usage. I admit that there may
be some instances which do not show the ab
surdity of this meaning in so glaring a light;
but not one has yet been discovered which
gives even the shadow of a foundation for it,
while there are Btill many others which show
ite incongruity and absurdity just as decided
ly. If there were a Hingle case where baptizo
necessarily meant purify, then there would be
some little ground for the advocates of this
meaning to stand upon ; but when not one
such lias ever yet come to light, while a mul
titude shows that “purify” is an impossibility
and an absurdity—we have no option, willing
or unwilling, we must let this meaning go by
the board.
2. The testimony of the Greek as used by
Jewish writers is no less decisive. Turn,reader,
to example 11, in the article before referred to,
and test this meaning for yourself. Was Aris
tobulus killed by purifying him ? In Ex. 12,
was the ship just about to be purified t No,
indeed; but it was, to human appearance, just
about to go down under the water. Examples
13, 14 and] 15, are equally clear. Ex. 18 is
singularly so. Did Noaman purify himself
seven times? By no means, it took seven dip
pings, or baptism, to make the one purifica
tion. To these add the case of Simon, given
in the preceding article. Did Simon purify (J)
the sword into his body ? How superlatively
absurd! But Josephus says he did baptize,
or, as we would say, bury or plunge the sword
into his body. As was said of classic Greek
so also may be said of Hellenistic—there is
not a single example where the word necessa
rily m aim purify, while there are many
which unequivocally condemn it. We are
obliged to conclude, therefore, that no Greek
literature, extant at the time the New Testa
ment was written, knows anything of purify as
a meaning of baptizo, much less the meaning.
If we should attempt to make baptizo mean
cl anse, we will meet subsiantially the same
difficulties. Was the ship, in Ex. 8, in danger
of being cleansed ? How absurd ! Was the
ship ol Josephus, in Ex. 16, only cleansed in
the midst o’ the Adriatic sea ? Methinks this
was a poor reason for committing himself to
the waves, in the darkness of the ni ht, to
swim for his life. Did Simon, the suicide,
cleanse the sword into his body ? What folly
to suppose such a thing 1 But enough, enough,
the word does not mean cleanse.
As for the the meaning wash, fo- which some
contend in argument, but take good care never
to adopt in practice, it has the shadow of a
foundation —and only a shadow —which ought
to deceive no person of ordinary discernment.
And why do I say the “shadow of a founda
tion ?” Simply because there arc cases where
the word louo, to wash or bathe, and baptizo
may be used interchangeably. E. G. The
prophet commanded Naarnan to wash seven
limes in Jordan, and he obeyed by dipping
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, SEPTEMBER 14, 1876.
himself, or, if you please, baptizing himself,
self seven times in the river. But does this
rove that wash and baptize mean the same
thing,and that a command to lie baptized is the
same as a command to wash? By no means.
Many words may, un ’er certain circumstances,
be used indifferently, and yet each necessarily
retain its own peculiar meaning. A histo
rian may say, in one place, “ Charles was put
to dea'h by order of Cromwell,” and in anoth
er, “Charles was beheaded by order of Crom
well.” Now both these declarations refer to
instinctivelv the same fact in history, and
shall we, therefore, jump to the conclusion
that beheading and putting to death express
the 6ame idea ? We may, but we should look
before we leap. A command to put to death
is not a command to behead, for a person may
be put to death in many w ays ; and a com
mand to b head is not a simple command to
put to death, but to put to death in a particular
way. Just so a command to wash (lotto) is
not a command to be baptized, although bap
tism may fulfill it ; and a command to be
baptized is not a command to wash, although
washing may be the result of the baptism.
Further, a command to wash is satisfied when
a washing is performed, let the mode be what
it mav ; and when n command to be baptised
is given, it also is satisfied, and only then,
when a baptism is performed, let the
what it may—but mark, it must be a real bap
tism, and what a real baptism is, the word it
self must testify.
“But,” says my affusion friend, ‘ if a com
mand to wash may be fulfilled by baptizing
one’- self, why may not a command to be bap
ti ed be fufillled by washing ?” Simply be
cause while the general includes iho specific,
you cannot reverse this, and sav that the spec
ific includes the general. All wheat is small
grain, but all small gram not wheat. A
child might not be able to wade here, but
surely a man who presumes to discuss the
subject of baptism will nd' so soon get beyond his
depth. Since the question as here presented
has been thought quite conclusive by many,
although it is virtually answered in the pre - :
ceding paragraph, I will here add an iljg?.-
tration which will show its fallacy to the tinn
iest understanding : Suppose I require a ten
ant to sow twenty acres in small grain, and
he complies by sowing wheat. The next
year I require him to sow twenty acres in
wheat. He, however, prefers ftjQcow oats,
and t ats he sows. When I come l, Vpon hiu
to know why he did not obey me, he argues
thus : “ Last year you required me to bow
twenty acres in small grain, and I coi&pind hv*
sowing wheat, which yon said was satisfac
tory. This year you required me to sow
twenty acres in wheat, and I thought that if
a command to sow small grain could be ful
filled by sowing wheat, surely a command
to sow wheat could be fulfill°d by sowing
small grain, which I have done, for oat-> is
small grain.” Now, quite likely no tenant in
all the land, not even the most ignorant ne
gro, would be so void of common sense as to
make such a smash of logic as ibis, and yet
learned divines, in their blind zeal to estab
lish a “darling dogma,” have done this iden
tical thing.
This much I h ve said on the supposition
that Elijah’s command to Naarnan was alto
gether general and indefinite as to the kind of
washing. A closer inspection, however, re
veils a more exact correspondence between the
command and Naaman’s method of fulfill
ment. The original Hebrew for wash is rachats.
This word, when used without limitation, most
generally, if not always, refers to the whole
body. Moreover, it generally, when the hu
man body is the subject of it, refers to that par
ticular kind of washing which we call bathing.
We find this word used twelve times in Levit
icus 15th chapter to indicate washing for the
removal of ceremonial uncleanness, and in
every instance it is translated by the English
word “bathe.” The command, therefore, given
to Naarnan really was, “Go and bathe in Jor
dan seven times.” That this is the meaning
of the command is evident, also, from the fact
that the Septuagint here gives, as a translation
of rohats,lousai, the middle voice of l buo, and
this every scholal knows is bathe. And every
body, whether scholar or not knows that the
customary method of bathing in a river in
volves the immersion of the body. Having,
therefore, received a command to bathe seven
times in Jordan, Naarnan literally obeys by
dipping, or immersing, or baptizing himself
seven times in the river. And while I still
hold that this by no means proves that a com
mand to baptize people is a command to bathe
or wash them, I would suggest to our anti-im
mersion friends that bathing or washing peo
ple’s bodies from head to foot, (which is certain
ly the force of both the Hebrew and the Greek
words when used without limitation) has no
advantage oversimple immersion either as to
time, convenience, or decency. And, further,
my friends, if baptizo is equivalent to louo, as
in argument you declare it is, why do you not
regulate your practice accordingly ? Verily, it
would seem that you do not accept your own
conclusions, nor lelieve your own doctrine.
Many baptisms, so called, have I seen admin
istered by affusionists, but never yet have I
seen a single case of "washing.” Show your
faith by your wotks, and then we will, at least,
give you credit for sincerity.
But Ido not admit “wash,” in any sense, as
a meaning of baptizo —much less the meaning.
In order to get even a faint shadow of support
for tliis meaning, we have to connect baptizo
with water. But the word has no necessary
connection with water, either in the Scriptures
or elsewhere Though most usually assoc'ated
with water, this being the most abundant pen
etrable substance, and the one with which men
most frenucntly have to do, yet, it is by no
means, the only baptizing element. Blood,
oil, mire, and even the flesh of the human
body, are all mentioned. From which we
necessarily infer that any penetrable substance
whatever may be used in connection with the
word. If, because the result ol a baptism is
purification or cleansing, therefore, the word
must have as a meaning, wash, or cleanse, or
purify ; in the same way we could make it
mean to defil-t, beslime, besmear, etc., for when
mud, all ue, or filth of any kind, was the bap
tizing element, most assuredly defilemen l
would follow. Nay, we could, in the same
way, make it mean to kill, since death result
ed from Simon’s baptizing the sword into his
body, and also from the baptism of Ariatobu
lua in the swimming bath. llow transparent
ly false must that method of interpretation be,
which leads to such absurd and contradictory
results? The fact is, anti-immersionists have
been trying for centuries to find some general
meaning for baptizo, which would explain it
satisfactorily, and yet not imply immersion.
Their work has been in vain, and will ever be.
The Providence of God has had the word re
corded in so many different connections, and
hedged in by bo many different circumstances,
that nothing but the true meaning can satisfy
the demands of every place. And what this
true meaning is no one can fail to discover,who
will read the examples given in article xi, of
this Beriea. I care not what English equivo
lent you selict, or whether you select any at
all—take the transferred word of our version
and all may see at a glance, nay, must see,
that the baptism of Greek literature involved
the covering.of the baptized object in the bap
tizing element.
• As two passages in the Apocrypha, (Judith,
1 2:7 and Eccl. 34:30) have been thought by
#ome to furnish substantial ground for the
meanings, wash, cleanse, purify, I will give
them a full consideration in the next article
and also, briefly notice seme other examples,
which some seem to think militate against the
doctrine of exclusive immersion.
Spirit ofjlie Religious Press.
* *'“ j. ' p-;— — /
—The deerfcasetin ti c veceipttLu be.. ..It'!
societies is variously accounted for, hut the
following little story told by the Christian Key.
istcr aptly illustrates the “philosophy" ot a
large part of the shrinkage :
“A little boy’s father gave him two cents,
one to spend for candy, the other to give to
the heathen. He presently lost one of the
cents, but consoled himself with the thought
that the one which was lost was the one which
was to be give . io tilt heathen. Hence the
falling off of .ontributions for the heathen.
—The Baptist Reflector well and trenchantly
remarks;
A North Carolina pastor, writing to the
Biblical Recorder of some people that he had
baptized, says, “Their hair was not dry before
I asked them to lake the Recorder.” There is
promptness for you. And yet, that pastor waß
well aware of the importance of what he was
doing. New converts need to be put in train
ing as soon as a profession is made, and they
should be disciplined by persuasion. They
must be scholars, and made to feel, every day,
the great responsibility they have taken upon
tVemselves to lead a godly and blameless life.
And in the absence of the pastor, what better
mode can be resorted to for instruction and
reproof than the perusal of the weekly de
nominational paper ? It teaches them the
way of life, and is a constant remembrancer of
their duty, to do which should be the pleasure
of all professed Christians.
—The Watchman, in an interesting article
on “Faith-Cure,” gives its reasons for not an
ticipating an era of miraculous healing by
special gift given to individuals ; it says :
In general, the natural is beetter than the
miraculous. Nature is the expression ol God’s
deepest and most loving thought. Had the
miraculous been better, we should behold it
surrounding us, even as the natural surrounds
us. A reverent faith adores the Author of na
ture as He is revealed in all the works of His
hands. Were the miraculous very common,
we should not know what to expect ; the order
of nature would give place to confusion; we
should not be able to avail ourselves of any law
or any force; we should not know whether the
sun would rise at the appointed time, or lay
for hours, while the world awaited his beams;
whether the Btream would continue to flow
downward, or roll back upon its sources;
whether ordinary food would nourish or poison
our bodies. If we had such anarchy in place
of the stability we behold, civilization would
lie impossible. Moreover, if we hail the as
surance that all our diseases would he removed
in answer to the prayer of any Christian who
might be called in a* any time, how prone we
should be to slight the conditions of health,
and to ignore those precepts which our Maker
has written in our frames. It is a fortunate
circumstance, therefore, and an evidence of
divine wisdom, that miracles have been infre
quent in human. history, that they are seldom
if ever wrought in our day, and that when our
prayers are answered in the healing of disease,
the recovery is promoted by the blessing of
Heaven on the use of ordinarv means, rather
than in a supernatural manner.
—Under the head of “Strange Blundering”
the Southern Christian Advocate alludes to the
alleged union between the Northern and
Southern Methcdistchurches as follows:
We have been astonished and then amused
at the misconception of the Cape May negotia-
THE IE G HHISTIA IST HERALD
of Tennessee.
linns, bv many secular papers North and
South. The wav was prepared for this gross
blundering by the intelligent agent of the
Associated Press, who sent flashing along the
wires all ovefthe land the unauthorized and
unfounded statement that the Commissioners
have “agreed on a basis of union.” Consider
ing the superficial investigations usually ac
corded to ecclesiastical matters, it is not strange
that notwithstanding the plain text of the ad
dress, the glaring error should gain currencv.
and that the reckless newsmongers should
spread it with the startling head-line, The
Methodist Churches Be-nnited. The question
of union was not, and is never likely to be, a sub
ject of negotiation between these two churcheH.
While they have a glorious historv in com
mon, and are substantially agreed in their
scheme of doctrines, and mainly in their polity,
they enter'ain views on some constitutional
questions so radically different as absolutely to
forbid their consolidation. In their separate
organizations, it is possible for them to main
tain their respective views and still live in
peace and fraternity; united under one eccle
siastical government, perpetual strife, ending
in another violent rupture, would be the inevi
table result. Fraternity and union are whol
ly distinct; these two churches may now fra
ternize, it is not probable they can ever unite.
—Speaking in terms ot indignation of the
massacre of Christians by the Turks in Servia
and Bulgaria, the National Baptist savs :
The American traditions are opposed to
any intervention with the affairs of other
nations. But there is certainly a point at
which it is the right and the duty of civilized
mankind to say, “This thing shall stop. We
will not longer endure to hear and see these
atrocities.” Russia, England and France took
this position when Turkey was ravaging
Greece with fire and sword; the battle of
Navarino was the result, and Greece was free.
The present exigency seems to call fora simi
lar step. And this is peculiarly the case since
Turkey exists only bv the tolerance and moral
support of Western Europe. Surely it is the
duty as well as the right of England and
France (which at vast expense of treasure and
blood maintained Turkey in existence during
the_ Crimean War) to see that the dynasty
which they perpetuated does not longer out
rage the moral sense of mankind. It is a
time when one longs for an hour of the mag
nificent old Protector, who wrote (through the
hand of Milton, the Secreteiv of the Common
wealth) to the Duke of Piedmont and to the
Pope : “Unless the massacre of the Wal
dense* ceases, my ships shall he seen in Civita
Vecchia, and my cannon shall he heard at
Romeand the massacre ceased, for it was
the voice of a king.
—Here is a paragraph from the New York
Methodist , which all editors, and every intelli
gent readet; will duly appreciate; it is pointed,
somewhat sarcastic, but, nevertheless, incon
teslihlv true :
We were in blood earnest when we gave due
notice of our intention to edit this paper in the
interest of our readers, as we understand their
interest. We are very sorry to have to cut a
mail’s maniiHcrjpt to pieces, not only because
we know ir hups his hid b)o
it consumes our time. We shall oontv'n ’to
take what we want and to ctoss out ano cut to
pieces what we don’t want His remedy —the
brother w! ose heart we break is meant —is not
to send us any more choice adjectives and un
timely suggestions. Good natural editing
spoils half the papers in the United States.
—The Christian Repository says that Dr.
Ford, the editor, addressed the great audience
in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, on
the 10th ult., and Mr. Spurgeon publicly
thanked him for the discourse and sent his best
wishes to the Baptists of the South and West.
BIPTIST NEWS AM) NOTES.
—The Rev. Wm. Carnes has organized the
First Baptist church in British Columbia, at
Victoria, with a membership of fifteen.
—There are in California 101 churches,
with a total membership of 4,834; but the
churches are generally quite small, widely
scattered, and many of them are without pas
tors, and unable to support them. There has
been a clear gain of 650 members the past
year, the number of baptisms being 396 in all.
There is vigor, life and purpose for the future
manifested, with determination to stand fast in
the faith once delivered to the saints.
—The Baptists of Chicago are to have a
series" of Centennial sermons in the First
church. The subjects are chiefly historical ;
and the various preachers will trace the pecu
liar docrines of our denomination in the
apostolic age, in the period from the great
ajKrstacy to the reformation and since the era
of Luther.
—Rev. Mr. Van Meter has been successful
in raising funds for the further prosecution of
his work in Italy. About SIO,OOO are now
necessary for its annual support.
—The Texas Baptist State Convention meets
at Independence, Saturday before the first
Lord’s day in October.
—The Texas Baptist Herald of August 31st
gives the following synopsis of the recent
wonderfully successful revival work of brother
Penn, the evangelist:
Brother Penn, after leaving Waco, labored
at liobinsonville twelve davs. There were
186 professions ; at White Hall, four days—
-84 professions ; at Bosqucville, nine days—
-141 professions; total, 411. Of these not ex
ceeding 15 could lie called children. Many
whole households were converted and
baptized. There were <’amhellites and Ro
man Catholics, several men and women over
sixty years of age, some over seventy, and one
seventy-nine ycais and ten months. At the
Waco meeting there were 371 whites and 250
colored persons made profession. The total
number ot professions since the 30th of April is
1032. ‘
During the quarter ending June 30th, the
Baptist women of South Carolina raised $302
75 for Foreign Missions.
—The Baptist State Convention meets in
Jackßon, Tennessee, Friday before the fourth
Sabbath in October.
WHOLE K - 2235
General Denominational Hess.
—A society has been formed to sunplement
and assist all other societies and organizations,
by supplying Bibles and Testaments to Chris
tians who will undertake the judicious free
distribution of them on the Continent of Eu
rope and other quarters of the globe. All
missionaries, evangelists and other earnest
laborers in the great harvest field will be sup
plied, and thus enable to assist in scattering
the good seed of the kingdom.
—The Reformed Episcopal church was or
ganized in 1873, and at the present date there
are upwards of sixty ministers with fifty con
gregations in union with the General Council.
From the reports of 34 congregations it appears
that they contain 2,311 families, 3,s49commu
nicants, 4,905 Sunday-school children, 490
Sunday-school teachers, and that they have
collected for one purpose or another during
the year ending May Ist, the sum of $151,131
41.
—The Protestant churches of the world
maintain, collectively, 1,559 missionary sta
tions and 2,732 missionaries, at an annual ex
penditure of nearly $6,000,000.
—On the Centennial Exhibition grounds at
Philadelphia is a small pavilion, in which are
sold copies of the Bible in one hundred of the
different languages. The sales thus far have
been very large, the greater portion purchased
being in French and Spanish. This building
belongs to the American Bible Society, and all
books are sold at cost price in order that they
may come within the reach of every one,
copies being sold as low as six cents. As at
the day of Pentecost, each man was enabled to
hear the Gospel in his tongue, so he may again
at this later gathering of the nations.
—The Presbyterian board of foreign Mis
sions, needing a suitable missionary to go to
Japan, has resolved to issue a call to any one
in the ministry possessing the requisite quali
fications.
—The Methodist ministers of New York
have been discussing revivals, and many of
them are of opinion that the ordinary church
work is decidedly preferable. Some of the
preachers do not think that any great good was
accomplished by Moody at the Hippodrome.
—The Neshaming church, at Hartsville,
Pennsylvania, has had only seven pastors in
150 years.
—The English Wesleyan Conference, after
an extended discussion, adopted the scheme of
lay representation proposed by its committee
by a vote cf early ten to one.
—Dr. Yates, of Shanghai, in a recent ad
dress Vt fall;.in observation which is verified
the world over. Residents at .v.ot\ stmion
and visitors to them, ir.flict severe wounds by
want of sympathy with the missionaries and
their work. The Doctor complained of the
coldness of European and American residents
in regard to Mission work. He said, that
during the thirty years in which he had labor
ed in Shanghai no foreigner had ever called
on him to inquire after the welfare of his
native work.
—There are 713 Sunday-schools in the State
of Minnesota, with 38 000 scholars, and 1,285
persons from the Sunday-school have been
added to the church membership during the
past year.
—A missionaiy in India has sent an order
to New Haven for a vehicle which can be
traveled in by day, slept in by night, and
preached from at any time. It will be fur
nished with cooking utensils, bedding and
books, and six oxen will draw it.
—At the instance of the British Minister at
Teheran, Mr. Bruce’s school at Tulfa, Persia,
has been re-opened. The violent opposition of
Roman Catholics and Armenians has drawn
the favorable attention of the Mohammedans
to the missionary enterprises.
—Some time since the old Lutheran church
officially closed its pulpits against ministers of
other churches. Somecf their preachers have
since been busy defending the action.
—Rev. W. H. Milburn, the blind preacher,
has been lecturing and preaching in England.
—We have received the following for pub
lication :
At a recent conference of the Hickory Head
church a committee was appointed to inquire
into certain rumors touching the Christian
character and conduct of one J.O. Howard, to
whom the church granted a letter of dismission
in December or January. This committee
has learned, with regret, that the reports con
cerning Howard are too true ; that his conduct
has been unbecoming a Crristian and gentle
man j that he made false statements when he
obtained his letter.
The committee thinks proper to phblish
these facts for the benefit of other churches and
communities, as Howard holds a letter from our
church, and nothing can be learned of his
whereabouts. Howard is a singing master, by
which profession he supports himself.
W. P. Burke,
A. W. Groover,
R. J. Denmark,
September Ist, 1876. Committee.
An item is communicated to the (Memphis)
JJupfist Ly Rev. A. Van House, of Winchester,
Tennessee, who states that he received it from
one of the oldest and most intelligent members
of the Eufaula Baptist church. It is as fol
lows : “That Rev. W. N. Reeves, the pastor,
did, on two successive Sabbaths, and in the
strongest terms, denounce, as false, the doc
trines of close communion and Calvanism, as
usually held by the Baptist church.” We
earnestly hope that there was some misappre
hension of brother Reeves' teaching. It is a
case that calls for explicit explanation.