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44 WHOLESALE CO.\r> :n\ATIO\ OF CIVKV’
After the lapse of five weeks, Tertius
appears again, stil! md-r a mask, (false
name), with a rehash of his former ar
ticle i t defense of his favorite games.
And what has he said? What Scrip -
tiir.il text has he produced in support
of his opinion ? II aw shill a Christian
prove what is right or wrong for a
Cnrist'an, except from the Christian’s
only code oflawx,manners and customs 5
Nay, he has tauntingly complained of
my “mtny passages” out of place.
I’iOUs Baptists will want something
better than the mere opinion of an
unknown scribler as the rule of their
moral and religious conducts.
lie remarked, in his first article,
that there were “some errors” in my
first, to which attention should be
called. 01 these some. errors, he now
says:
1 In hit form r communication w tn pre
sented <•■. errors The first was simply* mis
take in classing chess*nil drafts with game* of
chance; the second, (which my brother didn’t
find, and to which he directed mot ol his
rnp’y) was his sweeping contfcmnati in of
games. Tne former being simply a question
o'fact needs no consideration. Jn noticing
the latter, and my brother’s view*, it ia proper
to remark that what 1 said on this subject
before, had no reference whatever to the fact
that brother Cooper was writing of Christian
duty, but related *!mply to the genera! propo
sition, that siime ministers in their conversation
and writings are too ready to condemn all game*
and amusements without due regard to their
character and influence,”
“ The former being simply a matte
of fact," etc. Whatever cannot be
clearly foreseen or certainly calculat
cd, is, humanly speaking, a matter of
chance. The issues of games of chess
and drafts cannot be clea'ly foreseen
nor certainly calculated; therefore, the
games of chess and drafts are matters
of chance. And hence, these are
among the favorite games of gamblers,
l et the fact decide; but if the matter
needs no consideration, why was it
mentioned at all as one of my errors?
Jf the second error “ had no refer
ence whatever to the fact that brother
Cooper was writing about Christian
duty," how could it be brother “Coop
er’s error," and how could he find it
to be such ? That Tertius did not so
regard it in his first article, is evident
from the following: “There is a dis
position on the part of some to con
demn all amusements.” “1 do not be
lieve that the writer referred to above
(brother Cooper) intended that his list
of sinful games should be so exten
sive.”
The style and loose statement*
o’ this first paragraph of the unknown
Tertiu , are only fair specimens of his
attack up in nty articles, and of his de
fence of pane's.
In Self defense, 1 n>w reltctaitly
propose to turn the tables upon him
by “catling attention to some errors he
has committed,” perhaps from the evil
effects of his experience in “games
.and amusements.”
1. “Brother Cooper, it would ap
pear, condemns all amusements !” Ah!
What does the word amusement signi
fy? Agreeable entertainment—any
pastime or employment that is agree
able, is an amusement Whatever
affords pleasure is an amusement. Now
read the following sentence in my first
article: “ There arc many other em
ployments which ought to be more
agreeable and recreating .to him (the
Christian), and to which no one can
object on the ground of unfitness or
impropriety or immorality." “Brother
Cooper,’ then, does, not condemn all
nmu lements, but only sach as are evil
o improper.
2 “My brother’s opp isition rests
upon the ground that they may lead to
evil." No! My language was. “All
of them (games) are invariably associ
ated with evil companions, evil jesting;
and with sinful disputing* and wrang
bngs,t >say nothing of gambling,cheat
i tg, lying, ele ” This expression was
too strong, but clearly presented my
meaning. My opposition, as here
shown, does not rest upon the ground
that they may lead to evil, as Tertius
charges; but upon the fact that they
are constantly associated with some or all
t\f the evils enumerated. A id, mark
you, my brother, that this is the “ pre
mise ’’ upon which I assail not only
your favorite games and amusements,
but those also which yju specifically
condemn. You will seldom see any
one of them played, by either young
or old persons, without some of these
attendant evils. The evils overbalance
the benefits, and thus make them
wrong and pernicious.
Upon this, you/ second error, you
make sottu very trite but good re
marks about betting on the yields of
crops and relative ability of preachers,
cheating and lying in business, wrang
ling in religious assemblies, destroying
life by the pleasant occupation of tak
ing food, etc ; and draw the stale gen
eral conclusion that “it is not the use
but the abuse of a thing that we should
condemn '’’ A'cry good, if there were
not a great many things right in them
selves, but wrong by virtue of their
attendant evils ; many, whose impor
tance overbalances these evils, and
many whose little worth these evils far
overbalance. There are matters of
important and essential business, and
pertaining to important principles and
practices, which must be done and de
fended however much opp 'sing parties
may quibble, wrangle, cheat or lie;
but-it does not fjtffrw, therefore, that
good Christian men and women mr
get down in the dirt and quarrel and
scramble over a marble or a croquet
ball. Does it?
Apply your rule to ‘ gambling,
drinking and dancing;” which, you
say, “are wrong in their character and
influence,” and let us see how it works.
Can there be any wrong in the simple
act of staking money on a matter
whose issue is uncertain ? Does not
every man do this, in every kind of
business ? Gambling, then, is not
wrong in itself, but in its associations
and results. There was nothing
wrong in buying and selling cotton at
stipulated prices, but there was in the
business of “cotton futures.”
Is thcaimple act of drinking wrong ?
The great and good Jesse Mercer did
not think so. He drank temperately,
till, late in life, he saw' the evils of his
example. I knew in my boyhood, an
aged Irish Baptist minister, who often
said,
“A little brandy kiddy,
Is good fir s ml and Indy.''
If you will excuse this “passage
from one of the poets,” but mark its
meaning, you will understand why
tha’ large, aid in some respects, ex
cellent sect of Christians, whom we un
kindly call Hardshell Baptists, will
drink, and anathematise temperance,
and temperance Christians, They see
no sin in the thing itself, (diinking
whisky and brandy, etc.,) but in the
abuse of it.” What will you do with
them, on your “premise.” Can you
ever “convince them ” that drinking is
wrong? If not, according to your re
peated motto,you ought not to “ quib
ble ” with them about total abstinence.
Is dancing wrong in itself--as a
simple exercise ? If what “they say”
is true, the late “distinguished” Rt.
,Rev. Bishop Elliot did not think so,
nor do the numerous members of h s
church. His Holiness (!) I’ope Pius
IX, does not think so, nor do his two
hundred millions devotees. Some of
the ablest Presidents of the United
States, and Baptist Governors of Geor
gia, have not thought so, if their levees
report them truly. Can you ‘ convince
them that they are wrong?" Never.
Then, “ don’t quibble with them about
dancing." It is difficult to prove to
any one, who is “ fond of it,'* that
dancing is wrong, even in view of its
direful adjuncts. Let us try it by your
touchstone. You say:
“ They (amusements) give valuable returns
to body, mind and heart. They give health
and vigor to the body, freshness and activity
to the mind, and indirectly improve the mor
als. The distinguished Chancellor of the B.ate
University once said that the spirt or the ball
ground in the afternoov prepared the mind for
the solution of difficult pr ib!era> in the eve
ning. H i om i ved too; that ihenearauiara m's
improved the morals of his student* Ttiey
furnished a kind of safitv valve for the exu
berant spirit* of youth, and occupied time
which might have been given to injurious
practices."
Now, my brother, are not th.'se the
precise points upon which dancing
Christians defend this amusement?
Have you not often heard them say :
“If we don’t dance we may do some
thing W'orse.” Does not dancing give
health and vigor (and grace) to the
body, freshuess and activity (and
beauty) to the mind, and indirectly
improve the morals, by furnishing a
kind of safety valve for the exuberant
spirits of youth, by occupying time
which might have been given to more
injurious practices? How, then, wil.
you meet the argument upon your
“ premise ? ” Upon it, “you will nev
er convince them,” and you had bet
ter cease quibbling, take oft" your mask,
and adopt mine, in the following
words: *• Excess of wine, drunkenness,
chambering, lasciviousness, making
provision lor the lusts of the flesh, are
the fast associates of dancing ” (See
my first article, September 7th.)
But further. Is there any harm in
the act of striking a billiard ball, or in
casting a ten-pin alley ball; or in
shuffling a pack of cards, or thr swing
dice, or running a horse on a race
course; in playing a fiddle, or “brass
instruments,” or in shooting a rifle or
a marble ? Any harm, any wrong, any
sin in any of these, perse? Certain
ly not. It is only the abuse that makes
the sin. Is it ? Then practice them
all alike. Intioduoe billiards into your
colleges, as they are doing North, and
teach your students how to be “skill
ful ” gamblers. This is good exer
cise, fine amusement, and may be “ a
safety valve for their exuberant spir
its, and may indirectly improve their
morals ! ” Take your “ fiddles and
brass instruments” into the churches
(surely this could not be an abuse
of them) and play marbles “in the
streets” with Tom, Dick and Harry,
which the Richmond Herald said was
not worse than read g The Christ
ian Index, and then see if the “Index
nun” won’t give you a much worse
drubbing than they gave the Herald
and the Nashville J'reticle run preach
er. And if you complain that
this is the abuse of the thing, they
may retort by saying that, it is only
like one of those other things which
you say are ‘‘wrong in their character
and influence.” But 1 would be sor
ry to see the venerable senior editor ol
the Herald test the truth of his as
sertion, if it was his, by playing mar
bles! in the streets of Richmond, till
he convinced the street walkers that
he was “ fond of it." What do you
sty, brother Tertius? The Index,
however, could not convince them
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX AND SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST
that they were wrong ; and it should
not have “wasted time quibbling about
it.”
Did you, brother Tertuis, ever sit
down for two or three hours or more,
over a little checker boartd with your
eyes and mind intensely fixed upon a
few little images of castles and knights,
from the dark ages, when masks were
worn, and then rise from your seat,
defeated by you* godless adversary,
and feel that your morals were “ in
directly improved” by that “ safety
valve? ” If so, we will now consider
your next error
3. “ But my brother (C.) may con
sider that gam generally lead to evil.”
Oh, no. This guess is like the other,
and quite as far from the truth. Why
did you not look at what I had writ
ten, and not write on a false supposi
tion, which you had made for your
own purpose? It is true that games
“generally lead to evil,” but this was
not the meaning of my written lan
guage. Some writers find great amuse
ment in making and annihilating a
“ man of straw,” but it is a very poor
game.
4. “Another reason for brother C’s
opposition to games is that they waste
time —always waste time." Whatever
time is wrongly employed is wasted,
worse than wasted. Time employed
in evil games is worse than wasted.
Time, employed in recreation which
is proper for Christian, is not wasted.
5. “He then quotes many passages
from the poets and from the Scriptures,
to show' the value of time.” Where
are the many passages, etc ? There
were only two lines of poetry, partly
changed from the original, and only
three short quo-ations from the Scrip
tures. If you had been as fond of the
poets and of the Scriptures as you
are of your games, these passages
would not have appeared to be so
numerous, and you would not have
been so anxious to have them reserved
for another place.
6. “Brother C. lays great stsess on
the word Christian" “He wants to
know’ if a Christian can engage in any
amusements." Hold ! and read again
what I wrote : “We would like for their
authors and defenders to tell us defi
nitely what 'mere world amusement’s’
are exempt from the charge of fulfill -
ing the lusts of the flesh, good in them
selves, beneficial in their effects and
tenderness, and adapted to the devoted
minister of the Gospel and the earnest
pious, conscientious Christian." Give
us this information, my brother, and
cease perverti ‘g my plainly wfiucn
language and sentiments.
7, “One word as to the ‘bojysmnd
girls of our land’, arrayed agaif stljis."
[‘This idea( seems to afford anuisemtent
to my opponent'.” He seems
that the idea of arraying the boys and
girls against us supremely ridiculous.
Not so, brother Tertius. That was
not the ridiculous thing. By another
g’ance, you will discover, perhaps,
that it was the idea of advising a
Christian to close his mouth for fear of
being charged with quibbling, or of
wisting time, or of being a puritan of
the strictest school, or of having the
boys and girls arrayed against him :
and that the boys and girls and the enemy
(the world ) should be his Judge of what
is right and wrong. These were the
ridiculous ideas. I am now astonished
that a Christian, who is professedly so
much oppased to wasting time by
quibbling, should spend so much in
misrepresenting a brother Chris’ian,
and in shaming his own profession by
his practice.
With ail ordinary degree of pene
tration, you would not only have seen
the points in this place, but you would
be able to see clearly that there are
some things which children can do,
harmlessly and with impunity, that
would debase and ruin a man, to say
nothing of a Christian minister. You
could see that there are some men who
can please boys and girls, without
chattering nonsense and squabbling
with them around a marble ring, or in
a ball pen, or over a checker-board.
You could plainly see that there are
ministers; professing themselves to be
of the “nigh calling of God in Christ,"
who array the boys and girls of the
land against them, not by “drawing
down their faces,” but by drawing
down their noble and dignified char
acters, and trailing them in the sordid
dust of worldliness.
8. “When my brother in lists on con
tinued, unceasing toil, he simply asks
for what young and old, who think and
observe know to be impossible.’’ This
is only a different statement of your fi st
error, or misrepresentation, and is ex
posed by the same extract, which you
can turn to above, and read again more
carefully.
Labor, rest, sleep, recreation, diver
sion, are all necessary for all persons,
lhe Christian cannot live without
them. There has been no dispute on
my part about the thing itself, but
about the kind of thing that is right or
wrong f>r a Christian. He should
“abhor that which is evil, and cleave to
that which is good.” You must excuse
my Scripture quota ions. He (the
true Christian) has better, more agree
able, more appropriate amusements,
entertainments, pastimes, than the
groveling games, which Tertius loves
to relieve his mind, and refresh and
strengthen his body, from and for the
wasting toils and cares of life. His
pastime > as well as his labors and
toils, must conform to the rule ot his
guide bx>k, which notwithstanding
your demurring, I must quote once
more: “Whether ye eat or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of
God.” 1 Cor. x: 31. lam not sur
prised, brother Tertius, that Scripture
passages against your games, seem to
you to be So numerous. Give us a
few in favor of them, and we win
not overcount them, but give them a
careful and serious consideration.
In view of the above “errors,” I can
not refrain from inquiring, in conclu
sion, whether your experience in games
and plays has not had an evil effect,
both upon your mind and morals. And
I now state, in regular form, a few
of the obvious objections to these
things, for your prayerful reflection,
the first of which I draw from your
own case, and prove by your two ar
ticles :
1. They (gaming, drinking, dancing,
etc.,) disorder the reasoning faculties,
and warp the judgment.
2. They hide the image of Christ
under the mask of Belial; i. e. identi
fy Christians with the world.
3. They neutralize the Christian’s
influence.
4. They debase and demoralize the
soul.
5 They expose the unwary to the
vices of the ungodly.
6. They overtempt the unstable and
the “weak in the faith.”
7. They create and establish a relish
for worldiy, ana a disrelish for heaven
ly things.
8. They unfit the mind and heart for
religious meditation and work.
9. They consume time which can be
better employed.
10. They furnish infidels and scoff
ers with arguments against “pure and
undefiled religion.”
11 They lead to the habits of wrang
ling, cheating, deceiving, lying, etc.
12. They produce no good fruits
that might not be produced by better
means.
13. They are unauthorized by Scrip
ture authority, and are opposed to its
letter and spirit.
14. They cannot be indulged in “to
the glory of G ad."
15. They were never instrumental
in the salvation of a soul; but in the
destruction of innumerable souls and
bodies.
16. They have never led a child to
Christ; but multitudes of children to
the devil.
17. They are never invented nor
patronized by those who are remarka
ble for their piety and religious zeal.
18. They are the delight of the un
godly and the impious.
i(y They pander to corrupt appeti
tes. passions and practices.
20. They have never conferred eith
er virtue or honor on any one ; but
have entailed vice and disgrace on
myriads. T. B Cooper.
Ki>r (lie Tndpi sa l Baptist.j
TANARUS the Chartin'* f the Central AsorUtin
ItcporU Iron, ike diarrhea.
Dr. A. J. Battle, pastor of the Eaton
tou church, says : “I will heartily co
operate with you. The Eatonton
church has a Mission Committee, but
they have not done much, as yet. In
tny sermons I have impressed upon the
church the importance of Missions, and
t he duty of sustaining them. The church
is financially and numerically weak at
present."
I look for regular contributions from
this church :
Bi.ountsville Church.— Brother
A. F. Holt writes : “The Mission Com
mittee of onr church promise to make a
report at our next meeting, in Decem
ber. We are a very poor and weak
church, haring only about eight male
members, and jo’i need not expect a
very favorable report. I will cheer
fully co-operate with you in any man
ner you may suggest, though not on
the Mission Committee myself. Will
you not remember Bionntsville ehurch
in your prayers to our Heavenly
Father ? ’ May God speedily send the
Blountsville church a glorious revival!
Miss Mattie Bagley writes :
Salem Missionary Society.
Jones Cos., Nov. 24, 1376.
Deab Brother Boykin—Our Socie
ty will co-operate with you in raising
funds lor those feeble churches.
MilljdgaviUe, Georg’s.
Montickllo Church. —The Monti
cello church has no “Mission Commit
tee,’’ nor has it, so fir as I know, any
plan for collecting Mission funds.
Writes Dr. J. J. Brantley, the pastor:
“Ever since I have been serving the j
church at Montioello, (since June last,) j
I have tried, to the best of my ability, |
to teach it, and to make it feel, its j
whole duty as an organized Christian |
church. Missionary work is the wo cl
for which churches exist. Take this
away and what is there left for the
church to do ? This is what 1 have
tried to make the churcL feel. I have
not proposed any plan for giving. I
have thought that the right way to go
to work is to bring the church "to re
cognize and feel its whole duty, and
that, then, any p’an will answer. While
I continue to serve the church I will
continue to co operate with you, as I
believe I have been doing, all the while.
You know how hard it is for a minister
who sees a people, only once a month,
and then for a few hours only, to bring
them to work, and to systematise their
efforts.”
The foregoing are mere extracts
from a very interesting note, and they
lead me to hope that it will not be long
before the .Monticello church has a
plan fir collecting missionary funds
which will be successfully worked.
My C-operator*.
I, hereby, call upon brother James
Pope, of Monticello, to propose a plan
to the church at the next Conference ;
and I hope he will hare an efficient
committee appointed to collect the
funds—a committee of at least one
gentlemen, and three or four ladies.
Perhaps it is just as well as net to say
a few words to all my eo-operator*:
here they are, as I learn from the
Minutes.
The following brethren are to co-operate
with brother Boykin in carrying out resolution
second in the above report:
1. Antioch—E. W. Sammons, Eatonton ;
2. Bethany—lt. H. Harris, Madison ; 3. Be
thel—J. B. M. Phillips. Monticello; 4
Klounteville—A. F. Holt, Haddocks’ Station ;
5. Brownwood—A. W Atkinson, Madison ;
6. Carmel— J. Roquemore, Newburn ; 7. Ea
tonton —J. B Reese, Eitonton ; 8. Elim —
Stephen Bozeman, Clinton ; 9. Enon —
William Cheek, Oladesville ; 10 Craw
ford—H. II Marshall, Foifonton ; 11. Cor
inth —J. M. I.anca-ter, Eatonton ; 12. Hope
well —John Blackwell, Monticello; 13. Har
mony—A. M. Marshall, Eatonton ; 14. Madi
son—C. A. George, Madison; 15. Milledge
▼ilie—C. E. Wall and Miss Ida Callaway.
Milledgeville ; 10 Mon'icello—James Pope,
Monticello; 17. Pleasant Grove—James C.
Bates and Miss Emily Picket,Newton Factory;
18 Providence—Wiliis Newton, Shady Dde ;
19 Ramoth —N. Coates and Miss E. Key,
Eatonton; 20. Rocky Creek —J. M. Owens,
Newton Factory ; 21. Oconee —H- Bachelor,
Eatonton; 22 Salem—T. S. Bagley, Mil
ledgeville; 23. Shiloh—J. W. Dister, New
burn ; 21. Union Hill—Miss Arana Wilcox
on, Miss I. Ross, Tranqiiilla.
Dear Brethren and Sister3 —You were
formally appointed by the Central As
sociation to assist me in forming and
carrying out plans, in each of your
churches, for the systematic collection
of mission funds, and for arousing
and maintaining an interest in missions
among all the church members. The
following are some of the ways, in
which I hope you will assist me :
1. If there is no plan adopted in
your church for collecting mission
funds, try to get the church to adopt
some plan. Either present this matter
to the church in my name, or get
some member of the church to do so.
2 If there is such a plan, be so kind
as to find out what is being done, and
let me kuow. Do all you can to en
courage the operation of the plan; and
by all means, try to get the church to
appoint a committee to see each mem
her, and obtain pledges, payable
monthly or quarterly, for missions,
which I hope will always be collect
ed.
3. Be so kind as to write me, at least
once each month, and give me the state
of mission affairs in your church, and
the amounts collected, aud advise with
me ax to the best method to pursue, in
furtherance of our objects.
4. In writing give information ou
the following points: 1. Name of
church, pastor, clerk and pokt office
2. The plan adopted for collecting
funds, if any, with name of committee.
•3. If there is no plan, tell why such is
the case. 4. The amounts collected,
for what objects, and where forwarded.
5. Give any other itemsof inlormation
on the state of mission feeling in the
church, and let me kuow if I can rely
on you to co-operate faithfully with
me during the present Associational
year.
Hereafter I may address my private
communications to you, and as you are
officially appointed to co-operate with
me, 1 hope to receive prompt replies.
Let us aii take hold of this work, ae
one man , and determine to make a great
shaking among the dry bones, and see
if we cannot imbue our churches with
a rigorous and hearty missionary spir
it.
Proper Replies Wauled.
An Anecdote—' There was a deaf
man, once, on the roadside, making a
gate-post, and he saw a traveler ap
proaching. Said he to himself : “That
man will ask what I am making, aud I
will reply, ‘A gate-post.’ He will then
ask how high I am going to make it,
and I will say, ‘Up to that knot.’ He
will then ask me my price, and I’ll tell
him, ‘ Two dollars.’ I expect him to say
that is too much, aud that he will not
give it. Upon which, I shall tell him
* if he does not, somebody else will ;' ”
and just then, the traveler came up and
said: “ Good morning to you, sir.”
“Gate-post,” was the sober reply. “A
very fine day, we hare,” observed the
somewhat astonished traveler. “Up
to that knot, there !” was the inexplic
able response. “ You must be a fool(in),
sir.” “ Two dollars,” answered the
good-natured post-maker. “I've a
great mind to knock you down ! ” ejac
ulated the pedestriau. “If you don’t,
somebody else will,” was the airy re-
j oinder, look the traveler so much
by surprise that be incontinently pass
ed 011.
Now, I half-way fear that some of
my good brethren are saying, iii re
sponse to uiv request for immediate
replies to iny communications, “ Well,
if I don’t, somebody else will! ”
How is it with you, brethren Mar
shall, Jewell, Smith, Freeman, Lau
rence and others ’( I expected to bear
speedily from you all. Anyhow, re
member the old adage, “ It is never too
late to do better." S. Boykin,
Macon, Ga Missionary Agent.
■ ■ ■ -- "
—According to the statistics kept
by the Board of Health, the number of
single persons who died this year is far
in excess of the married ones.
For the Index and Baptist.]
LETTER FROM SOUTH CAROU.M.
Dear Index —ln accordance with
your requst and my promise, I now
venture to contribute the results of mv
observation and experience in and
around Greenville, for the past few
days.
Leaving Atlanta at 5 pm. by the
Air-Line route we reach this point
about twelve o’clock at night-, a distance
of about one hundred and sixty miles.
The night of my arrival was indeed
marked in the memory of the good
people of this State. It was a time of
exultation and joy. An occasion
freighted with peculiar and interesting
manifestations of a brighter and more
glorious future fortbepoor, old, down
trod&en Palmetto State; aud hence,
they raised their voices, and built bon
fires, and fired cannons, pistols, guns,
and made other demonstrations with
loud “hurrahs” for Hampton and Til
den. (You will observe that Hampton
comes first in S mth Carolina.) These
demonstrations were significant of the
long pent up patriotism, and were given
forth with thanks in many eases, to an
All-wise God, who s'emed, at that timeT
to be smiling upon the nation. This
spirit of patriotism has been exhibited
in all classes. Tne old and the young,
the white and the black, male and
female, all enjoy giving vent someway
to their exuberant souls. I have seen
ladies in their phretons and carriages
following the procession, waiving their
handkerchiefs, and in various ways
manifesting their deep interest.
Speeches have been made, not by poli
ticians and lawyers, as might be ex.
peeted, hut the pastors and learned
theologcial instructors, contributed,
too, their emotion and sympathy, thus
saying : “We all rejoice !"
Greenville is situated, as many of
your readers know, in the extreme north -
western portion of the State, on quite
an elevated and gently sloping plain.
The Blue Ridge mountains are plainly, ,
visible, and ranges of mountains skirt
the very borders of the town, making it
a very healthful and delightful place.
The society is good. The population
of the town is about six thousand, with
some indication of thrift, and prospei
ity. It seems to be quite a central
market for a vast surrounding territory.
1 have been informed that an average
of about two huudred and sixty bales
of cotton has been received daily dur
ing the season ; all brought in by the
producers.
The educational advantages of
Greenville are unsurpassed by any
Southern city. In addition to the
Seminary, there is the well known
Furman University, conducted by an
able corps of professors, and another
school of high order, under very eajP
cient and popular management. Theta
there is the Female College, besides A
number of preparatory schools through
out the city. All of these schools, so
far as I can learn, are very generously
patronized. There are about sixty
students at the Seminary, all of whom
seem to be in earnest, and honestly
striving to prepare themselves for the
great work of preaching the Gospel. -
Some of them look out anxiously into
the field, as strown with roses and
sweet scented flowers, inviting them to
come and to gather them, and they will
gather, an 1, doubtless, they will fiud
that the roses have thorns too! It will
be sweet to preach the Gospel of the
“Son of the ever blessed God,” but it
will be found, too, that preaching the —
Gospel is not all that is expected of a
pastor, hence it is well to receive ail
the benefits of preparation j ossible.
The South Carolina State Baptist
Convention meets next week, in the
lower portion of the State. Some of
our professors will be absent in attend
ance, yet their places will be supplied,
aud the work of the Seminary go reg
ularly on. At another time I will
enter more into the details as to the
course in the Seminary. '
J. B. Chevls.
Greenville, 8. C.. Nov. 15, 1576.
For the Index and BaptUt,]
COM ERSIOX.
A converted Captain in the army was
asked to explain to an audience what
“conversion" meant. He replied : “It
means,’ rigbta bout face!’ ”
This is not all of conversion. It
means more than this. This militarv
expression is only the outward act, the
effect, not the cause. Let us not mis
take one for the other. True conver
sion changes the heart, the seat of
action, as well as the action itself.
mind of man is changed into the mind
of God. Christians are required to
“Be of one mind.” 11. Cor. xiii s 11.
“To be of the same mind in the Lard.”
Phil, iv: 2. “Be ye all of one mind.”
I Peter iii: 8. “We have the mind of
Christ.’ I Cor.ii; 16. If any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of His.” viii: 9.
These quotations show conclusively
two things:
1. A change of heart or spirit. 2.
That man’s will is exchanged for God’s
will. So, then, converson is a work bv
the Spirit in the heart of man, by
which man ceases to be subject to the
will of the flesh, and becomes subject
to the will of God, and thus becomes
one with God in Christ by the agency
of the Holy Spirit.
\V hen a man is so changed in heart,
as a matter of course, his actions are
changed. He is then, and not till
then, prepared to “right about face ”
W. M. H."