Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index
'T’TTTn ROT 1■ I ‘TT —YN7 FTIRT’ In ! ."NT t3 ai * i iTom ! 0
VOL 56—NO. 8.
Table or Contents
First Page. —Alabama Department: Record of
State Events: Suggestive Statistics: Bible
Classes; To Correspondents: Spirit of the
Religions Press: Baptist News and Notes; The
Missionary Field; General Denominational
News.
Second Page. —Oar Correspondents: Plan for
Employing Useful but Unutilized Ministerial
Forces—Bev W. W. Landrum ; Letter from
California—Bev. J. C. Baker; Letter from
Florida—Rev. G. W. Hall Woman not Want
ed as an Evangelist in our Churches-VIl-Rev.
Marion Sams: Some of the Shepherds must
be Asleep—Rev. Marion Same: Ordination—
Rev. N. A. Bailey; Mercer University—Her.
M B. Wharton; Letter from Rev. Geo. B.
Taylor—A Week of Prayer in Rome; etc.
Thibd Page. —Our Pulpit: Love God—Extract
from a Sermon by Rev. Chas. Spurgeon. Se
leot Miscellany: The Sea Serpent etc.
Fot-bth Page. —Editorial: A Word to the Wise
—Rev. S. G Hillyer, D. D.; ‘'Clerical Puffs;”
Rev. Richard Fuller. D. D.; Georgia News-
Rev. D. E. Butler All Alone; Newspapers—
Rev. G. A. Nunnally. Editorial Paragraphs.
Fifth Page. —Secular Department: New Books;
The Attorney-Generalship; Railroad Enter
prise; A Female Blasphemer; Ottar of Roses ;
Literary Gossip; Georgia News: Woman’s In
fluence: Domestic and Foreign Notes; Masonic
Address; etc!
Sixth Page.— The Sunday-School: Ahab and
Nabo‘h—Lesson for Sunday, March 4. 1877.
Some Little Thinge—Poetry.’ Household and
Children's Department: Madeline’s Question;
or, A School Girl’s Duties Defined—By Aunt
Edith; Reoeipts for Girls; Little Talk for Lit
tle Folks. Scientific and Educational Notes.
Seventh Page. The Farm: Georgia Farm
Notes ; District Fair; Profits of Wool Grow
ing in Mississippi; Negro Labor; etc.
Eighth Page. —Savannah Bevevolent Associa
tion, 1876—Resolutions of Thanks, Passed
January 10, 1877; The Bight Spirit—Rev. C.
M. Irwin; Preaching the Gospel to the Indians
—Bov. W. H. Mclntosh; Good News from
Tung Chow—Mias Lottie Moon; Appointments
of Rev. J. il. Hartwell. Marriages. Obituaries.
Advertisements,
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
Warren Davis, of Beaver Valley, St. Clair
county, is 110 years old.
The new Catholic church at Huntsville is
to be completed this year.
The doctors of Lamar county have organized
a medical association.
The iron on the Montgomery street railway
has been taken up.
March 6th, Cullman county'will locate its
County seat and elect county officers.
A Lodge of the Knights of Honor hns been
organized in Tjjiscutnbia.
Parties from the West are traveling over
the State, hunting locations to settle in.
D. B. Booth, of Prattville, has been ap
pointed United States Revenue Collector for
that district.
—•—.a
Selma’s cotton receipts are more than 10,000
bales short of the receipts to the same time
last year.
D. C. White, senior editor of the Moulton
Advertiser, has been twenty-seven years in the
newspaper business in that town.
Father Kerwan, for two years of Tuscaloo
sa, has taken charge ofSt. Patrick’s church in
Mobile.
Governor Houston has appointed Hon.
Thomas H. Price, of Mobile, Commissioner oi
swamp and overflowed lands.
In 1874, the South and North Railroad
carried 4,000 tons of Alabama coal; in 1875,
46,000 tons, and 1876,76,000 tons.
Mr- L. H. Bowles retires from the editorial
staff of the Tioy Messenger, and Mr. J. J. Dar
by assumes Mr. B.’s duties with a neat saluta
tory.
Andrew Miller, of Guntersville, has re
ceived patent rights for four difierent inven
tions— “Improvement on Farm Fences,”
“Game Apparatus,” “Cork Extractor,” Eleva
tor and Fire Escape.”
The Montgomery Advertiser says: Several
prominent members of the State Grange were
in town yesterday, and they are already as
suring the success of the State Fair next fall.
During the past five weeks seventy persons
have been added to the membership of the
First Baptist church of Montgomery, either by
baptism or by letter. Meetings are held every
evening. The pastor of the Baptist church of
Selma is assisting Dr. Hawthorne in his la
bors.
The Grand Lodge I. O. O. F. of Alabama,
installed the following officers for 1877; Geo
H. Sporman, G. M.; Lee R. McKee, D. G.
M.; R. E. Jones, G. W. ; W. A. Shields, G.
S.; S. W. Oayee, G. TANARUS.; J. R. Tompkins, G.
R.
A freight train on the Alabama Central
road broke through the tresseling over Ala
rnuchee creek, beyond the Bigbee, and the
engine and six cars were piled up in the creek.
Except the engineer, who was badly scratched
up, nobody was hurt.
■ .—a
The Grand Encampment of Alabama I. O.
O. F., elected tbe following officers for the eu-
Buing year : T. J. Scott, G. P.; G. L. Wal
ler, G. H. P.; Win. Piele, G. IV. R. E.
Jones, G. 8. j D. W. McGaughey, G. TANARUS.; J.
D. Billings, G. J. W.; G. H. Sporman, G.
Rep. ; John Kacheliuan, G. M. ;G. F. War
ner, G. Sent; A. Slrassburger, D. G. Sent.
THE SOTJTH-WESTEBN BAPTIST,
of Alabama.
%
SCGGESTIVF STATISTICS.
The Dead Sea fruits of the false
t'aehings of Romanism are very sig
nificantly illustrated bj meat pfficial
satisfies published, relative to the re
c >rd of crime in Ireland, England and
Soot laud. Reports made to the Par
liament of Great Britain show that
while the Romish population of Ire
land is in tbe ratio of three-and-a-half
to one Protestant, the criminals are at
the rate of six Papists to one Protes
tant. The report on judicial statistics
shows that the expense for criminal
prosecutions, prisons and police,
amounts to §7,407,165. Now, the
Romish criminals cost no less than
$6,348,995, though their cost, accord
ing to the proportion of population,
ought to be but $3,703,580. This
leaves an excessive charge to be borne
by the country of $2,645,415—an ex
cessive charge, indeed, to be paid for a
difference of crime occasioned by dif
ference of religion.
“In respect to England and Scotland,
similar results, are apparent, as, indeed,
they must be all the world over, wherever
the two forms of faith co-exist. Ac
cording to the ‘official’ returns, the
Papists are but one-twentieth of the
population of England, but their pro
portion of her criminals is one-fourth.
This is certainly a stunning argument
against Popery. The aggregate ex
pense for the repression of crime in
England is $18,764,725; of this
amount, only $938,235 ought to be in
curred by the Romish population, ac
cording to its proportionate numbers,
but it actually incurs no less than $4,-
691,180, and excess of $3,752,949. In
Scotland, the excess amounts to sl,-
010,735, making a total excess of hard
on to $5,000,000.”
BIBLE CLASSES.
Dr. Edward Eggleston describes, in
bis Sunday school Afanual, three r>'fth-.
ods of Damaging adu ( J| Bible classes.
The first, he says, may be called the
“debating club method,” according to
which “the class drifts without rudder,
or pilot, or desired haven, disputing
upon subjects of little or no conse
quence.” A somewhat belter method,
but not the best, is that of the lecture,
the teacher talking to the class contin
uously, asking no questions. The
third he thus describes and. com
mends :
The true method is the method by develop
ment, wherein the teacher draws out the senti
ments of the class, makes them think for them
selves and keeps them engaged on the lesson.
The teacher must control the drift of the
Do not allow the lesson to be diverted from its
main purpose without good reason. Study
what the rest of the school study. Stick to the
rich Gospel themes. Do not seek knotty theo
logical disc issions. Do not give your cla-s the
dry husks ; always get at the kernel of the les
son. Let there be a moral discipline, and a
preaching of Christ in every lesson. Avoid
stiffness as you would death. Let the teaching
be conversational in manner. Always be
courteous. Hear every answer or remark pa
tiently, and treat it respectfully. When you
ask a question of tbe class, get your answer, if
possible. Have important texts and answers
in concert. Read your lesson in concert.
Have a room separate from the school, if pos
sible. Use a blackboard in every lesson. Let
the class purchase all the maps and models
that are needed. Appoint certain members to
investigate certain points in the next week’s
lesson, aud report. Rut your soul into your
class. Shake hands with every member at the
close. Visit your scholars. Get all the social
hold upon them that you can, and you will
solve the great question of the retaining of the
older scholars. Above all, strive to bring
them to a knowledge of Christ.
To Correspondents. —Our corres
pondents will please remember, in pre
paring their manuscript for publica
tion, to write plainly, as briefly as pos
sible, aud upon one side of the sheet
only.
All communications must be accom
panied by the name of the writer in
full, even if the writer does not wish
his name to appear in print.
Anonymous communications will
not receive attention.
We earnestly request brethren, ev
erywhere, to send us news from their
respective churches. Everything of
interest to the denomination, local or
general, will be welcomed, and find
admission into the colutnus of The
Index.
Harvey Riegel, of the vicinity of Circleville,
Ohio, will soon establish a plaining and saw
mill near Tuscumbia, and Thomas Alden, and
several others from his neighborhood, will ac
company him to Alabama.
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, MARCH 1, 1877.
Spirit of the Religious Press,
—The Biidical Recorder, commenting on
the evident disquietude of many people in
evangelical denominations concerning the
inroads of Romish proselytism upon the col
ored people of the South, does not share this
fear, believing that the flummery and display
o! Romanism cannot tempt the colored race to
forsake their allegiance to the true Gospel.
Among o’he- good reasons for this belief it
says :
There are Catholic priests, and Catholic
teachers, and Catholic schools in many of the
cities and towns of the South where there are
large numbers of colored people. This lias
been so for years. What have they done in
making converts of them? Northing, or at
best next to nothing. We often hear of a
pastor of some Baptist church baptizing over a
hundred converts at a time. Who ever heard
of half a dozen joining the Catholics in a year ?
We admit their ignorance of much that is con
sidered important, but they are not poor, sus
ceptible beings without any knowledge of
Christ, waiting to be deluded by the first
trickster that comes along. Their minds are
already filled with the truths of the Gospel,
and their hearts are warm witli the love of the
Master. Their one great weakness is a want
of stability or capacity to resist temptation.
They are not easily carried.away by new doc
trines and new things, but they are too easily
tempted. We have no tears of the Catholics
and their influence with these people.
—Under the head of “A Mistake” the
Mississippi Baptist Re-cord says:
When Pike, of the Herald , began his discus
sion, lie denominated the opposersof alien
immersion as landmarkcrs. Time and again
he was corrected, but he stuck to his error.
Brother. Relyea, of the Southern Baptist, in his
articles in that paper, has fallen into the same
mistake. Alien immersions have nothing in
the world to do with landmarkism. Indeed a
landmarker may take either side of the alien
immersioa question without compromising his
consistency. It is well enough to make a note
of this.
—Very tersely and truly the Christian Treats
ury remai ks:
The art of forgetting is a blessed art, but the
art of overlooking is quite as important. And
if we should take down the origin, progress,
and outcome of a few of our troubles, it would
make us so ashamed of the fuss we make over
them, that we should be glad to drop Buch
things and bury them at once in eternal for
getfulness. Lire is too short to be worn out in
petty worries, frettings, hatreds, and vexations.
Let us banish all these, and think on whatso
ever things are pure, and lovely, and gentle,
and of good report.
the tot* f<^
\ or fill years have#witnessiU a letuii, of fl
-jews To Palestine horn all bulf mOflrfiP
pecially from Russia, which has been alto
gether unprecedented. Jews are always ready
to rent every house that is to let.
—The Mississippi Baptist Record takes the
correct view of newspaper writing. It says:
“Short pithy articles that go immdediately
into the middle of things are what the readers
of a newspaper want. They will not, as a rule,
read those pieces that run on and on forever,
and give no hope of an end. The ablest
preachers have never been able to interest a
congregation for any considerable length of
time by a series of sermons on given subjects,
much less on one subject. Newspaper writers,
have not, as a rule, succeeded better with
serial articles. When an article begins with
No. 1,2, or 3, half the readers of a weekly
paper will wait till next time to read it, and
next time to them never comes. ”
—The Baptist Reflector says: “The last
Index contains notices of the death of the
mother, and the wife of Rev. A. J. Beck, of
Atlanta, Georgia. Brother Beck’s wife was
a daughter of Dr. E. W. Warren, of Rich
mond, and a most estimable lady. To lose
bath mother and wife, the two dearest of earih
ly friends, is a sad affliction, but remember
‘God doeth all things well.’ ”
—Dr. Heman Lincoln, in the Watchman,
has this to say on an imporlant subject, which
should awake those who are asleep;
Baptists ought to cherish an honorable pride
in making their own schools of the highest
order, inferior lo none in resources and quality
of work. The time has passed for dependent
on other denominations for the education ol
our children. Such humiliation could be
borne when our numbers were few and our
wealth limited. But God has granted a won
derful growth to our churchen, assigning to
them a foremost place in the land. Baptists
are now the second denomination in numbers
with wealth adequate to their utmost needs'
Ar.d every Baptist who recognizes the impor
tance oi attachment to the principles for which
our fathers suffered, should be unable to rest
satisfied while our institutions are yet inferior
in attractions and resources, and bo many of
our children are found in the schools of oilier
denominations, seeking advantages which our
own schools do not furnish.
If we are to be accounted worthy to hold the
prominent place in the land which God has
given us or if we are to emulate our fathers in
zea and selt-saerihce for New Testament prin
ciples, it is essential to give a higher character
to our institutions, and to make them equal in
all respects to the most honored in the land
lo be content wiih an inferior position is to
abdicate a right to future growth.
Ihe I resbgtcrian Week'y is opposed to all
kinds of coquetry, and especially to coquetry
on the part of pastors with their church as the
object of their disreputable eflort. It makes
the following strong aud well-deserved com
ment :
Coquetry of any kind is beneath the dignity
of a true man, especially when churches are ii
object. And yet there is nothing better known
among the m.mstry and by many churches
than that there are ministers who sometime"
put all their arts into practice to steal the
affections of a church, and receive a call from
it, and then reject it, as in some cases they in
tended to all the time, as unwoithv of them.
A minister wishes an increase of salary, or
desires to test the affection of his people, or
would have the public feel that he is eagerly
sought after by other churches, and he sets in
notiou influences to receive a call to some
vacant church, simply that liis selfish and
ambitious aim may be gratified. It is time
this practice was protested against.
Such tampering with sacred things, for such
it in reality is, is demoralizing to a man. No
u ' ore can a minister win the confidence of a
church, only to betray it without becoming less
honey.isle, less conscientious, less moral, than
a man can trifle with the affections of a woman
and not suffer fearfully all through his moral
natui To preserve his self respect, and an
acute sensitiveness to everything mean and
dishonorable, should be the aim of every min
ister. Whatever tends to interfere, with such a
condition should not be courted tor a single
moment but completely discarded. Nothing
so soon lowers a man’s higli sense of honor
and makes him morally callous as descending
to th.Jevel ol a church coquette.
It was hardly to he expected that the
Unitarians of Boston would sympathize much
with the Moody movement. We were scarcely
prepared, however, for the following stray
iangwig l from one of their organs .
“The basis o! Moody’s movement, both as to
'act anu logic, is false. It is a libel on God
and a disgrace to men. In spite, then, of in
cidental reformatory work-whicli might take
place as well, and reailydoes take place even
under l igan religions—let ns keep this one
uppermost: Is it true? If not, will it pay to
copy or encourage it ?”
Says the New York Methodist, in its
trenchant slyle:
It is right to make the most of ourselves, but
tire first thing is to take account of stock, and
lationally estimate our resources. Every one
can l/e honest, kindly, faithful. Is it not
strange that bo many are dishonest, unkind,
unfaithful ? A true ambition would take
possession of these gifts for all. would enter
for t.iis race wherein all who run are crowned
victors. A true making the most of ourselves
acce| s with humble thoughtfulness those
honors which God gives to the weakest as well
as to the strong. There is enough fine noise
in tire world ; what is wanted of you is the
eloquence of faith fulness and devotion.”
BAPTIST NEWS ASD NOTES.
1! v. Rufus C. Burleson, writing from Gal
vesb n, February 11th, to the Texas Baptist
Ht r 'd, gives the following interesting itemsof
the .Baptist cause in that Slate. He says:
“>. od is greatly blessing the increasing toils
l k-Ar'ncr Penn in this city. I write to say
that tio man ever needed, or deserved the
PktgTritndsynipathies ol the Baptists of Texas
. • '..Lr no ' it. t-
T l r 11 " 1 II i' list!..
1 v:vlv'7>lirU fj.a, ■ the fold path",
f would only consent to hold union meet
ingfc, and ignore Baptist doctrines, a thousand
)>eans would ring his name from a thousand
Pedobaptisl. pulpits. All this he counts as
dross for Christ’s sake. Who ever sacrificed
more?
1 heard him deliver an address on Baptist
doctrines to-day, that will never lose its power
while the waves of the Gulf beat on Galveston
shore. Seventy-three have joined the Second
church. 1 trust that every Baptist, male and
female, visiting Galveston on business or
pltasure, will attend his meetings and lend a
helping hand.
Nearly thirty years ago I landed in this
city, and here preached my first sermon in
Texas. But what mighty changes 1 A city of
4,000 has grown to 87,000. Tire Baptists of
Texas then numbered 1,900, now they number
70,000. Texas then numbered not over 75,-
000; she now numbers about 1,700,000, with
an increase of 300,000 annually. I was then
J’oung; lam now gray headed, but I love
1 exas and Jesus with an ever accumulating
love, and only regret that I have not another
life to wear out for my Redeemer, and Texas.
The Baptist Reflector will be removed
from Morristown to Nishville, Tenn., about
March Ist.
—Rev. A. J, Holt, in the columns of the
Texas Baptist, reports an interesting service
among the Seminoles. The place of meeting
could not half hold the people, some of whom
had come, in bitter cold weather, thirty miles,
to attend the meeting. Brother Hall reports
that the Watehitaws are accessible to the Oospel
“Our Chief had a talk with one of their men
through the medium of two interpreters, and
he asked us to come to his country and talk
about the ‘Great Life Keeper.’ ”
—A writer in the National Baptist suggests:
“Would it not be well for each of our Theolo
gical Seminaries to endow a chair for teaching
our youug men some handicraft by which
they could supplement their support, at least
till they grow large enough and old enougli to
fill —I will not say more important positions,
for Ido not think so—but positions in which
they can give themselves wholly to the word.”
—Rev. W. E. Paxon was unanimously
elected Corresponding Secretary of the South
ern Baptist Publication Society.
—lt is an interesting fact that there are no
less than one hundred Indian Baptist preach
ers among the civilized tribes, several of
whom are now ready and willing to go on
missions to their wild brethren. We have
eighty-five Baptist churches, with a member
ship of nearly 5,000 Indians, among the Cber
o'-ees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and
Seminole tribes, as fruits of missionary labor
already.
—The Examiner and Chronicle with great
force remarks; .
“All will Bay that it is desirable that the
Baptist ministers and intelligent laymen of the
next generation should feel a deep interest in
qur Baptist colleges of that generation. But
in order to do this they must flb graduates of
those colleges. They must have been educat
ed in our own schools, to feel the interest in
those schools which we desire they should feel
the g
of Tennessee.
To have a strong denomination, we must have
strong colleges. And to have strong colleges
strong men must be interested in them, and
such men in order to be interested in them,
must have been students in those colleges.
Surely, it is folly to send ofi scores of our best
young men to form their Strongest social at
tachments outside our lines, when we shall
need their warmest sympathies and fellowship
in building tip our own denominational
strength.
le*' parents think of these things, and let
pastors think of them, and let our voung men
think of them.” ’
—The Western Recorder pays : “We regret
to hear that tire health of Dr. Wm. Williams,
of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,
is steadily declining.”
—lt is probable that Rev. R. M. Dudly,
now of Richmond, Virginia, will be invited
to succeed brother McDonald, in the church
and college in Georgetown, Kentucky.”
The auniversary sermon of the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary will be preached
on Sunday, May 6th, by Dr. Thos. Armitage,
of New York.
—Mr. John Wannamaker’s Bethany Sun
day-school in Philadelphia, now lias the
names of 2,000 scholars on its rolls; in the
Bible class there are 250 adults.
The Missionary Field,
i
Editors Index —The following interesting
extracts are taken from a letter in The Evangel,
written by Miss A. M. Fielde, of Swatow,
China. Having been interested and benefitted 1
by reading them, I desire others to be also,
hence I request their publication in The In
dex. Mrs. N. A. B.
Long ago I heard this story: Once upon a '
time, Alexander and his army were riding 1
through a ravine so deep and crooked, and
dark, that when they were once through they '
never could go back again. While on their '
way through, their horses’ hoofs clattered 1
among pebbles, which some of the soldiers :
stooped to pick up, and as they did so, they
heard a voice saying, “He that gathers will be
sorry, and he that gathers not will be sorrier.”
When they got out of the cavern into the
light, the pebbles proved to be emeralds and
diamonds, so he tint had gathered was sorry
he had not gathered more, and he that gather
ed none was still sorrier. 8o we may say in
this missionary work, “He that gives will be
sorry, and he that gives not will be Borrier.”
When we go out of this dim world into the
light of Heaven, and there know what gems
Jesus Christ considered these Chinese souls to
be, he that has brought some into the kingdom
will lie sorry that he did not bring more, and
O, how sorry be that Uh brought none at ati
will be aTf whri giv.jfor this purniye
are indeed putting their iT¥aßure in bags fpal
wax not old, for these souls will outlast the
stars. The money and the prayers are needed.
Personally, I feel very dependent on the pray
ers of those in America. Sometimes when I
have felt so tired and tried that 1 felt that my
prayers did not reach into Heaven, I have
received rich blessings, and have known that
someone far of! was praying for me.
At our last communion, on the 6th instant,
eleven were baptized. Our native church here
now numbers over three hundred. Their
homes are scattered all over the Department
—there usually being not more than two or
three Christians in a single village. The seed
has been sown broadcast, and has sprung up,
one grain here, and another grain miles ofl
there ; and while there are now Christians in
each of the nine districts of the Department, it
often happens that one Christian is the onlv
one in an area of many miles. We have, in
all, twelve chapels; and the Christians, some
of them walking several leagues for it, assem
hie at them on Sundays for instruction under
the native preachers. They bring their noon
lunch with them, and hear two sermons; but
they are tired when they arrive. I visit the
Christian women in their homes, and invite
those whose age and character commend them,
and whose domestic circumstances permit
them to leave home, to come here and study
for a few months; and I, at times, go with
them to the villages, and observe their ability
in telling what they have learned to the
heathen women, The class I am now teach
ing numbers thirteen, and has given me much
satisfaction. They know about all the contents
of the four Gospels, and seem earnest in obeying
the truth. These Chinese women are all high
tempered, and one of the characteristics of the
Saviour which amazjs them most, and which
I have most often to call them to practically
imitate, is His meekness. They find it diffi
cult to maintain that meekness so dear to the
Master. They see it is something far nobler
than self-control, which effects the surface
chiefly. One may command all expression of
resentment, and be like those spots on the
slopes of Vesuvius where the scoria looks cool
and placid at the top, while the lava is glowing
and seething underneath. Christ wants us to
begin at the bottom to cool ofl. For these peo
ple it is a change of all their modes of thought
—that of beginning at the inside instead of the
outside to amend. Little by littlet hose taught
of Him do change ; and for me there is the
j >y of seeing the greatest of miracles wrought
before my eyes—an ignorant, degraded soul
changed into a noble and holy one, by Christ.
How slight was the old miracle of turning
water into wine compared with this! Just
now my class is studying Joh j xiv, and are
helped by it, as all who have hard fates to bear
may be.
—ln the latter part of November, the mis
sionaries, ministers and laymen of the Protes
tant Episcopal Church in Liberia, organized a
diocese called “The Diocese of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in Liberia.”
The act to reduce the rate of taxation in
Alabama, as passed by the Legislature, reads:
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Ala
bama, That upon all property assessed for, or
liable to, taxation, there shall be assessed and
collected a tax of seven-tenths (7-10) of one
per cent, for State purposes, and no more;
and this act shall take eff ct as of the first day
of January, 1877. '
WHOLE NO. 2258
General Denominational News.
—A Boston minister computes that out of
the 66,000 inhabitants of Ea6t Boston, not
3,000 can be found on Sunday morning in tire
ciiurches. One-sixth ot the members them
selves are not of the church-going class.
—The Methodist Episcopal church has in
the United States 1,387,000 members. This
is in the proportion of one Methodist to every
29 persons.
—ln round numbers there are now in the
United States, 58,000 Protestant ministers,
92,000 Protestant churches and 8,000,000
Protestant church members.
—The recently consolidated Presbyterian
bodies report 36 synods; 172 presbyteries;
4,744 ministers; 324 licentiates; 705 candi
dates ; 5,077 churches; added by experience,
48,244; total membership, 535,210; adults
baptized, 15,753; infantß baptized, 18,987;
Sunday-school membership, 555,347.
—The Calcutta Bible Society has made an
offer, which has been accepted by the Bengal
government, to supply all the State schools
with the Bible.
—A religious body not much known but
very active, is the church of the Seventhday
Adventists. They have at Battle Creek,
Michigan, a publishing house, college, and
health reform institution. Another publish
ing house is located at Oakland, California.
In circulating the issues of their press, the
Adventists display an unusual degree of en
ergy.
—The London correspondent of the Dundee
Advertiser, states that Mr. Gladstone has lately
declared to a friend his opinion that the An
glican church will be compelled to claim in
dependence, and that she can only secure that
result through disestablishment. He has not
yet, however, reached the more advanced po
sition of disendowment, which the Liberals
generally hold, and is said to be prepared,
when the proper time comes, to maintain the
right of the church to a large part of her en
dowments. A difference of opinion on this
point may, it is thought, retard the cause of
disestablishment.
—The Rev. Prof. H. B. Smith, a dis
tinguished Biblical scholar, and editor of the
Presbyterian Quarterly and Princeton Renew,
died a few days ago.
—The colored Methodists (two branches)
and Baptists of New Albany, Indiana, have
formed a Preachers’ Meeting Association tor ,
that ct y, assembling weekly for tautual bviietj:
and rjf’igiow Sinproveoicn’ L. , • v .*.. jfl
—-in American Missionary writes ; w
“ Russia is a wonderful free country ac
cording to the notion of some of our home
friends. There is not a single Baptist mis
sion in the whole of Russia, but there are men
who entered Russia with passports, stating that
they are shomakers, locksmiths, tailors, etc.
They have found converted Germans, not Rus
sians—have rebaptized them, and now keep
up meetings with them ; but not as their pas
tors or missionaries. They are represented
to be mechanics with whom others choose to
meet for prayers, etc. But if they were to
say to-day, that they are pastors or mission
aries to the congregations, they would to
morrow be sent beyond the frontier.”
—Ancient Arabic places of worship have been
discovered on the high bills along the Nile,
with circles of stones like the Druid circles of
Britain, and other memorials within the circle,
of good workmanship.
—The results of Christian missions in
heathen lands are summed up in one of the
journals as follows : There are 31,000 labor
ers of all kinds ; Christian education is given
to 600,000 youths of both sexes; 273,000
natives are communicants of Christian bodies;
there are 2,500 Christian congregations; and
a population numbering in all 1,350,000 has
adopted the Christian name. Over 60,000
Fijians gather regularly for worship on the
Lord’s day,who, within a score of years, feasted
on human flesh. In 1850, Madagascar had
only a few hundred scattered and persecuted
converts. Now the Queen and her Prime
Minister, with more than 200,000 of her sub
jects, are adherents of Christianity. The
largest parish in the world, numbering 4,500
members, is in Hilo, on the Island of Hawaii,
not fifty years removed from the most debas
ing savagery. In more than three hundred
islands of Polynesia, heathenismism has been
ewept away by the Gospel.
—The New York Bible Society, in the
eighteen months ending last October, dis
tributed 102,309 Bibles and Testaments valued
at $18,703. Among 149,311 immigrants ar
riving at this port, 44,720 copies of the Bible
and New Testament have been distributed.
Upon 2,735 vessels, 33,792 volumes nave been
placed, one-fourth for sailors, one-fourth for
distribution to immigrants, and 15,000 for
circulation in Roman Catholic ports. In
67,610 cases, the homes of the poor have been
visited; 7,871 were without a copy of the Bible
or New Testament, and 10,384 copies were
distributed among them.
—The Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis
sions needs, to meet its engagements, by April
30,1877, $437,687, or nearly $73,000 a month.
The Moulton Advertiser says: Aunt Delia
Walker, aged 123 years, died near Mt. Hope,
in this county, on the 2d of January. She
was a loyal servant for more than 100 years,
and died respected by all her white neighbors.
She cooked for the revolutionary soldiers, and
was one of the first slaves brought to this coun
try. Her age is vouched for by reliable men,
and we would like to know if any older per
son ever lived or died in the Plate. Will our
I exchanges please let the people know ?