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The vShrist iax In dex. THE SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST, THE CHRISTIAN HERALD OF Alabama. or Tfnnessek . VOL. 56—XQ, 40. Table of Contents. Fibst Page.—Alabama Department: Record of State Events. Genefla Denominational News. Baptist News and Notes. Spirit of the lie- Religions Press. The Mission Field. “Burn ing the i lotestants"—Rev. T. B. Cooper. Second Page.—Onr Correspondents : Mites on ' the Act of Baptism, No. 33— Rev. J. H. Kit Patrick : Chinch Work: Hiwassee and Notley River Associations—W. M. Haygood ; The Fairbnrn Association—T C. B.; Thai Cimpson Weed—W. R. Brown: The Semi-Centennial A. S.; An Evil Connected with the Sunday- School—Rev. J. H. Campbell, D.D.; Baptist Middle Association Resolutions ; Ordination ; Valid Baptism—W, 3. J. Third Page.—Household and Cluldreus De partment : Poetiy—Child’s Evening Prayer; For the Children—Ann*. Edith ; Civility is al ways Rewarded : One Safe Friend. Foertb Page.—Edrorial : A Right Use of Rea son ; Sm and lrs Measure —Rev. G- A. Nuu nally; Valid Baptism—Rev. S. G. Hillyer, D.D.; Georgia ‘t- eiation—Rev. D. E. But ler. Too Many Ci i ;as : Starting in Christian Life ; A Blow at the Holy See ; Unitarian Rule of Faith ; Geo’gia Bupti" News. Fifth Page. Secular Editorials : Georgia Crops ; Prize S’ory ; Personal ; State Univer sity ; Unquiet Frauce ; Communism ; Export ing Wheat. Cave Spring Association. A Prin ciple in Peril. Georgia News. News of the Week —Domestic—Foreign. Literary holes and Comments. Sixth Page.—The Sunday School: Paul and the Bigoted Jewß—Leeso’u for Sunday October 21st, 1877 : Baptist History—Rev B. W. Wliil den ; Tribulations of Ritualism in E ngland. Seventh Pans.—The Farm : Tea Culture in Georgia—Mrs. R. S. Scriveu : Consolidated Crop Report; The Banner County in Farming. Science and Education. Poetry : Tlio Hour of Death ; Strength for To-day. Eighth Page.—Editorial : An Evil Connected with Sunday-Schools Georgia Baptist Asso ciation—Fogy. Cbituary. Reading Notices. Advertisements.- iin DEX AND BAPTIST, ALABAMA DEPARTMENT Gadsden is to have a free school. The Wilcox fair at Camden begins October 24. Rev. Josiah Barker has been holding a pro tracted meeting at Brundidge. The Athens Post chronicles a heavy innnU gration from the North. There are 400 pupils in the colored public schools in Montgomery. Major John Sawyer, of Kynnilga, is the old est male inhabitant of Talladega county. Corn and cotton in Biountsville valley is ex* cellent. The Cullman colony is very prosperous. A protracted meeting has been held in the Baptist church in Centre. The. Wetumpka Branch railroad is being rapidly. 1 , 0 - V- - —e--j?lj yVttacV/l 'J wc-ive pr3C7>souitd the Baptist church at Davis’ school house, Sheiby county. The State Fair in Montgomery begins Oc tober 30th. The Agricultural and Mechanical college opened with over 100 cadets. The new sheriff of Autauga county is a ne gro, and white democrats made his official bond. The Cherokee Aassociation refused the proposition to co-opcrate with the State Mis sion Board. The Caliaba Association will meet with Hopewell church, five miles west of Marion, Ferry county, on Friday the 19th instant. The farmers dealing in Troy have paid thisyear, fo date, over $90,000 for Western bacon. A suicidal policy. A. Fuller Prince loaf $20,000 by the floood. He is one of Tuscaloosa’s most energetic citi zens. The Gadsden Times sayes: “The father of John Weems, of this county, is 102 years old > and is as active as most men at the age of GO.” A. C. Hargrove, E*q, lost one of the best crops of corn and cotton ever raised on the Warrior. His losees will not be less than $lO,- 000. The law for the impeachment of judges has been declared invalid became the senate jour nal does not show that it was signed by the president of the senate in the presence of that body. Mr. Ro Lapslev, one of the very best busi ness men in Selma, has been appointed treasu rer of the Selma, Rome and Dalton railroad, and has entered upon the discharge of his du tiee. A correspondent of the Baptist says; “I feel that we are in great need of an educated ministry. Most of our churches are in a state of‘do nothingism,’especially in educa ting young men for the ministry. Ojr breth ren need stirring up to higher aims.” Dr. Renfroe, in a recent number of the Ala bama Baptist declines the request made by an Association to publish the sermon preached before it, for the following reasons: “After reflection we have decided to decline that re quest. That sermon, if toe did preach it, is good enough to be preached again, and it cost us much thought; and generally it is the case that if an ordinary preacher wishes to consign a sermon to oblivion, let him put it in a news paper. That’s so." General Denominational News, —Arolibisbop Bailey, of Baltimore, the Catholic Primate of the United States, died at Newark, N. J., on October 3d. Bishop Gibbons becomes his successor. —Mr. D. L. Moody, the evangelist, pro poses to spend the month of October among tiie churches in Vermont. —By the will of J. L Neill, late of Phila delphia, the sum of $2,500 has been be queathed to the Presbyterian Hospital oi Philadelphia. —A correspondent of the Philadelphia Presbyterian makes this mention of the Sab bath at Ocean Beach ; “ A favorite meeting is the surf meeting. It is held in and around an open pavilion, on the very edge of the sea and in file cool of the day, when the re freshing breeze is coming in from its long stroll over the bouuding prairies of the deep. And often, at such a time, as if to allure tin human eye heavenward, God prints a picture in the western sky that calls to mind the ex quisite passage in Exodus xxiv. HI: “ And they saw the Go lof Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and ns it were the body of heaven in His clearness.” St. Marks, E. W. S. Peck, pastor, is the only. Methodist church in New York city exclusively for colored people. They have a fine edifice, worth over $50,000, a good parsonage, and a membership of one hundred and seventy-eight. The pastor has received twenty-six persons on probation. Bishop Scott is, since the death of Bishop Janes, the Senior Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. —Another reformed Episcopal Church has been formed, and a meeting was held at the Amity Street church, Brooklyn, N Y., on September 16th. The Rev. W. 11. Reid said it was proposed to establish this as the fourth church of the denomination in Brooklyn. —Five consecrations of Lutheran churches are reported within the last mouth. —According to the Pitssbiirgh Christian Advocate , it reqirres over four “probation ers” to produce one member. In the couu try embraced by the Pittsburgh Conference, either the material must be inferior, or the boiling down process must be wonderfully efficient. —The “Colonization” movement among the Homan Catholics seems to be growing in force. A Philadelphia “colony” lias bought a large tract of land in Western North Carolina. Bishop Ireland has a colony in Minnesota, and another one has been established in Nebraska. The colony carries church, priest, teacher and schools with it. —The Scotch United Presbyterian Church has bought tlie Edinburgh Theatre for £2(5,700. They intend to convert the- building into a synod ball and offices for the whole denomination. The theatre was built some years ago by a limited liability company at a cost of more than £50,000. —A meeting of the clergy and laity of Bristol and Clifton was held on Monday afternoon, Bishop Anderson presiding, in opposition Ui -ihut, <tf tep-iqf ' : r " A.- r'essioo. A anemone 1 ,o Hip Queer* adopted, and is to be circulated for signature throughout the city. The memorial prays that Her Majesty would be graciously pleased to take such means as may be effectual to put down the practice of auricular confes sion within the sphere of the Church of England. The Baptist says: There is a band from the Northwest, comprised of men and women, at Ennis, Texas, preaching the doc trine of a “higher life,” and sinless perfection. Vast crowds attend their gatherings. BAPTIST NEWS AM) NOTES. —The cottage city of the Baptists at Mar tha’s Vineyard is a gratifying success. All pecuniary obligations have been easily met, and a fund provided for the permanent roof ing round the speaker’s stand. The breth ren having the enterprise in charge, have suc ceeded in making it not only a place of rest to over worked pastors and care worn city breth ren, but of a religious refreshment and enjoy ment. Eminent preachers, from various parts of the land, have contributed their best efforts in making it a great gospel feast to the weary multitude. —The late Mrs. Deborah Mason, of Brook lyn, N. Y., left a property of $250,000, a gen erous slice of which is divided in sums, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, among fifteen benevo lent organizations, chiefly Baptist. To her pastor, Rev. John W. Searles, she left $3,000. —The Tennessee Baptist Convention meets on the 26 h of October, in the city of Chatta nooga. The representatives of the leading ob jects of Southern Baptists will, no doubt, avail themselves of the opportunity of meeting the brethren of Tennessee. All things indicate an important and delightful meeting. —Rev. A. S. Burrows, formerly a Methodist minister, lias been ordained by a Baptist coun cil in New York, and will become pastor of a Baptist church in Connecticut. —ln North Carolina there are 56,289 col ored Baptists, most of whom can read, and are anxious to learn. There are 250 colored min isters. —Father Stradley, of Ashville, tells the Bibical Recorder this about Dr. Richard Fuller : “When he was first called to the ministry, ia many of his early eflorts in Asheville, North Carolina, I saw him distressingly embarrassed to a total pause, until the word desired came to his relief. At his boarding house he asked me if I knew the cause. ‘I do not, sir.’ He answered ; ‘I tried to be eloquent at the bar, but I must be plain in the pulpit; I would not have a ten year old child go home to ask my meaning.’ ’’ Ex-Gov. Drew, formerly, of Arkansas, now of Texas, and Senator Maxey, of Paris, Texas have both united with a Baptist church. —Says the Baptist Reflector: “Baptists who FP.AKILIN PIRNTiNG HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, OCTOBER 18, 1877, read our denominational papers are intelligent, active and progressive ; those who do not read, are ignorant and dead. One can tell the dif ference the moment he enters a church or As sociation. Preachers who do not read are pit iable semblances of what they ought to be.” —The Baptist General Association of Mis souri will meet at Lexington on Wednesday before the fourth Sunday in October. —The Warren Avenue Baptist church, of Boston, lias unauimouely refused to accept the resignation ci the pastor, the Rev. George F. Pentecost. The resignation was presented im mediately after the action of the Bjston North Baptist Association. One hundred and forty one members voted for the resolutions, which are as follows: “That the Warren Avenue Baptist church stands by the answer made io the Boston North Baptist Association, Sep teiuber 19, 1877. That we will not consent to any compromise in the matter of the right of private judgment, liberty of speech, and the independence of the churches, or ecclesiistical control over their internal affairs, or in mat-h ters of faith and practice that do not enter es sentially into their constitution and integrity as Baptist churches. That after a pastorate of five years we have full confidence in the Chris, tian life and character of our pastor, the Rev. George F. Pentecost, and unanimously decline to accept his resignation, and request him to withdraw the same.” —“J. P. M.” in the Western Recorder instructs the editor of the Religious Her ald on, the subject of consistency. —The Herald says this is the question; “Is religious teaching limited by divine authority to regularly authorized minis ters of the gospel ?” The Record says it’s this: “Who ought to be authorized by the churches to preach the gospel ?” If you don’t know what the question is, brethen, wouldn’t it be better to close the debate ? / lit put this question squarely to the Herald: Is the right to preach to the church by its encouragement universal ? Record. We hope Dr. Jeter under stands the question, and that, for our sake, he will explain it. The Reflector says that the Salem Association of Tennessee at its last ses sion, excluded a church for “recognizing and receiving alien immersions.” —A correspondent of the Alabama Baptist calls the Herald-Record contro versy a “Baptist Shooting Match,” and says both contestants have used irrele vant ordnance, and that the Virginia team uses too many exploded-buHs. ~-T:, xorl jvtveqs cm (qploic.l) socn.ts.n of. steps to build and endow a Iligb School to be located at Dallas. The land for a site has already been secured. —“L. B.” of the Texas Baptist, should consult his lexicon before using the word “uxorious” again. —A correspondent of the Record says lie doesn’t think “there are half a dozen open communion Baptists in North Louisiana, and not one in a hundred be lieves in alien baptism, and nineteen out of twenty are old Land markers.” —At the Ministers’ Conference in Pro vidence recently. Dr. E. G. Taylor stated the prominent features of the Pastor’s work as follows: 1. Teaching, or feeding the flock of Christ; 2. Leader ship or oversight; 3. Personal contact with individuals in the church and con gregation. —There will be a meeting of the Bap tist Education Society of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Friday, Oct. 26. The proposition to sell the buildings and land of Union University will come up for action. —On the 17th of September the new, unfinished building of the Twelfth Bap tist Church, Philadelphia, was sold at sheriff’s sale for $1,(500. —The First Baptist Church, on Pier pont street, Brooklyn, N. Y., is building a second Tremont Temple, which will be a great success. The Washington Ave nue and the Centennial churches have refitted and beautified their houses of worship. —Tlie Crozer Seminary has a larger attendance than ever before, and all promises well for a most useful year. Mr. Bernard C. Taylor, a graduate of 1877, is instructor of Hebrew. The First Baptist Church, Baltimore, has sent out forty-one useful ministers. —The Rev. Mr. Grant, formerly an Adventist, has become a Baptist, and was ordained at a council at Johnstown, N. Y., on the 11th inst. The London Baptist gives this de scription of the baptistery in a neat Bap tist Chapel erected in Warwickshire: The baptistery in white marble is placed in front of the pulpit, which is of carved oak on a stone basis, bearing in gold letters the following passages of Scripture :—“And Jesus answering said, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it be cometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then He suffered him, and Jesus when He was baptized went up slraightway out of the water, and 10, the heavens were opened unto him, and He saw the Spiri t of God descendinglike a dove, and lighting upon Him, and 10, a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”—Matt. iii. 16,-17. “If thou believest withall thine heart thou mayest, and they went down both in the water.”—Acts viii. 37, 38. For the joitox a I Baptist.] I'BCRN THE PROTESTANTS.” Eds, 1 nde v—Your short article in the last I:,,“EX, styled “Burn the Protest ants,” reminds me of Martin Luther’s Genealogy of Antichrist, as follows: “Tin Devil begat Darkness, Darkness begat Ignorance, Ignorance begatError” and hi brethren; Error begat Free-will and P.esuii ption out of Self-conceit, Free-w ill begat Merit, Merit begat For getfuluess of God, Forgetfulness of God begat t rimsgression, Transgression begat Superstition, Superstition begat Satis faction, Satisfaction begat Oblation of the M-ss, the Oblation of the Mass begat Unction, Unction begat the Priest, the Priest begat Mischief, Mischief begat Hypocrisy, Hypocrisy begat Trading with Offerings for Gain, Trading begat Purgatory Purgatory begat Yearly Solemn Vigils, Yearly Vigils begat Church Livings,‘Church Livings begat Mammon, Mammon begat Superfluity, Superfluity begat Excess, Excess begat Rage liUge begat Licentiousness, Licen tiousi.m begat Dominion, Dominion begat Pomp, Pomp begat Ambition, Am®).’or. begat Simony, Simony begat the Lope and bis brethren; the Pope begat fly Mystery of Iniquity, the Mys tery i,? iniquity begat Sophistical Divin ity, Sfl-histlcal Divinity begat Rejectiug (Burning?) of ilie Holy Scriptures, the Reject.ng of the Holy Scriptures begat Tyranny, Tyranny begat Murdering of Saint ■ Murdering of Saints begat Abom ination Abomination begat Desolation, Desol.i ion begat Anguish, Anguish be gat Qn -tinning, Questioning begat the Searching out of the Grounds of Truth, out of u 'neb the Pope, called Antichrist, is revealed”— (Martin Luther’s Proph esies■ J 1 lin'rtl? 'ollowing in a Romish Cat echism “lor the Family and More Advanced Students in Catholic Schools and Colleges,” in tills State and country : “Q. Who were the first Protestants? A. 1. Martin Luther, a bad German Priest, who left his Convent,broke the sol emn vow of poverty, chastity, and obedi ence, VTnich lie had made to God, mar ried a Nun, anil became the founder of the Lutherans.” 2. Henry the VIII, a bad Catholic King of England, who murdered his wives, and founded the Episcopalian or Anglican Onurch. 3. John Calvin, a wicked French Catholic, who was the founder of the Calvinists. 4. John Knox, a bad Scotish Priest, who was tin- founder of (he Presbyterians or Puritans. “QV'What great crime did these wick ed men commit? “A They rebelled against the Church of Jens Christ (!) and caused a great number of their Catholic countrymen to their had example. “Q. What will be the pi ishment of those Ybo wilfully rebel against the TH: llholic Church (!) th I* j Lucifer tu.u c’,.e other veb 1- ■> w ■■■■•■ ■; . F.' r ii! ;<•/ C„q into lfie Jtij_ , iliTTn&s of He]?. r c Protestants willing to confess their sins to a Catholic Bishop or Priest, who alone lias power from Christ to for give sins? “A. No, for they generally have an utter aversion to confession, and there fore their sins will not be forgiven throughout all eternity. “Q. What follows from this? “A. That they die in their sins and are damned. “Q. If any one loves God. will be also love the Mother of God and all bis Saints ? “A. He will, undoubtedly. “Q. Do Protestants love the Mother of God and the Saints? “A. They do not, or they would not ridicule and blaspheme the Mother of God and the Saints. “Q. What follows from this? “A. That Protestants will never be admitted into tbe company of the Saints in Heaven, whom they have ridiculed and blasphemed on earth. “Q. Have Protestants any faith in Christ? “A. They never had. “Q. Why not? “A. Because there never lived such a Christ as they imagine and believe in. “Q. In wliat kind of Christ do they believe ? “A. In such a one of whom they can make a liar with impunity, whose doc trine they can interpret as they please, and who does not care about what aman believes, provided he be an honest man before the public. I might quote much more of the same lying style and substance of this Cat echism, called “Familiar Explanation of Christian Doctrine,” and published and circulated and used in our own country, mostly by the foreign representatives and mercenaries of the very people who, under the eye of their Bishops and Priests,, to whom they must confess their sins, are now burning Bibles in Italy, and crying, in the language of Hell, “Bum the Protestants!” These same Bible and Protestant burn ers are infesting the State of Georgia, with Bishop Gross at their head, circu lating and teaching in their schools and colleges, such false, inflammatory and pernicious statements as are contained in the above, and in other innumerable publications of the same kind. Is it strange that such men are trying by their wily arts and Pharisaical approach es and demeanor to delude Protestants, and entice their children into these same schools and colleges that they may teach them a “doctrine of devils,” in order that they may curse and burn their fathers and mothers and consign them to the “Protestant’s Hell?” Is it strange, that after these and such like instruct ions, repeated for centuries, the benighted people of Priest-ridden and Pope-blight ed Italy’ should burn the Word and the Saints of God? Will it be strange if they 7 burn you, Protestants of Georgia, and .vour Bibles, after y 7 ou shall have com mitted your own children to them, to be instructed in the damnable heresies of jealousy, hatred, and murder, which they themselves have learned from the Traditions of their ghostly fathers and teachers? Yours truly, T. B. Cooper. September 7, 1877. The Mission Field, —The Church Missionary Society cf England has been compelled to make a large reduction in its expenses for the present year. It began the year with a debt of about $70,000, and the expenses consequent upon the sending out of twen ty new men make the amount needed this year slls in excess of the income of last year. —Baptists may learn a lesson in benev olence and earnest work to extend the Redeemer’s kingdom, from the United Methodist Free churches. They report a membership of 70,000, but they are now sustaining in the foreign field fifty-seven missionaries. The native churches estab lished by these laborers have a member ship of 6,540, of whom 2,677 were added duriug the last year. The Appeal from China.— ITheCon ference of Protestant Missionaries, held at Sbangai, in May last, issued an “Ap peal to the whole Christian world for help.” China is presented as the “larg est heathen country in the world; and as, beyond all question, the most import ant.” It is the fountain from which a large stream of immigration is flowing toward Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific States of America; and these countries are to be benefitted or injured as we care for the source whence it flows. The degraded superstition and debased morals of the people are described in such a way as to show the terrible condi tion of the people; and, to use the lan guage of the paper, “what aggravates the case is, that the literati and rulers of all grades—notwithstanding occasional proclamations to the contrary—make use of the prevailing superstitions to influ ence and govern the people. Thus the eduCAtedj'lujteml to enlighten and elevate the masses, only bind the fet ters of ignorance more effectually upon them.” Notwithstanding the degraded condition of the people, and the hold which superstition Ims upon the popular mind, there are many facts which en courage missionary effort. These arc mentioned: (1.) Thirty-seven years ago there were only three native Christians in all China, in connection with Protestant missions. Now there are at least twelve or thirteen thousand. (2.) A much larger proportion have applied for baptism during the past year than in any previous year, and the candidates have been generally of a Higher type of character. (3.) Tlie em pire is more open than ever for the preaching of the Word, and the Chefoo Convention of last year, together with proclamation agreed upon, is proving a mighty instrument toward the more ef fectual opening up of the vast interior. (4.) Not only is the country open to our efforts, but the minds of many, in differ ent quarters, have been more or less aroused from their lethargy. (6.) Multi tudes are reading our books; and not a few are eagerly investigating the nature and bearing of Western innovations. The great need is an increased number of laborers in this field. The number now stands as one missionary to Massa chusetts, or two for Scotland. The call is especially for young men. The appeal closes with these strong words: “When will young men press into the mission field as they struggle for posi tions of worldly honor and affluence? When will parents consecrate their sous and daughters to missionary work as they search for rare openings of worldly influence and honor? When will Chris tians give for missions as they give for luxuries and amusements? When will they learn to deny themselves for such earthly objects as are dear to their hearts ? Or, rather, when they count it no self denial, hut the highest joy and privilege, to give with the utmost liberality for the spread of the Gospel among the heathen ? Standing on tlie borders of this vast empire, we, therefore—one hundred and twenty missionaries, from almost every evangelical religious denomination iii Europe and America, assembled in Gen eral Conference at Shanghai, and repre senting the whole body of Protestant missionaries in China—feeling our utter insufficiency for the great work so rap idly expanding, do most earnestly plead, with one voice, calling upon the whole church of God for more laborers. And we will as earnestly and unitedly plead at the throne of grace that the Spirit of God may move the hearts of all to whom this appeal comes to cry—“ Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? ’’ And may this Spirit lie communicated from heart to heart, from church to church, from continent to continent, until the whole Christian world shall be aroused, and every soldier of the Lord shall come to the help of tlie Lord against the mighty. WHOLE NO. 2290 Spirit of the Religious Press, —At the Special Conference of the London Baptist Association, many valuable sugges tions were thrown out as to successful work in the churches. Of those reported by IZ.fl ■ Baptist , we select the following: “It would be well if all the pastors and deacons of our churches would agree to offer special prayer for each other on the rnorn iug of every Lord’s Day. Let there be plenty of light, especially un der the galleries in our chapels; they should be made attractive by being made bright. The greatest difficulty is not in getting meetings, but in getting men. There may he a fallacy lying under the term “reaching the masses. The people must be reached one by one. A sword is, after all. the best illustration of the spiritual weapon of the Christian. Let there be indifference to the opposition of crochety or worldly-minded Christinas. Have no respect for the opinions cf insane people. If brethren are spiritually sick, put them to bed aud care for them, but let the strong men go out and tight.” —Rev. A. C Peck, in the Standard, uttrib utes failure in winning souls, to faults in our convictions. Unbelief,-in one or more articles of the Christian is tbe trouble j and, first of all, he mentions : “Such a perversion of predes tinarian views, as lessens the Eense of obliga tion to use means for the salvation ofmen.” Of this error he says : The logical tendency of extreme perdestina rian views is manifest. Practically, these views may root themselves in the head rather than in the heart. Human nature is inconsistent, and so it comes to pass that men are better often than tlrair creed would imply. Still, no creed can be entirely inoperative. VViiat a man thinks, if lie hnids it with any strength ofcon victiou, will surely hear fruit in his life. The correctness of these remarks will he ap parent to every pastor who lias observed the practical efii-ct of this extreme idea of predesti nation, on the life and work of members. We have noticed its paralyzing influence. Those who are active in all other work, and who manifest a strong desire to see souls convene j, seem to have their lips sealed by the word “election.” No theme can more fully engross the speculative reach of the mind than that of the probable state of existence of human beings af ter death. On this absorbing subject the Piesbyterian Weekly holds the following ear nest and suggestive language: The question asked with more intepop earn estness than that which relates to the fact of existence after death is, whether we shall meet and recognize, in the coming life, those whom we have loved upon the earth, and w-’th whom we have been astei ; : the latfonships. ThlTqneetion frequently arises. Ivjieoiafly does id, present itself as westand by the grave of a friend, or for a moment con template the separation which mn=f occur sooner or later, between ourselves and those to whom we are so fondly attached. We turn to the Bible for an answer to our inquiry; and, though we may discover a de tached passage here and there, which implies that this may be so, we cannot discover a sin gle clear, distinct revelation that it is so. This, however, is no argument against its being true. Considering its aim. the Bible is the briefest and most concise book of all litera tures. It descants on nothing but what is es sential to redemption, or has a legitimate bear ing upon it. Most emphatically is this true as regards its revelations concerning the future It enters into no details. Therefore, to doubt future recognition on the ground ofthere being no explicit revelation concerning it, would be to open the gate for doubt to come in concern ing many other things, since there is no minute revelation concerning them. Though the Bible gives nothing definite and explicit concerning this.it does not say anything in contradiction of it. This, then, is the posture of the case. It is not a matter of revelation, but there is noth ing in what has been revealed that even clashes with the possibility of its being true. We have no more doubt of the reunion of friends who sleep in Jesus than if it were dis tinctly affirmed in the Scriptures. The general tone of these writings favors the idea This universal yearning of mankind that it may be true is strongly in its favor. The fact that the sphere of knowledge will be enlarged rather than contracted in the coming life bears along with itthis glorious conviction. While it seems almost essential to the idea of personal im mortality that in the world for which they strove, and of which they spoke to others, Pe ter and John should be able lo recognize each other as once companions i n labor and suffer ing. While there are many strong presumptive arguments on which to build this fond hope there is scarcely anything of any weight that can be urged against it. —The Michigan Association lias just completed a half century. At its recent session in Detroit a Jubilee Service was held in connection with the first church of that city, which is the same age. From the historical address, made on the occasion, the Standard gathers the fol lowing : The association is the oldest in the State. There have been connected with it 109 churches, into which there have been baptized over 6,300 persons. Three associations, the Lenawee, Wayne and Flint River, have been organized by churches dismissed from this, which still covers a large territory. About 200 min isters have been connected with the churches in this body. —The late Mr. Alexander Johnston, of Sterling, Scotland, made a bequest in his love for the cause of Christ, of the munificent sum of $35,000 to the mis sions of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. These missions are mainly in Africa, Jamaica, India, and recently in China.