Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index
VOL. 56—NO. 45.
Table of Con tents.
First Page.—Alabama Department: Reoord
of Btate Events ; Supporting Young Miuioters
at Hov&rd College ; Centennial Association ;
Spirit of the Religious Press; Baptist News
aad Notes; The Mission Field; General De
nominational News.
Second Page.—Our Correspondents : Letter
from Memphis, Tennessee—B. R. Womack ;
Baptizing all Nations -Seuex; “The Gold
Ring and Goodly Apparel"—Lila ; Not Guilty—
J. H. Campbell; Fowl Town (Colored) Bap
tist Association—Wm. H Cooper: More Skim
mings—W. N. Ch&udoin ; Baptist History—
E. W. Whildeu . A Letter of Condolence—W.
N. Chaudoin. The Value of Cheerfulness;
etc.
Third Page.— A Review of the Discus-don be
tween the Religious Herald and the Mississip
pi Record, on affiliation in the service of the
Pulpit of Baptist with Pedobaptist Ministers.
Select Miscellany : Self-Made Men ; “The
Times” in connection With our Ecclesiastical
Interests.
Fourth Page. —Editorial: -Tlis Dizzy Blondes”
—Rev. 8. G. HiUyer, D.D. I reaching the
Doctrines ; Baptist History—Rev. D. E. But
ler. “The Pastor’s Hand-Book”; A Grand
State Mission Work: Day of Thanksgiving ;
Georgia Baptist News, etc.
Fifth Page. —Secular Editorials : Havana or
San Domingo ? Refunding the Cotton Tax ;
Georgia Husbandry : True Words : Our First
Public Library ; A Vocaloie Country ; Notrli
ward. Ho! Georgia News; Thanksgiving
Proclamation, By the Governor of Georgia ;
Personals: Domestic an.l Foreign Notes.
Sixth Page. —The Sunday school : Paul in the
Storm—Lesson for Suuday, November 25,
1877.
Seventh Fagf.—The Farm : Practical Stock
Notes ; Tbe llronze Turkey ; Grapes.
Eighth I’aoe.—Publishers’ Department. Read
ing Notices. Advertisements.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
Canaan Association contributed $140.00 to
support a young minister at Howard College.
Kev. E. Y. VanHoose will soon remove
from Troy to Auburn.
There are ten theological students at How
ard College.
•_ ►*-41
A recent protracted meeting at Zion church,
Sumpter county, resulted in ten accessions by
baptism.
The Presbytery of Southeast Alabama cons
vened at Pea Rivei church, four miles below
Louisville, recently.
9 ■
The marriage licenses issued at Greenville
have averaged 187 per year for the last three
years.
An interesting meeting has been progressing
r.'Jf hodiet ohnpch at Diwsypoti*. v
-eral have united with the clmi m3*
Rev. E. F. Babei has resigned at Collirene
and accepts the position ol Evangelist for the
State Mission Board.
Rev. J. 11. Hendon, nephew of brother Jno.
L. Underwood, of Georgia, has resigned the
care of the church at Union Spr ngs, and ac
cepted a call to Birmingham.
There are two young brethren at the Semi
nary, and two at Howard Cullege, from the
Eufaula Association. One of the latter is
supported by the Association.
Macon countv expects to be relieved of debt
during the next year. The present debt of
about $9,000 will be reduced by this year’s
taxes to $5,000, and that will be discharged
next year.
The shipments of cotton from Troy to date )
this season, are 5,209 bales. Shipments to
same date last season, 6,390 bales, showing a
decrease of shipments of 1,181 bales.
Henry Battle, son of Gen. Cullen Battle, has
given up the practice of law in Eufaula, and
gone to the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, with the view of preparing for the
ministry.
The Muscle Shoals Association, in its late
session, recommended the appointment in each
church of a treasurer, whose duty it shall be
to visit every member, a.id endeavor to secure
a contribution for the home mission cause.
There are thirty-six Sunday-schools con
nected with the churches of the Bethel Asso
ciation, embracing a regular attendance of one
thousand and fifty-four.
The Bethel Association contributed, at its
session in October, $440 00 for State mission
work for the next Associalional year, and
$l7O 00 for the support of a young minister at
Howard College.
The criminal docket of the United States
Court at Montgomery will not be taken up
until the 19th, and consequently -evenue and
other law violators will not be thereuntil that
time. This is a great convenience.
Two prisoners in Henry county jail at
tacked the deputy sherilf on Sunday week
morning, and succeeded in making their es
cape from the house. One of them was re
captured by parties outside the jail, but the
other, at latest account-, was still at large.
The Synod of Alabama, which convened in
Eufaula last Wednesday night, elected R-v.
Dr. Palmer, of Mobile, moderator, with Rev.
Dr. Nall as stated clerk. It adjourned Satur
day evening, to meet at Livingstone, in Sum
ter county, on Wednesday before the first Sab
j,ath in November, 1878.
THEE SOUTH-WESTERN - BAPTiST,
or Alabama.
For the Index and Baptist.l
Centennial Association.
Editors Christian Index— This body
convened with Sardis church, Bullock county,
on Saturday, November 10th. Brother
Slaughter was re-elected moderator. Among
the visitors present were Dr. Sumner, repre
senting the Seminary; Rev. T. M. Bailey,
Corresponding St c ret ary of the Stale Board,
and W. N. Chaudoin, representing the Home
Board at Marion. This Association, as shown
by its name, was organized last year with ten
churches, which number was increased at this
session to eleven. But, though small and
young, it is the “banner Association” in sup
port of (he State Board, having contributed to
that object about $300.00. The Home and
Foreign Boards and the Seminary also re
ceived liberal aid. The sum of fitly dollars
was raised to complete the support of a young
brother in Howard College. Taking the whole
session, it must be pronounced a harmonious
and very interesting meeting. C.
Supporting Young Ministers at How
ard College. —W'e nolice with much gratifi
cation the action of many of our Associations
in regard to supporting young ministers at
Howard. We see in this work promise of
grander success to our cause in Alabama.
What Richmond College has been to Virginia,
and Metcer to Georgia, Howard will he to the
Baptists of Alabama. The time lias come
when the work before us demands an educated
ministry. The advance of Christianity during
the last Half century seems to have called forth
the most strenuous efforts of the great Adversa
ry. The developments of science are used to
attack and oppose the religion of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, the great plans oi the enemy are to
take advantage of ignorance, by bringing for
ward questions which are above B*6 compre
hension of the masses. Now, as never before,
we need men with well informed and cultiva
ted minds to meet and successfully resist these
attacks. No better investment can be made
by the Associations of the State than to put
money into this work. These young brethren
will soon return to you, and from their sancti
fled labor you will reap a glorious harvest.
We hope to see in the State a still deeper ills
terest in this matter, until there will not be ten,
but fen times ten, theological students at How
ard College. The future will demonstrate the
wisdom of your action.
►- ♦
The Clayton Courier says: “The reli
gious meetings iu the Methodist church here
last Saturday nfgtat. Pastor J. S. T'auTlln
has the hearty co-operation of Rev. Mr.
Pilley,of the Methodist Chu’Mqmul the elo
quent efforts of Rev. Mr. Chaudoin, of
Georgia, who has long been a great favorite
with our people. They were discontinue!
at the Baptist church on Thursday night.
Rev. Mr. Pilley announced services in his
church on Friday night, which will no doubt
be continued.”
The President of the State Mission Board
calls upon individuals and churches to pay
their pledges for the support of the correspond
ing secretary, brother T. M. Bailey. A
pledge to support one of Christ’s ministers is a
most serious obligation, and one that should he
met, even if it co-t <jreitsacrifice. In the words
of Dr. Renfroe, “let us comply with this obli
gation promptly, and encourage our noble and
laborious secretary in his arduous work.”
Popular Monthly.—Frank Leslie’s Pop
ular JUonthiy, for December, is to hand. It
contains an entertaining account of the ven
erable Peter Cooper, founder of the Cooper
Institute, New York. Another article de
scribes ancient and modern volcanoes , an
other the artificial production of light. All
of these are profusely illustrated. This is a
very valuable monthly, and should be found
on every library table in the land.
The following named Alabamians have been
appointed to positions in the House of Rep
resentatives at Washington : Messrs. Joseph
Baumer and P. D. Sayre are messengers ;
J. H. Francis, petition clerk ; A. P. Woods
and J. W, Steele, session messengers, and
David Lindsay, page.
►-
Capt. Eads’ jetty system has been applied to
a difficult bar in the Chattahoochee river—
Woolfolks, about seven miles below Columbus
—with satisfactory results. A channel has
been scoured out that promises to relieve the
bar of the obnoxious character.
Rev. W. J. Lowry, formerly pastor of the
Presbyterian church at Selma, greatly be
loved and esteemed, died in Louisville, Kens
tucky, on the 10 h inst.
The Troy Messenger says that Shelby county
will this year send out of its bounds, in pay
ment lor guano, used in making the present
cotton crop, between fifty and one hundred
thousand dollars.
The gross earnings of the penitentiary for
the fiscal year ending September 30, are $43,.
253.99; total expenses, $7,040.23 ; net earnings,
$35,613.63.
N umbers of men from the Northern States,
looking for settlement on Southern soil, pass
through Decatur each week, many of them
settling in the Tennessee Valley.
The Southern Signal, Capt. W. F. Wilkin
son editor, is published a Prattville.
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, NOVEMBER 22, 1877.
Spirit of the Religious Press,
—The United Presbyterian thinks that
there should be more individual Christian
effort employed upon individuals, less de
pendence tipou great crowds and enthusias
tic wholesale demonstrations. It believes
these periodically brilliant displays are harm-* 1
fid, and lead to the neglect of persistent per
sonal labor from day to day. It says:
Iu the presence of all the spectacular wor
ship that is currently popular, and of the.
statistics that so exactly represent the gains
of evangelism, it is probably ungracious, to
say that the true way of reaching the masse?
has not yet been found. Yet, who that looks
car, f lily at society c,n help saying it? The
crowds and enthusiasms which shout, slug
and pray, under a concentrated inspiration,
aad which bulletin their Jesuits throughout,
the country, exhibit our emotional capacity!
tint do little toward helping ou with the pa
tient work that needs to be done in tbe
streets and lanes of the eiiy, and along the
by-ways and hedges of the rural neighbor
hoods. Rather, indeed, they binder it. They,
till the Christian mind with the thought of
periodical Conventions, instead of constant
work. They suggest the thought of whole
sale effort, rather than of individual endeavor
in the slow processes of detail,
The wants of the thousands who never go
to church or a religious meeting, and who
neither read the Bible nor pray, who know,
no Sabbath, and are literally “without God*
and without hope in the world,” these are
the wants that are most tames,ly appealing
to Christian evangelism. They demand tint
the G ispel shall be carried humbly, patiently,
silently, unostentatiously, to homes where it.
lias never entered; and there he affectiouau*,
ly commended to the perishing. We art:’
hearing every day of young ministers, w ho,
w'ell educated and equipped tor their work?
can find no place in which to expend their
zeal. What a withering sarcasm! Give
them money and support, and let them £■>,
with books, papers find other helps, to our
millions of castaways to teach them faith,
repentance aud a holy life. This is the evan
gelism of the New Testament, and for the
tack ol this the pathway of nearly every
Christian is strewn with unbelieving dead.
Rev. J F. Elder, D. D.,iu his address on
“The Skepticism of the Times,” at the re
cent New York Missionary Convention,
said;
Iu the defense of Christianity against
skepticism, we are much indebted to men
like Cook, Thomas anti Fauce. We need
more such men. But, after all, the great an
lidote for skepticism is the preaching fhyl
living of Christ. Arguiug against error fa
the presence of tho-e who do not doubt the
truth, may suggest to them di fliculties they
have never felt. And, as to skeptics, argu
ment must often fail to meet their case.-4Kti'
are skeptics because they are sinners. }
blind as.ttio.se who willomf - wfla
a man is unwilling to believe,
not atlectbim. The best way to meet sltqv
ticisin is with a pure and unsullied life.
—lt is a matter of wonder that so few pro
fessors of religion are really earnest work
ers in the Master’s cause. Avery small per
centage of church members seem to realize
that Christianity is a religion of practice,
that thete is a work to be..done every day,
that the precepts of the Bible must be ex
emplified in the lives of those who claim it
as their guide. May it not be true that the
spasmodic work ol the churches iu “pro
tracted” meetings tends to convey this false
idea of religion to converts? As pertinent
to this subject we extract the following from
the Methodist Recorder:
Some people have great faith in “the
rousements.” We have little. It is easy to
get up an “excitement.” Managers of thea
tres know how to produce a “sensation.”
Parly managers are well acquainted with
the machinery by which “enthusiasm” is
produced. But it is a poor business for men
who profess to believe that the Gospel of
Christ is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth,” to employ aitifi
cial stimulation instead of “the truth as it is
in Jesus” as a means of arousing men to act
iu view of their eternal interests. Let us
have earnestness, by all means; but not the
appearance of earnestness, that exhau-ts
itself in a protracted meeting, and require
all the intervening time until the next “re
vival” to recuperate. Let us have more faith
iu God’s Word as the instrumentality in re
generation, and less faith iu “eloquence,”
froih, fustian, rant, and “rousements."
Preach the Word; be instant in season, out
of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
long-suffering and doctrine, and “pray with
out ceasing.”
—The Baptist Week l )/ administers a “home
thrust” t-> the false charity, so common a
the present day:
1 he idea has somehow grown popular that
to yield to temptation, whether it appeals to
men’s passions, or purses, or principles, is
pardonable, and only what is to he expected
in tlu-ir present state and circumstances.
This sort ol charity has gone to such lengths
that almost every form ol' wicke Iness has
come to be regarded as a misfortune, result
ing from the condition of things, and from
the constitution of the soul, which cau nei
ther be changed nor helped.
********
It has become quite common, of late years,
to characterize flagrant sins as misfortunes,
and to such an exteut has this been carried,
that, in many cases, the sense of responsi
bility for crime has been most seriously im
paired. But, if meu venture to put them
•elves in circumstances where temptations
to dishonesty are beyond their power to re
sist, wlmt ground have they lor any claim to
chanty t Dishonesty is a crime, and to yield
to it is no more excusable than any other
breach ot the moral law. Never, perhaps,
was there greater need of insisting on this
point than now, since there never was a tune
when dishonesty was carried on with so lit
tle setup e, and when exposure was attended
with so little censure.
A correspondent of the Alabama Baptist
presents, in the following sentences, one fault
iu the sermons of our time. The first com
ment suggested by many sermons is that tie
preacher has certainly forgotten the object
contemplated by the Gospel;
Oj Dow many churches are fed, yet hun
gry ! Die food is not appropriately selected.
The shepherds go up into fields too high.
They labor to pluck ripe grain from the
tallest houghs of literature and science.
I liese had belter be left for the harvest.
Ripe pastures are over the river. On this
side the fiocks want the tender herbs of sim
ple truth. They prefer to feed on the com
mons ol the Gospel. They can’t climb up
those lofty terraces that lead to starry
heights. They don’t much like to go too
far down into the misty depths of dry re
search for new pastures. The shepherd
need not puzzle himself all the week to
bring his fold a Sunday mess of the big, fine
-talks of prayerless thought. This may make
them graze, hut it can’t make them fatten.
—The following, from the Southern Chris
lian Advocate, is as applicable to our own as
to the Methodists. We may trace the weak
ness, inactivity aud hopeless despondency of
many of our churches to this sin of extrav
agance in building church edifices, more
costly than are needed, or than they are able
,to erect. We are convinced that a church
should not begiu to build before tlie amount
necessary to complete the work is where it
can be. had when necessary :
One of the sad signs of the times is the
j tendency—in .country and.city—to outbuild,
overdo the thing. All seem to need a bet
ter, costlier building than they are able to
erect. The humble log chapel hopes, and
plans, and schemes for foreign aid. In towns
and cities Methodism affects the architect
nral strut. Our simplicity and doctrines—
the real power—are placed in parenthesis,
aud stained glass, frescoed walls and fretted
ceiling are emphasized and exalted. Too
often place aud pride get the advantage of
prudence and purse. Congregations that
would be at home in a two thousand dollar
structure, and are able to build it, aspire to
ten and filly thousand proportions, close
their eyes to the icta of our discipline,
and their ears to all counsck What next?
Alas! llow sad the sequel! The money is
exhausted, work stops, congregation crip
pled, first-class men must be had aud sacri
fieecl, and, as a dernier resort, an agent must
canvass the country in behalf of this poor
church, buried by brick and a big name. I
hazard nothing of truth when I say that, in
many instances, an exiravagauce subversive
of our simplicity and statutes compasses the
Iliad of our woes.
IP I'M ST NEWS ,IM> .VOTES.
Rev. W. C. Van Meier delivered an in
teresting address before the Wisconsin State
Baptist Convention on his experience and
labors in Rome.
—The annual report, read before the Wis
consin Baptist State Convention, at its recent
OihkjL.h._aUied that no superintend
ent, or collecting agent haiTTieeu'employed du
ring the year. The plan was eminently suc
cessful. Of the $4,000 apportioned among the
churches at the beginning of the year, over
three-fourths had been contributed. Of about
160 churches connected with the work of the
Convention, 106 laid made collections for its
treasury. The entire contributions had been
as follows : State missions, $3,027 89 ; foreign
missions, $3,736 65; local church expenses
§94,406.20 ; total denominational benevolence,
$14,405.16; grand total, $108,838 36. Of
these churches, only nine have membership of
over two hundred each, while ninety have less
than fifty each. The aggregate 11,000
members. On an average, one-sixth of these
are non-resident, leaving an actual membership
of a little over nine thousand,
—Reports made to the lowa Baptist State
Convention show that during seventeen years
the missionaries of the Convention have bap
tized 2,321 of the 21,838 baptized in the en
tire State. To day there are in the State 357
ashurches. Of these, 158 are without pastors.
Ten of the churches only have a membership
of over 200. The large proportion of the
churches have a membership of less than fi ly,
and present a needy but promising missionary
field. The report of the Board showed the
Convention work to be in a state of masterly
inactivity—literally doing nothing, and in
debt -with a sorrowful and disheartening fu
ture before the Biptists ol lowa.
—The report made to the Illinois Baptist
State Convention, by the Superintendent ot
Missions, gave an interesting retrospect of the
Baptists of that State. Thirty-three yearsago
there were 12,000, now 70,000; then 200 min
isters, now 900. They now have 452 pastors,
and twice as many churches —a pastor to 155
members, and to about 6,000 of population
The year has given them six new churches,
organized by the missionaries of the body
("this does not include those organized without
missionary aidj, and one meeting-house built.
Twenty-seven missionaries are employed.
The Board is in debt $4,200.
—Concerning Baptist missionary labor in
Ohio the report of the corresponding tec
retary of the State Convention, recently in tea
sion at Cincinnati, states that aid was given to
eighteen churches for the support of their pas
tors. By these missionaries 154 had been bap
t zed. The secretary had himself preached
200 setmons, and had assisted the missionaries
in protrecied meetings. He had traveled 12,-
350 miles and had collected personally nearly
5,000. The total receipts for the year
amounted so $6,447 06, and tlie total expendi
tures to $6,703 37. The number of coutribu
uting churches has been increased to forty-five
—Tne Long Island Baptist Association held
its eleventh anniversary a fortnight ago in die
Baptist chuich ol Est New York. From
the reporls it appears that during the ten years
$61,136.12 has been given to mission work.
THE GKIRiISTILA IST HERAJLD
of Tennessee.
With this money the Association has organ
ized twenty-one new churches and purchased
or erected twenty-two church structures. It
had contributed to benevolent objects $484,-
229 43. In the ten years there had been 6,109
baptisms.
—Tlie Educational Commission of Texas
Baptists has $80,799.50 wherewith to establish
a central University.
—The venerable senior of the Religious
Herald has returned to his post after a short
sojourn in the country for recreation, and
brother Gambrell, of the Record , is looking out
for another shot. Apropos of these two breth
ren, if they entered into their late contest for
purpose of advertising their respective jour
nals, they have shown sagacity without par
allel.
—There are thirty-two Baptist churches in
the Creek Nation.
—ln the last three years the business depart
ment of the Baptist Publication Society has
paid to the missionary department the sum of
$30,000. The five hundred and sixty-one
churches in the State of Pennsylvania contrib
uted last year but $12,000, and of this sum
seven-twelfths were given by five individuals.
—Elder D. A. Moreland and wife, formerly
of Georgia, died recently in Texas. At latest
accounts it was feared that their eldest daughter
would be carried away by the same terrible
scourge—consumption.
—The Florida Baptist State Convention
will convene at Gainesville on Friday, Decem
ber 7th.
—The Florida Baptist has been revived by
Rev. H. B. McCall urn. We have not jet
seen a copy, but we welcome the new worker
in the vineyard, and wish it abundant success.
—The South Carolina State Baptist Con
vention will assemble in Greenville on the22d.
—Rev. W. 11. Dodson began to labor in San
Antonio last January. There has been twenty
four accessions during his pastorate.
—ln 1830 the Baptists of the United States
began laboring among and for the Germans of
this country. In 1851 they had five ministers
and ten churches. Now they have two con
ferenccs, 100 ministers, 100 churches, and
8,000 members. They issue a weekly paper,
and a monthly Sunday-school paper; they
have established a student’s hall at Rochester,
wi h $20,000, and have endowed two chairs in
Rochester University.
—The corresponding secretary of the Ohio
Baptist Convention reported, at the recent ses
sion, collections to tlie amount of $6,447.06.
Tlie State Board had under its direction last
r jiear nine'yea missionaries, anil there were 154
baptisms at the mission stations.
—The Baptist Sunday-schools of Ohio num
ber about 590, with an attendance of 60,000
scholars.
—Ex-Gov. Drew, formerly of Arkansas,
now of Texas, and Senator Maxey, of Paris,
Texas, have both united with a Baptist church.
—Mr. Grant, formerly an Adventist, lias
become a Baptist, and was ordained at a coun
cil at Johnstown, New York, on the 11th inst.
—There are 56,289 colored Baptists in
North Carolina.
—The First Baptist church, Baltimore, has
sent out forty-one useful ministers.
—Only about forty years ago the first Bap
tist church in Texas was organized, and now
they number about 70,000.
—During the lastthreeyears the missiona
ries of the New York Stale Convention have
baptized 898 converts.
—At the last aniversary of the Illinois Bap
tist State Convention 377 baptisms were re
ported by twenty seven missionaries. It is
intended to raise $10,000.00 for the State wotk
next year.
—Rev. O. C. Pope, associate editor of the
Refieitor, has been called to the Central church,
Nashville.
—Rev. J. H. Luther, D D., is meeting
with encouraging success at Galveston, Texas.
The Mission Field,
—The Kirk of Scotland has received SB,-
715 towards its proposed mission in China.
—The number of native Christians in China
: s about 13 000.
—ln Japan the demand for enlarged effort
is without a parallel in missionary histoiy.
There are now 1,503 laborers there.
—The (Dutch) Reformed Church sustains
nearly 100 domestic missions.
—lt is said that the war in the East has se
riously disturbed the missionary work.
—There arc now one hundred and sixteen
lady missionaries employed as the agents ol
the various societies in the country.
—The native Christians of Heaitown, South
Africa, raise SI,OOO a year toward the sup
port of their minister and SSOO for missions.
—A Baptist missionary steamboat, to do
service for the master along the shore towns of
Puget Sound, is contemplated. Concerning
which the Oregon Baptist Beacon says:
This is an unique plan to do work for our
Lord Jesus.. There are a great many settle
ments, logging camps, and mills, where the
people are hungry for the Gospel, not accessi
b'e, except by conveyances of one’s own. The
brethren are maturing a plan to meet this
want. The missionary boat, in the hands of
an earnest minister, carrying his tent with
him, would enable him to preach the Gospel
to many hundreds of men who could not be
reached any other way.
WHOLE NO. 2295
Genera! Denominational News.
—Rev. Wm. H. Wyckoff, Secretary of the
American Bible Union, dropped dead in New
York last week, while taking a bath.
—The American Methodist Episcopal
Church has more than 600 German ministers
in the States, and over 40,000 members.
The Methodist Episcopal churches of
Baltimore are about to arrange for a great
denominational fair to pay off an indebtedness
o! $17,000 on the Emory Grove Camp-Ground.
Tlie Rev. Dr. C. F. McCarthy, well
known as the superintendent of the Irish
Church Missions to Roman Catholics, and who
has been connected with this work from its
commencement, about thirty years ago, died
suddenly on October 6ih, at the Kingstown
Railway Station.
The Rev. A. R. Van Nest, of New
York, has accepted the call of the Third Re
formed Church of Boston, founded by the late
Kev. George W. Bethune, D. D. Dr. Van
Nest was for some time associate minister with
Dr. Bethune in this city, and lias since been
pastor of American chapels in Europe at Paris.
Rome, and Florence, and director of church
evangelical work in Itaiv.
—The New York Ministers’Conference has
wisely adopted a by-law declaring that the
province ox the conference is discussion, but
that all resolutions on controverted questions
are out of order.
Rev. f. DeWitt Talmage announces that
he has severed his editorial connection with
the Advance.
Rev. Dr. W. P. Harrison, recently elect
ed chaplain of the Hou-e of Representatives,
preached his “farewell sermon” to his former
charge on Sunday evening, November 11th.
Many of the churches of our city were closed
on the occasion so that their congregations
might have an opportunity of hearing the last
sermon of this distinguished minister. It ,s
estimated that there were 1,500 persona in the
church and hundreds were unable to enter the
house. Dr. Harrison will, it is thought, lake
charge of Vernon church in Washington. This
is a Southern Methodist church, which •
quires the efforts of a highly cultivated and
eloquent pastor to give it the important posi
tion which it ought to hold.
—There is in Maine, 241 Congregational
churches, with a membership of 20,575. Five
of these churches contributed the past year
$11,023 00 to benevolent objects.
—The Canadian Methodist, raised dur
ing the year $145,999 for Uitoioi.s, of *
$31,000 has been expended on Indian work
—Rome has four Jewish, fourteen Protest
anl, and 355 Catholic churches.
—The Southern Methodists have in Virginia
93,000, and the Northern and Protestant
Methodists swell this number to considerably
over 100,000.
The annual meeting of the General Com
mittee of the Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church was held in New
York, on the 14th of November. The report
of the treasurer and assistant treasurer was
read, showing the receipts from the eastern
conference for 1876 to be $403,103, and in
1877, $417,580 ; from the western conferences
in 1876 $191,086, and in 1877 $211,41’
showing an increase of $34,788. The dis
bursement for 1877 were: For foreign mis
sions, $258,781 ; for domestic mission, $254,-
927 ; for incidental expenses, s46,3l6— leaving
the treasury in debt $82,824.
Women’s Work in Missions.—lt is worthy
of remark that the first disciple baptized in
Sandoway, in 1843, was converted through the
instrumentality of Mrs. Abbott. In the whole
history of missions, woman’s work has held a
place of distinguished honor. Women have
often been the pioneers both in propagating
and accepting the Gospel. It has been sS from
the beginning. The station at Chummerah
once the seat of a flourishing church of nit.etv
one members, in the days ot Dr. Judson never
had a male miss-onary. A brave sister’ Miss
Cummings, lived and labored there alone and
gathered jewels for Christ’s crown and died •
and though the church was afterwards scat
tered by the removal of its members the
i record of her work is in the history of’mis.
i si°ns, and is registered on high. The Burmaa
j Catechism, prepared by Mrs. Judson, and
j translated into Siamese was the beginning of
the work in Siam. The first convert bap
| Uzed 111 Amherst, consecrated as the scene of
| the death of Mrs. Judson, was a Bttrman r e
male, in April, 1827. The first baptism in con
neetton with the Sham mission was a Burmaa
woman. So it was in the early days of Chr'sti
ar-ity. The church in Samaria 'grew under
| God, out ot the warm-hearted zeal of the wo -
I at . ‘J 1 ® well Sychar. The church in
j uutlippi, the hrst one on the continent of Eu
j rope, counted Lydia, of Thyatira as its n<t
j member.— Examiner and Chronicle.
—The Baptist mission ai Otigole, India, re
reports 10* baptisms in a single day.
The New York City Mission and Tract.
Society, which represents the Protestant Evan
gelical churches of the city, ie about doling
its fifty-first year. During the year the So
ciety’s missionaries have made 89,122 visits
among the poor, and have held 835 preaching
j services. At five of the chapels missionaries
may be found ready to answer every call.
—lt is proposed to hold a World’s Mission
ary Convention iu London next fall.
The Church of Scotland has received
$7,315 toward its proposed mission to China.