Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
VOL. 57—NO. 27.
Table of Content*.
First Page. —Alabama Department ; Record of
State Events ; “AFavorei City The Law of
God ; Spirit of .he Religious Press ; Baptist
News and Notes ; The Three Bells—Poetry :
Rome Chapel, Italy ; General Denominational
News.
Second Page. —Our Correspondents : A Favored
City ; Richmond Letter; What a Conversion ;
Southern Female College ; The North Georgia
General Association—N. C. Wilkes; “The
Baptism of Jesus”—R T. Hanks. The Sun
da -school. Jesus at Nazareth —Lesson IV
—July 28, 1878; Sunday-school Convention
Friendship Association.
Third Page. —Home Influences: The Greater
Power—How It Moulds Character—By Bidney
Herbert— Inti oduotory : Third Paper. No
Time for Hating—Poetry.
Fourth Page. —Editorial: Christian Union:
“Treasures Upon Earth Opposition to
Chiiutianity—lts Results; The Kingdom of
Heaven—Rev. H. C. Hornadv. Church Polity
—Dr. P. H. Mell. Sectarianism in Transla
tion—Rev. Adiel Bherwood. Early Training ;
Important Suggestion ; Avoid Sin ; Consoli
dation ; National Baptist Meetings ; Ministe
rial Support; etc.
Fifth Page. —Georgia Baptist News; Georgia
Association ; Decatur Baptist Church; etc.
Secular Editorials; A Diplomatic Viotory; Im
peratively Required; Russian Ruffianism ;
The Coming Conflict; Behind Cyprus India;
Georgia News; An Outrsgo ; “A Little Farm
Well Tilled : A Valuable Work ; It Will Pay;
A Valuable Manual : Highly Indorsed ; Geor
gia Seminary, Gainesville; etc.
Sixth Page.—Notes on the Act of Baptism—No.
xxxix—Bv Rev. J. H. Kilpatrick.
Seventh Page. —Temperance Department : Our
Liquor Bill—To be Paid or Voted Down—
The Living issue.
Eighth Page. —Florida Department: A Query;
Columbia Baptist Union; etc. Marriages.
Obituaries. Advertisements.
INDEX AND BAPTIST.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
■ 4prop proßpecta are excellent.
A literary society is to be organized in Troy.
Linden haa been made a money order port
office.
A lodge of Knights of Honor haa been es
tablished atEulaw.
Work haa begun on the Episcopal church at
Scottaboro.
The Presbyterian church at Talladega is
being repaired.
The new Baptist church at Talladega was
dedicated on the 13th.
New wheat has sold aa low as 50 cents a
bushel in Talladega.
The teachers of Coosa county will hold a
convention July 25th.
Walnut Grove, Etowah county, has two
Sunday-schools.
A series of meetings are being held in the
Opelika Baptist church.
The oat crop in Etowah county was never
better.
The foundation for the Baptist church at
Scotteboro has been completed.
A “union” church lias just been completed
at Brown’s, on the Alabama Central Railroad.
Anew Episcopal church is being built in
Troy.
A mutual fire insurance company is to be
organized at Cullman.
The Masons of Cullman will build anew
hall.
Rev. F. A. Hewitt is a candidate for the
legislature in Blount and Cullman counties.
The fruit crop of Butler county is abun
dant.
Tallapoosa county ships quantities of
corumdum, for emery wheels, to Massachusetts.
A protracted meeting is in progress with
the Cumberland Presbyterian church in Bir
mingham.
Mrs. House, who died in Chambers county
recently, waH 105 years old, and had been a
member of the Baptist church for 85 years
The net earnings of the Mobile and Girard
railroad, for the year ending May 31st, were
$22 ,677 in excess of the previous year.
A valuable minaial spring has just been
discovered in Pike county, near the line ol
Coflee county.
Col. W. H. Chambers assumes the duties
of uis ifflee as Professor in the Agricultural
and Mechanical College next January.
-■' •
The next session of the General Assembly
meets on the 12th of November. Its term is
limited tofhty days.
The rillage of Perote has a municipal law
which forbids dancing at any public building
within its corporate limits. The law is rigid
ly enforced.
Prominent agriculturists are introducing
the cultivation of Jute in the State. It will
be a valuable ac quisition to our natural pro
ducts.
Tuscaloosa is becoming noted for disorder
during public entertainments. This is bad
for the Athens of Alabama. Persons talk,
whisper and giggle at concerts, and even dis
turb worshippers in church by the same un
mannerly practice.
TITS SOUTH-WESTERN TBAXIPTTKT,
o At.aw am a
“A FAVORED CITY,” OSCE MORE.
Some of our brethren and correspond
ents will not accept as satisfactory what
we said in our issue of June 20th, in reply to
brother “W. T. G,” whose article appeared
in The Index of that date.
We repeat, the article entitled “A Favored
City” in The Index of May 23d, was designed
to be complimentary to a great body of good
men, whose presence in our city had attract
ed the attention of the whole country, but was,
of course, nof intended to endorse any practice
or principle of theirs. It was a news article,
nothing more.
We have received another communication
from brother “W. T. G.” which we publish,
and another from brother E. B. C., Sr , which
is on a different line of thought from that
of W. T. G. It does not call in question the
objects we bad in mind in writing the ar
ticle of May 28d.
Both of the articles of our correspondents
spring from their perception of what they
suppose to be a departure from sound Baptist
principles on the part of The Index. That
these brethren are mistaken is plain to all of
our readers, and to all those who know us well.
We rather like these criticisms, whether they
be with or without a good foundation—they
show how earnestly aiive our brethren are to
the principles of the Truth. A lively contro
versy between brethren does good, unless they
lose their temper or are unkindly severe in
the use of terms which are intended to cut and
sting, rather than to aid in unfolding the
principles and motives under discussion.
If we can succeed in doing good, by dispen
sing the light of the Gospel, and support and
maintain the truth of it as it is in Jesus, and by
Him committed to his churches, we are willing
to be now and then misunderstood by our
wide-awake brethren, and we will accept their
corrections (as tbey suppose them to be) in the
spirit of resignation and fraternal charity.
THK St It BATH.
There is one weapon which the ene
my has employed to destroy Christian
ity and to drive it from the world,
which nas never been employed but
with signal success. It is the attempt
to coirupt the Christian Sabbath, to
make it a day of iestivity, to cause
Christians to feel that its sacred and
rigid obligation has ceased to induce
them on that day to mingle in the
scenes of pleasure or the txciting
plans of ambition, to make them feel
that they cnay pursue their journeys
by land and water, by the steamboat
and the railway, regardless of the
command of God ; and this has done,
and will continue to do, what no ar
gument, no sophistry, no imperial pow
er has been able to accomplish. 'The
“Book of Sports” did more to destroy
Christianity than all the ten persecu
tions of the Roman Emperors, and
the views of the Second Charles and
his court about the Lord's day tended
more to drive religion from the Brit
ish nation than all the fires that were
enkindled by Mary. Paris has no
Sabbath, and that lact has done more
to banish Christianity than all the
writings of Voltaire; and Vienna has
no Sabbath, and that fact does more
to annihilate religion than ever did
the skepticism of Frederick. Turn
the Sabbath into a day of sports and
pastimes, of military reviews, and of
pantomimes and theatrical exhibitions,
and not an infidel anywhere would
care a farthing about the tomes of VoN
ney or Voltaire, about the skepticism
of sHurne, the sneers of Gibbon, or
the scurrility ol Paine. —British Amer
ican Presbyterian.
BKIVGAM) DOIVo.
A pure, holy character exerts its in
fluence like warmth. It spreads itself
through the community all the more
powerfully because so quietly. You
preach; men employ their intellects
in answering your arguments. You
strive to reform; the vicious band
• hemselves against you to defeat your
plans and operations. But you are
simply true and holy, and there is no
argument against that. There is no
resisting that. It tells on every intel
lect.
In view of this, might we not exhort
one another to be less careful to do
than to be ? We may remind one an
other that a man may be incessantly,
and even usefully, active without be
coming better. On the other hand,
no man can grow better in himself
without improving the quality and
quantity of his activity.
We are all the while exhorted to
shine. How much better it is to strive
to be suns! A sun does not have to
strive to shine. Because it is a sun it
is luminous ;if it were not a sun, it
could not be luminous.
We may become nervous and iriita
ble and unhappy in these incessant
exertions to do good for the Lord, but
to be still, and quiet, and loving, may
make us what the world so much
needs now —really holy characters.
Look at the benedictions in the ser
mon on the Mount. Study them, who
FRANKLIN PRINTING HOUSE, ATLANTA GEORGIA, JULY 18, 1878.
are the happy, the blessed —those who
are giving something and doing some
thing? No. There is not a single
mention of activity. It is all being
something—being •‘meek,” being
“pure in heart,” etc.
I-et us, then, add to the constant
exhortation of do good, the additional
important exhortation, be good.
For the Index aud Baptist.]
THK LAW OF 000
NO. 111.
In the days of Christ both Jew and Gen
tile held to the traditions of the elders or
fathers, so now, with us, we do as our fathers
have done. Our fathers labored to lay up
food, raiment and treasures, no do we, neg
lecting the command to seek first the king
dom of God and His righteousness. We can
not Berve God and Mammon, nor need we try,
for Christ says we cannot. Therefore, or for
this cause, I say unto you, take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat, or drink, or where
withal shall we be clothed. For after all
these things do the Gentiles seek. And we are
yet, to the neglect of His great commands, seek
ing after these things, holding to the traditions
for which the Saviour in His teachings among
the Jews reproved the Scribes and Pharisees.
Matt. 15; 3-6. Why do you transgress the
commanment of God by your traditions, (opin
ions, or laws of their fathers or rulers.) God
commanded, saying, honor thy father and thy
mother, and he that curseth father or mother,
let him die the death. Ex. xxi: 17. But ye
say, whosoever shall say to his father or bis
mother, it is a gift, (or give me my time, and
1 leave) and honor not his father and mother,
the fate he broke, thus ve made the command
ment of God of none effect by your traditions.
Ye hypocrites! well did E j aias prophecy of
you Baying, this people drawelli nigh unto me
with their mouth, and honoreth with their
lips, but their heart is far from me. But in
min they do worship me, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men.
Being asked by one ol tbe scribes, Mark
xii: 28, which is the first command of all, Jesus
answered him, the first of all the command
ments is, Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God
is one Lord; and ihou shall love ihe Lord thv
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soui,
and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength—“a full consecratim of ihe whole mun,
soul and bo<ly, to God.” And the second is like
unto it. T'hou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. Also Lev. xix; 18; Deut. vi: 45
These are not new commands, but tbe Saviour
says, “ 1 have given them thy word,” and “ if
ye love uie ye will keep my commandments.
This spirit predominates in all His word and
teachings, also in the Apostles, to keep His
commandments. God's commandments, which
Christ offen quotes, in the language God used
in Horeb. These two last commands, to love
God and our neighbor as ourselves, by nature
we cannot keep. The natural heart is at en
mity with God, it cannot love Him. But
when tbe law of God is presented to us—for
by the law is the knowledge of sin, Rom. lii; 20
—the line is drawn: God here shown us by his
word and spirit, our guilty distance from Him,
and we know it is God we have uSended.
Thus, the fallow ground of the heart is
broken up. The Gospel, the good news of
salvation, is the good seed sown, and the
warm, genial rays ol the Holy Spirit quickens
it into life. Then the fruit appears, and it
must be good fruit, for it is born of God; it is
not a mixture of goards and figs, of bitter
water and sweet, from the same fountain; these
are impossibilities. The fruits of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long suflering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meeknees, temperance. Gal.
v:22. This is the kingdom of God which
Christ preached—set upon our hearts; it is
within you, Luke xvii: 21; tbe gospel, the good
news of salvation through Christ, prepares tiH
for that kingdom, and to accomplish salvation;
He gave his life a ransom for us. While upon
the Cros“, He cried, it is finished ! All that the
cerimonial law had prefigured was finished 1
God in Christ, that same Gi and who made this
law, has now fulfilled it and laid it aside. All
that the Prophets had foretold of Him from
the beginning, was finished 1 God, the imma
eulate Saviour, the Lamb of sacrifice, bowed
His head and died. There is uo more oflering
for sin. He died for the sin of the world, not
for the Jew only, God's ancient people, but lor
the Gentiles also, to which class we belong.
The middle wall of partition waH broken
down. Eph. ii. Having abolished, in his
flesh upon t lie cross, the enmity, even the law
of commandments contained in ordinances: for
to make of twain Jew and Gentile, one new
man, so making peace. Therefore, ye are rto
more slrangers and foreigners, (ye Gentiles,)
but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the
household ol God. And are Imilt upon the
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus
Christ him-elf being the chief corner stone.
In whom, ail the building (Jew and Gentile)
fitly frauiedgroweth together uuloahoiy temple
in the Lord, in Christ , not tn 'he world. In whom
yeal>, are huilded together tor a habitation of
God, through the Spirit. Eph. tit 14-22. A
habitation, a dwelling place ol God, the great
G'l, He who rules over all, and wilt be obeyed
by at'., who has taught us by his terrible judge
ments, and sometimes immediate death and
destruction, that He will accept nothing blit
implicit obedience; and God in Christ sits as a
refiner’s fite and fuller’s soap—who shall be
able to stand His refining and cleansing, for
He is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart,
to Him is known where our treasure is, and it
our soul, mind and strength are devoted to
Him and these garments too (our bodies must
be kept unspotted from the world by perlect
obedience to God’s moral law, a fit temple for
the indwelliug of God’s Spirit, and not oniy
our bodies must be unspotted, peiject, but our
hearts too must be tin- [totted, perfect , washed
in the blo-dof the sin-atoning Lamb. Then,
“ if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall
the ungodly and the sinner appear.”
IEitSIB.
Millton n, Alabama
Rev. Ohables Manly,—Rev. Charles
Manly, of Stanton, Va., preached for I)r.
Winkler last Sunday morning, an excellent
sermon, breathing the inepirut.on of a devoted
minister of Christ, full of the spirit of his
Master. In the removal ol brother W. from
Alabama, we lost the labors ol a good man,
but Virginia was enriched, and the prosperi
ty of 'he Stanton church bears this testimony.
God bless our brother, and long aontinue his
useful life among us. M. T. S.
Spirit of Ik Religious Press,
— The Ventral Baptist forcefully says :
“From careful observation we are fully
convinced that Baptists really gain nothing,
but on the contrary lose, by holding union
meetings.”
We are convinced to the same effect.
Truth always loses more or less in volunta
rily combining with error under the false
impresaioi that truth, aud the proper inter
pretation of the Scriptures, will be benefit ted
by such an unnatural union.
—Says the Central Baptist:
“The Sultan of Turkey to-day lives in no
greater fear of intrigues and plots than does
the Pope; and is it likely that the men who
are ever trying to defeat his plans and
thwart his measures, believe that he is the
vicegerent of God ? • No one holds to infal
libility. Let ns drop it.”
Ob, yes, the priests, and their ignorant
dupes, hold to the fiction—ihe latter because
they do not know any better, and the former
because it is their stock in trade in bartering
souls for pence. It is simply a question of
policy, and ot dollars aud cents, with Leo
and his priestly legions.
—“A Baptist preacher in my county after
taking the bankrupt law, had the good for
tune to have one of his rich relatives to die
and leave him a very large amount of
money, and now he refuses to pay his hall
starved creditors a dime. What would you
call him?” To this question tire Religious
Herald replies: “We hesitate to say.” But
the world never hesilfttes to express an opin
ion in such cases, neither do the “half
starved creditors,” albeit it is never compli
mentary to the bankrupt. -Baptist liejleetor.
We have no hesitancy in saying that be is
a disgrace to the denomination and to the
ministry he professes to represent. We would
call him (oot to put too tine a point upon it)
a dishonest man, or, in blunter parlance, a
rascal.
—A correspondent makes the following
inquiries of the Methodist:
“What ought the mechanic whose utmost
income does not amount to more than S4OO
a year, or the farmer whose utmost income
does not amount to SSOO, give to the preach
er to make him a salary ol SBOO, both hav
ing families equally large to support V What
ought these same to give to the nmn who
was the year before a circuit preacher with
a salary of S7OO or SBOO, but now their pre
siding elder at a salary of $1,600 to SI,BOO ?”
And the jfftlwdud. vc<y properly replies
“that paying your minister is left entirely
with your own judgment and conscience.”
In an article on the query*“ls Amrrican
Womanhood Imperilled," lit c Baptist Outlook
says that unrest is the characteristic of the
times, and peril to womanhood, to all that
ennobles and glorifies humanity, infests the
air. It then enters upon a synopsis of the
natural differences that distinguish women
from men, and alludes to the unscripturalness
and error of those who claim that women
ought to be allowed to occupy our pulpits.
The peril to woman in forgetting her woman
hood lies in what she neglects, more than in
what she proposes to do. As Spurgeon
trenchantly says:
“I have heard that a woman who has a
mission makes a poor wife and a bad moth
er; this is very possible and very lament
able. Dirty rooms, slatternly gowns, and
children with unwashed faces are swift wit
nesses against the sincerity of those who
keep other’s vineyards and neglect toeir own.
I have no faith in that woman who talks of
grace and glory abroad and uses no soap or
water at home. Let the buttons be on the
shirts, let the children’s socks be mended,
let the roast mutton be done to a turn, let
the house he as neat as anew pin, and the
home be as happy as home can be, serve
God by doing common actions in a heavenly
spirit, and then, if your daily calling only
leaves you creaks and crevices of time, fill
these up with holy service, and God will
honor you.”
The Outlook maintains, and wt side with
it on this point, that many of our distin
guished literary women would have per
formed greater service in the ca .se of hu
manity, had th ;y written more on the heart,
tablets of their children and less on paper
and for the pipers. It closes with a noble
and deserved tribute to the women of Amer
ica, every word of which we sincerely be
lieve and endorse :
“The heatt of American womanhood is
sound, because it is loyal to Christ and His
word. We have among us grand and noble
women,who believe in womanhood, and who
do not think their glory would be increased
by adding manly properties to it. These
Women believe in men and in the manly
characteristics. They build men up in vir
tue, in truth, and in every good word and
deed.
By education, by effort,.by aspiration, they
are fitting thcnißelves to lead the world's
thoughts out and up into the untrodden
paths of excellence which stretch out beyond
them. Such women arc not slow to avail
themselves of the advantages placed within
their reach, by tbe throwing open t, them of
the doors of colleges and higher seminaries
of learning.
Woman by her heart, mote than her head,
by tbe twinings of the tendrils of her love
around the rougher and stouter nature of
man, is, in America, even now sending the
open bud of anew born hope, to tbe outer
stem of heroic endeavor, and the blossom
shall fill the air with a purer incense than
humanity has hitherto breathed.
—Rev. C. E. W. Djhbs, a Southern dele
gate to the Cleveland Anniversaries, among
other things, in a letter to the Western Record
er, utters the following paragraph :
“One of the novel sights was the Women’s
Home Mission Society, in which there was a
lady in the chair, and lady secretaries at the
desk, while a lady read before a crowded au
dience an elaborate report of the board. 1
THE CHRISTIAN HEEALD
of Tennessee,
was much impressed with the meeting, and left
with my prejudices somewhat shaken, but still
of the opinion that the ladies of the Foreign
Mission Society acted more wisely and scrip
turally in respectfully requesting the gentle
men to stay away from their meeting.”
BAPTIST NEWS AND NOTES.
—The Central Church, New York, served
so faithfully by liev. J. D. Herr, D.D., has
provided for their debt of $37,000.
—The German Baptists of America have
established a Publication Society at Cleve
land, Ohio, and built a substantial brick
house three stories high, which was recently
dedicated to that purpose.
—The California Baptist State Conven
tion recently closed a large and enthusiastic
annual meeting in the beautiful city of San
Jose. Rev. I. S. Kalloch was chosen Pres
ident, and was also the preacher of the in
troductory sermon by appointment of the
previous year.
—Besides the church in Paris, there are
6evcn other Baptist churches in France that
are aided by our Missionary Union.
—The Southern Baptist Theological Sem
inary is reported to have more students
than any Theological Seminary on the Con
tinent.
—As the fruits of specially distributing
Baptist literature in New York City last year,
more than one hundred members are sup
posed to have been added to the different
churches of our denomination there.
—As the result ot the labors of brother
Penn in Memphis, one hundred and twenty
five members have been added to the Cen
tral and First churches ot that city.
—ltev. J. M. Phillips, pastor of the First
Baptist chtnch, Chattanooga, Tenn., is visit
ing his brother, Judge Phillips, at St. Louis
—Nearly three thou: and persons have
been baptized during the extraordinary re
vival in progress among the colored church
es in Richmond, Va.
—About four hundred persons have pro
fessed faith in Christ in the different meet
ings held by Dr. Teasdale since he was in
Nashville. The Lord has wonderfully bless
ed his labors.
—A church has been organized by Rev.
R. E. Gammon, one of Mr. Spurgeon’s pu
pils, at Puerto Plato, Brazil.
THE THREE BELLS.
This poem refers to the well-known rescue of
the crew of an American vessel, sinking In
mid ocean, by Capt. Leigh tin, of the English
ship Three Bells Unaole to take them oft", in
the night and storm, he stayed by them until
morning, shouting to them from time to time
through Ills trumpet, “Never fear, hold on, I’ll
stand by you.”
Beneath the low-hung night cloud
That raked her splintering mast,
The good ship settled slowly,
The cruel leak gained fast.
Over tbe awful ocean
Her signal guns pealed out ;
Dear God! was that thy answer,
From tke horror round about?
\ voice came down the wild wind—
“Ho! ship ahoy!” its cry—
“ Our stout Three Bells of Glasgow
Shall stand till daylight by!”
Hour after hour crept slowly,
Yet on the heaving swells
Tossed up and down the ship-lights—
The lights of the Three Bells.
And ship to shin made signals ;
Man answered back to man ;
While oft, to cheer and hearten,
The Three Bells nearer ran.
And the captain from her taff rail
Sent down his hopeful cry:
“Take heart! bold on !” he shouted,
“The Three Bells shall stand by!”
All night across the water
The tossing lights shone clear;
All night from reeling tuft rail
The Three Bells sent her cheer.
And when the dreary watches
Of storm and darkness passed,
Just as the wreck lurched under,
All souls were saved at last.
Hail on Three Bells, forever,
In grateful memory sail!
King on Three Bells of rescue,
Above the wave and gale !
As thine, in night and tempest,
I hear the Master’s cry,
And tossing through the darkness,
The lights of God draw nigh.
—John G Whittier t in Atlantic Monthly*
Maonificknt Establishment.—ln the
interest of our readers —especially those of our
lady readers —we cannot forego to call atten
tion again to the splendid advertisement ol
Captain Ketly’s Dry Goods Emporium. The
advertis -rent is an interesting study ; it shows
the extraordinarily low prices at which these
goods can now lie bought, and the immense
variety and magnitude of Mr. Keely’s stock.
He is one of the most energetic, prosperous
and wide-awake me* lianta in this country,
and has established a business oi which At
lanta may well he proud. The salesmen are
numerous and aliable, and the stock for pur
chasers to choose from is inexhaustible. Call
and verify these statements by personal ob
servation and examination.
Restful Night, Buys free from Torture,
Await the rheumatic sufferer who resorts to
Hostetter's Stomach Bitters. That this benig
nant oordi&l and deparent is a far moro reliable
remedy than colchicum and other poison, used
to oxpol the rheumatic virus from the blood, is
& fact that experience lias satii-factorily demon
strated. It also enjoys the advantage of being
—unlike them—perfectly safe. With many pet
sons a certain pi (.disposition to theumatism
exists, which renders them liable to its attacks
afttr exposure in wot wertber, to currents of
air, ckaugcs.of temperature, or to cold when the
body is hot. Such persons should take a wine
glass or two of the Bitters as soon as possible
after iururiing risk from the above caiteeM as
this superb protective effectually nullifies the
lnirtfu' influence. For the functional derange
ments which accompany rheumatism, such as
oolic, spasms in the stomach, palpitation of the
heart, imperfect digestion, etc., tie Bitters is
also a moot useful remedy. It is only necessary
in obstinate cases to use it with persistency.
WHOLE NO. 2327.
General Denominational News,
—Ohio has voted by a large majority
against taxing church property.
—A Bible has been presented to every
workman on the Paris Exposition buildings.
—The article in the Episcopal Church
Constitution which provides for the repre
sentation of the Dioceses in the General Con
vention, gives to each diocese not more than
four clergymen and four laymen. It places
all dioceses on one plane. In the Supreme
Council of the Church, Nebraska is just as
potent as New York. The practical out
come of the whole matter is that the Epis
copal Church in this land is governed by a
minority of its members.
—At the late Episcopal Convention in Bal
timore, Md., Assistant Bishop Pinckney
made an address, urging a more liberal sups
port for the ministers. He said hardly any
ot the rural deacons got SI,OOO a year. The
Treasurer reported that he had been unable
to pay the salaries of the bishops.
—The United Brethren exclude all per
sons from their denomination who are Odd
Fellows, or who join secret societies.
—There are 101 inmates in the Methodist
Home at Philadelphia—all females, except
ten. It requires about SIO,OOO to pay the
current expenses of a year,
—The Primitive Methodists form the
weakest of all the branches of the Methodist
Church in this country. They have only two
small conferences.
—The salary ot the Bishops of the Metho
dist Church, South, is $3,000 for the en
suing four years. This includes traveling
expenses.
August 2d will be kept as a general day
of fasting and prayer by the Methodist Epis
copal Church, South.
In the Assembly of the Canada Presby
terian Church they had a stirring debate on
the subject of Ilymnology. The party fa
voring the introduction ot hymns, in addi
tion to the old Scottish Version of the Psalms,
proved to be in the ascendency, and a com
mittee wus appointed to provide a selection
of hymns from the four hymn books com
monly used in Presbyterian churches, and
known as the English Presbyterian Hymn
Book, the Scottis) Hymnal, toe United Pres
byterian Hymn Rook, and the Hymn Book
of the Free Church of Scotland.
—Tbe average salary of the ministers of
tbe Irish Presbyterian Church last year was
$925. In addition to this, a large majority
of churches furnish manse and glebe. The
entire income of the Church in 1878 was
about $66,000 in advance ol any previous
year.
The American Baptist Home Mission So
ciety has at present eight schools in operation
for the education of colored teachers and
preachers. In these schools there are twenty,
four male and eleven female teachers. The
Society at its anniversary in Cleveland, Ohio,
decided to appoint a Superintendent of the
Mission to Freedmen and passed a resolution
instructing the Board to co-operate cordially
with their Southern brethren in promoting
ministers' institutes in the Southern States.
—Twenty two new publicatione have been
added to th: catalogue of tbe American Bap
tist Publication Society during the last twelve
months. The receipts ol the Society for the last
fiscal year amounted to $304,610.26 —540,551,
of which belonged to the Mission Depart
rnent. The Society spentls Us mission fund
on Sunday-schools and other special benevo
lent enterprises.
—The three sermons preached last winter by
Rev. Dr. W ebber, pastor of the First Presby
terian church of Troy, N. Y., published in book
form under the title of "Future Punishment,"
and in which the author very distinctly and
emphatically places himelf on record as
maintaining the doctrine of probation in the
future world for a large portion of the human
race, were recently the subject ol animated
discussion in the meeting of Ihe Troy Presby
tery. This body recorded its utter dissent
from such a doctrine—and allowed the matter
to rest there.
MISSION NOTKS
Brother A Frink Ross writes from i:.v~
ton, Arkansas* June 21sl:
To-day, as tin; eager crowd stood on t! -
banks of our Jordan, 1 led Rev. Martin
James into the water and buried him in bap
tism. He has preached and practiced eight
long years the errors of the Methodist Church
but God finally compelled him to join the
Church ol Christ, and teach and practice the
doctrine of the .New Testament, which will
make him a brilliant Baptist star, illumina
ting his benighted people with tiue Gospel
light. We expect him to lead his congrega
tions and many others into our fold. He is
their most intelligent and influential preach
er and only thirty-two years old, bidding
fair to pass his tour scores.
As he is altogether without Baptist litera
ture, except Ihe Bible, I hope the brethren
will supply him as far as they can, begin
ning by sending to him The Index, as we
have always considered it the greut friend
to the Indians, and sufficiently sound to con
tain the most wholesome lood.
I have been holding some good meetings
since I returned from the Seminary. Last
Sunday I organized anew church in a Pedo
baptist community, but think the prospect
good for it to become a Baptist community;
as we have caught the shepherd, think the
sheep will be easily managed. May God
bless our cause, especially among the In
dians, is my prayer.