Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
Vol. 57 —No. 6.
Table of Contents.
First Page.—Alabama Department: Prac
tical Preaching; Is it so in Alabama?; Rev
T. P. Gwinn; The Religious Press-
Second Page.—Correspondence. Restora
tionlKU, No. 4—S. G. H.; Pride Among
Ministers—W. M. H.; Letter from South
east Georgia; Death of Mrs. Gov. Shorter
—S. H.; Let; er from Rome —G. A. N.,
etc. The Sunday School: The Prayer of
the Penitent—Lesson for March 2, 1879
Thikd Page—The Household: A Voice from
Heaven—poetry; Hints for Young Mothers;
A Charming Incident; How to Make Hard
Times Easy; Disagreeable Things; Useful
Hints, etc.
Fourth Page.—Editorial-: The Love Due
to Neighbors; Ko Tha Byu; Sacred Con
certs; The French Situation; Dr. Tupper;
Georgia Baptist News, etc.
Fifth Page.—Secular Items: Our Public
Schools: Spirit of Our Magazine Literature;
Bible Question Book; Southern Baptist
Convention; Georgia News, etc.
Sixth Page—Childrens' Corner: The Best
That I Can—poetry; Work for It; Con
cerning the care of Finger Nails ■ A Brave
i ad; Discontent—poetry; Say No.
Seventh Page—Obituaries, etc.
Eighth Page.—Florida Department: Bap
tist News; From the Little Ones; Florida
Baptist Convention—Rev. N. A. Bailey;
State Items.
The Christian Index.
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT.
BYSAMUEL HENDERSON
PRACTICAL PREACHING.
That our people have sadly degen
erated in that clear apprehension of
moral discriminations which marked
the character of their fathers, is one of
the most lamentable indications of
the times. The historian will want no
ther evidence of this than that it is
the era of “mortages,” “waiver notes,”
and the like. We very complaisantly
set this down to the fault of these
troublous times. But is this altogeth
er true? Have ministers of the Gospel
done all their duty in this regard? ft
is our purpose to indicate something of
an answer to this question.
One cannot look into an old volume
of sermons preached, say, fifty or a
hundred years ago, without being
struck with the manner in which great
moral questions are ’discussed. There
is a clearness in the statement of prin
ciples, an accuracy in discriminations,
and a terseness, force and breadth in
their applications, which we do not
find in modern sermons. • Perhaps
there are yet some old men in Georgia
who reinemlier something of Jesse
Mercer’s style of discussing great prin
ciples, in their adaptations to all the
relations and of Christian life.
We never heard him, but from some
imperfect sketches of his sermons, we
should say that he excelled in that
kind of preaching that developed the
more solid, manly virtues in his hear
ers. While maintaining the integrity
and purity of the faith, he never for
got that Christianity had a preceptive
department that occupied a large space
in the sacred writings. It is true that
principle, br doctrine if you please, is
the foundation of all solid, moral or
religious growth ; but then to say that
this is sufficient—that to lead men to
correct principles, and then presume
that the practice will follow as a mat
ter of course—would be in effect to
say that the whole preceptive part of
Christianity is superfluous. We might
just as well say that to lay a good
foundation of a superstructure is enough
—the building will go «up of itself.
It was to this divorcement of doctrine
and duty, of faith and works, and
James devoted a large portion that
epistle to correct. of his
Now, the charge to which our mod
ern preaching is subjected is, that it is
too general—that it abounds in the ideal
more than the real—that it skims the
surface, without going to the bottom
—that it expatiates on what will please
the fancy, rather than confronts our
depravity with the stern demands of
duty—and that sin in high places is
winked at and slurred over, instead of
being rebuked and exposed. John
the Baptist lost his head for having
denounced the iniquity of a king.
Perhaps we have ministers who would
not risk losing a church for displaying
a like courage. When has the reader
heard a special sermon devoted to such
a topic as honesty, or veracity, or can
dor? We do not mean to say that
those topics have not been referred to
in a casual way ; but we mean to ask,
when have you heard them taken up
in detail, and so investigated, thought
through by the preacher before his peo
ple, as to give a sharp, clear, compre-1
hensive view of their principles, rules,
discriminations, adaptations, etc., so
that no man could mistake them in
the vast range of their applications to
real life? There is a sad want of that
cneuietry in our preaching which we
find among the old preachers. In his
charge to the Rev. J. K. Hall at his
ordination, Robert Hall says, “Be not
afraid of devoting whole sermons to
particular parts of moral conduct and '
SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST.
of Alabama.
religious duties. It is impossible to
give right views of them, unless you
dissect characters, and describe particu
lar virtues and vices. ‘The fruits of
the flesh’and ‘the fruits of the Spirit'
must be distinctly pointed out. To
preach against sin in general, without
descending to particulars, may lead
many to complain of the evil of their
hearts, white, at the same time, they
are awfully inattentive to the evil of
their conduct.”
Alas, alas! it is not every one who
deplores a wicked heart, that amends
his wicked ways! Brother Shylock
may #eep by the hour in his pew on
Sunday over his wayward, deceitful
heart, as his pastor theorizes, general
izes on human depravity, and the next
week cheat his customers out of thou
sands at his counter, and then pride
himself that he has done a very clever
week’s work. What is needed is a style
of preaching that will expose to its
merited scorn that kind of sanctimoni
out depravity, (excuse the phrase, read
er,) that has ensconsed itself in what
we call orthodoxy, as in a coat of mail
on which our light arms, our prevalent
mode of preaching, will play till dooms
day, witnout disturbing in the slightest
degree its equanimity. It will, to carry
out the figure, require the “old guard”
and our heaviest artillery to batter
down and carry this entrenchment.
We know that all this will require
thinking—earnest thinking ; it will in
volve labor—it will demand courage of
a high order. But is it not to all this
that every true minister of Jesus Christ
has consecrated his life? What if it
does lift him out of those easy grooves
in which his thoughts have been run
ning for years without any impediment?
What if it does place him in a rugged
path where the “hill difficulty,” the
“lions,” and even “ Apollion,” as the old
dreamer would say, oppose him? What
if he is required to«“cry aloud and spare
not—to show to Israel their sin, and
the house of Jacob their iniquity?”
He has but to look to his orders, do his
duty, and trust God for results. Let
him see to it that he does not “daub
with untempered mortar.” Let him
take heed what he brings to this heav
enly structure, this church of the living
God, whether in the way of material or
instructions, lest he be “scarcely saved”
' —“saved yet so as by fire.*’
Wp repeat, what is needed is a min
istry that will confront with adequate
weapons the baptized iniquity in our
churches—the currents of vice that are
sweeping our people, young and old, to
ruin—that general demoralization, in
a word, which iniquity cannot shock,
and sin cannot shame. To do this is
no child’s play. No common weapons
are needed for this work. Your Lilla
putian oratory—your syllabub refine
ments —your studied attitudes and hot
house bouquets—will be but straws
darted against a tornado. The service
demands the liest implements that the
heavenly armory can furnish. Read
the last chapter of Ephesians, as we
suggested in a former article, and pray
God to equip you with its whole armour
for the mighty conflict.
We had intended to bring out an
other phase of demoralization, to which
divine truth, faithfully preached, can
supply the only remedy. We mean
the fact that the public morality of our
people is satisfied with a mere confor
mity to civil law. We thought of try
ing to show that “unless our righteous
ness exceeds the righteousness” of mere
civil enactments, it remands us to a
level with Scribes and Pharisees. But
our space forbids it. We may do this
at some fnture day. Meanwhile, let us
remind our ministers that history sel
dom presents a state of things involving
responsibilities more awful and crush
ing than our appeals to them. May
we so meet them as to stand approved
amid the retributions of a final scene.
IS IT SO IN ALABA MAT
Our esteemed brother, the editor-in
chief of this paper, is digging up some
very humiliating facts bearing upon
the question, why the numerical in
crease of members to churches in
Georgia, is not attended with a corres
ponding increase in efficiency? Why
it is that numbers and efficiency do not
move together pari passu f In reading
what he has to say on that question,
we could but ask, is it not equally, if
not more painfully true in Alabama,
that numbers have rather retarded than
promoted the real spiritual working
power of our churches? We remem
ber well that twenty-five and thirty
years ago, when the Baptists in Ala
bama did not number [lerhaps by one
half what they do now, there was an
earnest, vital sympathy between the
pulpit and the pews—between preach
ers and people—that gave to our public
ministrations a degree of power which
they do not now possess. And then in
all those works of faith and labors of
love that related to the great enter
prises of benevolence, the like efforts, I
those that would have raided thousands I
for missions, education and the like, '
will not now raise hundreds. We know
Atlnta, Georgia, Februray 13, 1879.
the times are different; we know th®
condition of our people is sadly changed
for the worse, but then we have nearly
or quite twice the membership we had
then. What we have lost in the few
we have gained in the many. If there
are fewer who have large fortunes,
there are more who have at least a com
petency. Is it not possible for the hun
dred thousand white Baptists in Ala
bama, to say nothing of the sixty
thousand colored Baptists, to do as
mach to-day, as fifty thousand did
thirty years ago? If we had a com
pact organization; if we could sys
tematize our efforts; if we could bring
our benevolent objects periodically,
earnestly, distinctly before all our breth
ren ; if our pastors, animated by the
zeal of their fathers years ago, would
bring the membership of their churches
into constant and habitual communi
cation with those great interests, can
any man doubt the result? For instance:
suppose an effort to endow Howard
College is resolved upon ; suppose the
ministry in the State, or even a tithe
of them in hearty sympathy with the
movement; suppose the churches, or a
tithe of them, earnest in so grand a
purpose; suppose another DeVotie,
(alas! have we another such?) should
take the field, and from the mountains
to the seaboard appeal to the enlight
ened sentiment of our people to come
to the rescue, to place that college
where it would fairly express the ap
preciation of our people of what such
an institution ought to be, can any
man doubt the result? A hundred
thousand Baptists not able to endow a
single college! “Tell it not in Gath!
publish it not in the streets of Aske
lon!” We laid our damages, so to ex
press it, too low, the Centennial year.
We asked for a dollar and we got a
nickel. The sum was too contempti-i
ble to arouse enthusiasm ; we undershot'
the mark, let us raise our sights and'
see what will come of it.
What we have said of this could be
said of every other worthy object. We
recollect when Alabama took the ban
ner from the whole South on the sub
ject of missions. Now,alas! she stands
far down in the list. Shall this state of
things continue? Let our ministers
and churches answer.
KEV. T. P. GWINN. J
We are pained to learn that this
brother, who resides at Oxford, Alaba
ma, has recently had something like
an attack of paralysis. He is one of
our most effective, working country
pastors, whose ministry has been great
ly blessed. He has been preaching
we lielieve to five churches in the
bounds of Coosa River Association,
and is most highly esteemed, not only
by his churches, but by all that know
him. In our protracted meetings, he
is one of our most efficient workers.
Many prayers will be offered in his be
half, that one so useful may he spared
to his churches and to the cause at
•urge.
Reader, were you troubled with
"Sunday sickness” last Sabbath?’ See
prescription : Heb. 10: 25. It is bet
ter than quinine to break up the perio
dicity of this disease. Apply promptly
before it becomes chronic.
• STATE ITEMS.
The Senate has voted $2,000 to the
normal school at Fayetteville.
There is now, and has been for the
past week, more sickness in Troy than
ever before known in its history.
The employes of the 8. <t N. R. y.
have presented ex-Superintendent Rob
ert Meek with a thousand dollar sil
ver service.
Troy is building up more rapidly
and receiving a larger number of ac
cessions of jiermanent citizens to her
population than any other town in the
State.
Although the last crop was remark
ably good, yet the number of mortga
ges given by the citizens of Pike coun
ty is very little less than last year, and
it is probable that as large a number
will lie heavily in defit next fall as in
any previous year.
Union Springs Herald: At a meet
ing of the Board of Managers of the
Union Springs Auxiliary Bible B<x'ie
ty, held January 26th, Mr. A. B.
Strickland was elected Depositary. All
persons wanting gisxl and cheap Bibles
or testaments can get them of Mr.
Strickland.
The Vicksburg & Brunswick Rail
road was sold at public outcry by Geo.
Turner, United States Marshal of the
Middle District of Alabama, to satisfy
the several executions issued out of the
Circuit Court of the United States.
The road was sold to Col. A. J. Lane,
as agent—for whom we know not—at
$8(1,000. The judgment agillnst it was
$86,000, The road is the one com
monly called the Clayton road, running
from Eufaula to Clayton, a distance
of twenty-one miles.
The Religious Press.
-—The United Presbyterian (Pittsburg
Pa.) wisely says:
There are methods of controversy, too
common, that do not subserve the interests of
religion. The truth is holy, and its treatment
requires a care and tenderness that are almost
impossible amid the strife of impetuous argu
ment. Now and then a disputant preserves
Ms sweetness of temper and avoids all disposi
tion towards harshness and the use of injuii
eOS. expletives, but he is rather the exception
than the rule. It is almost inevitable that the
language of what we call controversy grows
into a fervor, sometimes a ferocity, that is
more noticeable because of its injurious than
good effects.
This is true, in a marked way, of oontrover
sy over truths and doctrines that rest in the
Binds of people as peculiarly sacred. They
are regarded with veneration as the announce
ments of God and are cherished with affection
as saving helps to the soul, and when they are
taken up for a discussion which, to say the
least, is not sacredly devout, the effect is that
of pain and regret. Something in the way in
dicated above is no doubt gained by contro
versy, but it is a question in many instances
whether because of its improper spirit the loss
in spiritual temper has not been so great as to
overbalance it. The awful themes of the Bi
ble which are also tenderly associated with all
that we hold dear, and with our experienceand
hope of the coming life, should only be ap
proached in the way of argument by a spirit of
profound reverence and chastened thought.
Dignified and courteous debate is in
deed rare in these latter days. Reli
gious quarreling, if such a paradox
may be allowed, is quite common. Is
this becoming to the disciples of the
meek and lowly Jesus? Is it becoming
to anybody?
' —The Baptist Courier (Columbia S.
C.) speaking of those self-sacrificing
and much-abused brethren and mar
tyrs, the agents, has this to say:
Aa there are some of our readers who have
been accustomed to consider this matter only
in the light of dollars and cents, we beg to of
fer another view of it. Wo take the position
that if the Agent raised only his salary; it is
wisdom on the part of the denomination to
keep him at work from year to year. Consider
*f the Agent is an intelligent preacher, a pi
ous man, and an earnest worker, how much he
is accomplishing, in amoral point, by his per
jijOSi presence and labors among the ohurch
'bX'He is iiitasvir a aiiswionary, for he preaches
“in by ways and hedges,” as well as in oit’es,
and at railroad centres. As he goes he dis
seminates Baptist intelligence, stirs up the
churches to greater activity in mission and
church work, aids the pastors, gathers infor
mation concerning the condition and necessi
ties of the various fields of destitution, vis
its Associations, and sets on foot plans for the
better conduct of denominational enterprises.
He becomes a connecting link,drawing togeth
er, into closer sytr pattiy and co-operation, the
brotherhood throughout the State. In fact, if
he continues long in the work, and this is de
sirable, he becomes a walking encyclopedia of
Baptist doings in bis State. To have a man
thoroughly posted as to the va> ions matters of
denominational interests and operations is in
itself of great importance. And when to this is
added the personal la’iors of such a man, it is
wisdom to keep him at work nay, more it is
good denominational economy.
—The Baptist (Memphis) gives us
this wholesome counsel:
As Baptists we boast of our adherence to the
word of God ; but there is great danger that
cur boasting shall be in vain. While we tenac
iously adhere to Scriptural teaching on the
ordinances, it is to be feared that there is a
tendency to looseness in other directions. We
are becoming infected by our environment ;
and, in some quarters, our preaching is losing
the divine element, and assuming more and
more of the human. In this we lose onr
strength, and become as weak as others. Sam
son is shorn of his locks.
The great need of this age, aa in Paul'a time,
is that we preach the word. That ie the su
preme authority. Churches, pulpits, theolog
ical schools, authors, editors, Bunday-school
teachers, must pi each the word: nothing else.
No fables, no false philosophy, no corrupt
theology, no traditions, but ths pure and una
dulterated word. Let every preacher, every
wiiter and every brother and sister be brought
to this test alone,—the word of God.
The true Baptist spirit, or, what is the aame
thing, the tiue Christian spirit, is that of the
Bereans: “These were more noble than those
of Theesalonica, in that they received the w< rd
with all readiueee of mind, and searched the
Bcript tires daily, whether those things were
so.” bo the people everywhere sbonld bring
their ministers, pastors, writers and teachers
to the test of the word. They should read the
Scriptures daily, and compare them with what
they hear, and not take on trust what they
bear from any one, be he ever so great or be
loved. “The Bible, the Bible alone, is ths re
ligion of the true Christian."
And Thk Index han often seen men
who were wound on the baptismal ques
tion, while they were very unwound on
wonie other quewtionw, even more im
portant. The truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, iw what we
need, and nil this iw to Ims found in the
word of God.
—The London Christian Signal
(England) contain* the following very '
striking piece of news:
“Tim Gospel of Intimidation.— News conns
to hand that a Californian Methodist preacher
upon going to an out-of-tLe way town to
pioacli, was informed before entering the pnl
pit that he must be careful, as many of the as-
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
of Tennessee.
eembled congregation were “roughs," and
would not hesitate to disturb him if his re
marks didn't suit. The Methodist made no
reply, but, having reached the desk, he took
from his pocket two revolvers and placing one
on each side of the Bible, gave a sharp glance
around the room and said, "Let us pray." A
more order y service was never conducted.
But this is really no unfrequent kind of inci
dent with preachers in some parts of Canada
and the States. ”
One of our Northern contemporaries
seems very much surprised that an
English paper should copy “such stuff”
as this, and observes that in reference
to American matters "Englishmen are
easily gulled.” There should be no
surprise about it, good brother! For
the last fourteen years, a large part of
the Northern press (alas! alas! the re
ligious press included) has been indus
trious in trying to make the world be
lieve that one-half of this country is
given over to barbarism. We scarcely
ever look through our exchanges, with
out finding statements just as outrage
ous as the above, and with as little
foundation in truth. As these are
made by our own people who are sup
posed to know the facts, it is not sur
prising that Englishmen and the rest
of mankind should believe them. But
that people in one section of this coun
try, not twenty hours 'apart by rail
from another, and with myriad means
of communication, should believe
“such stuff” about their next door
neighbors, shows that they indeed are
"easily gulled.”
—The United Presbyterian (Pa.) has
this good counsel:
If a man will sit down to the exclusive work
of studying the doctrines of which he is in
doubt, his trouble will be likely to increase.
But if he seek in an humble spirit to utilize
the truths already in his possession, he will
grow in grace, and his doubts will disappear.
—The New York Observer, comment
ing on the Pope’s recent encyclical let
ter, gives the following excellent hints
to His Holiness:
This letter is most remarkable for its omis
ion to denounce the sins to which the Pope's
people are most addicted, while it bears down
on evils that.are not so rife among Bomanists
as they are among infidels. The socialism of
Europe is atheistic. It is not a formidable el
ement in the United States. But there are
evils to which his Church members are subjec
ted. and to those he pays no attention in his
letter. We will specify a few facts, with a re
spectful request that he will write another let
ter warning his children to stop doing these
naughty things. “In this city, last year, 1 030
boys under fourteen years of age were con
fined to the Tcmbs prison ; about 200 of them
were Prostestants, and 800 Catholics. In
Scotland, there are more than 37 criminals
among every 1.000 of the Romish population,
while among the who'e of the rest of the popu
lation the proportion is a little over 7 per
1,000. In Ireland there is one criminal to
every 114 Romanists, and one to every 429
Presbyterians.”
We invite the Pope's attention to these little
facts. They may not have come under his
eye. We will send him a copy of ibis reply to
bis letter, that he may have material on
baud, facts—there's nothing like a fact—to
work up his next Encyclical. Let him tell us
it he can, why it is that in Ireland one Roman
Catholic Christian in 114 is a criminal, and only
one in every 429 of Presbyterians. A letter
from the Pope explaining this would be worth
reading.
—And the same paper speaks thus I
of the ridiculous crusade against the
Chinese:
The Houte of Representatives last week
complied with the demand from California,
and passed the bill to limit the immigration of
the Chinese. What nation will the politicians
vote to exclude next? Will it be the Irish?
They have too many votes, and it ie only to
seem e the votes of the Irish that politicians
are willing to exclude the Chinese. In the
discussion of the bill, Mr. Townsend, of New
York,very appropriately referred to the perse
cution of the Jews in the Middle Ages. They
had been driven out of and country
after another: and yet now, in the nineteenth
century, not a nation in Europe could declare
war without consulting a Jew. The exclusion
of tbe Chinese ie as unreasonable as the per -e
--cuti n of the Jews.
—We learn from the Baptist Weekly,
speaking of economical church accom
modation, thab—
"Following the example of the Baptists in
Boaton and 8 in Francisco. Professor Swing and
his congroxatiou are engaged in erecting a
building in the centre of Chicago, which is to
be used for religious services on Sunday, and
as a Music Hall dnrlng the week. It is done,
in the interests of economy, and with the idea
that it is wrong to have money invested in
buildings which shall be used exclusively for
wor-hip, since they are open but one day In
seven."
It isjiighly probable that the money
changers and those who sold doves, oc
cupied the temple for similar reasons.
The logic of small cords put them to
flight, and wo doubt not that the same
thing would bo done now, if the same
person were here to do it. The very
house should be called a house of pray
er. It became in our Savior’s day a
don of thieves, and how much Boston,
San Francisco and Chicago may have
improved on this we do not know.
Cun n building, so used, be called "our
Father’s House?’’ Is it dedicated to
God only, or to God conjointly with
Whole No. 2356
Euterpe and Terpsichore? Certainly
an inscription could not be put over
the door saying. “This is none other
than the house of God,” and judging
by the numbers that are said to throng
these places, they do not greatly resem
ble the “gate to heaven.”
—The Journal and Messenger (Bap
tist, Ohio) says:
That we ought to cease boasting of our num
bers until our works are more nearly commen
surate with cur ability.
And The Index instead of being
proud of our vast numbers, (especially
in Georgia) is always ashamed when
the figures are mentioned. Whom
have we been copying—whose exam
ple have we followed, in our desire to
multiply numbers without correspond
ing increase, or rather without any in
crease of efficiency? Is this the old
fashionqd Baptist usage, or is it a usage
that we have borrowed?
—Just here comes in the Christian
Intelligencer, (Dutch Reformed) with a
sharp-pointed thrust, which we must
confess is well deserved. We ourselves
have stabbed the Baptist cause and the
Intelligencer stabs us. We do not com
plain of our contemporary; we only
say : “Let the righteous smite me, it
shall be an excellent oil that shall not
break my head.” Speaking of the
vast numbers of Baptists in America,
the Intelligencer says:
“This large body of Christiane, which puts
great stress upon an exact obedience to the
commands and an exact imitation of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and which accuses other Chris
tians of glaring defects in obedience, this
large body does not average tv enty-flve cents
to a member in its gifts in obedience to the
Master’s last command. It this is because it
is Baptist, the sooner it becomes something
else the better."
—The Morning Star (N. H.) has the
following:
The Attorney General of Maine reasons
that the abolition of the death-penalty in that
State works well, for he thinks that under the
present law conviction is more likely to follow
in the trial of capital oases. During the three
years since the abolition there have been five
such convictions, he says in his annual report)
three occurring last year, while in 1873, 1874
and 1875 there were only four. In 1867, under
the death-penalty, there were six capital trials
and three convictions- The inference may be
a reasonable pne, but it one accept it ha
must hold a very low op'tnfon of Maine juries.
Guilt is guilt, and the juryman whodetermine*
his verdict by the legal penalties is false to his
oath.
The Index has put the last five
words in italics. The duty of a jury in
a criminal case is simply to answer the
question : "Is the accused guilty or not
guilty?” The answer is yes or no.
They may in some cases recommend to
mercy, but as just stated, their answer
must be yes or no.
—We find in the Canadian Baptist
a circular letter of the Huron Associa
tion, in which the following paragraph
occurs:
Are our obligations towards men at an end
when we have been used of God in bringing
them to Christ, examined, baptized, and Te
ri ceived them into our fellowship? A thou
sand, thousand times no I Yet by practice we
fear many walk by this rule; the case demands
plainness: “A blow from a friend is hotter than
a kiss from an enemy.” Much as we love the
church's good-will we are not to be hindered in
“►howing God’s people their transgressions
and the house of Jacob their sin.” What about
the children? Is the ultimatum of our suooeu
I to many baptisms, so many additions, so many
of a membership, and then a-ook round with a
I chuckle of satisfaction as if to invite compari
son ? Horrible in the last degree if it has
come to that!
We are sorry to say that with many
I of our brethren in Georgia, this very
I ultimatum seems to have been reached.
| It has indeed come to this, that the
1 only evidence of success which they
I give, is that they have baptized large
' numbers, and they seem to desire noth
i ing more. They boast of increase, but
j have no tears to shed over inefficiency*
! and as to the latter, they do not care
even to inquire into the cause of it.
—We find the following in an ex-
I change ; we do not know where it came
’ from, but we beg to present out thanks
to the unknown author for his sound
advice:
“If you would have your neighbor honest,
do not trust him too far or too fully, Buseep
tible to wrong influences, your over-trust in
him becomes a temptaiion to step aside from
the path of rectitude. Tour eye is a part of
his natural safeguard. You should never
leave too much to his mere sense of honor.
Assuming that he is upright, you should yet in
every business transaction demand a distinct
and early account. The want of this precau
tiou has teen the occasion of much bitterness
and of many lawsuits, and has uot seldom
proved the ruin of mon who, held to legiti
mate business habits, would have remained
honest.”
A bill has piuieed Oongrriw lor taking the
tenth census of the United States. It pro
vides that n cei sus of the population, wealth
and industry of the Uniied Sia'et shall be
taken on or before June Ist, 1880. It pro
vides also for the appointment ol a Superin
tendent of Census by the I’reaidem, and also
the necessary clerks and Cipyists in bin
office.