Newspaper Page Text
The Christian Index.
Vol. 57— No 29.
Table of Contents.
First Page—Alabama Department- The Ala
bama Baptist Convention; Birmingham
Baptist Church; Religions News; Editorial
Short-Hand; Cause of Crime.
Second Page—Correspondence: Letter from
Rev. S. Landrum; Exciting News from Field
of Indian Missions—Rev. H. F. Buckner;
Letter from J. J. Black, Jessup, Ga,; Agen
cies—Ex-Agent; Letter from Madison, Ga.—
Alien Clark; Put These Togethe —W. M. H.;
Unsrriptural Methods—Mission to the
Chinese in California—W: H. Mclntosh; In
ternattonal Sunday School Lesson for Au
gust 10th, 1879.
Third Page—Growing Old; Obituaries.
Fourth Page—Editorial: The Second Com
mandmint; Murder of'a Mormon; The
North and South—by G. J. Johnson; Who is
to Blame; Position of Baptism in the Chris
tian System; Intemperance; Georgia Baptist
News; Constitution of a Church.
Fifth Page—Secular Editorials; News Para
graphs; Legislative Summary; The Life of
Chief Justice Warner; Georgia News.
Sixth Page—Ability the Measure of Duty;
Starting.
Seventh Page—Farmer’s Index: Laying by-
Cotton; Fall Crops; Save Everything; Get
ting Rid of Nut Grass; Spoiling a Young
Horse; Renovating Land; Sheep in Missis
sippi.
Eighth Page—Reading Notices and New Ad
vertisements.
Alabama Department.
BY SAMVEL HENDERSON.
THE ALABAMA BAPTIST CON
VENTION.
The following abstract of the pro
ceedings of our late Convention at
Birmingham has been kindly furnished
us by our brother Rev. B. F. Riley, of
Opelika. We only add that
passed off most harmoniously. Our
State Mission work is growing in im
portance all over the State. Our insti
tutions of learning, male and female,
all make flattering reports. The grow
ing city of Birmingham did its full duty
by extending the most princely hospi
tality to the delegates and visitors.
Between two and three, hundred dele
gates attended from nearly all parts of
the State. We were glad to welcome
Dr. A. J. Battle, and brethren Stout
and Whatley from the Georgia Con
vention. We shall recur to the meet
ing again, having only time now to
send this on in time for our next week’s
issue. The next meeting is appointed
for Greenville, Butler, county, to begin
on Wednesday before the 3d Lord’s day
in July, 1880, instead of Thursday.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ALABAMA BAPTIST
CONENTION.
Birmingham, Ala., July 17,1879.
The Alabama Baptist Convention
met in the court-house in Birmingham
this morning at 10 A. M.
Devotional exercises were impressive
ly conducted by brother E. T. Smythe,
of Oxford.
Upon an organization of the Con
vention Hon. John Haralson was re
elected President, and brethren Renfroe
and Harris were elected Vice-Presi
dents, and brethren B. B. Davis and J.
S. Paullin were elected Secretaries.
Brother J. 0. B. Lowry, who had
been appointed to preach the Conven
tion sermon, being absent, and brother
W. W. Sanders, the alternate, having
died, the committee on devotional ex
ercises reported that the sermon would
be delivered to-night by Dr. A. J. Bat
tle, of Georgia.
Convention adjourned after prayer
by brother Hendon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Convention met at 3P. m. After
prayer the Convention proceeded to
business.
The President appointed the follow
ing delegates to the Georgia State Con
vention : Drs. Hawthorne, Mclntosh,
Tichenor, Murfee, Tobey, and brethren
Riley, Haralson and Owens.
Brother Bailey read the report of the
State Mission Board, showing the work
accomplished during the past conven
tional year. Under the auspices of the
Secretary and the several Evangelists
the work is broadening in all branches.
The report of the Board of Trustees
of the Judson Female Institute was
read, showing the steady advancement
of that institution of learning.
This was followed by a report from
the Board of Trustees of the Central
Female College, located at Tuscaloosa,
indicating a growth of interest in that
college.
Brother E. T. Smythe read the report
of the committee on Sabbath-schools,
which was followed by thrilling
speeches from Brethren Tichenor,
Smythe, Henderson, Baber, Stout and
Harris, after which the report was
adopted.
Prayer was now ofl'ercd by Brother
I. U. Wilkes, when the convention ad
journed.
NIGHT SESSION.
Convention assembled at 8 P. M. to
hear the sermon of Dr. Battle. The
SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST.
of Alabama.
preacher chose his text from Matthew
1 25:21, and impressively discussed the
1 subject of “Individual Obligation” to a
I large audience.
FRIDAY MORNING.
Convention met at 8 :30 A. M. De
votional exercises of a half hour were
conducted by the President.
Dr. Murfee, President of Howard
College, read the report of the Board of
Trustees of that institution. The ses
i sion just closed is the most successful
| since the war. Its high tone of char
acter has won expressions of approba
tion from the Methodists, Presbyterians
and Episcopalians as well as from Bap
tists. Its discipline is unsurpassed, its
standard the highest in the State. An
appeal in behalf of the college was
made.
Dr. Cleveland read the report on the
■ time and place of next meeting. Green
j ville the place and the Wednesday be
i fore the third Sabbath in July, 1880,
the time.
Dr. Robey read the State Mission
Report, which was followed by stirring
speeches by Brothers Bishop and
Tichenor,- after which a collection of
$2,000 was taken for the Board.
Prayer was offered by Dr. Hawthorne,
when the Convention adjourned.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Convention assembled promptly at
3P. M. Prayer by Brother Benton.
After further discussion of the State
Mission Report by Brothers Crumpton,
I Henderson, Huckabee, Bailey, Renfroe,
Shackelford, Tichenor, Baber, Barbour,
; and Gunn, it was adopted.
Dr. J. B. Hawthorne read the report
1 of the Board of Education. He reports
i that the Board has done but little in
consequence of the Associations acting
for themselves in the appointment of
their own beneficiaries.
Dr. Henderson read the report on the
Condition ol the Colored People. It
fully set forth the condition cf.the col
ored race in its present condition in
America as contrasted with its condi
tion in Africa. The dangers which
surround the race were dwelt upon at
great length. The report highly en
dorses the appointment of Dr. Marston
, in connection with the evangelization
' of the colored race.
A spidy discussion sprung xip upon
I a motion to amend “by striking out the
I partisan and sectional portion of the
report,” which Dr. Henderson denied
existed; but the amendment was re
jected, and the report was adopted.
After prayer by Brother Gregory, the
Convention adjourned.
SATURDAY’S PROCEEDINGS.
Convention again met at 8 : 30 A. m.
By invitation of the Chair brother
Huckabee conducted divine worship.
After calling the Convention to order
Dr. Toby read the report on Foreign
I Missions. It was a succinct account of
the great work done in different foreign
' fields, from which the chairman drew
inspiration for future enterprise in this
direction. After discussion of the re
port by Brethren Williams,Tichenor,Ro
bey, Crumpton, and Lawber the report
I was unanimously adopted.
Brother West, at this point read the
following resolutions : To the Alabama
Baptist Convention, Whereas, the con
ditions on which the Alabama Baptist
was transferred to Rev. E. T. Winkler
| and myself, at the meeting of your body
lin Talladega last year, are indefinite ;
I and whereas, in the event of the death
or withdrawal of either of the parties
to whom the paper was transferred,
complications and misunderstandings
j hurtful to the paper and consequently
i to all our denominational interests in
I the State might and most probably
I would arise ; and wheras the prosperity
I of the paper is seriously retarded by
| these uncertainties; and, whereas, Rev.
E. T. Winkler prefers not to become
the proprietor or publisher of the pa
per—l therefore respectfully ask that
the Convention authorize the transfer
of the Alabama Baptist to me as sole
proprietor on the conditions on which
it was transferred to Rev. E. T. Wink
ler and myself at your last session
viz.:
1. That the paper shall be faithfully
employed as an agency for the dissem
ination of Baptist principles and the sup
port of Baptist influences and interests
in every part of Alabama. 2. That in
I case of a proposed sale in future this
i Convention shall have the refusal of
the purchase at the rates of any bona
fide offer made by another party.
Respectfully submitted.
John L. West.
The matter was submitted to the
fobowing brethren : Kecble, Waldrop
and Davis.
The hour of 10 having arrived, which
was the special order for the considera
tion of the claims of the Home Mission
Board, the report was read and dis
cussed by Dre. Mclntosh, Tichenor,
Baber, Hawthorne, Robey, Kinnebrew,
and Brother Brown, and the report
was adopted.
The report on Indigent Ministers
was read by Brother Davis.
After prayer by Brother Brock the
Convention adjourned.
Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, July 31, 1879.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Convention reassembled at 3 p. m.
Prayer by brother Dougherty.
The Committee on Rules of Order !
reported through its chairman, was
adopted. Bro. Waldrass reported the i
remaining officers of Convention.
The Convention sermon is to be
preached by Dr. Joseph Shackelford.
Alternate B. F. Riley.
Bro. Mallory read the report of the
of the Committee on Education.-
Though the institutions which come
under the fostering care of this conven
tion, suffered seriously from adverse'
fortune, yet now they are rapidly re
turning to their positions of impor
tance. The new features which have
been introduced into the course of study
at the Howard, recommend it more fa
vorably to the Baptists of Alabama.
The Judson is entering on a new era
of prosperity. The Central Female
College offers peculiar advantages to
those desiring thorough instruction.
It was discussed by brethren Eddins,
Mclntosh, Harris, Wilkes, Henderson,
Cleveland, Foster, Yancy, Gwaltney,
Murfee and Brown, and adopted.
After prayer by brother Paullin, the
convention adjourned.
NIGHT SESSION.
At 8 o’clock p. m., the Convention I
was called to order, after prayer by
Bro. Williams.
The report on the infirm and indi
gent Ministers, was taken up and thor
oughly and practically discussed by
Bro’s Keeble, Burns, Stark, Harris and
Lawler and Lewis Brown, Hendon,
Ramsey, Kinnebrew, Slaughter, O’Neal
and Renf.toe, after which it was unan
imously adopted.
Bro. A. J. Waldrass recommended
the granting of the request made by
Bro. West relative to the Alabama
Baptist.
A communication wasread from the
Ann Hasaltine Society of the Judson
Institute, which was ordered to be
spread upon the Minutes.
Bro. Gregory offered a resolution of ,
thanks for favors shown the conven- •
t»n. Dr. Renfroe offered an amend-1
ment to the Constitution relative to the t
incidental expenses of the Convention.*
It lies over until next yjear.
Bro. Hixon, also offered an amend- ;
nient relative to delegated powers to '
certain officers of the Convention. |
Lies over until next year.
Bro. Watts read the report of the
Finance Committee. The liberality of
the churches is unsurpassed by any
convention since the war.
After items of minor importance
were disposed of, the parting hand was
taken, prayer was offered by Bro. Gunn
and the convention adjourned sine die.
In harmony, liberality, interest and
spirit, the convention far surpassed all 1
others.
Brethren start homeward with bound
ing hearts and radiant countenances.
BIRMINGHAM BAPTIST CHURCH
To the Delegates of the Late Baptist
Convention :
Dear Brethren : I do not doubt
that you, as well as myself, were
impressed at your late meeting, with
the importance of building up a strong,
vigorous, self-sustaining Baptist church
in the young city of Birmingham—a
city, by the way, that has sprung into
life as if by magic. I say, with a pro
found conviction of its truth, that there
is not in Alabama a place that can sur
pass it in importance to ourdenomina
tion. And yet the little church there,
with its gifted young pastor, Brother
Hendon, is absolutely struggling for
life. Local embarrassments, such as
they only can feel, and such as are
weighing upon their hearts with crush
ing power, make it essential for some
thing to be done for their relief. If it is
necessary for Brother Hendon or any
other qualified pastor to remain there
at all, it is equally necessary for relief
to come from some quarter. They are
grappling with disadvantages which
encompass no other denomination in
the city—disadvantages which the
Baptists of the State could remove as
easily as to will it. Their church house
needs to be finished at least in a cred
itable style. A little pastor’s home
on the church lot, that will save him
a hundred and fifty dollars a year on his
salary, needs to be erected ; and I have
reason to know that if the denomina
tion—the hundred thousand Baptist
of Alabama—will raise a few hundred
dollars,say four or five hundred,it will en
courage the little struggling band there
to raise the balance, and place church
an<l pastor on such vantage ground as
will enable them to enter upon the fu
ture with buoyant hope. I therefore
appeal to the brethren who attended
the late convention there, and shared
the princely hospitality of that young
city—l appeal to the churches they
represented, to contribute only a pit
tance from each, but which aggrega
ted, will be a noble offering to as
worthy a church and pastor as ever
struggled to maintain the “good old
cause” against fearful odds. Dear
fefthren, I wish I knew how to make
this appeal in adequate terms. Bir
raigham is destined to be a giant city
: Midlit in the heart of our noble old state
I -Must in the midst of our vast mineral
j Wealth- and tens of thousands of dol
lirts are seeking investments there every
yrar. What we do must be done quick
ly to place our cause abreast of the
times. I trust no brother will hesitate
ti- ilo his duty.
<“\'ow, I propose that we make up
B it less than live hundred dollars by the
$Kt of October, in subscriptions from
•nwtividuals and churches of ten dollars
each. Why, if we had been attending
a political gathering in equal numbers
in any of our cities, for the same length
of time, our hotel bills would have
been more than five times the amount
I have suggested. Surely, out of all
tSiv members that attended the late
convention, and that were so well cared
for, and all the churches that were
represented, there can be found as
many as fifty that will pay this little
sum to relieve the church there. I
will be one of the number to pay ten
dollars each by the first of October
next. Let the responses come in prompt
ly and with a hearty good will.
« Sam’l Henderson.
P. B.—This is written without the
knowledge of anybody in Birmingham.
Alpine, Ala., July 23d, 1879.
“Editor’s Easy Chair.”—We have
been an editor in some capacity, either
as principal or assistant, “ off and on,”
of secular or religious newspapers, ever
since 1840. nearly forty years. Per
haps twenty years of that time would
about embrace our editorial career. In
that time we have read much of the
“ Editor’s Easy Chair,” but never hav
ing enjoyed so great a luxury, we came
to regard it as a kind of myth, a
mere figure of speech, coined by the
fraternity as a piece of irony, else mean
ing, like*many*similar phrases anything
else than “easy ’’ —a seat of thorns,for
instance. But last week, on going to
'our depot, “ eureka! ’’ we found it!
The very dot! A chair on which we
yc-Mi 1011, sleep, meditate, write, “ nurse
well nigh write poetry,
Tiuything that ease and comfort dan
- »>. v We thank 1 our worthy proprietor,
fJt-other James P. Harrison, for the
■ present. We shall keep it as a pleas
ant memorial of his kindness, and hope
to write many lucubrations “ From
Our Easy Chair.”
RELIGIOUS NEWS.
A protracted meeting is progress
at Carrollton—Rev. Mr. Roop, pastor.
The Evangelical pastors of Troy, New
York, have unanimously agreed to do
away with funeral sermons.
Dr. Thos. H. Pritchard has ac
cepted the call to the Presidency of
Wake Forest College.
We understand that Dr. Peltz, New
York, has been called to the care of the
Coliseum Place Church, New Orleans.
—There are said to be 050,000 chil
dren in the Sunday-schools of New
York State and 90,000 not yet brought
in.
Rev. E. B. Olmsted, D. D., has been
elected to and accepted the post of
President of the Union Female College
in Opelika.
The Penn meetings in Louisville re
sulted in eighty-five baptisms—fifty by
Dr. Warder and thirty-five by Dr. Bur
rows.
In June the missionaries of the
American Sunday-school Union in the
Northwest organized and aided 229
Sunday-schools, which had 1,010 teach
ers and 10,394 scholars.
—Somebody has figured it up and
finds that the woman’s Missionary so
cieties of this country raised $330,000
last year.
—Spurgeon is preaching regularly
in his tabernacle now. His health is
much better but his hair has turned
entirely gray through his recent great
sufferings.
—The Second church, of St. Louis,
extended an invitation to the Baptist
societies of the North to hold their next
anniversaries with them. The invita
tion was received with enthusiasm and
will likely be accepted.
—Rev. J. M. Weaver, D, D., of Louis
ville, Ky., who has written much in
defence of “alien immersion” has after
careful study become convinced of his
error, and was recently baptized by Dr.
Boyce.
Bro. R. B. Hall was in attendance
at the Ala. Convention. He was for
27 years a Methodist minister. Last
year he joined the Baptists and was or
dained to the ministry. He is 74 years
of age.
Recent reports show that of the
2,400 organizations of Young Men’s
Christian Associations throughout the
world, 1,000 arc in America. This
American group own fifty-six buildings
and property valued at $2,500,000.
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD,
of Tennessee.
Thus saith The Western Recorder.
The New Testament knows nothing of a
church made up up of a number of smaller
congregations, as the Methodist church, the
Baptist church, of the United States, or of
the world. The distinction is church where
a single congregation, or worshipping assem
bly is named—churches where more congre
gations than one are included. It corres
ponds exactly with oirr cammon terms con
gregations, meeting, assembly,. &c.
We have noticed frequently in our Bap
tist periodicals, especially from the Eastern
States, something of the language of Ashdod,
in the use of the term church. They tell us
of the Baptist church —meaning the denomi
nation spread over a section'of country.
To such we would say, “ mind your terms.
Words are signs of ideas. “Words aie
things,” said Lord Bacon. By a wrong use
of words, wrong ideas; wrong habits and
erroneous practices are produced.
And The Index desires to say the
same thing ovei- again. There is no
such thing as the Baptist church. There
is the Baptist church in Griffin, if there
be but one there, or in Penfield, or in
Dalton; there is the Baptist church on
Greene street in Augusta; there is the
First or Second Baptist church in this
city or that, but to speak of the Baptist
church without any other designation
is to use words without meaning. Every
Baptist church is independent of every
other, and each one of them is the Bap
tist church in the place of its location.
To say that a person has joined, the
Baptist church, unless the church is
otherwise described, either expressly or
by implication, is an. improper use of
words. It should be said that such a
person has joined u Baptist ehnreh.
The case is different with Methodists,
Presbyterians, or Episcopalians. Each
of these communities has an organiza
tion which includes its whole member
ship in Ulis country. The Roman
Catholic church has an organization
which includes its whole membership
all over the world. These organizations
may be regarded as a unit; and it is
proper to speak (for instance) of the
Protestant Episcopal church of the
United States, for such an organization
exists. It is proper to speak of the
Roman Catholic church without fur
ther designation, for there is only one
in the world. Baptist churches exist!
by thousands, and no one of them is '
the church, and there i» no organic tie’
that binds all of them, or any two of
them, together. All this has been said
a thousand times before, but there
seems to be a reason why it should be
said once more.
EDITORIAL SHORT-HAND.
We don’t believe the former days j
were better than these days, except the
proposition be qualified. No doubt
some of the former days were better
than some of these days. But the
croakers* id unbelievers—and there
is less difference between them than
some people suppose—make nothing
by this admission, since some of these
days are better than some of the for
mer days. There is reason to suspect
that much of the talk about the supe
riority of former times is like our recol- j
lection of our childhood, when the ,
world was new and the wonder faculty
was large and disaupointment had not ’
enfeebled our confidence. As we write
we recall the old home in the little 1
village that was “finished” long ago.
We know now that there was nothing
extraordinary about the dear old house
and its surroundings. But we can’t
feel that there was anything ordinary
about it. We know it was not large,
but we can’t feel that it was only of
common proportions. Father was
among the first to give careful atten
tion to fruit culture, and to this day
we can’t get over the impression that
his peaches and pears were the best
that ever were. Certainly we have
never enjoyed any others so much.
The nursery-men declare that the new
varieties are better, and we can’t dis
prove what they say. Our recollection
of the peaches and pears and old home
is much like some people’s recollection
of the “former times.” Those times,
could they return, would not so im
press us now.
Another saying, quite common in all
the communities where we have lived,
runs this way: “Such and such a ‘
house was built when they did honest
work.” It cannot be doubted that a
good deal of sham work is done now
a-days in house building and other
building. There are sham carpenters,
blacksmiths, doctors, lawyers, teachers '
and preachers. But we don’t pity
their victims as we did once, having [
learned that there is some sham in the !
loud-complaining victims themselves. 1
Two little jobs of carpentering we '
have had done recently. One piece
was sham, the other good work. Whose
fault? Not the carpenter’s altogether.
Ours in part, we must admit. Os the
first job we cared little and sought a
cheap carpenter, mistaking, as thou
sands do, low price for cheapness. Our
little job fell into the hands of a bun
gler and was spoiled, and we deserved
it, to say nothing of what he deserved.
1 he other was well done by a man who
knew his business and charged for
Whole No. 2379
knowledge. People that arc always
trying to beat the price down below the
line of equity and common sense are
themselves shams, and if other shams
: get the better of them, there is no oc-
I casion for railing on their part or sym
| pathy on the part of others. In all
professions there are shams, because
people want them. On one occasion,
so the story goes, an eminent physi
cian, with small practice, was talking
with a “quack doctor” who had many
patients. The real physician asked
the sham doctor to explain the matter.
The latter was at least candid. “See,
Doctor,” said he, “the people passing
along the street. How many of them
are fools?” The old doctor, not being
in a very amiable frame of mind just
then, replied, “I suppose nine in ten.”
“Just so,” said the quack ; “I get the
nine.” We may set it down for a
truth, that when people are habitually
victimized by shams, it is because they
themselves are shams.
But we started to say something
about the “days when they did honest
work.” Several times in the last few
years we have had opportunity to see
some old houses, erected in those
blessed days of “honest work,” stripped
of weather-board and lath and plaster.
There were revelations every time.
Rough work, loose work, there was in
abundance. And much ignorant work.
We will not go into details, but we
have lost some of our faith in the
“days when they did honest work.”
The fact is, they did honest work, for
the most part, when it was really
wanted. And they do now. Let this
“they” represent not only carpenters,
blacksmiths and other artisans, but
lawyers, doctors, teachers and preach
ers, too. Editors also. But always,
when people want shams, being shams
themselves, they can find them, the
supply being ever equal to the de
mand.
But we are not disposed to boast of
these times. They are bad enough,
J and too bad, as is everything that can
.be made better than it is.— Wesleyan
Christian Advocate.
i CAUSES OF CRIME.
' We believe it to be susceptible of
■ demonstration that the late extraordin
ary and deplorable increase of crime,
i an increase more palpable every day,
i crowding with its record the columhs
I of the public prints and sickening the
I soul with its endless detail and novelty
of horror, is largely due to the growth
of materialism, or what is termed infi
delity ; and that mainly in re-action
from the sceptical drift of the time lies
the path of wholesome reform. The
fruit of unbelief among the upper or
wealthy classes is sensuality. Those
classes get to worship instead of their
Maker the pleasures of the moment.
They bow down to rich food and fine
clothes and enervating amusements.
1 They make goddesses of women who
i possess mere physical beauty. Their
hearts are set on yachts and race-courses
! and theaters and operas. What is given,
in a word, to gild or soften life, to lend
grace and sparkle and color to the plod
and monotone of existence,such persons
make its sole object and aim. Thus
they become of the earth, earthy, and
all that is spiritual and exalted dries out
of their souls. One after another the
Commandments are broken as they
stand in the way of desire, and a shame
ful ruin is left at last in place of what
might have been a perfect temple; a
shattered and sated voluptuary in place
of a nobly perfected human being.
Among the poorer and less educated
ranks of society the cant and poison of
living only for the day is even more
directly disastrous. The rich can grati
fy their passions without, as a rule and
in the legal sense, coming in conflict
with the rights of others. But the
needy, unrestrained by any fear of fu
, ture account, and thinking only to eat
I and drink since to-morrow they die,
drive straight on crime. That this is
no idle assertion can be abundantly
proved. A careful survey of the mur
ders, suicides and other great felonies
' committed in tne chief cities of the
United States during the last ten years
shows that a heavy fraction of the per
petrators were atheists or free-thinkers.
These unhappy persons, persuaded
that life is the be-all and the end-all
here, imagine that in their calculations
they can jump the life to come. A
. collection of the letters or other papers
left by criminals when anticipating
' death shows a fearful number of in
stances, some of which many readers
. will recall, of absolute disbelief in the
, existence of a God or in any reckoning
for wrong done in this life to be exact
ed in a future one.”— N. Y. Evening
Post.
The fourth annual session and exhi
bition of the Georgia State Horticultu
aal Society will be held in the Masonic
Hall, in Macon, commencing on Tues
day, the 29th inst., and continuing du
ring the 30th and 81st.