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The Christian Index. Vol. 57-— No 30. Table of Contents. First Page—Alabama Department: State Missions; Born of Water; Impressions Formed of the Alabama Baptist Conven tion; Religious Press. Second Page—Correspondence: Rehobotb Mission —J S Murrow ; Old Ministers—W M Howell; Pen-Droppings—L L V; What is our greatest work?—W M Howell; Dr. Landrum; A Letter from South Carolina — Saluda; Mission Department: Receipts of Mission Board Georgia Baptist Convention to July 31st, 1879. Third Page—Sunday-school Lessons. Fourth Page —Editorials : The True Bap tist; Jews Excluded; Symmetrical The ology; The Hebrew Leader; Georgia Bap tist News. Fifth Page—Secular Editorials: News Para graphs; Legislative Summary; Swindlers; Glances at Our Exchanges; Secular News; Position of Baptism in the Curistian Sys tem. Sixth Page—Obituaries, etc. Seventh Page—Prayer Meetings; Times of meeting of Baptist Associations, 1879. Eighth Page —Florida Department: Week ly News and Laconics; Deep Regret; Noonday Association; Special Notices; New Advertisements. Alabama Department. BY SAMUEL HENDERSON. STATE MISSIONS. The Annual Report of the Corres ponding Secretary, in behalf of the Board of State Missions at the late session of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, indicates a marked ad vance in that work over the State. Including the Secretary, we had eleven missionaries in the field, most of them all the time. Two or three items will show how the work is advancing. One thousand dollars more has been raised and expended the last year than was raised the previous year. Ten new churches have been constituted by the missionaries—one hundred and seven ty new Sunday-schools have been or ganized—about three hundred baptisms have occurred under their ministry—to say nothing of other labors. Six or seven years ago we had one hundred Sabbath schools in the Stale, now we have sev en hundred. Is not this progress? Per haps no plan could be adopted by the Board to meet the demands of the State, that would answer the views of all good, sensible men. The Board can only say, that in discharging the trust committed to it, it has to do the best thing that, under all the embarrass ments that surrounded it at the time, could have been done. Two or three objections to our plan of operations have been urged with more or less of earnestness. Those objections we pro pose to answer as best we can. Ist. It is objected that we have taken good pastors from their churches, and put them in the field to do missionary work. 2d. That, by instructing our mission aries to visit churches in good parts, we have not paid sufficient attention to destitute places. 3d. That our missionaries are au thorized, where it is necessary, to col lect, to some extent, their own sala ries. These objections have, in some local ities, crippled the operations of the Board. But a candid statement of facts will, we believe, satisfy all reason ble men, that at the time, on no other plan than the one we adopted, could we have reached the results already achieved. The first objection, viz: That we have taken some of our best preachers from their churches, and put them in the field, constitutes, we think, the most triumphant vindication of our plan that could be urged. When the Board was first organized, it was unan imously resolved to appoint the best ministers to the service that could be found in the field we sought to occupy. We wanted the men that could not be spared from their churches : we did not want those whose capacities ha'l failed to secure any thing like useful posi tions—we did not want those whom the churches had failed to employ. And it is precisely to this considera tion that the Board is indebted for its present commanding position before the denomination. We are sorry to make discriminations among our preaching brethren in this way; but the objections urged against our plan leave us no alternative. Surely, then, we may be pardoned for pursuing a policy that gives to this service the very best preaching talent that can be employed. If the work is necessary at all, it ought to be committed to the ablest hands. Os course there are many as good preachers in the State as those whom we have appointed. We only chose our missionaries from the best in the State. We repeat, therefore, that the very objection furn ishes our highest vindication. •As to the second objection, viz: That our missionaries are instructed to visit .churches which have pastors as well as destitute places—we have this to say, that we believe this necessity SOUTH-WESTERN BAPTIST. of Alabama. was laid upon us. When the Board entered upon the work assigned it, we had to begin de novo— at the beginipg. The impoverishment and desolation of our country left us no alternative but to send our missionaries, in part at least, where all that they were to re ceive on their salaries was to be sup plied. It was that or nothing. All that we could say, in justice to them was, to visit as many destitute places as they could consistently with the stern demands of their subsistence. This they have done, and done it nobly, as their reports show. We had no other means of establishing such relations between the Board anil the denomina tion at large as would justify the ap pointment of any missionaries at all, than through them. We are anxious ly awaiting the time when we can change this policy so as to sustain our appointees. But until that time comes, we must continue, to some extent, this course, or abandon the field. A few words as to the third objection, to wit: That our missionaries are au thorized, where it is necessary, to col lect their own salaries, at least in part. To this we answer, that up to this time they had it to do, or it would not have been done at all. Their salaries have been pledged, as a general rule, at their several Associations, and all they have done, up to this time, is to receive from the churches making these pledges, the amounts subscribed) and receipt for them. The pastors could do this work if they would. They could collect these pledges, forward the amount to our corresponding Secretary, and let iiim settle with the missionaries. But they have not, and it is feared, will not do so, for some time yet. No brother in the State will rejoice more sincere ly than our Board, whenever this deli cate service can be transferred from our missionaries to the churche and pas tors. But we submit that before any brother can urge this objection, he ought to have a clean record on this subject. We only wish that the objec tion could become so general, so imper ative, in the estimation of every church and pastor in the State, as to force them to do that which subjects our line of policy to the criticism we are considering. To attain this result —to induce our brethren to perform tjiis delicate wrico of collecting and forwarding the salaries of our mission aries, and thus relieve them of the duty, is the grand objective point at which the Board is aiming. But until this is reached, we must do as we can. One thing we can say, in which all will agree, that what the Board has accomplished in the past is enough to entitle it to the sympathies, the prayers, the earnest co-operation of every Bap tist in the State. Brethren! throw your objections in brackets, and come up to our help. We assure you that we are animated by no other motive than to do all we can to supply the service demanded in the State. Help us to abate the objections urged against our plans, and you shall share our pro foundest gratitude. But we cannot “make brick without straw.” We can not expend means you do not supply. He have to create our own resources by . our own agencies, or do nothing. If you will excuse the pleasantry, we are in the predicament of the little school boy, to which a brother referred at the Convention. He was told by his schoolmates when he entered the school, that he must do this, that and the other. He must not do thus and so. The catalogue of commands and prohibitions became so formidable that the little fellow desparingly exclaimed, “It is onpossible, and can't be did!” Do not expect impossibilities. Realize it, that you, brother, have just as much interest in this matter as we have—no more, no less. It is a common service, and the Master expects every man to do his duty, The Crippled Praying Child.—Mr. says: “I once knew a little crip ple who had given herself to God, and was distressed because she could not labor for him actively among the lost. Her pastor visited her,and, hearing her complaint, told her that from her sick bed she could offer prayers for those whom she wished to see turning to God. He advised her to write the names down, and then pray earnestly; and then he went away, and thought of the subject no more. Soon a feeling of great religious interest sprang up in the village, and the churches were crowded nightly. The little cripple heard of the progress of the revival, and inquired anxiously for the saved. A few weeks later she died, and among the roll of papers that was found under her little pillow was one bearing the names of fifty-six persons, every one of whom hod in the revival been converted. By each name was a cross, by which the crippled saint had checked off the con verts as they had been reported.” There is no readier way for a man | to bring his own worth into question ; than by endeavoring to detract from the worth of other men. Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, August 7, 1879. “BORN OF WATER.” exegesis of john 3: 3-12. 1. To arrive at the true meaning of the perplexing phrase, “Born of water,” the whole passage (3-12 verses) must be considered in its exegetical re lations, since it cannot be considered as strictly a question of translation, as the conjunction (chai) must be translated according to its relation to the context, before and after; and as there is noth ing in the word “water,” as here used, to restrict it to a symbolic or figurative use, we are left to understand the pas sage by some other method of interpre tation. 2. The proposition to be discussed by the “Great Teacher come from God,” is distinctly stated in verse 3, viz-,, the new birth, spiritual regenera tion. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” A second birth is introduced and en forced. 3. (a) If the phrase, “Kingdom of God,” be made to mean the ‘Spiritual kingdom,” and “born of water” to mean baptism, then it must follow, as a logical necessity, that baptism is in dissoluble with regeneration! (b) If, on the other hand, the “king dom is made to mean the visible king dom—the church—then it follows as inevitably that spiritual regeneration is essential to introduction into that king dom. Thus forming a dilemma, from which extrication would seem to be difficult. 4. “How can a man be born (again) when he is old?” inquired the astonished ruler. This question at once reveals the profound ignorance of Nicodemus of the great subject being expounded—the new birth. Nor need we be surprised at this manifestation of his ignorance, for ( 1) it w’as a new doctrine being introduced; (2) the "preaching of the cross is to the Jews foolishness;” (3) and, in general terms, the “natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (Ist Cor. 2 :14.) As a necessary result of this igno rance, Nicodemus failed to compre hend the nature of the proposition ,stated in verse 3, that a man shnqld.itfc, j ‘bohi again” a second time. Hence his question (verse 4), “How can a man be born when he is old!” No one will suppose for a moment that he who taught as one having authority would tamper with his distinguished hearer— a representative man of the Jewish nation—upon a subject upon which hung, in fearful suspension, a clear exposition of the fundamental question of eternal life! No; but would pro ceed with the greater care (if possi ble) to disentangle the original propo sition of its enshrouded mystery ; and thus removing the difficulty, would proceed to expound and illustrate the subject in exegetical detail. 5. That “born of water” (v. 5) is intended to remove such difficulty, and also as a reply to the question of Nico demus in v. 4, indicating natural gene ration, in contradistinction from spirit ual regeneration, would seem to be clear, for the following reasons : (1.) It is strictly in accordance with natural generation. (2.) Distinguishes between man’s two natures; showing that as the nat ural man receives his existence through natural generation, so also the “spirit ual man” receives its new life through spiritual regeneration—“born again,” ■‘born of the Spirit.” And that as the one is necessary to this life, so the other is necessary to the kingdom of God. (3.) To make “born of water” mean baptism would be too abrupt a transi tion from a fundamental doctrine to an external rite. (4.) It would be in conflict with the inspired order which these doctrines (regeneration and baptism) sustain to each other in the New Testament, re generation being antecedent and bap tism consequent. And, in the opinion of the writer, it would be just as scien tifically inconsistent to reverse the order of antecedent and consequent as it would be scripturally absurd to re verse the order of regeneration and baptism. (5.) To say that “born of water” means baptism, is an assumption with out proof. (6.) Wherever baptism is referred to in the Scriptures, there is some specific word so to designate it. 6. This (6th verse) is exegetical of verse 5. “Born of the flesh” being exegetical of “born of water;” while “born of the Spirit,” in verses 5. 6 and 8, is exegetical of the original proposi tion, “Ye must be born again,” stated in verse 8; thus clearly defining the distinction between the two natures of man, keeping distinct and illustrating separately the two facts, that the natu ral man—that which is ‘‘born of water," “born of the flesh,” enters into this world and “sees,” enjoys its light, blessings and privileges by and through natural generation; and that in like manner, also, the spiritual nature of man “enters into the kingdom of God,” and “sees,” enjoys its light, blessings and privileges by and through spirit ual regeneration. And after giving this complete exe getical analysis of the whole subject, he refers back in the 7th verse, with out any reference to the intervening exposition, to the original proposition stateij in verse 3, and repeats it with intensified emphasis—“ Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born” — not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but “of God>” “again," “of the Spirit.” Tile remaining verses (8-12) being illustrative of the mysterious nature of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, I shall pass that by, and conclude with the following synopsis of the argument; (J.) True method of interpretation suggested. (2.) Proposition stated- —“Born again.” (8.) A dilemma. (4.) Difficulty suggested and igno rance exposed. (5.) True meaning of “born of water”— natural birth—reasons. (6.) Exegesis of the subject. Ernternally and respectfully, I. U. Wilkes. Montevallo, Ala., July 23, 1879. IMPRESSIONS FORMED OF THE ALABAMA BAPTISI CONVEN TION. Taking the train at Troy, on the morning of the 16th, inst., I sped away for Birmingham, the place of meeting of the above body. At Union Springs, Rev. T. W. Toby, D. D., joined us en route for the same place. The party was largely increased at Montgomery. By mid-night we had reached the mountain-begirt city, our destination. We were met at the depot by the committee on hospitality, and they were truly a hospitable committee. Some times committees charged with this duty, forget, or neglect, or refuse to be at their place, if the hour of arri val be an unseasonable one. Not so with these dear brethren; they had been appointed to meet delegates on an< l ( l* BC h f,r K e d their \lGvy, though it required' considerable inconvenience and self-denial. Here we found impression No. 1. as follows : The Baptist church of Birmingham is a genuinely hospitable, whole-souled, open-hearted brotherhood. By a de lightful experience of several days, we had this impression corroborated and strengthened, and also extended so as to include all denominations in the city. All seemed to vie with each other in their efforts to make the stay of their visitors delightful and home like. At 10 o’clock, on Thursday morning, July 17th, the convention assembled in the audience hall of the court-honse, which is one of the finest in Alabama. Your correspondent was being im pressed with the fact of being a stranger among the brethren ; and a feeling of loneliness—an emotion very strange to him—was stealing on, when the genial and well known face of Rev. Jos. Shack elford, D. D., struck his eye. Imme diately his loneliness departed, for the dear good man had been a room-mate of ours twenty-five years ago, when together we drank at the classic fount of Mercer, then located at Penfield, now at Macon. The body was called to order by Hon. John Haralson, of Selma, the former president. The Introductory Sermon, as is their custom, had been appointed for the first night of the session. The Convention organized by elect ing Hon. John Haralson, Pres.; Rev. J. J. D. Renfroe, D. D., and Hon. J. G. Harris, Vice-Presidents; and Bro. B. B. Davis, Sec’y; and, on motion, Rev. J. S. Paulain was requested to act as Assistant Secretary. The work of the session then began in good earnest. Impression No. 2. was that Brother Haralson is an excellent presiding of ficer. Firm, dignified, pleasant, cour teous, independent and always ready, he dispatches business as rapidly as any presiding officer I have ever seen. He is a big-hearted Christian gentle man ; though, unlike Bro. Boyce, he carries his big heart in a small body. Bro. Davis makes one of the best of clerks; quick in business and obliging to his brethren. Impression No. 8. Associating with the brethren four or five days, I found them to be exceedingly kind, social, genial, easy to become acquainted with, and very affectionate. Mingling among them one is constantly remind ed of that beautiful picture, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" These Alabama brethren are a noble band. I was never treated more kind ly. The truth is, Bro. Editor, I fell in love with them all—please say to my dear Georgia brethreh, I do not love them any the less for that. THE CHRISTIAN HERALD, of Tennessee. Impression No. 4. This is a work ing body for it is made up largely of| workers. Friday morning was princi pally given to the consideration of the report of the State Mission Board. | Able addresses were delivered by ! brethren Bishop and Tichenor. About two thousand dollars were raised in cash subscriptions, to pay the salary of the Corresponding Sec’y, and to pay the current expenses of the Board. State Missions, Home and Foreign Missions, Sabbath-schools, Education, and support of aged and infirmed min isters, all received a forward impetus. Foremost among the workers in the convention are brethren I. T. Tichenor, of Auburn ; S. Henderson, of Alpine ; J. J. D. Renfroe,of Taledega; J. W. Haw thorne, of Montgomery ; W. C. Cleve land, Selma; W. H. Mclntosh, Marion ; T. W. Tobey, Union Springs; Jos. Shackelford, Trinity; B. H. Crumpton, Greenville; W. D. Roby, Tuskegee; O. F. Gregory, Tuscaloosa; T. M. Bai ly, Marion; J. G. Harris, Livingston ; J. 8. Paulain, Clayton; W. Rogers, Midway; G. D. Benton, Uchee ; L. W- Lawler, Talledega; W. Wilkes, Talla dega ; E. F. Barber, Bethany, Lowndes co., and E. T. Smythe, Oxford. Dr. E. T. Winkler was detained at home by family affliction. I was somewhat disappointed in not meeting my dear brother, E. B. Teague. The next session convenes on Wed nesday before the 3d Sabbath in July, 1880, at Greenville. Thank God for the last session of the Alabama Baptist Convention, so har monious, so earnest, so pleasant, so fruitful. T. H. STOUT; Troy, Ala., July, 25, 1879. The Religious Press. —The New Orleans Christian Advo cate wisely speaks: The perverseness of the carnal mind is no where more forcibly exhibited than in the disposition to pitch upon the things hard to be understood, and io make them stumbling blocks to the soul. There are plain things enough in Scripture appertaining to our du ty, to the conditions of salvation, and to the future destiny. What men need to know for their guidance in virtue and piety, and for their salvation, can be easily ascertained. But these are passed by for things that may be .wrapped in mystery, and for doctrines that at present are above our comprehension. The time and thought that should be given to the practical and easily-understood doc trines and precepts, are wasted in bewilder ing and vain speculations. The things which, if honest y and prayerfully studied, minister to faith and righteosness, are warped and turned [to the soul’s undoing. The word of God is a sword that may be wielded in de fense if assaulted, or we may so handle it as to pierce and destroy ourselves. It is a light to illuminate and purify the heait, and to shine upon our | ath, but may be so wres ted from its gracious purpose as to become a consuming fire. —We clip the following scraps from the “Brief Item” column of The Pres byterian. Occasionally the Episcopalian Bishops woo the Methodists with many blandish ments, but with little success. At times the Methodists grow conscious ot their greatness and the smallness of those who are inviting “You take us in 1” said an indignant Metho dist, years ago to this proposition. “ You might as well ask a little bayou to take in the Mississippi. Mohammedanism wanes slowly, but surely. It mutters and mumbles, but is powerless. An instance is given of this which is quite remarkable. “After waiting for years for permission from the Turkish Government to erect buildings r or the Theological Seminary at Mara-h, in Turkey, in charge of the Amer ican Board, they have now been erected without permission. Dr. Bellows said, wisely and warningly, not long ago :—“ I never knew one man or woman who steadily evaded the house of prayer and public worship on the Lord’s day --who habitually neglected it, and had a theory on which it was neglected—that did not come to grief and bring other people to 1 grief.” Dr. Stuart Robinson makes a point surely when he says that “ the great need is a great ethical revival in the church itself, which will restore the tone of Christian life and morals, and separate Christians from a‘world lying in wickedness.’ " Take care how you deal with the distract ing questions between science ami religion, lest by your sermon against infidel science you set some minds wandering after the dan gerous speculations. “Where did you get that infiuel book ?” said a surprised pastor to a parishioner, as he lifted it from the parlor table. “I heard you speak of it in the pul pit and I had a curiosity to see it,” was the stunning reply. —Some of the secular pajters are making a great ado over the fact, that a colored wo man a short time ago made application for membership in a Southern Presbyterian church, was examined and received and par took of the Lord’s Supper, as if this was something new. Even in the days of slavery a great many Presbyterian churches in the South had colored members; one at least had two hundred and fifty members of this class. At the meeting of the General Assembly in Rochester, N. Y., in 1860, we saw a South Carolina slave-holder give a donation of one hundred dollars, a thank-offering, as hetaid, for the recent conversion of one of his ser vants (slaves). And almost every Baptist minister in the Southern States has adminis tered the lord’s Supper habitually to churches in the rural dirtricts com posed partly of whites and partly of negroes. The latter, it is true, always Whole No. 2380 occupied seats by themselves, but all partook of the communion together. In the cities the whites and blacks have usually had separate churches. The editor of The Index has baptized many negroes and has administered the Lord’s Supper to them sometimes in conjunction with the whites, and sometimes in their own churches, times without number. —And now comes The N. Y. Ob server with wise words as usual: “ If you can divest your minds of prejudice, you can have no evidence upon which, before your God you can strangle this man on the scaffold.” This remark is taken from the plea to the jury by the counsel of Cox, who was tried last week and convicted of one of the most atrocious murde s ever committed in this city. It is of a piece with much the talk of those who advocate the abolition of the death penalty. To save one man from the just punishment of a capital cr-me they would have twelve men commit the crime of perju ry by bringing in a verdict of acquittal or for a minor offense, when they have sworn to render a verdict according to Jaw and the testimony. The plea is made on an utterly false basis. The jury have nothing to do with the “ strangling’’ or hanging of a mur derer. All thev have to do is to sit in judg ment on the tesamony and to declare upon their oaths whether it sustains the charge. i The Judge who sentences the prisoner has ' nothing to do with the hanging. All be has to do is to pronounce the sentence whicb the ■ law has already imposed. For either Judge or jury to do otherwise would be to violate an oath. A double murder was recently com mitted near Atlanta ; an aged man and his wife were found lying in bed with their throats cut. If the perpetrator of the dreadful deed can be found he will probably be put through the form of a trial; he may be acquitted by some jury too conscientious to find him guilty but not too conscientious to violate their oaths; or he may be found guilty of manslaughter only, or possibly he may be found guilty of murder and “ recommended to mercy,” as the coup le were old and had not much longer to live anyhow; and he may be senten ced to the penitentiary for life—with, the expectation that he will soon be turned loose. The administration of law in this country is getting to be a farce. —The Southern Christian Advocate (Methodist) in an article headed “ Lib eralism run mad ” commenting on Dr. Boyds exploit with the Jews, proceeds to say: But is it any of our business to be med dling about this second alleged offense? We think so. Though we are no Baptist, we yet c’aim to be a Christian, and as such to be justly offended and greatly scandalized by the course of conduct of Dr. Boyd and his congregation. And The .Index is glad to see that Christian editors generally, whether Baptists or not, take the same view, j Strange to say, however, one of otw Baptist exchanges, and one that we | held in high esteem, speaks in the mildest possible terms of Dr. Boyd’s conduct. —The railroad riots that occurred a few years since at Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, involved the destruction of private property to the amount of three million dollars. The j owners have been asking for indemnity ; and the question has been pendingin the courts whether the indemnity should be paid by the State, or by the county in which the riots occurred. The Supreme Court of Pennsyl vania has recently decided that the State is ■ not responsible; but that the county must foot the bill of these damages. This is to be done by taxation, and the larger part of the burden must fall on the city of Pittsburgh. Wa receive a great deal of advice | from the latitudes North of us, as to 1 how we should manage to get along with our laboring classes; but as mat i ter of fact we doubt not that there is I far more disorder in the State of Penn j sylvania alone, than there is in all the Southern States put together. Then see the following from Massa. ; chusetts: The Fall River (Mass.) spinners have continued on strike, and as their case has | grown desperate they have naturally resort ed to intimidations of those who took their places. Many facts are related which prove 1 clearly that the striking spinners have in many ways annoyed and bulldozed other workmen. On Sunday there was something like a riot, shots were fired by the police and one striker was wounded. Unless great cau | tion is exercised by the authorities, this strike will culminate in bloody scenes. The strikers have a right to stop work but not to deter others from working. Just suppose that anything like this had occurred in any one of the Southern States what an ado would have been raised! Wo have no trouble with our laboring people, notwithstanding the fact that constant efforts are made to make them discontented and restless. —The general or union meeting of the Third District of the Western As sociation meets with Bethel church, Heard county, near St. Cloud, on Fri day before the second Sunday instant, at 11 o’clock a. m. The introductory sermon will be preached by Rev. J. 8. B. Davis, of Newnan, Ga. The church and community extend a cordial invi tation to ministers and people to come and unite with them in enjoying this occasion. The meeting will continue several days.